It has been observed that after spending a few weeks in another country, particularly one that has a different language, one's brain begins to be overwhelmed and altogether stops working.  Well, that is quite true!

Being a bit out of practice with my French has its pros and cons.  Well, one pro, and a few cons.

Con:
1. I get exhausted quicker than usual because my brain is going back and forth between languages.
2. Sometimes, I haven't the foggiest what someone is talking about.  I spent an entire conversation thinking that I had to come up with a craft for a Kid's Club that included a Christmas Queen (I don't know all French customs, I thought this could be a Jeanette Isabella thing, like the Christms Carol) when in reality, she was talking about doing a reindeer craft.  That is a big difference.
3. I'm getting to be less eloquent, and the more I try to sound eloquent, the more I sound like an absolute donut.
4. Every time I open my mouth, I realize that my accent is atrocious.

Pro:
1. I can understand, for the most part, what I am hearing.  Therefore, I am getting better at listening to others since I can't respond very quickly.

Listening is a dying art, for lack of a better term.  Even with the names of things in the recent past, MYspace, iPhone, iPad, iPod, people are subconsciously led toward inward focus thereby causing them to primarily talk about themselves more than listening.  I'm not saying that I am awesome and never talk about myself or what's been going on with me (as evidenced by this blog).  I'm just saying that there are many people who are out of practice with the art of listening.