I know it's not easy

Canada, the true North strong and free to be a pack of hypocrites

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:46:30 GMT

Lesbian U.S. deserter appeals for refugee status

I wish her good luck and every success in her legal battle to remain in Canada. Smith/James' claim strikes me as perfectly justifiable given the spirit of the Canadian refugee process. She fled the U.S. army to escape persecution and a real threat of worse to come after trying to get out of the army legitimately and ending up being retained in violation of American military law. U.S. soldiers have been murdered for being gay. Seems she has reasonable grounds for a refugee claim in Canada given our legal commitment to protecting homosexuals from persecution on grounds of their sexual orientation.

The comments being left on the CBC piece, by the way, are pretty sad and sorry stuff.

The negative commentators are focusing on the fact that she enlisted voluntarily and deserted, with many bitter references to the hardships faced by our own soldiers in Afghanistan. There's also a lot of the generic "back to your own country" crap that gets thrownaround by immigration opponents. Of course, what these commentors are ignoring is the fact that she didn't desert to avoid duty, she deserted to flee threats to her personal safety. Threats her superiors did nothing to prevent. Threats inspired by prejudice and hatred -- of the sort Canadian law strictly prohibits and condemns.

I don't care that this woman enlisted voluntarily in the army of a state allied to Canada. (Last time I checked, being considered an ally to Canada is no exclusive club reserved for nations with spotless human rights records.) What I care about are the circumstances under which she deserted. I care about the fact that she was and is facing a legitimate threat of harassment, persecution, and physical abuse and intimidation that could be a threat to her life and that her own government will not protect her because it is the threat. In those conditions, any intelligent person would have said "nuts to this." And anyone in that situation with access to a system dedicated to protecting vulnerable foreign nationals in a supposedly compassionate nation such as Canada would have been a fool not to try to seek safety.

Canadians are oh so fond of talking out of both sides of their mouths. So very proud to tout our country as an enlightened modern nation committed to protecting the vulnerable, yet how very quick we are to turn against those vulnerable people when they come seeking to avail of that promise of shelter.

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:31:54 GMT

St-Pierre residents lobby for return of freighter link with Newfoundland

I would of course say something of this sort, having studied there at the Francoforum for three months*, nonetheless: Bonne chance aux Saint-Pierrais et les Miquelonais pour cet effort!** Then again, it should be an easy enough opinion to be held by anyone from this province, regardless of ties to the French archipelago.

I don't know what if any role Canadian officials might play in applying pressure on the French government to replace the Cap Blanc*** but if there is any means for this province to lend itself to this endeavour to maintain the traditional and economic link between Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre, I say it should be done. The commerce of a tiny string of islands with not much more than 6000 people in total population mightn't seem like much, but in these times there are towns in this province that cannot afford to lose the income. Which is to say nothing of the priceless nature of the historical connections of sentiment and tradition that exist between these communities.

All that being said, I don't imagine it likely that I'll find a very powerful chorus of support in championing the Saint-Pierrais cause on this particular front, but I intend to do so nonetheless:

France, Canada poised for battle over Atlantic seabed rights

The Canadian federal government, along with the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial government will naturally fight tooth and nail to stop this issue from even being reopened, let alone negotiated -- as well one would expect. Once we get into this, it's natural to assume that France will exploit every means possible to obtain the greatest profit possible in its own best interest. However, saying I think it incumbent upon our governments to do battle with the French government in order to prevent them from claiming too much, is not the same as saying I hope that the French, and specifically the Saint-Pierrais, score nothing in this.

I have considerable sympathy for the Saint-Pierrais and Miquelonais, and not just because I spent some time there. For my part, I see in the struggles of the Saint-Pierrais many echoes of longstanding fight of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to win our own place; seeking improved economic conditions on our terms from the environment that has shaped us (and which we have shaped) for centuries. It occurs to me that, more than just self-interest and callousness implied by Newfoundland involvement in outright quashing the efforts of the Saint-Pierrais, such a stance is to invite hypocrisy as well.

The French government cannot be allowed to make a resource grab such that France displaces our own exploitation of the seabed off our coasts, but that's not to say that there isn't room for negotiation. If there is a means of settling this dispute that will lead to increased prosperity for the people of Saint-Pierre-Miquelon, without harming the overall prosperity of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I would welcome it.

_____
*the spokesperson for the Saint-Pierre lobby group quoted in this story is one of the profs working there, as it happens.
*Translation: Good luck to the people of St-Pierre-Miquelon for this effort!
*The French cargo ship that serviced St-Pierre-Miquelon from ports in Newfoundland until it foundered early last December, when I was in Saint-Pierre. All four crew members -- Saint-Pierre locals -- were lost.

