What Am I Doing...

The point of this blog entry is to complain...just to warn you.

I don't know what to do with my life...I'm going to try to look for teaching jobs next year, and apply to grad schools I can commute to, but...I still miss Quebec. So many things remind me of Quebec...I want to go back so bad. I was hoping to apply to McGill University and maybe live in Quebec for grad school, but their performance program is not for me and they want students with at least 2 years teaching experience for their education program. So...do I go get a job here for two years, and then go get a degree from McGill? Do I keep searching for...for what? I considered getting a grad degree in French rather than music, but...that doesn't seem like the best idea. I don't know I don't know I don't know. I want to teach music, I want to play music, I want to speak French more, I want to go back to Quebec, I want...I don't know what I want.

I want to know which road I should take next...

Tous me manque

I miss Québec so much. I need to go back. I'm going back. I can't go teach abroad next year, so now I will start looking at grad schools for music in Québec. Maybe I'll find a place where I can speak French, play music, and get some kind of French and Music grad degree. Or something. I don't know. But I know it's been over three months and I still think about almost every day and feel so...so...

I need to go back. I'm going to go back. J'ai besoin de retournerai à Québec. Vite vite vite. Je suis triste, mais je suis heureuse. Alma me manque. Tout le monde me manque. Tous les choses me manque. Le langue français me manque me manque me manque!!!

student teaching begins...

So...haven't written on here in awhile...

I'm watching an advisory class at my student teaching placement right now, having not much to do. Yay. (I've been busy; this is just a random moment of free time).

I'm still looking into volunteering to teach abroad next year. Student teaching is okay, but I really don't think I want to become a band teacher. I just don't care about how to maintain non-percussion instruments, conduct a band, etc. I'm doing all of it now of course, and my cooperating teacher seems to think I'm great, but this isn't 100% for me. I still think I would rather teach something like general music...or teach in French in some place other than here.

I've been trying to find out how to apply for a Fulbright scholarship so I can afford to go teach in New Zealand or somewhere next year, but finding information is proving to be more difficult than I thought. If anyone would like to share a tidbit of helpful info with me, feel free!

Ok...probably should get back to watching this class lol...

Quebec me manque

I miss Quebec. I miss Alma. I miss tout le monde, and I miss speaking French!!!

I miss it all. I miss everything, and everyone. I miss it all so much that I'm sitting here, sweating on the floor of my dorm room, listening to la musique québécoise, trying trying trying to understand everything, wishing I could be hearing it where it was made. Ohhhhh I miss Quebec. You know that feeling you get when you're about to cry? I get that feeling so much when I think about Quebec, and all the wonderful people I met there, and all the amazing things we did. Why did that 5-week dream have to end? I love my life, but I miss Quebec...

What if I'm not meant to become a music teacher here? What if I'm supposed to become fluent in French, move to Quebec, and teach English? Or music? Can I please have French back in my life? And the québécois traditions? I never thought I'd say this, but I miss wearing a flowing skirt. I miss jamming on my harmonica at a fire, dancing the traditional dances, going for a walk after dinner, sitting on the porch studying French while eating crème yogourt, riding a bike and swimming in the lake, and SPEAKING FRENCH. I need to find someone to talk to...to hear French, to speak French, to learn French. I wish I could just...make it all come back. Stay for another five weeks? Five months? Can I please do something? I think about it all so often...can I have Quebec back?

Paris 36

I just watched a film which I can describe as nothing less than spectacular.

The film was Paris 36, or Faubourg 36, as it was entitled in French. It was the story of a musical theater in the 1930's. Fascism and anti-Semitism are running rampant, strikes are happening all over France, and the theater gets caught up in the whole mess of things and is forced to close. A singing sensation, a comedian called Jacky Jacquet, and a lot of determined unemployed men try to save the theater and find happiness again.

All in all this was a typical, somewhat-predictable, mostly musical movie that some people groan at and other people love. I happen to be one of the latter kinds of people, so I thought this was great. Highly recommend it, no complaints!

4.5 de 5 étoiles

Entre les murs

New film review:

The Class ("Entre les murs" en français)

I watched this film in French without any subtitles. For that reason, I was extremely grateful for the typical teacher-inspiration storyline. Even without comprehending all the dialog, I was able to get the gist of the film (teacher in poor, urban district inspires students). The main character was a really good teacher, so not only was I watching the film for French comprehension, but I was getting teacher tips from it as well! Also, I liked the fact that this guy was playing the role of a French teacher, so I was benefitting from his grammar lessons as well.

4 de 5 étoiles

Seducing Doctor Lewis:

I watched this in Québec with Eva and Emily and loved it. This time, it was with English rather than French subtitles, but still a great film!

4.5 de 5 étoiles

On another note...

Applying to ethnomusicology grad programs is proving to be more difficult than I imagined. Most schools only want applicants who have done fieldwork in ethnomusicology, therefore I'm at a loss. BUT never fear, crazy ideas are here!

Fact: The current economy makes it difficult to find a job (especially when you're looking for a music teaching position!).

Solution: Look somewhere else!

The Plan: My study abroad advisor just told me about Fulbright Scholarships, which can be used to fund research and work efforts in foreign countries. So...there are lots and lots of volunteer teaching opportunities in other countries, and most are happy to take on music teachers. The guy who teaches Fine Arts at my summer camp actually spent time teaching art in Africa through one such program, so why can't I do the same? Teaching abroad would not only get my foot in the door for teaching, but also allow me to do fieldwork that could possibly help me get into an ethnomusicology program in the future, and once again gives me a good reason to travel. Too good to be true? Maybe.

More research to come...

Les films

I've watched quite a few French films recently, so I figured it was time to update my blog:

La cage aux folles

This was a ridiculous film. It was the story of a gay guy who owned a theater, and his parter was the star. It gets crazy when his son (from a previous marriage) is getting married, and his fiancé's parents want to meet his parents. It was alright, but I was hoping it would be funnier, since it was supposed to be a highly acclaimed comedy. It was also very difficult to catch all the words, since they spoke extremely vite (fast). 2.5 de 5 étoiles.

The flower of evil

This was a bit of a disappointment. I thought this would be a mystery, but it turned out to be the story of a family with a history of hooking up with each other. It ended strangely, but I won't spoil it in case you feel like seeing for yourself. 1.5 de 5 étoiles.

