When not busy making fun of French people speaking French, I'm devoting considerable energy to making fun of them speaking English. There is no question that this is entirely in an effort to make myself feel better about my own meager French skills, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining.

If you had spent a lot of time playing with a Paris-themed Playmobile set growing up, you would not be disappointed when you arrived in real-Paris -- except that the people are less "joint-y" and their hair's not as perfectly shaped. Unfortunately being able to appreciate quality design and effective city-maintenance programs does nothing to improve your French.

With the hot sun and gentle breeze on my face, I reflected on the day. Absurd really. But I needed to break the seal of sounding stupid. I'll get used to it.

There is a false security that comes with being spoken to in the very slow, very clear, perfectly-formed French spoken only by French teachers.

As an American, it's a novelty to go to the bakery for bread and the cheese shop for cheese, and not just for a special fancy item, but for everyday shopping.