Bonjour Tout Le Monde. Or is it Tous or Toutes or Toute. I guess that would depend on whether or not Monde is masculine or stinken feminine, or if Monde is considered to be a plural or singular entity. I, however, do not have time to look that up right now, so if I did it wrong - deal with it I guess.

Anyhow, and so goes life in Trois Pistoles. It continues to be an adventure, but more than anything, it's just settled into normal right now. There are much fewer moments of confusion or elation.

Last weekend was pretty grand. On Friday we didn`t have our atelier, so me and Kyla biked to the little waterfalls on the edge of town, except we didn't know where they were, so we first biked past them for about 20 minutes before we realized that we were just going up and down hills for nothing. Anyhow, a few other students also happened to be there, and it was a really chil afternoon just sitting and doing nothing on a rock in the sun by some water falls.

On Friday night was the Cabaret, and all the students with talent put on a show. So, in other words, all of the Aisian Canadians and all of the Russian over seas students threw together a little Chopin and Bach on whichever instrument they happened to play and it was ridiculously impressive. There was also a fiddling/tap dancing/guitar number that blew me away, and there's this guy here who reminds me of Darryl T. and he did a few special numbers and I laughed so hard I cried. Oh and a girl with a very wonderful deep throughty jazz voice sang "Besame Mucho" which is always a hit jazz number with me. It sounds extremely sexy in French

On Saturday Katie, Kyla, Brian and I went on the whale cruise. As a short aside - Brian reminds me of Alejandro Calderon from highschool and I laugh at him a lot. He wanted a self portrait of himself, so today he bought me a coffee at the Essential and I drew him before supper. The portrait needs tweaking still.

Anyhow... the whale cruise. It was pretty good. We saw fin back whales, Minkie whales, some seals, a few porpoises, and the best part was a Blue Whale that came pretty close to our boat. The Blue Whale is the biggest whale in all the world. Oh, and we saw a few schools of Belugas, but they were far away so it just looks like a bunch of resurfaccing white bumps. I think Belugas are the cutest whales EVER!

Saturday night Katie and Kyla and I went and hung out with Sherri, a girl who is doing the work program here and she's from Saskatoon and knows Jeremy. Then after a few hours of sitting at her kitchen table and eating her nutella, all of us went to the Essential for coffee. Then we bumped into Hannah and a few other people and talked to them for forever, then I went home because i had to climb a mountain the next day.

All day Sunday I was on a day trip with some of the students and we climbed Mount Xanibu in Parc Gaspie. We left Trois Pistoles at 6:30 am and it was a three hour ride there and three hours back again. It was extremely beautiful and it was a really hot day. My only gripe was that we had to wait forever on the top for the slow people and then we had to wait forever when we got down, and then on the way home we went to a really horrible and expensive Chinese buffet. And on top of that, there was a high precentage of very annoying 17 year olds on that trip being brats and having attitudes. I`'ve actually been fairly impressed by most of the younger kids I've met, but there was a bit of a brat pack on this trip. I got home at 11pm.

Today is already Wednesday. I was supposed to go kayaking on the river today, but I wasn't in the mood so I let Katie take my place plus it was another 30 bucks and I have now decided to go to Cirq Du Soliel on Friday night while we're in Quebec City. That's going to be 70 bucks so I decided to cut back on an activity. I've actually taken the last few days pretty slow. Monday and Tuesday reached 40 and over with the humidity index. It was seriously as bad as some of the worst days of Bolivian summers. So we were all pretty dead yesterday. Only the "mall" has airconditioning, so students were hanging out there a bit.

Other than that - good news - Jeremy got the job with the government, I got a phone call from Calgary for a job interview with the Christian school - but it's a bit late for that now. Last night was another required concert. This one wasn't as good. We went to the Greneir d'Albertine last night after the show for a drink and I hung out with Li. I found out he does modelling in Vancouver, so I bugged him about that for a while and I asked him a few Zoolanderesque type questions.(Because I`'m sure he never gets people making annoying comments like that) He visit China a lot so we've had fun talking about the glories of foot massages.

Yeah - so that's it!

