lilas illuminé

As usual, I`ve been trying to find the metting point between passivity and pushiness. Maybe I`ve found it (?)

I changed houses/host families last night. After two weeks of abysmal food, a damp basement room and a little bit of ennui, I asked to be relocated. It was awkward to explain to Carolle, my `host mom,`` but it`s for the best. I`m still invited to her daughter`s baby shower on the weekend, she told me.

Now I`m living in a new place where the host `parents` are younger than me! There`s another student there as well, and we live in our respective barbie and little boy decor`d rooms. I like it a lot better.

Last night I visited a great place called ìci le café for steamed milk drinks, a little studying, and a bit of a steeping in a pseudo academic environment. That`s what`s been missing around here!

This week is pretty laid back (something I can and yet cannot get used to). I`m in the process of making a flamingo ensemble for the soirée costumé this Friday. Dollarama comes in handy for a lot of things when you`re in a elementary school/camp atmosphere. It`s hard to think about doing a masters now. Ah well, that`s not something to worry about yet.

Also, I may have to end the program early after all (given the expense of driving back for 3 days). So Roz, if you`re still on for the weekend of June 17th, come on up to Owen sound. Anyone else is welcome as well! We can go to the grotto, and kayaking, and all things outdoors. Plus a visit to the notorious Harb if the mood strikes.

Adieu for now

nicer than you'd think

Oh, Sauguenay region, where the weather and the tide change dramatically over 2 hours. These pics are from a visit to Cap Trinite. The landscape of Quebec is astoundingly nice. As are the people, once they realise you're here to learn. Unless, of course you need to go shoe shopping at the mall...then it's awkward.












the cheesiest of cheese

après un semaine

Well, I`m going to back up a bit, because I finally got my pics uploaded. Back to montreal and the relentless search for an apartment. After 2 long days of searching and finding only sketchy duplexes and triplexes, we decided to look for something a little...taller? After finding a neighbourhood we liked (Maisoneuve W at Rue Guy--right near Concordia), we wrote down the numbers of a bunch of apartments, and started with a tall building called Le Montford. It was pretty much love at first sight, and after a night of discussion, we decided it was the best option. Alors, 1978 Montford it is as of this August. There`s lots of room for people to stay, so the invitations are open.







The first week and a bit has been really enjoyable, here in Jonquiere. Although my host mom has admitted to me that she hates cooking (and it shows), I`ve managed to survive on a steady diet of fried hot dogs, fried buns, fried fish, and lots of mayonaise (I believe mayonaise is a province-wide obsession btw).

Every day we have class, and then activities of one sort or another. It`s really weird not to have homework, but I suppose it`s a well-deserved reprieve after finishing my degree.

My 23rd birthday kind of came and went surreptitiously, but that was the vibe of this year`s fete for some reason. Thank you to everyone who sent me emails, e-cards and facebook messages. You really made my day :) My apologies for not replying yet; I can`t here because there`s a virus that doesn`t let you run hotmail. I`ll hunt down an internet cafe some time this week though.

Although it`s rained every day since I left Ontario, I don`t really mind. It`s refreshing to run in the rain, by the river, and around town. The nights have been warm and everything is within walking distance. The cheese is also really good.


On the weekend we went on a trip to Lac St-Jean and a small ghost town, Val Jalbert. It was truly gorgeous, and was even enchanced by the overcast weather.













The other great thing about Jonquiere is the lively bar scene and the great prices therein. The other night we were given complimentary everything, as Brian`s host brother`s cousin owned the bar.


Avant


Apres

This summer is already so different than last, but the two complement eachother, I think. Both times I`ve been lost in another language, whilel slowly discovering another part of the world, and more ways to adapt, cope, explore and become the life-long traveller I would love to be.

tout(e)s les instructions sont en francais aussi

Apres cinq jours, I have accepted that things certainly won`t be getting any more english here. Vivre a Jonquiere est vraiment vivre en francais!

I live in a very cute yellow house about a 5 minute walk from the college. It`s just me, a middle-aged couple, and a little dog. There`s also a daughter who lives in an apartment over the house with her adorable 4-year-old. I have a room in the basement with a bunk bed and Little Mermaid comforters. It is very cute, and very quebecqois!

I`m pretty damn rusty with the old French; more often than not, Swahili words slip out when I try to say anything. I manage to communicate well enough to be understood, but not nearly enough to be eloquent. There is a lot of work to be done!

Jonquiere is a nice place, though I don`t know it that well yet...it`s kind of hard to describe, because it`s like so many Ontario towns, and yet it has some weird quirks. The drivers are bad as hell, but the cheese is good.

