Vancouver in Paris (and vice versa)

My mother AND Peter are here in Paris with me now. I am happy to have them both here, as they can entertain each other while I stay at home and do productive things, like writing this blog post.

Paris, is definatly not a city to go to if you want to seclude yourself from the world and people you know. Had I chosen to go on exchange in, I don't know, Dubai, I expect the number of visitors I would have received would have been a lot fewer. So far, I have seen nearly 15 people I know from home in Paris, with at least 4 more passing through before I leave. In some ways, it would be nice to have a complete break from my "old" life in Vancouver for the year to be able to fully submerge into my one here. However, I think I am doing a good job balancing the two, and it is nice being able to share the city with people I know so that once I return home, there will be people around who will have some idea of what I am talking about when I speak of things, people, and places that I have grown to love here.

Besides the fact that I have seen a lot of people from Vancouver here, the complete break is not possible, or at least would be difficult due to the internet. The internet is also a mixed blessing when integrating somewhere new. It serves as an awesome tool to learn and connect with people here, but it also tempts one to spend more time online talking to people I know, than to go out and talk in person with friends I have made here. In addition, I am getting a lot of news via Canadian and American media. I frequent the same news sources as I did before: theGlobeandmail.com, some blogs, cnn, and I nearly daily watch the daily show and the colbert report (which just yesterday became unavailable for people outside the US, making me download them from illegitimate sites, seriously, blocking out the official version will not stop anyone from watching it...). I am also able to watch my favourite TV shows here, even though I have no TV due to them being available for streaming online.

It is weird to think that in only a couple months, I will be back home, and seeing people I know from there for real, and feeling nostalgic for the friendships I have made here. However, by late August, I will have hopefully seen at least 3 people I have made friends with here, who will be passing through Vancouver, and more in the future I am sure. This experience has really made me realize how small the world is, and I have no doubt that when I do leave Paris, I will at some point re-connect with many of my friends from here, just as when I return to Vancouver I will re-connect to people from there. I am not sure I will always stay in Vancouver as I realize that it is not really that bad moving somewhere new and that making friends, when you have motivation to is also not impossible.

To conclude, I am happy to see Vancouver in Paris, and am excited for when Paris comes to Vancouver. Now, I hope my parents won't mind having some house guests :). To end on a cliche again, the world really is a small place, at least with decent priced flights and some vacation time!

SWINE!

You have all heard of it by now: The Swine-Flu. Horrid name but to make it worse, some reporters are already referring to it as "The Mexican Flu"! In French the name is la gripe procrine. Frist mention of this virus that I heard was on Facebook where a friend was wondering why they couldn't have called it the "Piglet flu" or something...

Anyhow, as it has been mainly in Mexico, I have not felt the need to worry about it... until today.

Today at my morning volleyball practice, a girl from Hong Kong on my team had just gotten back from her Spring Break in Mexico. I did not think anything of this, and before I asked she said, "Don't worry, I have already seen a doctor". I found this nearly amusing, since I didn't realize the severity of the problem.

I get to class (Media and Politics) and we sit next to each other and look at the International Wall Street Journal together where articles on the Swine Flu cover the front page. According to it, the first case in Spain occurred when a student got back from a short trip to Mexico and got back on the 22nd (she got back a couple days later). The Journal also talked about how you need to be careful around people who have just returned and gave a recommended 15 day period where you should avoid contact with them. Dun dun dun, I think as I realize she just returned 3 days ago. According to her the virus can show up up to a week after returning, but as she went to the doctor, and has a 1/1 000 000 chance of being infected, I think I'll be OK. Also, France has a huge supply of Tamiflu, so I don't think the French are too worried in general. Plus, there have been no cases there...yet. Canada has 6 at the moment, and is important to note that deaths have only occurred in Mexico so far.

For the answer to 6 questions about the Swine flu, I recommend looking at the Daily Beast's article as it is really short and information (click here).

I am amazed at how fast this Flu is spreading, and any disease does these days with our high tech transportation and globalization. I wouldn't have expected that just after learning about a flu outbreak in Mexico I would sit next to a girl from Hong Kong, in Paris who just came from the affected zone. If she had been sick, just like that, my entire school could have been infected. Being from Hong Kong, where SARS caused many deaths, the Hong Kong people take infection very seriously and I am glad she got checked, just in case (went to the doctor for a mild cold that would have usually been ignored). In Mexico, some exchange students are cutting their stay short due to the Swing Flu. To end on a cliche, better safe than sorry.

Family weeks

Peter came on Thursday, my Mom will come Monday, and Geoff and Brittany will come the next week. 2 weeks of family in Paris. This should be... fun.

Spring Break Pictures

Enjoy, they are captioned this time.

Hockey Fever

Rumour has it that Hockey fever is taking over Vancouver once again with the Canucks doing well in the playoffs. This is actually one thing I do not miss about Vancouver, how most guys and some girls turn into..... just watch this....

Wing suits

A couple months ago my dad sent me a link to people base jumping in wing suits. Here is a TED Talk by a guy who does them, followed by a film of it. I thought it was pretty neat so voila, enjoy.

