An Illustration

I just discovered a GREAT illustration as to why it is so hard for me to understand and speak French.

We just went to Switzerland for a week for our all-Europe conference (photos to come later) and we needed to figure out a way to keep our plants from dying while we were gone. I went to the local hardware store and bought this:

It's sole purpose is to keep your plants watered while you are gone on vacation.

When we went to read the instructions that were provided in French, English and a few other languages, we got a good laugh reading the English translation. It is LITERALLY just the French words translated into English words, but nothing more. No restructuring the sentences to be the way an English speaker speaks. You can read this and understand why it is so hard for me to learn French!

Here are the instructions word for word. I promise, there are no typos and these are word-for-word (I double checked them twice!).

ATTENTION: BEFORE USE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS WHICH REFER TO THE ILLUSTRATIONS POSTPONED ON THE PACKAGING. INDEED CHOOSE THE PLACE AND THE BOWL WHICH WILL SERVE AS RESERVOIR. THIS ONE CAN BE POSITIONED EITHER HIGHER, OR LOWER THAN THE SPRINKLER INSERTS INTO THE JAR. IF IT IS POSITIONED MORE LOW, IT'S RECOMMENDED NOT TO OVERTAKE 50 cm OF MADE UNEVEN ENTER THE JAR AND THE BOWL.

Here's a photo of the illustrations on the back of the package:


1. Water abundantly the plant.
2. Fill with water the bowl which will be used as reservoir.
3. Remove, by firing delicately, the adapter of the cone in terra-cotta.
4. Plunge the adapter, the cone as well as the pipe in the water tank.
5. Once in the water, replace the adapter on the cone while blocking the extremity of the pipe with a finger, to avoid a water leak.
6. Take out the sprinkler of the water and insert it into the jar while leaving fill blocked the extremity of the pipe, then kick away your finger.
7. Put the irrigator in the plant's soil. The terracotta cone must be inserted completely in the soil for the best watering effect.
WARNING: Use only for the watering of house plants. This is not a toy. Keep of from children.

Too funny, huh! (I especially like the "kick away your finger.") And, no wonder people look at me like I am an alien when I try to translate my English thoughts word-for-word into French! It just doesn't work. How can I ever think in this way? I think it might take a miracle.

P.S. I thought this little gadget cost 5 euros, but when I went to the register, I discovered it was 13 euros. I ended up creating a small greenhouse in our kitchen with plastic covering all of our plants (an idea I found on the internet), and spent 2 euros for the plastic to do it. We returned from Switzerland to find plants in great shape! I just returned this little gadget and pocketed the money. I love saving a buck!