Friday, March 27, 2009

A little explination...

So I now get absolutley no internet on my computer at home. I have continued to write my blogs, and I have just had an opportunity to post them now.
Following are blogs from March 17- 25. I hope you have time to read them!
I will try my best to keep some more coming!!
Love Love Love Love
Carly

Quebec Graduate! (ooh, lala!)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Today was a... refreshingly good day. I really believe I've gotten over my slump, and I am back on track with positive, motivated Carly. This morning I had guitar first period, which was rather uneventful. After Guitar I had math, in which we had a unit test. It was really really difficult, and I know I will be lucky to even pull of 6% on this one. I did draw a cute picture of my house on the back page though; maybe I’ll get bonus marks!?
At lunch today I went to volleyball again, and it was amazing. (Side note: I have noticed something about eating lunch with the same girls everyday. Gossip is on the OUT list. They never talk about other people badly. That is almost all I hear in the cafeteria at lunchtime, and it is refreshing to be around people who don’t find that entertaining. I just hope they’re not secretly bashing me behind my back!) Usually, I am referred to as “Mexico”, because my gym shirt is a Mexico soccer jersey. Today though four people asked my name, and got to know me. It came really out of the blue, but it was really nice and made my day!
After lunch I had my library period, and finally I had economy, in which I have no idea what the teacher talked about all class, but my agenda is now beautifully colored!
After school today was the Diploma Ceremony I have been looking forward to for such a long time. It was a lot different than I was expecting It was in a small conference room of a school, and there was maybe fifty people. The “supper” was a table of finger sandwiches and veggie platters and juice boxes to drink. Even though it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was still good. It started out with some speeches from all the executive of International Studies Quebec, and then the actual receiving of diplomas. The diplomas are really nice, and I take a lot of pride in mine. I think I am going to frame it when I get home! We also got gold…. Bookmark type things (I think that’s what they are). I don’t know what the point of it is, but it came in a nice little blue velvet box, and will make a good souvenir. After the ceremony, we went to stapled because I needed to buy a jump drive. I don’t know why, but tonight I felt very close with the family. I laughed and joked right along with Julie’s dad and let go of some of my inhibitions. He loves to sing along to the radio, and usually I feel kind of awkward and uncomfortable, but tonight I laughed and smiled! It was nice, and I feel really good right now!
Today I found out some kind of…. Slightly disturbing information. One of the girls from Winnipeg went home two weeks ago. It made me wonder why. She is strong and confident, honestly the last one of all the girls coming over here I would have thought to go home. The boy from PEI went home, but he was an oddball, there was nothing weird about Yvette, so it made me think about what you need to get through an exchange. It is assumed that all the people that go on exchanges are determined and confident and all that, but what skills do you actually need to survive the exchange?? Here is my list…
1) An ability to entertain yourself.
You need to be able to be content by yourself, and find things to do to keep yourself busy and entertained because you probably wont have friends or family there to entertain you.
2) An ability to “self-soothe”
At home, I am probably looking at 6-12 big “freak-outs” are year. That is one at least every two months, whether brought on by stress or fatigue, just kind of a mental cry for help. At home my mum drops everything until I am okay, and I always have a list of friends to call and rant too. I have made several teary calls home from here, but for the most part, I have become much better at “self-soothing”; calming myself down and becoming rational without the help of a hug from my mum or a phone call from my best friend.
3) An ability to adapt
I have adapted well. I am okay with having potatoes instead of pasta with my meals, and I am now used to living with girls what I have not done though is the next step… which is accept.
4) An ability to accept.
I have adapted to not eating pasta every night, but I have not accepted it. I still think about and crave my pasta at home. I have temporarily adapted to the new things in my life, but not accepted them. For three months, this is not a big deal. It certainly keeps me more homesick than necessary, but it is not deadly. Any longer than three months, and not accepting your new life could make your exchange long and difficult.
5) An appropriate challenge
This is the most important for me. I need an attainable goal while I am here to keep me busy. If you have too many challenges, you get overwhelmed, and if you don’t have any, you get bored. Neither of these states is ideal for being on an exchange.

I think these are the five main things that are important to staying on an exchange, not just going on an exchange. It is a lot harder the closer you are with your family and friends, which is why I think I have it harder than so many others here. I have such good relationships with both, and I can’t wait to get home to see them! I think I am doing a good job though, and no matter what, I would never consider coming home as an option. I am not a quitter, and once I commit to something like this, I am in it for good.

For good,
Carly.

A New Day

Tuesday March 24, 09

Today was the new day I was hoping it would be. I fell asleep last night at 7:45 and woke up at 7:30 today, and in those 12 hours, all my homesickness and negativity went away.
First period today, I had math, in which we got our quizzes back. I got 1/15, and honestly, I didn’t even get one mark right, I think he just gave me the one mark because I tried so hard. I feel good about it though, because I tried. I genuinely tried hard, and that’s all I can do!
After that I had Science, which I was not really looking forward too, but it was not to bad! We worked in groups to finish an assignment, and I didn’t have to deal or argue with the teacher. It was really funny though, because at the end of the class, he gave us a good yelling at, because the desks weren’t in the right spot. I was sitting there thinking, “Oh my god, this is so grade eight.” And then I remembered this is a grade eight class, and I laughed.
At lunch, the Library was closed, which did not make me happy, so I went to volleyball instead. I had to take shorts and shoes from the lost and found because I didn’t bring mine, and I was thankful I have been working so hard, because my legs looked good! (I have never worn “soccer” shorts, but when I get home, I think I will drop some money on UMBRO. Those shorts were so comfortable, and were so nice to move in, I was debating keeping them!) Volleyball was not bad for my first time back in a while, and I did have fun. The library is closed until Friday, so I am kind of excited to be playing again tomorrow and Thursday. Speaking of tomorrow ,it is the diploma ceremony I have been looking forward to for such a long time! I can’t believe how quickly it came… it makes me doubly realize that the rest of my time here is going to fly!!
After lunch I had a French test, which I think I got more than 6% on! It is difficult, because I would have gotten 100% in English, I am really good at poetry, and often I knew the answer in English, but not in French, and the word wasn’t in my dictionary! I gave it my best effort though, so no matter what the result, I can feel good about it!
Finally, I had art. My partner skipped today, so I was on m own. I couldn’t really do anything though, because we are at a critical point in the project, and it would be really unfair of me to do it without her. I look back now, and the fact she skipped tells me she probably cares as little as I think she does about this project, and I should have just done it by myself, but whatever.
Dinner tonight was really cute. Rachel is really struggling in English class, so at dinner, her parents asked me to talk about my day in English. It was fun to tell stories about my day in both languages, and made me realize that my French is good. I also found out today that I am the only exchange student in my school that was not from French immersion. This made me feel good, because I had so much more to learn than them, and now we are pretty much all at the same level.
After dinner was my five-mile run, and since my run last night was so bad, I was nervous. I tried a new technique to mentally prepare myself for my run though, and it went so good. Before my run, I lied down and mentally went through every mile of the marathon, and how I would be feeling. It got me so ready to go, and my run was awesome! I think I might try the same technique in the mornings going through my day, today was the best day I've had in a while, and I want to do whatever I can to make sure they stay this good.
After my run tonight, I came home to find Julies mum had made date squares. Oh my goodness. My mum makes the exact same ones, and I found such comfort in them.
Speaking of things that give me comfort, I finished my unbiased evaluation of Quebec vs. Winnipeg. It was not very unbiased. In conclusion, the city of Quebec is better in the winter. There is so much more to do here. Carnival, skating, skiing. Quebec is big on winter sports.
Winnipeg is better in the summer. I live for going to the beach, and they don’t really have any here.
School is more enjoyable in Winnipeg. In Winnipeg, we get independence once we hit high school. The kids here don’t get it until Cegep (the school after high school, before university), and I feel like I am almost back in elementary with all the rules at this school.
Do I think the school system is better in Winnipeg? No. Academically, the school set up is way better here. You go to school for eleven years, and then 2-3 years of CEGEP. This is “higher education” that is the equivalent of our bachelors program in university. The plus is, you don’t have quite as much responsibility, but you’re getting the same education for a quarter of the price.
Socially, Winnipeg is way more happening. I'm not sure if it is the same in the city, but in the suburbs, no one parties!
Culturally, hands down Quebec takes the point. You can feel the pride these people take in being “Quebecois.” The culture here is so thick you could swim in it!
Overall, the only thing I can conclude is that I miss home way too much to make an unbiased evaluation. Everything about Winnipeg is more appealing to me because it is my home. It is where my family is and where my friends are. No matter where I go or what I see in this life, Winnipeg will always be my home.
Be Home Soon,
Carly

How much longer is left in this marathon?

Monday, March 23, 09
Today was a really… bizarre day. It started out really well. First thing in the morning I had a math quiz. I'm pretty sure I failed it, as it was on Log, which I haven’t learned in English yet. It was good though, because I didn’t leave a single question blank, I honestly tried my best, so even if I end up getting zero, I would get an A for effort! After that, I made a list of reasons that this week was going to be a beautiful week. Just little things in my day every day that I can look forward too!
Next period was French, in which we had a reading period. I haven’t had enough time to be reading my twilight book at home, and at school we are reading The Alchemist. Since I haven’t been reading that much, I had forgotten how much I like reading in French, and how much it helps me with the language. I am really going to make more of an effort to keep reading.
At lunch I got my project finished for online English. I am making such good progress, I know I will be able to get it done before I come home, which is exciting, because I am hoping when I get home there will be way too many distractions for me to even think about my online courses!!
In the afternoon, had economy first in which we started planning projects. I am making a poster with Julie, Blonde Emilie, a girl that intimidates the shit out of me, and another boy. I honestly have no idea what the poster is on. It was kind of funny though, because I was talking to the boy in our group, and he said “so you understand French now” and when I said yes, he pumped his fists and smiled. It was a little bit weird, and all I could do was laugh.
Last period I had economy, in which I started to get wrestles. All day, I had been working hard to keep my mind in Quebec, and not wondering off somewhere else. This was going well until we continued watching Indiana Jones in Religion. I was too tired to focus, and my thoughts wondered home. I have found I get homesick when I am bored or tired, so the last class of the day got the best of me.
That night I walked to the gym. Usually Monday is my day off, but since I am going to miss Wednesday for the diploma ceremony, I bumped up my schedule. This was not a good idea. The gym is always packed on Mondays, and tonight was no exception, so I had to do my workout first. It was not a good workout, and right away I got myself into the mentality that it was not going to be a good run. And it was not. It was probably the worst run I've had since I started training. My head was just saying “NO” to every step I took. I ended up quitting, and had a huge breakdown. I came home and cried like you wouldn’t believe in the shower. I have always used running as a metaphor for my time here, and the fact that I quit my run was not encouraging. Now I'm ready for bed and it is 7:30. Tonight was not good, but I am hoping that I cried everything out. All my homesickness and negativity. I hope that it is gone for good, and tomorrow will be a fresh start.