21!

For anyone who does not know yet, yesterday was my birthday! Wooot, my first birthday not in Vancouver.
I spent the day on the beach near Montpellier with 3 friends. On the bus there we ran into two Americans heading to the beach, so the 6 of us all hung out together. We ate some apple tart and they all sang happy birthday. Throughout the day I was pleasently suprised with a number of phone calls and text messages, and then when I finally got online, a couple emails. The evening was not out celebrating with friends, but on the train back to Paris.
So, I am now 21. And as I would say, "21, c'est la Lee-bare-tay!" as I through in random American pronounciations of French words.
My trip to the south was really great and we ended up visiting Lyon, Geneva, Montpellier and Marseille. It was extremely relaxed and somewhat uneventful. We would walk around and then have siestas in random parks.
I really love traveling with other international students as we make due with very odd sleeping situations. Re: in Lyon there were 6 of us the last night in a small studio that had 2 single matresses. One guy had to sleep in the Kitchen, 2 on the bed, and the other 3 using a third of the matress each on the floor. I will share some nice anecdotes about the trip soon and post pictures of course. A bientot!

In Montpellier

Yesterday Lyon and Geneva, today Montpellier. Update more soon!

Off for a bit!

I am leaving now! I will update when I get back next week, unless I get a chance to earlier. I will still be in France, so I can answer my cell phone as normal. Talk to you all soon!

Easter break!

So, my plans for Easter break have FINALLY been made!
The plan: Paris ---> Lyon----> Montpellier ----> Paris!

OK, so, perhaps not the most exciting destinations you may say... since I have been to both cities. However, when looked at more closely, I cannot say I that I have already explored these cities. I spent a total of 5 hours in Montpellier, and Lyon has only been visited to play sports where I never actually saw the town. So, I will get a lot of time now to see them, do day trips, relax, read, and best of all... see the beach! (which is but a short bus ride from Montpellier). I am very excited to go with my friends: Hanae, Gabo and Rutger. One week away from Paris is just what is needed. Now, I shall go out and enjoy the 20 degree weather in Paris with Carly!

Pretty Procrastination

After reading SoloLisa's last post, I decided to design my own dress!

Take a look (click here)!

Design your own by going to StyleShake yourself (click here), and post me a link to your creations. :)

Indecision? or just Liberty?

My indecision is but a symptom of my liberty. If i were able to decide, I would be denying all the other opportunities that I have. I have a lot of opportunities and it can be hard to pick just one! I make list, mental or physical, of the pros and cons, but sometimes as soon as I am done, the circumstances have changed, and I have to start over again.
I need to decide going into next year what I want to do. I have no more time to wait around. I need to decide. But I still cannot. Should I finish a communications major? Should I add the computing science minor? should I do a French minor? Should I switch and do some more scientific studies, or will I be satisfied with an Arts degree?
I need to prepare for either an employment, or more school and I just cannot decide. I am prone to choosing the option that leaves the most options open. In my case, that would mean.... doing a Communications major, and just adding in other courses so that I would have the option of doing Grad studies in other areas. But what if I want to teach? Communications is not teachable!
Would I want to work in the media as communications sets one up to do? I could also go back to what I used to want to do, physical therapy by taking less than 10 courses at SFU on top of my comm degree. If I choose grad studies, what would I want to specialize in?
I think I ought to leave that for a while, to decide first... but then once one graduates it is best not to let their degree become stale!
I need to decide!... and I have until course registration in July to do so.

Honey

"My son, eat honey, for it is good,

and the drippings of the honeycomb

are sweet to your taste"

- Proverbs 24:13

.

And just when I was finishing off a jar...

.

"It is not good to eat much honey"

-Proverbs 25: 27

.

Seriously, you could have put in that disclaimer a chapter earlier,

now I feel sick...

