Vendredi - Friday

This week has flown by so quickly! I can’t believe it’s Friday already. My afternoons and evenings have been filled with special activities and outings, which makes the time pass more quickly. Before I know it, I’m going to be in the airport in Little Rock. I actually have mixed feelings about that. The longer I stay here, the better it gets. I’m becoming more comfortable with the culture and the language, developing good friendships, and get this: I’m not getting lost anymore! (That alone makes me happy.) It’s a little odd to think that just last week I felt like I was nearly ready to come home, because now I wish I had more time left here. One week doesn’t seem like enough. Ah well. I’m looking forward to things at home, too, like seeing my family and friends and Roffles, trying out my new recipes, swimming at the lake, watching French movies, making a scrapbook of my ‘sejour à Québec’, starting school, going dancing again, helping with the CPC banquet…and tons of other things. But, before I get to all that, I still have a week to enjoy here in Québec:

• Concert Sous La Lune: outdoor classical music concert tonight

• Trip to Vieux-Québec for sight-seeing/shopping/eating with Megan & Amy tomorrow afternoon

• Trout fishing with my host family Sunday afternoon, if they’re not busy and if it isn’t raining :P

• Fireworks competition finale at the Montmorency Falls Wednesday night

• Musée de la Civilisation

• Another trip to the port market

• Musée des Augustines

I realized that there’s another benefit to participating in this immersion program: being able to sympathize with foreign students who are learning English. Being one of those students right now, I know how difficult it can be, and exactly what they struggle with. And, now I also know how to make it easier on them: speak more slowly, watch the slang, and use simple words to build up to more complex vocabulary.  Also, it's good to go the extra mile to make them feel welcome and comfortable in new social settings.  There's nothing more awkward than joining a new social group and not knowing the language.  Well, I gotta go get ready for the concert, so...a bientot!

Later…

Wow, that concert was lovely! Granted, it was a long drive to get there, but I think it was worth it. Plus, I can sleep in tomorrow. :) The bus ride to Montmorency Forest was about an hour long, and David and I spent it talking about drivers’ licenses and our favorite comedy videos on YouTube. One of the animateurs offered us some really chewy and slightly sweet bread (I’m guessing he made it) and passed out a few articles of warm clothing left over from the costume ball. Everyone else had packed really warm jackets, so I was wondering if was going to be warm enough in mine. They kept saying that it was going to be really cold. The concert started indoors, actually, with some folkloric music. I loved the atmosphere: dimly lit, one candle, soft voices, and a violin, guitar, flute, and … I don’t know what it’s called. It’s a Native American instrument, I think, that you blow into; it makes a deep vibrating sound.  (Edit: Evan says it's a didgeridoo.  Thanks, Evan!)  Anyway, there were three men and a woman, and they explained that the concert would be about 20 minutes farther into the forest, on a lake, where we would have the opportunity to relax and enjoy music and nature at the same time. On the drive out there, David and I discussed the necessity of slowing down to savor life and his obsession with Doritos – the blue kind. He says he could live off of them…

Anyway, when we finally arrived at the lake, out in the middle of nowhere really, there were only a few luminaries lighting the path. We could see four luminaries floating on the lake, evidently in boats that were prepared for the musicians. Once everyone had settled down on the ground at the edge of the lake, everything was silent, and we waited for the music to commence. It took a while, but finally we heard the sound of birds chirping floating across the lake – quietly at first, then louder – and then the guitar gently slipped into the background. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The rest of the concert consisted of cheerful flute duets, violin solos, Indian-inspired chants, and traditional folk music, with a lot of breaks for silence. It was a little chilly, and it rained a couple of times, but overall, it was enjoyable. About halfway through, I decided to lie back on the ground and stare at the sky – that was even better, because despite the storm clouds, I could see stars twinkling intermittently. The concert ended at around 11, and we still had to drive all the way back to the tourist station to thank the musicians, buy CDs, and use the bathroom before making the drive back to campus. I actually slept for a little while on the way back. I wasn’t expecting to be out quite that late, so I wasn’t really sure what to do when I got back. I didn’t want to walk, seeing as it was 12:30am, and I didn’t want to walk across campus to the bus stop by myself either. David was kind enough to escort me to the bus stop and wait with me until the bus came. We decided that we were both tired enough to talk in English, so we discussed weather phenomena (tornados) and favorite sci-fi authors. Oh, and finally, someone noticed my Arkansas accent! I suppose I was tired enough that it came out. Ah well, he pronounces certain words with a Long Island accent. :P Anyway, the bus finally came, and they didn’t say anything about my pass, so I finally made it home around 1am.

Oh yeah…the pass. I was sitting in class today when Megan and David started talking about how they didn’t know what they were going to do about their bus passes. I had no idea what they were talking about, so I asked…and it turns out that the monthly bus pass that we purchased doesn’t last for one month from the date of purchase. It’s only good for the duration of the month in which it’s purchased. So, at the end of July, all of our passes expire. I don’t think it’s a fair policy, but…there’s nothing we can do about it. We talked about the different options: day passes, single tickets, another monthly pass. Those cost $45.80, while the day passes are $6.20 each. Single tickets are $2.35 for students, or you can pay $2.50 in exact change on the bus. Whatever you do, nothing is quite as economical as the monthly pass, but I don’t have the money or enough time to really get $45 worth of use out of it. I think I’m just going to buy some single tickets and keep walking to and from school every day. :P 

Au plaisir!

Jeudi - Thursday

I’m encouraged: conversation is getting easier… :)

Today I learned something new about the process of acquiring a foreign language: sometimes, altering your personality is a necessary part of the process. It isn’t easy for a shy person to learn French! All of the consonants and vowel sounds, especially those at the ends of words, are essential, and to ensure that native Francophones understand you, you have to pronounce them strongly and deliberately. If they aren’t clear, the native speakers can’t make the necessary distinctions for masculine/feminine and singular/plural words. For that matter, they may not be able to determine which word you’re using at all. So, you just have to swallow your timidity and say it like you mean it. It reminds me of one of my pastor’s favorite quotations from Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style: “If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud! If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud!”  

I think that this compulsory confidence just might be a good thing…because I’m with Will Strunk: it’s better to be wrong than irresolute.

In other news, I think I’ve found my new favorite place to go in Vieux-Québec: Le Marché de Vieux-Port. It’s like a farmer’s market on crack. Seriously, the variety of vendors was amazing. You could find just about anything you wanted there: saucisses (sausages), fresh bread, crepes, glass and amber jewelry, alpaca wool clothing, goat’s milk bath products, locally produced honey, chocolates, cheeses, meats, fresh seafood, fresh flowers, more types of fruits and vegetables than you could imagine (blueberries & raspberries, especially), canned jellies and preserves, cranberries and cranberry products, and lots and lots of maple syrup and maple butter. And then there were the wineries. Tell me: how many Arkansas farmers’ markets have winery stands where you can taste whatever you like? Porto rose, cidre glacée, mistelles, liqueurs, and plum wine, strawberry wine, raspberry wine, black currant wine, maple syrup wine, and even saskatoonberry wine…I’m sure I tasted about 15 different kinds. And then there was the exotic import store, with gourmet teas, spices, oils, nuts, grains, and confections from all over the world. Their spice collection was stored on a wall that looked like a huge card catalog. I haven’t seen anything like it.

