EK in France

Bonne chance!

2011-09-02T19:50:00.004-03:00

It just... Reminds me of last year. Hahaha. Bon courage à les étudiants ET les profs/monos. ヾ(^-^；)

EK's Travel Guide

2011-09-01T21:20:00.006-03:00

Recently, another student to whom which I was classmates is about to embark on traveling to France VIA the CIDEF program offered by Saint Mary's University. She's also won a prize from the Alliance Français to stay in Paris (LUCKY AND CONGRATS).

Anyway, why this is relevant... Questions. And not just from her; people who I have met from various countries have asked the same sort of questions... So here it is, my break down and suggestions on what to do in preparation/when you get to France. Feel free to leave comments on here and I will gladly answer them based on what I know, and if I don't know I will ask my France contacts. Also don't be afraid to ask Dr. Cauville questions as she will do her best to answer them.

* Make photocopies of the following: VISA/Passport, credit card, Photo ID (so either your school ID or Driver's License), bank card, sin number, health card, travel itinerary [where you're staying, when you're leaving coming home, contact info, your plane tickets, your hotel reservations etc], insurance policies and any other important document that you may need an extra in case it gets lost or stolen. I recommend two copies; one to leave at home with your family and one to take with you.

IN REGARDS TO YOUR PASSPORT ==> One. MAKE SURE THE BLOODY BOARDER AGENT IN FRANCE STAMPS ON ENTRY!!! THIS CAUSED ME HEADACHE WHEN TRAVELING! Two. It's actually French law to carry your passport on you at all times if you are not a French citizen. I'm not one for breaking laws, but I advise to carry an extra photocopy; preferably in colour, of your passport on you and not your actual passport once you have reached your destination. This way you have ID but you won't have the risk of losing your passport. THIS IS ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION, NOT FOR WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING BORDERS. YOU WILL NEED YOUR ACTUAL PASSPORT TO CROSS INTO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

* BUY YOUR TRAIN TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME ONLINE. This just saved me time when I arrived and I didn't have to worry about trying to figure out how the train system worked let alone buying the ticket. If you are under 25, and plan on traveling around, buy the discount youth card when you get a chance. I myself didn't buy it because I wasn't in the country long enough to take advantage. TIP: you can save a lot of money by buying your train tickets the day of your travel. I was even getting first/second class tickets at 1/3 of the original price because they were trying to fill seats. RAIL EUROPE UK WEBSITE <- That will break everything down for you; you have to use the United Kingdom page to get accurate pricing (just use a currency converter) and destinations.

* GO TO YOUR BANK AND TALK TO AN ACCOUNT MANAGER. Tell them that you will be leaving the country for X amount of time and to make a note of this in your file. This way, your account will not be locked because of suspicious looking activity. Make sure they note it on ALL of your services and if they cannot, get the contact info to call (Credit cards). Also, get any phone numbers to call internationally to your bank. Not all of them are free, keep that in mind.

Find out if your bank is international and has a location where you are staying, or if they have a partnership with another bank where you're staying. I also advise opening a VISA and an emergency fund such as a line of credit (that you can fiscally afford). The reason why I say VISA is when you arrive, purchasing things on your card won't cost extra, just the exchange rate. HOWEVER, if you WITHDRAW FROM AN ATM, you will be charged an extra surcharge. Find out how much your institution charges are before you make these decisions. If this is necessary, take out a good chunk of money that will last you.

If you are staying for a long period, you can conciser opening a bank account in the area you are living. This is why I suggest sitting down with your account manager to see if there are partner banks. Why? When I was in Angers, I spoke to a couple of students who had tried to open accounts and ran into roadblocks because they had "no France collateral". My interpretation of this was strange, and it could have been because they didn't speak any French and misunderstood, or it was just their policy that they needed somebody French to co-sign with you if you're an international. So, if you're studying with the CIDEF and are staying with a family, check with them if they'll help you. If you're not comfortable with that, speak with either M. Melin or M. Loiseau.

* Download SKYPE or a similar service to call home via your computer. Make sure you have a head-set with microphone. This is WAY CHEAPER than calling long distance with cards or calling collect.

* DON'T BOTHER BUYING ANY SCHOOL SUPPLIES PRIOR TO LEAVING. You can buy all of it when you arrive and you'll save space on your luggage. Also, don't bother buying power converters for your electronics until you get there, they won't work.

* Bring an extra suitcase with you in your luggage, if you can't buy one when you arrive. Even though you may have to pay an extra 50 Canadian coming home via Air Canada, you'll be happy you have an extra one for stuff you want to bring home (wine, souvenirs etc).

* Try to get in touch with people who are also going, who are already there or who have been through the program. Unfortunately not everything is told to you, for example the cost of food [even when you're living with a family] (fresh is expensive, junk is expensive, market is your best option), how the restaurant systems work, how the train system works, how your schedule is going to be like, how much excursions are going to cost (that would have been nice to know ahead of time so I could have budgeted accordingly) etc. etc. etc.

* BRING STUFF THAT REPRESENTS CANADA, IN PARTICULAR YOUR PROVINCE AND YOUR WAY OF LIFE. I cannot stress that one enough. You are basically forced into doing a presentation of where you come from to the parents/faculty/other students in an international night. If you're not prepared you'll have to come up with something on the spot (thank goodness I have tech skills because I would have been screwed). They REALLY like it if you present artistic talent (i.e. sing, dance or play an instrument foreign to the country) or have some sort of apparel. If I would have been more prepared/warned I would have brought my Kilt and learned some Acadian songs. Maybe even teach them some Acadian words.

* GET IN CONTACT WITH YOUR FAMILY OR WHERE YOU ARE LIVING BEFORE YOU LEAVE. Not only will this start your rapport with them (and find out if they're going to get along with you) you are going to be EXHAUSTED when you arrive because of jet lag and travel time (5 hours difference between here and France), then another hour 1/2 on the train. Have them meet you there. CIDEF usually has it's TA's at the train station to help you; most likely one of them speaks English if you're either A: not fluent at all or B: brain's too tired to function in your native language let alone your second (that's what happened to me, LOL so when I saw them again the next day they were shocked that I was fluent hahaha!). So you're not screwed over. Even IF CIDEF isn't there, just go to one of the rail people and ask them to hail you a cab, and hand the address to them and they'll get you there.

* MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU BOUGHT, INCLUDING QUANTITIES AND COST. Why? When you arrive home this makes the customs agent's job much, much easier. As a bonus, if you live in the Maritimes like myself... If you have a list and are completely honest about your declaration they'll most likely let you get away with your "over-limits" on booze, tobacco and other needed to declare items. This has happened to me 3 times so far traveling internationally. You scratch my back... LOL. Anyway if you want to be sure, sure and know exactly what you have to pay tax wise; here is Customs' website: CBSA. Scroll to the part titled: What conditions apply to your personal exemptions?

