Qu'est-ce que c'est? - What is this?

I am in a city where they speak French and I don't. This is going to be a challenge!

After flying all night, Lyle picked me up at the airport at around 10 a.m. The plane was only an hour late after being delayed on the runway for an hour in Minneapolis (Chicago was closed down for awhile) and then delayed on the runway in Chicago (something wrong with a toilet) for another hour. We must have made up the time somehow when I was either sleeping or watching a movie.

He brought me to the hotel and then he had to get on the Metro to report into his office in La Defense, the business area west of central Paris. So, I thought maybe I should get down to my Rosetta Stone and work on my French. With earphones on and repeating phrases, the housekeeper walked in to make the bed. I nodded to her that it was fine and she worked while I was on the computer. I practiced over and over some simple phrases.....only to blow it by saying "si" to her instead of "oui" (my 6 years of Spanish coming through!). Then to top it off, she said au revoir as she left and I answered, "bonsoir", which means good evening! It was 2 in the afternoon! She must have looked at me and thought...."you have a long way to go".

I decided I need to learn at least 3 French phrases a day, so practiced "what is this?" which is "qu'est-ce que c'est". When I visited China in 1995 on a teacher People to People trip, I went to a school where they were teaching English to about 50 fifth graders. Over and over the teacher kept saying "what is this in English"?. Each student would stand up one-by-one and answer her, saying "this is a book, pencil, etc.". I thought...that is a good phrase for me to begin with! My goal is to learn this crazy silent-letter language enough to greet, order, and ask simple questions! Lyle has never learned another language and isn't looking forward to starting! This will be interesting......