Mr. Furlong, of Oregon, is hoping for more recognition of the skill back home in the U.S. "If they saw it in the Olympics on TV, and it was advertised more, I think people would see it is a good sport, and that it's not something tobelaughedat, " he said.
For 30 days, each morning I would walk through the city, stopping to buy my baguette and coffee, pretending tobe offended when the waiter laughed as my grim attempt at French was replaced by sign language.