Just typing something up quickly before heading off to meet some students for breakfast. These last two weeks have been pretty whirlwind! There were a lot of obligatory evening events, not to mention practicing and rehearsals for the show at the end of the program (self-organized small ensembles and some groups with everybody since we're all musicians). My final presentation was on the Québécois school system (the main difference is the CEGEP level, which is an extra 2-3 years of education after their equivalence of Grade 11), its roots in the Quiet Revolution (a time of many social changes in Québec between 1960-1970), and the unique distribution of schools in Université du Québec network. There was also the final exam, the post-exam-exam, and a stack of program evaluations.

I didn't want to leave yesterday! I've grown to really like the city, the region, and my host parents. I think my favourite memory is the second-last night; after dinner Réjean was installing the patio stones, and Nicole and I were sitting out on the driveway in lawn chairs. I brought out a table with tea (for me) and an ice cream sandwich (for her) from the kitchen and we all talked until it was too dark for Réjean (and Nicole and I helped him, don't worry!). I like languages - and using them, - because it's something that's so directly applicable. I think about it less often in English, but for both languages there's a pleasure in succeeding in something so useful, and then beyond that using your knowledge to describe emotions, people, situations, and ideas more clearly. The same reason I like keeping a blog in the summer, I suppose.

But I did have to leave eventually, and yesterday morning I took the bus into Québec City with some of the other students, and arrived at noon. Towards the end of the program I was trying to juggle a lot of different travel plans which were kind of stressing me out, but this is so worth it. Québec is completely and utterly charming, and I can often tell how much a city inspires me by how many photos I need to take (I take a lot of photos anyway, but I can feel it's different when I'm really inspired). I may or may not have taken 175 photos yesterday...the 176th one on my camera is of me with my host parents at the bus station. I can't wait to put them up on my photo account, but it'll have to wait about a week.

Time to run now...until next time!

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[There's a translation at the end!! Don't worry :) ]

Alors, c'est la fin de la semaine, et beaucoup des choses ont passé. C'est tellement un camp d'été ici; nous avons des cours au matin (et à l'après-midi une fois par semaine), et puis aux après-midis nous avons des ateliers et lectures, ou des activités de recréation. Par exemple, lundi nous avons fait une visite de l'Alma avec un guide, jeudi nous avons discuté la musique québécois traditionnelle, et aujourd'hui nous sommes allés à un parc national pour faire un pique-nique et une chasse au trésor mais avec les questions québécois au lieu des objets. Heureusement il fait beau aujourd'hui, et en fait je suis un peu rouge à la visage - mais c'est un plaisante façon de passer un vendredi!

Aussi, mardi j'ai signé un contrat qui disait que pour la durée de la programme ma langue principale de communication sera le français. C'est un grand défi parce que l'autre fille de la programme qui habite avec moi parle seulement un peu de français, et quand même elle fait un grand effort, c'est nécessaire d'utiliser l'anglais. J'essaie tout ce que je peux - utiliser les mots plus simple, parler avec mes mains - mais quelques temps seulement l'anglais suffis. Alors j'étais forcé a évaluer comment je vais garder ce contrat. En plus, je veux écrire a vous, et écrire des courriels chez moi, et il prends beaucoup de temps pour faire un bon traduction. Alors, j'ai décidé que je limiterai le temps que je communique en anglais chaque jour, mais il n'est pas complètement interdit. Ce poste est écrit en français pour moi-même, pour que je peux mesurer mon progrès a la fin de la programme (oui, je suis une ingénieure!).

Et ce fin de la semaine, j'espère de faire une randonnée pédestre, mais si non j'ai visité le bibliothèque aujourd'hui et j'ai plusieurs livres sur les sujets de la photographie et l'historique de la région. Aussi j'ai changé les cordes de ma guitare et les a accordées, alors je peux commencer à améliorer en la guitare et la piano (au collège).

Choses
- Les ingénieurs me manquent. Je suis la seule ici! Et en plus, la seule étudiante en quelque chose technique.
- Les repas de la cafétéria ne sont pas bons de tout. Heureusement, ma mère d'accueil est une bonne cuisinière.
- Les gens de Saguenay-Lac-St.-Jean s'appellent les bluets, après les fruits de la région et le drapeau québécois
- La podorhythmie (en fait, faisant de la rythme avec le tapage des pieds) est un élément traditionnel de la musique québécois. Exemples sont ici sous 'Videos', et ici à 2:00.
- Le Centrale Hydroélectrique ici était la plus puissante dans le monde quand il était construit en 1925
- La Centrale était construit pour l'usine d'aluminium (Rio Tinto Alcan)

Bon weekend, tout le monde!



TRANSLATION

So, it's the end of the week, and lots of stuff has happened. It's really like a summer camp here; we've got courses in the morning (and in the afternoon once a week), and in the afternoons we have workshops and lessons, or recreation. For example, on Monday we did a tour of Alma with a guide, Thursday we discussed traditional québécois music, and today we went to a national park for a picnic and a scavenger hunt but with québécois questions instead of objects. Happily it was beautiful weather today, and in fact I'm a bit red in the face - but it's a pretty great way to spend a Friday!

Also, I've signed a contract saying that for the duration of the program my main language of communication will be French. It's a great challenge because the other girl from the program who is staying at the house with me speaks very little French, and even though she's making a tremendous effort (and improving rapidly; I really admire her), it's necessary to use English. I try to do all that I can - use simpler words, speak with my hands and act - but sometimes only English will do. So I've been forced to evaluate how I'm going to keep this contract. On top of that, I honour it very well but I want to write to you, and to send emails home, and it takes a long time to do a good translation. As a result, I've decided that I will limit the time that I communicate in English each day, but it won't be completely forbidden. This post is written in French for myself, so that I can measure my progress at the end of the program (yes, I'm an engineer!).

And this weekend, I hope to do a bit of hiking, but if not (i.e. bad weather) I visited the library today and I have several books on photography and the history of the region. I've also restrung and tuned my guitar, so I can start to practice and improve my playing on it and piano (there are practice rooms at the college).

Random Things:
- I miss engineers. I'm the only one here! Even more so, I'm the only student in anything technical.
- The meals at the cafeteria really aren't that good. Luckily my host mother is a great cook.
- The people from Saguenay-Lac-St.-Jean call themselves 'bluets' (blueberries), after the regional fruits and the colour of the québécois flag
- La Podorhythmie (basically, rhythmic stomping) is a traditional element of québécois music. Examples are here under 'Videos', and here at 2:00.
- The hydroelectric station here was the most powerful in the world when it was constructed in 1925
- The station was constructed for the aluminium factory (Rio Tinto Alcan)

Happy weekend, everybody!

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