Cher, Je Te Blâme Pas

Mister Allen Ortego, 93, Speaks about Pearl Harbor, French in Ville Platte Schools and La Francophonie 
 

Charlie: Bonjour, qui qu'parle? (Who's speaking?)

Allen Ortego: Ça c'est Allen Ortego. (It's Allen Ortego)

 
C: Monsieur Allen Ortego! Ça c'était un autre àyou pour apprendre à parler en anglais quand i' était à lécole. (Mister Allen Ortego! That was another one who had to learn English when he went to school.)

 
AO: That's right.

C: Uh, huh. et, veux, vous a bien réussi, eh? (And well, you succeeded well, huh?)

 AO: Mais, J'ai réussi manière. (I sotra succeeded.) 

 
C: Well, a roulé tout dans tout partout dedans pays, ça fait, ça doit être travailler! (Well, she rolled you in and all around the whole country, so that must have worked!)

 AO: oh ouais. (oh yeah)

C: uh huh.

AO: J'ai parlé en français à la France, à la Belgique, Switzerland, Africa, New Caledonia. Partout. ( I spoke in French in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Africa, New Caledonia. Everywhere.)

 
C: Tout partout ça parlait français! (Everywhere they spoke French!)

AO: Ouais. (yeah)

C: Uh-huh.

AO: Ça j'voulais dire, quand ils ont annoncé pour Pearl Harbor...J'travaillais à Oakdale, j'té gone le dimanche l'après-midi dans mon char, je l'attrapait dessus radio. (What I wanted to say, when they announced about Pearl Harbor... I was working in Oakdale. I was gone Sunday afternoon in my car and I caught it on the radio.)

 
C: Aww, yeah?

AO: Deux mois après, j'ai join les Marines. (Two months later, I joined the Marines.)

C: Deux mois après! (Two months later!)

Mark: Wow

AO: Et, j'dis à Mom, mais j'dis, "J'crois je vas join in les Marines. et je dis, c'est une branche de ça...y'a pas d'danger.

Mais, cher, j't'blâme pas, a dit. 

(And I said to Mom, well I say, "I think I will join the Marines...it's a branch where...there's no danger. 

Well, dear, I don't blame you, she said.)

M: Aww!

C: Y'avait pas d'danger, eh? (There's no danger, eh?)

AO: -Non. (No)

M: Mister Allen, I wonder if you knew anybody that- or anyone from this area that was there at Pearl Harbor that served, was in the military...

-Tape Cuts- 

AO: ...he (an officer) said what's your name...I said "Ortego". Eh,  "Ortego? You Gotta-Go now."

C: Ortego, Gotta-Go! 

AO: He looked like a Bulldog, he was about six feet six...

C: Oh yaille! Il faisait peur!

M: Wow. He was a big son of a gun, eh?

AO: Then, you didn't ask why, no, when they'd tole you, give you an order, you had to do what they told you. 

C: It was all "yes sir"

AO: 'Specially in boot camp, you know?

C: Uh-huh, and that guy had a bulldog face but I'm sure he could be a bulldog on training as well, though.

AO: Oh yeah.

C:Uh huh! So uh, you learn how to take orders in a hurry.

AO: Talkin about the French... I started school in Ville Platte. Miss Estelle Dardeau was my teacher.

C: Uh huh.

AO: And I wanted to go to the bathroom and I didn't know how to ask her. So I ask her in French. And she said next time, you say, "May I be excused please*?"

C :Uh-huh..

AO: But that was too complicated, so I... my hand and I said "be 'xcused please?"

M: Kinda shorten it down a lil' bit...

AO: Oh yeah...

C: But she understood...

AO: Yeah...

C: at least you didn't ask in French!

AO: That's right...

C: Alright Mister Allen!

AO: I enjoyed talkin' to yall.

C: I appreciate you calling and uh...

M: Thank you for your memories!

C:And uh, we'll be looking forward to you calling again next week.

AO: Next week I might tell you about my experience in New Zealand...

C: Ok, We'll be lookin' forward to it. Thank you Mister Allen!

