Couchsurfing with Marie Lise in Noumea

I call Marie Lise and tell her that I have arrived in Noumea; I had emailed her weeks before saying that I would be visiting. She arranges to pick me up from the beach near her house then later get me and my bags from the hostel; how sweet is that. So we head out for a night of dancing and some bar hopping. She is so friendly and has a cute little flat with her boyfrind and a cat, (not the cat, the man) who is out of town. She is also a journalist and writes for a local magazine aimed at youth. She is hoping to improve her English and offers to also help me with French; so we speak more in english because she knows so much already but she is great about helping me with some words and I even buy a french gossip magazine and read it to her while she corrects my accent. Our night out at the local bar is interesting for me because I am usually such a chatty type and not used to being completely misunderstood in some cases...but even not speaking the language only slows me down a bit; at first anyway. See I kept trying to speak and well who knows what I was really saying...haa haa...a 25 yr old proclaimed drunken love to me after a brief conversation so that got me thinking....maybe I am not saying what i think I am saying...or maybe I am and I just forgot about the habits of drunk 25 yr olds, but it was all good. Many people here think that i am from another French island like Guadulope or they think I am Matisse (not sure the spelling but it is mixed french white with kanaky, at least that is what I was told) they are really surprised to discover I am from the US, and most ask me my origins, which the wording really appeals to me actually... humm..just the word origins sounds so much better than the usual "what are you?" Anyway, we bar hop a bit and just enjoy the night....but dam Noumea is crazy expensive!!! Marie Lise and i spend the next couple days relaxing and going to the red earthed south where there is a huge nickel mine and we also venture out on a sail boat to snorkle a lovely reef. She was great and I hope to return the favor to her oh and she is also a great chef.