more pictures

me adn the dog and the tree
the backyard and lots of snow
the local park and even more snow

 

photos from xmas

my host parents bernard nd diane with the xmas tree
simon with his present
hugo with his present
cédric with his present

 

christmas

well christmas in quebec certainly was interesting. to start with, it wasnt white, it was brown and green and cold.........but we had a very white boxing day :) so im happy with the -10 as long as it stays white. i made my self a snow family (and was quite proud) but the dog peed on them so i had to smash it up (that was fun too).

christmas eve: didnt really do much. I spent a lot of times playing with the presents under the tree trying to guess what things were. Thanks to mum and danielle i had 16 little presents there, one from my granma, one from my host parents here, and 2 from my host brother and host sister. Early afternoon Genvieve came with the two little boys. They werent there for long, just to say hi and bye passing through to where they would stay the night and return the next day. My host mum got an early christmas present, her daughter is pregnant with teh third child. She cried and I think my host dad had a little tear too. Very cute. We had takeaways for dinner (i found that very amusing) and stayed up late to go to midnight mass. My host mum went to the mass at 7:30 because midnight was too late for her. But I still went to the midnight mass with Bernard. It was interesting in french. The same kind of hyms and responses, but in french. There wasnt a reader from the congreation, the preist just talked a whole lot. Afterwards Bernard and I went to Tim Hortons for a hot chocolate and donut. It was a really nice way to star the first few hours of christmas.

Christmas Day: We didnt get up till about 9 o'clock, which is unusual for my normal 6 am christmas morning start. Had the normal breakfast and then started opening presents. I got an adorable fluffy blanket with deer on it from bernard and diane. It has a little pouch to put your feet in it lol. They liked their kiwi xmas presents (mini pavlova cakes for Bernard and paua earrings and the book 'why do dogs sniff bottoms') and a lil card thanking them for everything. The presents mum had sent me were awesome and i loved them all soooo much. At about 11oclock Genvieve and the boys came. It was so cute giving the presents. I love the way children get so excited about xmas. I got a very nice smelling body mist from them. Later on Nick came over with his wife and baby. It was so cute giving the baby the presents (he prefered the wrapping paper to the presents). After a while they all left and we headed off to our xmas dinner. It was about an hours drive away from where we live. It was a huge family gathering where we were to play games and eat...lots. There were a lot of the nieces there so I had people to talk to. Only one of them spoke english so I was proud of my conversations in french. THe games were fun adn teh food was good. We left there at about 1am.

Boxing Day was, as usual, the day of the sales. But here they really are sales. LIke 50-70% off. MOst clothing stores closed the changing rooms because there were just too many people lining up. Stores had to close their doors to monitor the number of people going in. An electronics store selling ps2 at half price had a cue outside the store going past atleast another 4 stores. So being me, I loved it all. I got tops for $5 or $10, jeans for $20, a hoody for $15 and just because i had to 5 novelty socks for $5. Managed to find the next issue of Cosmopolitan (except now I read them in French, much better fashion as its from france). After my shopping blast, I made my snow men and then read one of the best books ever- the five people you meet in heaven. Highly recomended for anyone that likes stories with a little more depth.

So that leaves me with today. My do nothing day. Diane was at work and Bernard went to the funeral of his cousins husband. I watched day time television such as the tyra banks show jerry springer and the price is right, ate xmas left overs, and entertained the dog by hiding all the bones. lol. Did manage to update my scrapbook and get a parcel to home ready.

Tomorrow Ill be spending the day with Bernard so it should be fun. Diane will be starting her first day at her new job.

Christmas photos will be up sonn when ever I get bored enough to do something productive :)

pictures just for you guys

the bbbiiigggg boat
the mayan temples
mexico (this was the only photo i have that doesnt show the tequilla shots or other forms of alcohol induced behaviour
formal night

 

5 days till xmas

Wow only 5 days till christmas. A little scary but as long as I stay positive I won’t get (so) homesick. I remember watching the afs documentary earlier this year. They showed the video diary from each of the students at xmas time. They all had a really hard xmas (there was a lot of crying), But at the same time I keep on reminding myself that every exchange is different. So I have no idea what to expect for xmas.

