Yikes! I haven't written a new post in the past 2 weeks. Well you'll all have to excuse me, because I've been really busy and I've just kept putting it off because the list of things I wanted to blog about just kept getting longer and longer. Now it's pretty long, so I need to sum everything up. Here goes:
Trips: I've gone on a few trips close to Bordeaux. Last weekend I saw the Pyrénées and a medieval city still surrounded by ramparts and a moat (no water though. I guess they don't want tourists to fal in or something). This weekend I went to the Dordogne Valley where I got to visit some prehistoric caves. It was pretty awesome, but we were so tired from walking everywhere for the weekend. At 2 out of the 3 caves, we met a North American couple (one American and one Canadian) who didn't speak French. I got my first taste of what it would feel like to be an interpreter. (Is that in my future? Only God knows!)
School: I finished up my classes last week-- I'm now done my degree! Well, sort of. Now I just need to get back home to transfer all of my credits. So I'm done all the courses I need for my degree. Now I just need to graduate in October! I wrote my last exam on Thursday and I'm just waiting to find out my mark for that class. I did better than I'd hoped in my other two classes, and I'll know my marks for my evening classes by mid-May, even though I won't be here!
Tour de France: My friend Alannah is arriving tomorrow (still can't believe where the time's gone) and after staying in Bordeaux for a couple of nights, we're starting our BIG trip, aka the "Tour de France" on Friday. I'm super-pumped but at the same time I don't really know what to expect. I've never been traveling for more than 10 days at a time. Our itinerary is pretty packed: we're going to be traveling for 21 days straight before we head back to Bordeaux. But even then we're only planning on staying for the night and then it's off to Paris for the weekend so we can both fly home on the 26th. We're sticking to exploring France although right in the middle we're going to London for a few nights.
Life: Just when I think I've gotten the hang of living here, I have to leave. I'm not lying when I say that the months have flown by (although my family and friends I talk to assure me it hasn't for them). I really do like it here; I actually have a life here with friends, a church, school, and a place to live. I do my grocery shopping at Auchan every couple of weeks. I don't even really have to think about which stop to get off at any more when I'm on the tram. I don't need a map of downtown Bordeaux anymore. This has been "a home away from home," and leaving will be bittersweet. Oddly enough I feel almost just like I did before I left Winnipeg: I liked the familiarity of my life there. But now things here are familiar (and random! Last night an old guy told me I look like Hilary Clinton. Huh?). It's not that I'm not looking forward to coming home; not at all. I miss everyone back home. But it's just that coming home means that this little time that I've had abroad is really over and done with. I have to transition back into real life again. Granted I'll have my sister's wedding to preoccupy me for the first couple of weeks, but then it's back to work and back to Winnipeg life for the summer.
I can see that I've grown a lot being here. I can also see that I've learned tons too. I can't really say if I'm a "changed person"-- I'll let you all be the judge of that when I get home. I definitely know I definitely do not regret doing this. This time's had its ups and downs, but the hard times have made me stronger and wiser and the fun times have really made me realize how blessed I am and how much I can appreciate in my life. Thanks to everyone who sent me encouragement through emails and letters while I've been here. It's been so great!
So I don't know how much time I'll have to write on my blog while we're traveling. If possible, I'll write little updates once in awhile, but if not, consider this my last blog. I'll write a big one when I get home about my big trip. It's been fun keeping you all updated. Thanks for reading, and bye for now!
