The French love to wish you a bon something or other, be it bonjour, bon appétit, bon fête or bon film. But they really go for it when wishing you a Bonne Année, so much so that im already looking forward to the end of january and the end of this repetitive well wishing. To give you an idea, here is a typical exchange i've been having at work today:
Me: "Bonjour"
Work Person: "Bonjour. Et bonne Année, bonne santé, bonne chance. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur, amour, argent, prospérité et paix. Mes meilleures voeux pour 2012."
Me: "Merci. A vous aussi. Bonne Journée.
When you've heard this catalogue of lovely sounding things being reeled off by 10 people in the same morning, it starts to sound less sincere and more like a shopping list. I want to challenge them, "do you really wish me all these things? Prove it by doing my photocopying for a day." I know that I won't even speak to some of these people again until this time next year, except perhaps for a "bonnes vacances" in the summer. Yet here we are, pretending to care about each other to the exaggerated extent that saying "happy new year" just isn't enough, we must declare our desire for the other person to be rewarded by good health, money, love, luck, prosperity and peace. It's a little over the top to say the least. But hopefully their wishes come true and i'll finish the year a happy, healthy millionaire, surrounded by love, at peace with the world. Anything less and i'll be annoyed.
