Joe (joedrew) tells us stories occasionally about his wife's Maltese background, but what about his own?
"Mostly British, but I had grandfather who was born in Quebec."
He then begins to tell me about Léopold-Réné Ménard - a French man fluent in English, born in 1919 in a town outside of Montreal.
How did your grandfather come to know English?
He learned it to join the army. He said it was easier to learn than French!
Did your Mom learn French from him?
Nope! But she and my dad are French teachers - they both just learned it in school/university.
Did they teach you French?
Nope! Whatever French I know is from school.
What did you call your grandparents?
'Mama' and 'Papa'.
Anything else weird about all of this?
Mama always called my grandfather 'Joe Jack Darling'. That's where I got my name!
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Culture Bites
Non-FictionI work with a bunch of very interesting people who come from all over. What do they think of their culture? Their parents' culture? Read their colourful stories and help me prove to them that it's more than just my curiosity that makes talking about...