I am now the color of chocolate

So, it's been almost a week since I've posted again. It's been a really good week, and not quite as intense as last week as I've settled in a bit and I am not trying to do absolutely everything.

So... what's new? Everything I brought to Quebec is green. I am officially "matchy matchy dorky girl!!!" So apparently I like green.

So I was mentioning the square dance and I feel obliged to finish that topic. So yeah... there was a square dance last Friday night. It was really fun but really hot and sweaty and crowded. And there was a lady who did all of the calls in French, and I couldn't understand her, so I copied everyone else. It was just fun because here were a couple hundered 17 - 30 year olds prancing and skipping around for hours. Square dancing rocks, I seriously think we should bring it back as a popular cultural event. It promotes community, excercise, and fun and its non sexual. The guys were funny, when they were supposed to all come forward into the interior of the circle they mosh pitt chest banged each other instead. It was just funny. After the square dance everyone went to the "Bellvue" to dance some more. It was pretty fun dancing with all the new people I've met, and then Kyla and I got our slighty happy roommates into a taxi and we all got home around 1:30 a.m. I still am blown away by what a ridiculously good roommate and house set up we've got. Except for the massive hill we have to ride up every day ( or twice a day if you're like me and you need some non public space alone time every day) Veronica and Katie are both just great and we just get along really well. Veronica is the super duper sporty out doorsy adventureous tomboy and Katie is just cute and fun and makes some great dry joke and just looking at her makes me giggle sometimes. They are just both smart fun girls who aren't ditzy party sluts or anything annoying like that. Veronica has the most advanced French, then Kyla, then Katie and I. We aren't very good and we speak English to each other quite a bit at home. ok, avoir
Kendra

hi

Le Gran Colline

That means "the big hill" au francais. Except I probably spelled it wrong. I've discovered that I'm even worse at spelling French than I am in Anglais. I have decided to title today's blog in that manner because the Gran Colline is a big part of my life. That's where we live - up the big hill. I will also have Gran calfs when this month is over. And I'm not going to lie to you, it was one of my first new vocabulary words that I aquired as soon as Le petite montaigne wasn't doing it for me anymore.

Anyhow, I havn' t really given you the run down on my life since Le premiere jour that I arrived here.

We don't really get that much internet time. Right now I'm sitting at a computer and I've noticed that everone around me has moved away from me because I stink!!! I smell like a fertile swamp. Today for our atelier we walked through low tide (aka fertile mud marshes) to two islands close to town. (Le ile d'amour). It was fun and great and we scrambled around the rocky edges of the little islands like so many confused ants, but now I smell. I really hope the people at the nursing home aren't upset that I will be so stinky.

I would go home - but then I'd have to monte' le gran colline, and quite honestly - Id rather smell like this then tackle the zute colline.

On another note - I'm finally in the clas that I'm supposed to be in . I went and complained at the office soo many times. First I was in 002 - too easy, then I was in 021 - too hard. Now I'm in )110 - just right. There are quite a few people studying here who are teachers by profession, and the funny thing was was that they were the ones in the office all the time for the first week trying to change everything. zute proffeseuers - they are always trying to change things!!!

Classes aren't too hard as far as homework goes, but that scares me because I need lots of homework to do well on tests and I feel like we havn't had any practice at all and the exam is on Friday. I guess I should just independently study or something like that.

Le dame hotess Caroline and monseiur Cedric have a pool in their back yard, so on Sunday we were able to spend a liesurely afternoon by the pool. It's sure nice to be on holiday at the expense of the federal government and all the good tax payers of Canada!!! We also had a tour of the eglise notre dame de les neiges - the very famous church here. And in the evening we watched a film au francaise called "Le Auberge Espagnole" I understood quite a bit because about half of it was in Spanish with French sub titles. It was really really funny.

On Saturday we went hiking at Park Bic - a national park around here. We hiked for 3km to see some pretty fantastic views of the bay, and then we hiked down and went to the bay and walked in low tide until tide came in. I went because there were supposed to be some seals, but Clyde and Seamore never showed up, but enjoying the plein aire was fantastique all the same. Saturday night we went to a bonfire of Noah's hostess family because they just live across the street. All the neihbours were there and telling dirty jokes in French which we didn't understand. Caroline - our hostess didn't seem too impressed about the dirty jokes. She's cute - she has all of her ducks in a row.