29.4.08
15.4.08
arrrgh
Ugh. I have to say I know what an administrative headache is now, unfortunately. I haven't had many since I've been here, but this one tops them all I think. So, what I didn't know when I signed the contract to stay in residence here in January was that it said I need to give a month's notice when leaving, which is reasonable, but I didn't know. I've known for a few weeks that I would only need my room until May 2, because after that I'll be travelling for the month of May before I come home, and there's no sense in keeping a room just to leave a suitcase in it. So I realized on April 9 that I should go to tell them about this, and on the 10th I went and got an immediate response: "Ce n'est pas possible." So first of all, the rooms are rented on a month-to-month basis, so I had to ask for special permission to stay in my room for those 2 days after April 30 and pay for each individual day (even though I did arrive January 8 AND paid for the whole month upon my arrival). Secondly, since it was already the 10th, it was too late to give a month's notice and thus they informed me I would not get my deposit back (which equals out to around $200). C'est nul!!! I was upset, but there was nothing I could do. So I went back a few days later to talk to them again, this time bringing my friend Laura to help me out with the talking/convincing. It didn't work. Basically no matter what they're keeping my deposit. So, now I told them that I'm staying in the room until the end of May, and I'm pretty sure I can just use my deposit to pay for the month now. At least Alannah and I will have a place to stay for April 30 and May 1, and again when we get back to Bordeaux on the 24th. This is a good thing, but it just really sucks that I have to pay for May when I didn't want to. Boo French administration! Even Laura says that the administrative system here isn't good at all. Every one is always rude and they make up rules and exceptions all the time. That's one thing I'll be happy to return to when I get back to Canada: a (somewhat) fair and objective system of running things.
10.4.08
can't fight the travel bug
Hi Everyone!
If you're wondering why I haven't written a post for the past 10 days, it's because I've been keeping pretty busy. It seems that it's just hit me that I only have 3 weeks left (tomorrow) until I leave Bordeaux and start my 24-day trek around France, and I'm starting to panic. Thus, this last week or so has been jam-packed with things to do practically every spare afternoon and evening. Instead of boring you with a list of all my day-to-day activities, I'll only talk about the most exciting experiences I've had, namely the trips!
So last Friday I got up super-early to catch a train to Arras, a city in Northern France in the region called Flanders. While there I got to visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial park, the place where Canadians helped the French push back the German troops during WWI. It was a moving experience to be there, to see some of the trenches, and to see the totally uneven land deformed so much from trench warfare. I think you can see a bit of what I'm talking about in the pictures below. Being there made me feel like I could have been back home again, what with all the Government of Canada signs and Canadian flags everywhere. I felt proud to be Canadian, even if I was a little homesick.
Also while I was in Arras, I visited the Jardin des Boves, and underground tunnel system that's existed since the Middle Ages, that is decorated every year with tons of plants and flowers. It was a very interesting tour. You'll see a picture of part of that below too. At the end of my first day there, I tried to go to sleep in the hostel, but right outside my window in the main square, there was a huge fair going on, so of course the music and French announcers were booming until 1am. But what better place to put a fair than a big open Place downtown? It is France, after all. But notice the beautiful Flemish-influenced architecture of all the matching facades of the buildings in the picture below!
The next morning, I caught another train to Bruges. In case you're wondering, yes, that's in Belgium. I love how close everything is here! It was just a 2-hr ride to get there and suddenly I found myself among Flemish speakers, Belgian chocolatiers, canals, and windmills lining the river! Bruges is a beautiful city. While I was there I got to visit a museum detailing the history of chocolate, a basilica where the Holy relic of the blood of Christ is housed (apparently it's really the blood of Jesus! Imagine that!), a lace-making demonstration with some elderly ladies, and a medieval hospital.
After having my fix of Belgian culture (but I didn't eat enough of the chocolate, that's for sure!), I headed back to Bordeaux, but I stopped for the afternoon in Amiens (back in France), where I visited the really impressive Jules Verne house (the author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days among others) and then got a tour of France's largest cathedral. I got home late and had a much-needed sleep back on campus in my bed.
Apparently I couldn't stay on campus for long though, because on Wednesday 3 of my friends and I decided to go on a day trip to the Pays Basque, which is just south of here. When I went to Spain back in January I was in the Pays Basque too, but this time I got to visit a Basque culture museum in Bayonne to learn a bit more about their culture and language, which is super-interesting from a linguist's point of view... and I think I can safely say after taking so many linguistics courses that I am a linguist. It was a beautiful day so we walked around Bayonne a bit and bought some regional specialties to try on our picnic in the park, including Country Ham, a particular cheese, and a Basque cake. Mmmm...
