WASHINGTON, DC
Gearing up for his first international visit to Washington, DC, Prime Minister Mark Carney took an intensive three week crash course in tongue-biting from someone who is a world renowned expert in the field, a 73-year-old Mennonite woman named Anne Neufeld.
“I knew it was going to be a challenge,” said Carney. “So, naturally, I drove on down to Leamington to work with the best.”
Neufeld is frequently called upon in situations like this, but this time the stakes have never been higher.
“I really put him though the ringer,” said Neufeld. “Had him sit through Pastor Johan’s sermon, then coffee time in the church lobby, followed by a three-hour Neufeld family gathering with some very opinionated uncles. The whole time, no matter what was said, no matter how outrageous, he just had to bite his tongue and put up with it.”
Neufeld says she’s had years of practice biting her tongue, but says there’s also an art to knowing when it’s time to speak up.
“You’ve gotta know when to hold em and know when to fold em,” said Neufeld. “And by fold em, of course, I mean tell Uncle Dietrich it’s time to take his bag of zoat and backwards attitudes and leave.”
(photo credit: Bank of England/CC)