Every moment is new. Never let past failures affect your ability to live each moment to its maximum. Because you failed last time does not mean you don’t have the power to succeed this time.
Carly

Busy Busy, and thats the way I like it!

Weekend, March 20-22, 09

This weekend, Friday was kind of non-descript. I woke up and got some good time at the gym. After that I just did trivial things, like laundry and shine my army boots. I actually didn’t mind doing my boots that much when I was by myself and could do them my own way without anyone standing over my shoulder. I also had to iron my army pants… I put the iron way too hot and melted a piece of he fabric. I cannot tell you how much satisfaction that gave me!! Cadets Friday night was… interesting. The first part was okay. We were in our classes, and we finished up our lesson on radio messaging. We then had a quiz, on which I got one answer right, but it was the hardest question! After that we had drill practice. Maybe I just need to let go and try and have more fun with this, because on Friday night I did not enjoy it. Drilling is when everyone stands in lines and the sergeant yells commands on how to turn, walk or how many times to stomp. I find this so intimidating, and not fun. It’s really hard when you don’t really understand, and you stick out like a sore thumb if you go in the wrong direction! (Looking back at it now, it actually must have been pretty funny to watch me) I think I really just need to not take myself so seriously. I know everybody in cadets, they’re all so nice and I know I will be forgiven if I screw up, so I think I just need to breathe and enjoy myself! I also had my first uniform inspection this week… I got 13/15. I don’t know what I lost the points for, but that’s pretty good, so I wont complain. To end off the evening, we had a parade, in which I was playing in the band. The parades are long and boring, and I don’t see the point in them. We march around playing music, while everyone else stands at attention. Then all the officers make announcements for a half hour while we stand there and don’t move. We could easily listen to those announcements while sitting, or even just send me an email! They also drew names out of a hat for prizes, and it was kind of exciting because Julie won $50.00! I do feel kind of bad about how much I am not enjoying cadets for Julie’s sake, and the families. It like if someone came and lived with me, and all they did was bash Roxy (where I work), and tell me how stupid it was, I would be pretty ticked off. I try to keep a positive attitude though, and every week is getting better and easier.
Saturday morning was band practice in preparation for our concert next week. It was also crazy hat day, so that was kind of fun. Honestly, our music is not sounding that great, but I enjoy it a lot, so I don’t even mind. The band sweatpants we ordered also arrived on Saturday, and they are so nice! I am so happy I bought them, and they will make such a nice souvenir. We finished band about an hour early, so everyone played soccer in the gym. I opted to be a cheerleader, because it was my long run after that, and knowing me, I probably would have fallen and twisted my ankle if I played. It was fun though, because most of the girls didn’t want to play either, so it wasn’t like I was just sitting there by myself. Saturday afternoon, I went for my ten-mile long run. I found the perfect road to run on. It was one long straight run that went through three perfect little towns. It was honestly like running through a postcard. I enjoyed the run so much, and I know I can do anything if I can run ten miles! That nigh I watched a movie with Julies Parents, and it was pretty good. I can understand almost everything now, which is so nice! I can’t even believe how much my French has improved, and I am so proud of my progress!
Sunday was a huge day. We woke up early to go out for breakfast, and then off to the Village Vacations (the HUGE toboggan place in Quebec) and it was crazy fun! It was the absolute perfect day, the sun was shining, and probably around 0 degrees. Since the park closes for the end of the season next week, there were barely any people there, so we didn’t ever have to wait in lines! There were kind of three things to do at the sport village. The first was “rafting”. It is actually in the same kind of boat you use for white water rafting, and you go in groups of eight down the side of the mountain. It goes so fast, and was probably my favorite ride of the day. When you are done, you pull your boat to the base of the hill, and ski lift type things pull it up, while you sit on an inner-tube ski lift to go up! Going up the mountain was almost as fun as coming down!
The second ride was the “tornado”; it’s the same idea as the raft, but in a circular boat that spins all the way down. We did this ride many times, because it was so fun. It makes you so dizzy, and the runs were icy when we were there, so it spun double! One of the times, it was my turn to pull the boat up to the base, and Rachel gave it a push from behind, and there was so much ice, it spun right up to my feet, and I fell right over into the boat. Everyone laughed so hard, and I'm sure it would have been quite a sight.
The other thing to do is everyone gets an individual tube, and you go down toboggan runs. All the tubes have handles, and you have to go in groups, by exchanging handles. Some of the runs were so fast, and Rachel and I went off the highest one, which was at a 110% incline. It was so fast and so steep, I actually thought I was going to die!
When we were finished for the day, we had those fresh made “syrup on a stick” things that are so famous in Quebec. I never imagined it was something I would like, but like all the other food I've tried in Quebec, it was delicious!!
That night was Julies Birthday supper, and when we came home from tobogganing, we all worked together to make bruchetta, mini pizzas, eggs and other appetizers! It was a neat meal, and we finished off with strawberry cheesecake, which I have acquired a taste for! I was so exhausted again Sunday night, and fell asleep super early!
It was such a good weekend, and it went by so fast! I cant believe I am already able to say “I have this weekend, and then I'm doing this and this, and then… Its over!!” Even though this weekend went by quickly, I was still fighting homesickness every step of the way. It is harder when I'm tired, so this weekend was difficult, but I am so close to the end now, that I just know everything will be okay!

Love you more than I now love cheesecake,
Carly

The Girl in the Green Coat

Thursday March 19, 09

Today was kind of a weird day. I had my “spare” first period, which always sets things of to a rocky start because I am thinkning in English all class. I finished my online project, which I was happy about and got a head start on next week’s coursework. I have good timeline to finish both my online English and Gym before I get home, and it feels good to be well underway to accomplish that goal.
After my spare, I had economy in which I had a good conversation with the teacher when I asked him to fill out my evaluation (I was right yesterday, my other teachers are so much easier on me than my math teacher was, Straight A’s!). He said my French had improved so much, and I understood everything he said! It’s funny, because out of all my teachers, I find him the hardest to understand, because he has such a thick accent, so I have improved the most in my comprehension in that class.
At lunch today was another birthday, and we all wore party hats and sang. Remember when I put “Birthday’s” on my “In” list? I was not exaggerating. Everyone goes all out for birthdays here. When I get home, there will never be another birthday that goes unnoticed!
After that I went back to the library, but couldn’t concentrate on my work. Two hours of individual work time is too much in a day, and I think the next time I have a library spare in the day, I will do something else at lunch. Because I was bored today at lunch, I went down to the International Guidance office, and asked the woman if there was anyway I would be able to get some volunteer hours while I was here. I asked her if maybe I could tutor English to some of the younger kids one or two times a week, and she said that would be a great idea. She then wrote down my name and told me shed come find me next week when she had some details. She made it very easy, and I wish had have asked her a long time ago… I wont be able to get that many hours in six weeks. At least it will be more volunteer hours than I had before!
After lunch was gym and we were in the training center. It’s difficult, because I don’t want to be lifting weights at school when I am training outside of school. It’s not good to mix programs, and get the days all mixed up. Instead I had a good conversation with the exchange student from Germany. I am sad because she is leaving next week. We started out talking about general stuff, but when we started talking about other things like our boyfriends and families, we switched to English. I feel bad that I cheated, and I know I'm only cheating myself by speaking English, but there was just so much I wanted and needed to say built up inside of me, I had to let it out!
Math last period was not good. We are learning about Log, and I do not understand a thing. Honestly, absolutely nothing makes sense to me. This hasn’t really bothered me too much before, because my grades don’t matter here, but we have a quiz on Monday and a test on Wednesday. Even though my mark isn’t important, I feel terrible not trying. I know there is absolutely no way I will be able to get over 20% on these tests, and I don’t want to become a “Write- off”. I think the teacher has given up on me, and I have pretty much given up too. If I wanted to start applying myself in that class, I wouldn’t know where to start because the material is so far over my head. Today’s class was just frustrating, and I don’t want to waste another 30 hours of my life sitting there doodling. I need to do something about the situation, but I honestly have no idea what. I cant apply myself, because it is just way to freaking hard, I cant change classes, because joining another class with only six weeks left would be a waste of time too and sitting there not really doing anything is just not working for me!
Tonight after school I went for a run at the gym, and went to a (this is embarrassing) step class. It was really hard, and I'm sure I looked like a total fool, but I had fun. I would also like to mention, I think that Quebec City could possibly be the cougar capital of the world. I thought I was in the class with a bunch of twenty year olds, but upon close examination, I realized I was probably the only person in the room under the age of 30! All these women were tanned, toned and blonde! It was really bizarre… but is encouraging me to attend another step class. Even though they’re like 40, these women were hot!
Tomorrow, I am getting a haircut, which I have to admit I am nervous for. First, because I’m not sure I’ll be able to explain what I want, and Second, because I haven’t had a haircut I liked since…. Grade seven maybe?? My hair is just being stupid though, and I need to get it cleaned up a little bit. I think a little bit of change could be good too! All my days are starting to seem the same and I think a change is what I need, even if it is only my hair.
Right now, I am counting down the days until April 6th. April 6th is the day I start the final sprint of my run. If I can make it to April 6th I will be okay. Speaking of being okay… One of the boys here from PEI is going home six weeks early. He was just… not okay here. He didn’t like it, and like me, felt like he was wasting time in all his classes. Unlike me, he actually had work to do at school at home he was missing out on. I think no matter how bad things were for me, I would never consider going home early as an option. Honestly, I think I just have too much pride. Going home early would be a major failure, and everyone made such a big deal about me leaving, I wouldn’t want to let them down. Even though the next week or two will be hard, going home is not an option, I've stuck it this far, and I'm going right until the end! Today marked my half way point, and there is no point now turning around. I'm as close to the end as I am to the beginning, and only getting closer everyday. I'm not worried. Things are going good, and when I do reach the finish line, I will have the privilege of looking back on the best experience of my life!