* GET YOUR APPROPRIATE TAX FORUMS FILLED OUT IN REGARDS TO TUITION. SMU will not do this, and l'UCO will only do it if you have the paper and you tell them what to fill out and sign. You can get the forum via THIS SITE. That only came to me when I was doing my taxes... Your refund will be larger if you remember to do this step come Canadian tax season.

Okay... So this is all I can really think of; if I think of more I will add. And like I said, please feel free to leave questions in the comments and I will answer them. :)

BTW... Get used to this never-gets-out-of-your-head jingle for the TGV trains. Ugh when you're waiting for an hour in the station you want to shoot the PA system!! Hahaha!

I win! Weeee!

2011-02-06T08:40:00.009-04:00

I have some wonderful news!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, ONE OF MY PHOTOS MADE THE CALENDAR! Isn't that amazing?

...

Well... For some of you, it may just be the feeling of "Big effing woop you won a calendar. Kudos." Well, it's a bit more of a deal for myself...

It's... The picture that was chosen. You see, recently on my return from France, life has been quite turbulent. On top of the never ending bad luck for my friends, family and myself, things have become bad enough that I've had to stop attending university (something that I LOVE). To add insult to injury, two weeks ago I was rear-ended in a car accident; the gentlemen who hit me was going 60km/h and I was at a full stop (i.e. his break). I currently walk with a cane; they think there is something wrong in the area where the spine connects to the pelvis.

So why is it that this image is so important? It's the message I left myself...

"The sunflower is a personal image for me to remind me to always look for the brighter side of life in difficult times."

Okay yes, bad grammar. But you know, it couldn't have come at a better time. All of these setbacks all coming in at once and finally... Just as I was at my breaking point, I find out that I am one of the winners and this was the photo chosen, with that message. I almost cried.

Thank you fate.

Click Here to save a copy of the calendar.

My choices for the contests...

2010-11-18T20:32:00.006-04:00

Photo # 1

1) Choices
2) Open market; Angers, France
3) Study Abroad program: CIDEF
4) I absolutely love attending open markets here in Halifax but I never dreamed I would see one as large as the one in Angers, France. Saturday morning people would arrive from all corners of Pays-de-la-Loire to sell their goods. You could find everything; from spices to shoes! Since I am a Maritimer, my heart belonged to the fresh fish section of the market.

Photo # 2
1) A Field of Sunshine
2) Loire Valley, France
3) Study Abroad program: CIDEF
4) The sunflower is the symbol used by the National Ovarian Cancer Association. Being an ovarian cancer survivor, seeing all of these sunflowers was as if those who did not survive their battle were reassuring me I had made the right decision to be involved in this program.
I survived my ordeal for a reason.
The sunflower is also a personal image for me to remind me to always look for the brighter side of life in difficult times.

Photo # 3
1) Floating castle
2) Azay-le-Rideau, France
3) Study Abroad program: CIDEF
4) This castle was a part of the excursions offered by the CIDEF program. What I love about this picture is how it just sits on a bed of water as if there were a mystical aspect - which it raised to the above from the bottom of the water. If I let my imagination run wild, it allows me to picture nymphs floating around during the evening to protect their hard work.

Angers Program Summation

2010-10-23T01:02:00.006-03:00

Well, after everything has ended it's time to summarize what I believe is the Angers study abroad program.

*~Pros~*

It's an experience of a lifetime and if you need an excuse to spend money to travel why not have it count towards your degree?
It's the best way to improve/learn French ESPECIALLY if you need to improve your verbal French skills.
You learn what your limitations are as well as how well you can cope with stress, and you surprise yourself on how much you can handle.
You may make some friends/connections with people around the world; some went further...
The food and wine.
Concern of well-being of students from some staff -- to the point where they will make a house call and personally take you to the doctor if you are feeling down and out.
Everything is accessible by train meaning you can visit neighboring cities as well as countries as long as your passport is in order.
Excursions offered by the CIDEF. Gives you an example of the whole North East of France.
Angers is not a huge town so it's not overwhelming for young/first-time travelers. It's very easy to navigate after a few days.
The people are relatively friendly, even more-so if you speak French.
Discounts for people aged 12-25.
Church bells.
Hot. 48c some days...
If needed getting a cellular phone is as easy as blinking.
Everything is in walking distance of everything (bars, movies, restaurants, parks).
PHOTOS. Oh my goodness if you are into photography like myself you're set.
The festivals are always amazing -- especially 14 of July fireworks!
Smokes are DIRT CHEAP and the options for types of tobacco is insane.
If you chose to live in the Foyer (dorm) it's like a mini-apartment. You get your own bathroom/shower!
Healthy food wasn't too expensive and you get to discover brands you'd never get to back home.
Discount you get for being a Saint Mary's University student.
You may not want to go home...

*~Cons~*

The summer program is not geared for mature people. The focus is more on the evenings at the local bars and the excursions (which cost extra). It's very high-school mentality which was a major disappointment. Expect to have major ostracization if you're not into that scene.
Lack of professionalism in some of the staff.
The explanation of your program, how it is executed and how excursions work are very poorly explained. Nothing is said in advance and you have learn what's going on "on the fly" and right there and then. Too much for just a month; it should have been provided ahead of time.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOG days. We're talking 7am-7pm....
Unexpected extra cost of excursions. Again, not told in advance means I spent more than budgeted.
The bus rides for the excursions. BRING STUFF TO DO OR A PILLOW.
No excursion to the Cointreau factory... If they were concerned about age of majority they could have just stated that you can't go if you're under your state/province age of majority.
Certain students who complain continuously that they are unhappy with the class and don't try/don't speak French.
Lack of space. Everything is so tight and there is a major lack of green. Not for the claustrophobic.
Hot. 48c some days...
August's food at the cafeteria (was my only choice as I chose to live in dorm) was horrid. Re-use of food from lunch, not well cooked meat, chicken/fish/fish/fish/chicken/fish/fish. I am a Maritimer and I eat fish every day, but I couldn't stand the SIGHT of a fish for a good two weeks when I got back home. I had to spend more than expected at restaurants because it got to the point of un-edible.
If you're a breakfast eater like myself, you're not gonna be a happy camper. Bread, coffee and an apple/orange was my breakfast for two months.
Weight gain. If I hadn't had to walk 40 minutes a day I probably would have gained MORE weight -- and I think the major problem was the food in the second month. It wasn't a problem in July.
The non-confident who cling too much/use you for their benefit.
You might get home sick.