Weekend Reflection in Paris

Here in Paris I have one more week until spring break, yet if I were in Vancouver I would have a couple finals and be off for 4 months. I am envious of their summer, but I am enjoying school here. Things have changed so much since I have arrived. I have made friends I can call at anytime, I have learned to be self-sufficient, I have thrown away my fear of food, and I have expanded my collection of experiences.
I never thought Paris would be so different from Vancouver. I assumed things would be Western like at home, and people would just speak French. Well, this is not the case. The difference between North American culture and French culture is blatant and runs deeper than how we choose to drink coffee. People here can come across as very harsh and distant. I really miss having shop employees greet me when I enter a store; sometimes here it can feel like you do not exist. I have had friends in Vancouver, who live alone tell me that they have gone to the supermarket when they feel too alone, just to be around people... but somehow, that would not cut it here. The supermarket can be annoying as they want you to have EXACT change everytime. The casheirs do not like making change. I went to the store this afternoon with a 10 euro bill and a 20 euro bill. My bill was 10.40, so I handed her the 20 euro bill. She asked if i had 40 cents, I said no, so she handed it back and took the 10 euros one. I got a 40 cent rebate. :)
I have stopped swimming here because I find the pool too crowded, and the people do understand proper pool etiquette. Amusingly Etiquette is a French word (for more information click here) . I think the pool could use a few signs: "stay right", "fast lane", "do not flail limbs into the other lanes", "do not attempt to swim 4 across in 1 lane", "let fast people pass you at either end". Instead, the pool is marked with signs such as: "wear a swim cap", "only speedos", "must walk through cleansing pool on way into the pool"(my own translation).
Two things people have to be aware of here, is lunch time, and Mondays. At the school library (one of the best ones in Europe apparently... although I am unimpressed), I gave a form to get a book I needed (very few books are on the racks) and the lady told me to return in 45 min. I waited about an hour and went back at 1.... only to find that it was closed and would not reopen until 2! I had just waited 1 hour, and was not prepared to wait another, so I found a worker elsewhere and begged her to give me my book. She finally did, but looked extremely annoyed. Me and my ignorance at French inconveniences! Have they not heard of staggered breaks in customer service jobs?
This post may seem like a rant, so I will change it up and not about more positive things. I have had some great dinners here recently. One for my friend Cecilia's birthday (her parents paid for us to go out), and one with friends at a random cheap Vietnamese place. Being out and laughing with friends is a necessary thing to do often while here. It can be weird being without family and super close friends sometimes, and a lot of people get a bit depressed about that at times.
I definatly miss people from home, but have been communicating with them less and less. This is a sign that: it is hard to keep up with people when you need to explain so much for them to understand your stories by this point, and that I am making good friends here who I can talk to.
Anyways, it is past midnight again and I have just spent my lovely saturday night studying. I will try and add some more random streams of thought here, since I had fun, and my posts lately have been void of emotion. Goodbye for now~

NBC Olympics Interview

I have been missing nearly all the Olympic preparation happening in Vancouver and I was excited to see that the co-op website at SFU had some internships posted. I decided to apply for one at NBC Olympics, since I do want to help out in some capacity during the Olympics, and I have always had some interest in working for the media. So, I applied, got shortlisted, and had a telephone interview on Wednesday night. It went well enough, good but nothing spectacular. Phone interviews are a bit awkward at times since we cut each other off a couple times; but they are great in the sense that I got to wear my PJs during it! Anyways, now I just wait...

On a side note: I am sick again, and have more meds again. I hope it goes away this time...

I passed!

In an exciting update, I am happy to announce that I passed all my Fall courses!

We finally got to pick up our marks on Tuesday, after the semester being done for 1.5 months. The efficiency in France is phenomenal.

My grades out of 20 really were not so bad, ranging between 13-16 (which is considered good here), but then when they attribute letter grades to them, it is not so pretty (re: between B-E). The letters are spread over in relation to the other student's marks in the course. However, my B in Asian Cinema means I was in the top 4 of the course! Having it so hard to enter into this school for French students, any passing grade is considered good. If you get an average of 10/20, you can still pass the year and get into their grad school programs!

Anyhow, I do hope to do better this semester, and I think that having my level of French improving should really help, since my two highest marks here were in my English courses, there is a real correlation to my language skills and my notes.

For my parents who may worry, the grade attribution here is not even recorded on my SFU transcript, they just want me to get at least an E or a 10/20 to transfer back credits. So, in that sense, I overacheived! :) ... ok, back to my homework time..

CRIT 2009

So, I am finally recovered from my weekend at the CRIT in Lyon. The CRIT is a large sports tournament between all the IEPs in France. There are 9 of them, and each has their own colours, and cheers and stereotypes. Sciences-Po Paris is Yellow and Black, their cheer is a vulgar song about Bulgaria, and their stereotype is being very stuckup and elitist.

This elitism all comes down to: them being from the rich Capital, but mostly from the "Arceuil". The Arceuil is the entrance exam to Sciences-Po which is very difficult. The Paris school is the best one, and most people's first choice, so when Paris cheers "Souviens toi d'Arceuil?" (Remember the Arceuil?) They rub it into the faces of the other teams that they got into Paris while the others are more dumb and did not. In reaction to this, the other 8 schools gang up on Paris and cheer "Provence unis, tous contre Paris!" (Provence unit against Paris!). Things this weekend got a bit violent at times, and there were some Flag burnings. It was slightly anarchical with no administration there and really no rules or code of conduct.

On the Friday Night, we all went to the Old Lyon, 2750 people and stormed the streets, it was VERY crazy. People stood on monuments and lit fire works and climbed up lamp posts to wave flags. There was also constant cheering present. It never stopped... the ENTIRE weekend. Most teams had a drum team, or a small marching band that came with them to play their cheers or increase the energy level during games.

I still haven't mentioned this, but our volleyball team won ALL our games. We had no competition. The atmosphere was crazy though with 400+ watching our final all cheering and beating drums. We could not hear each other at all. When we won, all the supporters from our side rushed onto the court and even lifted some of us up. It was the coolest atmosphere I have ever played in.

Sunday night was our last night there, and we had a closing ceremony at a stadium they rented out. PARIS WON! It was great. Then at 2am we got bused back to Paris, arriving there at 8 am... just in time for people to go to class. (I was lucky as I don't have courses til 5pm on Mondays... so I got some sleep).

Some pictures of the weekend.