Le Samourï

This wasn't bad. Made in the sixties, it was the story of a good-looking hitman named Jef. The film was slow-moving, with little dialog and lots of watching Jef walk around doing little tasks throughout his day. Like most French films seem to do, this ended somewhat abruptly, leaving viewers to figure out the rationale tout seoul (on their own). The story wasn't bad, I was able to understand some of the dialog, and there was jazz music, so I give this 3.5 de 5 étoiles.

Man on the train

Best one yet! This was actually a good movie I would like to watch again, maybe without subtitles. It was the story of a gunman who comes to a small town to rob a bank. He meets a retired professor who offers to let him stay at his house. As they learn about each other, they find new meaning in life, and everything is tied up fairly well at the end. The characters were great, and I enjoyed the whole movie. 4 de 5 étoiles.

Merci!

Bonjour encore!

I've decided that even though I'm not in Canada anymore, I'd like to continue my blog, at least every now and then.

First off, I'd like to say merci tout le monde! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my posts over the last five weeks; I appreciate it. If you decide not to read my posts now that I'm back in the US, I won't be offended. I'd like to keep this a things-related-to-French-or-Canada-only blog, so I don't know how interesting it'll be (or how often I'll throw in French words to keep up my vocabulary).

Second, tout le monde me manque! In French, tout le monde is the word for everyone. Literally, it translates to ''all the world''. What a great phrase! In this case, I really do manque, or ''miss'', all the world. It's almost as if all my adventures in Alma over the last five weeks were one amazing dream...a whole new world. I'm trying really hard to recreate parts of the world so that I don't lose my newly-acquired French comprehension, but it's close to impossible. If you've ever gone from hearing, speaking, and thinking almost solely one language and then have entered a world where that language hardly exists, you probably know what I mean. I've been listening to nothing but French music, reading nothing but French literature, and watching lots of French movies since I got back. Sometimes I have conversations in French with myself, or think in French, because I'm trying to hold on to the language. I really wish there was just one person here who I could speak with; I really miss the French.

Movies:

In this blog, I'm going to record every francophone movie I watch, so I know which ones are worth watching again (and so you have some ideas for French movies to watch, if you ever feel like it).

Hier soir, j'ai regardé ''L'enfant''. "L'enfant" is a French film with a somewhat unexpected ending that leaves you thinking ''Quoi?!" Despite the somewhat-disappointing ending, I enjoyed the film. It was fairly simple to comprehend, and the story was interesting enough. I think it was the easiest film to comprehend I've watched thus far. Alors, je se donne 3.5 de 5 étoiles.

Grad School:

I really want to continue learning French. I was so happy studying for class, learning new vocabulary, etc etc etc. Thus, I'd like to somehow combine French and music for grad school. I started researching schools and majors today and discovered ethnomusicology, which seems like possibly the greatest career in the world. Here's why:

-I am not content staying in one place for long periods of time and I don't want to "settle down" anytime soon. There's a whole huge world out there and I want to explore!

-I really don't enjoy playing classical music. I'm constantly asking my percussion teacher if I can find an African marimba piece, learn more about world drumming and other foreign percussion techniques, etc.

-I want to continue learning French. As an ethnomusicology major, I'd be required to learn a second language during my first year of study. Boo ya!

-Ethnomusicologists typically travel to other countries to live with foreign people and learn their musical culture. Need I say more?

-Ethnomusicologists must be good writers :)

-Ethnomusicologists must be open to new and different ways of living.

-When I took the extensive career profiler quiz at CHS, my ideal profession came up as ''museum curator" and I thought "I'd like that". Guess what one career title for an ethnomusicologist is?

-Even if I don't become an ethnomusicologist, majoring in it would give me great eye-opening knowledge I could use in a classroom, AND provide me with ample opportunities for travel.

-Ethnomusicology...what a cool word!

So...I'm seriously considering majoring in ethnomusicology. I really have had no clear idea what I should major that relates to music, and I need to decide by Decemeber! This is the first major I've come across that I really like the sound of. Maybe going to Alma was more than just an excuse to study abroad and improve my French; maybe it'll help me decide on grad school too!

Okay...I'm kind-of psyched about this major right now, so I'm going to go do more research.

À tout a l'heure!

-

Au revoir Alma...

Well, I'm back in the states...

Right now I'm running on less than two hours of sleep, and not regretting it at all!

We definitely made the most of these last two days. For the potluck dinner, Marlyse, Eva, and I made a whole bunch of foods with des pommes (apples). We made apple crisp, apple & potato latkes (sounds weird, tastes good), and barbequed apple slices. After the potluck, everyone went to a three-star motel called Le Perroquet (the Parrot), known for its karaoke dance bar. What a strange place! It was filled mainly with middle-aged women who all knew the same strange line dance. Someone would start singing a song, and one by one all the women would get onto the dance floor and start up the line dance. It was bizarre!

After singing the night away, everyone took their final exams yesterday morning. After the exam, Marlyse, Brenna, and I went to centre-ville for crème glace. Later that night we had our going-away dinner soirèe, followed by many hours of going-away fun. I played an intense chess match with John that sped up very quickly when it was time to leave for a microbrewery. We had ten seconds for each turn, and have agreed we need to finish a chess match sometime in the future.

Later that night, a few of us snuck onto a beach and sat on rocks by the water talking til the wee hours of the morning. Great way to end the program. Afterwards, we had to walk back to the brewery in the rain, where most of us said our goodbyes. It was really hard to say goodbye to all these people I've spent every day with for five weeks.

Eva and I returned to our house around 3:30, and sat outside talking for a bit in the early morning light (the sun rises reeeally early up north!). Then we had to pack. Somehow we both finished right around 5 AM, slept for a little less than two hours, and had our final breakfast with Fabienne. We gave her our gifts, she gave us hers, we hugged, and then we went our separate ways. Saying goodbye to Eva was impossible, and yeah, I'll admit it, I cried. Geez, I'm tearing up again writing this. Eva really helped make these five weeks great for me. I made some really great friends at Alma, but Eva was more than a friend. Sounds cheesy, but she's like the sister I never had, and I am going to miss her more than anyone else. Oh boy, I have to stop writing this, I can't type...

...okay, a little better now...

All day I've been trying not to think of how much I'm going to miss everything and everyone. Sandra drove Brenna and I to the airport today, and I'm so glad Brenna was there so that we could talk about what we're doing for the rest of the summer and kind of ease into the transition from Alma to English together. Ironically, the girl from the Chicoutimi program who I sat next to on the flight to Bagotville in May was on the same plane as Brenna and I. Somehow we'd all booked our seats next to each other, so we were able to talk the whole way to Montreal, and get lunch together afterwards. She told us about everything they did at Chicoutimi, and once again I was grateful for being in the small music program.