Going right to the end,
Carly

Never A Write- Off

Wednesday March 18, 09
Today was kind of a weird day. I had my “spare” first period, which always sets things of to a rocky start because I am thinkning in English all class. I finished my online project, which I was happy about and got a head start on next week’s coursework. I have good timeline to finish both my online English and Gym before I get home, and it feels good to be well underway to accomplish that goal.
After my spare, I had economy in which I had a good conversation with the teacher when I asked him to fill out my evaluation (I was right yesterday, my other teachers are so much easier on me than my math teacher was, Straight A’s!). He said my French had improved so much, and I understood everything he said! It’s funny, because out of all my teachers, I find him the hardest to understand, because he has such a thick accent, so I have improved the most in my comprehension in that class.
At lunch today was another birthday, and we all wore party hats and sang. Remember when I put “Birthday’s” on my “In” list? I was not exaggerating. Everyone goes all out for birthdays here. When I get home, there will never be another birthday that goes unnoticed!
After that I went back to the library, but couldn’t concentrate on my work. Two hours of individual work time is too much in a day, and I think the next time I have a library spare in the day, I will do something else at lunch. Because I was bored today at lunch, I went down to the International Guidance office, and asked the woman if there was anyway I would be able to get some volunteer hours while I was here. I asked her if maybe I could tutor English to some of the younger kids one or two times a week, and she said that would be a great idea. She then wrote down my name and told me shed come find me next week when she had some details. She made it very easy, and I wish had have asked her a long time ago… I wont be able to get that many hours in six weeks. At least it will be more volunteer hours than I had before!
After lunch was gym and we were in the training center. It’s difficult, because I don’t want to be lifting weights at school when I am training outside of school. It’s not good to mix programs, and get the days all mixed up. Instead I had a good conversation with the exchange student from Germany. I am sad because she is leaving next week. We started out talking about general stuff, but when we started talking about other things like our boyfriends and families, we switched to English. I feel bad that I cheated, and I know I'm only cheating myself by speaking English, but there was just so much I wanted and needed to say built up inside of me, I had to let it out!
Math last period was not good. We are learning about Log, and I do not understand a thing. Honestly, absolutely nothing makes sense to me. This hasn’t really bothered me too much before, because my grades don’t matter here, but we have a quiz on Monday and a test on Wednesday. Even though my mark isn’t important, I feel terrible not trying. I know there is absolutely no way I will be able to get over 20% on these tests, and I don’t want to become a “Write- off”. I think the teacher has given up on me, and I have pretty much given up too. If I wanted to start applying myself in that class, I wouldn’t know where to start because the material is so far over my head. Today’s class was just frustrating, and I don’t want to waste another 30 hours of my life sitting there doodling. I need to do something about the situation, but I honestly have no idea what. I cant apply myself, because it is just way to freaking hard, I cant change classes, because joining another class with only six weeks left would be a waste of time too and sitting there not really doing anything is just not working for me!
Tonight after school I went for a run at the gym, and went to a (this is embarrassing) step class. It was really hard, and I'm sure I looked like a total fool, but I had fun. I would also like to mention, I think that Quebec City could possibly be the cougar capital of the world. I thought I was in the class with a bunch of twenty year olds, but upon close examination, I realized I was probably the only person in the room under the age of 30! All these women were tanned, toned and blonde! It was really bizarre… but is encouraging me to attend another step class. Even though they’re like 40, these women were hot!
Tomorrow, I am getting a haircut, which I have to admit I am nervous for. First, because I’m not sure I’ll be able to explain what I want, and Second, because I haven’t had a haircut I liked since…. Grade seven maybe?? My hair is just being stupid though, and I need to get it cleaned up a little bit. I think a little bit of change could be good too! All my days are starting to seem the same and I think a change is what I need, even if it is only my hair.
Right now, I am counting down the days until April 6th. April 6th is the day I start the final sprint of my run. If I can make it to April 6th I will be okay. Speaking of being okay… One of the boys here from PEI is going home six weeks early. He was just… not okay here. He didn’t like it, and like me, felt like he was wasting time in all his classes. Unlike me, he actually had work to do at school at home he was missing out on. I think no matter how bad things were for me, I would never consider going home early as an option. Honestly, I think I just have too much pride. Going home early would be a major failure, and everyone made such a big deal about me leaving, I wouldn’t want to let them down. Even though the next week or two will be hard, going home is not an option, I've stuck it this far, and I'm going right until the end! Today marked my half way point, and there is no point now turning around. I'm as close to the end as I am to the beginning, and only getting closer everyday. I'm not worried. Things are going good, and when I do reach the finish line, I will have the privilege of looking back on the best experience of my life!

Going right to the end,
Carly

Time for an Adventure!

Tuesday, March 17, 09

I’ll start out with Sunday night. It was so good. It was by far the best “group get- together” I’ve attended since I’ve been here. We went to Anne’s house for Chinese food, and there were about ten of us there. We watched some dance movie, and then ate. After dinner was the best part of the evening. We started another movie, but everyone kind of lost interest. I then had such a good conversation with Marie. We were talking about how Quebec socially is kind of boring when you’re still in school. She said we should try to go to a club before I leave. I almost peed. Like seriously, this is what I’ve wanted since I’ve been here, friends I can have adventures with. That is what drives my life: Adventures. Although Quebec is one big adventure, some good stories to tell when I get home would be nice!
Monday morning went by impossibly slow. I had economy and French, and I thought I was going to die. The afternoon at the art gallery was much better though! I was a little bit uncomfortable, because I really didn’t want to accidentally wander off by myself and be the kid that gets lost on a field trip! The museum itself was very beautiful, and I enjoyed it a lot. Quebec artists did the first exhibit we saw, and it displayed their thoughts on Quebec. All of the art was very political and metaphorical. It was also very bizarre, one display especially, if I saw it hanging in someone’s garage, I would throw it out because it honestly was a pile of trash. The second exhibit was much more interesting. Jean- Paul Riopelle studied art in Quebec and explored lots of new abstract techniques. By far the most outstanding piece in the exhibit was a 30-frame homage to Rosa Luxemberg. He began painting it after his girlfriend, Joan Mitchell, of 25 years died suddenly. The painting is a tribute to his heroine, but also to his partner. It was very intriguing and there were so many little details that blew my mind. Finally, we just had a quick look at another abstract exhibit. It was bizarre. The biggest piece in the collection featured wax heads in mutilated in different ways. I’m surprised I didn’t have nightmares about it.
The field Trip finished before the school day, so we got to go home and hour early, which was nice. I don’t know why, but when I got home I was uncharacteristically homesick. Like ridiculously homesick, I couldn’t talk to anyone because I was scared I would just cry, and anything anybody said pissed me off. We did have Pecan Caramel New York Cheesecake for dessert though, and I couldn’t resist. It was so good. Like Jesus Good. Monday was my day off from training, and the thought of sitting at home for the evening was not appealing. It was very beautiful outside, so I went for such a nice walk. It put me in a much better mood and just overall made me feel a lot better. Also, to make me feel better, I know this sounds lame, but I thought about dancing. This is my first year off dance since grade eight, and I miss it a lot. Next year when I’m signing up for extra-curricular, someone remind me how happy it makes me, okay?
Today, I woke up in an extremely good mood. My favorite song was the first song to come up on shuffle, and I danced like a loser while brushing my teeth. Today was also Julie’s birthday! We got a ride to school, so got there earlier than usual. I honestly think everyone took out their spring wardrobes last night, because there were so many girls wearing such cute outfits today, I think I might start wearing my spring clothes (not that I really have any here) tomorrow too!
First class I had today was English, which is always rather non-descript. I sit at the back, and when we work in groups, I pretty much just copy off Julie. We have 2 poetry tests next week. I am not anticipating I will do well on these. The poetry is really hard to understand, and although I think I am doing remarkably well for an exchange student, not well enough to past a test. It weird, because my grades don’t count for anything, I honestly don’t try half as hard as I could in lots of my classes. I mean, I could study and master this poetry, but its just not really worth it. I would rather spend my free time doing other things.
After English I had art. It was… Interesting. We were working on our projects again, and I had to mix a beige color for the body of our girl. It was very red, but I didn’t really think it was that big of a deal until the teacher walked by and commented. We then had to make a new color, and paint over the whole thing. I felt really bad, but you can’t even really tell, and I don’t think my partner could care less about how our project turns out.
Lunch today was different than usual. In was Julies birthday, so one her friends gave her cupcakes with candles and we all sang happy birthday. It was really cute, but I am glad to say I think there was more love in the cupcakes Kirsten made for my fake birthday before I left! Lunch today I worked on my English class. I look forward to this a lot every day. It is my escape at school. To be able to do something I understand and am really good at is such a nice change, and I enjoy it a lot. Today I got so caught up in my project; I didn’t notice the time until it was 2 minutes before the final bell.
I was so stressed and rushed getting to guitar, it made me doubly nervous for the guitar test today. It was cute though, because the boy that sits beside me forgot his music, so had to share with me while we practiced. He is really funny, and talks to me a lot. Luckily, we ran out of time so I didn’t have to play today. I think that was probably a good thing. Almost being late for class just gave me that nervous- teetery feeling, and I don’t think I would have played my best. I really care about how I do on this test. Not for the mark, but because it is one of my personal goals for my time here to learn the guitar, and I want to prove to myself I am capable of doing well on this test.
After guitar I had math, in which I have totally given up. We are learning material I haven’t learned yet, and don’t understand at all. I feel bad, because I don’t even try anymore. Maybe I should, but even if I totally applied myself, I think I would have trouble learning it in English. I usually copy the notes, but when we have time to work in class, I honestly just waste it doodling or working on something else. Today I was making Julie a birthday card when the exchange advisor came into the room and gave me an evaluation I need all my teachers to fill out before Thursday. It is mostly an evaluation of my effort, so I was nervous to ask my math teacher to fill it out, as he has often walked past my desk to see me hide my phone, doodles or book. Luckily for me, he was very generous and wrote nice things. He did ask me a question though, and I didn’t hear, so he only gave me a “Satisfactory” for comprehension, which I am not happy about. Even though this report card counts for nothing, something about not being “Superior” bothers me, and always has. I am honestly quite anxious to see what my other teachers will write. The teachers of the other exchange student I talked to just pretty much circled all “A’s” and wrote nice things. I’m not sure if this is an honest evaluation, or they just have easier teachers than me!
Tonight when I got home from school, I had a really good conversation with Julie and her sister Catherine. We talked about the differences in school in Winnipeg and Quebec, and it made me realize how people can really enjoy having sisters. For Julies Birthday we had pizza. It was the first time I’ve had ordered pizza since I’ve been here (PS. I asked why they don’t eat pizza with their hands, and they said because that’s disgusting!). If there is Chicago pizza and New York Pizza, there should be Quebec pizza. Most pizzas feature the sauce, cheese or crust. The highlight of this pizza was the meat. There was so much meat, and it was so good- very different than any other pizza I’ve tried.
After dinner, I switched my 3 and 5-mile runs because it was so lovely outside, I wanted to take advantage of the weather and do 5 miles. I ran around the suburb (got mildly lost) and ended up at the gym where I did my workout. I upped all my weights tonight, so I am exhausted. I feel bad because I ate a lot of crap this weekend, and it caught up with me on my run tonight. A cookie or piece of cake after dinner actually does make all the difference to my run at night, but it is hard to remember that when it is right in front of you! Oh well, it is not worth stressing about. My training is generally going good, and I can’t complain!
Tomorrow, I am officially half way done. I feel like the next two weeks are going to be the longest ones of my time here, but I have a lot to look forward to. I know that once April hits, I am on the home stretch of my marathon, and I can start to relax mentally. I am looking forward to coming home so much, but I had a weird dream last night that made me look at things a little but differently. I was in Drama at home, and someone said to me “ If you’re so unhappy here, go back to Quebec”. I don’t know why, but I thought about that a lot this morning. Going home is what I am looking forward to most in my life right now. Getting home I’m sure will be amazing, but after a while it will be back to normal, and I know I will have days I feel unhappy. Being home will not make me happy 100% of the time, and I need to make sure I don’t forget to make my happiness here. This past week has been exceptionally hard. I kind of had nothing to look forward to, and everything just looked long and flat. I felt really homesick, and there were so many times I just felt like giving up, but I can’t, and I wont.
All I need to do to stay motivated is think about how fast the last six weeks went, and how much I have accomplished and improved. I think after another six weeks, I will be a legit French master, and it will be almost time to go home. I just need to remember to stay positive, and keep making my happiness!

