Eddie Izzard's Standup Special Helps Author Discover Purpose in Learning French and Pursuing EU Career
As a teenager growing up in Scotland, the author had never shown much interest in learning French. With family driving holidays to Brittany and Normandy, their parents would do all the talking, and the language was seen as just something to tick off on the curriculum. However, everything changed when the author watched Eddie Izzard's standup show "Dress to Kill" at home one evening.
Izzard's comedy set included a segment about learning French during a trip to France, where he used random school phrases in absurd situations, such as trying to have conversations with animals. The bit that caught the author's attention was when Izzard said, "Le singe a disparu" (the monkey has disappeared), which suddenly clicked into place for them.
This eureka moment sparked the author's passion for learning French. They threw themselves into language lessons and soon discovered it became their favorite subject – and the best they ever had. The interest in French also helped them pick up German and Turkish, leading to university studies in these languages as well.
After graduating, the author moved to Berlin for a job in online marketing, where they fell in love with the city and were immersed in a foreign language and culture. A few years later, when Izzard performed in German at a theater in Berlin, the author felt that same sense of excitement and belonging.
Their career took another turn when they moved to Amsterdam, adding Dutch to their repertoire, and eventually, Brussels, where they worked for the European Commission. Although most of their work is done in English, they use their languages whenever possible to communicate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
The author often finds themselves referencing Izzard's standup routine years later, like when passing a hotel called Le Singe d'Or (The Golden Monkey) in Bruges, which always brings a smile and makes them imagine Izzard performing on stage.
Looking back, the author realizes how much their language learning journey was inspired by Eddie Izzard's comedy. If it hadn't been for that standup special, they wouldn't be working for the EU or living abroad – a testament to the power of unexpected influences in shaping our lives and careers.
As a teenager growing up in Scotland, the author had never shown much interest in learning French. With family driving holidays to Brittany and Normandy, their parents would do all the talking, and the language was seen as just something to tick off on the curriculum. However, everything changed when the author watched Eddie Izzard's standup show "Dress to Kill" at home one evening.
Izzard's comedy set included a segment about learning French during a trip to France, where he used random school phrases in absurd situations, such as trying to have conversations with animals. The bit that caught the author's attention was when Izzard said, "Le singe a disparu" (the monkey has disappeared), which suddenly clicked into place for them.
This eureka moment sparked the author's passion for learning French. They threw themselves into language lessons and soon discovered it became their favorite subject – and the best they ever had. The interest in French also helped them pick up German and Turkish, leading to university studies in these languages as well.
After graduating, the author moved to Berlin for a job in online marketing, where they fell in love with the city and were immersed in a foreign language and culture. A few years later, when Izzard performed in German at a theater in Berlin, the author felt that same sense of excitement and belonging.
Their career took another turn when they moved to Amsterdam, adding Dutch to their repertoire, and eventually, Brussels, where they worked for the European Commission. Although most of their work is done in English, they use their languages whenever possible to communicate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
The author often finds themselves referencing Izzard's standup routine years later, like when passing a hotel called Le Singe d'Or (The Golden Monkey) in Bruges, which always brings a smile and makes them imagine Izzard performing on stage.
Looking back, the author realizes how much their language learning journey was inspired by Eddie Izzard's comedy. If it hadn't been for that standup special, they wouldn't be working for the EU or living abroad – a testament to the power of unexpected influences in shaping our lives and careers.
. Like, who knew comedy could make learning a language so fun? The author's story is really inspiring, especially how it led to them working for the EU and living abroad 
. It just goes to show that sometimes all it takes is something outside our comfort zone to spark curiosity and motivation 
. I'm definitely going to have to check out Eddie Izzard's standup routines now... 
! But seriously, who knew learning a language could be so entertaining? And it's awesome that this author found their purpose in life (or at least a career) after watching Izzard's bit about le singe a disparu - talk about making languages cool again 
. Can you imagine having the EU as your employer and being like "Bonjour, je suis here to help with those euro-bureaucracy" 
!
I mean, can you even believe how that Eddie Izzard standup special totally flipped their life around? They were literally just going through the motions with French until he started cracking jokes about it on stage 
. It just goes to show that learning shouldn't be boring, especially when you're inspired by humor 
Ugh, I'm still annoyed about how Apple Maps doesn't even have a decent "Nearby" feature... I mean, what's up with that?! 
I was trying to find a new café near my place last week and it took me ages to figure out where I was. It's like they're not even trying anymore! 
Ah, well, that's just my rant for the day! 
. As an enthusiast of cognitive psychology, I'm reminded of the concept of priming, where exposure to certain stimuli can trigger a cascade of associations and preferences that influence our behavior. In this case, Eddie Izzard's comedy served as the catalyst for the author's language learning journey, demonstrating how seemingly trivial experiences can have a lasting impact on our lives 
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and can u believe he even referenced the phrase "le singe a disparu" lol what was so funny about monkeys disappearing 
anyhoo, i think its awesome how that one joke changed someone's life and career path 
I can totally see how Eddie's comedy bit sparked that eureka moment and changed everything for the author, they went from not caring about French to loving it so much it became their favorite subject 
. And now look at them working for the EU and living in Brussels 
... that's like a total dream come true 
.
Anyway, I guess it's cool that someone found their passion in languages through comedy, but let's not get carried away here 
.
eddies comedy is like the ultimate motivator – if u dont laugh, u cry, right? 
i feel so lucky that my language learning journey was sparked by this hilarious comedy show 
u should totally check it out if ur thinking of learning a new lang 
... but I guess it makes sense now, right? What's Brussels like, anyway?
.