Me and the spice wall.  I was impressed.  Can you tell?

Me and Megan by the cranberry stand

Oddly enough, that was where the animateurs took us for our final obligatory excursion. We took the bus to the Vieux-Port area, and after walking in the rain for ten minutes to get to the market, we were all rather soggy. But, I didn’t mind once I saw what was inside. Our assignment was rather simple: to gather responses to a list of questions they gave us. Each one corresponded to a specific vendor, so all we had to do was find the right stand and pose the question. By the time my team made it around to most of the vendors, they were already familiar with what we were going to ask, so it wasn’t difficult at all. When we had all finished, the animateurs left us at liberty to do whatever we wanted, and Megan and I decided to stay and explore the rest of the market. I didn’t have any cash on me, so I didn’t purchase anything, but I took good mental notes of what I wanted to return for. We even found several vendors who were willing to speak French with us. The two that I thought were the most friendly and the easiest to practice with were the women at the amber jewelry and cassis wine booths. The woman selling the jewelry was from Brazil, so she spoke French with a bit of a Portuguese accent. It turns out that her husband is Polish, so Megan and I discussed our Polish heritage with her for a few minutes. We learned that the Polish alphabet is pretty much impossible…so I don’t think that language is going at the top of my list of languages to learn.

Yay, the gummy bear kid!

Wow...

Oh, btw, it’s funny to watch the native francophones try to figure out our idioms and word-plays. David was wearing a shirt that said, “Practice safe lunch. Use a condiment!” It took the animateurs the entire bus ride to figure it out.

Speaking of the bus ride, Megan and I both made an interesting discovery as we were conversing in French on the bus: we’re both Trekkies. She grew up watching TNG with her grandfather, just like I grew up watching TNG with my mom. Don’t ask me how, but I seem to attract these kindred spirits. We also spent a lot of time discussing tattoos, make-up, and difficult vocabulary. For instance, “to realize.” Do you know how complicated it is in French to say, “I didn’t realize that.”? Seriously! “Je ne m’en suis pas rendue compte.” Juh nuh mon sweep ah rondoo compt. :P I think I’ll figure out another way to say the same thing. I’m sure the rest of the people on the bus found our little practice session entertaining though. I mean, how funny would it be if we heard someone on a bus in Arkansas saying, “I didn’t realize that! I realized that! I realize that. No, I didn’t realize that! I didn’t realize that!” It’s like the story Nick told me the other day about his experience in a restaurant with some of his friends. They were conversing in French, and naturally, the other people in the restaurant could overhear parts of their conversation. One of the girls started to tell a story about a monkey, but she couldn’t remember the word for monkey in French. So, the other students started trying to remember it. “Singe? Songe? No no, I think it’s singe. Oui, c’est ca. Singe, singe!” Imagine if you were sitting in the restaurant, and all of a sudden you hear, “Monkey! Monkey! Yeah, I think so. Monkey monkey monkey!” That cracked me up.

Just for the record, I’ve decided that I could easily live on French food. Give me some bread, cheese, wine, and chocolate, and I’m good.

Mercredi - Wednesday

I realized today just how much more sense the French is making to me now.  Concepts are clicking, conversation is flowing more easily, and even the pronouns and new words are coming to mind when I need them.  It's not as difficult to switch back and forth, either.  Yay, progress!

Since the house was empty and quiet, I spent the afternoon doing homework and taking dance breaks.  (It's great when no one's watching.)  I really enjoyed having the opportunity to sit down, have some coffee, and take the time to concentrate on new concepts and new vocabulary.  I guess some people would find it strange that I find that enjoyable, but to each his own.  For some reason, researching words and making index cards is almost relaxing to me; maybe it's the method, the order, the repetition.   Anyway, there was supposed to be a French movie night at the university, and I decided that I wanted to go, since I'd enjoyed the two other films that they'd chosen.  Unfortunately, I mixed up the dates, and the movie was actually Friday.  So, since I was already on campus, I decided to do some wander-walking and picture-taking.  (I passed that creepy guy who hit on me during the cruise on the sidewalk, too...*shudder*.)

This is the interior of that beautiful castle-like library building.  It's so ugly inside...what a let-down.  :P

Flowers are everywhere you look!

So, I hopped on the bus and headed down to Vieux-Québec to explore, and I thought I could try to catch the Moulin à Images spectacle (Image Mill show) down in the Vieux-Port area.  First, though, I wandered through the Parc-de-l'Artillerie, a historic site of some of the original French fortifications.  There are some buildings, and barracks and ramparts that have been preserved and restored to tell the story of the French defense effort, but for the most part, it's just a place for odd little social groups to hang out.  From guitar-strumming poets punk rock kids, they were all there, and they were all just a little weird.  It's the only place in the city so far where I just haven't really felt comfortable.

Part of the old fortificationsIt's one of the only places I've found graffiti like this, too.  :P 

Next, I wandered down one of the little side streets and found a little used bookstore.  I'd been thinking about finding a French book to bring back as a souvenir, so I stopped in to see what they had.  It was a charming little shop.  I was greeted by an old man who looked like he'd been reading and selling books would be his specialty, and started browsing the titles.  I couldn't help but feel like he was watching me, so I decided to just shove my insecurities aside and strike up a conversation.  After all, he looked nice enough, and if I didn't get out the right words, he didn't look like the type who would bury me in the basement.  It turned out that he barely spoke English, which was a very good thing, because it meant that speaking in French was our only choice.  Fortunately, we were able to more or less understand each other, and he helped me find some poetry books.  He was trying so hard to sell me something, and I'm a sucker for those grandfather-types.  So, I'm not sure if it was the book I finally found, or the fact that I felt sorry for him, that made me decide to get it.  With a decorative cover, it'll be a lovely little book for my collection.

When mentioned that I was thinking about going to see the Moulin à Images, he gave me some simple directions to find the Port.  I followed them and the people who seemed to be heading that direction, and I ended up in just the right place, down by the water.  Now, the Moulin à Images is one of the coolest parts of Québec City's 400th anniversary celebration.  At ten o'clock every night until the end of the summer, there is a huge movie/sound show projected on the grain silos that documents the history of Québec.  When I arrived around nine o'clock, there was already a huge crowd gathering with lawn chairs and blankets on the grass and the boardwalk. Some of them were gathered under one of the pavilions (the lucky ones), and others were wandering in and out of the temporary buildings and stages set up in the area for the celebration.  There were random entertainers doing shows for the crowd, like this one:

As far as I could tell, it was just a few people pretending to be really old.  I'm not sure what the show was actually about, because it was finishing when I walked up.