Christmas for my host family isn’t that big. The 24th of December my host sister and the 2 boys will come over. We’ll have dinner and the boys open up the presents. The 25th isn’t that big in the morning. The giving of presents isn’t that big, just mainly for the little boys. Christmas afternoon we are going to go to my host mums sisters house. That will be loud and crazy. It seems there is no such thing as a shy Quebecois female. So with a big family get together and lots of xmas games, it should be interesting. It will be mostly older people (as in my host parents age and older) because all of the younger people have their own families they spend xmas with.
So I’m just looking forward to opening up my presents from home and hopefully eating my emotions (as long as I hide the scales)

So apart from the lack of xmas atmosphere, and build up, life here is back to normal (inculing conflict with my host mum). But ill wait until ive talked to my counsellor tonight until I write about it. It seems when I write something I manage to over analyse everything (maybe im turning into my mum).

Gotta wrap this up now because Im at school pretending to be researching something.

:)

Back in Canada

So after a great time in the sun, getting tanned and making friends, Im back in Quebec.

I should probably fill you in on what happened at the end of the cruise- my only two low lights. Firstly I got sunburnt, badly. But that turned into a joke more than anything and now Im nicely brown. The other was a little worse. When we were in Mexico, last port stop, I got an allergic reaction to something and my eyes got very swollen and inflamed. Wasnt a pretty sight. I got medication from the nurse onboard and had to stay in my room with a wet towel over my eyes. The medicine put me to sleep so unfortunatly I missed the afternoon in Mexico. What was worse was we had the second formal that night, and I was looking a lil funky. All the people I usually hung out with were very drunk (from the tequillas). So instead of sulking in my room I figured Id make myself look damn gorgeous and go and have a good time. The people who had been very drunk fell asleep, missing the dinner, and the people who managed to make it didnt say anything. So I was feeling pretty good bout my self. But I made sure I had no photos taken that night lol.

I went on an excursion in Belize, taking a boat ride up the river and then a tour of the Mayan Aztec temples. Learnt a whole lot of stuff I didnt know before so I managed to come home feeling a lil smarter (having replaced brain cells lost to alcohol).

Bought lots of sovenirs and took heaps of photos Ill get up here soon.

But now Im back to winter here. No snow so I wont be having a white xmas (omg one week to go and I dont feel christmasy at all).

Gotta go and finish unpacking now :)

still on a cruise ship

Last night was the formal dinner. It was fun to dress up and feel very girly in my little black dress. There was unlimited free alcohol and no one ided me. Then at dinner time our choices for the meal ranged from lobster duck, ribs from something and grilled fillet from some kind of fish. After dinner there was a big show, kind of boring though.

Today we are going ashore for the first time since Miami. We are just getting into Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Known for its shopping and beaches I should hav e a good day. A little worried about missing the boat though. There are abut 4 cruise ships at the same port so instead of going in and docking we just anchor away from shore and little boats take us to the shore. These little boats go back and forth all day for people and the last one is at 3.15. So im planning on catching the 2nd to last one (incase I happen to miss that one).

What is teh weather like in New Zealand at the moment.....here its 27 degrees light wind and a little cloud

Somewhere between Miami and the Carribeans

Im on a big 11 storey boat heading to the Carribeans. Its really funny when Im in my little hotel room I forget im on a boat, until we start turning then I remember Im at sea.

Im going to start from the beginning of this trip............

Friday 11.30pm we drove to Montreal
Friday 2.30am we droveto Burlington In the US
Saturday 6am airplane to Atlanta
Saturday 11am airplane to Miami
Saturday afternoon spent with the other people heading on the cruise. Theres a group of very cool people Im traveling with. Theyre about 23-26 years old and they are heaps of fun to hang out with. yay I have friends and im not a loner on a big ship.

Sunday we boarded the ship.

I really dont know what to write. I could describe every little thing about the boat, like the beauty salon, the water slides, the casinos, the arcades. the bars, the shops, the spas, the disco, the formal night tonight.............but unfortunatly id prefer to be out on the sun deck.

so ill write another blog maybe tomoro later at night so im not mssing out on sun time. or maybe not because tomoro we are going to Grand Cayman and I might be too tired from snorkelling or some other exciting excursion.....

:)

if your happy and you know it clap your hands

*clap* *clap*

Well just to change the mood a lil……..

Its -12 degrees and very snowy.

My friends did the coolest thing for me. They put a big chocolate reindeer in my locker.