Staying Motivated,
Carly

Sunday, March 15, 2009

For better??

Ahhh... deep breath. Right now is is sunday afternoon, and I am so glad to be writing. I no longer get any internet on my mac, so all my recent blogs have been written from the library at school. I miss blogging every night, it was theraputic to reflect on each day, and keep everyone posted on my life! Right now I am home bymyself, and I have no hurry, so you may want to grab a bowl of popcorn, because I am going to fill you in on absolutley every detail of my life.
Ill start where I left off on friday afternoon. Before I forget I want to metion, that friday for lunch I brought left over pizza. I forgot that everyone here eats pizza with a knife and fork, so I didnt bring any cutlery. I got so many strange looks when I ate it with my hands, I think I may have actually offended people!
In the library afterlunch, I made it through my first lunch perod in the library without getting yelled at by a lunch supervisor. Remember the lunch ladies in elementary school that made sure you didnt trade lunches, take off you jacket outside, or talk to loudly? The lunch ladies at this school are almost worse. You cant carry purses or binders in the library, if you are working at a computer, it HAS to be homework (they come and check. Luckily for me, everything I do is in english, so i can copy and paste my blogs from microsoft word and tell them its an essay for my online course) you have to ask for permission to use a computer, and they have to sign you in with a password. It is exhausting to try and learn all the rules!
Speaking of Rules, here are some more in-outs:
In
*Marie- ________ ( I have met 4 Marie- eve's, a Marie- pier, a marie-philipe, and a marie christine. I have also seen the names Marie- Helene and Marie- Michele. Im not sure why marie- ________ names are so popular, but they really are!)
* Tanning. (It is acceptable to be a toasty shade of brown, and no one will critisize. Ive honestly been considering it myself, and am inconclusive as to whether or not this is something I want to try. There are a lot of pros, and a lot of cons)

Out
*LuLuLemon (It makes me a little bit sad that no one is impressed by any of my LuLon stuff, but no one even knows what it is!)

Thats it for now! I think I have observed most of the popular and not popular stuff, and no new trends are starting! (I will mention that a girl tried to wear a hippie headband to school yesterday. She didnt pull it off, and it remains on the out. I also want to mention that scarves to not quite make the in list, but not quite make the out list. They are neutral, I like them, so I wear them a lot!)

Friday after school I was exhausted again, and it was not a good night. I came home to the sisters bickering. I dont know what they were arguing about, but it drove me crazy. Im sure they werent being unreasonable, but Im not used to sisters, and I have never had to listen to arguing like that before. After dinner, I had to shine my army boots again. I fought back tears the entire time. I was so tired, and to have to put so much effort into something I absolutley could not care less about was frusterating. I had to redo it like ten times, because it wasnt right, or a didnt shine one side with my breath. I then had to go get ready for cadets. Hair, band-aids the whole she-bang. I think I would enjoy cadets 100% more if it didnt take hours of preparation, ironing, shining, band-aiding, makeup removing. It is just too much for me!
Cadets wasnt that bad, for the first half we listened to presentations, and were given instructions for our assignment. Everyone has to prepare a fifteen minute lesson for the class. Everyones is on army things, but they said i could choose any topic I wanted. The presentations are my last week here, and I am not sure if I am going to do it. I was honestly kind of thinking I might honorably drop-out of cadets after the band concert in march, but this presentation could be a good goal to keep me motivated and excited to go. The people in cadets are all really nice, but I am in a lower class than all my friends, so I dont really get to visit them anyway. It is really weird, because Julie is my section sargent, so she orders my class around and does the uniform checks. PS. Uniform checks: Most intimidating thing of my life. They didnt check me on friday because it was my first official time as a cadet, but I almost cried watching it. You have to stand perfectly still, while a person with a clip-board 360s you. They then ask to see your belt and make sure you are wearing the right socks, tell you what you need to fix and give you a grade. Remind me to be sick for next week so I dont have to face that!! It was also really funny in cadets on friday, because they refer to everyone as Cadet ________ (last name). No one can really pronounce Schram, so I am Cadet Shrom. Hehehe, it makes me laugh!
After the class on friday, all the cadets had a paper airplane contest. I really dont know how i feel about it. It was a paper airplane contest. What can I say?? We then had a 'parade' which is everyone standing in lines getting yelled at to march here or there. Its tiring, and you have to stand perfectly still. I always feel clostrophobic, and it hurts my knees.
After cadets, I came home and went straight to bed, I was so tired and Saturday morning had to be up for Cadet Band at 9:00. I feel like Cadets ads 1.5 more days of school to my week. 3.5 hours friday night, 6 hours saturday. I think this could be part of the reason I dont enjoy it as much as I could. No matter how much you like school or work, you dont want to have to go for an extra 9 hours.
Band is good though, and I enjoy it a lot more than actual cadets. We are preparing for the big band festival in Three Rivers at the end of march (and yes, in true cadet style, it is 2 nights. Maybe the reason the cadets have so many ovenights is so if the grow up and join the army, they wont get homesick). The music is easy, but the band doesnt take it very seriously. It is fun to play in, because my music at home is so serious. Yesterday did get a little bit more serious than usual though, because I am taking a band test at the band festival. It is for my level three clarinet. Level three isnt that hard, but considering I only have 2 weeks to memorize 2 songs, 29 scales and a shitload of theory (which I am going to attempt to do in french- thats why im here!), level three is hard enough for me!
After cadets, I finally got in my good long run outside. I did nine miles, just kind of running around the suburb. It was a beautiful day out, so the run was really good, and my new coat was awesome. There are a lot more hills here than at home though, so it was hard, and by the last mile, I was dead! I have to say my favorite part was probably just the independance the run gave me. It was nice to be able to explore a little bit by myself and finally get my area in perspective a little bit.
Last night was Julies birthday party, so all her friends from cadets came over. It was a fun night because I knew everyone, and we sang Disney Karaoke. We laughed a lot and the only bad part of the night was a joke went very wrong. The guys went out to get drinks, and called saying theyd been caught by the police for driving drunk. They thought it was funny, but their girlfriends were in tears. Sometimes I just dont understand boys. . .
After that we watched high school musical 3, but I was falling asleep, so I headed up to bed! This morning, I woke up and went to the gym to cross train. I am so exhausted after two days of intense workout, but it feels really good to have such a big goal and be working so hard to acheive it. This afternoon, I had the option to go shopping and visit with the grandparents, but I opted just to stay home and relax. I just needed some good 'me' time to decompress after such a busy week and weekend. Tonight, Julie and I are going to her friends house, along with all the other girls from cadets, for supper. I am looking forward to this, and I am glad I've had the afternoon to relax, so I wont be exhausted tonight.
This coming week should go by fast, because Its only 4 days, and one of those days is the art field trip, and the other is Julies Birthday. I think maybe this week just because Ive been so tired, Ive been thinking a lot about when I get home. I just need to make sure that I have little things to look forward to in order to keep me going, and next weekend I am officially half way done! Time this first half flew by, and I live my life with the constant that the second half always passes faster than the first!
It is really weird, because I had a conversation with a girl studying here from the Maritimes that said she liked it here way better than at home. She said she missed her friends, but other than that she liked it better here. This struck me as really bizzare. I knew that for better or for worse, I am in Quebec for three months. But it never even crossed my mind that I could like Quebec better than home. I miss my family and friends to much to ever want to be able to stay here forever, but I wonder if other than that, It is possible for me to like it here more than I like it at home. I think maybe that will be my project for the week, to try and shake my bias and assess whether or not it is possible to actually like Quebec more than I like it here.
It felt good to write this! I don't really get to share silly little details of my life with anyone here, and I have missed doing it on my blog! ( I actually really hope that at least one person ate popcorn while reading this. To train for the marathon, I have cut all junk out of my diet, with the exception of one treat a week. Usually, I have a craving for chocolate this once-a-week treat, so I have not had popcorn in about 6 weeks. That is an all time record for me. I love popcorn.)