I`m not doing too well with the 7am mornings, and am currently very tired!(hence this message)

Update soon :)

time for francais

I really like this city.

When i've come to Montreal before, the city has been beautiful, yes, but either freezing beyond belief, or just defrosting in April. Now, in mid-May, it is a whole new world. The streets are bustling with people, and multilingual people mill all around in animated conversation. The air is scented with top notes of lilac and more subtle tones of pastries, perfumes and cigarette smoke. Every district, from plateau, downtown, the gay village, old montreal etc are all filled with unique and surprising charms of their own.

We've been biking through the streets (although I'm vervous around these crazy Quebecois drivers, let me tell you), eating $2.99 pasta at the Peel Pub and searcing for a place to live next year. The 3 places we saw last night were not too pretty. One was a moldy basement, one a stripper's hideaway next to her place of work, and a smelly vampire castle with tiny staircases. It was discouraging.

Today was much more successful, and there are some really promising places. I've got my fingers crossed for one in particular.

Also, I'm sure happy that I'll soon be doing the French immersion program shortly, because my Franglais hybrid style of struggling to speak french is embarassing at best. yikes.

I'm already missing friends from home, and I hope everyone is doing well in Burlington, Owen Sound, London and respective cities. I'll keep you all up-to-date on my adventures in Frenchland. 'Til then

au revoir

i'm still not into facebook

I'm a photo elitist, and I just don't like putting all my photos on facebook (where the resoultion will be compromised, and the context ruin them) so here, on my good old fashioned blog, are some of my favourite pics from the end of my fourth year at Western.


Easter dinner at Francisco's place


The Gazette's volume 99 front office presents awards


Hurk christens the new memorial cup


Alex in (faux?) fur at Romy's "Goodbye...for now" party


Spitfire McGuire finished class, getting ready for Europe and then police academy (!)


Pranay "ballin' outta control" after spending the day at the mall trying to get phone numbers


Dance party in Alex's room


Brian under our magnolia tree


A chilled-out Ceeps night




I'm not sure where the anger comes from, really


deWaard's last glance


A triumphant headlock


Larkin's recurring photo self-indulgence


Bacon feigning innocence after muttering evil things under his breath


Newly-aquainted


clothes sharing couple


A jungle adventure


Kate's confusion


"Oh great, now we're guaranteed double chins" - Alex


The graceful Miss Kim


Ready for adventure


Jordan and April O'Neill


A slow fade into black

after the end/before the beginning

Despite the fact that I've been writing papers for months, I feel like my love for "real" writing has been neglected. Therefore, I begin this summer with a firm committment to myself, and to this space, to write again. Privacy is as much an issue as ever, but since many of us are following diverging paths, and yet going through the same things, I feel like I want to be honest and earnest in some kind of chronicling of events.

I feel like for the next while, this will be a period of longing and excitement. I feel just as weird, crazy and yet happy as ever. Last summer I was really apprehensive about the summer ahead, but it turned out to be amazing. I feel like this summer is already getting off to a rapid start (even though I'm still recovering from inhaling a pound of dust while cleaning our old house, and am consequently sick!).

It was tough to pack up and leave--not because I'm hearbroken, or afraid to move on, but because I was damn lucky to be there for 4 years, to have done the things I did, and to have met the people I met. I don't mind moving around, but I do mind saying goodbye to a lot of things.

But first, a cheesy goodbye to my housemates who made house-living so good:


Gillian P. Edworthy
My first ever roommate: plays pool like a shark, loves dancing in her room to classic rock, runs like the wind, comes up with award-winning metaphors, and is unable to pay attention to anything else when watching tv.


Jennie "wee" Wilhelm
My musical companion: joined our house in 3rd year, reads her essays aloud in a documentary narrator voice, loves making KD with tuna, has more shoes than me, can sew anything, is brilliant


Kristina Klopfer
My Italian class buddy-turned housemate: half hungarian princess, half Italian ragazza, so addicted to Starbucks that she visits the baristas at their homes and takes gifts to their kids, exhaustingly hardworking, has a heart of gold


Adam Giliberto
Floor rep of Peache to house rep of 1077: "snarky" ,organized, efficient, clean, hilarious


Kieran O'Sullivan
Floormate and housemate: conquered his counterstrike addiction and moved on to online poker, nocturnal, loves the Daily Show, always available for a laugh, a talk, a listening ear, or a night out


Mike Dewar
Former housemate: energetic, lazy yet motivated, has discovered a new love for tequila and chocolate cake, musical, makes hilarious campaign videos, is off to New Zealand

All of these people have been great to live with, and I will miss them very much. More pics to come soon :)