appropriate fortunes

Yesterday I got some really terrible ‘Mongolian Grill’ thing from the caf for lunch. But, terrible though it was, it was worth it, because it came with a fortune cookie.

So, on February 14, after my terrible meal, I cracked open my fortune cookie, unfurled the little piece of paper, and read the words “Don’t lose track of your feelings.”

It was nice. I like the sentiment. I like it a lot. I think it’s too easy to lose track of feelings as we get caught up in the rigor of day to day life, but it seemed especially poignant on Valentine's Day.

Interestingly the French version provided an explanation why. (oh, for you folks out side of Canada, we have bilingual fortune cookies, and bilingual cheesy Christmas crackers) When I flipped it over to see if it was the same message in French (It’s not always, not sure why) I saw that it was indeed the same, sort of. In French I was told to “Restez en phase avec vos sentiments. Ils vous apporteront lumière.”

I’m always fascinated by the little differences. Why is it that in French it wasn’t enough to say “Restez en phase avec vos sentiments.”?