Nantes 03.09.2010

Commerce-- tons of cafés and shopping to do!

(Quintessential nerdy family photo; please note we are still jetlagged)

Chateau de duc de Bretagne. Many more where this came from.

Where I live in Nantes is kind of like Richmond; hobos asking me for money, everything closing down by 8pm, and the occasionally grafittied wall. But take the tram ligne 2 (the red one on the map) going towards Gare Pont Rousseau, get off at Commerce, and you will have reached the heart of Nantes. There is so much life here! Unfortunately, I have yet to fully explore it. The French seem to enjoy giving foreign students a lot of administrative stuff to do. Until classes start next week, I have much to do to make sure everyone knows I'm here legally...

BUT.... here is what I have learned so far:

-When in doubt, watch a French person do it and then copy what they do (ex, how to board the tram, how to get a waiter's attention at a café, etc)
-Greeting adults with a "bonjour!" is considered polite almost to the point of being mandatory (especially if you walk into their stores). However, please note that greeting people your age this way makes you seem awkward. And dont even worry about it on the tram.
-Don't worry about sounding like an idiot when you speak French. The French seem to appreciate the fact that you're trying to speak their language rather than demanding that everyone speak English to you
-When someone corrects your French, don't feel bad. Appreciate it as a learning experience. They are helping you sound less like a foreigner.
-Wearing shorts, tennis shoes, white socks that show, or any combination of these will let everyone know that you are definitely an American. Luckily, I did not bring any of these items, but I was able to pick the Americans out of the crowd quite easily. Foreigners= good targets for pickpocketers.
-Always act like you know what you're doing even when you don't. And if you don't, see first point above.