Day 3

Here we go!! I'm enrolled in classes at the University now, in the second highest level, I must have rocked my placement tests, and I know I rocked my oral exam. It's pretty awesome to know that my french is good enough to be considered advanced. I love it. I'm pretty damn proud of myself.

My classes are really interesting, we are doing conversation and writing and grammar, all at the same time in the mornings. The classes go from 8:45am until 12:30pm, then there's lunch, and then there is activities. Today I got to paint, it was pretty fun, but I was hoping that the art stuff would be more crafty...I like crafting, not so much doing art. *laughs* It was fun though.

Yesterday I went out with some friends from the school after classes ended and we went to a local brewery to try blueberry beer, it was good. Very light tasting and a great beer to drink on a terrace in the afternoon sun.

I live about a forty-five minute walk from the campus of the university, so I take a little mini bus to the school, but I walked this morning, it was beautiful, so bright and sunny. I love the weather here, it's cool in the mornings and then hot in the afternoons.

Tomorrow, I have class all day, and it's going to be lovely fun, speaking of which, I have to do my readings for that so that I can be all prepared tomorrow morning.

I've met so many fun people here, from everywhere in Canada and even from the states, it's pretty awesome. I'm so glad I came. I miss Jan...and my friends at home, but I really am enjoying myself here!

A Bientôt!

Made it...

I'm finally in Chicoutimi, PQ.

It's this gorgeous little town, about two hours north-east of Quebec city, and full to bursting with quaint houses and beautiful churcjes. I imagine that it would be absolutely beautiful with the fall colors in all the trees.

I am living with an older couple and their great-niece. They live in this interestingly shaped house, with their three cats and one dog. It's going to be neat to live here.

Jan and I drove for twelve hours yesterday, stopping just outside of Montreal for the night, and I had my first experience with weird french food, dining on frog's legs. That was interesting. We left early this morning to get here on time, and made it in the perfect amount of time. After we got here and all sorted at the school, Jan and I were introduced to my family, Diane and Fred. They had us both back for supper, which was lovely, and I got to meet their daughter, whose name I can't spell. *smiles*

I miss my family, and I certainly miss Jan...but at least I still have the internet and the ability to talk to them all.

Anyway, I'm going to end this and post more tomorrow, after my first day at school.

Beautiful Day

It has been quite a while since I last posted hasn't it?

I've been studying for exams and working my butt off, so I guess I do have an excuse. However, I'm still managing to turn out ficlets for POTC like nothing else, which is interesting, but they are exactly the little brain breaks I need right now, which is freaking awesome.

I'm currently sitting in my living room, in my roommates chair waiting for my boyfriend to show up, he's going to get here soon I hope, 'cause I'm a lot tired. It's been just under a week since I last saw him, and it really does suck to not see your boy for a week, I really really do miss him, a lot. And, this time, it's been worse, because of working almost all of last week, I didn't really have time to write him proper emails and so he was a bit grumpy with me, because I've been tired and just not trying hard to be creative. *sighs* Ah well, that's okay, I managed to make it up to him with some really interesting ones today.

Today was an awesome day, let me tell you, finally, a gorgeous day that I don't have to work during! Other then getting my last shot for the Gardisil vaccine, and my arm kinda being sore all day, it was a fantastic day. My roomies and I sat outside for the whole afternoon, some of us studying, some of us pretending to study. It was fun, I got a little sunburnt on my shoulders, but that's alright, I need the Vitamin D, and besides, I'll tan better now. After we spent the whole afternoon in the sun, during which time I did yet another load of laundry, and actually spent a decent amount of time writing out study notes to work from tomorrow, we all went to Wilf's, which is the campus pub, and that was tremendously fun. They have really yummy french fries there. I like them a lot. After Wilf's for dinner, we came home and watched Juno.

But, before we watched Juno, we rescued a lost cat, who we found wandering around the neighbourhood and took him home to his house. He was a very cute cat, whose name is apparently Trout, which, in my opnion, is a great name for a cat.