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:43:09 GMT

After spending a lovely evening with them, I parted company with Rob and Matchim last night just in time to catch the last bus towards home. Once the bus passed the Pitts Memorial Drive overpass downtown, we hit a slowdown in traffic; in the opposing lane, a cordon of cop cars, utility vehicles from some transport company, and black SUVs flashing their hazard lights was approaching. The explanation for the spectacle spread back through the bus: crawling along behind the escort was a flatbed with a large container on it. Clearly visible, protruding above the plastic sheeting, were rotor blades and other pieces of tortured helicopter wreckage from last week's crash.

It was eerie -- like watching a funeral cortege where the casket was propped open and a disfigured corpse partly visible.

Matchim mentioned that he went to the inter-faith memorial service for the crash victims held at the Basilica this evening. Williams was there, of course, as well as national politicos including Harper, Peter MacKay, and Justin Trudeau.

Speaking of MacKay:

Now not the time to debate N.L. search and rescue readiness: MacKay (CBC News)

Let's say we just ignore, for the moment, the fact that I still find it ridiculous to call MacKay "our" minister in cabinet for Newfoundland and Labrador, such that I don't have to get into the issue of what business a mainlander has in judging the propriety of debating this issue, for the moment. That being said, it's been more than 27 years since the sinking of the Ocean Ranger. Though conditions have arguably improved since, crucial proposals for improving safety in Newfoundland's offshore industry (such as posting an emergency response helicopter in St. John's on 15 minute daylight, and 45 minute night-time readiness) were never enacted. Still we find our offshore emergency response preparedness to be lacking. How could it be seen otherwise given that there wasn't even a Cormorant in the province that day (costing an extra hour on top of the normal response when time was most precious)? Let's not forget that the sole survivor was rescued by one of Cougar's own aircraft rather than an official emergency rescue aircraft.

If now isn't the time to discuss this, when is? Will we ever see the day?

SO pissed!

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:47:05 GMT

I decided to go in to the lab today to get some work done, since I'd slacked off this weekend, but I didn't expect it to cost me so dearly. Thanks to an icy sidewalk next to a downed stop sign, I'm now short one large piece of flesh out of the palm of my right hand, plus one large rip in the right thigh of my favourite jeans (not to mention the skin under the rip, which is scraped up pretty nicely)! The flesh on the palm of my hand and on my thigh will grow back, the jeans will not. :oP

What's sex got to do with it?

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:32:40 GMT

50 die as plane crashes into Buffalo, N.Y.-area home (CBC News)

My feminist senses are tingling.

There are two pilots mentioned here, that of the crashed plane and that of another flight who the control tower asked if they had a visual on the troubled plane. The pilot of the downed plane is noted as female while the other pilot is identified as male. This begs the following question: Of what relevance is the gender of either pilot to this story?

The pilots mentioned are both clearly identified as having been on different planes -- the Continental Airlines flight that crashed and a Delta Airlines flight that happened to be in the area. It's not as if they're trying to differentiate between two pilots on the same flight and gender just happens to be a convenient way of distinguishing between them. So, what is gained by identifying the pilot of CA Flight 3407 as "a female pilot" and the pilot of the DA flight as "a male pilot"? Could it be that someone would like to implicate the pilot's gender as a factor even before we have any evidence to indicate that pilot error contributed to the accident?

EDIT: I posted this same news story to Facebook and a friend took umbrage with the severity of my tone. The criticism served to raise an even more interesting point to mind.

Criticism: You could be possibly be reading too much into what they meant Lindsay. Just a possibility.

Response: Well of course -- that's always possible. However, even assuming that I'm reading way too much into the intent of the reporter, it's still an irrelevant detail to have written into a story like this. The gender of a pilot has no bearing on a plane crash. Besides, assuming that I'm completely out to lunch, there's still an interesting question waiting to be asked: If the situation had been reversed, if the pilot of the crashed plane had been male and the other pilot a woman, would their gender have appeared in the story? Think about it. That's all I'm saying.

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:04:34 GMT

First post of the year, in the key of random

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:37:44 GMT

I concur! Best hat ever, indeed! It makes me covetous, particularly since I've lost track of my own winter hat (which I don't care for too much, anyway -- I still miss ol' floppy, the winter hat I lost a few years back. :oP)

'Nother make-up post

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:31:34 GMT

Yesterday I finished the last of my exams for the semester, I got three of my final marks back before I left Saint-Pierre and yesterday after I'd done the exam my prof passed me back all the work I'd submitted to him since he came to visit us in Saint-Pierre (some of us were doing a course with him by distance). Looks like I've probably got at least four As, possibly five. ^_^

Behind again!

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:28:46 GMT

Sunday my sister came over with the kids, seeing my nieces and nephews (the first time I saw Kelly's oldest since I got home -- he has his first girlfriend, now o_O) is always a source of happy. ^_^

Whoops!

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:55:44 GMT

For 8 days you have to post something that made you happy that day.

Crap, I forgot about this (studying for a final, and all), so make-up entry:

Friday I finally got the haircut I've been wanting for at least two months. For a laugh, I had my hairdresser straighten it when I was done. The plan was to drop in on some friends and capture their reactions. Unfortunately, the straightening didn't last more than two hours -- it was clammy out and my curls tried to reassert themselves in a bushy, wavy mess. All that survived were some pics I took before leaving the mall. Saturday I posted them on Facebook after along with comparison shots of what it looks like properly curled, after a shower.