So all in all, for myself I have to honestly say everything was awesome other than the school part. This to me is ironic because my intent to go was for school; but quickly learned that the summer program is really geared for the young/non-committed educational type (who want to party all the time and scrape by). I'm not saying if you are this type of person it's bad -- I just want to warn those who are academic OCDers like myself. It's a cheaper option than the semester based program that can get you 12 credits in two months, but you're going to have to completely change who you are until you get back to your homeland. If anything, I got to see and experience how these type of students live... But I'm glad the experiment is over and done with. I will, in the future, be heading back to Angers... But I don't think ever as a student. I'm just not a party girl, I'm that quiet girl in the library observing.

London

2010-10-23T00:28:00.003-03:00

Wow, time. You're a bitch! Hahaha!

It's been almost three months now that I have returned home from Angers, France and only now am I getting back to completing this blog. Apologies all around. I had to quickly adjust back to normal life (i.e. find a job, get acquainted with SMU again, get reacquainted with friends and family...). Many things took to the back burner.

Well, the last day in France I spent on the train, watching the countryside go by. It was a calm goodbye... Until I had to transfer onto the Eurostar. Good old border guards who ask the same questions to me 50 times and the French ones who think I don't speak any French.

Jamaican British -> "Well what'cha doin' in London then?"

I swear I never want to hear that sentence ever again.

Let's just put it this way -- when traveling to the UK, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR TRAVEL AND STAY DOCUMENTS PRINTED. Oh, and I should have gotten the border guy to stamp my passport when I first arrived in France. I swear, if I hadn't had my itinerary and my hotel reservation printed I would have been detained. What a nerve wracking experience!! Lord I'm a small town Canadian girl traveling alone, of COURSE I look un-easy. I've never gone through so much poignant security in my life...

Anyway once that crap was over and done with I got my arse in my first class seat... Let me tell you Eurostar 1st class is a BABILLION times more awesome than France's first class. They run it like an airline -- meal to my seat instead of a voucher.

Second word of advice when heading to London... HAVE MONEY! Oh my that town is expensive. Comparing to the Canadian dollar, that is. In less than 24 hours I spent nearly 350 CND on a hop-on/hop-off tour bus, taxi to Heathrow (that alone was 120) hook up internet and two meals. Of course I bought presents but I had to stick to duty-free airport. Heathrow Duty-Free shopping is comparable to both malls here in HRM put together. AMAZING.

London's people are great however, from the small time I was there. They are very used to tourists so me being alone and Canadian people would help me with my bags, point things out to me, give me tips... Thanks London!

Soirée Internationale

2010-08-26T00:19:00.002-03:00

Here are some highlights of the Soirée Internationale Août edition!

--- realized no sound. fixing problem. ---

Nantes

2010-08-22T05:39:00.005-03:00

Last Sunday, I let the adventurous side of me take over and went to Nantes by myself via the train.

Wiki:
"Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, 50 km from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.
Nantes is the capital city of the Pays de la Loire region and Loire-Atlantique département. It is also the major city of the historic province of Brittany, and culturally remains strongly identified with it.
In 2004, the Time magazine described Nantes as "the most liveable city in Europe".

The train trip was only 40 minutes from Angers; and for some reason I was able to travel second class (very comfy). What I loved most about Nantes is that the major landmarks are right next to the train station. This makes life so much easier for tourism -- bravo Nantes!

When I first arrived I noticed a really nice clearing with a wicked statue, to which I sat and ate my packed pick-nick. Afterward, I decided to go visit the castle. What's great about the castle is I got a two-for-one: meaning not only did I get to see the wicked architecture and learned the history of the royalty, the complete museum of Nantes is INSIDE the castle. This means I got to see the complete history and not just middle-ages history. I was able to see three tourist attractions!

After spending almost 2 hours in the castle, I decided to explore the area -- in which I found what I almost forgot about: the cathedral. HO-LY-$@#%! It's incredible site to see -- outside and in.

Once leaving the cathedral, I noticed that the city offered the same train tour that is available in Angers.... Of course I took complete advantage! This is a city I definitely have to come back to see in complete.

You're probably wondering about that giant elephant -- as was I.
Here's more info:
"The Sultan's Elephant was a show created by the Royal de Luxe theatre company, involving a huge moving mechanical elephant, a giant marionette of a girl and other associated public art installations. In French it was called La visite du sultan des Indes sur son éléphant à voyager dans le temps (literally, "Visit From The Sultan Of The Indies On His Time-Travelling Elephant"). The show was commissioned to celebrate the centenary of Jules Verne's death, by the two French cities of Nantes and Amiens, funded by a special grant from the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. The show was performed at various locations around the world between 2005 and 2006." Elephant's Website

Well, I must go now to complete my final assignment. I can't believe my time here is already coming to a close -- 7 days from now I will be back in Halifax. 55 days just flew by...

Out of order... Again.

2010-08-21T18:04:00.005-03:00

Really going of order again... Man why do I do this to you guys? Sorry for that. I'm getting in the French habit of laziness... Well; I WAS somewhat lazy before coming here... *shhhh*

I will make new entries tomorrow (NANTES!!) but for now, just a quick blurb about seeing my 3rd French film at Les 400 Coup.

I had the wonderful opportunity to have two dates -- Kayla from Halifax and Sarah from Oregon. They bared with me to see "Crime d'amour", greatly appreciated since there were no subs in this movie. Thanks for the company ladies! We also enjoyed a wonderful pick-nick, walk around, drink and din din. :)

It's about two business women at the high of their careers -- one who's already established and one who's a shining star. The older business woman Christine starts playing mind games with the younger Isabelle because she feels threatened: steals her ideas, lesbian seduction, publicly humiliates her, harasses her... Going to stop there because it didn't end the way I thought it might (which was nice -- sick of standard thrillers like this). Good movie, good plot, easy to understand but drags a bit.

Soooooooooo that's all for now... Sleepy. Bedtime!

Saturday market

2010-08-14T06:01:00.006-03:00

I braved not sleeping in today to experience the open air market. I was absolutely, unequivocally not disappointed. The lack of sleep was well worth the experience.

First off; I have to explain the size of this market. For someone who's from Halifax... Take the very end of Spring Garden rd (corner of Spring Garden and Barrington) and ALL THE WAY DOWN to Robie St. would be a good estimate of the size of this market.

The smell... The smells of the fresh produce is intoxicating. It's like being in a giant garden somewhere in the country-side. Options for fresh fruits and vegetables are endless -- everything is available. The next section down was fresh poultry, beef, sausages and cheeses; all was astonishing. Accompanied near this section was cheeses of all kinds, plus garlic and olives.

