Mon Anniversiare

So this last weekend was my 23rd Birthday!! I have now entered Grandma-hood. I had such an awesome time. All the Canadians got together and my friend Jessica spoiled me so much! We went to an Irish Pub and all of a sudden the lights went out and they all started singing Happy Birthday. The funniest thing was that she bought special candles that didn't blow out...so I kept trying to blow them out but they never did.




I will officially land in Vancouver at 4pm on Sunday May 25th. So I have exactly 5 more days left in Strasbourg, and then I leave to go back to Qualicum Beach. I am really excited to get home, but at the same time I really don't want to leave France. Now that exams are over, most of the Canadians have left. I think there are only 4 of us, so we are making the most of it and having dinner at all the traditional Alsatian restaurants.

I hope all is well back home, and I'll see most of you very soon!

Exam Period!

"Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos"

So today is my first day on the slippery slope downhill towards the exam finish line, and that quote sums up my life right now :)

My exam period didn't start out very well because he dates of my first exam got mixed up. On the exam board it was posted as today, but our prof was told it was next week. So our whole class was standing outside the classroom (which was occupied by another class) waiting for our prof to show up. We finally found her and started our exam a half hour late.

Today I have one more exam then 3 again tomorrow. I have a bit of a break and then I have 3 more...so 8 exams all together! Exams end on May 16th and then it's my birthday on May 17th!!! I turn 23 (a bit scary). My friends would say to me "Welcome to Grandma-hood."

I can't believe I come back to Canada on May 25th. That means (c'est-à-dire) I have: half a month, or 2.7 weeks, or 19 days, or 456hrs, or 27,360min, or 1,641,600sec left before I get home. WOW.

See some of you very soon!

My Return from the East

I have officially returned to Strasbourg after a wonderful trip to Eastern Europe! I went (by myself) for a 2 week backpacking trip and stayed in some great hostels.

It was an interesting experience traveling alone. At times it was nice, because you only have to worry about yourself - and making decisions is a lot easier - but at other times I felt like I wanted to share my experience with another person. The great thing about hostels is that you meet so many other young travelers (many traveling alone as well) so you form kind of like a small temporary social network made up of many different random people. You all have one thing in common: You love to travel. So there is no end of discussions about places you've been, or places you want to go. I am so glad I went on the trip by myself and didn't wimp out by staying back in Strasbourg!

So here is the breakdown of my trip! (You can view the full slideshow of my photos on the right).

First stop: Prague, Czech Republic

Prague was such an amazing city! The buildings are spectacular and so beautiful. I stayed in a hostel that was right near the old town square. I met a really cool group of guys (I was the one token girl) and we ended up hanging out for the weekend! Some were from England, Ireland, Holland, France and Australia - a really international group!

My favorite picture is one of the old town square and the astrological clock (I took this photo when I arrived at 7am in the morning!)


Second Stop: Vienna, Austria

Vienna was also very beautiful, although I didn't enjoy it as much as Prague. The hostel I stayed in was very large and therefore it was hard to meet people. Vienna is a very large city and is was very commercialized, unlike Prague (and as you will see, Krakow). There were huge department stores everywhere and it wasn't as quaint. Although, the buildings and the Schonbrun palace were very beautiful. I did meet one girl named "So" from Korea, so we hung out one day and did a tour of the palace.

My favorite photo is one taken from Schonbrun palace.


Third Stop: Bratislava ( & Nitra), Slovakia

From Vienna, I took a river boat to Bratislava where Barb and Rick Campbell's friend Zuzana picked me up. We walked around Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia) for a while and then Zuzana's husband Igor picked us up and we traveled to Nitra, the town where they live. They were so kind and nice to let me stay with them, and it was so much fun to talk, and learn so much about Slovakian life! I was able to go with them to a large family gathering as well and I was almost the only one who spoke English...although we did communicate fine through signs (and Zuzana translated a lot!).

My favorite photo is one taken from the top of a hill overlooking Bratislava and the Castle


This next photo is of Zuzana and I in Nitra


Fourth Stop: Budapest, Hungary

From Slovakia, I took a train to Budapest. I was in a small little hostel, and in my room were 2 other people from Vancouver! So we ended up hanging out and meeting 3 other girls from Australia. Budapest is neat becuase it's actually 2 cities combined. On the left of the river is the older "Buda" part of the city. This part is very hilly and has the old cathedral and castle ruins. To the right side is "Pest" which is the newer part of the city. It is more flat and has the parliament buildings along the bank.