Friday was soooo fun!!! We didnt have an atelier so I explored the countryside all day on my velo (bike). There are fields of daisies everywhere and bike paths everywhere too. I went to the nearest "beach"

Friday night was a square dance and it was obligatory for all fo the students to go. It was SOOOO fun. Ill write more about it later, I have to because the internet cafe is closing right now.

tre tre confuse

So this blog is about the first day in Trois Pistoles. I must remind you that I cannot use proper punctuation with this computer so please excuse my lack of capitals and quotation marks.

Ok, so I hadnèt slept for two nights in a row and then I had to wake up at 7:30 to get to class.

Caroline and Cedric, our hosts, are our age and they own a house. A really nice house actually. Caroline always has ridiculously fantastic breakfasts for us.

Caroline drove us to school that morning because Kyla had arrived at 1:30 a.m. so we both didnt have bicicles yet. The class I was in was really easy and the teacher wasnt even speaking to us in French. So after class I went and requested to be switched. So the secretary told me to meet the director the next morning. This was all communicated in French.

Caroline picked us up and took us to get our bikes. By this time I could not think straight at all and I was sooooo tired. Caroline had showed me at 4 a.m. where the house was where I was to eat my lunch and dinner every day, but the directions didnèt really stick. So after being lost for a while as I looked for dinner - I was so tiered and hungry I thought I was going to stop in the middle of the road and cry. So I went and knocked on some ladies door and asked her where it was (luckily I had a paper with the directions) and she drove me to the place.

The place where I eat is a nursing home. So we have nice soft nursing home food every day and we have very regular bowel movements. Seriously though, even though itès not as good as what I hear every one elseès food is - itès still way better than my own cooking, so Ièm not complaining. We always have soup and a main dish and a dessert and lots of fruit juice. And not only that, the ladies that work there are not aware of the FRENCH only rule - so we quietely speak English while we are there. Plus, its fun saying

bonjour

to all the old people twice a day. They are cute and seem happy to see us.

Anyhow, by the time random French lady had driven me to the nursing home, everyone else had finished eating. Luckily the French ladies at the nursing home still fed me and the oldest one thought I was funny and gave me a big hug.

After that I was scared Id be late for the meeting at the school where we were to choose workshops. I had to walk back to the random French ladies house to get my bike and I got lost again looking for her house. Then once I got my bike I was lost for a little while because I had no idea where the school was.

I chose the outdoor "plein aire" workshop with hiking and biking and kayaking. My level of French is low enough that I'm actually supposed to be in the conversation workshop, but as long as no one is noticing, there's no way I'm going to another class all afternoon when I can be outdoors in such beautiful country side. So far no one has noticed.

Then right after that meeting we had to take a two hour exam to determine our level of French AGAIN. By this time I thought I was going to die. I actaully fell asleep three times during the exam. After the exam I had to find out how to get home. I had a paper with the directions, but then I lost it. And then I found it blowing in a field. I have no idea how I would have gotten home since I only knew that our hostess name was caroline and I didnèt know her family name. So then I rode to the nursing home and they drew a map for me so I could get home.

That night there was a corn roast at the beach, but I skipped out and went to bed. My roommates came over with some boys at 10 so I got up for a few hours to hang out.

