Another couple of weeks in Canada, and yet another blog for your perusal. The last couple of weeks have brought with them some interesting challenges, new ideas and of course, a whole lot of fun! The oddest thing I've noticed recently though is the free gift at IGA if you spend more than a certain amount on your weekly shop, hence the title. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a fridge deodorant until now! I'm quite intrigued to find out what next week's present will be!
As for school, it seems that as the kids get to know me better, they are a lot less shy and a lot less willing to toe the line. Unluckily for them, I have no qualms in sending them out of class or giving them bad grades for unacceptable effort. The majority of them have learnt not to mess with me! I may not be much older than them, but I'm still the teacher! There have been many highlights over the last couple of weeks too, so I'll just mention some of the best. My Sec. 1 students (the youngest in the school at 12 years old) had me in stitches with their vivid imaginations. I had them all pretend to be shipwrecked on a desert island and make a poster about their adventures. Giant man-eating chickens and flying monkeys, electricity trees and cannibalism all featured, not to mention mermaids and flesh eating locusts. I also taught a couple of my groups to play "Wink Murder" (not really a language learning activity, but they all enjoyed it!) and they all had great fun pretending to die as dramatically as possible. My own oscar-worthy death scene left me with 2 bruised and swollen knees and a bump on the head!
I'm now almost certain I want to go into teaching as a career after university and I've been looking into all the training options etc. It's quite exciting knowing what you want to do with your life! I agreed to take a couple of whole classes this week instead of my usual groups of 10, for the experience more than anything. I certainly got that! 30 children make a disproportionate amount more noise than 10!
Some classes it's still like pulling teeth trying to get them to talk, these are my least favourite classes. Classes I like to refer to as "crowd control" are surprisingly more fun (although not good for my blood pressure!) Discipline is easy, actually motivating shy and/or apathetic teenagers less so!
Kids are entertaining and challenging enough, but dealing with their parents, oh boy. A whole different ball game, as it were. I was enlisted to help at the school board open day for prospective parents 2 weeks ago, and what an experience! The school system is very different here, choosing a secondary school for your child isn't a postcode lottery like in the UK. Here, you can just choose which state school you want your child to go to, and they have to accept them. The school board open day felt more like a cattle market than anything else, stalls for every different school, with teachers (and unwitting English assistants!) desperately trying to sell their school to the parents. It was 8 hours of handing out branded water bottles and bags with the school logo to kids, explaining the various strengths of the school and handing out paperwork to the parents. It was definitely an interesting insight to the school system and the culture as well as being an amazing opportunity to practice my French. Some of the parents actually mistook me for a quebecois student, which was flattering on more than one level! It was hard work but I really enjoyed the whole day.
In other news, as we've had snow again this week, I decided to bite the bullet and get myself properly kitted out for the Canadian winter. I may now be broke ($600!) but at least when it gets to minus 30 degrees, I'll still be able to go outside! And my coat is luminous blue, so there is little chance of me getting lost in a snow storm, or on the mountain when I'm skiing. I only live a short walk from the mountain, so I expect I'll be doing a fair bit of skiing this winter. I've never skied before but it should be good fun. And it gives me an excellent excuse to drink lots of hot chocolate to warm up afterwards!
That's it from me for now. I'm supposed to be at a training week in Quebec city with the other assistants at the moment, but as I currently have 'flu (again) I'm curled up in bed and taking lots of painkillers and sleeping instead. I just hope I'm better in time for the school trip to Ottawa next week!
A bientôt!
22 Oct 2009
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
A quick photo update as today was the first snowfall in Beaupré!
Yesterday, I was walking around wearing just a t-shirt, and now there is about half a foot of snow piled up. It hasn't stopped all day. Walking to school was fun - not being accustomed to walking in snow, I was very wobbly (the kids were entertained at any rate!) but, touch wood, I haven't fallen yet and I don't intend to.
I was very excited about the snow, everyone at school thought it was very cute. To them this is just pathetic autumn snow. It's barely even registered with some people. In the UK, everything would have ground to a halt by now. The sky is white, it shows no signs of slowing just yet. It's very pretty.