The first day I was there I was able to meet with Zuzana's cousin Slavka who is living in Budapest with her husband. She was so kind and took me around the whole city showing me the sights! The next day I was able to meet with Helen Kovaks (a friend of Tony Stuart) and we went to a neat market and talked and had coffee. Helen is involved with Wycliffe and is living there with her husband and three sons.

My favorite picture is one of the main churches on the Pest side.


Fifth Stop: Krakow, Poland

I took an overnight train from Budapest to Krakow and arrived at 6:30am! I went to the hostel and ended up meeting an Australian girl Emily who took an overnight train from Prague! We were able to hang out the whole day and we later met up with 3 English lads. We ate at a traditional Polish restaurant and had Pirogies!

Emily and did a day trip to Auschwitz, the Jewish Concentration Camp the Nazi's set up during WWII. It was very moving and very informative. I just still can't believe how many people were exterminated and how many lives were ruined in that camp. It was a sobering and emotional trip! (But worth it to see).

My favorite photo is one of the main Cathedral and the town square.


Last Stop: Paris, France

I flew from Krakow to Paris where I was able to meet up with First, who was a Rotary exchange student to Parksville from Thailand in (I think) 1997 (or '98). I hadn't seen her in about 10 years! She just happened to have a school trip to Paris the same time I was going to be there. The funny thing is, my parents went to Thailand and visited with her a couple months ago. It was a short trip to Paris, but a fun one!

My favorite photo is one of First & I on the tour bus.



And now I have returned to Strasbourg for one more month! I start exams next week, and then I have to pack up and head home for the summer.

I just want to thank everyone at home who has provided me with so many great contacts all around Europe. I have been so blessed, and my trip wouldn't have been the same without your help and input! So thanks!

Traveling Eastern Europe!

Here is an update on my life right now! It is my 2nd two week break from school, so I decided to do a tour around Eastern Europe! It is now one week into the trip and it´s been a great time so far! The plan is to go to the following places:

-Prague, Czech Republic
-Vienna, Austria
-Bratilsava, Slovakia
-Budapest, Hungary
-Krakow, Poland

I´ve already been to Prague and it was so amazing! I can´t begin to explain the amazing-ness of Prague. Vienna is good as well, but it feels like much a bigger city, and Prague is more quaint. Tomorrow I´m off to Bratislava to stay with Rick and Barb Campbell´s friends that live there. It should be a true Slovakian experience! They have invited me to their neice´s birthday party and I will be almost the only one that speaks English!

I will post my pictures when I return to France around the 20th of April.

One week left of vacation then it´s back to school and then exams!

Une Pâques Français (A French Easter)

The year I got to experience my first French Easter! Julie LeRoy, the Rotary exchange student from France to Parksville last year, invited me over to her parent's house in Longuyon. She studies in Nancy (about 1.5hrs west of Strasbourg) so I went to visit her there first, and then we took the train up to her parents house. I spent a relaxing 3 days with her family (of course speaking French the whole time). They currently have a Rotary student living with them from St. Louis, Missouri so it was neat to be able to speak to each other in a language other than English! I was really spoiled with such great food and yummy chocolate!

Here are some pictures of our fun times:

The Non-Snowy Ski Trip

Last Monday I went for a skiing adventure to "les Vosges" which is a mountain about 2 hours outside Strasbourg. In the past, the skiing trip had been canceled due to a "manque de neige" (lack of snow). It was quite amusing, becuase when we arrived I thought we would have to turn around and go back...the mountain literally looked like this:



But alas, we did not return...how did we ski you might ask? Well it just so happens that they piled snow on a few runs forming a sort of mud-snow pathway. It was really hard to ski becuase it was really slushy and then turned to ice. My friend Jessica came with me and she had only gone skiing a handful of times. We were told that there were easy runs higher up the mountain...but then we found out they were closed. Poor Jess had to take off her skis and walk down have the run! It was fun all around though.

