Well, I was in Paris to learn French...so while I tried I could only go so far...my vocabulary is still pretty good and I can generally understand the language I have trouble just blurting out French sentances...
A few (relatively quick) examples of what I faced:
1. My host was supposed to pick me up at the airport...he didn't show. I waited for 2 hours before finally getting him on the phone. He gave me BUS directions to streets I could barely recognise. I got to within 2 changes that he told me about and said "screw this" I'm taking a cab. The driver took my money when we arrived and made like he was gonna give me change..jumped in the car and took off........Welcome to Paris!
2. My host family was supposed to provide breakfast and dinner...no breakfast, but dinner was a piece of ham, a tomato and some bread....so much for the great cuisine....turns out the family would cook a huge lunch after I left for the afternoon....they left dishes as evidence one day by mistake.....very Simpsonish...if you know the episode to which I refer...I howled when I saw it!
3. My girlfriend at the time was Swiss and was home for the summer...she visited me during my two months of hell...I must admit that was a GREAT weekend due to her incredible body and gorgeous face...but, I digress....she and I went to a restaurant one night and ordered a bottle of wine. It was about 12.15am when we ordered it. The waiter poured a glass for each of us and then disappeared with the bottle. Ten minutes later we asked for a re-fill...he refused saying we would not finnish it before 1.00am and that was when they closed. I didn't catch the whole conversation because she was speaking her native language of French....so much for the "speak French and you will be okay" theory.
4. Flying firecrackers almost blinded the two of us during Bastille day celebrations while taking a ride on a Siene river-boat. Some idiots were abusing tourists by lobbing them off the bridges onto the passangers of the boat.
5. We WALKED from the Eiffel Tower back to our hotel in the Latin Quarter at 3.00am because taxis don't seem to think that work is something they should do...they would drive right past a huge throng of us who were trapped in the city after the subway shut down...EMPTY, time after time....took us 'till 5.00am to get back!
6. My girlfiend was constantly harassed by French men in the clubs....if I left her side for 10 seconds they would slip right in and start to tell her what great lovers they were....she was in tears on two different occasions.
The list goes on and on, but I want to fly....so, I appreciate that I shouldn't blame all the French for my experiences...as I said before I was just in Paris...
