How did this Chicken cross the Atlantic?

Having spent many months in France I quickly learned stock phrases that made survival in “deep” France a pleasant necessity. For example “vin blanc se il vous plaît” covered about 45% of all my conversations.

Pat and I were perusing a Brocante (flea market) when she spotted a ceramic chicken that she just had to have. We were leaving the next day, so it had to come back in our luggage. Chickens are fragile and need protection from airport baggage maulers. Large quantities of bubble wrap would be required to protect the délicat poulet.

So what the heck is 'bubble wrap' in French?

We head out to a Bricoman. This is the "Home Depot" version of all "maison" things in France. No sense asking any of the staff, as wine was not the issue here, so we just walked the aisles looking for bubble wrap.

Voila! - a petit quantity of the stuff was on a shelf. It was labelled "Film de bulles". Hmmm... Film – plastic/cellophane! Bulles – had to be bubbles!

AH HA! I felt bilingual! This foreign language stuff is easy if you just use common sense!

Film de bulles must be rare in France. There was very little of it and it cost a lot of Euros!

I recalled seeing a luggage shop in a nearby "centre commercial". I figured they would be throwing the bulles out in vast quantities.

So we go up to the Madam shop owner and proudly say - "Madam, film de bulles?" Such a blank stare you have never seen in your life!

You would think that I had spoken Yiddish with a Cockney accent to an Eskimo! So, I figured if I just said it louder she would completely understand. So I did - several times.

Pat quickly jumps in to help and starts talking about a "ceramic poulet from a Brocante!"

The shop lady and I look at Pat as if she just grew horns. Madam gets another Madam to come over to assist in deciphering our French babbling. Pat begins to mime wrapping a “ceramique poulet with film de bulles”.

Suddenly the other Madam’s eyes grow wide with revelation. She brings her thumb and forefinger together and says "Clack Clack".

You never heard such a grateful outpouring of "Oui, Oui" from Pat and I!

We got our film de bulles for FREE!

So How did the chicken cross the Atlantic?  

With a Clack Clack here and a Clack Clack there of course!