The straightened hair got praise from a couple of friends -- including raves from two of the girls I went to Saint-Pierre with. It also got this reaction from a friend from last year in Jonquière:

It looks good...but you still look like you will sacrifice my first born

This made me laugh quite a bit, and laughter is a good thing. ^_^

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:56:31 GMT

For 8 days you have to post something that made you happy that day.

Last night/this morning I went out to a Zazou/Funky Dory show at the Rockhouse. I got in some dancing and ran into some folks I haven't seen in ages, in addition to hanging with Matchim. More importantly, I've been wanting to see music like that for the better part of six months -- I saw one decent show in Saint-Pierre, but otherwise my life has been devoid of really great, dance-inducing music since May-ish. It did me a world of good to hear one of my favourite St. John's bands, as well as to get introduced to another really good one. :oD

Erm, [Unknown LJ tag] already tagged most of the people I know who might want to participate in this . . . so in place of a normal tag, I'll just say anyone reading this who wants to do it themselves, can consider themselves tagged. ^_^

Absolutely shameful

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:13:43 GMT

RCMP admits error, orders probe into slaying of Fredericton professor (CBC)

So, basically the RCMP have been lying to the public about this one -- for like a week. Brillant.

In St. John's, the RNC whisked away a prof immediately after they were alerted to an anonymous threat against his/her life (no report that I've read actually mentioned which prof was threatened), something like 10 minutes after the threat was posted. Meanwhile, our national police force was in extended contact with McKendy and his family about their troubles with his soon-to-be killer, including death threats, and it wasn't acted on. Ever. They were denying that McKendy and his family had made any allegations of threats up until today.

What can peaceful, law-abiding citizens do when the people charged with their protection fail them so completely? Why do we have police at all if they can allow something like this to happen inspite of prior warning?

Words long awaited to ring true: "Have-not no more"

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:41:45 GMT

Have-not is no more: N.L. off equalization (CBC News)

Welcome news! All of my politically-aware life I've wanted to see the day when our province would escape have-not status so that we could stand on our own feet and all those who'd ridiculed us for so long would no longer have our dependency on equalization to use against us; it's a day I never expected to see come this soon, really. Still, I can't help but voice the following fear: With the upturn in our economy tied so heavily to oil revenues, and the global economy under extreme threat due to the American subprime mortgage crisis, how long will this turn in fortunes last? Will our economy remain healthy long enough for Newfoundlanders and Labradians to derive real benefit from this fact? Now that we're finally off equalization, will we be able to stay clear of it in the long run?

In the meantime, a more petty question: Why is the story on Ontario receiving equalization being ranked higher in CBC's main and national news headlines than the story of our getting off it? :oP

A meme goes down a treat when one is not in the mood to over-think

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:25:44 GMT

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Balanced, Secure, and Realistic.

10 Impressionist, 7 Islamic, -8 Ukiyo-e, -12 Cubist, -7 Abstract and -4 Renaissance!

Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects. Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.

People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable. They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others. They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends. They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors. They like things to be aestically pleasing, not stark and sharp. There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects. They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences. If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

I'm leavin' on a prop plane

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:00:31 GMT

I should be heading to the airport in about a half-hour to an hour, then it's three hours or so after that that I take off. Souhaitez la bonne chance!

EDIT FROM SAINT-PIERRE:

Je suis bien établie chez ma famille d'accueil à Saint-Pierre (où j'ai l'internet sans fil, heureusement ~_^). Madame Marie-Josée Plaa et son copain, avec qui je reste ici, semblent très gentille et je crois que moi et mes colocs du programme allons aimer bien y habiter. Ça semble comme nous sommes chanceuse, en fait -- les étudiantes de la session d'hiver du programme nous ont dit que c'était une bonne pension et, jusqu'ici, je suis convaincue qu'elles ont eu raison. ^_^

La seule chose qui me derrange jusqu'ici est qu'il y a des choses que j'avais oublié à St-Jean, comme:

-une paire de jean (j'ai oublié à retrouver le jean de chez Maaike et Helme avant d'aller à l'aeroport)
-des savons de plus
-mon rasoir
-ma montre numerique

Version Anglaise/English Version:

I'm settled in here with my host family in Saint-Pierre (where I have acess to wireless internet, thankfully). Marie-Josée Plaa and her boyfriend, whom I'm staying with, seem very nice and I think that my roommates from the programme and myself are going to like living here. It looks like we're pretty lucky, actually -- the students from the winter session of the programme this year told us that it was a good boarding house and, thus far, I think they were right. ^_^

The only thing bothering me at the moment is that there are some things I forgot in St. John's, such as:

-one pair of jeans (I forgot to pick them up from Helme and Maaike's place before I went to the airport)
-extra soap
-my razor
-my digital watch

I'll just have to learn to do without, I suppose!