Here is a glimpse of our mud-snow pathway:


Me being wet and...well wet.


I'm glad we went, but man...next time I'll head for the Alps!

James My Hero

So finally mid-term exams are over! I'm pretty sure they went well, but I'll have to wait and see after I get the results back. It always works out that if you think you did good, you probably did horrible and vice versa. Lets hope for the best!

Tonight to celebrate (the end of exams) I went to a James Blunt concert. It was soooo great! I went with a few other Canadian girls and we had such a blast! I've posted 2 links on the right had side of videos I took of James Blunt singing two of his most popular songs: Beautiful & Goodbye My Lover. I was pleasantly surprised at the upbeat-ness of the concert. James Blunt's songs are usually more mellow, but he was definitely rockin' it in Strasbourg!

Here is a photo of the man himself:


Today I also died my hair! I decided to do something a little different (but not too different) so it's died really dark brown/almost black. For me it's a big change, but I know I'll get use to it.

This week and the weeks to come are pretty busy so expect frequent updates!

À plus tard!

Take time to drink "un café"

"le café, le soleil de ma vie!"

That is a scary thought since before I came to France I never ever drank coffee, and now in between classes I can't wait for our "petite pause" so that I can go and buy a 50 cent espresso from the little machine in our university building! The institution that is "le café" has such a presence in France. Some people spend hours and hours just sitting in their little neighborhood café. I have one of my favorite cafés just a bit of a walk from my house.



This upcoming week is going to be a bit stressful for me as it is mid-term time. I'm sure it will be alright, but at the moment it all seems a little overwhelming!

I am also in the process of planning my 2 week break in April. I know what you are going to say...how is it that I get 2 more weeks of holidays? All I have to say is, for all that I complain about the French Administration etc. at least I get sufficient holidays! I am planning a trip to Germany to visit some family friends, and then I will hopefully get to Krakow, Poland and Budapest, Hungary (the 2 cities I think I've chosen in Eastern Europe).

I am also thinking of heading to EuroDisney in Paris! I'm so excited to talk to Mickey in French! haha.

I hope everyone is doing well! Don't forget to take time to enjoy life...sit and drink un café and contemplate la vie!

February Break: Spain, Portugal & Dublin

Hello Everyone! So I have now returned to reality (or France if you will) from my 2 week vacation! I traveled with 4 other Canadian girls all around southern Spain, Portugal and Dublin, Ireland. The trip was amazing and so much fun! Spain is so different from France, so it was a nice refresher to go somewhere so sunny and warm (and I'm not only talking about the weather...the people are like that too!). The interaction with people is definitely different in Spain compared to in France-in Spain people seem to be much more open and friendly. They are more willing to help you learn the language if you try. I found it to be very uplifting!

Here is a brief overview of what we did and where we went on the trip. (I've posted my top pictures here but there is a full album if you click on the slideshow link to the right)

Granada, Spain
On our first destination we decided to visit the historical monument called the Alhambra which is basically a palace built for the Muslim Sultans who ruled Spain around the 9th century. After the Christian conquest around the 14th century the Christian Kings built on to the remaining architectural structures left by the Muslims which created an interesting mix of Muslim and Renaissance architectural traditions. This mix of architecture can be seen throughout many buildings in Spain.

Here is a picture of me and a panoramic view of the Alhambra



Nerja, Spain
We took the bus south from Granada to a little town called Nerja which is on the Mediterranean Sea. It was so beautiful! Just like being in Hawaii or something. I couldn't believe that it was February and we were hanging out on the beach! Mind you the wind was pretty chillly, but the weather was fabulous. We ended up making friends with the local pastry shop owner and his son when we tried to order our lunch sandwiches in VERY broken Spanish. There were lots of hand motions and charades going on!

Here is one of the awesome views of Nerja



Frigiliana, Spain
From Nerja we spent the day in an even smaller town called Frigiliana. It was so quaint with the little white-washed houses and flower pots everywhere. There are so many great restaurants hidden around every corner. The streets are so small that I was so surprised that any car could fit through! It's hard if you are walking down the road and a car comes, becuase there is literally NO room for the both of you! I had to hide in a doorway to let the car pass by.