Anyway, I found a place close to the water's edge and sat down to wait.  Fortunately, I had brought my notebook, so I did a little writing.  The lights finally dimmed at ten, and the show started.  It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen; I wish I could get a good video of it.  Maybe this will give you a little bit of an idea of what it was like: 

The sounds, music, graphics...everything fit together amazingly well.  I've never seen something projected so clearly on such a grand scale (much less on old grain silos).  They even added special effects like fire, smoke, and water from the larger building.  What's even better: I actually understood the significance of some of the film.  I'm not an expert on Québecois history by any stretch of the imagination, but I have picked up several key points from class presentations and museums since I've been here.  That made the show even more enjoyable, I think.  Oh, and it started raining halfway through the show.  I think that's what made it a trulyQuébecois experience.  ;)

After it ended (it lasts for 45 minutes) I followed the throng of people back up to the Haute-Ville  and caught the bus back to my house.  I was so proud that I'd enjoyed myself and hadn't gotten lost!  :D

Mardi - Tuesday

Today, I went to class, as usual...6:45, every morning - same routine.  First alarm, snooze once, second alarm, make the bed, check the weather, look for my clothes in the dark, realize that the light would be helpful, head to the bathroom for a splash of cold water, throw on some makeup,  contend with my hair, and finish packing my backpack.  By 7:05, I'm sitting down to a delicious breakfast with Mme. F, and we commence our quest for new and interesting vocabulary with steaming cups of coffee in hand.   We spend the next 45 minutes flipping through our dictionaries and scribbling in our notebooks in between bites - the topics could range from weather to laundromats, from types of fish to family vacations.  Between 7:50 and 8:00, I excuse myself, throw on my shoes, grab a bottle of water, and head out the door.  I've discovered that it only takes 20-25 minutes to walk to school, so I don't bother with the bus anymore.  Besides, I enjoy the walk.

Anyway, that's my morning - just in case you were curious. (You probably weren't, but...oh well, now you know.)   I had a bit of homework to do this afternoon when I got back, but once I got that taken care of, I was off to a baseball game.  :)  It was beautiful outside when I left, but as soon as I stepped under the pavilion at the University, it started to pour down rain.  I'm telling you, you can not predict the weather here.  

Since we still needed to walk across campus to the bus stop, the animateurs decided that we were going to take the underground tunnels.  I hadn't realized it, but there's evidently a vast network of concrete tunnels connecting various buildings around the campus.  It makes sense, considering that winters here can be brutal.  It was an interesting walk, because the walls are covered with graffiti of all kinds.  Some of it is thought-provoking, some of it is funny, and some of it is just plain bizarre: poetry, quotes, and opinions in several languages, artwork, and of course, a fair amount of vulgarity.  During the walk, Amy and I discussed Major League Baseball as well as we could, considering our limited vocabulary.  (It's all part of the learning process...finding new topics to talk about but not knowing enough words to do it well.)  Turns out that both and she and I have similar backgrounds when it comes to baseball: we both inherited our fondness for the sport from our dads.  Naturally, she's a Reds fan, being from Ohio, but that's ok - we found enough common ground with our mutual hatred of the Yankees.  ;)  

When we arrived at the park, finally, (it's on the other side of the city), we probably looked like lost sheep standing out in the sun.  We couldn't figure out how the concessions worked.  :P  The animateurs had told us that with our tickets, we could have three drinks and all of the food was "a volonte."  It took us a while to figure out that "a volonte" meant, "at will."  In the end, it turned out that three alcoholic drinks and all the food we could eat were included in our ticket price, so since neither of us felt like drinking any beer, we just munched on hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, potato chips, popcorn, and soda...mmm, ballpark junk food!  The concession stands were open for two hours before the ball game, so everyone had their fill, and then we all headed up into the stands to watch the game. 

Pregame excitement

A view of the ballpark - not as nice as Dickey-Stephens, but it had character!  And get this: the Canadian-American League teams have their own dance troupes - kind of like cheerleaders.  I've never seen a baseball team with cheerleaders before...

These guys were die-hard fans.  The guy in the gray shirt walked up and down the bleachers with a CD player trying to lead everyone in a song written especially for Les Capitales.   It was supposed to be sung to a Beatles tune, but since we couldn't really hear it, it was impossible to sing along.  Oh well.  We tried.

I thought this was really cute.

This might have been one of the players the girls behind us were giggling about.  They were cracking me up, because they'd had several beers, of course, and they actually had a notebook and were making a list of players to cheer for based on looks, talent, and overall sexiness.  "Oh, write down #29 - yeah, just for sexiness in general.  And that Jean-Pierre, go ahead and add him.  He's on the Quebecois team, but he's really hot, too!"  

It's interesting how mainstream American music is here, especially dance music.  It makes for a fun game, anyway.  :D

I think they made their point.

The park from the outside, after the game.

Everything's lit up for the big party!

At the bus stop after the game, Amy and I started discussing the safest way to get home.  We both would have had to walk a good distance in the dark, and she didn't feel comfortable with that after having heard about an incident that happened on campus a few weeks ago.  I hadn't heard about it, but evidently, there was a young woman in one of the residence halls who encountered a man in the elevator who tried to steal her purse.  When the elevator stopped, she ran, but the man chased her and backed her up against a wall.  Fortunately, she was alright in the end.  There was also another incident where a man started following a group of girls outside the residence hall.  The campus is rather safe, overall, and the city even more so, but with the influx of foreign language students on campus right now for the immersion program, I can see how the crime rate would increase.  We make really good targets, being generally unfamiliar with both the area and the language.  So, even though those incidences were probably isolated and exceptional, Amy and I decided it would be best to take precautions.  Neither one of us had ever taken a taxi before, but it seemed to be our only option after getting off the bus, and we figured it we might as well try it, since doing it together for the first time wouldn't be as hard as trying it alone.  (It would probably make for a great story later, too.)  After we were finally able to make one cab driver understand what we wanted, he directed us to the cab in front of him, where we had to explain it all over again. (nothing like a little practice)  We determined that he could get us to where we wanted to go, so we hopped in.  It wasn't a long drive, but it was pleasant.  The cabbie, a young guy, wanted to practice his English, and we wanted to practice our French, so we decided that we could have it both ways: he'd speak in English and we'd speak in French.  Btw, French guys who try to speak English are so cute (and I've heard that they feel the same way about English girls who try to speak French).  I suppose the cabbies get paid to flirt a little bit too.  :P  Anyway, we both made it back home safely - and now we can say we've taken a cab.  Yay for us!  lol

Btw, Happy Birthday, Isaac!