After lunch, I said my final goodbye to Brenna. That was tough. Even tougher was having to sit in the waiting area for my flight for the next two hours due to delays. I was trying so so so hard not to think about all the goodbyes I'd just had, and Eva, and not getting to speak French and hear French and think French and dream French, and how great Fabienne was, and how much I'm going to miss Heather, Mike, John, Emily, Charmaine, the other Carolyn, Marlyse, Christy, Kimmie, Katie, Malcolm, Iva, Katherine, Brenna, Anna, Amanda, Keena, Melanie, Lisa, Krystal, and EVA. Ughhh I can't think about this. I'm going to miss tout le monde so much. And I already miss the French. I don't want to talk English, I don't want to hear people talking English. I learned so much in these five weeks and I don't want to lose that knowledge; I want to learn more. And I want to be a geek studying on the porch with Eva, and feeling great when I can give quèbècois citizens directions en français and they understand me, and I understand them! And choosing a new verb to learn each day while walking to school with Eva, and jus d'orange each morning, and ohhhh boy I need to stop now. I'm going to see these people again. It's a small world. And if I don't see them, I'll at least keep in touch with them. And if not, then it was great having them in my life these past five weeks, and I'm so glad I got to experience that. This trip was worth each and every single penny.

Charmaine told me there are some great schools for percussion master degrees in Canada, and I think I seriously want to check them out. I really want to learn more French, and getting a masters degree in program in Canada would allow me to learn French at the same time, since almost all their schools offer French classes too. I don't think I've gotten enough of Canada yet, and maybe going to grad school there is the thing for me. And if not, at the very least I will be returning to visit some of the amazing people I've met there.

If you have a chance to go somewhere new, meet new people, and learn new things, please do. It can change your world.

Proche de la fin...

Previous phrase du jour:

Il y a beaucoup des choses cette semaine! Je suis très occupée.

There are a lot of things (happening) this week! I am very busy.

Well...right now we're trés proche de la fin du programme (very close to the end of the program). I just finished a post-examen to compare my progress from the beginning of the program til now. Last night was the final spectacle (the final student performance). Everyone rocked. I played vibraphone for the percussion ensemble and jazz ensemble, traditional quèbècois percussion for a chorale group, les batterie for Amanda's group, and xylophone for the traditional full ensemble pieces. Playing with Amanda's group made me want to play with her and Eva at Toronto even more (here's the song we played: Pourquoi). Not fair :( Anyway, everyone rocked and it was a great night.

Everything is winding down. Today was the last day of French class; tonight is the last potluck dinner. I just handed in my cuillières and returned Le Petit Prince à la bibliotheque (library). I also handed in my Bischerelle, the most wonderful grammar book I've ever had to use. Lisa already had to pack up and leave. You can tell we're close to the end, because that bittersweet end-of-the-year feeling is everywhere. It's strange because unlike at the end of a schoolyear, most of us probably won't see each other after this program is over, and everyone knows it. Tomorrow is the big going-away dinner, and as sappy as it sounds, I'm sure there will be tons of tears. I am definitely going to miss tout le monde (everyone); we definitely need to make the most of these last two days...

Mot du jour: Pourquoi.

Why? Because the song rocks and because it's an appropriate mot. Pourquoi do we have to leave so soon???

Beaucoup des choses

Woooow this is a busy week!

First off, devinette is a guess (forgot to tell you/create a new mot du jour on the last post).

I have to swallow my words about the soirée at Chicoutimi being my favorite night of the program; the next was even better! L'Impro competition was absolutely amazing. Both teams played their hearts out, and it wound up being a legitimate tie at the end. My team rocked. We played sooo well together, and we created some really cool beats. The first round started with a head-to-head country theme. Both teams had to make a country medley with a "stampede" theme. The handicap was: gallop or ballad. L'equip vert (green team) won the coin toss and chose gallop, so my blue team went first and concocted a killer country ballad. Mike started on guitar in the key of C, I came in on harmonica, Jon rocked les batterie, the other Carolyn added the piano, and Anna sang the vocals. When the audience was asked to hold up a card for the team they wanted to vote for after both teams had played, it was a sea of blue. Great start team!

Throughout the night, we won some and lost some and had a ton of fun. One extremely memorable moment was when we had to play a jazz ballad in the theme of "Le Plus Long Baiser" (longest kiss)...a cappella. I played the drums with my voice, Anna and Carolyn sang a harmony, and Jon and Mike aced the cake with an extremely real-looking fake makeout session. People literally fell out of their chairs from laughing.

Another memorable moment was when there was a melange (mix) round where both teams play at the same time. The theme was punk music with a noir tempo (black). Each team had to commence with only one musician on the stage, and the others could slowly walk onto the stage and join in one at a time. The mixed improvs are always a little tough because you never get to consult with the other team, only the 30 second consultation with your own team. My team and I agreed it was vital that I start for our team and run to the drum set, because Malcolm on the other team would want to play drum set also, and we'd have a better chance of winning the round if he had to play something else (punk and metal music are his speciality). As soon as Heather (the referee) blew the whistle, I ran for the drums...and so did Malcolm! We got there at literally the same moment and almost fell off the drum stool trying to fight for the set (I think there's a video on facebook). As a penalty, Heather decided neither of us could play the drum set for that round, but we both had to play something else and start the round for our teams. Malcolm started on vocals and I pounded the bongos. Bongos and dark punk music are not the best mix; my hands were killing me afterwards (and my throat, since I added some screaming vocals for good measure). Definitely worth it.

Ahh...what a great night. Every single improv challenge was awesome, and everyone had a great time. In the end, four players were chosen as les étoiles (the stars) of the night. Eva was the 4th place star, Mike was 3rd, Malcolm was the premiere star, and I was #2 for being able to play a bunch of unique instruments well. Woo!

The next day was the trip to the Fjord en arbres. The Fjord is an extreme high ropes/kayaking place here at Lac Saint-Jean. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to do the super extreme course, but the ones we did do were really cool. There were tons of ziplines, a little bit of rock climbing, and a lot of high wires and stairs that required a lot of upper body strength. The best was the very last zipline, which I'm pretty sure was close to a mile long. I managed to stay really straight the whole way and picked up a lot of speed, so when I reached the end I rebounded off the pad and had to turn around in the air and pull myself back to the base. I'm glad I do a few push-ups almost every day; a lot of people were complaining about soreness the next day but not me!

