onward ho!

What is it about crisp air and fallen leaves that stirs my soul? The naked trees swaying in the rough wind of the night bespeak some kind of awareness that I cannot describe. Change, with all its discomforts, is still something I thoroughly enjoy.

I have felt a bit odd of late. Having traveled to Ontario recently to attend a conference on Sustainable Campuses, I was both moved and disturbed by the re-realization of exactly what we're up against. There seems to be something in most people that causes them to fear change and to hold onto whatever they can for as long as they can. There is comfort in tradition and familiarity, but a balance must be made with change. Not change for the sake of change, but change for the sake of improvement. What use is all our knowledge if we fail to look at practical application of it? What does it take to clear people's minds of all the worries of their daily lives to take stock of an even greater concern?

I see a change, it is slow, but I've seen it in my thus far short life. It makes me happy, and I want to celebrate this movement of sorts, of minds, towards a different but relatively intact world for generations to come.

As long as people believe the lie that they don't matter and that they can't change anything by changing themselves, there will be fewer to put strength behind those who are already making the changes. Humans are a part of nature, yet are different, and can make change happen more quickly, for better or worse.

Circular

Well, life is returning to a semi-normal state now. The leaves outside my window, of whose pleasant shape and colour I have woken up to all summer, have now begun to sag and droop and turn their dying colour. The branches attached to them rap against the window, asking to come out of the increasingly cold weather.

Here we are again.

Roma

What can I say, Rome was unbelievable in every sense of the word. With ancient history, beautiful architecture and culture at every turn, I felt my 3-day stay was insufficient to say the least.

Walking through the ancient city was something special for me. Having studied Greek and Roman mythology, much of the ruins came to life.

I spent my time in the coliseum rather than waiting in line outside of it. A tip that I found on wiki-travel let me in on the fact that you can buy ticket good for the palace and the coliseum at the palace, which has a line of 5 people maximum.

I'm getting tired of certain types of tourists though. The ones who are in a hurry to just see things, on the surface, so they can rush off to the next point on their map. Mind you, I've felt VERY much like a tourist on this trip. I've still managed to take the quality over quantity approach. But, I guess, to each their own.

The Vatican was the exception. I was really dissapointed in people being unable to show any shred of respect or self restrain. Fifty signs, clearly stating NO PHOTOGRAPHY explained by a camera with both the camera and the flash crossed out. Also, they ask for quiet, not silence, but quiet. The Sistine chapel: Rushed with a gigantic crowd down a small corridor, finally when we get in everyone starts talking, even yelling to their friends across the room AND taking FLASH photography. All around me. Not photography, discreetly, with the flash off, but just blatant disregard. Every minute or so the guards had to say SHHHHHH really loud and clap to quiet down the full-on roar that the noise had become. Then again, yelling "Prego, avanti" we were herded quickly like cattle out so more tourists could be herded through just as quickly.

I'm not making any statements as of yet of how I feel about the whole thing. Right now, I'm only sure that I didn't like the complete lack of respect. People can usually be quiet in other, somewhat less delicate places. Why not in the Vatican's Sistine chapel?

I stayed in Ostia, just outside of Rome, a decision I am grateful for. My room had a view of the beach. I only had to walk out the front gates of the hostel and cross the road to access the free sandy beach. The hostel itself was an old monestary, with wide lots of space.

The people that I met in Rome, the Romans, were incredibly kind and helpful, despite my complete lack of knowledge of Italian (save for words like 'grazie', and other bits). One woman even escorted me to the right metro station and offered her phone for me to call my hostel for a pick up. I wanted to hug her, but restricted myself to saying 'grazie' several times, emphatically.

Back in Lille

Photo: at wine and cheese tasting party, a cultural event put on by the University. Left to right, Clemence(French, Lille student who works with the university), Hope (American, NCState student with the Summer program), Me, Jenni (Canadian, UofA Student with the summer program too)

I completed my French Literature course today with a final exam. Now I just have my French Cinema and French exams on Wednesday left. I have other classes until this Thursday.

I booked my hostel in Rome. I am getting excited. This is it: http://www.litusroma.com/indexen.html

It's more like a hotel than a hostel, except much cheaper and I'll be staying in a room with three other girls. It is actually outside of Rome, about an hour by bus and metro, but I'll get picked up when I arrive. I have a plan to see as much as I can during the day, and hang out back at the hostel by night. I'll try to keep busy so I don't think about how much I wish Jonathan were with me...and how much I miss home.

