It's been nearly a month since I left France. It feels weird just typing that phrase. Because at this point, it's hard for me to grasp that I was there at all.
When I stepped off the plane onto Canadian turf for the first time in over 10 months, there was this feeling of having come full-circle; of ending where I began. Everything I had left behind came to greet me, unchanged. And it was not a glorious re-entry into my old life. There was no parade with blasting horns and dancing girls to celebrate my return. Was that what I had been expecting?
Eh. Maybe a little. My imagination tends toward the eccentric.
I was expecting to be the shiny stone hurled into the pond of my former life. Breaking the surface dramatically, sending ripples in all directions. But life is not a pond, it's an ocean, and we are really much more like pebbles, trying to find our place and make an impact in the endlessness of it all. This is a truth I find both terrible and inspirational.
I wanted to end this blog with a word of wisdom, a nugget of insight that might reward my readers in some miniscule degree for having followed me this far. The best I can leave you with is this:
Life goes on.
Not matter how bad or incredibly good a situation gets, no matter how far you manage to remove yourself from all you know, Life will find a way to move forward. Move with it. Don't try to beat it for time, and don't weigh yourself down to stay where you are, longer than you should. Wear sunscreen. Enjoy all you can, and endure all you must. Reach out when others swirl by, Life is best weathered with friends. It is also very short, so put little umbrellas in your drink whenever you get the chance. Don't sweat the small stuff, but never let the little things pass you by.
I might travel to Europe again, I might not. I might have a kid that goes on her own exchange one day, I might not. I might start another blog. I might not. But right now, none of that really matters. Because all that ever matters, is right now.
With all my love and pixie dust,
Sarah B
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Roll out the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer. ~ Nat King Cole
Yes, summer is officially here, though as I write this rain buffets the window at my side. Peu importe, I'm willing to wait out the sunshine!
I guess the most exciting thing that has occured recently is the termination of my career as a french student in 1ere L. I did it! I have survived a full school year in a foreign school system. And while I wouldn't say I thrived, I finished the year with a decent GPA. More importantly, I met some people at les Cordeliers whom I shall truly miss upon my return, and who I feel will welcome me back if I ever got to travelling to France again. I know I'd be happy to have them sometime in Canada!
But the arrival of my favorite season of the year is cause for celebration in itself. So far I've visited a Texan friend, Manon, in Laval. And I leave this Tuesday for Aurey to visit Finnish Riikka and German Gerda on my last trip out of Dinan before my ride to Paris, to catch my return plane home.
I had not really thought about going home until late last night; it was then I realized: there are a mere 13 days left to me here in France. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around so small a number; how can 10 months melt down to 13 days so fast?! Like butter in a microwave...
But it's a good thing I faced the reality of the situation now, because I still have a boatload of things to see to if I want to come home at all! So that will probably be all my news for the recent future; when I'm not with friends saying goodbye, I'm packing suitcases and writing thank-you cards!
I guess the most exciting thing that has occured recently is the termination of my career as a french student in 1ere L. I did it! I have survived a full school year in a foreign school system. And while I wouldn't say I thrived, I finished the year with a decent GPA. More importantly, I met some people at les Cordeliers whom I shall truly miss upon my return, and who I feel will welcome me back if I ever got to travelling to France again. I know I'd be happy to have them sometime in Canada!
But the arrival of my favorite season of the year is cause for celebration in itself. So far I've visited a Texan friend, Manon, in Laval. And I leave this Tuesday for Aurey to visit Finnish Riikka and German Gerda on my last trip out of Dinan before my ride to Paris, to catch my return plane home.
I had not really thought about going home until late last night; it was then I realized: there are a mere 13 days left to me here in France. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around so small a number; how can 10 months melt down to 13 days so fast?! Like butter in a microwave...
But it's a good thing I faced the reality of the situation now, because I still have a boatload of things to see to if I want to come home at all! So that will probably be all my news for the recent future; when I'm not with friends saying goodbye, I'm packing suitcases and writing thank-you cards!
Sunday, 3 June 2012
'Tis better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson
How do you move on from the people that walked beside you as
you learned a new language and braved a new world? How do you say goodbye to the people you’ve shared
the most important year of your life with?
I think you never say goodbye at all.
This weekend was the last Rotary Exchange Student reunion of
my exchange year – an unmistakable sign that my adventure truly is winding
down. We kayaked and rock-climbed and
swam fully-clothed in the lake because we didn’t have our bathing suits
on. We signed flags and notebooks and
ate bread and slept shoulder to shoulder in sleeping bags on the hostel’s
corridor floor, because it kept us closer for longer. But as all things ultimately do, the weekend
came to an end, and we have parted ways.
Leaving us all with that awful ache of loss.
But the pain we feel upon leaving those we care about is the
acknowledgement of our love for them.
When the time comes that we may no longer take the relationship we have
with one another for granted, it hurts.
But I feel they never really leave us.
People may go separate ways, but the love between them remains. It is in this way that life teaches us to be
strong, to be brave enough to give away our hearts, and to love fiercely and freely. Even when it hurts. With this demonstration of courage, we come
to obtain a bond that may weather any storm and overcome every obstacle; that
transcends all distance and time. In
this way, we never need to say goodbye.
To the Exchange Students of District 1650: over this past
year we have become a team, with experiences and bonds that can never be
replicated nor matched. It has been a
pure privilege to share this defining slice of my life with you, and I wish you
all the best for your futures. Finally,
I hope you will always remember that my door is open to you forever: both at my home in Canada, and in my heart.
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
The Year Gone By
While I should be composing a post illustrating the new host-family I have recently moved in with, plans for the future as summer rapidly approaches, and the fact that there remains a mere 9 days of my career as a french student, I have instead been struck by the creativity bug! I promise to do a proper update soon, but in the meantime I`ve been writing poetry!
In the year gone by, I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
I've walked over sands leading to the Mont Saint-Michel
I've even gazed into the eyes of the Mona Lisa, and realized
This is not what living in France is about.