The only problem now is that someone somewhere must have had an accident and crashed into a power line, because we are currently without electricity. Thank goodness for the log fire!!!
(My classroom in school. Nice and warm and toasty!)
13 Oct 2009
I went to a fight and an ice hockey match broke out!
Yet another eventful week has passed here in QC. Time is simply flying by in fact. I'll be home for Christmas before you know it!
It was a particularly challlenging week for discipline at school last week - I'm beginning to think they put something in the water here, they can't all have ADHD! As much as I want them to speak in English, when the whole class does so at once, it causes quite a racket! At least the majority of them don't need motivating! Still, they are such good fun to work with. In a lesson about holidays, one of my sports boys told me exactly why he wanted to go to Amsterdam... Funny, but a little too much information! The highlight of my week, however, was when one of the English teachers came to me to tell me how the students are raving about my workshops. A nice little ego boost there! It's always nice to be appreciated, and let's face it, the kids don't usually tell teachers they are enjoying school!
So, after a long and tiring week at school, what did I do at the weekend? Rest, relax, put my feet up in front of the telly? Of course not. I headed off to Saint-Georges de Beauce with the other assistants for a Thanksgiving Feast and weekend of frivolity. I had my first ice hockey experience on Friday evening, it was so exciting and so violent! I can see why everyone here (and I mean EVERYONE) is nuts about the game. It's great fun to watch, even when the game descends into all-out warfare between the players and the puck lays forgotten. As the saying goes - I went to a fight and an ice hockey match broke out! This game wasn't too violent though, because it was a junior league, so the referees stepped in fairly swiftly when things started to get out of hand. Even so, there were a fair few punches thrown, players smashed into the barriers and some sneaky stick-tripping going on!
On Saturday morning I had what could quite possibly have been the world's largest breakfast. It came on a plate the size of a large roasting tin, and consisted of 4 pancakes and maple syrup, bacon, 2 eggs, sausages, ham, creton (mince pâté), mini potatoes, 4 slices of toast, a large fruit salad and free refills of coffee. Needless to say I didn't eat for the rest of the day! We went shopping in the afternoon for all the bits and pieces we needed for our "traditional" thanksgiving feast - co-ordinating 20 people and 2 trolleys was very entertaining, but we didn't forget a single ingredient! We had a quick dinner then threw on our gladrags and headed to Au Vieux, the best (only) club in St-Georges. It was so completely packed there was only room to dance vertically - jumping up and down and moving your arms in a similar fashion! After a late-night poutine, we headed home to bed.
Sunday brought with it a flurry of activity in the kitchen, as 20 people tried to cook different dishes simultaneously. I was assigned to washing up duty (oh the joys) so for the most part I kept out of the way of the chaos in the kitchen, only being called upon as and when we ran out of pans, spoons, plates etc. etc. When everything was ready and spread out on the floor, we had our Thanksgiving picnic of ham, roast and mashed potatoes, chickpeas, stuffing, various vegetables, couscous, banoffee pie and apple crumble. Not exactly the traditional turkey and cranberry, but equally delicious, and after all, it's not the food or the decorations that make the holiday, but the people you spend it with, and we had good fun! One of the highlights of the weekend, however, had to be "Chinterviews" - where you draw a face upside down on your chin and give an interview in a funny voice upside down. We had American tourists, Germans and British MPs, I don't think any of us have ever laughed so hard!
Now I'm back at home in Beaupré, sorting out everything for another week at school. The little angels tried to convince me I hadn't taught them before, so they could play games, this afternoon. Nice try kids! On a random note to finish, I'm making soup for my dinner, but it's gone a very funny colour... Cauliflower is purple in Canada. So too is my soup now. I'm making a purple stew, scooby do do...
A bientôt!
