The French people, they’re very proud of their language. So if you try to learn a couple of sentences, even if you speak brokenly, they like it. Better than speaking English. When I first came to France, I tried to look for a job. You know, a student, I was a student, and I didn’t speak French much then. And then, I “blub, blub, blub” somehow, and I said, “Do you speak English?” “No, I don’t like Americans!” He said, “I don’t like Americans.” And then he [hung] the phone up – bang – on me. (Oh.) From then on, I learned French. Learned. They’re very proud of their language. That there was one time even, some kind of maybe law, not very heavy law, but there was some law passed that you cannot mix English with French. You have to speak real French. (Oh.) They were worried that the beautiful heritage of their language would become “mélange,” become mixed, like a salad. So you cannot say, “C’est cool.” You cannot say, “It is cool” like that. “C’est cool” means “it’s cool.” You have to say, “C’est cool.”
How to say “it’s cool” in French? (We can still use it. “C’est cool.”) I know. I know, but in France, they don’t want it. That’s English, mixed. (I don’t even know.) (He lost his heritage.) You lost your heritage. You, too much with the Americans! It was the Americans who ruined you, and you ruined your... (Oh, “c’est froid” [it’s cool]. “C’est froid” [it’s cool]). Yeah, but “cool” means, [in] the “young” language, (Oh, yes.) “It’s nice.” Like it’s good, you know. (This is trendy.) (It’s trendy.) No, “it’s trendy?” Yeah, the French, they don’t have that word. You see? Because it’s a new slang for the younger generation in America or England. But the English people, they say, “It’s cool, man. It’s cool.” It doesn’t mean I have air-con. It means, “It’s OK, it’s OK, all is good.”
Or it’s like relaxing, like he said, “tendance,” means “relax.” Right? No? (“Tendance” means it’s fashion, it’s trendy. C’est cool.) Yeah. But “cool” is not always fashion. You don’t have that word, so the younger generation of French wants to import that word. So they always, “C’est cool, c’est cool.” And the government worries, so they don’t let them speak like that. You have to say, “C’est…” whatever. I don’t know the word in French. Because it’s not really like that in the dictionary as well. It’s not like “cool,” but now they use it a lot, so everybody understands what “cool” means. Means “OK.” “You’re OK.” “You’re OK,” or “Your clothes are OK,” or “Your style is cool,” means your style is OK. Means admirable. But in French, we don’t have that word. They are very serious. French people are very serious.
(We [have] also “chewing gum.” “Chewing gum,” we...) Yeah. Cannot. (We use “chewing gum.” We don’t have a word for “chewing gum.”) Yeah. That’s why, but the government tries to avoid all this kind of... like, you cannot say, “J’ai le feeling,” no? Means “I have the feeling.” No, cannot say [it] like that. I read on [the] newspaper before. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but the government tries to tell the people, “Don’t say, ‘J’ai le feeling.’” Say, “Je sens, je sens quelque chose.” Means, “I feel something.” But you cannot say, “J’ai le feeling.” “I have the feeling.” Cannot import the English into the French because they worry [that] the French will be no more French. And then the younger generation keeps importing more and more words from Âu Lạc (Vietnam), China, America, and then finally we speak Greek.
OK, we eat together. There’s a lot here. You didn’t keep this. I kept it. I didn’t want them to… They didn’t want to have. Everybody has some or share? (I hope we have enough for everybody. One plate, I mean for…) Just share now. (We’re not sure.) No need. It’s a lot. (OK.) OK. But you give them a nouveau fourchette (new fork). I also speak half English. (Fourchette? [Fork?]) Yeah. Fourchette, fourchette (Fork, fork) for everybody. And then we share. OK? (You’ll have this one.) It’s a clean one, so I cut it. I would never finish all this anyway. I never eat them. Rarely. I rarely eat any sweets or ice cream. Nothing. (You talked about the dentist. You don’t want to…) No, it’s not about the dentist. It’s just I don’t like sweet stuff so much. I only liked it in India because I didn’t have enough nutrition then. And I only liked it when I was younger because also I wanted to be vegetarian then. The whole house, there was a lot of (animal-people) meat, so I didn’t have enough nutrition, so I ate a lot of sweets. But now, I hardly eat it ever. Very rarely.