P.e is really funny at the moment. We are kind of having a break and just doing self defence. They guys are trying to get back at me for all the tackling in rugby. So it’s fun

3 days till I head on the trip :) except it starts with a 4 hour bus ride to Burlington in the US

Decisions

I remember once when I was a kid I got a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle for Christmas. I was so excited. Every time I found the right place for a piece, I was so happy, but every time I got stuck, I hated it.

That’s what I’m feeling now. I have a jigsaw puzzle in front of me. I have thousands of pieces and need to decide where to put them. For every decision I make, a piece of puzzle is put in place. So for every different scenario, every different decision, I have a different picture. I have so many options, and its really scary to know that I’m the one that has to decide.

Last night some afs people came over and we all had a big talk. Luckily for me there was a guy who is bilingual, so he could translate things that I haven’t been able to say before. I now know how much my host family do appreciate me. We still have the big conflict over English vs. French though. At some points during our discussion I felt like everyone was looking down on me like I was a stubborn, selfish, narrow minded little girl. That was hard.

It made me reflect on every feeling or thought I’ve had about my host parents. For every time I felt belittled and victimised, was it really like that or was I just blowing things out of proportion like I now I tend to do? For every time I thought my host mum was harassing me into talking English, maybe she was just desperate to learn and didn’t mean to come across so dominating?
So this week before the big trip will probably go ok, except my host mum promised she wouldn’t ask for English, just see if I would start a conversation with her, (another decision: do I act selfish, or generous). The cruise will be a good way to relax. Then after I’ll just have to see what happens.

snow

I love snow.
Do you know that Eskimos have 50 different words for snow? Its because their lives depend on knowing the weather conditions; whether the snow is soft, hard, falling fast or falling slow etc. Do you think in English we have that kind of thing….like 50 words for an emotion? And not scientific words…like 50 words for one particular thing?

help wanted

so im kinda asking for advice....from anyone really.

for those of you who have been keeping up to date will now the postion im in with my host mum. we have just been talking for a long time about everything....i mean EVERYTHING. putting everything on the table. i think shes pretty happy now. my host dad doesnt want me to leave....but im grateful that ive already packed my bags and im still counting down till i get to leave this place.

i feel like im going crazy here. but after talking with my host mum today, its become apparent that, yes she is still using me for english, but she wants me to stay for a different experience as well. my host dad is really cool and hes told me that he likes me being here. I still feel like i have to go though. im definatly still thinking about leaving...my host mum hasnt thrown all her toys yet, after her strange mood swing friday night with the french, shes back to english (even mixing in french for my benefit), I dont know whos the better actress; her with her mood swings, or me being brave and smiling for everyone when im different on the inside.

So heres my question....do i stay and see what we can sort out through adult like discussions and meetings....or do i pack my bags and run away from the crazy lady when we get back from the cruise?

and completely off subject...another question.......ive had an infected belly button piercing for a while now...and i cant change the bar...ive tryed everything...any ideas to either change the bar or make it not hurt??

lol im random......

..................cos off topic again.it snowed HEAPS today...everything is white and with the xmas decorations its sooo cool. gonna go and take a walk with my camera now :)

blah

blah blah blah

at school we have a running joke that when i say blah...it means im too tired and that blah is better than the french i could attempt to say......so really right now im tired

yesterday was a big day for me. thursday things with my host mum kind of exloded. so friday i decided to talk to someone at school about it and talk to afs again. at school i was lucky to find a really nice english teacher. after i talked to her we went to the assistant principal and talked to him. i felt like i was going crazy. it must have been kind of weird cos all i di was cry (yeah boo hoo). so the assistant principal talked to someone in afs...and afs called me to talk. it wwas so much better talking in english. i could say everything i was feeling not just what i was capable to say in french...because before id only talked to my counsellor in french. so it was good to be able to talk. the assistant principal was a lil worried so he got the english teacher to take me out for lunch. that was very cool. but before luch i got to help the teacher buy a gift for her 6 year olds birthday and buy big helium balloons. lots of fun.

my host mum is acting really weird now. she wont talk to me and if she does its in french (which is a first cos it had always been in english).

im really worried bout moving family before the cruise...cos if i do ill lose the ticket...and dammit no one can take that away from me! talking to afs today at the xmas party so hopefully we can sort out something.

so maybe im starting to see that rainbow after a rainy day