That night, I hung out chez Jon et Mike (at Jon and Mike's house) and we just parler (talked) for hours. It was cool; their père d'acceuil is an English/French/Latin professor, and I learned a lot talking with him and the guys, who are both more advanced in the French language than I am. I love being surrounded by French and soaking it all in like that!

Yesterday, I experienced La tourtière du Lac Saint-Jean. La tourtière is a meat-filled pastry somewhat like a shepard's pie. Usually it's served with blueberry pie for dessert, but we ate crèpes with des fraises (strawberries) and crème glacée (ice cream). I felt kinda priviledged to take part in the feast; not tout le monde (everyone) was invited! Those who came had to bring something, so I made peach salsa. Remember the recipe for salsa du mangue? Salsa du pêche is exactly the same, just use peach in place of mango and pineapple, and leave out the cilantro (I would've added it, but there was none at ma maison!). Combined with Mike's homemade hummus and cumcumber, the appetizers disappeared very quickly!

Today, I taught my class how to make an edible fire. Thank you Girl Scouts for teaching me how to make and eat a fire! :) I used pretzels for sticks, graham crackers for logs, raisins for the rocks for the fire circle, cereal flakes for tinder, and orange slices for the flames. Everyone liked my presentation and I think I got a good great (which is good since it's worth a good portion of my final grade for the course!).

Anyway, possibly going au cinema in a bit, so I should probably go. Tomorrow is the dress rehearsal for the final concert, and afterwards...ahhh. I can't believe this is the final week. I'm not ready to leave. But anyway. Movie in a bit. Au revoir!

Oh! Phrase du jour: Il y a beaucoup des choses cette semaine! Je suis très occupée.

Soirée québécoise!

Wow...I think this might be the best weekend of the entire program...

Jeudi (Thursday), there was a pool party at Mike and John's house. It was bit cold for the pool, so after a few games of pool volleyball, most of us got out and went into the house to play Twister and Cranium en français. I'm proud to say I took part in the longest, most intense round of Twister and wound up winning with my teammate Heather (it was 2 vs 2). Woo! Can't say the same for Cranium, but my team put up a great fight and I think we could've won if Marie Phillipe (who is l'animatrice for the program and is québécoise) wasn't on the other team. We started the game around 10:30 or 11 and finished around 2 AM. Cranium in French is hard!

Hier soir (last night) was the soirée québécoise at Chicoutimi. Basically, it was a huge, traditional québécoise dance party for all the students in my program and the non-music program at Chicoutimi. What a night!

For the soirée, everyone was supposed to dress in the traditional québécoise style. A few of us went to La Friperie and found really cool stuff for basically rien (nothing). I got a $3 jupe (skirt), a $5 chemise (shirt), a 50¢ veil. Combine that with a hemp necklace courtesy of ma mère d'accueil and I became a québécoise peasant girl. Parfait!

The soirée was amazing. There was a traditional québécois band playing live music, including Claude, our professeur (teacher) for les cuillieres, playing all sorts of cool percussion items, the music director Bruno playing violin, a clarinetist, a pianist, a violinist, and 4 students from my group jamming on their violins, viola, and flute. Our dance teacher was also there, leading the dances and performing a solo tap dance for us.

Besides dancing, les animatrices from Chicoutimi organized a ton of traditional québécois activities. The program at Chicoutimi is huge (with over 200 students!), so there were a lot of animateurs (an animateur is a student-helper who organizes the extra-curricular activities for the program, etc). When we arrived, each of us was given a piece of paper with our nom de famille. There were four ''families'' at the soirée, and all the activities were competitions between the families. I was part of the family Tremblay. At the start of the soirée, we all had to find our families. Then we were introduced to all the animateurs, who were playing different roles. There were loggers, a schoolteacher, a nun, a monk, the village butcher, a fur trader, etc. Each family had to choose one student to be the ''mother'' of the family, and another to be the ''father''. Mama Tremblay was none other than my friend...the other Carolyn! Throughout the night, the dance teacher would lead a dance, then we'd have to find our families for a competition, then we'd dance again, etc. It was crazy!

The activites were really cool. For instance, the first competition was for the fathers and one son from each family. The village loggers rolled out an actual log and a saw, and each père et frère had to saw off a piece of the log. The family who could saw through the log the fastest was the winner. The next competition was for the mothers and a daughter. The village women brought out a clothing line with a bunch of vêtements (clothing) hanging on the line. The daughter of each family had to put on all the clothes as the mother took off the clothespins, and then she had to take them off so the mom could hang everything back on the line. I thought for sure the Tremblay family would win, cuz Carolyn and Katie were like lighting, but we lost by half a second. There was also a moose calling competition (with two guys wearing a moose costume), and a traditional québécois marriage. Très drôle.

Last night, interacting with the students at Chicoutimi made us Alma-banians realize how lucky we are. A lot of the Chicoutimi students speak English frequently, and it was obvious they didn't know the dances as well as we did. It was also obvious that there are cliques at Chicoutimi, but not so much at Alma. With the smaller program, I think we've gotten to know each other better than the students at Chicouimi have. I think it's easier for us to be enthusiastic about speaking French, participating in the workshops,. With the smaller group, we can all help each other learn, and there's less chance of someone having a bad attitude about speaking French and influencing others to speak English. I really like this program and all the people in it, and after last night I'm even more grateful for what we have here. I'm definitely going to miss tout le monde after we leave...

Well...I should wrap this up. There's a soundcheck at le Boîte à Bluets soon for le competition d'impro ce soir! I hope we win. Tomorrow we go to le Fjord en arbres for a day of high ropes fun, and then the final week begins. Where has the time gone?

Okay, gotta run. Thanks to those of you who commented on my last entry; good to know you're reading. Merci, à tout à l'heure!

Tout le monde

Hier (yesterday) there was an excursion to Lac St-Jean for le Rabaska. A Rabaska is a huge canoe for around 15 people. It was bit froid (cold) yesterday, but still fun. We all kept screaming ''RABASKA!!!''.

Aujourd'hui (today), not a ton is happening. I just sight-read the mallet parts for two quèbècois pieces we're playing as a huge ensemble in a repetition...which means rehearsal. Next up is a repetition pour chant chorale in 10 minutes.

