I’m currently learning French through Duolingo. It is going surprisingly well. I am catching on and it seems like it’s filling gaps in my brain. I think I see French words, just around, in life, and finding out what they actually mean and how to accurately read them, is helping.
I’ve only been to one French-speaking country and it’s France. It was surprisingly grungy compared to Germany, which I just visited prior. Frankfurt and Berlin had clean, modern signage, state of the art graphic design, and impeccably clean streets. Paris seems a little bit stuck in the 80’s. Not that it doesn’t have a lot of charm. I didn’t catch the Francophile bug many of my friends had in grade school, wanting to see the Eiffel Tower, eat pastries, see world-class fashion and art. Germany seemed accessible for many people who speak a variety of languages. France seemed like it was only for French speakers.
I got to meet up with a friend and see a night club. We also had dinner at a tiny cafe. Paris was a cool little place that I’m glad to have experienced. I do think it might be overhyped. I would love to see the countryside of France and also other French speaking countries such as Belgium and Montreal. Casey and I have been watching French movies.