On pretence

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:34:10 GMT

Why don't the Conservatives just come out with it and drop the writ? We all know Harper's hungry for another election -- if for no other reason than to avoid the bloody nose he might be dealt if he were to permit the current slate of by-elections to go ahead. We all know his whole "fixed-election" law is a crock and that we'll wind up with an election whenever he feels the Conservatives have the best chance of knocking down the Liberals a few pegs and of capturing a majority; or, vice versa, it'll happen when the Liberals think they have a chance at snatching government from the Conservatives.

Today, someone called our housee doing political polling on behalf of the Conservatives. There lists were out of date (typical), so they asked only for mom, dad, or Bryce (who no longer even lives here). Mom answered and was asked if she'd be voting Conservative in the upcoming election -- mom replied that she hadn't known that there was a federal election, sort-of chuckling as she said it. The girl on the phone replied that there was going to be one soon and so re-posed her question -- mom replied "Not likely", thankfully. Looks like no one here will be voting CPC in any forthcoming federal election, gladly -- dad even says that he'll be voting NDP.

So, we all know what's what; we all know we're headed for another election. Why not cut the games and all the crap and just get it the hell over with?

Looks like I picked a bad time to go back on to meat

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:01:44 GMT

Maple Leaf Is Food-Poisoning Source, Expands Recall

Once, while debating the role of the government with a young neo-con in favour of total/extreme de-regulation, I presented the food processing industry (and the monitoring thereof) as one example of a vital regulatory function of the government. He responded by saying that he saw no need -- that the market, even in this instance, was capable of monitoring itself. Since it would be bad for business to allow contaminated meat into the market, business could be trusted to monitor itself and keep us all safe.

The thought of allowing every operation out there, from the neighbourhood butcher right on up to the commercial processors, police themselves with piecemeal, individual standards for what was safe, horrified me at the time. Now, however, in light of this listeriosis outbreak, I'm not so sure of my point. With the current Harper government at the helm, at least, it would seem that government oversight hasn't kept us any safer than the good graces of the Maple Leaf company (who seem to have conducted themselves as well as can be expected in the circumstances, even if our government should never have allowed these circumstances to arise in the first place) would grant us.

Our current Minister of Health, Tony Clement, is quoted in the article I've linked to above as saying of the current outbreak: "This is a case where the surveillance system worked."

Really Tony? And just how the hell do you figure that? How did the surveillance system work when some reports have the death toll related to the food contamination as high as 15 -- so far (the bacteria has an incubation time of something like 70 days, so we may not have seen all that we're going to see of this). If the "surveillance system worked", wouldn't they have caught this sooner, or better yet, prevented it from happening in the irst place?

Seems to me that THIS is a case where the surveillance system FAILED -- big time.

I'm flattered, but disturbed at the same time

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:40:03 GMT

Last night before he went to bed, dad asked me if I'd seen Simba -- at the time, I'd just wrangled her into my room and was getting her used to me again.* Today I asked mom about it and apparently Simba spent most of the time I was gone in hiding and started going outside more. At one point, she went missing for something like a week. Dad eventually went looking for her in the last direction he'd seen her going. He found her hiding in the long drainage pipe that runs through our property and empties into the ditch by the walking trail/old rail bed. Rachel tried bringing Flipp down there to coax her out, to no avail, but eventually she came out on her own. I don't know how she's going to handle it when I leave for Saint-Pierre in three weeks. Pauvre petite!
_____
* She's used to me again, all right. She's been following me everywhere I go in the house (the bathroom included) and she cries at me everytime I'm still long enough to potentially pet her.

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:06:34 GMT

I arranged a few days off to celebrate my birthday and then today, on my first day back to work Julie (the only one of us not on today) dropped by with a birthday cake and we all had a slice before the next tour. :o) C'est une belle gang à la Pyramide des Ha! Ha!

Climbing out of the rabbit hole to celebrate my birthday

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:00:37 GMT

Il fait longtemps, non?

So a few weeks ago, my laptop adapter gave out without warning and lacking any obvious signs of damage -- my computer-eating-field strikes again! :oP Without the convenience of my computer and the wonders of wireless, getting access to the internet has been a bit of a pain in the ass, lately. The past-week was pretty rainy at times and Friday saw the end of my week+ of eight days in a row on the job, so much of the time I just haven't had the energy to make my way even as far as UQAC to use the internet lab.

My apologies to anyone who might have marked my absence as odd.

I don't think there's anyway in hell that I'm ever going to get around to describing what went on during our programme. No great loss to the world, but it means I won't have a record of this year as I did last year, for when I get old and nostalgic, with the events farther removed from me.