Next section over was a HUGE seafood and fish area. It reminded me of back home -- everything looked so fresh and yummy!

Continuing on was clothing, jewelery, bags, beds, underwear YOU NAME IT it was available.

Enjoy this slide-show of photos of the market! If you can't see it below, Click here.

slideshow maker

Quicky!

2010-08-12T17:46:00.004-03:00

School's been eating up most of my time (as of late) but here's what has been happening this week so far...

For starters, been feeling a bit homesick. I go back home in about two weeks -- and it's weird that I'm more anticipating going home than how I was feeling coming into this experience. It's not at all that I dislike Angers... I'll talk about it in an entry another day.

I participated in a few group activities put on this month; movie day, outside games such as dodge-ball, and a themed evening (chic et choc [shock]) at one of the local bars called Soft. Seeing is how I love Lady Gaga, I called upon her for my inspiration. Here are a few photos:

Then this evening I went to an open air concert -- rock to start then this reggae style group. Wasn't all that exciting so I headed home. Now I'm off to bed 'cause it's up early again tomorrow (6:20am every morning -- sometimes earlier but that's the average! lol).

À plus! :)

Another movie...

2010-08-08T15:38:00.004-03:00

Since I was able to finish all of my homework in the AM, I decided to go see another French film at Les 400 Coup.

This time, the movie was inside the same building as where you bought your tickets... And the seats are a different colour. But yes, they were nice and soft and comfy. I sat in the back. There were more people this time -- probably because it was a Sunday afternoon. Of course; I was the only person under the age of 30 there... Doesn't matter what country you're in -- independent films usually aren't too popular.

The movie I went to see this time round was called UN POISON VIOLENT. From IMDB:
Anna a young teenager comes home from her Catholic boarding school for the holidays and discovers her father has left. Her mother is devastated and confined in the company of the local priest, who is also a childhood friend. Anna clings to her beloved grandfather. She also grows close to Pierre, a free-spirited teenager who cares little about God. Anna is preparing for her confirmation, but her budding desire for Pierre shakes her faith. She longs to give herself over, body and soul... but doesn't know if it is to God, or something else?

This movie is... Well... French? Haha it's kinda hard to explain. It's very interesting: it shows very well the conflict between puberty and it's confusions -- at the same time trying to figure out the "hypocrisy" and confirming one's soul to the church... But the back story is... *SPOILER ALERT* Okay she's pretty much being sexually abused by her grandfather, verbally abused by her mother and emotionally neglected by her father. She forcefully, FORCEFULLY falls in love with this boy. So that whole side story was just... Ah... Yeah. Not fun to watch. *END SPOILER*

I left the theatre like I usually do when I watch French independent films... Confused. Haha! I do plan on going to see another one (when it's out on the 18th) called "Crime d'amour". Kristin Scott Thomas is staring and I LOVE HER so much! It looks like a thriller (check it out on youtube -- I'll post the trailer once I see it). French woman can be SOOO INTENSE! When they want something they'll stop at nothing!

After the movie, I had some time to kill so I walked around. I found le jardin de mail... A sweet little garden with a fountain, statutes and even a merry-go-round for kids. There were also some playground equipment. So a nice way to end the weekend.

Until next time!

Sushi!

2010-08-08T15:18:00.005-03:00

Due to hormonal cravings beyond my control (and curiosity -- but yeah the first reason was the main component) I decided to be brave and try out one of the sushi shops here in Angers. I was wary at first -- this city is three and a half hours away from the ocean. Being from a port city I know when fish is sushi grade or not...

I asked around -- the locals suggested two places. One was closed (gone on vacation), so I went to the second (and more expensive) shop called "Sushi Shop". It's a nice little place.

The sushi was quite yummy! Very fresh -- and I was able to try new fusions as well as variation on favourites. It still doesn't beat Momo's back home...

After wards, it was the same day of friend's Nikki's birthday so I decided to get a nice dessert as if I was enjoying birthday cake with the gang back home. It was a caramel tart with a cake in the middle -- inside the cake was chocolate moose and on top: a chocolate macaron and a caramel. DELICIOUS!

So that was my Saturday evening. Nice and relaxing.

Puy du Fou

2010-08-08T15:02:00.004-03:00

Hello again!

Well, the next round of classes have begun -- and we're back to my exhaustive schedule. This time, however; I am not doing as many excursions. The final excursion I did partake in was on Friday the 6th called "Puy du Fou".

From wiki: Puy du Fou (from the name of the place which translates as "hill of the beech", from puy and fagus) is a historical theme park in Les Epesses (between Cholet and La Roche-sur-Yon) in the heart of the Vendée region of Western France. The park brings in some 1.45 million visitors every year, making it the second most popular attraction in France after Disneyland Paris. Visit their website.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some highlights! Enjoy! :)

Soirée Internationale

2010-08-01T11:30:00.003-03:00

As promised, here are some highlights of the final night (soirée internationale) of the July semester at le CIDEF at l'UCO. Enjoy!

While I'm waiting...

2010-07-31T11:31:00.004-03:00

Since I'm waiting for my video for the soirée internationale to upload, I'm going to talk about what I did yesterday.

It was the second day to myself, so after much convincing from Joëlle (and the fact I didn't want to do much of anything but relax haha) I went to see a movie at the theatre called "Les 400 Coups". I did want to see both an English film and a French film while here; so I took the opportunity to see a French one yesterday.

This theatre is much different than Empire Theatres back home. For starters, there is no concession stand here. You can buy treats out of normal vending machines to take inside to eat while you watch.

The theatre where you go watch the movie is also on the opposite side of the street; and the seats are really comfy! They're made of sponge... Like you were sitting in a comfortable chair at home. And they're not huge... For those who live in Dartmouth it kinda reminded me of when there was a theatre in Portland by the Super Store (the one that was turned into a library).

I went in the afternoon so there were about 7 or 8 other people who came in after I did. Which movie? At first I couldn't decide... The movies Joëlle had suggested to me had all ended, but then I went on their website and saw the name "L'Illusionist". I recognized the artwork... BOOM new movie by Sylvain Chomet. Well, since I'm a fan of "Les triplettes de Belleville", I wanted to go see the movie

Synopsis from WIKI:
"The Illusionist (French: L'Illusionniste) is a 2010 British-French animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet. The film is based on an unproduced script that the French mime, director and actor Jacques Tati had written in 1956 as a personal letter to his estranged eldest daughter, Helga Marie-Jeanne Schiel in collaboration with long term writing partner Henri Marquet between Mon Oncle and Playtime.

The plot revolves around a struggling illusionist who visits an isolated community and meets a young lady who is convinced that he is a real magician. The film is set in Scotland in the late 1950s."