Listen:
Life in France is driving through the green tides of the countryside
And eating crêpes beside a dark-grey storm of a sea
It is asking friends over for just the appetizer
And discerning the importance of petits cafés
It is summer nights and live music calling from café doors
And wandering about a town gone dead come Wednesday
On Thursday, it is eating galettes at the morning market;
It is discovering always new things of an old town
It is passing a hand over a stone wall and thinking of
The number of centuries your fingers have just felt
Our river la Rance is more beautiful than the Mona Lisa
I prefer the castle on the corner to Mont Saint-Michel
And our little church inspires me more than the Eiffel Tower
Because this is what living in France is about.
Listen:
It is knowing it's everyday beauty
the slightest details that are what makes it great
Mostly, it is the sound made by sneaker soles on cobblestones
And the scent of fresh bread on the air
In the year gone by, I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
I've walked over sands leading to the Mont Saint-Michel
I've even gazed into the eyes of the Mona Lisa, and realized
This is not what living in France is about.
Listen:
Life in France is driving through the green tides of the countryside
And eating crêpes beside a dark-grey storm of a sea
It is asking friends over for just the appetizer
And discerning the importance of petits cafés
It is summer nights and live music calling from café doors
And wandering about a town gone dead come Wednesday
On Thursday, it is eating galettes at the morning market;
It is discovering always new things of an old town
It is passing a hand over a stone wall and thinking of
The number of centuries your fingers have just felt
Our river la Rance is more beautiful than the Mona Lisa
I prefer the castle on the corner to Mont Saint-Michel
And our little church inspires me more than the Eiffel Tower
Because this is what living in France is about.
Listen:
It is knowing it's everyday beauty
the slightest details that are what makes it great
Mostly, it is the sound made by sneaker soles on cobblestones
And the scent of fresh bread on the air
Sunday, 13 May 2012
When Exchange Students Come A'Calling
Last week-end 6 exchange students came to Dinan for a tour
of Brittany, hosted by my friend Marie.
Having been sick at the start of the week, I only got to meeting up with
them 3 days into their trip, but the 3 days we had left were PACKED!
It started with my calling up Marie Monday night, having
cancelled on a party minutes before, to see if they were doing anything the
following day. Turns out I didn’t have
to wait that long: It was bowling night!
I got to Marie’s at 8pm and settled down with the other
ESes; I heard about how the boat-ride had gone earlier in the day and helped
with dinner. And then we ate
dinner. And we took our time about
it. When we had finally cleared the
table it was 11pm and we were a little tired.
After a quick vote however, we decided to go anyway. It was the right decision. I haven’t bowled in forever and as the night
wore on my aim went increasingly off, but it was fun right through to 1am. Getting home, I stumbled into bed, got a
couple hours sleep and was up again at 9 the next morning. Off to Dinard!
Dinard is a small town beside the sea, much like the more
widely-known St Malo. It was an overcast
day and still way too cold to be frolicking on the beach, but Dinard does
feature an indoor salt-water pool. That’s
where we were headed.
To be honest, I didn’t really see the point of a salt-water
pool. It was just like any regular
swimming pool; only the water tasted bad and stung your eyes. But the Jacuzzi was as good as any, and after
swiping a couple floaties from the pool’s swim lesson stash, we had a good time
finding different ways to abuse them. (We
even named some of our methods, such as the Magic Carpet and the Drowning
Buddha.)
The rest of the day was relaxing; we ate, played with the
dogs, watched tv, ate. Normally, I would
have had to have been looking forward to school the following day. However, it being the last day the Eses were
in town, I convinced my host-parents to let me take the day off to visit Rennes
before they all caught their trains’ home. Another mostly overcast day, and we didn’t do
anything extraordinary – poked our heads into a couple shops and explored the
gardens, then waited together for the trains to arrive.
And this part was interesting. Because about half of the people I said good-bye
to at the train station, I would never see again. Some of them would be departing for their
respective countries within the month!
And then I thought, well that’s not so odd, I have less than two months
left now.
I still don’t know how I feel about this fact. Only that it is a short time, and I had
better make the most of it.
Monday, 30 April 2012
When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then, take half the clothes and twice the money. ~ Anonymous
The gondolas of Italy, the UN building in Switzerland, snow
on the Alps. What do these three things
have in common? They were all included
in EuroTour 2012!
Yes, the second and final bus trip of the year has come and
gone, but what a week! It was on this
exchange that I entered Europe for the first time. Now, less than a year later, I can say I’ve
visited France, Spain, Germany, The Republic of Czech, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. With tour guides and free time in a different
city every day and little to no sleep in between, “tiring” would be a suitable
adjective for the 12-day trip. But the
words “fun”, “intriguing” and “memorable” also make it on the list.
The weather was all over the place. Cloudy with rain; snow, even, in some parts
of France! Thankfully, the weather
cooperated for my favorite part of the tour:
Venice!
My idea of Venice was formed by the descriptions present in
two books; “The Thief Lord” by Cornelia Funke and “City of Masks” by Mary
Hoffman. The city I saw could have
waltzed directly from the pages. Streets
and buildings divided by robin-egg blue water.
Hand-painted masks and costumed street performers at every corner. Jet-black gondolas and live music at every café! The city is built of white stone and in the
sun that day the city shone. A
breath-taking daytrip that put Italy on my bucket list of countries I must
return to one day.
Another major part of
travelling like this, when one visits a new country every day, is the
food! Every day there was a speciality:
gelato and pizza in Italy, la tartiflette
in the Alps, chocolate in Switzerland. Everything
was so good, and I am intrigued to look up some recipes online. Needless to say, however, I added running
into my weekly schedule upon returning to France.
I am a person who likes to see what any given situation has
taught me, and how it has made me grow.
EuroTour 2012 taught me two things:
Any travel is good, because it always ends up
broadening your horizons as well as teaching you more about yourself and what
you want from your future. Even the
briefest stay has its benefits. I spent
a single day in any given country on the trip, but already I am looking into
job opportunities with the UN, learning new recipes with which to impress my
family and friends, and planning another trip to Italy for some time in my
life.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
"Time spent with cats is never wasted." ~Colette
So in one week it seems as if France has jumped from able-to-see-your-breath-it's-so-cold winter to +20 ° celcius summer. I unwittingly spent yesterday in three-quarter leggings and as a result have a very defined tan-line about mild-calf. Will be spending today outside in bicycle shorts to remedy said situation. But I digress. On to more important issues!!
