Parlez vous Francais?

So just two days into my Marseille trip and already my brain has miraculously begun to get better at understanding French. Marseille accents seem to be quite mild and they seem to pronounce the words clearly, so it is quite easy to catch the gist of a conversation. Also I've been immersed in French conversation for most of the days - with only a bit of translation for my benefit - so it's been intense. I can't profess to be any good, still but at least I was understanding some of what was said.

My favourite phrase is "uzine a gas". We've been planning projects over the next six months and "uzine a gas" is a French saying which translates as "Gas factory" but means any kind of project or work which is needlessly/apparently complicated - like the mass of twisty pipes which make up a gas factory. It became a crucial link in my bonding with the local team - who I've met for the first time this trip and who mostly cannot speak French. It's amazing how "like a gas factory" and "not like a gas factory" at key points in the conversation have made everyone giggle or helped them understand something I was trying to say. Human communication is fascinating.