Oui Oui

I love English. I love learning. What an ahhh moment in my life in USA!

I came to Chicago in 2001 and, since then, I made a point of learning a new word or expression in English everyday. It has become almost like a game for my brain. A great challenge.

Last week, I was looking outside the window of our school and I saw this portable toilet in the middle of the parking lot across the street. Nothing special, just a big chunk of plastic. It was blue and it had a white sign that said Oui Oui.

I thought it was so nice because, knowing some French, the message was "Go ahead", "Yes, you can do your business here". It looked almost like an elegant French boutique sign: Oui Oui!

Then, a weird thing happened last night as I was reading this wonderful essay in the April 5th edition of the NY Times Magazine (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/magazine/05lives-t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1240329642-7Y2fxcNZlwYwWzW4u2i3sA). A big language discovery: Wee Wee! It was mentioned about four times in the article. Wee Wee!! As in the French Oui Oui, but a little bit more playful and with a softer tone: wee wee.

Why in the world it took me eight years to learn this? Something simple and kind of important if you want to keep a level of dignity while in a hurry "to go" during a free concert: "Where is the Wee Wee? Would you please tell me where the Wee Wee is?" So useful!!!!

My brain is bringing this to another level: What is the background of Wee Wee? Do you know?

Johanna