Escalope - I know at least one word of French

It was going to be a lollipop day - a day of sweet nothings. I would go for a short walk, read the Sunday Paper (full of news about our upcoming Australian Election due on 21st August), and look for more signs of upcoming spring. I reckon I would just bum about and catch some more sunlight. To be honest, I had not given any thought to doing a Blip, (aghast), though I always have the camera loaded into the backpack.

I found myself eventually wandering along the beach, after dark (as you do) and about to steer the plod-bod in the direction of the Bus for the short trip home when my mobile telephone rang. In my haste to answer (why is it that we seem to fumble about when we try to answer a telephone), I dropped the chattering-electronic into the sand. As I leant down to retrieve the mobile - mind you leaning down to pick up anything is an exercise in contortion these days with the main problem having to rise again. I noticed a small Scallop shell in the light of the telephone's screen. Looks interesting I thought, as I completely forgot to answer the telephone. The Scallop shell was like thousands that wash up on beaches worldwide, nondescript. It was not especially beautiful (though to me all things in nature have a beauty). It did not have spectacular colours. It was even damaged to a degree. I pondered, as my brain cells began a slow exercise, what photo would I obtain if I placed the mobile telephone behind the shell and turned on its modest reading lamp? Here is the result. Neither a great landscape nor portrait photo for sure. It is not a fabulous sunset or some intriguing in studio still life. It is a humble Scallop shell lit by a very ancient (by technology standards) mobile telephone. I should add, all my mobile telephone does is ring and I can dial out. No fancy camera on mine, nor mp3 or is that now mp4 player? It does not tune into radio stations and I cannot receive or send video calls. Has limited memory like its owner. It works on an ageing network (that I assume will be shut down sooner than later) and I am sure it has viciously high radiation levels. It does send and receive text messages but I would rather actually ring the person instead of trying to get my large fingers to three times press a number to get a letter and do this over and over a again taking (for me) 20 minutes to type in a sentence. Though, some of the younger ones type on their mobiles, despite the small keys, quicker than they can talk and just as near incomprehensible at times. It has not even got a speakerphone. But it works, (the battery is good) despite my many efforts to smash it when I drop the thing. And, I have dropped it in all sorts of places you generally should not drop a telephone. Once I left it on the roof of my home for a few days after I had attended to some maintenance. The mobile stayed there through shine and rain until I realised it was missing. As you can see I use the mobile a real lot! I only found out its lost location when I dialled the number and to my amazement the battery was not flat as I heard this faint ringing sound coming from I thought was inside the ceiling! The penny soon dropped as to where I had lost the thing! Too, I shudder recalling the number of times I have left this dingalinger on a train or bus seat. I am sure the kindly railway and bus folks must have a large, obtuse dossier on me in this regard.

Of course, I was fascinated by the word; 'Scallop' which I believe derives from the French word, 'escalope' meaning shell. I hope I have not done a disservice to French speakers but I feel rather chuffed to be able to add a 'French' word to my indentured vocabulary. No doubt I shall brandish this word in a rather pathetic attempt to show-off when I next go to the Fishmongers and order a dozen 'escalopes'. I will either get a withering look of disdain or be given something not quite what I expected.

Apparently, there are over 350 species of Scallops worldwide, though only a handful of the species are found in Australian waters. As I can ascertain, the photo shown is of a Pectan fumatus shell, commonly known as a Tasmanian Scallop. These Scallops are widely found here and commercially farmed. They are generally available in all Seafood shops, Restaurants, Supermarkets and Fish n' Chip shops. I enjoy Scallops on an occasional basis, with a glass or two of Beer during a hot summery day. The Shell shown in the photo has a diameter of about 3 cm, just over an inch, a wee thing.

So, that was my day. My next French project will be to write a poem in French, though most of my friends reckon my poetry is so incomprehensible that it may well be in French. This I reckon is a great disservice to French, which to my ear is a gorgeous sounding language. I mean, when I see Audrey Tatou I immediately fall in love, yet again, and I perfectly well understand her French, though the subtitles 'help' a little bit. Oh, but her smile makes me blush and melt emotionally. I am sure she would be impressed too when I say, 'escalope'.

Adieu.

Hey, I know another French word. I must be on a 'French roll' (pun intended).