Another week is over. I'm still in Nice having a good time. The weather is great. Really. it's quite difficult to spend so much time at the beach.
Last week, my class was quite stressful, and I thought about dropping levels. I had forgotten so much French. Luckily, this week was much better, and I feel significantly less stupid. Because I am in a pretty high level, my class is pretty small: 7 for the first two hours, 4 for the second two. They have also finished all the construction in front of the school, so it is no longer covered by scaffolding.
The main thing that I don't like about traveling as a girl alone is that European boys seem a bit more forward than American guys. Here is a snippet of a two conversations I had two days in a row (one at the park, and one at the beach):
No, I don't want a massage.
No, I don't smoke hashish.
No, I don't do ecstasy.
No, I won't take off my shirt.
Yes, I'm single, and yes, I prefer it that way.
No, I don't want to go with you.
No, I don't think we would be good together.
No, I don't want to give you my number.
Yes, I understood you when you asked me in French. Repeating it in broken English is not going to result in a different answer.
*sigh*
I have made friends with the several of the students from Alliance Francaise. They aren't in my class. They are in Level 4. My class (Level 9) consists of mostly older students and Japanese students. I am still very nervous about speaking in French, but I understand a lot. I got put in Level 9 because my grammar is really good, so I struggle a lot with the speaking.
Today, we all went to Monaco: a 45 minute bus ride ( although it is only supposed to take half an hour). I saw the castle and we walked around. I saw quite a few pictures of Princess Grace. Monaco is very rich and it is pretty much just a harbor filled with yachts and cruise ships. The group I was with is very international: Spain, Norway, Germany, England (originally from Egypt), France, and the US (me!). However, they all speak English.
I have also found that many people here speak English. When they hear my American accent, they automatically talk to me in English, which makes me rather lazy! Apparently, I don't automatically look American (according to my Alliance Francaise friends). I could pass for Spanish, and sometimes I'm mistaken for French.
Three more weeks here... Then I start traveling!
Last week, my class was quite stressful, and I thought about dropping levels. I had forgotten so much French. Luckily, this week was much better, and I feel significantly less stupid. Because I am in a pretty high level, my class is pretty small: 7 for the first two hours, 4 for the second two. They have also finished all the construction in front of the school, so it is no longer covered by scaffolding.
The main thing that I don't like about traveling as a girl alone is that European boys seem a bit more forward than American guys. Here is a snippet of a two conversations I had two days in a row (one at the park, and one at the beach):
No, I don't want a massage.
No, I don't smoke hashish.
No, I don't do ecstasy.
No, I won't take off my shirt.
Yes, I'm single, and yes, I prefer it that way.
No, I don't want to go with you.
No, I don't think we would be good together.
No, I don't want to give you my number.
Yes, I understood you when you asked me in French. Repeating it in broken English is not going to result in a different answer.
*sigh*
I have made friends with the several of the students from Alliance Francaise. They aren't in my class. They are in Level 4. My class (Level 9) consists of mostly older students and Japanese students. I am still very nervous about speaking in French, but I understand a lot. I got put in Level 9 because my grammar is really good, so I struggle a lot with the speaking.
Today, we all went to Monaco: a 45 minute bus ride ( although it is only supposed to take half an hour). I saw the castle and we walked around. I saw quite a few pictures of Princess Grace. Monaco is very rich and it is pretty much just a harbor filled with yachts and cruise ships. The group I was with is very international: Spain, Norway, Germany, England (originally from Egypt), France, and the US (me!). However, they all speak English.
I have also found that many people here speak English. When they hear my American accent, they automatically talk to me in English, which makes me rather lazy! Apparently, I don't automatically look American (according to my Alliance Francaise friends). I could pass for Spanish, and sometimes I'm mistaken for French.
Three more weeks here... Then I start traveling!
7 comments:
Seriously I can't believe you could turn down a massage from a pretty French boy :-D
Hola Molly!. In this post It seems that all the European boys are like that! C'mon! That's bad propaganda! It is only the French guys! We, Spaniards, are more polite, hehe...
Nos vemos!
Ummm...In case you forgot you're not single. Marriages still last when you travel overseas.
If they think you're a Spaniard and they talk to you in English, respond saying, "Me no speak a English... French, yes?" or in Spanish, "No hablo ingles. En frances, por fa?" Instant fix; fools 'em every time.
Has Nintendo introduced its Oui system there? I sincerely hope you can say with confidence that right now, you know more French than I do.
Stay white,
D. Ar-tag-nan
I'm glad to see that you're having a good time! I'm not gonna lie...I'm pretty jealous. Now, if a Spaniard named Paco offers you a massage it was definitely meant to be.
Mushy! You really need to give us another update! Don't you know that having fun is less important than updating all your friends and family on every moment of every day??? :) just kidding of course... Have fun!
Wow, I just typed in my gmail address and password and for some reason it said my name was "partnership for progress"... disregard that!
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