Then as if one city wasn't enough, we took a 30-min bus ride to Biarritz, which is a lot classier but where there's not much to do except lie on the beaches and appreciate the view. So that's what we did! And it was free too. This is the third time I got to see the ocean, and it's still amazing every time. After spending a couple of hours there relaxing, it started to rain a bit, so we left to go find a chocolatier, because there are also regional chocolate specialties that we wanted to try. After this, we headed to the train station to make our way home to Bordeaux.
So, as you can see, I've done quite a bit of traveling this week, and I plan to do a lot more in the weeks to come too. My friend Esther and I were just discussing today when we're going to visit the caves in the Dordogne, a region close to here. And I think next weekend I'm going to go to Roquefort, where the world-famous cheese is made to see how they make it. Then on May 2nd I start my Tour de France with my friend Alannah. I'm pumped!
Other than all the traveling plans, I am still in school. One of my profs decided to move up our "exam" (or should I say our devoir sur table, or in-class assignment) to next Thursday instead of the Thursday after, which is apparently not a problem for anyone. That's what they do here. I can't imagine any prof at the UofW doing something like that, because all due dates and tests are pretty much planned out at the beginning of the term. I mean it's happened, but not on a week's notice, and I guess I just don't expect it as much back home. Nevertheless, I have my DEFLE exams next week too, which I can't really study for, and after that I have 2 more devoirs sur table and then I'm done my degree! I really can't believe the term is almost over. It's gone by way too fast and now I actually have to think about going home and getting back into my old life. I also have to think packing and selling my frigo. It seems like just last month that I bought the frigo! And as for packing, well, I don't really have to do it before I start my Tour de France in May, but it'll be easier to do it now instead of waiting until I come back to Bordeaux for one day near the end of May. I'm starting to worry a little that I may have bought too many souvenirs... Oh well, they'll get home one way or another!
Well, that's all I have right now. Below are some pictures of my trips. The ones I haven't mentioned yet are as follows: part of the Canadian monument at Vimy, called Canada Weeping for her Children, sheep at the Vimy park (they keep the grass trimmed, since it's so hard to maneuver a lawn mower over it), the workshop in the chocolate museum where we saw a trilingual demonstration of how chocolates are made, a beautiful bed of flowers by the river in Bruges, my friends taking a picture of a cathedral in Bayonne (what tourists!), the cool staggered and sloping apartments along the river in Bayonne (painted in the Basque flag colours), and me on the beach in Biarritz.
If you're wondering why I haven't written a post for the past 10 days, it's because I've been keeping pretty busy. It seems that it's just hit me that I only have 3 weeks left (tomorrow) until I leave Bordeaux and start my 24-day trek around France, and I'm starting to panic. Thus, this last week or so has been jam-packed with things to do practically every spare afternoon and evening. Instead of boring you with a list of all my day-to-day activities, I'll only talk about the most exciting experiences I've had, namely the trips!
So last Friday I got up super-early to catch a train to Arras, a city in Northern France in the region called Flanders. While there I got to visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial park, the place where Canadians helped the French push back the German troops during WWI. It was a moving experience to be there, to see some of the trenches, and to see the totally uneven land deformed so much from trench warfare. I think you can see a bit of what I'm talking about in the pictures below. Being there made me feel like I could have been back home again, what with all the Government of Canada signs and Canadian flags everywhere. I felt proud to be Canadian, even if I was a little homesick.
Also while I was in Arras, I visited the Jardin des Boves, and underground tunnel system that's existed since the Middle Ages, that is decorated every year with tons of plants and flowers. It was a very interesting tour. You'll see a picture of part of that below too. At the end of my first day there, I tried to go to sleep in the hostel, but right outside my window in the main square, there was a huge fair going on, so of course the music and French announcers were booming until 1am. But what better place to put a fair than a big open Place downtown? It is France, after all. But notice the beautiful Flemish-influenced architecture of all the matching facades of the buildings in the picture below!