Juno is like...the cutest movie ever. I just love it. And, I *heart* Ellen Page for her awesome portrayal of Juno, who is rather quirky and altogether kind of strange, but is still just a 16 year old girl who has to grow up real fast. I also love Jennifer Garner in this one, she's freaking brilliant. But then, I love her in virtually everything she does, 'cause she's just so cute!

I have my last three exams this week, and then I'm back home to the O-dot, S-dot, where I will be chilling for two weeks before heading out to Chicoutimi. I'm really excited to go to Chicoutimi, and am hoping to learn a lot and do a lot and experience some really great francophone people. At the same time though, I'm really apprehensive about the whole thing, the fact that I don't get to contact the family I am going to be living with is kind of scary, I would like to know who they are before I move in with them, but I'm sure they will be awesome. I'm just nervous I think, because I'm going to be so far away from my family and friends for so long. I'm also really going to miss the boy.

Speaking of boy, he better get here soon or I am going to simply pass out from tiredness. *sighs*

Today was the epitome of a lazy day. I spent the whole day in front of my computer, except to get up to transfer laundry from the washer to the dryer or the dryer to the basket. I also did get up to sit down in front of the tv for two hours to watch The Legend of Zorro because I have a minor thing for Antonio Banderas.

I did work today though, spent the better part of it studying for my French oral exam on Wednesday. Which is a good thing, I should have used the rest of the time to study for my stats exam on Thursday, but I couldn't concentrate anymore.

It's been a few days since I last posted, so I'm going to sort of catch people up a bit.

Since about, February (i think?) I've belonged to the Women's Centre on campus here, and it has been awesome. It means meetings on Sunday nights, and hanging out with some of my new favorite people. Anyway, yesterday we had our last hurrah for the year and had a potluck. I provided greek salad and nacho dip, and man, there was some really good food. One of the girls made this crazy pasta casserole thing that had mushrooms in it, and I was just like...oh my god, let me eat it all! It was delicious, and then, Zile (pronounced Zee-la), made these awesome chocolate crinkle cookies, and they were heavenly.

After we ate, we made these things called 'Generosity Jars.' Essentially everyone gets a jar and then everyone else gets to write nice things and put the paper into the jar. I got so many lovely words, it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, which is what they are supposed to do. I also won an award for being the Centre's Best Storyteller, which I am taking to mean that they all think i talk too much. *laughs* Which is okay, 'cause I know I do.

This week was also made awesome by the fact that I received word that I am headed for Chicoutimi, Quebec this summer to spend five weeks in an intensive French immersion programmed. I am totally excited about. To get to Chicoutimi, I will have to take the train, which will be an interesting adventure that I am decidedly looking forward to. *claps hands* I found out in class on Wednesday, and I was totally sad that I couldn't just jump up and down and yell like I wanted to. It absolutely made my day. I will be staying with a francophone family while I am there, and I hope they will like me. *crosses fingers*

So, tomorrow I have to mail all the papers in for going to Chicoutimi and call them to send through my deposit that guarantees my spot. I'm nervous, but excited all the same, it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to go, I'm going to miss Jan so much, but I am hoping that he will come and surprise me and meet me in Quebec City for a weekend. Which would be absolutely awesome, otherwise, we won't see each other for around five weeks, and though we've been apart longer before, it's going to be so hard. I already miss him terribly when he's gone on the road for two weeks at a time, that we literally will sometimes spend the entire three days he's home attached at the hip. *sighs*

I'm also still trying to find a place for him and I to live in the fall when we come back, since we're moving in together, which is going to be lovely! *smiles* I can't wait.

Skipping

I'm skipping class this morning, 'cause I don't feel like walking in the rain. I'll have to go up to campus eventually, but this way i don't have to sit through presentations and, even though my one friend is presenting today, i would still be bored. I'm also skipping class 'cause I am exhausted and likely to fall asleep instead of listening. I don't even know why I am so tired, it's stupid.

