My English lesson
From time to time, while living in Basel, I get the opportunity to learn some new words and good expressions in the "other" English. With so many Brits living here, not to mention all the English speakers from Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, I'm often amazed at how different one language can be. Yesterday I added a new word to my vocabulary.
I was joining a group of ladies to go on an afternoon walk. It was put together through the "spouses" group through Kirk's office. Sometimes I just laugh at the fact that I'm now part of a spouses group. Doesn't that just sound funny? Anyway, we walked from Riehen, along the Wiese (a small river that runs into the Rhine), through the little zoo at Lange Erlen, and ended up having a beer at the cafe at the Dreilandereck (a place along the Rhine where the 3 countries come together). It was a beautiful day for a walk and it's always nice to meet a few new people on these walks. As I was waiting for the tram out to Riehen, I was chatting with the woman who organized the group. She had a last minute change in plans and wasn't able to join us on the walk. I mentioned that I wasn't really sure I was in the mood for a long walk, because it was hot, and my legs were tired from a long bike ride the day before, and I was just generally feeling lazy, but that I would go because I had committed to going and I really like the woman who would be our guide for the walk and I didn't want to let her down. In response, the organizing woman (who happens to be British) said in her very charming British accent: "Well, aren't you just such a good poppet". She said it again a couple minutes later, and I finally told her I had never heard of that word and had no idea what she was saying. She described "poppet" as someone who is sweet and reliable, similar to a little candy called a poppet (also which I've never heard of). So in case any of you are wondering, I'm a poppet.
I was joining a group of ladies to go on an afternoon walk. It was put together through the "spouses" group through Kirk's office. Sometimes I just laugh at the fact that I'm now part of a spouses group. Doesn't that just sound funny? Anyway, we walked from Riehen, along the Wiese (a small river that runs into the Rhine), through the little zoo at Lange Erlen, and ended up having a beer at the cafe at the Dreilandereck (a place along the Rhine where the 3 countries come together). It was a beautiful day for a walk and it's always nice to meet a few new people on these walks. As I was waiting for the tram out to Riehen, I was chatting with the woman who organized the group. She had a last minute change in plans and wasn't able to join us on the walk. I mentioned that I wasn't really sure I was in the mood for a long walk, because it was hot, and my legs were tired from a long bike ride the day before, and I was just generally feeling lazy, but that I would go because I had committed to going and I really like the woman who would be our guide for the walk and I didn't want to let her down. In response, the organizing woman (who happens to be British) said in her very charming British accent: "Well, aren't you just such a good poppet". She said it again a couple minutes later, and I finally told her I had never heard of that word and had no idea what she was saying. She described "poppet" as someone who is sweet and reliable, similar to a little candy called a poppet (also which I've never heard of). So in case any of you are wondering, I'm a poppet.
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