The past five weeks have been pretty all right -- not without their rough spots, but it's been coming along. My job is tougher this year (have I already mentioned? I'm a tour guide at the Pyramide des Ha! Ha! in La Baie -- I'd say at least 90 percent of my tours are in French, maybe a little less since I do all of the English tours if I'm working as my co-workers aren't comfortable enough in English for us to each take our proper turn when Anglophone clients show up). I've been under stress at points and besides which I've been having a streak of a bad luck that peaked (I hope) when I left the keys to the Pyramide back at my apartment, Thursday morning. Still, it has been good experience, and the work is pretty rewarding and fun when things are going well. My tour has actually gotten rather good, if I do say so myself -- my customers generally seem to enjoy themselves and get all of their questions answered -- and it has been good for my French (if not as dramatically-so as last year). My customers have been very kind in complementing the quality of my French and the father of one family held me up to his children as a good example of someone who wanted to learn their second language ("comme il faut") and has succeeded with some personal effort; evidently, his son is no eager student of English. ^_^ Plus, it's been great seeing everyone at the musée again, and I'm not nearly so lonely this year, outside of work. Unlike last year when it was just me and my cold-fish roommates, this year I've got people to spend time with. I still have a couple of friends at the residence from the spring session (regular students of UQAC as well as Peter -- up until he left last night -- who was a studente in the spring session who paid to attend the shorter, three-week summer session as well), and I've gotten to know and made friends with some of the kids in the residence who're doing the summer session; plus, we haven't really hung out much outside of work or anything, but the anglos working at the musée this year are a lot more sensible and nice -- one of them is even from home, and friends with Emily's brother Tommy.

I even had enough good people around me to party it up proper for my birthday.

Friday evening marked the start of my three day weekend (which I arranged in order to celebrate my birthday as well as to get some needed rest.) I returned to Chicoutimi, tired beyond imagination but triumphant (after a pleasant day spent working in the airconditioned-offices of the musée, the product of which was an preliminary, rough English-translation of the info pannels inside the Pyramide, as well as a rather good English translation of the Pyramide guided tour script). À la suite of which I gathered up some beers and provisions and made my way to the UQAC residence, where J-F finally broke out the barbeque from the Spring session which I'd gifted him (it was meant to go to the students of the summer session, but they'd already bought a smaller, cheaper one on their own by the time I met them.) A fun, if relatively quiet, evening was had by all; other than the ones who headed off to Le Pub and the Agriculture Expo/Fair, but I hung back with a few folks in the hopes so as to save my energies in order to party on La Veille de ma Fête.

Got a little wilder on Saturday.

After hanging out for a few hours at the residence, I beat it home while a bunch of people made their way to the Bistrot du Fjord (favoured stomping grounds of Explore students on the grounds of it's proximity to the campus, ridiculous cheapness, and fun). After changing into something more appropriate and dropping off my stuff in my room, I bee-lined it to the Bistrot myself, in order to join everyone and take advantage of the $5 open bar on Labatt draft. I decided that my goal was to hit at least six (so as to have paid less than a dollar-a-beer) and I managed eight before the 1am termination of the deal.

Then came the dancing.

It was odd. While the drink special was on, most of us didn't hit the dance floor -- the dance floor itself wasn't that hopping, anyway. Just when I was finishing my last drink, thinking about doing a little dancing, maybe, but still seated as I awaited the return of a friend, a young, cute québécois in a green t-shirt asked me what I was doing and when I told him "J'attends juste mes amis". He then asked me if I planned to dance after, and when I responded in the affirmative he told me to look for him when I hit the floor.

It was sometime later before I did finally hit the floor (I went out for a breath of air, a puff, and a chat with J-F and some of his acquaintances, before a random anglo in town for a wedding convinced me and another girl to start dancing.) Sure enough, sometime after the visitor left, the québécois and his friends found me on the floor and started dancing with me. It was fun and hot (even though I bet they were really way too young for me) and went down a treat -- until I noticed they were taking pictures. :oP I was in no mood then to stop or change what I was at -- caught up in the moment I suppose -- but in the sober light of le lendemain de la veille I now can't help but worry and be at least a little embarrassed that there are probably drunken pictures of me dancing inappropriately with borderline-jailbait floating around in far-flung corners of the internet.

But what's a birthday without a good funny, embarassing story, hey? ^_<

All in all, not a bad birthday by half. Tired-or-no, I set out to mark the occasion of my turning a quarter of a century-old (closer to thirty than to twenty for the first time) by partying it up like I was still 20-years-old and I think and for better or worse, I think that's just what I managed to do.

For now, on the day of my birthday I've been taking it easy -- currently chilling out in one of my favourite cafés in the Saguenay. I plan on doing more of the same, tomorrow, before it's back-to-work on Tuesday. :oP

I'll see all of ye in St. John's in three weeks!

