26 Comments
User's avatar
David Slack's avatar

Beacoup de LOLS merci xx

Leah McFall's avatar

MWAH, David!

Elaine R. Frieman's avatar

You’re hilarious and adorable. My Grammy learned to write in shorthand and it’s always fascinating to me.

Leah McFall's avatar

Grammy! (Now who’s adorable?) 🩵

Christine's avatar

Tee hee. Thanks for the giggle. We were at 6th form French camp together and I vaguely recall you creating some sort of song or advertising jingle about M____ le Mouche?!? I'm teaching junior French now 😊 This year's French Film Festival selection is top drawer. Highly recommend Colours of Time,De Gaulle (perhaps not if war movies aren't your jam) The Richest Woman in the World and my francophone-ish 15yo and I enjoyed Angelina Jolie in Couture.

Leah McFall's avatar

Oh my GOODNESS! I loved that camp! Oh well done YOU. Those film suggestions are top drawer, thanks Christine

Tanya Wintringham's avatar

Can confirm Kāpiti driving exists in a different time/space continuum. I did my early driving in Auckland and, after nearly 20 years, I am still surprised at least once a week by something I see on the highways and byways around here. Merci!

Leah McFall's avatar

I’ve nearly driven off the road myself, especially when a tiny Cessna wobbles off that runway and skims the car bonnet!

Alan Doak's avatar

Great illustrations, to go with a great couple of yarns, from you. Merci beaucoup, as I "fermez la fenêtre" - the short extent of my French capabilities. Plus, I never knew that about testes.

Leah McFall's avatar

Hahaha! It boggles the mind

Jane Bloomfield's avatar

Sacré bleu! Maman with the knitting needle in her clenched fist ...?!

Dee Barron's avatar

C’est parfait Leah, as always. And mon dieu those illustrations LOL. Hugs to everyone with only small money. I have taken to hunting out banks with the ATMs that convert notes to coins so I can fill my purse and always have $2 to give to the various and assorted needy causes.

Rick McG's avatar

"Your favourite rail is the pūkeko. They’ve much more of a New Zealand personality, being dorky, and startled all the time."

Love it!

Wendy Varley's avatar

Les French illustrations sont parfaites! Preserved in aspic like everything was back then.

That warship was practically visible on my morning walks, Leah. Too close for comfort.

Leah McFall's avatar

My goodness! With its transponder off, I read. What a sight it must be

Melanie Phipps's avatar

C'est à mourir de rire! Just what I needed 😆 Je t’adore xx

Simon Wilson's avatar

Thank you ❤️ I was taught French by a Mrs Dutch so I never did get the hang of it

Leah McFall's avatar

Snicker! I wonder how you say “I was gaslit” in French

Sara Green's avatar

Je t’adore toujours 😊

Leah McFall's avatar

🤍🩵💛

Barbara Lofgren's avatar

Henri looks as if he is about to play 'bomb a village' and not sure about Marie's left leg....

Leah McFall's avatar

‘Bomb a village’ - hahaha!

Gary Wayne McCormick's avatar

Another wonderful column. The finish about the woman shuffling away in the dairy because she only had "small money" does sum up New Zealand today - apart from Cabinet Ministers current and retired,or Shane Jones going to a mining conference.

On occasions too many to count ( in Lyttelton ) I have had to decide whether or not to step forward and pay someone's grocery bill (and risk embarrassing them) or trying to find a more discreet way to help. Its exhausting , awkward and not the way we wanted New Zealand to be.

Doug Coutts's avatar

La pukeko est un Aussie aussi. (43%for School Cert French, 1961)