Until then...I have yet to recognize all of you who have been reading my blog and leaving comments. Merci beaucoup! I haven't responded to any of the comments since my internet time is so limited, but I have been reading them, and I appreciate the responses!

Now...here's a challenge. I'm a bit curious as to how many people are reading my blog. So...if you are reading this, leave a comment on this entry. It's ok if it's an anonymous comment, as long as you leave a comment.

Maintenant (now) I will deviner how many people are reading my blog. Hmm...I'm going to say...8? That's my devinette, which is also today's mot du jour.

Oh! And for those of you who were wondering, le spectacle at le Boîte de Bleuts was très bien! I received a bunch of complements for my playing, and I was asked to form a band in Toronto with Eva and Amanda...except for the fact that I'm in New York. That really stinks, because Amanda is the oldest student here (she's 31) and has lots of connections for gigs. I would love to form a band and gig with them...except I'm in New York. Merde.

...I'm not giving you a definition for that word ;P

Salut!

Spectacle Boîte à Bluets

J'adore being a percussionist :)

Tonight we are having a spectacle (concert) at le Boîte à Bluets. Originally, I wasn't playing anything for the concert because none of my ensembles were ready. Buuuut everyone loves percussion, so now I'm playing les cuilleires for one choir song, and les batterie for two other songs! I just rehearsed with one of the groups for the first time, rehearsing with the other in 15 minutes. I'm developing a reputation for covering percussion and harmonica parts when needed here. Love it :)

So...nager means to swim. Heather, Anna, and I did go swimming Saturday night, but it wasn't lane swimming like we thought. Instead, it was free swim for les enfants (children). Woo! Sooo...we tread water for 45 minutes and then went to Anna's to faire de cuisinier (make dinner). Heather slept over chez moi (my house) and we watched Le Grand Seduction with Eva. If you can get hold of the film, I recommend watching it; it's hilarious!

The next day Eva, Emily and I watched Dèdè Travers la Brume. It's based on the life of Dèdè, a member of the band Les Colocs. Afterward, Emily let me borrow some of the music of Les Colocs, and it's awesome! They're quèbècois and incorporate a lot of harmonica with some rock influence. Très cool.

Also yesterday, Eva and I went on a two hour faire du promenade. We found a really bizarre park near la rivière (the river) and took a bunch of pics (which will be up when I get back to the states).

Oh boy I have my repetition avec the other chorale in 3 minutes. Repetition will be today's mot du jour. Salut!

Le Petit Prince

Bonjour.

Un autre fin du semaine. Aujourd'hui, il fait pleut (today, it rains).

Not much has happened since my last entry, but it's raining and I don't really feel like walking anywhere at the moment, so I'm updating my blog instead.

Oh, actually a few things have happened! Jeudi (Thursday), we had our first session of quèbècois dancing. J'aime quèbècois dancing beaucoup! It's very similar to square dancing, and I don't know about the rest of you CHS-ers, but I know I always looked forward to square dancing in gym class! It was fairly simple for me to catch on to all the moves we learned this week. For instance, there is a move called la grande chaîne. Bet you can't guess what that translates to. Another is l'etoile, which translates to ''the star''. Yep, that's right, everyone puts their hands in the middle and circles left or right. There are some differences between square dancing and quèbècois dancing, but not much! Oh...but my feet were killing me afterward because we danced barefoot, and I had a lot of energy for dancing. Probably didn't help that I played soccer afterward...

Hier soir (last night), there was another repas partage (potluck dinner) with a feu (fire). I really like these weekend potluck/fires; great way to hang out. Eva and I made une salade du fruit (fruit salad) avec crème du yoghourt (frozen yogourt). Mmm...

Today, I went on an outing with Fabienne and her mother to...un serre. Mom, you're probably happy to know that translates to greenhouse. *sigh* Even in Quebec, I can't get away from all the plants ;)

Afterward, I spent a good portion of the day reading Le Petit Prince. If you've never read The Petit Prince, you should. It's a wonderful French children's story that I'm very glad I studied in l'ecole secondaire (high school). Merci Monsieur B!

Anyway, I was happy to discover during my first week here that my mère d'acceuil has the story on CD, and was more than happy to let me borrow it. Each week, I listen to the story at least once, and comprehend a little more each time. This past week, I found a copy of the book at the school library, so each day I read a chapter or two and find definitions for all the words I don't recognize. Great way to study!

Tonight je nagerai (that means I will nager) with Heather and possibly the other Carolyn and Anna at the local pool, then I'm going to a party for a bit and coming back here with Eva, Heather, and whoever else wants to join to watch a quèbècois film. Can you figure out what nager means? It's one of my favorite activities, and I'm excited...or as the quèbècois people would say, j'ai hâte, for finally getting to nager here!

Salut!

L'Impro

Ahhh I love everything I get to do here!

Today everyone went to an elementary school and played in band with the music students. I found it really ironic (and drôle!) that even in Quebec, I wound up in a music classroom teaching students. Awesome. It was like I was completing observation hours all over again. Some of us even talked about our instruments, and the students were just as intrigued by le hautbois (oboe) and le basson (bassoon) as they were in the Albany schools. The only difference is everything is en français of course. Hmm...maybe there are teaching jobs up here... ;)

Also today, I had my first répétition (rehearsal) with my équipe d'improv. This might be my favorite activity here thus far. Here's how it works:

L'Impro is a popular event here in Quebec. Multiple teams consisting of five musicians each compete in a night of improvisation challenges. There is a referee-director (forgot the formal title) who MCs the event and gives the teams categories. There are five categories in each round. Each time a category is given, the teams have thirty seconds to discuss what they will play within the category. They play for a set duration of time, then the other team plays, and the crowd votes on which team they prefer by holding up pieces of paper with the respective team's color. Categories include genres of music such as jazz, metal, rock, folk, reggae, etc. In addition, there can be twists added to each category. For instance, a team might be asked to play rock music in the style of a jungle safari, or be asked simply to create a winter scene. Like all things here, this is not just improvisation, but EXTREME improvisation!

My improv team is awesome. Our team leader (or chef, as you say en français) is Anna, a student trained in classical opera who is also into vocal jazz and musical theater. She's proving to be a good leader, researching musical styles, organizing rehearsal times, etc. The other team players are Michael, a saxophone player who can double on guitar, piano, a little bass, and probably a lot of other things if he feels like it. John is a percussionist who mainly plays les batteries (drum set, if you recall) but never hogs the set and can play a little bass or piano if need be. There are two Carolyns on the team: one is a vocalist who plays a little guitar and can fill in on auxiliary percussion, and of course moi, playing drum set, vibraphone, auxiliary percussion, and harmonica depending on the category. I don't know if I could be on a better team. We all have imrpovisation experience, our blend of instrumental talents work well together, we listen to each other well, and we're all open to each others' ideas and suggestions. Now we just need a team name, and we're good to go.