I asked the Italian girl, Serena, in the program to give me some advice and some key phrases in Italian. She's really nice and explained a lot to me. I feel much more prepared after having spoken to her.

I still cannot believe how lucky I am to have seen and done all I have up to this point. I've been so busy that in those few moments when I have time to stop and think, I just can't believe how fortunate I am to have the opportunities that I do and to live in Canada.

London, a pleasant suprise

Photo: I'm looking through the original telescope used in the Royal Observatory. This part of the observatory museum is only open during the day. So they put a slide of Pluto, the cartoon character on the end and positioned it to where pluto, the planet, would be. It was a cute visual joke. Actually, isn't pluto no longer an offical planet?

I wasn't sure how much I'd like London. Now that I'm here, however, I am loving it and already know that I'll try to come back. There seems to be something for everyone here. Yesterday I took a boat cruise up the Thames to Greenwich. I got off here and went up to the Royal Observatory. What a cool experience! I stood on the prime meridian and walked through the observatory and museum. I even looked in an original telescope. Time is mysterious, so I found this place fascinating. Longtitude can be determined by very accurate keeping of time. The prime meridian is arbitrary, and man made, but because of it, in relation to it and the time where you are you can determine very precicely where you are. AMAZING!

Likes and Dislikes about living in Lille, France for one month:

Dislikes
***Not being with Jonathan
*Smaller sense of personal space (they stand right next to each other in line, not a ½ metre apart like we do)
*Having to eat school cafeteria food
*Not being able to express myself adequately
*My bed
*My room
*My pillow
*How people often assume you’re from the US when you speak, until you correct them and many people call all the people who live in the ‘Americas’ Americans, just as we call some people Europeans or Asians
*When people switch to English rather than exercising patience to speak in French, though this only happens in service situations, and I now see that they are just trying to be helpful and more efficient
*My limited wardrobe
*The moist air
*The spiders, everywhere, on me
*The dead rat in the street one night
*The lack of screens on windows, everywhere
*How they seem to just leave things on the street when they don’t want them
*The drunken people, in public, at any given time of day
*The dog poop left on the sidewalks for the city to clean up
*The lack of respect for/understanding of recycling by university students (there is recycling and other people use it)
*French people stopping me to ask me directions (at least once a day) when I don’t live here and then, once I speak to them, being asked where I come from…
*How my credit card only works 50% of the time
*The pink toilet paper
*Not being able to wash my dishes without walking up and down 5 flights of stairs.
Most stores close for 2 hours at lunch and end the day at 5:30 (right when I get off school)
*Going to school from 9-12 (if they let us out on time) and then 1-5:30 (sometimes later). Having diner only from 7:30-8:30
*The exchange rate
*That I am perpetually sneezing and now I have a cold
*Being fatigued all the time and feeling overwhelmed a lot of the time
*That the French rarely dress casual
*Living next to school
*There is so much to see
*The lack of routine
*The French relationship with time
*The more open display of affection in public(when it gets to like X-rated making out)

Likes
*The FOOD is amazing (in the restaurants, NOT in the school cafeteria)
*Meeting new people, from different backgrounds
*Speaking French and being understood by the natives
*Learning about the culture
*Seeing new things everyday and trying new things everyday
*The trees
*The general idea of quality over quantity
*They have dedicated bike lanes, with their own traffic lights, all over
*That there are a plethora of free and wonderful public events
*The clothing! I am having a more difficult time deciding what I don’t like, rather than what I like.
*The fact that every kind of wine here tastes great, even the cheap stuff that the French say is crap and that they refuse to drink! (Although, I am learning the best kinds)
*The close proximity to everything in Europe
*The fact that you can walk to most places in the city
*Living next to school
*That the metro and bus system are great
*That most French people are extremely nice if you are trying to speak French
*Tutoring (my tutor was so nice and answered all my ‘silly’ questions without judgement)
*That when you ask directions, or you are lost, it is not uncommon for someone to stop what they are doing to take you to where you want to go (then when you thank them they say it’s really nothing)
*Lipton’s peach iced tea is very popular here, and you can find it everywhere. I love it and it has very little sugar.
*The food here is mostly all natural, with less sugar, and it the produce is amazing and fresh
*That the French rarely dress casual
*There is so much to see
*The lack of routine
*The French relationship with time
*The more open display of affection in public (when it is just cute and loving)

These are just based on my personal experiences, to date, in Lille. There are still many things I feel neutral about, but just notice the difference. As you see, I also have some things listed under both likes and dislikes, depending on the situation.