Here's the trailer via YouTube:

What I loved about this movie is not only the style of the animation (whoever said 2D is dead is so, so wrong) and how it mixes English, French and of all languages GAELIC!!! I would have never thought to have heard Gaelic outside of Nova Scotia; I was giddy when I heard it being used.

So yeah, that's what I did yesterday. Today I took the time to finish up buying gifts for loved ones (since it's the end of the "soldes" here I wanted to take advantage). Tomorrow is a tour of Angers and visiting the castle.

As soon as the video of the soirée is available I will post it! See you soon!

Normandy

2010-07-31T07:35:00.004-03:00

Normandy was a particular interesting excursion. For starters... We had to meet up at 6:15 in the morning -- you betcha everyone was sleeping on the way there!

Unfortunately, there were only 3 Canadians (one being myself) so we didn't go to the Canadian cemetery nor Juno beach. But I do feel honoured to have the chance to say I've been to the American cemetery and the war museum. The first visit was to the museum. It was -- shocking to say the least. You were bombarded with non-censored images, sights and sounds of all the wars that affected France. After the tour, we witnessed a movie explaining how the 100 day war lasted and rolled out.

After the film and a quick picnic, it was off to the American Cemetery, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and then a German cemetery. I don't have much to say, so I'll let the images do the talking for me...

Golfe du Morbine et Vannes

2010-07-31T07:25:00.001-03:00

Okay... Since I have the next couple of days off before I hit the books again, I figured this would be an excellent time to make loads of updates. :) Sorry for keeping you waiting.

This excursion was a lot more laid back than most of them. It started out with a visit to Golfe du Morbine. A nice boat ride where we got to explore the coast. Unfortunately I was sitting by these very unpleasant old French men.... But then I was able to move and sit with some CIDEF students. It reminded me a lot of Bedford Basin; so I wasn't really cold (but a lot of students from warmer climates were!)

Then, after a small picnic on the beach, we headed to this landmark of these strange rocks that are in perfect formation. There are thousands of them... And no one knows where they came from or the reason for why they're in perfect allignment.

After that, the city of Vannes. This is where that busking video I posted earlier came from. This place is in Brittany, and they are known for their cider and crêpes.... So I had to try the local specialty. Also did some exploring of the town and saw a beautiful cathedral.

Graduated!

2010-07-28T12:13:00.003-03:00

Yes I know... I'm sorry I'm so behind on updates. But you'll be please to know that because I worked hard I graduated with "Bien"! :D Awesome!

For those who don't know, here is the grade scale:
* 18-20 : Congratulations (félicitations) [EFFING IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE but I did get a couple of 20/20 on some assignments]
* 16-17,9 : very good (très bien)
* 14-15,9 : good (bien)
* 12-13,9 : satisfactory (assez bien)
* 10-11,9 : pass (passable)
* 8-10 : pass ("passable") as long as the overall average of grades remains above 10 - not an official grade
* 0-8: Fail (insuffisant)

To compare this with North American standards, Click Here

My diploma!

So basically I'm in "A" territory... THANK GOODNESS!

Busking in Vannes, France

2010-07-20T03:13:00.003-03:00

I'm in the mist of doing some last minute preparations for some oral presentations that I have to do today... But for some reason I tend to do better when I multitask. I swear; I must have adult ADD.

My last excursion was a sight-seeing sort of venture within a bay, a picnic at the beach then a visit of a city of Vannes. I will be posting more information and of course pictures, a bit later. Until then, here is a live busking group in the city of Vannes, France. Hope you enjoy!

See you soon!

Fête National du France

2010-07-16T15:47:00.005-03:00

(If you can't see the above player, Click Here To Watch)
Here are the fireworks put on by the city of Angers for Bastille Day (Fête national du France). It was absolutely spectacular.

Anjou Trogloditique

2010-07-12T12:38:00.009-03:00

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in two excursions: "Anjou Trogloditique" and the excursion called "Chateaux de la Loire" (Castles of the Loire). These excursion took us all through the back country of the north-east of France.

One thing I noticed... There are SO MANY SUNFLOWERS HERE! They're produced here to make sunflower oil (and I guess to sell the seeds as well); but to give you an idea -- to see them from afar looks like a field of dandelions.

"Anjou Trogloditique" is an area in Anjou where people would live below the ground -- human created caves. Authentic ones no longer exists other than this particular preserved area -- anything created now is more modern and is mostly bought/used/created by those who can afford two homes (kinda like cottage country) or artists.

Once finished here, we were given the chance to do a tour of a winery that; you guessed it; was in a cave. I bought three bottles.

There was some time to kill in between this and our dinner... So we stopped at this beautiful look off situated by a castle. It was sooooo hot.... But somehow our "moniteur/trice" are always full of energy (even if it may be forced it's much appreciated)!

Afterward, we were treated to a restaurant that was INSIDE a cave! It's amazing the temperature difference between outside and inside: it was 38 outside and about 5-10 inside the cave (Celsius... I've had to try to guess the Fahrenheit conversion for the American students). The students from Hawaii were enthralled that they could physically see their breath; so cute. I mean that's something that comes normal to a Canadian but Hawaii never sees the cold air.

The specialty of the area was mushrooms, so our meal consisted of exactly that -- plus this bread that reminded me of small pita bread.

So yeah, that was my Friday afternoon/night. Next post will be about the castles I saw on Sunday...

And the adventure continues...

2010-07-12T12:08:00.005-03:00

I have to start with an apology.

I never realized the intensity of this program -- when they say it's "intensive language learning" they weren't kidding. My days are from 7am to 8pm. Here's a breakdown of my school schedule:

7am - Breakfast
9am - Language class
11:15am - Oral expression
12:15pm - Lunch
1:45pm - Language class
4pm until 5pm - Oral comprehension
7pm - supper

Friday's I have the afternoon off -- but then there is usually an excursion (same goes for Saturday and Sunday). These excursions are ALL DAY.

The language classes consist of oral expression, oral comprehension, written expression and written comprehension (I SUCK AT WRITTEN EXPRESSION!!! Haha!). The classes that are specific to oral comprehension and oral expression involve a class of just discussing things (I have two oral presentations to do) and the language lab (where we listen to video/audio files and have to fill in the blanks). I got an A on my first assignment in the language lab! So pleased with myself. Hopefully I did just as well on my tests I wrote today and did Friday.

So, as you can see... I don't have time to really type anything for my blog -- either I'm too exhausted by the end of the day OR I have to use the time wisely to do homework or assignments. So yeah, I'm not avoiding this blog by choice!

HOWEVER, I won't be doing the excursions in August (as they're the same as July) so I'll be doing more town exploration. And today there is no homework, or up coming tests.