Et tous mes amis me manquent déjà/And I already miss all my friends

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:33:36 GMT

Je me suis enfin installée bien à mon nouveau appartement -- c'est une histoire longue et compliquée que je vais raconter plus tard, mais pas maintenant. La version courte est que un de mes nouveau colocataires (qui travaille pour le propriétaire) me dit que notre propriétaire devient fou quand l'heure de ses vacances approche. :oP En plus, au Samedi (le jour où j'avais essayé en premier de m'installer) quelqu'une a volé le sac à main de mon amie avant son départ vers chez elle -- donc on a eu besoin de passer quelques heures au bureau de sécurité de l'université pour déposer une plainte avec les guards et la police; c'était très dérrangeant et mélangeant, et mon amie s'est inquiétée forte, naturellement.

Enfin bref, avec le départ de tous mes amis du programme, mes problèmes de m'installer à mon nouveau appartement, et le vol, cette fin de semaine était très longue, dure, et plein d'émotion.

Plus tard, je vais écrire de mes expériences en les semaines dernières -- il y a beaucoup qui s'est passé et ça va prendre long de raconter tout. Cependant, pour tous mes amis qui se demandent "Qu'est-ce qui se passe à Lindsay", ne vous inquiétez pas -- je suis encore vivant. ~_^

Je suis un peu seule puisque tout le monde est parti, mais je suis correcte. Ça n'est que tous mes amis me manquent -- mes amis du programme cette année, mes amis du programme l'année passée, et mes amis de Terre Neuve. J'ai encore quelques amis à Chicoutimi -- comme Yanick, et J-F et Carlos (qui sont les vrais étudiants de l'UQAC) -- mais ç'a déjà commencé d'être étrangement tranquile comparé avec les semaines du programme. Pourtant je commence de travailler à la Pyramide des Ha! Ha! cette semaine, et il y aura plus des étudiant(e)s qui arrivent dans trois semaines pour la session d'été du programme Explore, donc peut-être quelques nouvelles aventure m'attendent.

La traduction anglaise/The English translation:

I'm finally comfortably moved-in to my new appartment -- it's a long, complicated story that I'll tell later, but not now. The short version is that one of my new roommates (who works for the landlord) tells me that our landlord goes a little crazy around vacation time. :oP Plus, Saturday (the day I first tried to move-in) someone stole my friend's purse before her departure for home -- so we had to spend several hours at the security station in the university to file a complaint with the campus cops and the police; it was pretty upsetting and confusing, and my friend was very worried, naturally.

Anyway, with all of my friends from the programme leaving, my problems moving into my new apartment, and the theft, this weekend was long, hard, and very emotional.

Later, I'll write about my experiences of the last few weeks -- a lot has happened and it'll take some time to explain it all. However, for all of my friends who're wondering "What's happened to Lindsay", don't worry -- I'm still alive. ~_^

I'm a bit lonely, now that everyone's gone, but I'm okay. I just miss all my friends -- from the programme this year, from the programme last year, and from home. I still have friends here in Chcoutimi -- like Yanick, and J-F and Carlos (who are regular students at UQAC) -- but it's already eerily quiet here in comparison with the weeks of the programme. I'm starting work at the Pyramid des Ha! Ha! this week and there will be more students coming for the summer session of the Explore programme in three weeks though -- so maybe new adventures are waiting for me! ;oD

Sun, 25 May 2008 21:26:09 GMT

Quoi de neuf, tout le monde? Pour moi, c'est mon voyage à Québec cette fin du semaine avec beaucoup d'étudiant(e)s du programme et le coup de téléphone que j'ai reçu de Myriam du Musée du fjord quand j'étais à Québec! Jeudi, je lui ai téléphoné de mon retour au musée (elle n'y était pas, mais je lui ia laissé mon numéro de téléphone à la residence) et quand je suis revenu de Québec il a eu un message à mon téléphone -- et c'était Myriam appelant à moi de retourner au musée pour travailler! :oD Au demain, je ne vais pas aller à la deuxième partie de notre cours au matin, pour lui téléphoner et confirmer les détails de mon retour au musée! :oD J'ai hâte de faire ça!

La traduction anglaise/The English Translation:

What's new, everybody? With me, it's the trip I made to Québec with our programme and the message that I got from Myriam at the Musée du Fjord when I was in Québec City! Thursday, I called her about coming back to the museum (she wasn't there, but I left my phone number at the residence for her)and when I got back from Québec there was a message on the phone -- it was Myriam calling me about my returning to the museum in order to work! :oD Tomorrow, I'm not going to go to the second part of our morning class, in order to call her and confirm the details of my return to the museum. :oD I can't wait to do it!