Here is a picture of me and the cute little streets



Córdoba, Spain
We then traveled to Córdoba which was one of my favorite cities. Here we visited two great monuments: the Mezquita and the Alcazar. The word "Mezquita" is the spanish word for Mosque. The Cordoba mosque was once the most important Muslim mosque in the western world becuase it was from here in Cordoba that the Muslim Sultan reigned over his territory (around 9th century). Like I stated before, when the Christian Kings took over Spain around the 14th century they incorporated their architecture into the Mosque and the building was consecrated as a "Cathedral." You can see the difference in architecture if you click on the link to my full file of pictures to the right -->
The Alcazar is like the Alhambra I saw in Granada. This would be the residence of the Muslim and then Christian Kings. There were amazing gardens with ponds and fountains!

Here is a picture of the Muslim tower and Orange Tree Courtyard outside the Mosque.



Seville, Spain
We took the bus from Cordoba to Seville, and it sure was eventful! We were driving along peacefully when all of a sudden we were being flagged over by the Spanish Civil Guard! Then came on the bus and started checking bags and passports...needless to say we were a little freaked out! One girl I was traveling with, Allie, got her bag searched and they were rattling off at us in Spanish and we had NO idea what they were talking about! They scrutinized our passports for such a long time (I think they were confused with our French VISAs and didn't know where we had come from). Anyway it all ended up fine and they left.

So we get to Seville and we have to find our hostel. We had gotten instructions from the internet to take a certain bus, so we got on the bus and it was FULL of old people. We tried to explain to the bus driver (in Spanish) where we wanted to go, but he didn't understand. WELL...then the whole bus started to discuss and argue over where we were suppose to go and all the old people were talking at us in Spanish (of course we didn't understand). So we start driving and the bus driver pulls over and asks a pedestrian where "San Roque" street was and then proceeds to drive us DIRECTLY to our hostel front door! He went off his route with a bus full of old people to deliver us to our doorstep! It was the funniest thing I've ever experienced!

Seville is where the famous Spanish "Tapas" originated. Here is a picture of Alison and I sharing a plate.



Lagos, Portugal
From Seville, Spain we then traveled to Portugal. Lagos is a great place with cute beaches (so I've heard!) Unfortunately we got caught in a tropical rain storm while in Portugal! It was raining so hard that we literally couldn't do anything! So we didn't get to spend any time lounging on the beaches :( When the rain stopped for a little while (but not the wind), Alison and I ran to the store to buy some groceries and we ended up having a nice cozy lunch inside with pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches!

Faro, Portugal
From Lagos we then traveled to another beach city called Faro, but again, the weather wasn't willing to cooperate. The second day we were in Faro it was cloudy and windy, but thankfully not raining. It is really interesting how different Spain is from Portugal. They are right next to one another but when traveling from one into the other it is very evident that Portugal is much poorer than Spain. In Spain after 5pm the streets fill up and it is the most busy time of day whereas in Portugal no one is in the streets after 7pm. I'm not sure why that is. Anyway, we still had a great time, but I think we were all in agreement that we liked Spain better.

Here is a picture of me in the Faro wind



Dublin, Ireland
From Faro we flew to Dublin, Ireland. I know that sounds like a weird city to add onto our trip, but we were flying with RyanAir which is based out of Dublin and it ended up being cheaper to stay in Dublin for 2 days and then fly back to France. Dublin is a great city! We did a bus tour of the city and learned a lot about the history, and then we did a tour of the Guinness factory! It was so interesting to hear the history of the family and to learn how the beer was made. We even got to have a complimentary pint at the end of the tour! Later that night we went to the famous "Temple Bar" which has live Irish music each night. I of course drank another Guinness (as it's the only acceptable thing to drink) and listened to great songs like "Tell My Ma" that reminded me of the Rankin Family (so I was singing right along with them!)

Here is a picture of me taste testing my freshly made pint of Guinness



So that is then end of my trip. Now I am back in France and I re-start school on Monday. I have mid-terms in two weeks, then another 2 week holiday(!!!!!!!) and then I have finals. So all in all it's only 3 more months until I'm home! I think it will go by incredibly fast. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!!

School Definitely Doesn't Interrupt Fun!