Hoooookay.... So, where did we leave off? St. Malo!

St Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in north-western France on the English Channel. It's the birthplace of Jacques Cartier -- an important historical figure for Canada (especially Québec). I enjoyed it immensely because it reminded me of Halifax -- port city, cool breezes, beaches, fresh seafood and fish etc. There was also an amazing chocolate shop that had chocolate sculptures! I won't update all of the photos this time 'ronud (sorry, it just takes too long) but here are a few favourites (if you follow me on Facebook you get to see it all! Hee hee~!):

I wore sunscreen, but I STILL GOT BURNT! Ugh, my exposed skin was as read as a lobster... Some places peeled. But it's fine now. All of my freckles are out on my face.

Mont Saint-Michel / St. Marlo

2010-07-04T16:22:00.004-03:00

Okay, so I know I'm going out of order here; but this is fresh in my brain so I want to talk about this now while it's fresh.

I took an excursion to Mont St. Michelle and St. Marlo. Mont Saint-Michel (English: Saint Michael's Mount) is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is BEAUTIFUL -- that's an understatement. For those who know La Baie Saint Marie (Claire) in Digby County, Nova Scotia; the church is built identically like that church except made with stones. I will soon post a video, but in the mean time here is a small taste of photos in slide show format.

photo slideshow

IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE SLIDE SHOW, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

I was able to purchase some nice gifts here, and the view was spectacular. It reminded me of Northumberland strait in PEI. The cool breeze from the ocean reminded me of home. For a small commune boy were there a lot of people -- I bet 90 % of their income comes from tourism; other than the monks.

At the bottom, there were sheep. Apparently, because the grass they eat is salty (due to the ocean tides), the meat is already salty when you eat it! So the saying you are what you eat has some meaning.

After here, we went to Saint Marlo, in which I will talk about later. Time for bed... More updates later. :)

The Trip.

2010-07-03T09:58:00.004-03:00

The time has finally arrived; I’m officially have begun my journey to France.

People have asked me repeatedly (to the point where if I heard that ONE MORE TIME! Haha) if I’m excited yet or if it’s hitting me. Well, I can say when the train started to leave the Halifax station I had a bit of nerves and the feeling of “I’m finally free”. Those who don’t know me well may not understand, but I said I’d share the whole experience. Thus, that’s the feeling that I’m getting.

Two nights before...
Saturday in general was a very good final weekend in Halifax. My parents took me to Cora’s for a small goodbye breakfast! It was so yummy and so filling I barely needed anything until supper time. Thank you so much again mum and dad!
In the evening, my closest buddies threw me an old fashion Maritime kitchen party on the patio. There were drinks, burgers, hot dogs and -- an ice cream cake with Edward Cullin’s (and I don’t care two flying’s if that’s spelt correctly) ugly mug on the top. I HATE TWILIGHT – please do not mistake this as I’m a closet fan! They just thought it would be really funny if I cut his face to pieces. And as expected; he tasted like the sweet F-A-I-R-Y that he is; not bitter how a VAMPIRE would taste.

Sunday was my goodbye get together from people from work. I’m so grateful for those who took a few hours of their time to eat with me one final time. I appreciated your gesture greatly. My closer buddies were also able to show – unfortunately their dinner was so great. So, after the work goodbye we went to the Mic Mac Tavern. Appies all around! So my last weekend in the Maritimes were full of cheers and smiles; the best way to head off.

Here’s a compilation Slide Show of the goodbye parties:

slideshow maker

If you want to see it in higher res and no water mark, go here: Slide show!

VIA RAIL
Mom was nice enough to see me off – waiting with me until the train left. Thanks mom; appreciated the company.

The ride on VIA is pretty comfy. I was expecting to have to share at seat with someone; but I have my own window seat. So when I sleep, I’ll be lucky since I can lean and rest. I didn’t know this, but THE SEATS HAVE PLUGS!! Jon let me know this last night and yep! Even economy have the plugs. Major bonus. I don’t have to worry about my iPod battery life (laptop isn’t too much of a concern since I’m not going to use it until I get on the train in France. People were asking me what I was going to do to kill the time while on the train (22 hour train ride from Halifax to Montreal), well actually edit videos for the blog, write any thoughts I may have for here, I have a BUTT TONNE of media to keep me entertained so… yeah. Plenty to keep me occupied.

One thing that I have noticed – major lack of wifi access. VIA rail says that their company is currently looking into technology to have wifi available on the train starting fall of this year. Until then, you can access wifi via the major route stops. Wrong; epic fail. Meh. Rivers in Bathurst are beautiful. Hit a tree/branch – no major damage.

I was able to get some sleep on and off when on the train -- and just as the sun came up we were in northern Québec. There are so many beautiful rivers there! Crazy.

Once I arrived in Montréal, it was another 2 hour wait at the train station to the airport. So, I had some Subway and sat and played on my iTouch. Lots of people traveling to the US from this station.

Once I finally got to the airport; MORE waiting. I think it was a total of 5 hours or so? I hate flying to begin with so the anticipation was a bit nerve racking. I decided to get some Poutine (since I'm in the province of Poutine) from the famous St. Hubert. Sorry, Downtown pizza in Dartmouth still makes the best Poutine in town! Haha! I then bought a magazine that had an indepth article about Lady Gaga.

Finally it was time to check in. The customer service associates with Air Canada were absolutely excellent -- to the point that they saved me some money for having too much luggage (it weighed 58 pounds and I was only allowed 50). The only problem I encountered was a small glitch with changing my flight home. But I'll talk about that later.

Anywho, more updates to come later. I needs a nap.

I made it!

2010-06-30T12:03:00.004-03:00

Just a small update to say that I made it to Angers okay... But JET LAG IS KICKING MY ASS haha so it's show and bed time -- don't care that it's 5pm my time.

Goodbye Halifax

2010-06-28T09:00:00.004-03:00

Well, the time has arrived. More posts in the near future; but I just wanted to wish my province and my country goodbye. See ya Halifax; I'll see ya in two months!

It's all about the money.

2010-06-14T19:18:00.000-03:00

(T.T)

(For those of you who can't picture it/never seen that kind of emoticon before it's called a kao (face in Japanese) with tears streaming down the face.)

First day of class is the same day Momusu (Morning Musume [mu-zu-meh]) is in Paris.... I know I talked about this already but I've been following this group for 10 years now (from it's creation to it's member evolution down to it's lack of popularity and new surge of "exploring other countries") and it would have been nice if the dates didn't clash. Maybe I'll run into them when I'm at CDG airport. *crosses fingers*

Okay, enough geeking out...