The biggest recent event in my life is that I have switched houses, and am now installed in my third (and last) family. The date of the change wasn't confirmed until about a week ago, and so I wasn't given a whole lot of time to mentally prepare for it, let alone physically!! (Meaning: procrastinating until the morning of the move to pack.) It was hard for me to "let go" of the last house; the three months I spent there were fun and they went by so so fast, I never considered the proposition of leaving until it was practically dancing naked in front of my nose.
But once I had come to grips with it, the excitement set in fast. The thrill and challenge of moving and integrating myself into a new family never gets old! My family consists of Frederic and Anne-Katherine, who are my dad- and mom-figures. I also have a host-sister, Hortense, who is in the same niveau at school as me. And then there's Pilou, the cat, and Lazzie, the pony. In the almost-24-hours I've been here I've attended my host-parents' cocktail party and I've been to the stables my host-mom and sisters ride at to meet their pony and eat lunch with the other riders.
Can I even begin to express how pumped I am about living with a cat in the house again? Let me just say that I miss my cat Rocco to DEATH, just seeing Pilou walk around the house makes me want to explode in joy, and if this exchange has taught me anything it is that, if I live to be old, I am destined to be The Cat-Lady.
Other than that: Sun. I'm going tanning.
The biggest recent event in my life is that I have switched houses, and am now installed in my third (and last) family. The date of the change wasn't confirmed until about a week ago, and so I wasn't given a whole lot of time to mentally prepare for it, let alone physically!! (Meaning: procrastinating until the morning of the move to pack.) It was hard for me to "let go" of the last house; the three months I spent there were fun and they went by so so fast, I never considered the proposition of leaving until it was practically dancing naked in front of my nose.
But once I had come to grips with it, the excitement set in fast. The thrill and challenge of moving and integrating myself into a new family never gets old! My family consists of Frederic and Anne-Katherine, who are my dad- and mom-figures. I also have a host-sister, Hortense, who is in the same niveau at school as me. And then there's Pilou, the cat, and Lazzie, the pony. In the almost-24-hours I've been here I've attended my host-parents' cocktail party and I've been to the stables my host-mom and sisters ride at to meet their pony and eat lunch with the other riders.
Can I even begin to express how pumped I am about living with a cat in the house again? Let me just say that I miss my cat Rocco to DEATH, just seeing Pilou walk around the house makes me want to explode in joy, and if this exchange has taught me anything it is that, if I live to be old, I am destined to be The Cat-Lady.
Other than that: Sun. I'm going tanning.
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. ~E. E. Cummings
There are robins hopping about in the garden and daffodils in the vase on the kitchen table. Happy 1st Day of Spring, everyone!! It's the time of year that makes me feel like I can't breath deeply enough, as well as super-guilty about being on the internet while the sun shines outside. According to the International Astonomical Union, I have officially experienced every season of the year while in France.
To celebrate, I have documented in list-form some of the best things I have discovered in this country inside of the four seasons I have spent here:
50 Things That Are Awesome About France
(in order of which they pop into my head)
1. Cappuccinos from the coffee machine at school
2. The shower at the Gonzalez's house
3. Cobblestone streets (but only when I'm not in heels)
4. Boys who wear pants that ACTUALLY FIT
5. The aisle at Leclair dedicated entirely to dark chocolate
6. Le Bois Butte
7. White cows
8. The ocean being 1 hour away
9. Les soldes in February
10. The artist's square in Paris
11. French fashion
12. Oral comprehension tests in English class
13. Festive baguettes still hot from the boulangerie
14. Bakeries distributed as densely as Starbucks in Vancouver
15. Randomly celebrating with ice creams at Le Pole Nord
16. Discovering great foriegn music
17. The Golden Tree in the Valley of No Return
18. Castles by the sea
19. Riding the Tibus on a sunny day through the countryside
20. Talking about someone right beside me because they can't understand in English
21. The bluntness of the French
22. Renewed appreciation for the English Language
23. Exchanging sketchbooks with classmates at lunchtime
24. Chocolate and pistachio macarons
25. Bike rides through town
26. The castle on a hill in Lehon
27. Receiving allowance at the beginning of the month
28. That hot chocolate in St Malo
29. Horse-back riding on Sunday mornings
30. The Christmas market in Nantes
31. The Red Light District in Paris
32. Active druidism
33. 3-hour art class on Thursdays
34. Access to all the coffee I want. Anytime. Always.
35. Live music in the restaurants
36. My classy, faux-diamond-studded Eiffel Tower lighter (before anyone comments, I do not smoke. It was just pretty.)
37. The last 5 minutes of school on Friday
38. Small dogs in bicycle baskets
39. French-style high heel shoes
40. Listening to my class speak English
41. L'assiette gourmande with an espresso
42. Watching the Eiffel Tower light up from over the Seine
43. The view of the river from the English Garden
44. Adopting trendy French expressions
45. Pimkie, the clothing store
46. Elle and Marie Claire magazine, french edition
47. Sour fruit-flavored Carambars
48. Les creperies bretonnes
49. The display window at La Fee Cabosse
Having saved the best for last, my absolute favorite thing about being in France as an Exchange Student is:
50. Other Exchange Students
To celebrate, I have documented in list-form some of the best things I have discovered in this country inside of the four seasons I have spent here:
50 Things That Are Awesome About France
(in order of which they pop into my head)
