What I've Found Interesting

This is another themed post.

Theme: What I've found interesting during my travels (and thus I hope you do to. I've been told I have odd ideas regarding interesting things... so at least you will hopefully be interested in why I'm interested in such weird and "interesting" things.)

Things:

1) I'm living currently next to the big Garden of Nantes. Inside said garden hundreds of people roam. I saw a woman playing the accordion, a grown man riding a child's scooter, and was followed by more than five children after I smiled at them. Their mothers shouted after them "ne la suivent!" Which means "don't follow her!"

I am a fairly dangerous person, you know. I have my ceinture noir (black belt).

2) I insist on placing my bread on my plate. This is apparently weird because at restaurants you have a wee little plate for bread, and at home, you just put it on the table. I said the table was dirty. Now it is my job to clean the table. Host Family- 1 Marielle- 0.

3) Everyone here takes the public transport. With my handy dandy University card, I can have all the money for my meals, traveling and sports activites ON THIS CARD. It's incredible. I mention this every single time I talk about my card. Which is often.

4) There are over 500 students signed up for the course at the University that I'm going to take. Only about 300 will actually enroll. Although apparently the majority is female (hey ladies), there is a record number of men this year (sup dudes). Hopefully I can make some friends of the dudely gender.

5) YOU CAN DANCE TO THE ROCK AND ROLL! They have all these awesomely planned out parties for all the youngfolk where you go and dance to the rock and roll with a real official dance (like tango or salsa). My host siblings have promised to take me. I'm excited.

6) It is open season on the hapless American. I am laughed at constantly. At first it was tough, and I struggled, but now I just laugh when other people do silly things. And it's all okay.

7) If people talk about the FAC (it sounds like another word when said with a french accent) anymore I'm going to cry with laughter. This FAC thing has to do with university. So far I haven't been able to stop laughing long enough.

8) Men here are stylish (and not branded as gay). The dudes know how to dress here, may I just say. I wish the US would drop the connotation, because seeing men wearing clothes that actually fit and look good is a revelation.

9) Nantes is awesome. You should come here sometime.

10) I HAD MY FIRST DREAM IN FRENCH. I was lost in a train station and was trying to find my squirrel. I was having lots of trouble pronouncing "écureuil" and so resorted to asking for my "small furry animal."