For better or for worse,
Carly

Friday, March 13, 2009

Another week down....

Currently, It is Friday at lunch (just finished working on my online English course) and I am so glad it is the weekend !
Wednesday night I went to the gym, and I got home and the power was out in my suburb! It was really bizarre to drive in, and all the streets were pitch black. I guess the wind had knocked down some power lines, but it wasn’t long before it came back. It was so hard to sleep that night though, the wind was so strong it sounded and felt like the house was going to blow over!
Thursday morning started out with gym first period. We went to the training center and did weights, but it was so boring. I did have a really good conversation with another exchange student. She got here one month before me, so she will be leaving at the end of this month. She is so excited to go home, because like me, she said she was bored here compared to at home. I heard so much about the crazy parties in Quebec, but I am glad I am not the only one who finds the party life…. Rather dull.
After that I had math, which was rather uneventful. The class got their exam marks back, and one of my friends was really disappointed with her grade. She looked like she was going to cry, so I wrote her a cute note that said `smile, you are magnificent`` ! It felt good to see her smile, and it is important to me that I am able to give back.
After lunch I had technical drawing, in which we were in the science lab, and we did an experiment about how your taste and smell senses were related. It was really funny, because often I would know the answer, but wouldn’t know the name in French, so there was a lot of miming involved!!
Last class I had French, and it was really interesting. We started studying poetry techniques. It is really really difficult to understand in French. Everything about their poetry is more complicated. Rhymes have to masculine or feminine, and all the techniques are so hard to identify! I really enjoy it though, because I feel like that is the purpose of the exchange, to learn about the culture and the language, and that is what studying poetry does!

Last night was very mixed. I walked home from school by myself for the first time. I looked like such a nerd with my little map pressed to my nose the entire time, but the suburb is like a maze!! I would have been dead without my map! When I got home, Before I went to the gym, I was forced to waste 1 hour of my life shining my army boots and ironing my army pants. Nothing about this was appealing to me. Nothing. It was cute though, because Rachel (Julies younger sister) walked me through the process step- by- step, and she was so patient and kind. Not many people I know would be content to sit there and teach someone how to shine army boots.

Today so far has been rather uneventful, but relaxing. I am just so ready for the weekend! I have cadets tonight and I plan to go for a good long run tomorrow! If I’m lucky, I might even have some time to use the computer at Julies house (why did I waste 1000 dollars on a beautiful Mac if it cant even get internet!!!??) and write a good blog and work on my online English!

It’s a beautiful Day,
Carly.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Content.

This week so far has been relatively non-descript. Monday I went shopping with Julie and Emilie. They were looking for Grad accessories for Julie, but I really wanted to look for a nice running Jacket. We ended up separating for a little bit, so I could take a good look. It was nice to have the time to myself to be able to see and do what I wanted. I was so exhausted from the weekend, conversations were hard, and I needed to take a bit of a mental break! I did end up find a good running coat, which I am happy about. If the weather is nice, I will hopefully be able to start running outside by this weekend!
Tuesday was the first day of school back, and it honestly felt like I had never been gone. I like constants in my life, and school provides a nice routine I can fall into. The routine did change quite a bit though yesterday in Technical Drawing. Before the break we were working on making plexi-glass skateboards, and yesterday we were in a different classroom learning about vision. Apparently, sometime in the next week, we will be dissecting an eye! Since this is the equivalent of a grade 8 science class, the material is not hard, and I can follow along quite well. I will mention that when I did this unit in Winnipeg, I purposely skipped the day we dissected. I’ll let you know how well this dissection goes….
Yesterday at lunch was volleyball (I was so out of practice, I sucked horribly!) and after that was French. French was actually really good! We went to the library to sign out a novel, and I had a good conversation with a boy that said we couldn’t believe how much my French improved during the break! The novel my class will be studying I think is called `The alchemist`` in English. So far it seems like it will be a really good book. It is very philosophical and I understand a lot! After English I had Art, in which I continued to work with my partner on our painting. I am a little bit disappointed, because her ideas and my ideas are so different, it is hard to find stuff we both like. It seems almost like a waste to be doing such a cool project and not be taking full advantage of it. I think when I get home, I might do the same project on my own, and really put a lot of effort into it! Next Monday we have a field trip for art that I am really excited for! We are going to the art museum to see Quebec artists! It will be neat to get to see how `Quebec art` is different from other art!
Last night I went to the gym for a run, which was really good. I ran each mile 45 seconds faster than usual! I really hope I will be able to keep it up! I also read some twilight before my amazing sleep! Last night was the first really good sleep I’ve had, and I feel so good today. I really hope I will be able to sleep that well every night ( my secret to a good night sleep: every time I try to read my book, I fall asleep. Last night I read twilight for 20 minutes, and I was out like a baby!!)
This morning I had guitar first period, in which we chose songs in groups for the spectacle. I am with Julie and another girl (I forget her name!) and we are playing ``Behind Blue Eyes``. I am going to practice really hard this week, because my teacher said on Friday he wants to hear me play to see how I’ve improved! I’m scared for that, but I’ll just do my best because I’ve got nothing to lose! After guitar today I had math, and for lunch I came to the library instead of going to volleyball (you are also not allowed to carry binders in the library. How the hell am I supposed to know that!?). It looks like I won’t be able to get my internet at home working, so I think from now on at lunch I will have to come to the library to work on my online courses. I am a little bit disappointed about this, but I need to get these courses done and this is the only time I will have to do it. Currently, I am on my spare in the library, and after this I have economy.
Tonight I plan on going to the gym, and practicing for my guitar test. This week I have been working hard on all my goals for my time here, and that keeps me busy, focused and content. I know I say this everyday, but you have no idea how fast my time here is going. At the end of this week I’m half way done!! All day I’ve just had a really good feeling. I know everything will be okay, and I’m really happy here. I have done everything I need to make myself happy. I’ve made friends, I have things to keep me busy (and things that I’m good at) and I have goals. I would still really like to find a place to volunteer, so maybe Ill look into that tonight as well. I am so so proud of myself and how well I am doing, and I know everyone at home would be proud of me too!

Content, (I am very content here and in French, ``content`` means ``happy``. I am very happy here, so Its the perfect word!)
Carly

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Click!

This weekend, all I could hear was the sound of my life clicking into place. Like Hardcore. This weekend was so good. I had legitimate fun, I wanted to be where I was!
Friday night, I got all ready to go in my army uniform. Socks, tie, boots, the whole she-bang. Not my favorite outfit in my closet, not to mention I had to band-aid over all of my piercings, and rape my hair with gel in pins. I must admit though, It was a pleasent change to fit in. Usually I stick out as an "outsider," because everything i do is different. This weekend I was just another cadet. When we arrived at the school, it was the opening parade, in which I played in the band. We rehearsed the half hour before the parade, and I almost backed out. Everyone knew what they were doing, and had all the music down-pat. I was just super nervous to be in front of so many people (this was all the cadets in Quebec. Maybe 600 or 700 people??) when I had absolutley no idea what I was doing. Lucky for me though, everything went well, and I managed not to stick out like a sore thumb. After that, we went to "bed" (sleeping bags and air matreses on classroom floors), and surprisingly, i had the best sleep I've ever had the entire time i've been in quebec. This was good, because saturday was a long day!
We woke up at 6:00 for breakfast. for which we had to wait in line for over an hour. After that, we all went into teams for the games to start! I was on the "snow" soccer team. It poured rain friday night, so saturday morning, the pavement was glass. The first two games were more like "ice" soccer, the next two were "slush" soccer, and in the afternoon it dried up for "pavement" soccer. It was really nice for the majority of the day, and I actually enjoyed being outside! My team was four boys, and me and one other girl. The other girl (eli) and I rotated periods, and the boys played the entire time. I had such a fun time. When I was watching, I cheered so loud, and pretty much just stood there and cheered while i was "playing." When I was on the sidelines, i was talking to the referee, and he was so impressed with my french! He gave me a coupon for a prize, because my french was good, and I had a lot of effort! The prize I chose was a University of Laval sticker for my clarinet case! I bonded with the team, and by the end of the day we were all cheering, and hugging and bashing helmets. (did i mention we had to wear hockey helmets?? I felt like such a fool, but everyone was wearing them, so i didnt look that stupid...)The morning was round robin, in which we didn't lose a single game. After lunch was the play-offs, and we made it all the way to the gold medal game! It was actually really exciting. I don't know if i have ever been in a final for a team sport, so it was a super neat experience.Unfortunatley, the other team scored two fluke goals right off the bat, and we weren't able to catch up. I don't actually mind that we lost though, it was such a fun day, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
That night was a big dance. There were so many people, and the DJ's were really good. It was very much my kind of scene. Similar to the last cadet dance i went to, there are so many songs everybody gets up and knows a dance (like the macarana). Some of them i learned, and others I just kind of stood and laughed at them! It was really neat when they all did a dance to footloose though. I have to admit, I was impressed. After the dance, we went to bed. I must admit, I went to bed very happy. We had a lot of time of saturday to socialize, and I can now say i have friends. Like legit, make-up sharing, lion face making, crazy dancing kind of friends, and I feel really happy. I knew I just had to be patient and things would click! They finally did!
This morning we woke up at 6:30, but it was really 5:30 because of the time change. We had the closing ceremonies today, and again i was with the band. The closing ceremonies were really fun. There are three different kinds of cadets (navy, marine and air) and each one has there own "theme song." The band played each song, and when they did, the cadets went CRAZY! It was so fun to watch! Each sports winners went up to the podium and there was a cute little medal ceremony. When it was time for me and my team to go get our medals, i was really nervous, becuase you have to do the whole "stomp-salute-march-turn" thing, but i did a really good job, and I know have a silver medal! Also, my squadron won second place overall, which was kind of exciting, because there are a lot of cadets in Quebec!
Even though I was absolutley exhausted when i got home today, i went to the gym for a run and workout. Now I am so tired i could fall asleep standing up! Lucky for me though, tomorrow is the last day of spring break, so I have a day to catch up on sleep!
I am actually kind of excited to go back to school. This weekend gave me some new confidence, so I feel like everything is going to continue to click this week. March is going to be an easy month. I only have fifteen days of school, and lots of little things to look forward to. I have a field trip, it's Julie's birthday and there is an awards ceremony at a fancy hotel for the exchange program! Also, I am hoping this month I will have made enough friends that my social life can swing into a little bit more action.