Anyhow, I was sooo happy to be done that day - I was lost and confused all day long

The end

ma vogage tre terrible!!!!

so, im in quebec right now in a small town called trois pistoles. im in french immersion and am theorhetically only speaking french all day long.

my trip out here was insanely long. i have actually gotten to china from saskatoon quicker than i got to trois pistoles. jeremy picked me at home up at 5:00 and i left saskaton at 6:00 am.

it was tre tre long. and i had beucoup de layovers in tout le villes. I had a layover for 5 hours in toronto, a layover for 3 hours in montreal, and i had i waited at the bus station in quebec city from 8:30pm until 12:45pm to catch my bus to trios pistoles. i arrive at trois pistoles at 4:45 pm. needless to say - i read an entire book and hardly slept. the night before i left i only had 3 hours of sleep. so it was two nights in a row with hardly any sleep

so, as far as any stories of interest concerning the trip to quebec.... well, my first impression was montreal airport. i must say, its a tad third world in that airport and it appears to be run by only one woman. not only that, but no one knows how to stand in a line. i needed to know my gate and after 20 minutes and 10 people butting ahead of me i finally yelled !hello! what country are we in! does no one know how to stand in line and arent there any people that work here!!!! and then i stomped off. i think everyone must have thought i was american.

i took a taxi from quebec airport to the gare de something to catch my bus. so.... its really true - people actually cant speak english here. it was such a beijing taxi expierience. my taxi driver and i managed to have a 15 or 20 minute conversation. Dont ask me how! he was a lovely chap and we discussed the weather, our ocupations, and other things that i simply said oui to. i realized half way through one of our topics that i had accidently said oui to him taking me all the way to trois pistoles. We were able to get that straight pretty quick. i told him i had pas de argent. so he was very nice and took me to the bus station.

i was scared that the bus stateion would be super sleazy like the saskatoon bus station. so i was nervous to stay there by myself until 12:45, but it was awesome and i sat in a coffee shop and read for another four - five hours.

When i arrived Caroline, my host, picked me up and took me home. We are staying in a little basement suite in Caroline and Cedrics house. its great and very private. my roommates are kyla, katie, and veronica. my roommates are ridiculously fantastic and i must say we are quite the dream team. i of course didnèt meet them that night. i went to bed and woke up 2.5 hours later for class.

That will be the next blog, but i need to post this now because the internet room closes in just a few minutes so i need to post this. Tomorrows blog is titled tre tre confuse. Keep your eyes peeled. i apologize for the tre horible punctuation. it is because this is a francaphone keyboard and it does crazy things when i try to punctuate.

Teaching Job

So, I don't have very much time to write anything. But so much has changed since I last wrote - so I'll write a little bit.

So on Tuesday I had a teaching interview on Web Cam with the school at Lumbreck Alberta, and then I had an interview at 12:00 with St. Louis School from Wakaw School Division.

Both interview I felt went really good. I especially felt that the St. Louis interview went well. I just felt with it and like I answered everything very well.

After that I drove back and met up with Darlene and Joyce at the Rosthern Bakery. Then I went and hung out with Darlene and Frank and Joyce and Jocelyn and her kids. That was nice to make the trip even more worth it by hanging out with all of them. Them Wakaw called by 2:00 and they told me I didn't get the job.

So I went home then because I was pretty down again. Especially since I felt the interview went so well and I just don't get what schools in Saskatchewan want. Seriously - I JUST DON'T GET IT. I just feel very rejected for not being from here and I feel like I'm being treated with suspicion because my experience is overseas.

Anyhow, I was grumpy.

So I went to London Drugs to buy double sided tape, but I got distracted in the mall because I saw a very nice poka dotted skirt for 9.99. So I tried it on and bought it from an Asian guy. So we got talking and he is actually from China. We then had a chat about China and the glories of China. So that was nice. Then I decided - I need more clothes to make my rejection feel better. So I bought two tops from Suzy Sheer for 15.00. Then as I was in the change rooms I got the call from Alberta and I got the Alberta job.

So I'm very very happy about that. I am nervous because it's only 50% and it's only until end of January. This is going to one heck of an unsettled year. But I guess I'll just brace myself and grow in faith.

Oh - and here's the good thing. It's only 30 minutes from the nearest snow-boarding. It's really beautiful ranch country on the edge of the mountains.

AND - get this

One of the classes I teach involves hunting, trapping, and skinning animals.

So yeah - tomorrow I go to Quebec and I'm not at the least ready for it so I need to go. I had a good surprise because Jeremy was given the entire long weekend off - so we've been spending a fair bit of time together. I think I'll have a late night tonight with packing and finishing up all the details of my trip.