Lundi - Monday

Today…I took a nap. A long nap. And you know what? It didn’t help at all. I was so exhausted after class this morning, so I set the alarm on my phone and fell asleep. Two hours and a few snoozes later, I finally managed to make myself get up and get ready for the cruise. Since it was a semi-dressy affair, I made an exception to my “shoe rule” and wore heels with my dress. I wear my sneakers everywhere else, no matter what; otherwise, I pay for it later with all the walking I do here. Anyway, Mme. F made sure I was very well prepared. I was probably the only one with an extra bag of snacks, water, and a windbreaker. She’s very protective and always makes sure I’m super-prepared (probably more so than my own mother). ;) But yeah, I really appreciate how she takes care of me. With all of the changes and challenges I’ve been facing, I’ve needed her!  

I think most of the students in the program went on the cruise, which means we filled up at least six busses with students. I suppose it was to be expected, since they advertised it as the “activity of the session” and told us over and over that we didn’t want to miss it. What they didn’t mention in the activities flyer was that the cruise was just an excuse to get drunk and have a huge dance party on a chilly, wet ship deck. So…when it was all said and done, I had pretty much decided that I could have missed it and been perfectly fine. Oh well, it’s all good – I had the chance to visit with Amy and Megan, who weren’t really into the whole drunk dancing thing either. During our lengthy conversation (we were on the boat for one of the longest 3 hours of the entire session), we discovered that we’d each had similar experiences with our host families and with adjusting to life here in Québec. I was really encouraged, knowing that I wasn’t the only one wondering, feeling, and doing the same things. Here are some shots of us on the cruise, having our own fun:

The Louis Jolliet

Amy & MeganMe...

Oh yes, and the view from the ship was amazingly beautiful, especially *after* the storm blew over. The sunset was breathtaking.

The storm - it poured down rain like crazy

The Chateau from the river

The sunset

Btw, I have a question. Can anyone tell me why I don’t seem to attract guys my own age? Of all the guys on that ship, I got hit on by the one who had to be in his 30s. And this morning, this 11 year old kid grabbed my hand on the sidewalk and introduced himself. (That was actually amusing – especially listening to him and the other boys laughing as they kept on walking. I remember when the boys in the homeschool group dared each other to do stuff like that. Funny memories. :) )

A bientot!

Dimanche - Sunday

Today wasn’t too eventful – just hanging around the house, relaxing. Church service is held at 9, so I didn’t get to sleep any longer today, either. Because the regular pastor and his family were on vacation in Ontario, the sermon was delivered by a fill-in, who spoke less clearly (and probably less like a native anglophone). As a result, the service was more difficult to understand, but I suppose it was a good listening exercise. I probably couldn’t have passed a comprehension test at the end, though.  

Mme. F and I spent a couple of hours conversing and learning new vocabulary this afternoon. I think we ended up on the topic of laundry and Laundromats. (It’s all useful in one way or another.) Later in the day, some of her family came over again, and we spent some time outside on the patio eating chicken and gravy and slaw, having a great time. They taught me some slang, and I was actually able to understand some of the funny stories they were telling. Let me tell you, though, I discovered how embarrassing it can be when you’re teaching someone a language, because sometimes they want to know the words for awkward things. What do you say when they start talking about flatulence (as all normal families do after dinner) and ask you, “So, what’s the slang for that in English? I mean, not the polite words…” 0_o

Samedi - Saturday

There is one thing I miss: sleeping in on Saturdays. I was only able to sleep about 30 minutes more than I do on the weekdays today, but I think it was worth it. Today’s excursion was a trip to Lévis, a sleepy little town just on the other side of the St. Laurence River. I actually think it was one of my favorite activities so far. Not only was it free, but it was much more relaxed than my weekday routine. I also had quite a sunburn when I got back…unfortunately…but oh well. I was in a hurry to leave, and didn’t think about needing sunscreen. I did remember my camera, though, and I took Evan’s advice and took pictures of everything, even the things that I thought were ordinary – because like he said, I’ll probably forget even the ordinary parts of my experience here.  

Very ordinary - lots of walking

I can't help but stop and take pictures of flowers...sometimes they're prettier than the sights.

We just walked through the city (or rather, we hiked – it’s quite hilly), admiring the historic houses and churches, the view of the river, and the Fresco de Lévis: a huge mural depicting the history of the town. We also visited the town’s military museum since the one in Québec City was damaged by fire a few months ago and isn’t open. One thing I learned from the tour? They may speak French, but they don’t fight like the French (meaning, they actually fight). ;-) They have a lot to be proud of when it comes to their military history, especially their involvement in World War II. Le Régiment de la Chaudière was the only francophone unit to participate in Operation Overlord (D-Day). If you’re interested, you can check out some of the history of the Juno Beach landing at http://www.members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-4-3.htm.

Oh yeah, lookin' good in the uniforms...

As we continued our tour of the Lévis, I couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was. The pace of life there seemed to be much slower than in Québec City. That’s actually saying a lot, because in general, the Québecois don’t lead a hurried lifestyle. I suppose I could describe Lévis as being both cozy and airy, sleepy and animated. Those are strange combinations, I know, but it was a unique town.

Yes, very unique.  The Chateau Frontenac may be the most photographed building in the world, but I bet there aren't many people who have a shot like this.  ;)

We stopped in a little bakery/café/gourmet grocery so that some of the students could buy lunch for our picnic, and I have to say it was one of the most charming grocery stores I’ve ever visited. I’ve never seen a grocery store with such a mix of products, or one with live music. The combination of piano and upright bass created the perfect atmosphere. I wish we could have stayed there and eaten outside on the sidewalk, but there were too many of us to do that. Our picnic in the park overlooking the river was lovely, though. I got the chance to practice conversing in French with some new people, which is always helpful. If you speak with the same students all the time, it is really easy to guess what the other person is trying to say because you’ve become familiar with their body language and usual subjects and styles of communication. It’s interesting, this process of learning another language.

We continued our outing with a stop at Chocolats Favoris – without a doubt the best ice cream shop I’ve ever visited. I’m completely serious. I have never eaten ice cream that luscious in my life. And it was so simple, too: they just filled a cone with creamy vanilla ice cream and dipped it in dark chocolate. It wasn’t just any ice cream or any chocolate, though. Both were so creamy, and so rich. The layer of chocolate was probably 1/8” thick, and it didn’t harden completely; it stayed semi-soft. Oh my gosh…every bite just melted into ambrosial bliss. This is me, savoring my 15 minutes of heaven:

It’s a good thing we don’t have this in Arkansas. :P

We finished our afternoon with a visit to the Desjardins House, which dates back to the turn of the 20th century. Alphonse Desjardins was the founder of the extremely successful bank/credit union, Desjardins, so his house was located near the church, along with the homes of the other rich townsfolk (doctors, lawyers, etc). Both he and his wife were quite intelligent, and obviously successful, because it’s Canada's largest financial cooperative group, with over 5.8 million members. You hardly see any other banks here in Québec. I found the tour quite interesting and also encouraging, because I was able to understand a lot of what the tour guide said. Of course, he was speaking more slowly for us, but still – my ears are becoming much more sensitive. It feels good to be able to pick up more of the details in the spoken French, because it’s rather disconcerting when you only comprehend the general idea.