So first off, sorry for being so slack on my updates! I've had a lot of school work this month and my last presentation is tomorrow! I have to do a 30min presentation (of course all in French) on the poetic movement Classicism. I even put together a powerpoint presentation and everything! (I'm so high-tech).

Coming up this Friday is my 2 week holiday and I'm heading to Spain and Portugal with 4 other Canadians that I go to school with here. On Thursday we fly into Alicante and then go to Granada, Nerja, Ronda, Cordoba & Seville, then off to Portugal (Lagos and Faro). We then, oddly enough, fly through to Dublin for 2 days (cheaper flights that way) and then head back to Strasbourg! It should be an exciting trip full of Sun and Fun!

Here is a picture of me from one of the nights out with the other Canadian girls :)















I'll update my pictures after I get back from Spain! À bientôt et beaucoup de bisous!

And the learning continues...

So second semester has officially started after a long and quite satisfying break. At the international institute, we get a bit of an extended break becuase of the new students coming to the University. They have to go through all the procedures that I had to go through at the beginning of the year: a placement test, orientation and tours etc. The Christmas lights have been taken down, the marché de noël is over, and there is no excuse...the waiting is finally over and I have to use my brain again.

Even though classes have started up again, I find myself anxiously awaiting the next holiday in February. I fear that I have adopted a French attitude (over here there are holidays left right and centre!) I am already planning out how to spend said vacation. So if there are any ideas floating out there of what I should do...let me know!

Last weekend I said goodbye to my good friend Reni from Norway. She is traveling to India, so most of my good friends have left me! I just need to get on the friend-making bandwagon again. I figure I can bribe them with the promise of Canadian maple candy. It worked for Ross on "Friends." Ok, enough TV references, off to study la langue française!






Reni & I on her last night out in Strasbourg.

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I have been very busy this holiday season that I haven't even kept updatingyou!

After the last day of school and our University Christmas party on the 22 of Dec, Chelsea and I went together to Paris by train and spent a quick one night there. We walked around Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and had a very yummy Nutella Crêpe. I then flew to Glasgow, Scotland and she to the Lake District in England.

I was very fortunate this year to spend Christmas with some relatives and, although distant, they welcomed me into their home. I felt very at ease. It is slightly complicated, but Harry Donald is my late Grandmother's cousin. I stayed at his daughter's house (Moira & husband John) in Glasgow. It was a very wonderful time of eating great food, visiting and family holiday cheer. Christmas eve I attended their village's (East Kilbride) Parish Church service. It was so neat to have a service in such an old building!

On Dec 27th Moira and the girls were flying to London to go to a Broadway show, so I booked the same flight and few down to London with them. We then parted ways and I met up with Chelsea who spend Christmas in England. On New Year's Eve, Chelsea and I went down to the London embankment by the river to watch the fireworks by the London Eye. It was pretty spectacular. There were so many people that you could literally not move! When the fireworks lit the sky all you could see was a sea of people!

Here are a few of the views that I saw. The ferris wheel looking thing is the London Eye
(these are not my photos...but you get the idea)





























Now I'm back in Strasbourg getting ready to start a new semester of learning French! I have moved into a new studio closer to town becuase my last studio I had some complications with the neighbours being too loud and yelling at all hours of the night. So I am now I'm in a student residence and I'm loving it! I'll take some pictures and post them soon.

I hope that everyone is doing well, and don't hesitate to make comments on the posts either :)

Quick Update

In London right now waiting to celebrate the New Year. I am returning to France Jan 2nd and will update then! Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

Pompeii & Rome

I just got back from my pre-exam holiday to Itlay! Our flight to Naples left VERY early on Wednesday morning from Basel, Switzerland, so the four of us (Graeme, Taryn, Chelsea and I) decided to go to the airport late Tuesday night and sleep there!! Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep! We left Wed morning to Naples, Italy.

Naples is not a particularly beautiful city, it does have some rough around the edges character though. Our main point of going to Naples was to visit Pompeii the ancient city that was destroyed and covered by lava from the mountain Vitruvius and was re-discovered in the 18th century. It is very interesting to see how the city was built during the Roman Empire.