Now here's the coolest part: This is an optional event I volunteered for; the other students will be watching but not everyone will be participating in the competition. The competition will take place the night of June 12th at le Boîte à Bleuets, a chic restaurant with a stage that is a popular spot for public Impro competitions (also where we commenced our 25 km faire du vélo). Sooo there will lots of people coming to this event to watch my team perform against other teams we might not know. I don't know all the details, but that's what it sounds like will happen. J'ai hâte!!!

Hmm...I think j'ai hâte will be today's mot du jour (or phrase du jour I guess). It's a phrase used here in Quebec when someone is...well, you can figure it out. Ahhh j'ai hâte!!!!

...Une chauve-souris is a bat.

Le Trou de la Fèe

Let me begin by saying wow, there are a million dandelions in Quebec!!!

Today everyone took a bus to le caverne au Trou de la Fèe (a cave at the Hole of the Fairy). On the way, I was looking out the window and realized that in a lot of places the grass was more yellow and gray (because of the dandelions) than green! Random, but kinda cool :)

Le Trou de la Fèe was really cool. It seems that every excursion we go on here is intense and awesome (25 km bikeride, whale-watching trip on one of the largest rivers in the world, speaking nothing but French, etc.). To get into the cavern, we had to climb a million stairs and then hunch down under some really really narrow rocks and...let's just say this was not a beginner caving excursion. I loved it :) I can't really describe how awesome it was, but there will be pictures whenever I can finally upload everything from my camera! (prob. in 3 weeks when I return).

Oh, new mot du jour: la chauve-souris. There were a bunch of chauve-souris flying in the cave, and one actually ran into a few people! Pretty cool. Oh, and coup du soleil = sunburn, in case you didn't figure it out. Gotta run...watching le film Amelie tonight with Eva. À demain!

J'aime le chocolat

Just came from un repetition du chant chorale (chorus rehearsal). One of the songs we're singing is called "J'aime le chocolat'' and it's currently stuck in my head. Ironic that my first choral song here translates to ''I Like Chocolate'', because one of my first songs in elementary school chorus was called ''I Love Chocolate''. Hmm...

Anyway...just as I predicted, I had a great fin du semaine. Everyone loooved my salsa du mangue and one girl asked for the recipe! It's very simple, if you'd like to try it:

-1 or 2 mangos

-1 red bell pepper

-1 green onion

-2 tbsp cilantro

-2 tbsp lime juice

-1 tbsp lemon juice

...Chop everything up, throw it in a bowl, mix it up, add pineapple if you feel like it (I did). Voila.

Yesterday I went to Tadoussac for the whale-watching excursion. Tadoussac is a little town on the coast of the St. Lawrence River. We explored the town, had a picnic lunch on a hotel lawn, and then boarded le bateau (boat) for the excursion. We saw beluga and minke whales and had a great time. Ugh...but il y'avait beaucoup du soleil et beaucoup du vent (there was a lot of sun and wind), and despite using sunscreen, I now have a coup du soleil for the millionth time. Hmm...I think that will be today's mot du jour. Je déteste le coup du soleil, but le coup du soleil loves me. Oh well...

Because of le coup du soleil, j'ai fatigue maintenant (I'm tired now) and thus using l'ordinateur to write this entry instead of practicing. I played les batteries...drum set...earlier, so I don't feel that guilty.

Speaking of practicing, let me give you an idea of what it's like here when I want to practice. As a percussionist, I have a lot of choices. There are two rooms with mallet instruments. One has a marimba and a drum pad (and not just the average kind you get with a starter percussion kit, this is the nice, rubbery kind that costs double the price). The other room has a vibraphone and a practice drum kit (meaning there's a rubber pad with a foot pedal for a bass drum, a snare pad, a hi-hat, a ride cymbal, and a stool). There is also a larger room with four timpani in it, and a rehearsal room with a percussion closet full of fun instruments. THEN...the best part...there is a whole village of drum sets here! This was a great discovery:

One day, I heard drum set playing coming from the door across the hall from the vibraphone. I didn't want to disturb whoever was playing, so I waited til the next day to check it out. To my surprise, I opened the door and found...six more doors! Two of the doors are always locked but the other four...every single one contains a full drum set and other great stuff! My favorite is the room on the far end. Not only do you get a window with a great view while you're playing, but also a temple block with a foot pedal next to the hi-hat, three cymbals, a marching snare drum, a speaker system, and another snare pad. Oh, and there are soundproof headphones to use when practicing, so you don't lose your hearing. Oh...and did I mention there are mirrors in almost every practice room, so you can actually watch your technique when you play? Imagine that!

Can I just stay here for my senior year? ;)

Ahhh Alma. I am having such a great time here. I can hardly believe a full two weeks have already passed; the time is going by so fast. Not to mention the amount of French I've learned! I can comprehend soooo much more than I could when I first got here. In fact...not to brag but...my professor had to change the way she assigns work so that the ''more-advanced'' students like moi don't get too bored with the easy stuff. We're not advanced enough to join the other students in the way-advanced class, but there is definitely a comprehension gap growing in my class. I love love love that Eva is my collaque (spelling? means roommate) here because we are advancing at the same level, and I don't think I could ask for a better study buddy, or a better ''sister''. It's kind-of funny how many times we've finished each other's sentences, or wanted to eat the same food for breakfast, or worn the same color t-shirt, or wanted to study at the same time. Parfait :)

Oh and speaking of funny, that's the definition of drôle, le dernier mot du jour. And...because of today's mot du jour I'm a bit tired right now, so I think I shall retourne à ma maison et faire un petit somme. Zzzzzzz....

Le fin du semaine

Bonjour!
Right now it's le fin du semaine...the weekend. All I've done so far today is listen to quèbècois music and find the definitions of the words I don't know. I'm pretty sure quèbècois is my new favorite genre of music. There is sooo much, and it's all great! My current fave group to listen to is Polèmil bazar...they're kind-of like Squirrel Nut Zippers but even better...and en français :)

Another group I really like is De temps anlin (couldn't find a link). They use harmonica and les cuillères on some of their charts, and I learned one of the harmonica solos!