The house

Anyway, we took the ferry back across the river to Québec City, where everyone split up and went their separate ways. Since it was only 3 o’clock in the afternoon, I decided that I had enough time to do some exploring of my own in the Basse-Ville before heading back for supper. I started at the bottom of the Funiculaire, a giant elevator-type apparatus that takes people from the Haute-Ville to the Basse-Ville if they don’t want to take L’escalier Casse-Cou (the break-neck stairs). It’s not a gentle incline, by any means; rather, the Haute-Ville sits on the edge of a cliff. You can see it more clearly from the river:

Anyway, from the base of the Funiculaire, I wandered down le Rue Petit-Champlain, which is a good place to go shopping if you have more money than I have. There were so many boutiques and stores with beautiful clothing and artwork:

After that, I found La Maison Chevalier, a house that was originally built in 1752 for ship owner Jean-Baptiste Chevalier. Throughout the 19th century it was used as an inn, and the Québec government restored the house and converted it into a museum in 1965. It’s filled with exhibits about daily life in the city throughout the years. The exhibit that I found the most fascinating was about the Tour de la Misère. I can’t find a lot about it online through Google, which is strange, so I’m going to have to go completely from memory. Because unwed mothers were ridiculed and renounced by society, the nuns provided a haven of mercy for them: a secret doorway connected to one of the convents allowed the women to leave their newborn babies in the hands of the nuns without exposing themselves. The exhibit displayed several letters that accompanied the children who were left there. The one I remember the most clearly was written by a mother who requested that her son be named Cyrille Hughes, because someday, she would return for him. I wonder how many of those young mothers were reunited with their children. Something tells me it isn’t likely. :(

The area where le Maison Chevalier was situated

I wish I could have spent more time in that museum, but they closed just a few minutes after I arrived. It was actually one of the few times that I passed myself off as a francophone; none of the museum staff tried to speak with me in English. I guess I was somehow able to avoid “the look.” Amy and I decided that “the look” is what gives us away, because it’s a natural response when someone starts speaking to us in French. Without realizing it, we get this look of intense concentration on our faces. I suppose it’s better than the look of overwhelmed confusion we had during the first week. Lol

Let’s see, where did I go after the Maison Chevalier…? Oh, le Place-Royale – the spot where Samuel de Champlain landed in 1608 and founded the first French settlement in North America (according to Wikipedia). It’s a pretty public square now, with an iron statue of Louis XIV given to Québec by France. On one side is the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, a church established in 1723 and recently renovated. Its name refers to the sinking of a British fleet, which is ironic, because it was destroyed by the British bombardment in 1759. :P The building was restored in 1816, and it’s still used as a place of worship (as are most of the historic churches here). I haven’t seen the interior, but I’m guessing it’s nice. Probably not as ornate as the Notre Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, but Québec does a good job of restoring historic sites. Actually, everything is probably a little nicer right now because they’re in the middle of their 400th anniversary celebration.

Overall, it was a lovely afternoon. For some reason, I couldn’t help but smile and greet everyone I passed with a ‘bonjour’. What’s really nice is that they return the sentiment here. People don’t seem to be quite as self-absorbed as the people I’m accustomed to seeing in the U.S. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s just this area. Anyway, I think these pictures will do a better job of detailing the rest of my afternoon:

When I got back, Mme. F was entertaining some of her family for dinner – three or four of her sisters, a couple of brother-in-laws, a nephew and his girlfriend – so I got the chance to listen in on some familial slang. :) I understood next to nothing, but that’s ok. They were all extremely nice, and actually, they reminded me a lot of a stereotypical Southern family from Arkansas. Lots of beer, lots of cigarettes, lots of food, and lots of joking around. They’ve even got the accent – except, it’s Québécois of course, not Southern.  

Anyway, I think this is long enough, so I'm going to get some sleep.  Bonsoir!

Vendredi - Friday

Today I was blessed with two new friends. :D It still amazes me how God places people in my life with such perfect timing. I had already met both Amy and Megan, since they have been coming to the St. Mark’s Church on Sundays, and Megan is in my class. It seemed like we might have a lot in common, so I was glad to have the opportunity to spend some time with them in Vieux-Québec today. After I dumped my stuff off at the house after class, threw on some cooler clothes (another unpredictable day), and gulped down some of the sushi Mme. F had brought me for lunch, we took the bus down le Rue St. Jean and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering in and out of shops, admiring artwork, perfumes, leather goods, jewelry, medieval clothing, swords, and cheap souvenirs. Amy and I discussed the immense difficulty of finding gifts for guys, a problem which is evidently universal. :P  Here's a picture of the swords mounted on the wall in the medieval goods store:  

And, here's a random shot of some sheep figurines I found amusing:

And finally, this is the Grand Capitale - the theater where Les Miserables is playing:

We eventually found an alley lined with artists selling drawings, etchings, and paintings – both originals and copies – of all sizes and prices. Some of the miniature scenes of Vieux-Québec were quite charming, and we all wished we had more money…not just for gifts, but to spend on ourselves. Hehe. 

One thing we discovered was that most of the vendors spoke English. It was actually quite frustrating, because when they recognized that we were either students or tourists, they wouldn’t make the effort to speak French with us. I think that some of them are just in a hurry, but perhaps others want to practice their English just like we want to practice our French. I guess one of these days we’ll figure out how to strike a balance and carry on bilingual conversations. Anyway, one of them caught us speaking English and jokingly reprimanded us like one of the animateurs. When we asked how it was so obvious that we were students, even when we were speaking French, he pointed out the fact that we all seemed to be the same age and we were obviously not sisters, because we looked nothing alike. It made sense – that, combined with the fact that we don’t speak French like natives by any stretch of the imagination. Oh well, when I’m exploring alone, I can usually pass myself off as a shy francophone – that is, if I stay quiet and stick to the phrases I’ve practiced the most. ;-P Actually, no, my goal now is to seek out more of the natives around town who are willing to speak French with me. I’m not as nervous about it now as I was at first.   :)
 
By the time the afternoon was over, we had successfully arrived at the edge of the Basse-Ville. We had been looking for new areas of town to explore, since we had already exhausted le Rue St. Jean, so we were quite excited. It was getting late, though, so we decided to save the Basse-Ville for another day.