On Thursday morning we were on our way to Rome where we saw so many great ruins! I absolutely LOVED Rome! It is such a city of contrasts. You can wander the city and all of a sudden you have stumbled across some ancient ruin! My favorite was one ruin that had a few temples and it was where Julius Caesar was assassinated...but now it has become a cat sanctuary!

On Saturday Dec 8th it was the Catholic public holiday The Immaculate Conception and the Pope decided to make an appearance at the Spanish Steps to give a prayer to the Virgin Mary. We were fortunate enough to be standing on the side of the road when the Pope-mobile rolled on past, so here is a video of the Pope waving to me!!! (Ok, maybe he wasn't waving directly AT me, but it was close enough!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xgycrn48O0 (copy and paste this into internet explorer to watch)

So now it's back to school for 2 more weeks, then Christmas break! I don't have any exams to take, so I'm taking it easy and enjoying the Christmas Markets...even though the tourists make me angry (and no, I am NOT a tourist!).

Heading to Roma!

Hello all! Well tonight I am heading to Naples, Italy for one night (mainly to see Pompeii) and then heading to Rome for 4 days! So I will have pictures and an update on Sunday when I return! Hope all is well...miss you all.

The Maginot Line

Last Sunday the the "Amicale" (social) group of Marc Bloch University put together an excursion to the Maginot Line. The Maginot Line is an underground fortification that was built for the second world war and is situated on the boarder between France and Germany. We got to go on a tour of one part of the massive line. It was really interesting to see where the soldiers had to spend a large part of their time.
After the tour, our group went for dinner at a traditional Alsatian Tarte Flambé restaurant. They cooked the tarte flambés traditionally in a large open flame oven. For desert we had an apple tarte flambé. It was delicious!

I've posted pictures in a slideshow on the right side of my blog. You can click on it and you to the page to see the captions and see what the photo is about.

This weekend I'm going to visit the Colmar Christmas Market (30min south of Strasbourg), so there will be more Christmas cheer coming up!

Marché de Noël

Last night (Saturday Nov 24th) was the first night of the Marché de Noël! Every year in Strasbourg (and all over Alsace and Germany) each town has a Christmas Market. It is so neat! Each part of the city has a different market with handmade ornaments, decorations, and most importantly...food! They sell everything from candied apples to tarte flambés (like a really really thin pizza) to spiced wine. The atmosphere is great. I love just walking around looking at the lights and hearing the caroling. Next weekend we are going to a little city called Colmar which is about 1/2 hr south of Strasbourg to see their Marché de Noël as well!
























The main tree in Place Kleber. It is absolutely
enormous! So many lights and such a beautiful
sight.
























Angles by the Cathedral















Galeries Lafayette: A huge high end department
store in France (where I do most of my shopping!)















Market in Place Broglie (near to where
I will be living in the New Year!)






















My future street! I'm moving here
in the New Year.






















A traditional restaurant all dressed up for
Christmas. All the stores decorate for the
Marché de Noël.















Detail of same restaurant. The little people are
wearing traditional Alsatian costume.

In Between Times

So I just posted my photos from Switzerland! Sorry for the delay...plus they are not very spectacular "à cause des" clouds, so I didn't get any of the Swiss Alps, but never fear, I'll probably be going back sometime in the near future.

So this week is just a regular boring school week for me, studying (uhhh the reason I'm here!) and hanging out with friends.

One neat thing is that in two weeks I'm going to ROME! I just booked my flights for very cheap. I'll be flying into Naples and spending the day in Pompeii then the next day taking the train to Rome where I'll spend 3 full days. I'm so excited to see and experience the city. Most people that I've talked to have absolutely loved Rome, so I have high hopes...I'll let you know how it goes!

À la prochaine!

The Long Awaited Switzerland Photos...Geneva

Chelsea and I on the train to Geneva













Me and Ellie (my friend who lives in Bern...she put us up for the night and cooked us AMAZING food!).











Entrance to the UN (I couldn't find Canada's flag but it's there somewhere!)











Me at the UN!












Flag of Geneva in foreground and Swiss flag in background.

The Long Awaited Switzerland Photos...Lucerne

The "Covered Bridge" in Lucerne
There are hundreds of paintings underneath the roof.











View of the "Watchtower" and the "Covered Bridge" in Lucerne.










Traditional Alpine Swiss Horn Players
**Watch the video I've posted of them playing!