So far, this has been a great fin du semaine. Last night I attended a ''Meurtre mystère'' (murder mystery) dinner party at chez (the house of) Heather and the other Carolyn. I was Eloise, l'excentrique. It was really tough reading my part and trying to understand what everyone else was saying, but I understood a lot more than I thought I would. Oh mon Dieu and the food...their mère d'acceuil prepared a three-course meal that was deeelicious. I don't even know what half of it was, but it was really really good!

Tonight I'm going to another potluck dinner, making mango salsa in a bit to bring. And tomorrow! Tomorrow is an excursion to Tadoussac, a village near here that is supposed to be really great. We get to explore the town, then embark on a whale-watching cruise. Should be fun...

As for le mot du jour, le jupe = skirt! I wore the same jupe last night...with a lot of other colorful clothes that didn't quite match, and I can't tell you how many people stared at me as I walked to Carolyn and Heather's house! It was kind-of drôle, which is the next mot du jour. Haha ;)

Faire du vélo

Did you figure out the last ''mot du jour''? Chaud = warm (or hot). Yay! Tod

Yesterday was chaud again. But...not too hot for faire du vélo! The group went on a 25-kilometer bike ride (faire du vélo) and then swam in Lac Saint-Jean. Heather and I swam to a rock that took...eh...awhile...to get to. Then we went halfway back, met up with some other people, and swam it again! So...basically I did a mini biatholon yesterday. It was awesome. Lac Saint-Jean is gorgeous. Then I woke up to run at 6 AM this morning. Feeling goooood :)

Did I mention I love it here? ;)

Hmm...mot du jour: la jupe. I'm wearning a jupe right now. This might be difficult because I hardly ever wear une jupe. A lot of females wear them in the summer, and they're pretty common here in Alma. Good luck!

Il fait chaud!!!

Did you figure out the last ''mot du jour''? Sable = ...drum roll please...sand! Congrats if you figured it out.

Aujourd'hui, le mot du jour est: chaud.
This morning, I went running and was very grateful for a slight breeze, because it was sooo chaud. Afterwards, I went shopping with ma mère d'accreuil Fabienne, because I definitely didn't pack for this. I thought Canada would be colder than aux États-Unis (the US), but not at all! I think in Farenheit, it was over 90 degrees yesterday.
So...I just spent $80 on summer clothes, because I really really really needed some shorts and tank tops! Fabienne said last year it was colder and actually snowed once here. C'est très bizarre....

Okay, time for lunch and then the first day of ''chant chorale'' (quèbècois singing group that everyone participates in). Au revoir!

Tacos y salsa

Bonjour!

J`ai retourné de Tacos y salsa, an outdoor Mexican restaurant. Ironic to be eating Mexican while speaking French? C'est possible...

I`ve decided to have ''un mot du jour'' each day. Today's word: sable. Now here's the catch: YOU, my readers, have to figure out what the word means. Today's ''mot'' is sable because we went to a ''plage'' (beach) for a picnic lunch. After eating we had to form teams for a craaazy scavenger hunt. One team member had to be blindfolded, another had couldn't speak (tape over the mouth) and the other's hands were tied behind them. Imagine walking around trying to write down answers to questions on rocky territory with one team member who can't see, one who can't talk, and another who can't hold anything. Now do it in a language you're all trying really really really freaking hard to comprehend. Needless to say, I bonded très bon avec my teammates Heather and Keena!

Afterwards a few of us went to an ice cream shop, where I jammed on my harmonica while John played les cuillères. C'etait très awesome. Then we ate at Tacos y salsa. I paid for dinner with Canadian money for the first time. Ugh..and then I paid dix dollars....ten dollars...for a taxi :(

OH! We also formed our music ensembles today. Being one of three percussionists, I was a popular choice for forming ensembles. I think I'm in three...maybe four? A jazz band, a small percussion ensemble, a group with some chanteuses (singers), and...un autre? J'oublie...

Tomorrow, I'm going for a bike ride avec a few others students, and a potluck dinner/birthday party for one of the girls. Sunday I'll attend mass en francais and then go to John and Michael's house for another fire. Fires seem to be popular get-togethers here, and that's fine by me! At the last one, Michael played guitar and I jammed on harmonica for hours. I'm playing more harmonica here than I have all year, and that's perfectly fine by me. Everyone loves it, and the other Carolyn told me I need to bring my harmonica everywhere :)

Did you figure out what the ''mot du jour'' is? I'll give you a hint: I had to empty out my shoes when I returned à ma maison tonight parce-que I still had a lot of ''sable'' dans my shoes, et on my feet. Si you still can't figure it out, c'est pas grave! Je will reveal the definition in my next entry...

Les cuilleres!

Whoaaaaaa!

I'm sitting in a computer lab waiting for a session to begin in which we'll be researching québécoise music. I just attended the most interesting two hours here so far! We had a session called "Percussions et rhythmes québécois". Can you guess what that translates to? We learned about jouer les cuilleres...playing the spoons. The percussion of Quebec is amazing!!! I've decided I'm buying les cuilleres to learn :) Each week, we get to learn more about québécois percussion and play in an ensemble of spoons. I'm very excited, to say the least. Oh haha, and I learned I should stop saying "Je suis très excite", because it has a sexual meaning in French. Whoops!

Oh...time to start the next class. Au revoir!

Dans ma maison (in my house)

Bonjour!
Maintenant, I am at my house using Fabienne`s laptop. She gave me the password for the internet but alas, I still can`t get online! Oh well...I think it`s good being less dependant on technology. Hardly using the cell phone, hardly using the internet, having to plan in advance to meet up with people, walking everywhere...c`est bon.

Today, we had an introduction to Quebecoise music. Quebec has its own culture and traditions, different from the rest of Canada. It`s interesting...you can tell it`s its own style. Fabienne let me borrow a few of her CDs, so now I have la musique de Quebec sur mon i-pod! Tomorrow à l`ecole we will research quebecoise music to perform.

Every morning, I have French class. My class is for the less-advanced students. In Canada, they have two systems of education: one is similar to ours, and the other is an immersion program in which children learn a lot of things in French (with some classes in English) from the time they are little. There a lot of students here who were part of the immersion program, so they`re in the advanced class. There are seven of us in my class, et je t`aime la classe! We learn, we laugh, we love it all.