1. Cappuccinos from the coffee machine at school
2. The shower at the Gonzalez's house
3. Cobblestone streets (but only when I'm not in heels)
4. Boys who wear pants that ACTUALLY FIT
5. The aisle at Leclair dedicated entirely to dark chocolate
6. Le Bois Butte
7. White cows
8. The ocean being 1 hour away
9. Les soldes in February
10. The artist's square in Paris
11. French fashion
12. Oral comprehension tests in English class
13. Festive baguettes still hot from the boulangerie
14. Bakeries distributed as densely as Starbucks in Vancouver
15. Randomly celebrating with ice creams at Le Pole Nord
16. Discovering great foriegn music
17. The Golden Tree in the Valley of No Return
18. Castles by the sea
19. Riding the Tibus on a sunny day through the countryside
20. Talking about someone right beside me because they can't understand in English
21. The bluntness of the French
22. Renewed appreciation for the English Language
23. Exchanging sketchbooks with classmates at lunchtime
24. Chocolate and pistachio macarons
25. Bike rides through town
26. The castle on a hill in Lehon
27. Receiving allowance at the beginning of the month
28. That hot chocolate in St Malo
29. Horse-back riding on Sunday mornings
30. The Christmas market in Nantes
31. The Red Light District in Paris
32. Active druidism
33. 3-hour art class on Thursdays
34. Access to all the coffee I want. Anytime. Always.
35. Live music in the restaurants
36. My classy, faux-diamond-studded Eiffel Tower lighter (before anyone comments, I do not smoke. It was just pretty.)
37. The last 5 minutes of school on Friday
38. Small dogs in bicycle baskets
39. French-style high heel shoes
40. Listening to my class speak English
41. L'assiette gourmande with an espresso
42. Watching the Eiffel Tower light up from over the Seine
43. The view of the river from the English Garden
44. Adopting trendy French expressions
45. Pimkie, the clothing store
46. Elle and Marie Claire magazine, french edition
47. Sour fruit-flavored Carambars
48. Les creperies bretonnes
49. The display window at La Fee Cabosse
Having saved the best for last, my absolute favorite thing about being in France as an Exchange Student is:
50. Other Exchange Students
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
"Boy, those French. They have a different word for everything." ~ Steve Martin
Since our arrival in France, the Exchange students in my region have been anticipating the Paris-Barcelona BusTrip 2012, an 8-day ride that would take us to the capital of France, then south until we reached Barcelona, and back again.
Arriving by train in Paris the 17 of February at 10am, we were off: 37 teenagers from around the world stuffed into a single bus and colored seven shades of Heaven because of it. It began in Paris. In three days we had climbed the Eiffel Tower, crowded the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, and snapped (albeit 'illegal') pictures of our country's flag in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. After a night spent in the south of France, we were due west, for Spain.
The memories of the stay in Barcelona are a blur; I can't tell you what we did when without consulting my journal. For three nights we stayed in the fanciest hotel I've ever been in; huge pool (though we weren't allowed to swim...) buffet for breakfast and dinner, and there was a nightclub, too! Besides that, evenings in the hotel were spent dancing and ambushing an unassuming Exchange Student in the hall; consequently robbing him of entire macaron collection. The days were spent in a Soccer Hall of Fame (forgot the name), two art museums (The Museum of Picasso and the Museum of Dali, both of which I ended up enjoying more than the Louvre), at a Hard Rock cafe eating my first burger in 6 months and wearing a t-shirt outside for the first time in what felt like forever. Returning to the cold of France was about the worst part of ending the BusTrip, second only to saying goodbye to the other ESs. But I wasn't done travelling yet.
Most students on the bus went on home after returning to the Paris train station, but Cassandra LaMarche and I had the good fortune to spend a couple extra days with a parisienne family. That was brilliant, getting to know the city with the aid of a local, as opposed to a tour guide. The days were packed. We rode the metro, strolled about the Red Light district, browsed a couple shops on the street across from the Notre Dame, watched the Eiffel Tower light up from a bridge over the Seine, drank chocolat viennois at le Chat Noir and went out to a party with kids in the neighborhood.
Upon returning to Dinan, I was tired, had a LOT of laundry to do, and was generally happy to be home. I have done so much living in this past month, though. The voyage was great, now it's over. But the experience... Even as memory fails and photos fade, I will carry it with me always. :) Vive le Bustrip 2012!!
Arriving by train in Paris the 17 of February at 10am, we were off: 37 teenagers from around the world stuffed into a single bus and colored seven shades of Heaven because of it. It began in Paris. In three days we had climbed the Eiffel Tower, crowded the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, and snapped (albeit 'illegal') pictures of our country's flag in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. After a night spent in the south of France, we were due west, for Spain.
The memories of the stay in Barcelona are a blur; I can't tell you what we did when without consulting my journal. For three nights we stayed in the fanciest hotel I've ever been in; huge pool (though we weren't allowed to swim...) buffet for breakfast and dinner, and there was a nightclub, too! Besides that, evenings in the hotel were spent dancing and ambushing an unassuming Exchange Student in the hall; consequently robbing him of entire macaron collection. The days were spent in a Soccer Hall of Fame (forgot the name), two art museums (The Museum of Picasso and the Museum of Dali, both of which I ended up enjoying more than the Louvre), at a Hard Rock cafe eating my first burger in 6 months and wearing a t-shirt outside for the first time in what felt like forever. Returning to the cold of France was about the worst part of ending the BusTrip, second only to saying goodbye to the other ESs. But I wasn't done travelling yet.
Most students on the bus went on home after returning to the Paris train station, but Cassandra LaMarche and I had the good fortune to spend a couple extra days with a parisienne family. That was brilliant, getting to know the city with the aid of a local, as opposed to a tour guide. The days were packed. We rode the metro, strolled about the Red Light district, browsed a couple shops on the street across from the Notre Dame, watched the Eiffel Tower light up from a bridge over the Seine, drank chocolat viennois at le Chat Noir and went out to a party with kids in the neighborhood.
Upon returning to Dinan, I was tired, had a LOT of laundry to do, and was generally happy to be home. I have done so much living in this past month, though. The voyage was great, now it's over. But the experience... Even as memory fails and photos fade, I will carry it with me always. :) Vive le Bustrip 2012!!
Saturday, 14 January 2012
"Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Computers are from Hell." ~Anonymous
The bad news: My laptop screen busted just after Christmas and the long process of getting it fixed has caused me to virtually disappear from the net for the last couple weeks. The good news: I'm back! Though the laptop is still not functioning, I have braved the french keyboard to bring you Post #1 of 2012.
Two days after New Year's, I changed families. My four months as part of the Pillittu's family was so much fun - truly a great time. But I am loving it here at the Toublancs, as well. My new host-mom, Carol, is an incredibly innovative home-decorater. With the help of her globe-trotting daughters, plates from Rwanda, wooden elephants from India and decorative pasta from Italy are all fairly commonplace here.