The next morning, I caught another train to Bruges. In case you're wondering, yes, that's in Belgium. I love how close everything is here! It was just a 2-hr ride to get there and suddenly I found myself among Flemish speakers, Belgian chocolatiers, canals, and windmills lining the river! Bruges is a beautiful city. While I was there I got to visit a museum detailing the history of chocolate, a basilica where the Holy relic of the blood of Christ is housed (apparently it's really the blood of Jesus! Imagine that!), a lace-making demonstration with some elderly ladies, and a medieval hospital.
After having my fix of Belgian culture (but I didn't eat enough of the chocolate, that's for sure!), I headed back to Bordeaux, but I stopped for the afternoon in Amiens (back in France), where I visited the really impressive Jules Verne house (the author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days among others) and then got a tour of France's largest cathedral. I got home late and had a much-needed sleep back on campus in my bed.
Apparently I couldn't stay on campus for long though, because on Wednesday 3 of my friends and I decided to go on a day trip to the Pays Basque, which is just south of here. When I went to Spain back in January I was in the Pays Basque too, but this time I got to visit a Basque culture museum in Bayonne to learn a bit more about their culture and language, which is super-interesting from a linguist's point of view... and I think I can safely say after taking so many linguistics courses that I am a linguist. It was a beautiful day so we walked around Bayonne a bit and bought some regional specialties to try on our picnic in the park, including Country Ham, a particular cheese, and a Basque cake. Mmmm...
Then as if one city wasn't enough, we took a 30-min bus ride to Biarritz, which is a lot classier but where there's not much to do except lie on the beaches and appreciate the view. So that's what we did! And it was free too. This is the third time I got to see the ocean, and it's still amazing every time. After spending a couple of hours there relaxing, it started to rain a bit, so we left to go find a chocolatier, because there are also regional chocolate specialties that we wanted to try. After this, we headed to the train station to make our way home to Bordeaux.
So, as you can see, I've done quite a bit of traveling this week, and I plan to do a lot more in the weeks to come too. My friend Esther and I were just discussing today when we're going to visit the caves in the Dordogne, a region close to here. And I think next weekend I'm going to go to Roquefort, where the world-famous cheese is made to see how they make it. Then on May 2nd I start my Tour de France with my friend Alannah. I'm pumped!
Other than all the traveling plans, I am still in school. One of my profs decided to move up our "exam" (or should I say our devoir sur table, or in-class assignment) to next Thursday instead of the Thursday after, which is apparently not a problem for anyone. That's what they do here. I can't imagine any prof at the UofW doing something like that, because all due dates and tests are pretty much planned out at the beginning of the term. I mean it's happened, but not on a week's notice, and I guess I just don't expect it as much back home. Nevertheless, I have my DEFLE exams next week too, which I can't really study for, and after that I have 2 more devoirs sur table and then I'm done my degree! I really can't believe the term is almost over. It's gone by way too fast and now I actually have to think about going home and getting back into my old life. I also have to think packing and selling my frigo. It seems like just last month that I bought the frigo! And as for packing, well, I don't really have to do it before I start my Tour de France in May, but it'll be easier to do it now instead of waiting until I come back to Bordeaux for one day near the end of May. I'm starting to worry a little that I may have bought too many souvenirs... Oh well, they'll get home one way or another!
Well, that's all I have right now. Below are some pictures of my trips. The ones I haven't mentioned yet are as follows: part of the Canadian monument at Vimy, called Canada Weeping for her Children, sheep at the Vimy park (they keep the grass trimmed, since it's so hard to maneuver a lawn mower over it), the workshop in the chocolate museum where we saw a trilingual demonstration of how chocolates are made, a beautiful bed of flowers by the river in Bruges, my friends taking a picture of a cathedral in Bayonne (what tourists!), the cool staggered and sloping apartments along the river in Bayonne (painted in the Basque flag colours), and me on the beach in Biarritz.
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