Ps. I forgot to mention how excited I was today in class when our professor handed back our tests.  It was a fairly easy test, so a few of us made perfect scores, and she gave us four green cards for it.  I was so happy - green cards, finally!!  I work so hard to earn those, and the animateurs never remember.  :P  Anyway, our professor (Doc Sue) was cracking me up today, too.  Megan and I had already finished the homework she'd assigned as optional the night before, so when she gave the class some time to work on it, we were just sitting there talking.  We had a lovely conversation about church and had the opportunity to practice some new vocabulary, but every time Doc Sue walked past our table, she'd roll her eyes and mutter something about "les suuuuper-dupers."  It was hilarious.

Speaking of hilarious, I have a new favorite expression, thanks to Doc Sue.  She's a little eccentric and quite emphatic at times, so when she really wants us to take note of something, she doesn't just say, "Hey, pay attention!"  No, she says, with each syllable carefully separated and emphasized, "C'est suuuuper maxi important!!"

Yeah.  I laughed.  I haven't figured out yet if she knows the connotation or not, but either way, I love it.  

4 Hours

*sigh* I don't think I've ever walked this much in my life. Four hours in one day - seriously. It wasn't intentional, but at least I got my exercise. :P You know, they say to walk for 30 minutes a day...does this mean that I'm good for the next week? lol

So yeah, I walked to and from school today, which is about 15 minutes if I take the bus part of the way, and 20-25 minutes if I walk the whole way. I decided to meet up with some friends to go to the museum this afternoon, but I ended up leaving a little later than I'd intended, and then I missed both buses that would have cut off some time from the walk to the other side of campus where I had to meet them. So that walk was about 30-40 minutes. They went ahead and left before I got there, so I decided to just take the bus and meet them there, but I got the stops mixed up and ended up in the wrong part of town, so I took the bus back up to where I knew where I was and asked for directions in this Christian bookstore. She gave me a map, and I walked another 30-40 minutes to the museum from there. After walking around the museum for a couple of hours, I walked half of the way back to the house. I ended up waiting at the bus stop for quite a while, too, because the bus didn't stop for me. :P It was starting to rain, so I was sitting inside the little covered area...and I was a little irritated that the driver didn't stop at the stop like he was supposed to. But anyway. I finally made it home and ate dinner around 9pm, completely exhausted.


But...that said, it wasn't a horrible day - just tiring. Wandering around by bus and on foot helped to familiarize me a little more with the city, and now I know of several areas that I want to explore when I have some time this week. It's strange; Quebec City is so much bigger than it feels. No matter where I am, it always feels close and comfortable. It isn't until I end up lost that I realize how much ground there is to cover. :P

Oh, and the museum was really neat; they have about four different areas of exhibitions from the Louvre right now, and you can view them all for $7. I thought that the most intriguing exhibit was the one containing the Pharaonic Egyptian artifacts. It was hard to believe just how old the sculptures were - a couple thousand years, or more. The painted ceramic wall hangings from the Ottoman Empire were quite lovely, as well. The rest of the museum is free, so I might go back another time.

I'm actually glad I got lost, because wandering around by bus and on foot helped to familiarize me a little more with the city. Now I know of several areas that I want to explore when I have some time this week. It's strange; Quebec City is so much bigger than it feels. No matter where I am, it always feels close and comfortable. It isn't until I end up lost that I realize how much ground there is to cover. :P

Anyway, I need to pack my bag for tomorrow and fall into bed now. Au plaisir!

Happy

Strangely enough, I don’t have anything to do tonight. It’s rather cool and rainy outside, so I’ve decided not to venture out to explore, and I didn’t want to go to the Costume Ball at the school. (Who brings a costume to an intensive French program anyway?)

Anyway, I have rather enjoyed the past few days, having been busy but not too busy. Thursday, I attended a “soirée avec les animateurs,” which basically means an outing with the program assistants. They remind me a little bit of the TeenPact staffers because they manage all of the same kinds of things, and they’re young, energetic, and sometimes goofy. However, since FLE isn’t a Christian program like TeenPact, there is an obvious difference in motivation, attitude, and even quality of work. So…good job, TP Staffers – you win! ;-) The outing I attended was an “International Picnic,” where everyone brought a dish originating a foreign country. We trekked over to a lovely park in the Basse-Ville, close to the ballpark, and you could hear the crowd cheering. Speaking of which: I’ll have the chance to go to a baseball game next week, and I’m so excited! It should be like a Travelers’ game, except in French. :D Does it get any better than that?

Saturday, I went white-water rafting on the Jacques-Cartier River, a bit of the Buffalo, actually. It was both extremely beautiful and extremely cold. As tight and constricting as the wetsuits were, I was definitely grateful for mine when we had to jump in the water! (Oh, and a little bit of advice for you guys to keep in mind: if you ever have to put on a wetsuit, by all means, do it when it’s dry, because - excuse my French - it’s hell putting on a wet one.) :P Ok, anyway, I didn’t take my camera because I didn’t want it to get wet, so I don’t have pictures of my own. Unfortunately, that means you don’t get to see me in the helmet, lifejacket, boots, and wetsuit with my paddle. However, I found this uncopyrighted picture of the river for you, just so you can see how gorgeous it is:



The water levels were perfect Saturday, and we were able to do some Class 4 rapids. I’ll have to admit, I was a little nervous at first, but after the first couple of rapids, it was just plain fun. The guide spoke French most of the time, but he made sure we understand all the essential safety information in English. We all appreciated that. Flying into the river and being half-drowned in the rapids because you thought he said “right” and he really said “left” wouldn’t have made for an enjoyable experience. It didn’t take us long to become accustomed to the various commands: position, par en arrière, par en avant, tiens le raft, à la droite, à la gauche, etc. Basically, that’s just: position (seated on the side with feet firmly anchored, ready to paddle), row backward, row forward, hold the raft (drop to the middle and hold on), everyone to the right, and everyone to the left. In the more crucial moments, he just yelled everything in English. About halfway down the river, the guide told us all to get out on the bank, climb up on this ledge, jump, and swim to another point downstream. Let me tell you, cliff-jumping into a river that cold was an unforgettable experience. Overall, it was one of the most awesome days I’ve had so far. It made me wish I had the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors more often – rafting, canoeing, hiking, climbing, skiing, etc…I love it.

