I’m here on foreign exchange. I leave day after tomorrow and currently feel like I’m about to make a huge mistake by getting on the plane home.
Be careful about public transportation, especially at Gare Routiere!! I’ve had three people try to rob me, and all of them occured either at that station, or on a bus coming from that station.
There is a higher English-speaking population than I expected. Most college-age people speak at least a little English, so if you’re lost and don’t speak French, they’re your best bet.
At Place de l’Europe (it’s a tram stop, get on one from Place de Comedie heading AWAY from Polygone) there is an awesome giant swimming pool with a waterslide and solarium.
If you go to the beach and see a man with a tray of beignets on his head, BUY ONE. They’re amazing.
Near Place de Comedie is a nice little park with an outdoor marketplace and it nearly always has people playing instruments in the street. It’s a good place to stop and eat or play a game of chess on the giant board (with some help from the other students I managed to communicate that I play chess to the guy who was setting up peices which were as high as my waist).
Oh, and I really think this should go without saying, but my friend did this: if you see a bum on the street whose hair is about three different colours and has peircings all over his face with about seven dogs on chains or tied up with ropes, DON’T GO NEAR THEM TO PET THEM; they’ll likely bite your arm off! Most people are okay with your petting their dogs, however.
For nightlife, there’s a club called Cubanito which is really good, the only other one I know of has strobe lights that’ll make you feel much drunker than you are…