I just thought I'd make a comment as to progress. I'm down to buying small things now -- but everything is pretty much set. I leave Dartmouth in two weeks! It's so close... My anticipation levels again have not really changed in regards to the trip itself; I think I've just been so busy with getting as many hours as I can in before I quit my job for good plus preparation that it just won't hit me and sink in until I am sitting in that train on my way to Montréal.

What else, oh! I can show you the differences between currencies: Euro's colour system isn't going to shock me so much because Canada's been dealing in colour for longer than I've been alive...

For those who haven't seen Canadian currency before, here's what our dollar bills look like:

Now, on the left: 10 British Pound. Right: Euros.

I'm actually surprised when I first saw the Euros... I didn't think that other countries used a colour system like we do -- Well I figured maybe Great Britain because we're following their system but I never would have thought that for the EU. I may be just another ignorant person and assume that the USA's economy is the one to copy since it controls a lot of the world. Far from the truth. Pretty cool! So that old Canadian joke of "Well when I'm drunk I know how much I'm tipping!" can be used in the EU.

I wanted to compare the sizes of the Pound/Euro/Canadian dollar but for some odd reason, when I lay the bills down to compare size (tried a few different poses) Photoshop could tell it was photos of money and gave me the following message:

Yep. The software can TELL it's money! I never knew that Adobe could do things like this and I commend the company -- wow. You'll just have to take a look at those other photos to compare; basically Canadian money is long and thin, Euros are small and short and Pounds are in the middle. I did alter the above but still... Yous guys don't you be breaking any laws!

That's all for now. My next update will probably be my goodbye party/departure date. See you then! ♥

New layout and my digs.

2010-06-03T11:08:00.003-03:00

If you've never visited before, you haven't noticed a thing. But if you have been here before you may noticed the layout difference. I found this cute layout via Yummy Lolly and since it's a blog about France, it fits. So thank you Yummy Lolly!

Second, I finally got the address to which I'm staying! Wee!

It's a place called Foyer de l'Esvière (Esvière Dormitories), a dorm catered to international students. What's great is that I get my own private room, and a shower and toilet IN THE ROOM! Holy shit people! I was not expecting that AT ALL. You can check out that website if you want; it's in French so for my followers who don't understand just look at the pictures.

Check out more photos here

Until next time.

Just created!

2010-05-19T18:18:00.004-03:00

So, to give you the heads up.....

I created a YouTube channel! Wee! So I will be including video "vlogs" on this journey so you lazies like me won't have to read all the time. =3

EK in FRANCE YOUTUBE

Clicky and bookmark.... Or just check back here because I will be embedding videos I post there on here. Here's a video of one of my favorite groups (subbed by me for your convenience on my other channel) Swing - Un Bon Matin (A Good Day).

Planes and Trains

2010-05-19T14:59:00.005-03:00

I received my train ticket from Paris' Charles de Gaule Airport to Angers today. And CHRIST that was fast!!! I literally ordered that ticket yesterday in the morning, and it arrived about 24 hours later. INSANE. Kudos to UPS -- I know a lot of Americans give you crap but internationally speaking; you've got your act together.

Plane tickets are also bought -- only thing now is I'm waiting for the gift cards I earned through work to buy my VIA rail tickets to Montréal. Good comes to those who wait, so it goes.

Until next time. :)

Weeee!

2010-05-13T23:15:00.006-03:00

May 14th!!!

Absolutely nothing to do with France, but oh well...

*~*HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE*~*

Starting to get pumped.

2010-05-04T09:47:00.005-03:00

Countdown: 55 days until I start my journey to France.

A lot of people have asked me:
Aren't you excited?

You know, no I haven't really felt a thing until now -- until someone big like SMUSA and some friends decided to give me hard earned financial help, it sort of solidified the fact that now people know my ideas and wants and putting money behind on it.
It's like "Hey; put the money where your mouth is."

So now, yes. I'm starting to feel a bit anxious, curious, and a little bit excited. Tonight/tomorrow is going to be a big deal; I'm going to buy my airline tickets! Ugh the only reason I've held off this long is the fluctuating prices (from 1700 to 1100) so once it's done it's done.

I also have to start thinking of what to bring -- and what I'll need to buy. Boo.

I've also decided to take the train to Montréal then fly direct from there to Paris. It's actually cheaper to do it this way -- and I'm going to Montréal by train! Through my hard efforts at work I've earned enough from our bonus program to pay for the train ticket. Kudos.
The last time I took the train I was only in infancy, and this was in the same province. Europe is all about trains, correct? So I figured it would be fitting to start my journey this way; and It will be nice that my last visions on Canadian soil is by countryside railroad.

Interesting point: my first official day in Angers France will be on Canada Day. It's going to be surreal to be somewhere where no one will care or possibly even know what the day means. I'll let you know if some strange patriotism flows out of me or not on that day.

Well, that's all for today. If you have donated, THANK YOU SO MUCH. If you haven't... My birthday is in 10 days, wanna surprise me with a nice b-day gift? *puppy eyes*

Waiting over....

2010-05-02T10:25:00.003-03:00

Is the suspect killing you?
Is it?
The waiting... The wondering... The hoping.

In reality, when it comes to things such as money I tend to side on the "glass half empty" side. It's just... Realistic. With the economy tightening it's belt on everything and everyone, you're lucky to even find pennies thrown on the ground (which I pick up and save for this trip haha! So if you know me personally and see a penny on the ground; save it for me, would you? *smile*)

Well, here's the news: I'm kinda scholarship worthy! Woo hoo! I didn't win the Homburg award as hoped; mostly because I believe I applied at the wrong time of the year for the award, and my situation isn't really what Homburg wanted. I pretty much knew that going in when applying but you always have to hope for the best.

However, I did win the maximum win for the SMUSA/AVP award of 500 dollars! Yay for me! I'm glad. It's not the amount I was hoping for, but it's something and it could have been nothing at all! Wee!

That being said... My birthday is coming up. Wanna give me a birthday present? *points to donate button on the right*. Thank you so, so much in advance; even if it's $2.99. Heh heh!

Until next time everyone! There will be more activity here now that the date slowly approaches!

♪♫♪The Waiting is the Hardest Part♪♫♪

2010-03-12T15:00:00.001-04:00

New post for the new year, I'll be it... it's been a while.

There isn't much to report, thus the reason for lack of entries... Well to which I don't think merit too much. But it may help someone down the road so it wouldn't hurt to talk about them.

Basically, this post is going to be about MONEY.

Knowing full well that I'm only going to have a quarter of funds available for this trip, I knew I would need outside assistance. So during February break, I took my butt over to my bank and made an appointment with a financial adviser.... Dun-dun-dun I have little to no credit history.