OK. Dig in. Dig… Dig, you dig. Here. (Thank You, Master.) Take one each, three of us. Everyone has three, you see that? So you can take one piece each and tell me which one is nice. Just take any. Take one at a time, eat it, and then take more. Good? Bon (Good). Oh, yeah, this is the lemon something. But they are very popular here. This is (vegan) cheesecake. (Vegan) cheese and cherry. It’s good? Good? You guys finish it off. (Yes, Master.) I can’t. Wow, my God, so sweet. Don’t be polite, you too. (Yes, Master.) At least two or three for one or something. Take, have some more here. Share with the neighbor. This for two and that for three.
Which one you like most? Which one? (So far, the yellow one is good.) The yellow one? That’s the lemon one. Lemon curd. (Finish this one first?) You like it? Continue, eat. (But it’s sour.) He likes sour. The Spanish ethnics, they also love sour. Everything, put lemon in it. Lemon and salt, lemon and salt. There was a Mexican who lived in my house before. Everything he liked, just put lemon and salt, that’s it. Until he discovered soy sauce. The Chinese people like to use soy sauce because they think… Of course, salt already, but if they have to dip something, they use soy sauce. They feel it’s less harsh. Not too harsh.
You guys don’t want coffee, or tea, or anything? Just water? (Water.) (Who wants coffee? Tea or café?) Maybe the French afterwards? (Coffee with [vegan] milk?) (I’m OK, thank you.) You want to drink expresso? (No, no. No coffee.) Expresso, no? (No.) Only tea or what? Tea? (Water is fine, thank You.) Water is better. You don’t go see your parents now? (I will, I will.) At the end? (Either at the end or) More or less. (in the middle. I’m not sure.) OK. Did you call them? You have to call, make an appointment, no? (I’m sure they are here, but I wanted to surprise them.) No, no, don’t. Maybe you will be the one to be surprised. It’s vacation time. Maybe they decide to go on their 50th honeymoon, and then you stand in front of the door with a lot of (vegan) food, and nothing happens, nobody [there]. You can cook this food for them, a little bit here and there, and invite them. They’d like it. (Yes.) Just to show your… (My cooking skills.) Yeah. Show your love.
Eat more, more, here. Anybody welcome. Look, the “sour” guy here. A whole piece for you. I don’t think they care too much about sour stuff. You eat it. (OK.) This one. Take the whole thing. (OK. Thank You, Master.) Take the whole, no, the whole sour only, and you eat the rest. (Would You like to eat more, Master?) No, thank you, no. Hey, you guys don’t drool on the camera lens, alright? When I see my face blurred in the video, then I know what happened. Maybe the (vegan) food they can withstand it, but the (vegan) cakes, oh my God! All sitting there and eating like that. And they have to stand by and watch only.
Eat, eat all. Eat all. OK? You have them at [Supreme Master] TV? (These kinds of [vegan] cakes?) Yeah? Rare? (Sometimes, at One [Veg] World [vegan restaurant], they make [vegan] cakes. They’re not exactly like this.) [They are] better? (No, this is better.) This is a good one? Eat it, eat it. Please, long time no eat, just eat it. (Thank You, Master.) Eat. Eat as much as you want. Maybe some more. I’ll ask them to bring more. If you want more, I ask them to bring more. (This is fine. Thank You, Master.) Please take care of the customers outside. Make sure they don’t feel neglected because of this party here.
I don’t know why they bought it. So white, the tables. It’s not very elegant. If it were me, I’d decorate differently. Those wooden brown or black, like irregular type of shape. Same with chairs, cushions. And I would put a sofa outside for the passersby. When they’re tired, they come and just relax with a (non-alcoholic) drink or something like that. They have to put a sofa there. Comfortable sofa, people like to sit there, look at the sea, and drink something (non-alcoholic). (That’s right.) Don’t have to eat, or maybe just (vegan) coffee and cake.
He didn’t record that, huh? But this one, record. They can include it in. “Be Vegan, Make Peace.” That’s good. You see, the driver also has to work. He sits outside. He cannot sit here. (Yes.) My present, temporary driver sitting outside waiting. So when I need, he has to go. (Yes.) He cannot sit here and eat and then cleaning the salad before he goes. Did you eat already? (Yes. Yes. I did have it.) You should have, (Thank You, Master.) otherwise you’ll “die” looking at all this.
Photo Caption: A Humble Appearance Is Still a Beauty
