lost in translation...

I am going to attempt a blog about one of the funniest moments of my life yet in France but I'm not sure how it will come off, so if it isn't funny on paper, when you come visit me you should have me recount it. I had a Kate-laughing episode for about 5 minutes and couldn't breathe. You know what I'm talking about, when I almost die because I am laughing so hard? You know the moments well because you look at me like I'm crazy for a while and then you can't help but laugh at me laughing. Anyway, on to the story...
So my roommate and I were talking to one of our French friends the other day and I was saying something about how the dogs that live at our landlords house need a bath because their hair was dirty. As I was saying this in French, he said that animals don't have hair. Or they don't call it that in France. Animals have fur. So I asked how to say the word fur in French. On an animal it is poilis (which is somewhat close to skin in French) The way to say fur in a piece of clothing is fourrure. I have horrible problems saying the French "r" especially when it is in the middle of a word with lots of "r"s, so I was trying to pronounce the word and he said, but be careful that you don't say fuhrer.
I asked why not and our French friend said in English "Because it means eclair"
I tried to clarify. "Eclair?"
He says "Yes, eclair".
The whole time I am thinking "Why would it be a bad thing to say eclair? And...I thought eclair was a French word! Why do they have another word for eclair?"
Finally my roommate and I figured we were missing something, so we asked one more time "Eclair?"
The Frenchman gave us an exasperated look and thought for a few seconds and scrunched up his face and contorted his mouth and said "HHHHHitler" Everything became clear. The French and their missing H's. I'm sorry it isn't as funny in a blog as it is in person.

Two days later I was working with my French group on our presentation and one of the students was sending an email and asked the group if everyone had something. I looked at all of them quizzically. 4 Frenchmen were staring at me repeating the the same word over and over again. Finally, one said really slowly Meecro soft Ohfeece. AHHHHH Microsoft Office! Those accents will get ya.