Alors, la premiere semaine/So, the first week

Mon, 19 May 2008 22:50:47 GMT

Ma premiere semaine ici était merveilleux! :oD

Je suis arrivé à Chicoutimi à presque 17h00 -- après presque trois heures dans un avion, six heures dans l'autobus, et quelques heures dans l'aéroport et les terminus d'autocar. Le voyage était très longue mais pas trop mal (sauf quand j'étais melangé et j'avais embarqué le mauvais autobus en route vers le terminus d'aeroport et j'ai presque laissé mon sac à dos dans cet autobus-là. *rit*) Je me suis couché un peu dans l'avion et l'autocar (je ne m'étais pas couché à la veille de mon départ), et j'avais placé un dîner dans mon sac à dos, et aussi quelques mes DVDs et mon ordinateur portable. Donc, je suis passé bien le voyage -- au moins, je n'avais pas trop faim et je ne m'étais pas ennuyé -- mais dans le voyage ma gorge étais très sec. Je sentais mieux quand je me suis douché après Yanick m'avait trouvé au terminus et m'a amené chez lui. Cette soirée-là, on est allé à un resto pour le souper et on a écouté à Iron Man au cinéma de la Place du Royaume (en fait, mon français était pas bien alors pour le défi de comprendre un film en français, mais c'est allé puisque c'est un film de l'action).

Essentiellement, on est passé ensemble une bonne soirée -- c'était juste ce dont j'ai eu besoin pour me déntendre avant le debut du cours à l'université.

Ce lundi dernier on a commencé le programme avec le test du placement pour décider la classe de la niveau plus approprié pour tout le monde (pourtant, on avait commencé faire la fête au dimanche quand beaucoup de monde est allé Chez George's Pub pour souper et des boissons. Héhé.) C'était encroyable à moi, parceque pour la fin du dimanche, mon français avait déjà commencé de retourner et je ai fait très bien le test! Il y a eu des choses dans le test écrivant que je n'ai pas connu, mais il n'y en a pas eu beacoup et j'avais su que c'était allé bien quand je l'ai fini. Mon entretien est aussi allé sensationnel -- en fait c'était plus comme une conversation qu'un entretien. :o) À la fin d'entretien, l'interviewer m'a dit que j'aurais été probablement placé dans une classe d'une des niveau la plus avancé (bien sûr, de l'entendre ça me rendait très fierte de moi et mon français!) Cependant, j'étais un peu étonné quand le dicteur m'avait appellé à la classe de 1B! (C'est la deuxième classe de la niveau la plus avancé!)

J'aime beaucoup ma classe! :oD

Il y a environ douze étudiant(e)s dans la classe, y compris une autre personne qui vient de Terre Neuve! J'ai hâte d'avoir quequ'un d'autre de Terre Neuve dans ma classe -- en printemps-passé j'étais la seule Terre Neuvienne dans tout le programme à Jonquière. À l'UQAC, j'ai déjà rencontre deux personnes de Terre Neuve et quelqu'un m'a dit qu'il y a une autre Terre Neuvienne qui je n'ai pas encore rentré. Également, notre professeure est bien et j'aime son mode de nous enseigner. Le premier ou deuxième jour on a eu une petite dispute, mais ça n'était pas grave (elle avait eu l'intention de nous enseigner du joual qui y existe en français québécois, mais je l'ai malcompris et je pensais qu'elle a eu l'intention de nous enseigner que TOUT le francais québécois est un joual. Quand je lui avais expliquée de mon malentendu, notre dispute s'est terminé amicalement.) Aussi, j'ai fait une amitié avec quelques mes camarades de classe -- en particulier avec Enrico, qui habite aussi dans la résidence (la plus part des etudian(e)s de notre programme reste avec une famille).

La plus part de mes amis ici habite dans la résidence parceque on erre avec l'un l'autre juste avant la résidence, autour des table de pique-nique. (J'ai fait des amitié avec beaucoup de monde qui reste avec une famille -- comme Meghan H, Tammy, et Hannah -- aussi, mais ça n'est pas toujours facile pour nous d'errer mutuellement parceque quelques leurs maison sont très loins d'ici.) Comme en printemps passée, c'est les personnes dans la résidence qui sait le meilleur où il y a la fête. ;o) Au lundi dernier, dix de nous avait acheté ensemble une barbecue. C'était une idée stupéfiant parceque depuis l'achat il y avait fait beau plusiers jours et on faisait souvent la barbecue en plein air avec des bières. ;o) Au vendredi soir on a fait une grande fête pour l'anniversaire de Matt (qui habite avec nous dans la résidence). Ç'avait fait plaisir à tout le monde, sauf plusieurs a eu la guele de bois au samedi. Héhé -- ce jour-la était le lendemain de la veille, comme le français dit.

Alors, j'y etais arrivé sûrement, j'ai fait des bonne amitié, j'étais placé dans une classe d'une niveau avancé qui me rendait heureuse, et mon français est déjà de retour -- ma vie y est merveilleux! La seule chose qui reste pour moi de faire si je veux maximiser mon bonheur pour cet été est d'appeler au Musée du fjord pour demander s'ils veulent m'embaucher encore à la fin du programme Explore. Souhaitez-moi la chance! :oD

La traduction anglaise/English Translation:

My first week was marvellous! :oD

I arrived in Chicoutimi around 5:00pm after almost three hours on a plan, six on buses, and some more time in airports and bus terminals. The trip wasn't too bad all-in-all (except that I got confused and accidentally borded the wrong bus from the airport and nearly left my bookbag on it. *laughs*) I slept a bit on the plane and the buses (I hadn't slept at all the night before) and I'd packed a lunch as well as some of my DVDs and my laptop. So, the trip wasn't too bad -- at least I wasn't too hungry or bored -- but my throat was bone dry. I felt much better, though, once I'd taken a shower after Yanick picked me up from the terminus and brought me to his place. Later that evening, we went out for dinner and to see Iron Man in French (honestly my French hadn't recovered enough by that point for me to really understand it all very well, but it was all right since it was an action movie, and I enjoyed it).