I`m beginning to think in French. When I do sit-ups each day, I count them in French. When I practice, I hear the rhythms in French in my head. It almost seems more natural to be conversing in French with everyone around me, even though it`s so difficult. To speak in English here seems...wrong? Even writing...this is a rushed entry right now and it`s easier to add French into my sentences than to write them in complete English, parce que I think of the French first! Je ne sais pas...

OK, c`est tout pour maintenant. Tonight one of the other girls is having a campfire at her house, so a bunch of us are going over there in a bit. Au revoir!

Bienvenue (Wecome) au Quebec!

Ah, finalement...a chance to utiliser l'internet!

I'm in my second full day of life in Quebec. I'm writing this from a new friend's laptop, at her host family's house. At my house, ma "mere" (mother) Fabienne is trying to remember the password for unlocking the wireless connection *sigh*. She said she'd call the company today to get the password, so perhaps I'll have access when I return home later...

Right now, I'm listening to two girls in the program practice a duet for two fiddles. It's very laid-back here; we go to French class in the morning, have lunch a midi (at noon), and participate in an activity in the afternoon. The evenings are usually free (today we were done before 16:00...4 PM...but instead of practicing, I'm taking advantage of the internet!

There is NO English here; it's very tiring to try try try all day long to understand and speak French, but it's worth it! Already I'm understanding more than I did when I arrived. Everyone is very patient and willing to rephrase things a million times to help us understand. Oh, and the music school is not in Chicoutimi as I thought; it's located in a beautiful place called Alma.

When I arrived, I met my host-mother Fabienne and another student staying with her. Elle s'appelle (her name is) Eva, and we have sooo much in common. It's almost scary! Here's just a little list:
-we both eat meat, but prefer vegetables and fruit
-we both love PB & banana sandwiches, and like sushi
-we both love hiking, running oustide, and swimming!
-we're both going into our 4th year of college (in Canada, they don't go by Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years, just first, second, third, and fourth).
-neither of us enjoy shopping much
-neither of us like the taste of beer
-both of us came here with a goal of renting a bike and riding around to explore

...there are more things we have in common, and I keep finding out more each day. We're a good match :)

As for the other students here...there are 23 students in the French and Music program. Out of those, 20 are female (yeah, just 3 guys), and everyone lives in Canada except me! It's interesting...I'm learning little things about their culture, and they learn about mine. Did you know that in Canada, students have to sing their national anthem every morning? They don't have a Pledge of Allegiance like we do, so I had some trouble explaining about that. They also don't have quite as much of an accent as we always imagine, but the hockey stereotype is SO true! Already, we had a discussion about hockey in my French class this morning. We also sang "O Canada" in French, which I found ironic ;)

Well...I don't want to be hogging my friend's computer all afternoon, so I think I'll end here. Au revoir!

Je m'appelle Carolyn...

Je m'appelle Carolyn, je suis intelligent.

J'aime jouer au Playstation Deux, je suis aussi amusante.

J'ai deux chats, maio maio, Cerebella et Tapestry,

et l'ocelot est mon animal favori.

Perhaps some of you reading this remember those words, first sung in Mr. B's French class in my ninth grade year. Like anything I've written a song for, the subject of French excites me. When asked to choose a language to study at the end of seventh grade, my choice was simple. Yes, learning Spanish would be useful in everyday life, and Italian would help me understand terms and tempo markings on sheet music (not to mention connect me to my own heritage), but French...okay, maybe there was no rational reason to study French. However, I had my own reasons, and those were rational enough to make my decision.

Reason #1: The Olympics

As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the Olympic Games. There is something extraordinary about watching athletes from all over the world compete in (fairly) friendly competition. Swimming, gymnastics, speed skating, luge...winter or summer, I spend more hours in front of the TV during the Olympics than I do in an average month (or longer).

So what do the Olympics have to do with me learning French? French, as you may or may not know, is the official language of the Olympic Games. What better way to really appreciate the Olympics than to know what is being said before it is translated?

Reason #2: Canada!

There are two places on this planet I've always wanted to explore. One is Australia and the other...is Canada. In elementary school, some of my favorite authors were Canadian. Their stories were captivating and their writing made places like Vancouver seem so inviting; how could I not want to visit?

The Choice Is Made

So...the Olympics and Canada. Maybe not the most logical reasons to study French, but good enough for me! I have yet to regret my decision. Learning French has been a great experience full of friendship, frustration, and fond memories. I could go on and on about the crazy times I've had in French classes, but we'd be here all night. So...on to Canada!

Studying Abroad

It is my belief that every human being should explore the world at some point in life. This is a huge planet, and adventure is out there! For many, college is a perfect time to branch out and expand horizons. I always pictured myself spending a semester abroad while in college. However, being a music major taught me otherwise. Spending a semester abroad would mean most likely staying in school an extra year. That was simply not something I could afford, therefore studying abroad was out of the question. Or was it?

Study Tours: The Solution

While making gingerbread men at a friend's apartment a few months ago, a good friend of mine shared her experiences studying abroad in Argentina. The places she went, the foods she ate, the people she encountered...it was the experience of a lifetime. Knowing I too wanted to study abroad, she suggested study tours, three- and five-week sessions in foreign countries. Could it be? Were these the kinds of opportunities I could afford to experience? I had to find out.

That night, I sat down at my laptop and looked up "study tours" on the school website. Not knowing what to search for, I typed in "French" and "music". I wasn't expecting anything to come of my search, but oh was I wrong! The first link to appear on the page was entitled "French and Music". The description summarized a study tour...for music majors...who wanted to improve their French...in Canada!

Oh Canada!

I am so grateful to my friend for informing me of study tours, which I did not know existed. Because of her, in 32 hours I will be embarking on a five-week tour to Canada. I will travel to Chicoutimi, Quebec, the most francophone region of North America. I will sign a contract pledging to speak only French during my stay, live with a French-speaking family, and study French at a nearby university. I will meet music majors from all over the country who, like me, probably can't spend a whole semester studying abroad. We'll perform in ensembles, explore nearby cities, and expand our horizons in ways we can't imagine. It will be the adventure of a lifetime, and I will embrace it wholeheartedly.

Oh Blog!

While abroad, I will write a blog to inform you of my adventures. I've never written a blog before, so this will be a learning experience. I hope you will excuse any errors and become a part of my trip through my entries. Hopefully I will be posting pictures, stories, songs, and whatever else I encounter that might be of interest. My entries probably won't all be long or in English, and some of them might be as cheesy as this one, but no matter what, I'll try to keep them interesting and up-to-date.

The journey is about to begin...are you ready?