Rosetta: Saying No(n)

So we were talking about this blog and we thought it would be fun to each have a sort of theme we would write on. I wasn't sure what mine would be so I've been thinking about. I'm not saying I will write on this theme but something that seems like it will come up a lot is how to politely decline an offer. For example yesterday I mentioned that I hadn't found a market so I was going to go in search of one this morning to find breakfast. Maria, my new Spanish-speaking roommate, offered me a box of cookies (that she wanted to just give me) so that I would be sure to have something to eat. Okay, now not only did I not want to have cookies for breakfast but I didn't really want to deprive her of her box of cookies and I was not at all worried about possibly not having breakfast this morning. So I said no. But there is always this awkward, are-you-sure?-You-can-you-know.-I-want-you-to.-You-wouldn't-be-imposing moment. And then you have to practically argue the other person into letting you decline. It is like that a lot here because there are a lot of people who want to offer me things that are not necessarily desirable. So the lesson is Just Say No. Well, non merci (no thank you) is a bit more polite.