Swiss Cows? (Yak...Yaks? what IS the plural of yak Jarrett?)













The Dying Lion Monument
(In remembrance of the Swiss Soldiers who were massacred during the French Revolution)

Freedom!

I am now officially finished my mid-terms. I had my oral presentation today of the History of the French Renaissance and I got 18+/20. So that encourages me that I'm not as bad at speaking French than I thought!

By the end of this month it will be mid-November! How crazy is that? I am very excited for Christmas time, as the city of Strasbourg is starting to put up many decorations in preparation for the "Marché de Nöel" (Christmas market) that starts November 25th. In the old city there is Kleber square, and they have just erected a MASSIVE pine Christmas tree! I can't wait for the city to be alive with lights!

Christmas for me this year will be exciting but also a bit weird. I am not coming home for Christmas, but traveling to Glasgow Scotland to visit my Grandma Anderson's cousin Harry Donald and his wife Catherine. They are in their 80's and this year they are having Christmas at their daughter Moira and son-in-law John's house. Harry & Catherine's granddaughter Amanda is my age, so it will be great to meet her and to see everyone again. I have only met Harry & Catherine once before while in Scotland (1999 I think) for Highland dancing, but I feel as though I've known them forever since Harry and I are email buddies!

On the 27th of December I'll fly to London, England with Moira and the girls and this is where we will part ways, as they are going to a theater production and I will meet up with my friend Chelsea. I will stay with Chelsea in her cousin's flat and we will celebrate New Year's there! I am very excited about this Christmas adventure!

I will have to post pictures of my Switzerland trip soon (tonight hopefully).

I hope all is well in Canada!

P.S. AS OF NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE AN ACCOUNT TO COMMENT ON THE POSTS. I changed the settings, so now anyone can comment!

The Week of Exams...dun dun dun

So this week was my mid-term week. There are 4 sections that they test you on:
1. Oral comprehension
2. Reading comprehension
3. Essay writing skills
4. Oral presentation skills

So I'm done the first three, and have my 15 min oral presentation on the history of the French Renaissance on Tuesday. It should go well (hopefully!)

Meanwhile, this weekend I'm heading off to Switzerland! I have a friend that I met at IVCF at UVic and she is doing her masters there, so Chelsea and I are going to Lucerne (Mt. Pilatus), Bern and Geneva. At Mt. Pilatus there is an aerial cable-car that goes up the mountain so we can get a clear picture of what the alps look like! It's going to be amazing! Unfortunately the UN in Geneva isn't open on the weekend, so we can't get a tour of the inside (that would have been so interesting!) but we can still take pictures of the outside! I will post pictures as soon as I get back as well! I hope that you've enjoyed the ones that I've already posted :) À Bientôt!

Links

PS I've added some links on the left hand side of my page...they are ones that I find interesting, so you might too!

Western France-October Break

So our trip to Western France was a success! Chelsea (my Australian friend) and I traveled to: Tours, Château Chenonceau, La Rochelle, St Malo & Mont St Michel. I really love western France! It was nice to be on the coast again and to smell the salty ocean air! My favorite city by far was St. Malo. The beaches are gorgeous and sandy, but there is also rugged rocks all around. The city just seems to appear out of the rock.

We went to the History Museum in St Malo, and I learned a lot about Canada! Jacques Cartier (who "discovered" Canada in the 1530's) was from St Malo and on his first voyage he landed in Newfoundland. From then on, NFL and St Malo were connected through the fishing trade. I was shocked to find that I could learn something about Canadian History in a French Museum...but it makes sense. The French were the "first" ones in Canada after all; they wouldn't want the world to forget that!

Anyway, enough of the history lesson. Here are some pictures of my travels!






Tours: The old city
(we had a desert crêpe from the little restaurant at the bottom of the middle building).











View of the river Cher at Château Chenonceau













Reflection of Château Chenonceau (my fairy tale castle!)












La Rochelle: Chain Tower (left) & St Nicolas Tower (right).
















Sunset in La Rochelle



















Nightview
La Rochelle: Chain Tower (left) & St Nicolas Tower (right)











St Malo: view from island Grand Bé













Beautiful beaches of St Malo













The Abbey of Mont St Michel