Now look, I've had hard times trying to get money to help me do things -- with government student loans I had to appeal 3 times to only receive 380 dollars to help towards my university tuition. Working in customer service for as long as I have, and dealing with hard-headed people most of my life, I've learned the following: know what you want/need, NEVER GIVE UP ON THE FIRST TRY.
So sure enough, when I spoke with the first advisor, he could do little to help me. After doing so research I found out that he was new.... And new people are always afraid to do anything beyond what the books say. So after doing some asking around, I found out who was the manager/head accounts and dealt with him direct. I had my VISA limit increased and was able to get a line of credit enough to pay for the trip.

But I know full well I can't depend on the bank and it's money. Yes, everything is technically paid for, for now. But the bank wants to charge me %3.25 interest on each dollar borrowed every day. That's a lot.

This is where application for a scholarship comes into play. Thank goodness Saint Mary's offers Arts and Business kids an award up to $12,000.

The hardest part I found in doing the scholarship was the essay... But with gracious help from willing parties I dropped it off last week. Keep your hopes up for me that I get a good chunk of well spent change.

That's... really it. I'm still waiting on the results of who won the scholarship, and for international activities to plan their pre-departure meetings with those who are going.

On another note, I found a blog where a young lady from the United States is also blogging her current experience in Angers now. Please go see!

Elizabeth/Elisabet

Anywho, talk to you soon!

Accepted!

2009-12-07T13:50:00.004-04:00

After some small registrar speed bumps, I was able to get all the paper work in order and put in my deposit. Dr. Joëlle Cauville is the coordinator of the program on SMU’s end and she’s been nothing but the best. Mille merci Dr. Cauville for all your help!

First step, 300 euro deposit. Done.

Then there’s paperwork. The forums you have to fill out are quite easy considering; a bit more descriptive since it’s a school outside of my country. It’s a basic application: who are you, your living stats, what university/French experience you have, explain your goals and give a small bio of yourself. I basically said that I have no set plan yet in my life – no niche just yet. But I’m leaving my foot in the door and my hand out the window. I also wrote the reason for my day to day sort of living is because I’m a cancer survivor – so I live life in the now, not in the past or future.

Second step was to get my transcript and special postage so they can mail back stuff to me. No problems there. I also found out I’m not covered under my mother’s insurance so I’ll have to get some special stuff while away – no worries there. Passport and scholarship/bursary? I’ll wait until January.

So what exactly was the speed bump?

Well, I’m a special case. I graduated this past May (B.A. Double Concentration Linguistics and French); basically I ran out of money and had to stop. Knowing I wanted to go back, I knew that I would have to register as an “upgrading” student. The issue was you need a letter of permission to be able to study at another university so that SMU will recognize the credits (and obviously, permission to study as a student from another school). The registrar’s office said I didn’t need one. You just use them as transfer credits.

Wait, what? No. That’s not right. I’m not attending that school as a UCO student, I’m going there as a SMU student.

Knowing I wouldn’t be going anywhere fast and I knew that wasn’t right I brought it up to Dr. Cauville. After a phone call to the Dean of Arts and a trip to his office to explain my current student status, all was rectified and they will recognize my hours spent at CIDEF towards French. Thank goodness because that would have been a waste! Better off traveling around then going to study!

She mailed it off, and I received my letter of acceptance today! Wee! It put a smile on my face knowing things are in motion.

The only section of concern I have is that in the letter, it states that they’ve made a note that I want to live in residence instead of with a family. Hopefully this won’t be an issue down the road – I gave plenty of asking notice so keep your hopes up for me. Not that it would be a major tragedy if I have to live with a family, but this is an experience of independence for me and that would be a sort of block. We’ll see what happens.

Until next time!

Deposit time is here...

2009-11-13T23:42:00.003-04:00

Well, I thought it was cute (and funny because I like that kind of humor).

I make my 300 Euro deposit on Monday. You know, there is no going back; this is it. I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I was thinking about this over and over; I'm feeling super nervous and excited at the same time. This is a big step -- I'm leaving home by myself for the first time. I can't be a normal kid who leaves home and finds an apartment down the street -- I have to leave the country. Get as far away as I can.

I'll be glad to put the deposit in because once I've paid for it and know how much money is going into this it's an automatic. I can't waste money -- it churns my stomach. That deposit is non-refundable.... No turning back.

No regrets EK. You'll love this. Don't chicken out -- prove to everyone you're brave enough to do this on your own.

I'll comment more on the dossier starting process and how I felt at the time.

Tour of Angers

2009-10-23T20:58:00.000-03:00

For Anglophones... it's pronounced ON-J-EH, not "anger" like "angry". Haha when I first heard that I laughed. I'm sure it's not the first time that mistake has happened.

After watching the videos, this place is much like Halifax -- with a taste of Montréal.

City tour (street view).

This person drove around Angers...

More info on the Tramway that will be in place HOPEFULLY when I get there.

And here is a photo montage of Angers.

The First Meeting

2009-10-23T20:38:00.000-03:00

Today was the first meeting (other than one-on-one) and presentation about the program. It was the same presentation and I got a chance to speak with two students who did the program last year – they were glad they did it. One girl was able to travel to many parts of the EU over the course of a year and she’s only 15 thousand Canadian in debt. That really is not bad; for me anyway. I’ve pretty much completed my degree and have everything paid off -- this is a major weight of my shoulders. I was panicking -- thinking things like I'd be 50 thousand or more in debt. So as long as I'm careful with expenses, the two months in Angers on residence (including meals) will cost me roughly 6000 dollars Canadian. There are scholarships possible; to which I am definitely going to apply. It may cover the schooling all together and I can just travel. Wouldn't that be nice.

One downer -- I have to go to Montréal to get a special "biometric" passport. Not a nice extra expense but I could find ways to save to go. Who knows; they may even offer a reimbursement or something down the road.

After being at that get together with the other students, I really started thinking as to why I want to put myself into debt to have this experience. Of course I have personal reasons that I don’t want to share, but those reasons are just pawns: there are other factors in play in this grand game of chess.

Well for starters, being in France is a good chance to fix my French. Duh -- if that weren’t a major factor than why go? Second; I want to experience another cultures way of being. Are Canadians really the nicest people around? The little things that make us who we are – for example; do people hold the door for others? What are French people from France like? I know how Quebecois and Acadian people (I have Acadian blood in me) are... Do they differ from the French?

Plus the only experiences I have with other cultures are in an education setting here in Nova Scotia and resort ones -- which is a far cry from reality.

So, this is the semi start of my journey. I plan on paying the 300 Euro deposit quite soon to be sure I can get a room in residence. Wish me luck.