I think I'm more grumpy lately, and I don't know why, I've been wrung out at work on numerous occasions to the point of snapping at customers because I'm just so bloody tired of all teh bullshit that I get put through on a regular basis there. I doubt anything will come of it, but I gave the management team a nasty review on the Employee Satisfaction Survey we had to take. It's irritating that because I'm just a part-timer who goes to University and still wants to have a life on top of that, I get scheduled to work every single freaking weekend, and if I want to go home, then it means I have to plan it a month in advance, 'cause they can't make the schedule at all flexible.

I'm also always more grumpy when Jan is gone, and he's gone again, all the way out to BC and I'm hoping I'll hear from him sometime today, i miss him so much. It's a little bit like a piece of me goes with him every time he leaves, the piece of me that is nice and friendly and sweet. *sighs* I just don't want him to leave any more, it hurts every time we have to say goodbye.

The other day, last Friday, before he left, we were sitting on my bed, in the morning, just being close to one another and being silly and he asks me; "so, you're probably going to want a ring for that finger aren't you?" I was like, of course, and then we got into a discussion about what kind of ring it would be, and I'm secretly hoping it will be an engagement ring, but a promise is fine for now, since we have only been together for just over 18 months and, even though I woud say yes no matter what, I think a promise is what I need now. He asked me in an email last night what time of year I think I'd like to get married in, and I said September. I've always loved September, it's warm enough to be outside, but also cool enough that we won't all be dying in the heat like we would if we got married in July like I used to think I wanted.

I want to marry him, spend the rest of my life with him, and I'm a little scared of that feeling. It's really powerful, kinda knocks me over everytime I feel it. It's getting more powerful too, just like the rest of my feelings for him. I know it's cliché, but I really do love him more and more every day.

And now, I'm in a much better mood. *smiles*

First Day of Spring

Sooo...

It's Easter weekend this weekend, and I don't get to go home to see my family, because I have two assignments due next week, and an essay due on Monday. I am hoping that when Jan gets here later, I'll be able to still work on the things that I need to get done. He's coming to spend Easter with me, 'cause I can't go home. Which is cool of him. We're hopefully going to find somewhere to go for Brunch on Sunday morning, for Easter, or will figure something out. I work on Saturday all day, so shopping for food to eat this weekend is going to be interesting. I'm sure Jan can figure something out.

I'm actually in class right now, listening to my professor talk about Nietzsche...since that is who our lecture is on today. I like this class, I really do, but I wish I could just listen to the lectures without having to make sure that I take decent notes, because I would love to just listen. This professor is very good, he's enjoyable to listen to. I think I would like to be a professor like him someday, just so that I can keep a hold of a class the way he does.I have so much laundry to do this weekend, and will hopefully get to it tomorrow, or maybe Jan will get to it. I like it when he does my laundry, his laundry detergent smells good. And, he does a good job. I think it's kind of fun that my boyfriend does my laundry, and he does a good job and doesn't shrink my clothes.

Happy First Day of Spring!!! *sighs* I wish it looked like spring outside, it's like...snowy and cold still, but sunny today, which is awesome. I really miss the sun when it decides not to shine.

Essays are the bane of my existence, but this one is really interesting. I've chosen to write about the effects of structural adjustment programs in Latin America, focusing primarily on their effects on women. It's really interesting to see the way that these programs really do effect women differently, because of the cuts to social spending and other things that women rely on.

Moving on from that though, last week was awesome. I performed in the Vagina Monologues as put on by the Women's Centre at school here, and it was great. I really enjoyed myself. It was quite fun. I think the audience enjoyed it as well. I shall encourage you all to go and see it should you have the opportunity to.

The part-time faculty at my school is currently striking, so I had to cross picket lines to get to school this morning, which was irritating. I support them, and understand why they are going on strike, and sympathize with their concerns, but I cannot condone them using students as bargaining chips to make the administration see what they are missing out on. It's annoying to have to lose class hours because of this. It's hard to believe they've been negotiating since August of last year, and still haven't reached a settlement. I'm really hoping that the strike won't last very long and that we'll be able to get back to classes and that they will not push the semester back. Gar...

Anyway, back to my essay now.