It was a particularly challlenging week for discipline at school last week - I'm beginning to think they put something in the water here, they can't all have ADHD! As much as I want them to speak in English, when the whole class does so at once, it causes quite a racket! At least the majority of them don't need motivating! Still, they are such good fun to work with. In a lesson about holidays, one of my sports boys told me exactly why he wanted to go to Amsterdam... Funny, but a little too much information! The highlight of my week, however, was when one of the English teachers came to me to tell me how the students are raving about my workshops. A nice little ego boost there! It's always nice to be appreciated, and let's face it, the kids don't usually tell teachers they are enjoying school!
So, after a long and tiring week at school, what did I do at the weekend? Rest, relax, put my feet up in front of the telly? Of course not. I headed off to Saint-Georges de Beauce with the other assistants for a Thanksgiving Feast and weekend of frivolity. I had my first ice hockey experience on Friday evening, it was so exciting and so violent! I can see why everyone here (and I mean EVERYONE) is nuts about the game. It's great fun to watch, even when the game descends into all-out warfare between the players and the puck lays forgotten. As the saying goes - I went to a fight and an ice hockey match broke out! This game wasn't too violent though, because it was a junior league, so the referees stepped in fairly swiftly when things started to get out of hand. Even so, there were a fair few punches thrown, players smashed into the barriers and some sneaky stick-tripping going on!
On Saturday morning I had what could quite possibly have been the world's largest breakfast. It came on a plate the size of a large roasting tin, and consisted of 4 pancakes and maple syrup, bacon, 2 eggs, sausages, ham, creton (mince pâté), mini potatoes, 4 slices of toast, a large fruit salad and free refills of coffee. Needless to say I didn't eat for the rest of the day! We went shopping in the afternoon for all the bits and pieces we needed for our "traditional" thanksgiving feast - co-ordinating 20 people and 2 trolleys was very entertaining, but we didn't forget a single ingredient! We had a quick dinner then threw on our gladrags and headed to Au Vieux, the best (only) club in St-Georges. It was so completely packed there was only room to dance vertically - jumping up and down and moving your arms in a similar fashion! After a late-night poutine, we headed home to bed.
Sunday brought with it a flurry of activity in the kitchen, as 20 people tried to cook different dishes simultaneously. I was assigned to washing up duty (oh the joys) so for the most part I kept out of the way of the chaos in the kitchen, only being called upon as and when we ran out of pans, spoons, plates etc. etc. When everything was ready and spread out on the floor, we had our Thanksgiving picnic of ham, roast and mashed potatoes, chickpeas, stuffing, various vegetables, couscous, banoffee pie and apple crumble. Not exactly the traditional turkey and cranberry, but equally delicious, and after all, it's not the food or the decorations that make the holiday, but the people you spend it with, and we had good fun! One of the highlights of the weekend, however, had to be "Chinterviews" - where you draw a face upside down on your chin and give an interview in a funny voice upside down. We had American tourists, Germans and British MPs, I don't think any of us have ever laughed so hard!
Now I'm back at home in Beaupré, sorting out everything for another week at school. The little angels tried to convince me I hadn't taught them before, so they could play games, this afternoon. Nice try kids! On a random note to finish, I'm making soup for my dinner, but it's gone a very funny colour... Cauliflower is purple in Canada. So too is my soup now. I'm making a purple stew, scooby do do...
A bientôt!
5 Oct 2009
Just how much can you fit in a people carrier?
Just a wee update for all my fans after an extremely eventful weekend here in Canada.
After having packed 5 people and enough food for 70 into a 6-seater car on Friday evening, we proceeded to drive the somewhat uncomfortable 120 miles from Quebec city to Tadoussac on the Côte Nord, each with an apple crumble precariously balanced on our respective knees. We stopped halfway for some light refreshment (MacDo) and discovered that in North America, a large portion is actually enough to feed a whole country, then continued on our way through the wilds to Tadoussac. On our arrival, we found that the Germans had got there first, and lovingly laid out their beach towels, ahem, bags, on all of the best beds in the house, leaving us Brits to the mattresses and leaking water beds on the floor in the living room. However, our stiff upper lips and mustn't grumble attitudes got us through the night (if I didn't have back problems before, I do now). Right on cue, 07.45 the next morning, and who should appear but the Germans, washed and dressed and setting a table for an orderly and punctual breakfast. We Brits went to the café for bacon and eggs (tiredness prevalent from the late night/ early morning party), cursing the Germans for waking us up.
