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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Beware of false friends ....

Talking about language traps, actually!

In the previous blog I mentioned the French word for 'church service' is 'un culte' which English-speakers could confuse with a cult or sect.

Here's another tricky one : In English we use preservatives to keep foodstuffs longer. In French the same word means "a condom"! They use the word "conservateur" for conserving the food!

Learning to live in another culture takes a long time, patience, openness, a willingness to change and adapt, yet the capacity to be at ease with one's own identity. First, be sure you know who you are in Christ! You need to be able to laugh at yourself, ask questions, put up with feeling isolated, discernment, the ability to observe and to keep quiet.

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