In Italy we eat ...
Yesterday, an Italian student was telling me about donkey stew. He asked me if I'd eaten donkey meat before, and I said I hadn't, but that in the Philippines we eat goat meat, and I'd tried that once.
He asked me what a goat was, and I said, "It's the animal that goes (and I make the goat sound)." He said, "Oh, I know!" And he started describing lamb.
I had to correct him, and I explained that the goat has a little tail and short hair, is sometimes black or brown, and has a tiny horn. He finally got it. "We eat goat products," he said, "like cheese and milk, but in Italy, we prefer to eat shit."
"You eat what?" I said. We're supposed to ask learners to repeat themselves in a more polite manner, but I just couldn't help myself.
"Sheep, I mean." He said, a little frazzled. "Sheep!"
I think we ended up laughing for five minutes.
"I know Italians can be strange," he said afterwards, "but we're not that strange!"
He asked me what a goat was, and I said, "It's the animal that goes (and I make the goat sound)." He said, "Oh, I know!" And he started describing lamb.
I had to correct him, and I explained that the goat has a little tail and short hair, is sometimes black or brown, and has a tiny horn. He finally got it. "We eat goat products," he said, "like cheese and milk, but in Italy, we prefer to eat shit."
"You eat what?" I said. We're supposed to ask learners to repeat themselves in a more polite manner, but I just couldn't help myself.
"Sheep, I mean." He said, a little frazzled. "Sheep!"
I think we ended up laughing for five minutes.
"I know Italians can be strange," he said afterwards, "but we're not that strange!"