I am a self-proclaimed movie fanatic, and so finding out Carol is a teacher at a cinema school in Rennes, where she teaches english to the future screenwriters and directors of France, was naturally very exciting for me. Almost as exciting as the discovery of her extensive DVD collection!
By sharing my passion for film with Carol and flipping through the books she uses in her courses (I recommend The Little Black Book of Movies to anyone else interested in the subject) I've been inspired to research a possible future career in the film industry. In the meantime, I'm going to continue plugging away through all the DiCaprio movies in the Toublanc's possession. The Departed is my favorite so far, even if it does have the saddest ending.
More Exciting Stuff:
Horseback riding!! There's a stable practically down the road from where I live now; I'll be signing myself up for lessons this week.
Soldes!! From the middle of January to the beginning of February, clothing stores throughout France host MASSIVE sales to get rid of last year's line to make room for the new one. This means prices slashed by 50% -75%, everywhere! Having recently developed a taste for french style, I cannot wait to hit Rennes next weekend with Cassandra and Marina.
Hot chocolate!! Cause we got frost this morning for the first time this winter - And when is hot chocolate not exciting, anyway?
Two days after New Year's, I changed families. My four months as part of the Pillittu's family was so much fun - truly a great time. But I am loving it here at the Toublancs, as well. My new host-mom, Carol, is an incredibly innovative home-decorater. With the help of her globe-trotting daughters, plates from Rwanda, wooden elephants from India and decorative pasta from Italy are all fairly commonplace here.
I am a self-proclaimed movie fanatic, and so finding out Carol is a teacher at a cinema school in Rennes, where she teaches english to the future screenwriters and directors of France, was naturally very exciting for me. Almost as exciting as the discovery of her extensive DVD collection!
By sharing my passion for film with Carol and flipping through the books she uses in her courses (I recommend The Little Black Book of Movies to anyone else interested in the subject) I've been inspired to research a possible future career in the film industry. In the meantime, I'm going to continue plugging away through all the DiCaprio movies in the Toublanc's possession. The Departed is my favorite so far, even if it does have the saddest ending.
More Exciting Stuff:
Horseback riding!! There's a stable practically down the road from where I live now; I'll be signing myself up for lessons this week.
Soldes!! From the middle of January to the beginning of February, clothing stores throughout France host MASSIVE sales to get rid of last year's line to make room for the new one. This means prices slashed by 50% -75%, everywhere! Having recently developed a taste for french style, I cannot wait to hit Rennes next weekend with Cassandra and Marina.
Hot chocolate!! Cause we got frost this morning for the first time this winter - And when is hot chocolate not exciting, anyway?
Sunday, 25 December 2011
The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~ Burton Hillis
The following is a letter to the ones I love and never showed it enough. You know who you are.
Dearest friends,
There is no such thing anymore as an “original thought”. So though I may seek to astound you with profound insight upon the subject of Christmas, I know the best I may accomplish is to put into words what is true in my heart and hope that they will touch you.
From the time we were small children, we have learned from Charlie Brown and the Grinch (who stole Christmas) what Christmas is really about. It’s not the presents or the tree; the lights or the songs; it’s not even getting extra time off of school/work to sleep in. Christmas is about sharing with those dear to you the joy of having remained united as family and friends in this crazy painful beautiful life for yet another year. It is a celebration of relationships and the bonds that hold them together.
And it is for this reason why today did not feel like Christmas.
To clarify, I am not trying to amass a pity party for myself with this statement - in all honesty I feel happy as I write this post. But the fact remains that Christmas is not simply a date marked on a calendar - It is a state of being. Of being with the friends that have seen you through the various obstacles of life and who did their best to soften it’s blows. I have met some fantastic people here in France, and I feel our relationships will last long after I return in the summer. But they are not you. And that makes all the difference.
This year I was presented the fantastic opportunity to experience Christmas from an outsider’s point of view, and because of this I value the specialness of the event and what elements make it so in a way I never have before. I am truly grateful that you make up a part of my life, and I have realized that all I want for Christmas is, to quote Juno, “be an interesting piece of furniture in your weird life.”
So yeah, that’s my awful mushy gushing of the year over with. Merry Christmas everyone, best wishes and charms for the upcoming year, and take care of yourselves till I get back and we can hang. :)
Thursday, 22 December 2011
"If you don't think every day is a great day, try going without one" ~ Jim Evans
A day comprised of dancing, sketching and copious amounts of chocolate are rarely any less than awesome for me. Last friday: No exception. The day just started out feeling good. Granted, I was running a little late due to the coffee machine taking forever to get going, but this only seemed to get the adrenaline going for the day ahead. That, combined with the fact that it was the last school day of 2011 and I was wearing a dress for the occasion, had me pretty pumped.We had regular classes in the morning, but my teachers were more willing than usual to let me do what I wanted, so I spent the morning filling in what little space I had left in my sketchbook. Not wanting to blow my own horn (that’s a lie, I do), but my classmates were pretty impressed by my Totoro sketches!
At lunchtime a group of my friends had organized a Secret Santa gift-exchange; I gave a notebook and received a glow-in-the-dark keychain bear! Thanks to Bérénice, I will never again have to worry about losing my backpack in the dark! (Because naturally, this has been a pressing concern of mine...)
Mid-day there was this school-wide spectacle where various parts of the student body would preform a skit/song/choreographed dance involving pom-poms and vibrant green tights while the rest of us watched from our stadium seats in the rented gymnasium. It was entertaining, but the best was yet to be :)
Because the rest of the day was spent at my friend Marie’s, along with Cassandra and Alessandro. After about two minutes debate about what we should do, we had laptop and speakers set up in the living room and I proceeded to
dance wildly for the following two hours in the small space provided between the couch and the dining room table. There is quite an embarrassing video of this somewhere on Sandro’s phone, but he’s promised to never let it go public, so as to spare us all 2 minutes 47 seconds of humiliation. Nevertheless it was a really great way to kick off the Christmas break!!
At lunchtime a group of my friends had organized a Secret Santa gift-exchange; I gave a notebook and received a glow-in-the-dark keychain bear! Thanks to Bérénice, I will never again have to worry about losing my backpack in the dark! (Because naturally, this has been a pressing concern of mine...)
