The chicken is under the canopy.

Yes, it's that Nike ad.

I've been trying to concentrate on the French, but discovering that concentrating on a second language that I haven't really spoken in the last decade or so when a first language which I speak daily is coming in over the top is really difficult.

Still.

I've been getting heaps of amusement from saying "Ou est le poulet? Il est sous la table!",
"Il est sur le mur!", "Il est dans le soldat!" and other such, occasionally surreal, phrases. Part of this is from the whole "Spot" series of children's books, particularly "Where is Spot?". The foreign language bookshop in Collins St has copies of this in almost every language you can find. I, of course, had to look up the Dutch version - and discovered that in Dutch, Spot is Dribbel. :-)

So now Dean has four phrases in Dutch, beginning with "Waar is Dribbel?"

(No one ever said you had to teach people useful phrases.)

I think what I really like about the "Where is Spot?" books is the sense of excitment they contain. Is he under the table? No! Is he in the cupboard? No! Is he in the fridge? No!

Everything's so exciting, not in the least like actually looking for something e.g. car keys. (Are they on the ironing board? No! Are they in the pocket of the jeans you wore last? No! Are they under the telephone? Surprisingly, yes!) Although given that I've only read the two in the LOTEs I can actually speak I may be extrapolating - at some point I'll have to read the English to see if the hunt for Spot builds up the tension as much.

Meanwhile I'll concentrate on trying to see if the chicken is doing the same in French as he is in English. :-)