All my love,
Carly

NOTE: This blog was written sunday evening, but due to my crappy internet, I was not able to post untill now!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Here we go again...

I know I start almsot every blog like this, but yesterday and today were really good days! Yesterday morning I went to the gym for a run, and in the afternoon I went skating with Julie and her friend Catherine in the shopping mall. I was a little bit nervous, but it was such a splendid afternoon! We joked around a lot, and I had so many good little conversations (yes, there were animal noises involved!) It was so good. I felt like I progressed so much, and i did what I have been trying so hard to do : I put myself out there. I took risks, and they payed off! I was really happy and proud, and I know everyone at home would be proud of me too!
Last night, I made me room a little bit more... me. In my room at home I have so many little motivational and self-esteem boosting things everywhere. Last night I made about 20 little motivational post-its and put them all over my room! I finally feel at home!
Today I went to the gym for the morning to cross train. Did 10 miles on the bike! Now, I just got home from the Twilight movie. All together, this is my fourth time seeing it, but my first time in french! It was weird, because the voices were so different, but it was neat, and considering I pretty much have the book memorized, I understood a lot!
Tonight I leave for the Cadet Games for the weekend. Besides the fact that I have to wear my uniform (kill me now, please.) I am actually kind of looking forward to this weekend! Unlike last weekend, there is a goal and a purpose to the weekend. Friday and Sunday are the opening and closing parades, in which Im in the band, so that will be fun. Saturday is the actual games, in which I am playing soccer outside, and there is a huge dance in the evening. This schedule is a lot more appealing to me than last weekends, 'lets stick these kids outside for 40 hours and see how much fun they have!' I know the people a lot better, and there will be a lot more time this weekend for socializing, which will be good for me. I have a really good feeling about this weekend. I know with time things will fall into place, and I think that is starting to happen! Friends and conversations are coming a lot easier, I have a routine I am happy with, and I love Quebec city and the family I am staying with! I couldn't ask for much more, and I am having such a magnificent time here!!

Happy.
Carly.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Ten Pin Baby.

I miss dancing. I miss turning off the lights, cranking norah jones, and dancing in my hallway when I'm home by myself. You can't even begin to imagine how much i miss it. I miss so many trivial things like that. I miss taking as long as i want in the shower because (sorry brothers) I couldn't care if I used all the hot water. I miss loading the washing machine as full as it can go and I miss making crazy noises when I get excited. I just got off of the phone with ainsley, and it made me miss those little things so much. I am so excited to come home, and not in a "I want to come home right now" kind of way. I know this is a crappy analogy, but they say when you take your dog to the kennel, if he is happy to see you when you get him, it means he had a really good time. If the dog is not happy to see you, it means he had a crappy time. I am excited to come home and see everyone, because I want them to see how much I have changed and grown, and I want to see how they have changed and grown. I am excited to come home, because I am having such an amazing time.
Today was such a lovely day. I went to the gym this morning, and this afternoon I went bowling. I wasn't really expecting to have that much fun, but it was such a good time. I went with Julie, her younger sister Rachel, and their dad. It was hardcore ten pin, 12 pound balls, and the lanes were huge, and packed. Julie's dad is so good. Like he has his own bowling shoes kind of good. The first two games, I failed hardcore, but Julie's dad gave me some tips, and the third time, I was respectable!! I got to know Julie's dad some more, which was nice, because he is not home that much. He is very very funny, and likes to joke a lot.
This evening, I watched an absolutely hilarious Quebecois film (my first one!!) and I gave into the chocolate craving that has been keeping me awake at night (kolton, thank you so SO much for sending me that nutella <3) .
Today I also found out some... interesting news. This weekend is the Cadet Games. It is also an overnight event. Friday and Saturday night. My initial reaction to this news was not a good one. Last week was so exhausting, and I get so homesick, and I honestly wasn't sure I had it in me to do it again. Then I thought about it some more. Last weekend was a good practice run. This weekend will be easier for many reasons; I know the people a lot better and I know what to expect. I am going to make this weekend the absolute best it can be. I am not going to hold myself back, and I am going to try really really hard. I am thankful that I have tomorrow to get mentally prepared, and I am going to make this weekend pwn almost as hard as I will pwn when I get back home.
I am the only one who can make this weekend good, and I am responsible for my own happiness, so I am going to make myself happy this weekend!

Happily making my happiness,
Carly

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Real Marathon

Yesterday and today were both exhausting days again!
Monday morning I went to the gym for my long run, and it was so good! 7 miles is a quarter of the full marathon, and it was a piece of cake. I felt like I could have easily gone further! The run was a really good one, and it was also very metaphorical of my time here. I know that sounds lame, but entertain me for a second: The first three miles are a warm up, stretching out your legs and getting them warmed up. For me, this is always the hardest part of the run, very much the same as my first couple of weeks here. I have been getting "warmed-up," getting familiar with my surroundings and testing the waters. The next couple of miles are the hard ones. You are not yet close enough to the end to have that burst of motivation, and your legs are working hard and getting tired. This is the part of the run where you gain the most. It is the longest, and mentally the hardest, but you get so much from it. I am just entering this phase of my "Quebec Marathon." I am warmed up, and now the run really starts. I need to build up my endurance, and put myself out there, because I know this part of the run will test me the most emotionally. I also know, that if I am willing, I will gain the most from this part of the run. Finally, the last 3 or 4 miles are a piece of cake. You are on an emotional high, and feel like you could run forever. This will be my last week or two here. That is too far away to think about right now, but I will let you know when I get there!
After my run yesterday, Julie, myself and my new mum and dad went to see the waterfall! I had pretty much forgotten everything I learned in grade eleven history, but yesterday sure brought it back! The waterfall is on the river where G. James Wolfe fought Montmoncery, and the french and english had that huge battle however many years ago. The history and the museum part were neat, but nothing compared to the waterfall. I am sure it would be beautiful in the summer, but in the winter it is phenomenal. Like nothing have ever seen before. We were standing at the top of the waterfall 300 feet above the river. The river is a huge sheet of snow covered ice that looks like it goes on forever, but the waterfall doesn't freeze. It plummets down, and makes a hug hole that goes under the ice. I can't even begin to guess how deep the hole was, but it was terrifying to look at, because if you fell, you would be toast so fast you wouldn't have time to ask for butter.

This morning I went to the gym again for a short run after I had yet another crappy sleep last night (still not slept through one night, and I am getting tired of it), and didn't really do much this afternoon. In one way it is nice to have so much time on my hands. I think my skin is the best it has ever been in my life, because after every run, I have nothing better to do than pamper the hell out of myself. I have also mastered the grilled sandwich. Today was also kind of lonely, and for the first time, I felt ready to go back to school. I think I have had all the time I need for myself, and I am starting to get bored. School will be a welcome change and a welcome challenge to my life next week.
This evening I went with Julie to cadet band. This band is different than the usual one, and we rehearsed for the big parade at the cadet games this weekend. I haven't decided yet if I am looking forward to this or not. I guess I have nothing else to do, and it is something new and fun. Speaking of looking forward to things, the day with the girls from winnipeg this week got cancelled. I am super disappointed. It would have been really nice to be able to talk with them. Oh well, I'm sure it will happen another time.
I think I have gotten into a bit of a rut this past week at home. I am feeling really discouraged about two things. Number one: I haven't made friends. Number two: I want my french to be improving faster.
I know I need to give myself more credit for number two, my french is acceptable, but I want it to be better. But I think I have been making things harder for myself. I need to be more mentally there. I typically don't listen to conversations unless they are directed, or apply to me. I need to change this. I will learn more about others, which I can use to make friends, and my french will improve if I actually listen. When I go back to school, I am going to make friends. I don't really know how, but I can do anything, and I am going to do it. I am more than capable of making friends, I have a lot to offer and I am going to give it. I am going to turn the treadmill up a couple of speeds, and take everything I can from the hard part of my run.

Warmed up and ready to go,
Carly

Sunday, March 1, 2009

She's an "Outdoors" girl.

I can honestly say that this weekend was the most exhausting weekend I have ever had in my life! I am so tired, but it is so nice to be writing from the coziness of my "own" bed!! This weekend got off to a bit of a rough start, as it was pouring rain friday evening. All the cadets met at the school, and then took an hour bus ride to camp. We got to the camp, and it was absolute chaos. We got off the bus, in the pitch black with freezing rain onto a sheet of ice. The parking lot is about a 3 minute walk away from the camp, but from where we were standing, there were no lights or buildings. The bus couldn't get out of the parking lot because it was so slippery, and the personnel were very indecisive. They would tell us to line up over here, single file, then change their minds and tell us to stand in groups over there. It was not the most enjoyable half hour of my life, i felt almost disoriented because I was so far out of comfort zone, and I didn't understand what was going on. The night got much better after that though. We finally made it into the camp, and went inside to the main chalet. The weekends activities were then explained to us.
Throughout the weekend, we participated in the "40 hour cup challenge." On friday night, we were split up into six teams, I was with Emilie and 4 other people. We named our team "The Awesome Possum" (not possumS, but Possum)!! After that, I went with Emilie, Julie and their other friends, where we made a video for the competition. We pretended to kidnap one of the girls and lock her in the washroom. It was pretty funny, and I enjoyed making it. All the girls slept in one chalet, divided into rooms of four. I was with Julie, Emilie and another girl Marie. Friday night was probably the worst sleep I've ever had. The Mattresses were covered in sheets that made a wretched noise every time you moved, and all night all I heard was squeaking all night.

The next morning started at 6:45 with a friendly wake-up call. After getting ready, I thought we were headed straight for breakfast, but no. We got whipped, Cadet Style. We had to go outside and do push-ups, running on the spot, and squats with a person on your back. To say they made us work for breakfast is an understatement. The rest of the day was almost as hard. The morning, we played low organized games outside. It was fun, and the AWESOME POSSUM had a lot of team spirit, but it was emotionally difficult for me. I do not like being a follower. I like to have a plan and be a leader. I cannot tell you how frustrated I was not to have a clue what was going on and just have to follow the person in front of me. This was a problem all weekend : We would be given orders to follow, and I would just stick with someone who knew what they were doing. That's not what makes me happy.
The afternoon we played soccer and handball. Considering the snow is up to your hips, it was exhausting, but it was funny, and I know how to play soccer, so I enjoyed not being totally clueless for a little while! After that, we played a game called "Stratego." Everyone was split into two teams, and each person given a ranking (captain, srgt. etc.) It was similar to capture the flag, except it was played over the entire camp, and a lot more complicated. I stuck with two girls quite a bit younger than me.
Over my time here I have noticed how much more welcoming younger kids are to "outsiders." It is kind of sad that teenagers can't all be like that too. After dinner, we played a game similar to "manhunt" in the dark outside. It was really fun, and It was such a beautiful night. I must admit, the stars were so bright and lovely, I had a cliche "I wonder who is looking at the same stars as me at home?" moment.

Today was also very beautiful outside. It was such a nice camp, right on a lake by the mountains, I didn't;t mind being outside at all. We played boot hockey today, and it was the most fun I had all weekend. I laughed so hard, and you won't believe this, but I scored 2 goals!! You all should be afraid for when I come back home. I am just going to PWN everything!! (just kidding, I don't pwn that hard. I spent the majority of the game on my butt!) After that, we went "tobogganing", i use quotation because they don't use toboggans, they use tubes. They go way faster, and it was also a lot of fun! We then had lunch, packed up and left for home! ( for the record, the POSSUM finished 5th out of 6 teams. What we lacked in skill, we made up in awesomeness!!)

The weekend was fun, but It was really hard. It was emotionally exhausting, and physically exhausting. The littlest things made me want to cry, and I felt very homesick. I always get homesick at camp. Knowing my home was thousands of miles away was not reassuring, and I thought of my family a lot. Being around so many 14 year old boys made me miss my little brother, and it made me realize how little I know him. One of the highlights of my weekend was probably a conversation I had with Marie. She is so patient, and It was so nice to have a conversation more than "Salut. Ca Va.?" I realize how lame this sounds, but you know how before I said I just wanted a genuine hug? When we left today, she gave me a hug, and I could feel the love. Small things like hugs and smiles have so much power. In winnipeg, I am always on the giving end, i smile and hug everyone, but being on the receiving end, they have a whole new meaning.

Speaking of conversations with friends.... this thursday, all the exchange girls from winnipeg and their parters are going out for the day!! I am so so so excited. I bonded with the girls on the way here, and I am looking forward to being with people I can consider my own friends, and really talk to them. I know they will have so many stories I am excited to hear, and they will be able to relate perfectly to how I feel!

This week is spring break, and I am looking forward to getting some good runs in. It is warming up quickly, but it is still too icy to run outside, so I'm doing 7 miles on a treadmill tomorrow=(. I am also going to see if I can get signed up to volunteer somewhere. I am taking so much here, it would make me feel really good to be able to give back. I am going to hunt around and see if there is an animal shelter or library somewhere I can volunteer at every once In a while well I am here.

This weekend was so hard. But I did it. I know I can honestly do anything, and I am learning so much from all these new experiences. The language was not as easy as I hoped it would be this weekend, but It is getting better. That's all I ask!

Taking on the world,
Carly

Friday, February 27, 2009

Cadet Carly

The past couple days have been rather uneventful. I have been running everyday. I am going hardcore for the marathon. At my gym, the make a specialized program for your needs. The trainer said she was going to work every muscle in my legs with weight training and holy crap, she was not kidding. I can barely walk. It feels good though, and training gives me something to look forward to to and motivate me. During the evenings this week, I've gone shopping (big purchase: a new belt for 1.99) and played board games with the family, which is fun! Time this week has gone by so fast, and I am glad I have another week off of school, because I am not really looking forward to going back.
I've also watched a lot of movies in French, it helps so much. I feel like I am almost at the point where language is not a problem anymore. Almost. That will be tested this weekend, when I go to Cadet Camp with Julie.

We leave tonight for 40 hours of Camp. I am so scared. I get homesick really fast, and not for my family, per se, but for a Home in general. Right now this is my home, and I am quite content just to run and play games all day. This camp is so far out of my comfort zone, and I know I will be pushed in so many ways. To my understanding, we will be playing outdoor sports most of the time, because next weekend is the Cadet Games, with all the cadets from Quebec. We will be practiving for the games a lot this weekend, because they take the Cadet Games really seriously. Unfortunatley, It is currently pouring rain,So this weekend should be very... wet. It is going to be weird to be totally submerged in French all weekend. There is no escaping to my laptop or sneaking english TV. It is full-on french, so it will really test how much I've improved. I am kind of excited though, because I really like all the people in Cadets, so this could be a really good opportunity to get to know them and establish myself.

Tomorrow will mark one-quarter of the way done my trip, and I can't believe it. That is exciting, because this first quarter has gone by relitivley fast and easy. In the back of my mind though, I am kind of worried that 9 weeks is not enough time to become absolutley fluent, which I want so badly. I just need to make the most of every second I have here. This weekend is going to be really hard, but I have nothing to lose by going, and everything to gain. I am just going to try my best to have fun, and make some friends!

Right now, I am going to go study all the important french I will need to know this weekend, because (*gasp*) I am not bringing my dictionary! (Unfortunatley, there isn't enough room in my bag). I am so nervous, but I need to go into this with a super positive attitude!!! (OH!! Also, super fortunate for me, we don't need to bring our uniforms this weekend! *Thank you Jesus*)

Wish me luck,
Carly.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Miracle in Quebec City.

Okay, so you know how I was praying to one day wake up and be brilliant in french????????
That didn't quite happen... but it was close enough to make me super happy!
I woke up this morning and watched a movie in french. I also put on french subtitles, which helped so much. Being able to see and hear the words at the same time made me understand the majority of the movie!
After that I studied french for a number of hours. Reviewed all my notes from grade ten, and brushed up on all the stuff I had forgotten. To finish off, I wrote a journal entry in french summarizing my birthday! (I'm not sure about the spelling, but the thing we cooked dinner on for my birthday is called a "raclette")
This evening I read some Twilight, which I understand an amazingly awesome amount of, and watched "la fievre de la danse" (so you think you can dance!) with Julie's older sister. We actually had such a good conversation, and laughed so hard! I understood so much, and I feel so good about it!!! I also talked to my new mum about insurance cards, and I understood!
YAAAYYY!! I am actually so happy right now! Tomorrow, I am going to study a lot more, and by the time I go back to school, french will be a piece of cake!!
I know I have said this about a billion times before... but I am getting the hang of this. I did all my laundry and washed my sheets today, and doing stuff like that makes me so happy. It's what I do at home, and I am so content to do it here. (PS... I think I might be falling in love with "Parisiean" Fabric softner.....) Tomorrow I am going to head to the gym and study some more. I am also going to watch another movie. At home, spending the morning watching movies is such a waste of time, but here, I actually learn so much!
I got a package from home today with my clarinet, shoes, pyjama t-shirts, marble cheese and nutella! It was so nice to get some things from home to make me feel more at home here. Things this week are going exactly as planned for this week, and I hope my miracle will continue for many more days to come!!!!!

Making my Miralce,
Carly

Monday, February 23, 2009

Cravings....