Mid-day there was this school-wide spectacle where various parts of the student body would preform a skit/song/choreographed dance involving pom-poms and vibrant green tights while the rest of us watched from our stadium seats in the rented gymnasium. It was entertaining, but the best was yet to be :)
Because the rest of the day was spent at my friend Marie’s, along with Cassandra and Alessandro. After about two minutes debate about what we should do, we had laptop and speakers set up in the living room and I proceeded to
dance wildly for the following two hours in the small space provided between the couch and the dining room table. There is quite an embarrassing video of this somewhere on Sandro’s phone, but he’s promised to never let it go public, so as to spare us all 2 minutes 47 seconds of humiliation. Nevertheless it was a really great way to kick off the Christmas break!!
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Top Ten Reasons Why, If My Brother Was Not My Brother, I Would Want Him To Be (In Ascending Order)
If you know me personally, you may know that a) I have a thing for writing lists, and b) today is my little brother's birthday - he's turning fifteen. So, in celebration of these two points, I have comprised a list of reasons why I consider myself pretty lucky to have Simon as a brother (even though I'd never be able to say them to his face - it's a sibling thing :P)
NUMBER 10!! THE FRIENDLY COMPETITION!!
My brother is one of those kids that does not have to study at all and still earns straight As. I am one of those kids that also gets straight As, but has to work really, really hard for 'em. For this reason, Simon's educational success has always acted as a little extra motivation for me. He sets a high bar that I have always felt the need to meet or surpass.
NUMBER 9!! THE TIME WHEN I WAS EIGHT AND HE NEARLY KNOCKED MY TWO FRONT TEETH OUT WITH A BASEBALL!!
Yeah, odd subject to include on this list. Upon reflection, however, I've discovered the service this accident and the events following has done me. I used to have a gap between my two front teeth that would probably still be there if the dentist had not straightened them out while re-inserting them into my gums. Also, I believe my large pain threshold and the fact that I am not afraid of needles spawned from the long recovery process following the incident. Yeah, it hurt, but thanks anyway, bro.
NUMBER 8!! THE LIFE LESSONS!!
One of the reasons I think "only children" often grow up a little bratty is due to the lack of siblings. Especially if they are close in age (as I am with my brother) siblings do so much to teach one another about patience, sharing, compromise, understanding, compassion, companionship... The list goes on. These are lessons that can not be taught better than from a brother or sister.
NUMBER 7!! THE DISPOSITION!!
Simon has this eternal sunniness about him that can be detected within seconds of meeting him - it's one of the first things you notice. He's one of those people that just exudes happiness, and it's difficult to be down around him.
NUMBER 6!! THE HONESTY!!
My brother wears his heart on his sleeve, a trait that is becoming increasingly rare in this day and age, particularly among the male half of humanity. He's not afraid to coo over a kitten, dress up for halloween or spend a lunchhour here and there in the library. Is it "geeky"? Yes. Is it 3 bajillion times better than pretending to be someone you're not in fear of appearing "uncool"? Yes. Simon's a geek, I'm a geek, hater's will hate, and if anyone gives him a tough time about it I will hop on a plane and personally... Ask you politely but firmly to stop, because that isn't very nice.
NUMBER 5!! THE HEART!!
Simon is a caring individual and he'd be friends with anyone. I've known him exactly 15 years now and so can say with authority that never once has he done anything mean-spirited or cold. And he loves animals, and he does his best at everything and... I dunno, he's just a good guy!
NUMBER 4!! THE TRAVEL COMPANION!!
Living in a separated family with our extended family stationed throughout both South Africa and the US makes for lot of traveling. And may I add that, be it spending a Wednesday night at our Dad's, a week in Hood River, or a month in South Africa, travelling is not the same without my little brother. We've seen and experienced a lot together, and on the whole, it's been a blast. And I look very much forward to the voyages awaiting us.
NUMBER 3!! THE PERSEVERANCE!!
There are a lot of jerks in the world right now. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it appears that presently, good people go through a hard time simply because they stay true to who they are and do what they believe is right. There is a lot of pressure, particularly on boys, to act and think in a certain way, and it takes a person with a lot of courage and commitment to swim against the current when it's not flowing in the direction they want it to. With pride I say that my brother is is one of these people. He does his best to be the bigger man and stands up for what he believes in... Even if that means that occasionally, he must stand alone.
NUMBER 2!! THE SHARED SENSE OF HUMOUR!!
This is a huge point for me because so much of the relationship Simon and I share rides on what we find funny. The Youtube videos that make most people go O.o have us in tears; we laugh at the same gags in comic books; we have conversations that are entirely comprised of reciting dialogue from a favourite movie. There's a saying that goes: "Nothing shows one’s character better than what one laughs at". I don't know what our sense of humour has to say about us, only that we match perfectly.
NUMBER 1!! THE FRIENDSHIP!!
Man... Simon's just a cool kid to be with. He's funny and intelligent; he cares about other people; he's well-read and polite... I've always considered the words "friend" and "family" basically synonymous. If you don't love your family as friends, they're not family at all - if you truly love your friends, they're as good as family. I'm happy to say Simon's the best of both.
NUMBER 10!! THE FRIENDLY COMPETITION!!
My brother is one of those kids that does not have to study at all and still earns straight As. I am one of those kids that also gets straight As, but has to work really, really hard for 'em. For this reason, Simon's educational success has always acted as a little extra motivation for me. He sets a high bar that I have always felt the need to meet or surpass.
NUMBER 9!! THE TIME WHEN I WAS EIGHT AND HE NEARLY KNOCKED MY TWO FRONT TEETH OUT WITH A BASEBALL!!
Yeah, odd subject to include on this list. Upon reflection, however, I've discovered the service this accident and the events following has done me. I used to have a gap between my two front teeth that would probably still be there if the dentist had not straightened them out while re-inserting them into my gums. Also, I believe my large pain threshold and the fact that I am not afraid of needles spawned from the long recovery process following the incident. Yeah, it hurt, but thanks anyway, bro.
NUMBER 8!! THE LIFE LESSONS!!