AO: Thank you.

C: Alright.

 

 *On a side note, I once asked a group of older Ville Plattians how to say, "May I go to the restroom" in Cajun French. They said, "May I be 'xcused please."

Paul's Meat Market Commercial

This commercial transcribed in Evangeline Parish French, spoken by Charlie Manuel of the Tasse de Cafe' Radio Program out of Ville Platte Louisiana, KVPI 92.5 FM.

Allez pis visiter avec le vaillant monde qui va apprécier votre business.

"On veux charrer avec vous pour le Paul's Meat Market and Grocery.

Well, on connait de hier c'était une grande fête (Thanksgiving) et j'suis sûr qu'on a toujours le ventre plein depuis hier on avait mangé tous ce bon manger pour la fête, mais Paul dit...

"Pour remplacer ce manger-les et c'est le place pour aller c'est en Paul's Meat Market and Grocery, ça c'est sur le chemin Chataignier juste un peu près un demi-mile en dehors de la corporation de la Ville. Allez pis "chop" avec Paul et Tammy et Silas et vous-autres va trouver la qualité de grocerie et de jardinage et viande de tout qualité ça vous-autres après 'garder pour. 

Parle desous ça, vous-autres va avoir le service personel, pour example, vous-autres peux trouver cet weekend icitte des specials comme ça icitte là là vous trouvez:

 1.un rôti d'épaule de bête sans d'ossaille pour deux piastres et quatre-vingt dix-neuf sous la livre 

ausitte 

2. des cuisses de poulet FAMILY PACK quatre-vingt dix-neuf sous la livre 

3. un rôti d'épaule de viande de cochon ça c'est un dix-neuf la livre 

4. les jambons sans ossaille an average de quatre livres chaque par John Morrel une quatre-vingt neuf la livre

5. le bréchet, deux cinquante neuf la livre

6. les pork chops les coupe des bouts dix livres quatorze piastres et quatre-vingt dix neuf sous 

7. la mayonaise Blue Plate, un jarre de trente-deux onces pour trois piastres et quatre-vingt neuf sous

8. assaisonment Hi-Top a sorti soixante-neuf sous chaque

9. le aluminum foil dix-huit pouce par trente-sept pieds et demi pour un soixante-neuf 

aussi 

10. les Cokes, une boutaille de deux litres pour un soixante dix-neuf et un twelve-pack de douze onces les can, trois pour douze piastres. 

11. Le Vitamin Water, un quarante-neuf chaque

12. et y'en a plein d'autres! 

Allez pis visiter avec le vaillant monde qui va apprécier votre business.

Shop en Paul's Meat Market and Grocery."

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WARNING! La Prairie des Femmes

The Helping Hands School

L'Ecole du Coup des Mains 

 Cottonport

Plaisance Seafoam Mary and Shallots

 
Here is the most beautiful homestead and Mary statue, in my opinion, on the Opelousas Road (Hwy 167) at the village of Plaisance. I always see this man outside doing things, so I stopped on November 1, La Toussaint. I think I was emboldened by the fresh air and the connection with people both past and present that we celebrate today, so I asked to take a few pictures of his statue. When I pulled up he barely stopped cleaning his green onions. The fresh La Toussaint air around his chicken yard was onion-y, you could not escape it, it smelled like the same color of the house. His onions were so clean and white. He was so nice, cleaning and bunching his shallots on the tail gate with a little metal knife. He let me take the pictures of course, saying "go 'head, have ya fun," and told me that he'd just moved the statue from an arbor he made that was destroyed in a storm, so he had moved her next to the house. That made sense, because I had never seen the Mary there until recently, and I had been obsessed with the colors of the beautiful sea foam house next to the Zydeco Festival sign since forever. He showed me an ice chest full of the prettiest, greenest "mustards" you ever saw... that sharp, onion smell was in the air... I thanked him profusely, and left him to his pleasurable work. 

La Toussaint in La Ville

"La premiere de novembre, la Toussaint. On se met tous ensemble Met les fleurs sur les tombes."