Just a quick update: my French study hours are: 23.0. I haven't tackled French in Action much lately, as school has
finally picked up (I was studying French while waiting for the assignments). I finished Pimsleur 2:4 today, and this is the farthest I've ever gotten on a language on Pimsleur.
I went to the mall on Saturday, and I overheard an older couple talking with a store assistant about foreign exchange programs. Later I asked the assistant if I heard an accent in her voice. She seemed a little embarrassed. "Yes," she said, and paused. While I waited, she finally confessed, "I'm from the Ukraine."
"Cool!" I said. I always have a heard time trying to think of things to say when I find out the person doesn't speak a language that I am practicing. Being careful about my wording, instead of saying "my friend wants to learn Russian", I said, "I have a friend that wants to learn Slavic languages".
"Oh", she said, "well, I am here if she wants to practice."
I thought that was nice. "Sadly she's in the other part of the state."
"Oh, there's a surprising number of Russian speakers here," she said. I thought it was interesting that she grouped herself with Russians. After that, I thanked her and departed.