One of the reasons I think "only children" often grow up a little bratty is due to the lack of siblings. Especially if they are close in age (as I am with my brother) siblings do so much to teach one another about patience, sharing, compromise, understanding, compassion, companionship... The list goes on. These are lessons that can not be taught better than from a brother or sister.
NUMBER 7!! THE DISPOSITION!!
Simon has this eternal sunniness about him that can be detected within seconds of meeting him - it's one of the first things you notice. He's one of those people that just exudes happiness, and it's difficult to be down around him.
NUMBER 6!! THE HONESTY!!
My brother wears his heart on his sleeve, a trait that is becoming increasingly rare in this day and age, particularly among the male half of humanity. He's not afraid to coo over a kitten, dress up for halloween or spend a lunchhour here and there in the library. Is it "geeky"? Yes. Is it 3 bajillion times better than pretending to be someone you're not in fear of appearing "uncool"? Yes. Simon's a geek, I'm a geek, hater's will hate, and if anyone gives him a tough time about it I will hop on a plane and personally... Ask you politely but firmly to stop, because that isn't very nice.
NUMBER 5!! THE HEART!!
Simon is a caring individual and he'd be friends with anyone. I've known him exactly 15 years now and so can say with authority that never once has he done anything mean-spirited or cold. And he loves animals, and he does his best at everything and... I dunno, he's just a good guy!
NUMBER 4!! THE TRAVEL COMPANION!!
Living in a separated family with our extended family stationed throughout both South Africa and the US makes for lot of traveling. And may I add that, be it spending a Wednesday night at our Dad's, a week in Hood River, or a month in South Africa, travelling is not the same without my little brother. We've seen and experienced a lot together, and on the whole, it's been a blast. And I look very much forward to the voyages awaiting us.
NUMBER 3!! THE PERSEVERANCE!!
There are a lot of jerks in the world right now. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it appears that presently, good people go through a hard time simply because they stay true to who they are and do what they believe is right. There is a lot of pressure, particularly on boys, to act and think in a certain way, and it takes a person with a lot of courage and commitment to swim against the current when it's not flowing in the direction they want it to. With pride I say that my brother is is one of these people. He does his best to be the bigger man and stands up for what he believes in... Even if that means that occasionally, he must stand alone.
NUMBER 2!! THE SHARED SENSE OF HUMOUR!!
This is a huge point for me because so much of the relationship Simon and I share rides on what we find funny. The Youtube videos that make most people go O.o have us in tears; we laugh at the same gags in comic books; we have conversations that are entirely comprised of reciting dialogue from a favourite movie. There's a saying that goes: "Nothing shows one’s character better than what one laughs at". I don't know what our sense of humour has to say about us, only that we match perfectly.
NUMBER 1!! THE FRIENDSHIP!!
Man... Simon's just a cool kid to be with. He's funny and intelligent; he cares about other people; he's well-read and polite... I've always considered the words "friend" and "family" basically synonymous. If you don't love your family as friends, they're not family at all - if you truly love your friends, they're as good as family. I'm happy to say Simon's the best of both.
Bro, you're the Scott to my Stacey, which is pretty damn sweet. Have a great birthday, and be seein' you soon.
With love, Sarah B
"Enjoy the little things in life. For one day you will look back and realize that they were the big things." ~ Anonymous
I was on a bit of a retreat last week. A good friend of my host-mom, Marie, offered to take Cassandra and I into her home for a week for a change of scenery... And to get us out of our host-family's hair for a little while. :) So Sunday before last, I was unpacking my suitcase for a week's stay in my new home.
Living at Marie's... was like having a hotel, all to myself. My bedroom were equipped with it's own bathroom and television, laundry was done for me every day, and I enjoyed full access to the most expansive tea collection I've ever come across. (Orange Infusion was surprisingly tasty.) And our hosts were so much fun; they love to tell stories. Dinner was a near two-hour affair every night, with Marie, Carlos, Cassandra and I sitting around the table talking long after we finished eating.
So yeah, basically living it up in the lap of luxury for a week.
But here's the thing: despite having had an AWESOME week, I was not at all disappointed to be returning to my regular host-family. But it was only when I got back that I realized how much I love being here. I love the Sunday mornings when there's always fresh bread and we all eat breakfast together. I love my room, especially the compactness of it - my room at Marie's was beautiful, but too big. I love riding home on the back of Marcello's scooter after school and the intense Wii sessions with Alessandro (we finally completed Super Mario Smash Bros. Brawl at 11pm evening before last.)
We've all heard the sayings "Live each day as if it's your last", and "Savour the small things in life". But it was not until I came to France that I really understood the importance of these words. With only 10 months to live the adventure of one's young life, one cannot help but live in the moment and enjoy it to the fullest, or else risk waking up one day and wondering where the time has gone.
And it is with this mindset that something miraculous has happened: I have started finding everything worthy of celebration. Enjoying a coffee with a friend at school became as much a highlight as touring Mt St Michel for the first time; a single shell on the beach became as breathtakingly beautiful as the sun setting over the ocean before it.
In the end, life is not about saying you've been to the top of the Eiffel tower. It's about enjoying the climb.
Monday, 14 November 2011
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." ~ George Bernard Shaw
Yesterday was a very simple day, made up of simple things that made me, simply, happy. I really like days like that.
So there's this adorable crêperie just on the other side of my host-family's restaurant, called Le chat botté. And when Cassandra told me she hadn't eaten there yet, we set up a date. At 12:30 yesterday afternoon we met up in front of the restaurant, hungry for galettes and crêpes.
To minimize humiliation in front of our french waitress, Cassandra and I selected the same entree with the most easily-pronounced name: L'ogre. Obviously, the english for this is literally "The Ogre"... Not the most appealing culinary title, I admit, but the dish itself was awesome: cheese, ham, and mushrooms folded into a galette and topped with a fried egg *drooling just remembering*. Yummy, but of course we would not be satisfied without dessert! Again, we went with the same thing, crêpe au caramel salé, a Brittany speciality.Finally full, Cassandra and I took a walk around Dinan while we digested, but it was a Sunday afternoon and the town was pretty much dead - all the stores were closed up; there were few people and even less cars. After about 20 minutes of aimless meandering we called it quits and I went home.
