Cyborg!

I have obtained my official residency permit. In the picture it appears like they not only took me for $300 euros but they've turned me into some sort of robot. I find myself ordering now in a very monotone voice "Je voudrais plus de vin rouge".

I have a blank look on my face, as though I am awaiting further instructions.

Learning the Language

It's funny/sad how when you first get here and do not know any of the language, you think certain words mean things based on a very similar English word. Like "espace" for example. For the first month or so, I thought we lived in an area called "Espace St. George" because they were trying to make the front of the shopping mall look like a space ship...Toulouse being a big space/aviation town as it is. But come to find out it just means like an "area"