Sunday, I returned to St. Mark’s Reformed Church, this time in time for the service. It was such an incredible blessing. I was so surprised to see Megan, one of the girls in my class, sitting across the aisle from me. Protestant churches are extremely rare in the area, and there are hundreds of students in the FLE program. How incredible is it that she and I ended up at the same church on the same morning? I hope to get to know her a little more during the rest of our stay here. She said that she attends a Reformed Baptist church back in Pennsylvania, a denomination with which I am completely unfamiliar. I’ve heard of so many new denominations since I’ve been here; I think I feel a research project coming on. ;-) Anyway, I am still amazed by how much this church felt like home: the people, the service, the music, the sermon…everything. Everything about the pastor and his family reminds me of the Jordans (except that Mr. Jordan isn’t bilingual yet), the congregation is about the same size as Sylvania’s (except there are a lot more teenagers), the order of service was incredibly similar (with a few additions), the hymns were simply sung with the accompaniment of a piano and an acoustic guitar (Sylvania doesn’t have a guitar yet…), and the thoroughly prepared sermon was delivered humbly and gently, but with deep conviction (the pastor doesn’t move as much, but that’s ok). I was familiar with several of the hymns and the passage of Scripture, so I was able to follow along with the French fairly well. I found out from experience that the Holy Spirit is definitely multi-lingual. If God has something to say to me, He’ll make sure I get it. ;-) Anyway, there were actually three things in particular that really blessed me during the course of the morning:

1) Being welcomed so warmly (and by people my age!)
2) Singing hymns in a foreign language, but being one in spirit with the rest of the congregation
3) Receiving the benediction in French, because the Word of God holds the same power regardless of its linguistic translation

After the service, the entire congregation gathers for coffee, snacks, and fellowship – a good opportunity for practicing French with the locals. One of the ladies ensured that Megan and I were introduced to several of the other students before a visiting minister began a presentation on a missions project in Uganda. This particular minister was affiliated with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, but evidently the two churches have some type of partnership in this endeavor. It’s good to see. I’m glad I stayed for the presentation, because it gave me an idea of what the Orthodox Presbyterians are like (very orderly, staid, and accurate – typical Presbyterian), and I also had the opportunity to observe how the interpreter translated the English into French. I asked the minister afterward about the differences between the OPC and the EPC because I was curious. I’m not really sure how much he knew, but the one main difference he pointed out was that the EPC allows its congregations freedom to allow or disallow women in ministerial positions. Anyway, something else to research. One other thing I found interesting about the morning is the congregation’s focus on evangelism. It shouldn’t be surprising, but having been raised in the Bible Belt, it’s something I haven’t encountered in the same way. The youth group is going to distribute tracts in the city twice this week, and there is a lot of emphasis on reaching the community. It’s essential to them, not only because God asks it of all believers, but because of the spiritual climate of Québec. (Most Québecois are non-practicing Catholics, and the real gospel is a foreign concept.) It’s refreshing to see a congregation in the trenches, seriously living out a part of the Christian life we often brush aside. They are setting an excellent example. Oh… I just can’t wait to go back to Sylvania and share about my experience here.

In other completely unrelated news, I’ve tried escargot! It’s awesome, too. I haven’t tried anything here that I don’t like yet, actually. I even liked “poutines,” which is French fries with gravy and cheese curds. I know, it sounds disgusting, but it’s amazingly good. There are a lot of things I’m going to miss when I come back to the States. I’m going to bring some recipes, though, like this one:

Délice aux poires
7,5 ml (1/2 sachet) de gélatine neute
60 ml (1/4 t) de jus de poire
540 ml (19 oncecs) de pores en conserve non égouttées et non additionées de sucre
250 ml (1 t) de yogourt nature 0,1 % m.g.
60 ml (1/4 t) de succedané de sucre
Facultatif : 5 ml (1 c. à thé) d’essence de noix de coco

Dans un petit plat, verser 60 ml de jus de poire. Saupoudrer la gelatin et laisser gonfler 5 minutes. Chauffer la gelatin pour la dissoudre. Dans un bol, incorporer les poires et leur jus, le yogourt, le succédané de sucre et l’essence de noix de coco. Ajouter la gelatin et bien mélanger. Diviser la preparation dans 4 coupes à dessert. Réfrigérer au moins 1 heure avant de server.

Basically, that’s just mixing plain gelatin with plain yogurt, pear juice, a little sugar, and coconut milk, and then adding slices of canned pears to it. When it’s had some time to firm in the refrigerator, it’s amazing. 
Anyway…I’m looking forward to the events of the next couple of weeks: the baseball game, visiting the Louvre exhibit at the Musée de Beaux-Arts, visiting the Musée de la Civilisation, exploring more of the city, going to Lévis, trying more food, attending the finale of the international fireworks competition, going to an outdoor classical music concert…

It’s gonna be great. Alright – gotta get on the phone now, so bonne nuit! Au plaisir.

Revelations

Alors, j’ai besoin de la pratique, donc je vais écrire en français et s'il vous pouvez traduiser le suivant, vous pouvez le lire. Sinon, si ne pas grave.

Oh la la, cette semaine...oy. Si le week-end dernier était agréable, cette semaine était le contraire. Je suis extrêmement fatiguée, physiquement et mentalement tous les deux. Je pense que le stress mental commence à m’affecter plus. Il est très difficile à communiquer juste petites idées, et il prend beaucoup de temps. Puis, je ne peux pas dire tout les choses que je veux de dire. C'est très énervant et quelquefois gêné. Souvent, je dis «laissez-tomber» et l'oublie. Il exige trop d'effort. Une autre chose que m'énerve est quand les gens ne me permettent pas de finir mes phrases! Comment est-ce que je suis censé apprendre la langue si personne ne me laisse parle avec les phrases complets?

Alors, en anglais maintenant.

I’m so glad that my weekend just started. Classes this week have alternated between being extremely boring and extremely difficult, unfortunately. For the most part, the grammar is review for me, but there are one or two areas that I'm struggling with - mostly in relation to oral communication. Example: we attended two lab sessions this week to practice pronouns orally, and I thought I was going to die. Each of us sat at a lab station with a cassette recorder and a headset, so all of her questions and our responses were recorded for us to use for practice later. It wouldn't have been so bad if she had spoken more slowly and repeated the phrases at least once. But no, she gave us the sentence once and expected us to use the appropriate pronouns in a complete response. For example: «Est-ce que Paul a donné une pomme à Hélène?» «Oui, Paul lui en a donné une.» On the fly…

Anyway, with a lot of practice, I think I'll begin to make some progress with it. That’s one of my main reasons for being here, after all: to uncover and strengthen my weak areas.

My other main reason for being here would be to practice speaking with native francophones, which is also extremely difficult. But, I'm happy to say that it's gradually becoming easier. I understand a lot more of what Mme. Falardeau and Élizabeth are saying to me, and I can tell that my conversational skills are improving because I'm not responding with «Oui» ou «Je ne sais pas» all the time. I'm slowly but surely developing a broader repertoire of familiar phrases and structures. One trick I've learned for speaking is ``borrowing`` parts of what the other person says. If I can take pieces of their sentence and ``recycle`` them, it helps me not only to communicate an appropriate response, but also to engrain the correct sentence patterns in my brain.

