FADE IN:

INT. INSIDE AN AIRPLANE - DAY

JAZEL, JOYCE, ALEX, COLLEEN, AND RIELLA are waiting for

their plane to board.

PRE-FLIGHT INTERCOM:

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard to Flight

PC35 with service from Manila, Philippines to
Paris, France. We are currently third in line
for take-off and are expected to be in the air
in approximately seven minutes time. We ask
that you please fasten your seatbelts at this
time and secure all baggage underneath your
seat or in the overhead compartments. We also
ask that your seats and table trays are in the
upright position for take-off. Please turn off
all personal electronic devices, including
laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited
for the duration of the flight. Thank you for
choosing Mountain Airlines. Enjoy your flight.

COLLEEN

Excited na ako! Dream destination ko ang Paris!

JOYCE
Ilang oras ba yung biyahe?

JAZEL
17 hours lang naman.

ALEX
Ang tagal! Pero excited pa rin ako. Pwede ko
nang masabi yung ‘Bonjour’ at ‘Merci’.

RIELLA
 Oo nga! Merci merci.

PRE-FLIGHT INTERCOM

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Charles de

Gaulle Airport. Local time is 6:03 AM and the
temperature is 27°.
For your safety and comfort, please remain
seated with your seat belt fastened until the
Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign.
This will indicate that we have parked at the
gate and that it is safe for you to move about.
Please check around your seat for any personal
belongings you may have brought on board with
you and please use caution when opening the
overhead bins, as heavy articles may have
shifted around during the flight.

If you require deplaning assistance, please

remain in your seat until all other passengers
have deplaned. One of our crew members will
then be pleased to assist you.

On behalf of Mountain Airlines and the entire

crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on
this trip and we are looking forward to seeing
you on board again in the near future. Have a
nice day!

INT. INSIDE AIRPORT – DAY

KARREN, the tour guide, is waiting for the tourists to

arrive.

KARREN
Bonjour mesdames et messieurs! Welcome to
Paris! The City of Love! Let’s start off by
going to Arc de Triomphe, one of the most
famous monuments in Paris.
EXT. ARC DE TRIOMPHE – DAY

KARREN
This is Arc de Triomphe which means the arch of
victory. The Arc de Triomphe honors those who
fought and died for France in the French
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with the
names of all French victories and generals
inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces.
Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier from World War I. You can now start
taking pictures. Just don’t stray too far away
from the group.

ALEX
Uy! Picture na tayo! Ito na talaga! Nasa Paris
na tayo!

COLLEEN
Mag-group picture muna tayo bago mag-selfie!

JAZEL
Yung medyo formal naman. Tara mag-papicture sa
iba. Ayun, girl! Tanong mo nga kung pwede
tayong kuhanan ng picture.

JAZEL
Yung medyo formal naman. Tara mag-papicture sa
iba. Ayun, girl! Tanong mo nga kung pwede
tayong kuhanan ng picture.

ALEX
Excuse me? Picture? picture? [signals a camera]

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Hein? Je ne te comprends pas. (Sorry, I don't
understand you.)

ALEX
Picture? Click click? [signals a camera]

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Oh! Image! [raises her camera]

ALEX
Yes! Yes! You picture us.

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Okay. okay. Ready? Un, deux, trois. (One, two,
three.)[taking a picture]

ALEX
Thank you! Thank you! Can we see it?

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Oui. Oui.

RIELLA
Ang ganda! Thank you very much! Mercy (merci).
[hugs Tricia]

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Pas de câlin! (No hugs)
RIELLA
I’m sorry, what? Girl, tawagin nga natin yung
tour guide. May mali ata akong nagawa, na-
offend ko ata siya.

KARREN
Salut! Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? (Hello, what’s
the problem?)

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Pas de câlins! cette fille m'a juste étreint et
c'est la première fois que nous sommes
rencontrés. (No hugs! This girl just hugged me
even though is the first time we met.)

KARREN
Did you hug her?

RIELLA
Yes. Why? What’s wrong?
 KARREN
She was offended. In French culture, it is very
disrespectful to hug someone you just met.
[Turning to Tricia] Mes excuses. Elle ne savait
pas. I hope you understand.

TRICIA (FRENCH)
Okay. D'accord mais soyez prudents et prudents
la prochaine fois. This is a different country.
Respect.

RIELLA
Yes. I’m really really sorry.

KARREN
Je suis désolé pour le problème. (I’m really
sorry for the trouble.) Please refrain from
doing feverish actions. The French people are
very calm and prim. They find the unexpected
display of affection like hugging especially
from a stranger make them feel really awkward
or embarrassed.

JAZEL
Oh! We’re sorry. We didn’t know.

KARREN
It’s alright now. You can resume on taking
pictures.