Anyway, enough German bashing methinks. All of the German assistants here in Québec are lovely, and I am usually a great champion of German culture, except when rudely awoken by unnecessary but orderly voting over which type of Brötchen to have for breakfast. One of the Canadians even remarked "You're very organised, aren't you?" to which the Germans replied "Vell yes, we are German, ja" which had us all in stitches.
When everyone had managed to drag themselves out of bed, we all got wrapped up to go out on the St. Lawrence river and see if we could spot whales. Having been advised to layer up, I went out in 3 t-shirts, 2 jumpers, a coat, leggings and trousers, hat, scarf and gloves. We were then given waterproof trousers and fisherman's jackets on the boat - we were all wearing so many layers it made moving practically impossible, we all looked like the Michelin Man. It still wasn't enough. After 3 hours out on the water, my hands, feet and face were all numb and the rest of my body was heading the same way!
However, I would quite happily have come back with hypothermia and frostbite because seeing so many whales, and so close to the boat, was an experience I will never forget. We had booked a zodiac trip, so off we went in a large motorised rubber dinghy and within 10 minutes we were surrounded by beluga whales, bobbing around the boats, evidently curious. I never expected to see so many on one trip, everywhere you looked there were white backs rising from the water, it was incredible. We went a bit further out and ran into a pod of minke whales, who obligingly flicked their tails in the air for photos and came so close to our small boats you could have reached out and touched them. Even further out (we were all shivering by this point) and we came across a sleeping humpback whale. They sleep on the surface, bobbing along quite serenely but they are absolutely HUGE. Yes, I know, they are whales (duh) but until you see one you don't quite appreciate the scale.
We started to head back to the port, because we had gone quite far, and looking at the scenery and the cliffs, it was easy to imagine what it must have been like to be amongst the first Europeans to come to these shores, confronted by impenetrable forest and hostile wilderness looming from above. It made quite an impression! Even now, the forests and wilderness stretch for hundreds, if not thousands of miles with no human habitation. The scale of everything is so much bigger and more formidable out here than back at home.
Safely back on dry land, and a hot drink was an essential not a luxury! Then we headed back to the Maison to help make dinner for 70. 3 million sandwiches and chopped vegetables later, and we had a pretty impressive buffet set up and a great evening in store. It's great to meet up with the other assistants from time to time, Brits, Irish, Canadians, Mexicans, Chinese and Germans and just chat about our experiences, about anything and nothing. Particularly for people who are on their own in their towns, its nice to know there are others in the same boat! It's not like in Europe where you can just get a train or bus (or even these days a cheap flight) quickly and easily - here the distances are so vast and public transport so non-existant, you can feel completely cut off, particularly if, comme moi, you live in a village that doesn't even have a grocery shop!
After a hefty meal of traditional British sandwiches (soggy cheese and tomato) we all made our way into the village to go to the bar at the youth hostel. We got into an interesting debate with some less-than-sober Parisians who were expounding the many virtues of metropolitan French, and complaining bitterly about their inability to make head or tail of Québecois. At which point I felt quite smug, as my French, although much improved, is still nowhere near the standard of a native speaker, but I find I have few difficulties now in understanding the Québecois accent and expressions. Yay for me!
The one downside to the whole weekend - I appear to have caught a cold from 3+ hours on a freezing river/ocean. Still, it gives me a chance to go to the Pharmacy tomorrow and attempt to explain and obtain the québecois equivalent of a Lemsip. Ever the optimist!