I did have the opportunity to practice speaking with some of the group leaders one-on-one this week, and I learned that they're not as intimidating as they seem sometimes. Catching them at the right time is essential, because it's stressful to try to talk with them when there is a lot of activity going on. They're hurried and a lot less amiable. :P Anyway, I also participated in a few group activities for practice, which resulted in a bit of self-discovery. I realized that I'm perfectly capable of conversing at my host home with Mme. Falardeau and Élizabeth and with the friends I've made in class, but I freeze in other situations, like speaking with the teacher, the group leaders, or the clerk at the drugstore. I wondered why, and I came to the conclusion that I experience the same emotions in both situations when I'm in my natural environment in the U.S. I'm more comfortable with people I know, and less at ease with those I don't know. I can deal with my insecurity in English-speaking situations; however, when I find myself faced with nerves and the need to express myself in a different language, it's too much for me to handle. I'm sure it will just take time for me to adjust and become more comfortable. Anyway, just a little psychological observation there.

Anyway, overall, this week was emotionally and physically taxing. Lindsey told me before I left that the second week would be the hardest, and she was right. As she put it, everything is new and interesting the first week, but when you start to settle in during the second week, it's normal life again with all of its ups and downs - with the added difficulty of a language barrier.

They had made several errors in communicating times and dates for group activity registration, so I wasn't able to register for a couple of the activities I had wanted to attend. (I'm sure you've had those experiences where such details have been miscommunicated, so you know how frustrating and confusing it is. Rest assured, it's 10x worse in another language. After all, does «dès 8h30» mean at, by, before, until, after 8h30?) I also forgot a few things in my rush to leave the house (nothing crucial, just convenient), and keeping up with things in general was difficult because most of my brain function was devoted to French (and it still is).

Alors, I was determined to make Wednesday a better day, so I prepared everything the night before, enjoyed a pleasant breakfast with Mme. Falardeau, and left a little earlier just to make sure I had plenty of time to catch the bus. It was, of course, a stunningly beautiful morning. During my walk to the bus stop, I decided to flip through some songs on my MP3 player, and I stopped on «Everything Glorious» by the David Crowder Band. It was just the song I needed to hear, and I just had to tilt my head up to the sky and thank my Abba. :)



It was my reminder that God is working everything out for my good: even the difficult experiences and frustrating moments of the week. My five weeks in Québec will be for His glory, somehow.

As if that weren't enough encouragement for one day, God just wasn't through yet. Another song popped up: «Nothing Compares» by Third Day - the live version.

I've heard all the stories
I've seen all the signs
Witnessed all the glory. Yeah
Tasted all that's fine

Nothing compares
to the greatness of knowing You, Lord
Nothing compares
to the greatness of knowing You, Lord

I see all the people
Wasting all their time
Building up their riches
For a life that's fine

I find myself just living for today
'Cause I don't know what
Tomorrow's gonna bring
So no matter if I rise or fall
I'll never be alone, oh no

In the middle of the live version, Mac Powell stops and says the following:

And those words that were spoken and written by the Apostle Paul apply just as much to our lives today as they did 2000 years ago when he wrote them. In our lives no matter where we could go or who we could meet or what we could see or what we could earn or have given to us or accomplish. There is nothing in our lives that will ever even come close to the greatness of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord.

When I heard that, I knew it was for me, and I replayed it about five times before classes started that morning. I realized that, in the midst of everything else, I had lost sight of that all-important truth: that absolutely nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus. Not my studies, my relationships, my work...not even this trip. Seeing, doing, and accomplishing things here in Québec is an incredible experience, but it still pales in comparison to knowing Christ. You see, I was stressing out trying to make every minute count, forgetting that my purpose here is not to do everything that can possibly be done. My purpose is still to know, enjoy, and glorify God. To the extent that those other things enable me to do that, wonderful, but I can never allow them to become more important to me than Christ. When they become my sole focus and priority, stress and discontentment begin to creep in.

So, in light of that morning revelation, my stress began to melt away. It had to when I finally stopped and remembered that knowing Him is all that truly matters. Needless to say, there wasn't a lot that could take the smile off of my face for the rest of the day, because I was smiling again on the inside. :)

Alors, that's not to say the rest of the week has been peachy - it hasn't - but at least now I remember that my joy comes from knowing Christ.

I haven't been anywhere extremely interesting this week, so I don't have any pictures to share today. Perhaps after the weekend. :) I should probably pop my English bubble now and head out to seize the rest of the day. Au plaisir!

Weekend

Weekend

I must say, my weekend has been extremely enjoyable. I kicked it off by attending the Festival d’Été with some new acquaintances, because Veronica was so kind as to let me borrow her pass. (I wanted to add the Festival to my collection of new experiences, but I didn’t want to spend the $30 for a pass if I was only going for one night.) The Festival is a huge event that last for two weeks every summer and hosts tons of musical artists in several different venues around the city. Imposs, Akon, and Wyclef Jean were performing at the main outdoor venue on the Plains of Abraham Friday night, and interestingly enough, I saw a variety of people from a variety of age groups in the crowd (a HUGE crowd). Another thing I noticed: the alcohol. Honestly, I have never seen that much beer in one place in my entire life. They love beer. I just knew I was going to smell like it by the time everything was over, too, because everyone was carrying one or two cups full. There was even a woman walking around with a bottle of Jack Daniels over her head, selling shots. They definitely take advantage of the fact that the legal drinking age is 18. :P Smoking seems to be a little more popular here, too. Even though I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, by the time I wrestled my way out of the crowd, I felt like I had. Anyway, the entire thing was a new experience for me – definitely one I won’t forget. It was fun.

Some random person behind me who wanted to be in the picture - and eeeeeeveryone else.

Akon on stage

Amy - Me

Woohoo, 400 years!

Even though I didn't get back extremely late Friday night, I was still really tired Saturday after the events of the week, and my feet were sore from all the walking, so I decided not to go to on the group hiking excursion I’d signed up for. It was a free excursion, so I didn’t mind skipping out. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast instead, showered, and headed off to Vieux-Québec to do some exploring. The first thing I found when I hopped off the bus on the Rue St-Jean was a libraire, or bookstore. In this case, it was a used bookstore. I browsed in there for a little while, serenaded by piano sonatas playing in the background – the perfect start to an afternoon. I found a volume of poetry by Jacques Prévert that interested me. I didn’t buy it, but I might go back for it later. For the rest of the afternoon, I wandered in and out of boutiques, gift shops, and street vendor booths, doing a bit of shopping and enjoying the artistic talent of the Québecois. I browsed through one store filled with collections of hand-painted glass décor, and oh my gosh, if I were rich, I would have bought half of the store. Anyway, towards the end of the afternoon, I happened across some street entertainers putting on a breakdancing show. They were quite entertaining, as you can see: