Work is over now, and we are getting into the debriefing/packing mode. But first, we should probably clean up the toilet paper, blown-up condoms, packs of chips, and discarded felt. Or I could explain the reasoning behind it all. I choose the second.
Stephane's birthday is coming up, and since we aren't able to celebrate it properly with him on the day, we celebrated it last night. As a special treat, Stephane made us supper. We came down stairs to a huge spread layed out across our tables of meat, vegetables, cheese, pickles, rice, and fondue pots. It was absolutly delicious. We ate more than our fills, then craftily got Stephane out of the house.
Frantically, the ten of us (Kaley took Stephane out for a walk to discuss some (made up) problems she was having) ran around "decorating" the house. We blew up the few balloons with "Bonne Fete"scrawled across them we were able to scavenge, and when those ran out, we broke open the condom tin and used those as balloons. They were oddly translucent, slippery and only slightly phallus shaped when inflated. But when you are in Katimavik, you learn to improvise. That sort of thinking is probably what led us to our next decoration idea: toilet paper streamers. Using electrical tape (yes, electrical tape) we strung up the T.P. and the balloons ("Bonne Fete" and other wise) all over our house.
As Anna put it "I'm pretty sure we are the only ones who would actually TP our own house." That's Katimavik for you.
Soon, once the strobe light was in place that is, we ran and hid in the entrance room, and anxiously awaited Stephane's arrival. When the door opened, we all jumped out, up, in and shoated "SURPRISE!" and started a rambling chorus of Happy Birthday in French.
We then led him in to the dining room where two cakes in the shape of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (or Turtle Ninjas if you are Kellie, love that girl) faces were waiting for him. He looked like a little kid. As he opened his presents, he kept thanking us. He said that this was the best birthday he has had in a long time. We were so happy that we were able to make him enjoy his birthday.
Today is the start of our Debriefing. We have hoops to jump through, papers to write, and activities to participate in. Its bitter sweet. I love Quebec, and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but I feel like Quebec has so much more to teach me, and I have so much more to discover that our departure is premature. Yet on the other hand, I am setting out on another adventure. One that will no doubt be as amazing as we make it, and with a group like this, how could it be anything but?
Katimavik has showed me that I can be independent, yet accept help. It has taught me that group dynamics don't always have to bite us in the behind. I have learned so much that I don't know if any one can really appreciate how much this type of an experiance can change you.
I can see my life changing in front of my eyes, and I have these people, these places, these months to thank.
My parents are coming tomorrow. The snow is making me anxious for them to travel, but I cannot wait for my parents black Malibu to come rollng down my little street. It will be surreal to have my real life and my Katima-life mingle like that.
Living in this crayon box, you can sometimes forget that there is a world beyond it, one with out Katima-rules. It will be strange to go back to it.. eventually
Everyday is a new adventure, so no worries.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Day Seventy Five
I have been slackingon the blog posts, and for that I apologize. The good news is that soon we will be in Vanderhoof, and I won't have those nasty things like going out and having fun to get in th way of my blog. I Joke.
Today was actually an amazing day. We were up at 8 (early for a Saturday morning in Katmavik) and were greeted with the first snow fall of the year. By the time I was up, there was already a good 2 cm on the ground. It was the white, packy snow that allowed for snowballs to be made and then thrown. While the wite fresh blanket made me think of home, it also made me remember how much I hate snow. I am really not a ski bunny.
By 10 o'clock, we were all piling into the Katimavan on our way to a little bit of volunteering. Little did I know that I was about to fall in love.
We arrived at the SPCA half an hour before it even opened, so we had to wait a while. From where we were waiting, we could already hear the dogs barking, eager for the day to start. Once we got in, it was a mad dash to get to the dogs and choose the one we wanted to walk. There were little dogs, puppies, black dogs hyper dogs an so many others. One interesting girl that caught my eye was a little skinny brown dog, not older than a year. She had the most startling eyes I have ever seen on a canine. But in the next room I saw her. Her name was Pacha, and I loved her right a way. She was a medium sized dog and stood just taller than my knee. Shehad intelligent, human-like eyes and was completely covered in three inch long white hair with a black patch on each ear and covering her nub-like tail. While she did bark when in her pen, once we were out in the snow, running around, she was a true gentle giant. She was strong, but did not pull, ran beside me, not with me. She didn't pay much mind to the dogs making a ruckus around us, just wanted to be with me.
Bruce and I stopped for a minute to pat her, and give her "some lovings". Pacha really enjoyed it ad bgan to lean into us. Since we were already in a very precarious position, her added weight just toppled us over. She ended up laying on top of us both, our butts in the snow, and none of us seemed to mind. Pacha just layed there, soaking up all the attention.
I could tell she was the type of dog to climb into bed with you at night or to let you cry into her long fur. I wanted to take her home so badly and not return this sweet girl back into the loud, cement enclosure.
Please, when looking for a pet, don't let pride get in the way of considering the pound and shelters as an option. My family adopted Maddy, our neurotic, ridiculous, loved, "pure-bred mutt" from a shelter ten years ago, and I couldn't imgine my chldhood with out her. All shelter dogs come with such a personality that is so unique, that it is a crime that some are as crowded as they are.
(And I guess that this all applies to cats as well, but I hate cats, and they hate me, so think what you will of the felines...)
We now have one week left of work until leaving for BC. It is such a surreal feeling that I am leaving again. Fredericton was bad enough, but I feel that I have so much more to see and experiance while I'm here. I'm certainly not ready to leave Quebec.
Every day is a new adventure, so No Worries
Today was actually an amazing day. We were up at 8 (early for a Saturday morning in Katmavik) and were greeted with the first snow fall of the year. By the time I was up, there was already a good 2 cm on the ground. It was the white, packy snow that allowed for snowballs to be made and then thrown. While the wite fresh blanket made me think of home, it also made me remember how much I hate snow. I am really not a ski bunny.
By 10 o'clock, we were all piling into the Katimavan on our way to a little bit of volunteering. Little did I know that I was about to fall in love.
We arrived at the SPCA half an hour before it even opened, so we had to wait a while. From where we were waiting, we could already hear the dogs barking, eager for the day to start. Once we got in, it was a mad dash to get to the dogs and choose the one we wanted to walk. There were little dogs, puppies, black dogs hyper dogs an so many others. One interesting girl that caught my eye was a little skinny brown dog, not older than a year. She had the most startling eyes I have ever seen on a canine. But in the next room I saw her. Her name was Pacha, and I loved her right a way. She was a medium sized dog and stood just taller than my knee. Shehad intelligent, human-like eyes and was completely covered in three inch long white hair with a black patch on each ear and covering her nub-like tail. While she did bark when in her pen, once we were out in the snow, running around, she was a true gentle giant. She was strong, but did not pull, ran beside me, not with me. She didn't pay much mind to the dogs making a ruckus around us, just wanted to be with me.
Bruce and I stopped for a minute to pat her, and give her "some lovings". Pacha really enjoyed it ad bgan to lean into us. Since we were already in a very precarious position, her added weight just toppled us over. She ended up laying on top of us both, our butts in the snow, and none of us seemed to mind. Pacha just layed there, soaking up all the attention.
I could tell she was the type of dog to climb into bed with you at night or to let you cry into her long fur. I wanted to take her home so badly and not return this sweet girl back into the loud, cement enclosure.
Please, when looking for a pet, don't let pride get in the way of considering the pound and shelters as an option. My family adopted Maddy, our neurotic, ridiculous, loved, "pure-bred mutt" from a shelter ten years ago, and I couldn't imgine my chldhood with out her. All shelter dogs come with such a personality that is so unique, that it is a crime that some are as crowded as they are.
(And I guess that this all applies to cats as well, but I hate cats, and they hate me, so think what you will of the felines...)
We now have one week left of work until leaving for BC. It is such a surreal feeling that I am leaving again. Fredericton was bad enough, but I feel that I have so much more to see and experiance while I'm here. I'm certainly not ready to leave Quebec.
Every day is a new adventure, so No Worries
Monday, November 15, 2010
Day Seventy
We have returned from billetting and it took no time at all to feel like a family once again. Within the first day, we were back to our loud, messy selves. The first night was full of stories and descriptions of our billet houses and families. It made me so happy to see all of them again.
Thursday,we all left work early to go out to a camp ground for volunteering. Our job was as simple as picking up sticks. In fact, that was our exact job. A trailor would pull up and it was up to the three katima-groups in the area to fill it with fallen branches (or trees in some cases) from the area. Once filled, we were to pick up an arm-full of the remaining sticks and follow the trailor to a cliff and throw all the colected wood over the edge. It was oddly entertaining. The only down side was the sudden and severe sore throat that struck me while working.
This past weekend, we spent in Montreal. It was amazing, save for the sore throat that developed into full on illness. We visited a botanical garden with very friendly squirrels, the Science Center of Montreal (the current exhibit was Sex: A Tell All Exhibition), Mount Royal, the Holocaust Museum and St. Joseph's Oratory. I was unable to enjoy the last one since I stayed in the Van to sleep and not die. But the other things we did were so much fun, it made up for it. The Holocaust museum was so interesting.
Montreal is a beautiful city
I am now home sick, so please excuse me while I go take yet another nap
Everyday is a new adventure, so no worries.
Thursday,we all left work early to go out to a camp ground for volunteering. Our job was as simple as picking up sticks. In fact, that was our exact job. A trailor would pull up and it was up to the three katima-groups in the area to fill it with fallen branches (or trees in some cases) from the area. Once filled, we were to pick up an arm-full of the remaining sticks and follow the trailor to a cliff and throw all the colected wood over the edge. It was oddly entertaining. The only down side was the sudden and severe sore throat that struck me while working.
This past weekend, we spent in Montreal. It was amazing, save for the sore throat that developed into full on illness. We visited a botanical garden with very friendly squirrels, the Science Center of Montreal (the current exhibit was Sex: A Tell All Exhibition), Mount Royal, the Holocaust Museum and St. Joseph's Oratory. I was unable to enjoy the last one since I stayed in the Van to sleep and not die. But the other things we did were so much fun, it made up for it. The Holocaust museum was so interesting.
Montreal is a beautiful city
I am now home sick, so please excuse me while I go take yet another nap
Everyday is a new adventure, so no worries.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Day Fifty Seven
In exaclty one month from this moment, my group and I will be settling into our new Katimahome in Vanderhoof, British Columbia. If the idea of leaving Fredericton was making me nervous, the idea of leaving Quebc, and the home we have here is absolutly daunting! It was hard enough getting to know everyone, including our PL Stephane, and our house, only to have to leave him and it for the next unsuspecting group.
At work, I am more and more working for the Friperee, a second hand store that gives things away for free. Today, while loading a large cart into the store, a man came up to ask the woman in charge some questions. He explained that he needed some clothes because he was hitchhiking to Halifax. So what was the problem here? He explained it all in perfect English. It was clear that neither of them knew what to do, and I was able to translate for them. I feel so useful when this sort of situation comes up because, even if I have a very limited vocabulary in French, I know how to word things so that I use the word I do know.
If you read my last blog (which you all did, of course :P ) youwill know that I am currently living in a billet family in the community. There are some definite perks to billetting. The first is the food. I don't have to cook it, and they are very pleased when we, Kellie and I are billetted together, help with the dishes. Also is the fact of the bread. The soft, chewable, evenly pre-cut bread. If you have ever had home made bread from scratch, you will know that it is a skill to make good bread. This knowledge leads you to conclude that if you have a group of eleven teenagers in a house, none that have baked bread before, you will know that the home made bread will not be very dependable, and since we do not buy bread, but make all that we need, store baugh bread seems like a once in a Katimalife time treat. Also, we have time to kick back and just be teenagers again. Most of the time in Katimavik, when we aren't working that is, is spent in meetings, planning commities, or out in the community. So when we come here to a billet house, we can relax and remember what a "normal" life is like.
That being said, I miss my Katimavik group terribly. There is a group of us that live relativly close to each other so we see each other fairly often through the two weeks. But, I miss those that aren't close. If you check my phone right now, 9 out the 10 most recently texted contacts are katimavik people (with the 1 out of 10 being my mother).We are so close, we aren't just a group, or a team, Katimavik is a family.
This weekend is my last days with the billet family, and the next weekend, my group and I are off to Montreal for the weekend. I am very much looking forward to that!
Everyday is a new adventure, so no worries.
At work, I am more and more working for the Friperee, a second hand store that gives things away for free. Today, while loading a large cart into the store, a man came up to ask the woman in charge some questions. He explained that he needed some clothes because he was hitchhiking to Halifax. So what was the problem here? He explained it all in perfect English. It was clear that neither of them knew what to do, and I was able to translate for them. I feel so useful when this sort of situation comes up because, even if I have a very limited vocabulary in French, I know how to word things so that I use the word I do know.
If you read my last blog (which you all did, of course :P ) youwill know that I am currently living in a billet family in the community. There are some definite perks to billetting. The first is the food. I don't have to cook it, and they are very pleased when we, Kellie and I are billetted together, help with the dishes. Also is the fact of the bread. The soft, chewable, evenly pre-cut bread. If you have ever had home made bread from scratch, you will know that it is a skill to make good bread. This knowledge leads you to conclude that if you have a group of eleven teenagers in a house, none that have baked bread before, you will know that the home made bread will not be very dependable, and since we do not buy bread, but make all that we need, store baugh bread seems like a once in a Katimalife time treat. Also, we have time to kick back and just be teenagers again. Most of the time in Katimavik, when we aren't working that is, is spent in meetings, planning commities, or out in the community. So when we come here to a billet house, we can relax and remember what a "normal" life is like.
That being said, I miss my Katimavik group terribly. There is a group of us that live relativly close to each other so we see each other fairly often through the two weeks. But, I miss those that aren't close. If you check my phone right now, 9 out the 10 most recently texted contacts are katimavik people (with the 1 out of 10 being my mother).We are so close, we aren't just a group, or a team, Katimavik is a family.
This weekend is my last days with the billet family, and the next weekend, my group and I are off to Montreal for the weekend. I am very much looking forward to that!
Everyday is a new adventure, so no worries.
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