Basically, we had a lovely evening together -- it was just what I needed to relax a bit before starting my course the next day.

The programme kicked off last Monday with the placement test to sort us all out into the most appropriate class for our level of French (although, we'd started partying on Sunday when a bunch of us from the residence went out for dinner and drinks at George's Pub. Heh.) It was incredible because by Sunday night my French was already starting to come back, and I did very well on the test! There were somethings on the test that I didn't know/understand, but there weren't many and I knew I'd done well when I finished it. My orale interview also went fabulously! In fact, it was more like a conversation than it was an interview -- she asked me one or two questions maybe and I took care of the rest, talking about my experiences with the programme last year, mostly. At the end of the interview, my interviewer told me that I'd probably be placed in one of the higher level classes (I was pretty proud -- of myself and my French -- to hear it.) However, I was still pretty surprised when the director called me to class 1B (the second class at the most advanced level!)

I really like my class!

There's around a dozen of us in the class, including another Newfoundlander! I'm excited to have another Newfoundlander in my class because last year I was the only Newfoundlander in Jonquière (which was a little lonely since there were multiple people from just about every other province). I've already met two people from Newfoundland here and I'm told there's another that I haven't met yet. Also, I really like our teacher and respect her teaching methods. The first or second day we got into an argument, but it wasn't too bad (she meant to teach us about the joual speech variety that exists in Québec French, but I thought she was trying to teach us that ALL Québec French is a joual! Once I explained my misunderstanding to her, the argument ended amicably.) Also, I've made friends with some of my classmates, particularly Enrico -- who also lives in the residence (most of the students here are staying with a family.)

Most of my friends here are in the residence because we tend to all hangout together, around the picnic tables just out front. (I've made friends with some people who live with families, too, like Meghan H, Tammy and Hannah, though, but it's not always as easy for us to hang out since some of their homes are pretty far from here.) Like during the programme last year, it's the kids in the residence that know best where the party at. ;o) Last Monday, 10 of us chipped in to buy a barbeque. It was an awesome idea because since we bought it the weather's been pretty nice and we've been barbecuing frequently outside over beers. ;o) Friday we threw a big birthday party for Matt (who lives in the residence with us). Everybody had a great time, except that a bunch of people wound up pretty hung over. That day was the tomorrow of the day before, as the French say. ^_^

So, I arrived here safely, I've made some good friends, I'm happily placed in a class at the most advanced level, and my French is already coming back -- life here is great! The only thing left for me to do if I want to make the most of this summer here is to call the museum to see if they want to hire me on again at the end of the Explore programme. Wish me luck! :oD

Salut, tout le monde!/Hi, everybody! ;o)

Mon, 12 May 2008 04:58:02 GMT

Maintenant, il est midi et demi à Chictouimi et le premier jour du programme commence à neuf heure moin quart. Donc, j'ai pas le temp pour ecrire un post* du jour de m'arrivée à Chicoutimi hier et aujourd'hui (plus tard, je promets! ~_^) Cependant, j'ai juste volu que j'aie écrit une petite note à dire que je suis arrivée sûrement et je suis contente (s'il y a quelqu'un qui se demande de moi. ;oP) J'ai déjà rencontre quelques nouveau amis, mes colocataire inclusive. :o) Hadissa et Hassiba (elles sont les soeur) sont gentil, si un peu tranquille, et je crois que Meghan et moi allons devenir les bonnes amis cet été. ^_^

La traduction en anglais/English Traslation:

Right now, it's about half-past midnight in Chicoutimi (well, more like quarter to, now) and the first day of the programme starts tomorrow at eight forty-five -- so no time to post about my arrival in Chicoutimi yesterday or about today (later, I promise!) ~_^ However, I did want to write just a short post to say that I've arrived safely and that I'm pretty content (just in case anyone's wondering about me. ;oP) I've already met some new friends, including my roommates. :o) Hadissa and Hassiba (they're sisters) are quite nice, if a bit sedate (by my standards ~_^), and I think that myself and Meghan are going to become good friends. :o)

_____
*Maaike, dis-moi si ce mot-là marche pas comme ça en français, s'il te plaît? ^_^

We'll meet again

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:20:17 GMT

I'm taking off in just over two hours and I've just, within the past half-hour, finished packing. :oP In four-to-five hours I'll be landed in Montreal and trying to figure out how I can get to the bus terminal so I can make my way to the Saguenay. Wish me luck!