Is There a Story You’ve Never Lived Down?
Is there a funny story you have that you’ve never been allowed to forget?
Around 18 years ago, during a holiday in Umbria in Italy, I first demonstrated my flair for languages…
A drive to Siena
My wife and I were holidaying in a cottage close to Castiglione del Lago in Umbria. We were joined partway through the trip by my brother and sister-in-law.
One morning, we took the 50-mile drive into nearby Tuscany to the historic medieval city of Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After navigating the narrow streets, we eventually found a parking space. We made our way into the Piazza Del Campo for a relaxing coffee in front of the spectacular Siena Cathedral.
Refreshed, we spent the day exploring the cathedral and the town before calling it a day and heading home.
I’d driven a lot during the trip, and we were now running very low on petrol.
Fill it up
Whenever I drive abroad, I get nervous about filling up with petrol for some reason. Countries have their approaches, such as pre-payment in the USA, so I never know what to expect.
With the tank running dangerously low, we chanced upon a small petrol station, and I pulled in.
Just as I was about to get out, I was startled by an old man standing outside the window holding the petrol pump in his hands.
I panicked. What do I do? How do I ask for petrol in Italian? I don’t even know how much petrol we need.
As the man approached, I hastily wound down the window. He looked at me expectantly and asked me something in Italian that I didn’t understand.
Still startled, and before I could even think, I blurted out with some kind of Italian accent.
“Feel, eet, uup”!
In an instant, my family erupted into laughter. “Shut up!” I snapped angrily.
The man understood what I meant and filled the car, but the laughter showed no sign of stopping. “Feel eet uup” followed by laughter was the repeated cry for the remainder of the journey home.
The more they laughed, the angrier I got, and the more they laughed.
More wine?
This was now the standing joke for the rest of the holiday.
Empty wine glass?
“Do you want me to feel eet uup?” my brother would ask with a laugh.
It made me angry every time. There were many more jokes where that came from, though.
I’m now a master of languages
Fast forward to today and, and it’s become a family in-joke and one that I now enjoy and laugh about myself.
It’s also been gleefully picked up by my children, who are now in their teens.
Whenever we’ve gone on holiday and need to ask for something, someone will always pipe up with a smile, “Dad can do it; he can speak any language, can’t he?”
This is one story I’m constantly reminded of. Do you have one?
