french lessons.

the homestay has proved to be a blessing in disguise because i feel comfortable not living completely alone in a new city, i am with a girl i like from my program, and i MAY actually learn french.

as i followed the cell phone man from his post at AUP to his store several blocks away we exchanged tid bits on our lives. one tid bit he gave me was this: AUP students do not necessarily learn french, they easily go four years speaking english to one another. determined to not come out of 5 months in france with no knowledge of french i have enrolled in a french class and am learning day by day.

and so let the lessons begin.

french words/phrases i have learned thus far:

un sandwich avec jambon et fromage (a sandwich with ham and cheese--how i order lunch... EVERYDAY)

j'suis désolé (i am sorry-- how i apologized to little french landlady when i declined her independent room)

bonjour (hello-- how i greet people everywhere, giving them the false hope that i may know more french)

merci (thank you-- what i say even after we have clearly established i know NO french, but they have been kind of enough to deal with me anyway)

Je ne parle pas français (i dont speak french-- what i say to people in case my looks of fear and confusion are not enough)

cafe au lait (coffe with milk-- how i order breakfast... EVERY MORNING)

french culture differences i have experienced thus far:

urgency does not exist (self explanatory.)

until later, au revoir.