And that was pretty much it for the day except on the was home there was THIS DRESS:
I'm really not a fashion-person, anyone who knows me can back me up on this. I dislike shopping and mostly regard clothes as a practicality, not a statement or source of pleasure. But I'm still a girl. And this is still a cute (uber-cute!) a-liner! Yes, the 145€ price-tag was a bit of a put-off... but the photo I got for free <3
Sunday, 13 November 2011
"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." ~ Steve Martin
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Thankfully the weather co-operated; as I set out later that day on my excursion, there was even a little sunshine! I met up with Jeanne at the base of the hill on which the Chateau is situated, and together we made our way to the top.
The ascent was steep and included more steps than I cared for; we were both a little breathless upon reaching the peak. But the climb was worth it. The castle, built in the early 1300s, retained it's outer walls, but inside it has become a grass field. There was a well and and a small religious monument up there also, but the best part was the view. To one side we could see all the way back to Dinan's ramparts, on the other, la fleuve de la Rance winds it's way through ancient countryside.
Spotting a path that run's along the Rance's edge, Jeanne and I headed down to the riverbank and spent the next hour or so trekking through autumn leaves, taking pictures and chatting. I think my french must be improving - I wasn't able to hold a conversation for that long when I got here!
At 4pm I said good-bye to my friend and started off home. The sun has been going down ridiculously early recently; around 4:30 in the afternoon! It's unfortunate that the school days are so long, for the sun tends to rise and set while we're in class. I was tired from all the walking that day, but I also felt more animated than I have all week. It's astounding what a little vitamin D does for you!As we slip into this colder quarter of the year, please take advantage of any sunny days that come to you - Grab a sweater, call up a friend and go take a walk in the autumn air!
*name changed upon request
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
"Insert cunning and relevant quote here" - Someone Smart
For the past eleven days I have been enjoying "Toussaint". Officially, it is a holiday that falls on the first of November, also known as All Saints' Day. But for us French students, it serves as a well-deserved break from the long school days.
October 22
My host-sister's birthday!! Happy seventeenth, Marina!! From me, she gets a Canadian cap and tank-top (even though it's too cold for either at the moment) and a Telus bag.
October 23
Visited a castle on the sea with my host-brother and -father. Not Mt St Michel; this one was much smaller and a LOT less crowded... but I actually preferred the view! It overlooks the sea to one side and is flanked by country on the other. So...yes. Very Pretty. Afterwards we had coffee and dark chocolate outside a cafe, and later that evening Carlos, the other chef that works at Capriccio, came over and we all had a wonderful dinner in honor of Marina's birthday.
October 24
Second month in France!
Went to Normandy with M. Berthoux and Cassandra. We visited two cemeteries dedicated to the men who fought and died on the beaches of Normandy in 1944. One of them was especially for Canadians; France had even given the land in which the soldiers had been buried to Canada in honour of what their men had done. So technically I was back in Canada that day. It was bittersweet walking between the tombstones of all those young men; most of them were not older than 23. But there was so much pride and respect put into that cemetery; every tombstone had a unique epitaph and was decorated with a cross, and between the rows maple trees had been planted. I was sad, but very proud to be Canadian that day.
October 31
Halloween!!! So, let's say it started with a bit of a mix-up. Initially, the plan was for Cassandra and I to dress up as Canada and America and go to the movies at 5:30 to watch "Un Monstre a Paris". But I double-checked the online schedule and it looked like our movie would be showing at 3 instead. Deciding this was too early to be waltzing around in costumes, we met up in normal dress at the theatres - 2:15. When we got to the ticket-lady, however, she informed us that our movie was not playing. Disappointed, Cassandra and I stumbled out of the cinema like the confused foreigners we were and proceeded to "eat our emotions" (read: the candy we were going to sneak into the movies) in a park across the street. Soon sick of sugar but not ready to go home, we then headed to a bargain store and partook in a little retail therapy, which included the purchase of some very fuzzy socks and a book that translated insults into 5 different languages (french, english, spanish, german and arabic). Leaving the store in a considerably better mood, we went back to the theatre and found out that the movie really WAS showing at 5:30, so we walked back to Dinan, meandered about for a bit (that's a sweet word, "meandered"), bought more candy, and watched our movie. (It was cute, though I really wanted the flea to have more screen time. Please just look up the trailer online.) So after that, Alessandro and I had an all-or-nothing Mario Kart showdown to decide who is true Champion of the Game... He won. By one. Damaged pride aside, it was a great day and awesome way to wrap up the break. My Canada costume is going to have to wait until July 1, though.
November 1
Nothing special happened today, except the third instalment of Uncharted is out on the shelves. Anyone who has ever come into contact with the previous two will understand my excitement.
And that was Toussaint. Almost (almost!) ready for school tomorrow.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. ~Sandra Boynton
Readers, mug cake. Mug cake, readers.
Now that we all know each other, I'm going to tell you a little bit more about your new favourite dessert: The Mug Cake. The recipe in a nutshell: You take your ingredients, mix 'em around in a large coffee mug until they reach cake-batter consistency, and then nuke for about 3 minutes 30 seconds.
For those of you who now wish to try it for yourself,
here's the recipe (and for those of you who
don't, I highly suggest you go see a therapist)
Nutella Mug Cake
Ingredients
4 tablespoons self rising flour
4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Whisk well with a fork until smooth. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 – 3 minutes. (Time depends on microwave wattage. Mine took 1 /2 minutes.)
2. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Enjoy!
Note: Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you may have to increase cooking time.
Makes 1 very large serving.You can eat it straight out of the mug or dump it onto a plate for sharing. (Cause when it says "large serving" it mean "large serving"!) Please let me know what you think after you try it out!
Ciao for now!
Monday, 17 October 2011
"Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of." ~Charles Richard
Yesterday caught me a bit by surprise - it was beautiful out!! Being one of the last days of it's kind this year,
I "carpe diem"-ed and got out my camera!
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| Another charming Dinan restaurant. My dad's been here! |
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| Place Duclos - this is where I catch the bus if I want to leave town |
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| Up on the ramparts with with Cassandra |
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| Overlooking Dinan's harbor - check out that blue sky!! |
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| A typical view from the town walls |
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| "The English Garden" My favorite place to spend a sunny day!! |
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