History

Photo: Myself and two of the other Canadian students standing in front of the awe-inspiring Vimy monument.

After two weeks of tremendous highs and some lows as well, I am really feeling fortunate to be where I am.

Visiting Vimy this last week definitely expanded my mind. It was the most beautiful, sunny day and everything was covered with marvelous greens. It couldn’t have been nicer, and yet, when I walked on this land once soaked with blood of many humans, I felt physically heavy. I cannot describe the eerie feeling that this place evokes, but I, for one, was not prepared for its relentless pressure in the depths of me.

As I viewed the monument, I felt both astonishment and awe, but also sadness as I reflected on the virtues and vices of humanity. I felt emotional, thinking of humans coming to the aid of others like this. Canadians, along with Moroccans and the British, came to help fight for the liberty of France.

Signs warning of areas with undetonated explosives frightened me, and made me more thankful for my sheltered life, but I also thought more about those who continue to live in realities such as this in world.

It felt good to see Canadian signs and flags again.

We also visited the city of Arras, which was destroyed in the war and completely rebuilt from the rubble. It is truly incredible to realize the strength within human beings to rebuild after disaster and to adapt and grow from it.

At Lewarde, we were taken down into a mine with a guide to learn about this dark time in history. The guide himself had worked in the mines for 25 years, but he was very jolly and joked with us about his hearing aid and bad vision. He showed us all the machinery... one by one turning them on. Each one was so loud that I had to plug my ears.

He then explained that he would work like that, without protection, with all the machines on around him, for 10-12 hours everyday. Crevices that looked like tombs… he showed us how the men had to stay working in there, half-laying, half sitting, trying to pick coal, for the entire day! This place reminded me of a slave camp.

Near the end, he showed us a model of they types of horses they used. I was sad to hear that the horses didn’t get to come up daily like the men. They often didn’t see daylight for weeks, and they’d finally bring them up when they either went blind, or were having breathing problems and couldn’t work anymore. He didn’t say what they did with them after that…

Aujourd'hui

My French is improving at such a rapid rate that it seems strange to write in English right now. I love ny classes. I am taking French Literature, Flemish Art and Architecture and French Cinema above my intensive 3 hour per day french classes.

I have not only learned a great deal about the French language, but also the French culture. Especially in the North, there is a strong connection to other nothern countries in the vacinity. Beyond geography, this city has an amazing connection with the history of the region.

I am truly enjoying French life. Yesterday, we went to Bruges, Belgium. Their chocolate really is the best and the people are overly nice! I would go back in a second.

I have limited internet access, but I will write and post as often as I can!

A Paris

The day of arrival last Sunday was a mess. I couldn't sleep on the plane. So, once we arrived, I was extreemly overtired and confused. Customs was almost non-existant compared to Canada. That suprised me.

I literally just gave some young guy my passport to look at. He asked me (in French of course) if I was here on vacation. In Paris, I replied yes. Then he went on to point out how coincidently we were born in the same year and are the same age. Everyone else was simply asked why they were here and let through and he wants to make small talk in French when I haven't slept for nearly 2 days!

Finally, after a brutal little conversation he wished me a good vacation and I was off to pick up my luggage, then be ushered out the door by some men in plain clothes.

The driver that I had arranged to take us to the apartment was waiting (he was 2 hours early) so we went with him. We finally arrived at the apartment, which was lovely, to the suprise of the cleaning lady who hadn't yet finished and she only spoke French. She was very nice anyway and we managed to get by with our somewhat limited vocabulary.

Then, we were hungry so we ventured out. But of course, it was Sunday in Paris and almost everything was closed. We ate our first food in Paris, sadly, at the McDonald's down the street. Nonetheless, we had to speak french to order and the menu is different in France. This proved to be difficult as our jetlag set in.

This ended up being the only place in Paris where we encountered some form of rudeness. Later, we found a small corner store that was open where we bought 12 cans of pop, cookies and some fruit for 30 Euro. The cashier was very nice, even joking with us a bit.

A few days...presque Paris.

I can't believe how much there is to do.