Right now, I feel very content and at home. Today I just had the kind of day I would have had if I were at home. I had a bath, ran 6 miles at the gym, read some twilight, had a nap and then watched a movie. I don't know why, but I just found reassurance in all those things, and they made me feel happy and content. The only thing I could ask for would be popcorn and ripple chips. I am craving these so badly, and a little indulgence would be greatly appreciated by whatever part of the body is capable of giving me such cravings (I suppose that would be my brain... ). I can feel little bits of my personality coming back to life... I sing a lot and I have started scheming again. At home, I always have some big plan in the works. I have now started making plans for the future like I would at home. I walked to the gym today, and it was nice to have the freedom to come and go as I please. It is really bizarre, because the more I accept this as my life now, the less I think of home. But, at the same time, when I do think of home, I miss it double. It is just little things, like the scent of the bathroom that I am finally getting used to. Every time I smell it, i smile, but then I think of home and feel almost guilty. I know I have no reason to feel Guilty though, this is my time and I am going to make the most of it.

Speaking of making the most of my time, my plan for tomorrow is to study french. I now know which parts of the language I am still not really understanding, and tomorrow I am going to master them. I didn't really speak too much today, but I want to go back to school in two weeks time as a french master. I am getting the hang of it, but I want to be able to communicate fluently so badly! When I go back to school I will have been here for a month, and after a month I should be fully on my feet. This means I need to make my own friends, and stop relying on Julie for everything. I think it will be really nice to have this time off and find myself, get the language going, and then go back to school ready to take on anything!

Oh! By the way, here is my updated In/Out list...

IN
* Skate Brands (they are waaay more popular here than they are at home. Nikita is especially dominant.)
* One half of your hair pinned back
* Hair ribbons
* Birthdays! (Fortunately for me last week, everybody sings to everybody in almost all the classes, and everyone says happy birthday!)
* Racerback Bras ( I think this is so stupid, but the girls actually pin their bras so it makes a racer back. You can then see their bra straps and it looks absolutely ridiculous)
* Backless T-Shirts (to show off their racerback bras....)
* Black French Manicured Nails
* Brushing your teeth at school (I went to the washroom after lunch, and there were ELEVEN girls brushing their teeth!!!)
* Sub Sandwiches ( Regular sandwiches aren't cool enough for these guys, because everyone eats their sandwiches on sub bread)
* Wearing Hats in class ( I have not yet seen a boy attempt this, but girls wear hats, no problem)

OUT
* Binders (It took me quite a while to figure out how they organize themselves.... for every class you need a textbook and a workbook. This is all they carry. Binders are extremely rare)
* Raising your hand when you have a question (you just ask it. I haven't seen one person raise their hand)
* Changing in public (In gym all the girls change in stalls. This is weird for me because I got over that phobia in like.... grade 7)
* Showing your body. (For all the tight and skank-ish clothes, actually showing skin is rare. At the gym, tank tops are prohibited. I was the only person in there wearing shorts today and in gym class everyone wears pants)

I am starting to get the hang of Quebec and I feel less and less out of my comfort zone everyday! Although I do not abide by the in/out list ( I am "foreign" so no matter what I wear, I like to think I look cool), I think I can live with just about everything here! (some ripple chips would be sooo nice though...)

Here is some Quebecois MSN slang for you.....
JTM,
Carly

(JTM = J'taime= I love you)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Week.End.

Ahh It is so nice to finally have internet! I have said before I am using such an unreliable source, and I haven't been able to get on since friday! That being said, I have a lot to sum up!

Saturday morning was cadet band. There were quite a few more people there, so it sounded a lot better than last week! We also ordered Cadet Band Sweatpants. That's right, I'm that hardcore. After that, we went into Sainte-Foy. It is the rich area of Quebec, it is so nice there! We drove past Laval university and I almost peed. It is so big, and so nice! (I would also like to mention we drove past a theatre called "Le Clap." The clap?? Chlamydia?? I had a good laugh at that...) We went into the mall in Sainte-Foy, and it is so big! There were so many stores, it was kind of overwhelming. The only thing I bought was the Twilight book in french! (called "Fascination.") I haven't started reading it yet, but I am so excited! Also in the mall, I had poutine for the first time. I never would have thought one of the best meals I have ever had in my life would come from a mall food court for $4.00. I have never tried Poutine in winnipeg, but I can guarantee you there is no way It could be as good as this poutine. Pure Jesus. Soooo good. I think if I had the sources to eat poutine every meal for every day, I would be the fattest woman alive, I wouldn't be able to stop!

After the mall, Julie, myself and our friend Emilie went to one of their cadet friends house for the evening. There were about 15 people, and we played outside all night! We skated on their backyard rink, and played volleyball in the snow. It was a lot of fun, but it was hard at the same time. Everyone there was really close, so it was difficult to establish myself in the group. It made me realize how intimidating my friends at home and I must be, because we are so close. This was one of those times I needed to take a breath and tell myself to make my own happiness. It was also hard, because there was a dog that was so similar to mine at home. It ran right up to me, and I had to walk away because I wanted to cry! Seeing it made me so homesick! Besides those things, it was a really wonderful evening. We ate hot dogs outside by the fire, and played hockey. (I honestly don't remember the last time I played hockey...) I am becoming more of an outdoors person! After most people had left, we went inside and played board games. I was so tired though, by that point I just wanted to go home!

Sunday (this) morning, Julie and I went to Emilie's house for brunch. It was splendid! There was every breakfast food you could Imagine (including beans in sauce.... i still don't understand why the french eat that for breakfast. It's disgusting.....) and so much of it! Afterwards, Julie, Emilie and I took an hour bus ride to a different mall. This one was as equally huge as the last one, I couldn't believe it! This one had an ice rink and ferris wheel in the middle! There were so many good stores, like H&M and Simons, again though, I was almost too overwhelmed to shop. (which is rare!) My only purchase of the day was a small twist dip cone (which i ordered myself!!!) for lunch. I also went into Joshua Perets to see what all the commotion was about. It was pretty lame and disappointing. After another hour bus ride home, we went back home for my birthday supper!

My birthday supper was absolutely lovely! I don't remember what its called in french, and I've never heard of it in english, but for dinner, we had all these different meats and cheeses. You then put them on this little triangle shaped frying pan, onto a element pan type thing for a few minutes, and it cooks it perfectly! It was so good, and so much fun to make! Apparently, it is really popular in Quebec, but i have never seen it in Winnipeg. We all ate so much, and after dinner we went and worked it off on the Wii. We played this skiing game, and I ended up doing the course backwards. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life! Afterwards, we went and had the most absolutely delicious cake for dessert! Chocolate truffle with a hazelnut and cookie base. My birthday dinner was so special, and I just felt so happy and loved!! After desert, Julie and her sisters studied for exams this week, while Emilie and I watched "Sydney White", which was really funny! Because next week is exam week, and the week after is spring break, I have two weeks off starting tomorrow! Because this weekend was so busy, I am grateful to have the day off tomorrow to relax!

It was very nice to be so social and active this weekend. It was hard though, because I kept thinking "oh, if so-and-so were here, I'd do this!" I am still trying to let the real Carly come through here, but it is so hard to be yourself, when the people and places you built yourself around are gone. Tonight was good though. I laughed a lot and bonded with the family. I just need to be able to interact with other people like that, and make my own friends. I hope over my break from school, my french will improve a lot, and I can go back to school prepared to make friends! I have officially been here two weeks now, and for two weeks, I am proud of how well I have done - i still have a long way to go though. I know I can do it!!

Hakunna Matata,
Carly

Friday, February 20, 2009

HardCore.

Again this week, I have been thanking god it's friday all day! My time here is going by so fast, but at the same time so slow!! It's weird, because when I first got here, all I thought about was going home and now, it barely even crosses my mind in a day. Speaking of days, today was an easy one. I had art first period this morning, but my partner wasn't here. I feel kind of bad, but I used the time alone to take the project in the direction I wanted it to go in. The teacher told me it was good, and I am happy with it! Next class I had guitar, which I always enjoy but I had an especially good time today. The boy who sits beside me teases me so much, he was the one who originally said I looked egyptian, and he always speaks to me in spanish as a joke. Today he spoke to me in made up sign-language, and I spoke right back! He then serenaded me by singing in english and playing along on the guitar. I laughed so hard, it was so funny!

Lunch today was volleyball which was non-descript, as was my afternoon. Both Math and English were spent preparing for exams next week, so I had the time to do what I wanted. Since exams are all next week, and the week after is spring break, I have two weeks of off school! If I were at home, this would thrill me to death, but I am honestly a little bit nervous that with all that free time on my hands, I will get homesick.

After school today, I went with Julie to cadets. Holy Crap. Last week was the valentines dance, so it was cute and fun. This week was uniform checking, boot shining hard core. We were sitting in a class for attendance, and when the uniform inspector came to check everybody, a boy with hair that touched his ears actually put a bag in front of his head!! We then went into small groups for lessons. I was with three boys about my age. The commander told them to be quiet and one of them laughed, so they had to stand facing the wall in silence for three minutes. We then had a lesson on how to read and identify magnetic fields on a map. I didn't understand much. And then, the worst part of my day. The drama queen in me wants to say it was the worst part of my life, but I know thats not true, I got a uniform. It is horrifyingly terrible. I have one pair of black army boots, and one pair of army issued runners. Wool socks, and unisex blue trousers, A blue dress shirt and jacket and a hat that looks like a canoe to top it all off. I almost cried. Cadets tonight was sooooo far out of my comfort zone. There is nothing appealing to me about standing in a line getting yelled at in french! I know I have the power to make this into a good experience, so that is what I am trying to do. Less than three months and I never have to wear that stupid hat again! The people in cadets are so friendly though, and I love the band, so I have a lot to gain. Also, next weekend is cadet camp. 40 hours of the "Cadet cup" games. I am on the snow soccer team. Woot Woot. I am not really sure what to expect, but I love the people, so Im sure it will be fun. Speaking of things to look forward to, I have a big weekend coming up. Tomorrow is band, and then I am going to eat the infamous Quebec poutine! On sunday one of my friends is having brunch, and then we are going to see this famous waterfall. Sunday is also my birthday dinner! I stayed up late tonight watching "the house bunny" with Julie, and I have to be up early for band, so I will be so tired! Oh well, I have two weeks to recouperate! I've got to milk the NOW for what it's worth!!

Milking the Now,
Carly.