JOYCE
Okay na daw! Balik picture na daw tayo.
[resumes in taking pictures]

EXT. END PART OF ARC DE TRIOMPHE – DAY

RIELLA AND ALEX WERE SO ENGROSSED IN TAKING PICTURES THAT THEY

DIDN’T NOTICED THEY WERE BEING LEFT OUT BY THE GROUP.

ALEX
Uy, girl ako naman.

RIELLA
Sige sige. Wait lang, selfie lang ako.

[KEEPS ON TAKING PICTURES]

ALEX
Tara na. Balik na tayo.

Riella
Hala! Wala na sila! Naiwan tayo!

ALEX
Naku! No problem. Nakasulat naman dito sa
brochure yung itinerary nung trip natin. So,
ang next destination ay sa Ze Kitchen Galerie!
Lunch na. Magtanong-tanong lang tayo sa mga
locals dito. Sure ako na alam nila

Riella
E paano tayo makakapunta doon? Kahit na alam
natin kung saan tayo pupunta di natin alam yung
daan.

ALEX
Tsk. Ano ka ba? Magtanong-tanong lang tayo sa
mga locals dito. Sure ako na alam nila yung
pupuntahan natin.

Riella
Oo nga no. Ayun tanungin mo nga yung lalaking
yun.
[ALEX SHOUTS AND RUNS TOWARDS THE MATIN]
ALEX
Excuse me. Do you know this place?

MATIN (FRENCH)
Please, don’t shout. It is not the proper
etiquette of talking to someone.
 MATIN (FRENCH)
I’m sorry
Ah. Yes! Ze Kitchen Galerie! Délicieux!
(Delicious)

ALEX
How to go there?

MATIN (FRENCH)

Prenez un taxi jusqu'au 4 rue des Grands

Augustins et continuez tout droit. Ensuite,
vous trouverez Ze Kitchen Galerie. (Just take a
cab to 4 Rue des Grands Augustins and walk
straight ahead. Then you’ll find Ze Kitchen
Galerie.)

ALEX
Thank you! Thank you! Merci! Je T'aime!

MATIN (FRENCH)
You’re welcome. (leans forward to kiss
cheeks/beso but gets slapped)

ALEX
Ah! Bastos!

Riella
Aba, binabastos ka nito ha.

MATIN (FRENCH)
No! No! Faire la bise! (cheek kiss) French
culture!

Riella
What?

MATIN (FRENCH)
Kissing joue est une étiquette française.
S'il vous plaît ne vous offusquez pas. (Cheek
kissing is a French etiquette. Please don't get
offended.)

ALEX
Huh? But I hugged someone earlier and she was
offended. This is a cheek kiss now, this is
much intimate!

MATIN (FRENCH)
Pour les Français, un câlin est bien plus
intime qu'un petit coup de bec sur la joue.
(For the French people, a hug is far more
intimate than a quick peck on the cheek.)

RIELLA
Ah! Yun pala ang ibig sabihin noon. Magkaiba
pala. Mas intimate sa kanila ang hugging kaysa
sa beso. Naku! Mag-sorry ka girl tapos bumeso
ka na din.

ALEX
I’m sorry. I didn’t know that is was part of
the French etiquette.

MATIN (FRENCH)
It’s okay. I’ll just teach you.

[Will do the cheek kiss]

There. You’re welcome. Please learn more about

the French culture.

ALEX
Thank you and we’re very sorry. And yes we will
learn about France more.

RIELLA
Goodbye!
 INT. ARC DE TRIOMPHE – DAY

The group of tourists is getting to leave for lunch.

KARREN
Please fall in line and proceed to our bus.

COLLEEN
Madame! We’re still missing two persons!

KARREN
Que? Can you contact them?

COLLEEN
No, madame. Our phones’ batteries died already
due to our continuous picture taking.

KARREN
Let’s just stay here first and wait for them.

[arrival of Riella and Alex]

JOYCE
Madame, they’re here!

RIELLA
Sorry, madame. We got lost.

KARREN
Okay. Since we found them already, let’s now
take our lunch at Ze Kitchen Galerie. Maintain
your lines and do not stray away from the
group. We’ll be leaving in two (2) minutes.

[will go inside the bus]

INT. Ze Kitchen Galerie – DAY

The group of tourists arrives and settled down in their

respective tables.
 KARREN
Ze Kitchen Galerie is fine dining restaurant
with a Michelin Guide recognition. Your
respective waiters and waitresses will come to
your table for orders. Please choose your
choice of meals now.

Excuse me. May mademoiselle Camille sit with

you guys? The others tables are fully occupied
already.
JOYCE
Sure. Come and take a sit.

JAZEL
Excuse me, waitress!

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Bonjour, mademoiselle! May I take your order
please?

