What is this?

QU'EST-CE QUE C'EST? ***WHAT IS THIS?***CHTO ETO?

Welcome to At the Ruins (by Shirley B. Trew), the generic phrasebook-cum-novel introduced by the dear Professor Emeritus Jacques Roundabout in the blog at-the-ruins.blogspot.com.

Here, the Conventional/Traditional novel form is used, just the way Charles Dickens's work (originally a 19th. c. blog of the era) is now packaged in fat books.

Read Professor Roundabout's Foreword, then plunge into the phrasebook novel. Uh, novel phrasebook.

Just read Post #1, then Post #2, and so on. At the bottom of each page, CLICK OLDER POSTS. Don't worry, you'll catch on eventually.

Contact me at sbtrew@gmail.com

P.S. THE FOREWORD SETS UP THE PREMISE; YA GOTTA READ IT.


FOREWORD, by Professor Jacques Roundabout


Often, people travel in pairs. One has common sense, the other speaks a little of the language. One is obsessed with maps, the other with native costumes. One is into photography, the other, shopping. One keeps an eye out for food, the other, ruins.

Here, finally, is the perfect travel phrasebook for both of them.

The problem with so many well-intentioned travelers' phrasebooks is that they're written in two languages, when in fact travelers most often find themselves juggling three or four at least as they seek stimulation and adventure around the world, and directions on how to find a bathroom.

But hardly anybody can handle three or four languages, and most Americans can't even handle two.

Besides, when the natives offer to sell you things, ask you questions, or even give you directions, they speak in their own language, with their own accents, and at normal speed. So even if your phrasebook has all the answers in it, everything will happen too fast for you to be able to translate and understand what they've said.

This first generic phrasebook skips over the frustration and gets right to the essence of your travel experience.

At long last, here is a traveler's phrasebook that translates all the phrases that you are likely to use, need, or hear into one language--good old American English. For the first time, you can finally grasp the essence of your travel experience.

Bon voyage! Oops--Good Trip!

J.R., Timbuktu

Wednesday, September 26, 2012


POST #6--DIRECTIONS

Where is the market?
It's three blocks ahead and one block to the left.
He says it's three blocks to the right and then one block north.
Thank you very much.
So which way is north?
I don't know, we better ask somebody else.
Do you think they would have a map at the stationery store?
Do you think they would have a map at the pharmacy?
Do you think they would have a map at the jewelry shop?
Do you think they would have a map at the newspaper stand?
Do you think they would have a map at the shoeshine station?

So from what I can tell, we're on the corner of "Shoe Repair" and "Slow School." Is that on the map?
Wait a minute, I think the name of the street is Bakery.

He's telling us to go to the end of "Vote for Change" street and then turn left.

OK, we're at the corner of "One Way" and "One Way." They sure do have a weird street system here.

Well, it's obviously the corner of "One Way Avenue" and "One Way Street." You just have to be logical and figure it out. There's a reason for everything.

Well now we're at the corner of "One Way" and "Watch Repair." Can't you find it on the map? You're always saying how good you are at maps.
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