Brief Update.
Oct. 4th, 2011 08:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesMy talk went all right. I should have practiced it more, because my delivery was pretty rushed, but I got some good questions, and even got to mention I've got a paper in draft on a related subject. Plus, there was another talk that agreed with my results (but using a different method), which was nice.
Granted, one of my results is 'the trans-Keeler region of Saturn's A Ring is weird', since everyone who looks at it gets that it's different from the nearby parts of the A Ring, but we can't agree on what that means in terms of ring properties.
I do wish I understood French, though. Most of the hotel clerks speak enough English to get by, but I'm terrible in restaurants. I do think I'm better off than a French tourist in USA though; maybe because it seems a bit more normal to have tourists who can't speak much of the local language, because France is physically a lot smaller than the USA and is surrounded by non-Francophone countries*. All of the restaurant staff here have been really nice about the fact I obviously have no clue what they're saying to me, and can be barely trusted to order my own food.
(Also, being in a non English-speaking country makes me a lot less picky about food, because I barely know what's in it, so can't be expected to order 'X, hold the Y'. Also, I've had chicken curry sandwiches two days in a row for lunch in two different places. I wonder if this is a thing; and if so, can I bring it back to the States?)
It does amuse me that the 'unaccented' English I hear is British English. Logically, it makes sense -- I know I was taught Mexican Spanish rather than Castillian in school because Mexico was the nearest Spanish-speaking country -- but it's one of those things that is like 'oh, right, Europe'.
Tomorrow will probably be another full day of talks, but I might start to skip sessions in favor of exploring the city. Or checking out the public exhibit running with the meeting -- they have life-size Mars rover mockups.
* Given how much Spanish I know, I can read things pretty well. But the languages sound totally different to me.
Granted, one of my results is 'the trans-Keeler region of Saturn's A Ring is weird', since everyone who looks at it gets that it's different from the nearby parts of the A Ring, but we can't agree on what that means in terms of ring properties.
I do wish I understood French, though. Most of the hotel clerks speak enough English to get by, but I'm terrible in restaurants. I do think I'm better off than a French tourist in USA though; maybe because it seems a bit more normal to have tourists who can't speak much of the local language, because France is physically a lot smaller than the USA and is surrounded by non-Francophone countries*. All of the restaurant staff here have been really nice about the fact I obviously have no clue what they're saying to me, and can be barely trusted to order my own food.
(Also, being in a non English-speaking country makes me a lot less picky about food, because I barely know what's in it, so can't be expected to order 'X, hold the Y'. Also, I've had chicken curry sandwiches two days in a row for lunch in two different places. I wonder if this is a thing; and if so, can I bring it back to the States?)
It does amuse me that the 'unaccented' English I hear is British English. Logically, it makes sense -- I know I was taught Mexican Spanish rather than Castillian in school because Mexico was the nearest Spanish-speaking country -- but it's one of those things that is like 'oh, right, Europe'.
Tomorrow will probably be another full day of talks, but I might start to skip sessions in favor of exploring the city. Or checking out the public exhibit running with the meeting -- they have life-size Mars rover mockups.
* Given how much Spanish I know, I can read things pretty well. But the languages sound totally different to me.
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Date: 2011-10-05 06:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-05 06:03 am (UTC)And then making the icon.
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Date: 2011-10-05 07:01 am (UTC)That's just that we do not want to make the effort of speaking it. Long story of hate and love with our beloved ennemy, England. We are culturally programmed not to speak English.
Just wanted to warn you because stating things like "French people should really learn English" out loud in restaurants may drive the waiters or cooks not to be so nice with your food...
That's sad you're in Nantes though, I could have given you good addresses for restaurants in Paris. I'm afraid all I know of Nantes is the train station...
But if you can find a "Paul", try their sandwiches ! That's a bakers chain, there are some in Bordeaux, why not in Nantes ? Oh, and their macarons too ! Yes ! Their macarons, definetly !
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Date: 2011-10-05 07:51 am (UTC)(I took Spanish in school myself. I still can read it, but speaking is hard, mostly due to being very rusty.)
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Date: 2011-10-05 08:37 am (UTC)As far as food is concerned (why do I always talk about food ?), after mentionning Paul, I thought there might have been other chain restaurants in Nantes as well, and found there is an Hippo : http://www.hippopotamus.fr/resto/nantes-centre-12753937709863.html
Hippopotamus are restaurants specialized in beef meat. Beef meat is expensive in France, but there you can find quality meat for a moderate price. That's still more expensive than other type of meal, but you can have menus from 14,90 euros. Of course, I suppose there are differences between the restaurants, but as far as I'm concerned, I have never been disappointed by the food quality (and only once by the service). Love for beef may be the only thing Amlerican and French have in common, so you might be curious about it.
It seems they have an Entrecôte in Nantes too : http://www.entrecote.fr/french/rue-couedic-nantes,17,17,section,modules,contenu-mc.html
More expensive, but the sauce... the sauce !
Of course, you're not there for culinary tourism... But since you've travelled such a long way, you deserve enjoying your stay. And I can be of no help for cultural tourism in Nantes... They probably have a castel of Britany dukes, since it is one of their numerous capital cities. And that's all I can think about.