After having packed 5 people and enough food for 70 into a 6-seater car on Friday evening, we proceeded to drive the somewhat uncomfortable 120 miles from Quebec city to Tadoussac on the Côte Nord, each with an apple crumble precariously balanced on our respective knees. We stopped halfway for some light refreshment (MacDo) and discovered that in North America, a large portion is actually enough to feed a whole country, then continued on our way through the wilds to Tadoussac. On our arrival, we found that the Germans had got there first, and lovingly laid out their beach towels, ahem, bags, on all of the best beds in the house, leaving us Brits to the mattresses and leaking water beds on the floor in the living room. However, our stiff upper lips and mustn't grumble attitudes got us through the night (if I didn't have back problems before, I do now). Right on cue, 07.45 the next morning, and who should appear but the Germans, washed and dressed and setting a table for an orderly and punctual breakfast. We Brits went to the café for bacon and eggs (tiredness prevalent from the late night/ early morning party), cursing the Germans for waking us up.
Anyway, enough German bashing methinks. All of the German assistants here in Québec are lovely, and I am usually a great champion of German culture, except when rudely awoken by unnecessary but orderly voting over which type of Brötchen to have for breakfast. One of the Canadians even remarked "You're very organised, aren't you?" to which the Germans replied "Vell yes, we are German, ja" which had us all in stitches.
When everyone had managed to drag themselves out of bed, we all got wrapped up to go out on the St. Lawrence river and see if we could spot whales. Having been advised to layer up, I went out in 3 t-shirts, 2 jumpers, a coat, leggings and trousers, hat, scarf and gloves. We were then given waterproof trousers and fisherman's jackets on the boat - we were all wearing so many layers it made moving practically impossible, we all looked like the Michelin Man. It still wasn't enough. After 3 hours out on the water, my hands, feet and face were all numb and the rest of my body was heading the same way!
However, I would quite happily have come back with hypothermia and frostbite because seeing so many whales, and so close to the boat, was an experience I will never forget. We had booked a zodiac trip, so off we went in a large motorised rubber dinghy and within 10 minutes we were surrounded by beluga whales, bobbing around the boats, evidently curious. I never expected to see so many on one trip, everywhere you looked there were white backs rising from the water, it was incredible. We went a bit further out and ran into a pod of minke whales, who obligingly flicked their tails in the air for photos and came so close to our small boats you could have reached out and touched them. Even further out (we were all shivering by this point) and we came across a sleeping humpback whale. They sleep on the surface, bobbing along quite serenely but they are absolutely HUGE. Yes, I know, they are whales (duh) but until you see one you don't quite appreciate the scale.
We started to head back to the port, because we had gone quite far, and looking at the scenery and the cliffs, it was easy to imagine what it must have been like to be amongst the first Europeans to come to these shores, confronted by impenetrable forest and hostile wilderness looming from above. It made quite an impression! Even now, the forests and wilderness stretch for hundreds, if not thousands of miles with no human habitation. The scale of everything is so much bigger and more formidable out here than back at home.
Safely back on dry land, and a hot drink was an essential not a luxury! Then we headed back to the Maison to help make dinner for 70. 3 million sandwiches and chopped vegetables later, and we had a pretty impressive buffet set up and a great evening in store. It's great to meet up with the other assistants from time to time, Brits, Irish, Canadians, Mexicans, Chinese and Germans and just chat about our experiences, about anything and nothing. Particularly for people who are on their own in their towns, its nice to know there are others in the same boat! It's not like in Europe where you can just get a train or bus (or even these days a cheap flight) quickly and easily - here the distances are so vast and public transport so non-existant, you can feel completely cut off, particularly if, comme moi, you live in a village that doesn't even have a grocery shop!
After a hefty meal of traditional British sandwiches (soggy cheese and tomato) we all made our way into the village to go to the bar at the youth hostel. We got into an interesting debate with some less-than-sober Parisians who were expounding the many virtues of metropolitan French, and complaining bitterly about their inability to make head or tail of Québecois. At which point I felt quite smug, as my French, although much improved, is still nowhere near the standard of a native speaker, but I find I have few difficulties now in understanding the Québecois accent and expressions. Yay for me!
The one downside to the whole weekend - I appear to have caught a cold from 3+ hours on a freezing river/ocean. Still, it gives me a chance to go to the Pharmacy tomorrow and attempt to explain and obtain the québecois equivalent of a Lemsip. Ever the optimist!
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