JOYCE
One order of Foie Gras.

COLLEEN
Mmm. For me, an order of Bouillabaisse.

ALEX
I’m on a diet. Croissant lang sakin. 2 pieces
of Croissant, please.

JAZEL
Gustong-gusto kong tikman yung authentic na
ganito! One order of Spaghetti Bolognese,
please.

RIELLA
Busog pa ako kaya light lang kakainin ko.
Desert lang. I’ll have 2 Blueberry Crêpes,
please.
 CAMILLE (FRENCH)
Je vais prendre une commande de Coq au Vin.
[Coke oh vahn]

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Pardon, mesdames but can you repeat your orders
except for mademoiselle Camille? I didn’t quite
understand what you have said earlier. You can
try pointing at the pictures so I’ll know what
your order is.

RIELLA
Uy, ulitin daw natin.

JOYCE
Okay. One order of Foie Gras, please. [points
at picture]

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Ah! Foie Gras! [Fwah Grah]

JOYCE
Foie Gras! [Fwah Grah] pala yun.

COLLEEN
An order of Bouillabaisse for me, please.
[points at picture]

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Mmm. Bouillabaisse [Boo-yah-bes]

COLLEEN
Ano daw? ‘Boy-ka-bes?’

ALEX
2 pieces of Croissant, please. [points at
picture]

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Uh-huh. 2 pieces of Croissant. [Cwah-sahn]
 JAZEL
Uh. One order of Spaghetti Bolognese, please.
[points at picture]

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Yes. Spaghetti Bolognese [Bɒləˈnjeɪz]

RIELLA
Hahaha! Puro mali naman kayo ng pronounciation.
I’ll have 2 Blueberry Crêpes, please. [points
at picture]

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

2 Blueberry Crêpes [Krep] coming right up. Let
me just repeat your orders. A course of Coq au
Vin, one order of Foie Gras, an order of
Bouillabaisse, 2 pieces of Croissant, one order
of Spaghetti Bolognese, and 2 Blueberry Crêpes.
Merci!

CIANELLE (FRENCH WAITRESS)

Here are your orders!
 JOYCE
[Eats the whole Foie gras at once]

COLLEEN
[lifts the bowl and slurps the soup]

JAZEL
[directly eats the pasta without spinning the
fork]

CAMILLE (FRENCH)
Non! Ce n'est pas le bon moyen de manger.
That's not the proper way of eating. You
shouldn’t eat Foie gras all at once. You should
cut it piece by piece and eat it with something
else, like a piece of bread. As for eating
Bouillabaisse, it is very disrespectful to lift
your bowl while slurping the soup. Eat it
silently and do not lift the bowl. When eating
pasta, you should spin it with your fork and
not directly eating it. Also, do not talk much
when eating and maintain proper etiquette while
dining. Please know that these things are very
important to French people and once violated,
various judgments and backlash will be received
by you. So, be cautious and polite always.

JAZEL
Thank you for telling us directly. We didn’t
know that French people have such strict dining
etiquette. Sorry if we unkowlingly disrespected
your culture. Rest assured that we will know
more about your country and its norms,
etiquette, and culture. Thank you very much!

CAMILLE (FRENCH)
No problem. Profitez de votre séjour! [Enjoy
your stay.]
 KARREN
Our beautiful days ends now. You can choose to
rest in your respective hotel rooms or continue
to shop in the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. I
hope you had a great time. See you next time!
Merci!

ALL
MERCI!

INT. INSIDE HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

JAZEL, JOYCE, ALEX, COLLEEN, AND RIELLA are getting ready

for bed.

RIELLA
Ugh. Sa wakas. Pahinga!

JOYCE
Grabe, ang dami pa pala nating hindi alam
tungkol sa France. Dapat pala inaral muna natin
yung mga etiquette, norms, at culture nila bago
tayo pumunta.

ALEX
Strict pala talaga sila pati sa dining
etiquette no.

JAZEL
Oo nga. Isa pang napansin ko sakanila direct
sila at straightforward. Kung ayaw nila,
sasabihin talaga nilang ayaw nila. Hindi
katulad sa ating mga Pilipino, madaming hanash.

COLLEEN
Ang dami nating na-encounter na multi-cultural
problems today. Good thing we solved it by
speaking in English, using gestures, facial
expressions, and body language, being
straightforward with the conflict and asking
for help - wherein sa case natin si Madame
Karren yung tumulong. Additionally, since it is
the era of the digital age, the translator
application that we used also served as a means
to solve the intercultural problems.

RIELLA
Next time pag magta-travel ulit tayo, let’s
learn all about the country that we’re going
to. It does not only show appreciation for the
country but respect for its culture and
traditions as well.

ALEX
Okay na. Pahinga na tayo! Good night!