I'm back my little darlings

I'll be the first to admit that I've been slacking a tad with this blog... you know, my last post was about 7 weeks ago. But, I have what appear to be really good excuses, so you can all get off my back. Some of these excuses are;

• I'm so tanned that I spend hours admiring myself in the mirror. There's never too much self-adoration one can do!


• To get that tan, I've had to spend countless hours on the pristine beaches of the Mediterranean coast. From Cannes to Monaco, I've followed my traveller's duty to lay under the rays as much as possible.


• I've had 6 different groups of visitors coming and going from my apartment. I've been so blessed to see all these people again, but it doesn't leave too much "me" time.


• I've been soul-searching.

So there, that should explain some of my absenteeism from this page, and I don't blame any of you if you don't want to read this again, I understand if you're holding a grudge. But, now that I've finally had the guts to put my fingers to the keyboard, i might as well fill you in on what's been happening on my corner of the world since I last wrote here. I beg of you to spare me the judgement for using a list format, but it's the only way you'll get coherent writing from me, since I have so much to tell!

1. So, since leaving you all hanging in suspense last post, I took my decision and sticking to it of staying another year in France. At first, this took me just as much by surprise as it probably did you, but wheighing my pros and cons, I realized that I would be a fool not to take advantage of another year here. Aside from the obvious bonus of having new people in my life, staying here will definitely cement that aventurous, independent part of my personality that has been slowly showing itself since my arrival months ago. Never in my 25 years of life had I done something that I owned so much. I mean, all my big achievements I have always relied on others to reach success( thanks fam and friends!!) but this time, it's been all up to me to make it what I've wanted to. It hasn't been all rosy and easy, as some of you may have noticed by my teary, shaky voice phonecalls. Knowing that I'm missing out on some of the most beautiful moments of my friends' and family's lives gives me a knot in my stomach still. But if I'm going to really live one life, it has to be my own, not my friends' or family's .And taking this next step forward; going away from what others would have expected from me is such a liberating feeling. I'm in love with this new strongly independent side! So in the next few weeks, I will, for the 3rd time in 9 months, be packing all of my belongings and undertaking an adventure in the Alps... And I couldn't be happier!


2. I mentioned I had people coming to visit me in the past few weeks. I've had the pleasure of receiving dear UVic friends, a BFF, a French crowd from the alps, London visitors, a lone visit from the Alps encore, and my Colombian Friend who lives in Paris. As a result, I've been able to take in the beauty of the Cote d'Azur through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time, and I have been re-marvelling at all the wondrous things that surround me. It has been a blessing in disguise; since I'll be leaving the beaches and mediterranean glitz behind soon, so I'm glad I get to do it again, and even better, accompanied by people that I love and are so special to me. On the plus side, I've also had the chance to do new things, like bathing in the glamour of the world-renowned Cannes film Festival, and visiting the charming Italian city of San Remo.


3. I've discovered once more the world is a tiny place. The other day, on my way back from work on the bus, 3 guys got on, one of them sporting an old-school black, red and yellow Canucks hat. Knowing that he could only be a hardcore Vancouver fan, I started talking to them. Turns out, they graduated from UVic last year, one of them has lived in Abbotsford his whole life, and the other one lived in the same residence that i did my first semester in University!!! And I ran into them on the bus from Monaco to Nice!! I was a little awestruck at the coincidence! But THEN, something even creepier happened. As Iannis and Cecile started searching for my replacement, they got in contact with a girl from Colombia...I didn't think too much of it, I just thought it was funny she had the same name as my sister. Then, when they called her for a phone interview, and I spoke to her... we realized we went to the same school in Colombia!! She was only 2 years below me!! How weird is that?? I'm all they way in France, and my replacement for the AuPair job is a girl who went to my same school in Colombia, and whose parents my mom knows! Cue the floating boats, and "It's a small world after all".
4. I visited the Cannes festival. Not much more I can say, except it was glitzy, it was packed, hot, and I felt like a total creeper taking pictures of Quentin Tarantino having lunch on the terasse of the Carlton Hotel, while trying not to get caught by the million security men in black suits.

I don't think I can go on any longer with this list making. But, I do guarantee to keep you posted on my last weeks here, and my adjustment in Megeve. I have some good leads on jobs, in private schools, hotels, and even an institution for children with mental and physical disabilities. But, I'm kind of loving not knowing what's going to happen. It's such a nice change from the A-Z guide that my life seems to be sometimes. Don't tune out, I won't let as much time go by as I did since my last post. A tres bientot les amis,

Maria Maria

Reflections from a Family Vacation

I have been back for almost a week from an idyllic, out-of-a-movie place, where goats prance in green pastures, and majestic snowpeaks reign over valleys zigzagged with crystalline rivers. Well.. that's not entirely true. I didn't see any actual goats. But, I did eat fresh, local goat cheese, and I imagine that it must have come from goats who pranced in green pastures. A girl can dream right?
Being blessed as I am to be here, I had the opportunity to go on vacation with the Bokias to the Alps. They picked the chic station of Megeve, which is renowned for its beauty, expensive hotels, old time charm, and magnificent runs. It's located on French territory, but it's an hour from Geneva in Switzerland, and another hour from Italy on the other side. Megeve is also well known for its vibrant nightlife, which I was lucky to experience with some of the locals, as I befriended a few of the staff in the hotel, amongst them two argentinian servers who have been living the life, skiing at day, serving at night, and dancing until dawn.

The week, needless to say, was a happy occassion all around. There were only two days where it snowed, but even then, the village looked more charming than ever, with its year-round Christmas lights displays, tiny creperies, and horse carriages clopping their way through the cobbled streets. I felt like I was in a magical Disney movie. The rest of the time, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the snow was perfect for skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing. The hotel was charming, and I was lucky enough to have my own room, where I took full advantage of the complimentary terry cloth bathrobes, slippers and free l'Occitane products. I was able to spend some quality time with the whole family, playing in the snow, strolling through the village, and enjoying cheese fondue at night.

There are two very distinct cultures in Megeve. The first one is that of the glamourized tourists, bronzed from their days on the hills, who are willing to pay 600 euros for a hotel room. The latter content themselves with skiing, shopping at the local Carolina Herrera boutique in the afternoon, and then dining at a 100 euro menu restaurant at night. They're the ones that keep the economy in this little village going.
Then, there are the people who make everything happen. Those who scurry after the tourists, putting away their snowboots in the equipment room, keeping the wine flowing during dinner, and responding to their every whimsical command. These are the real lifeblood of Megeve, like any other tourist destination. They mingle with the tourist crowds at the local live jazz club, paying half for drinks (because they worked there last season), and whizz by them in the ski runs during their days, before heading down to change their snowpants for black slacks. It's not a lifestyle everyone would choose, as there is only seasonal work available, the friends you made during this season will be gone in 4 months, and there are times where I'm sure you get sick of the snow. But, it is a lifestyle that liberates some from our modern day need to be slaves to our job all day, every day. I was so in love with this place, that I actually made arrangements to come back 3 days later than the family did, and I was able to experience some more of what life in a tourist hub in the Swiss-French Alps was like.

I have to admit that coming back to Nice, I've been able to come to some conclusions that I had not expected to arrive to after 10 days in higher altitudes. For the first time in my 8 months away, I'm considering staying a little longer. I think a side of me that has been slowly surfacing during my sejourn was fully awoken by the call of the mountain (I guess Julie Andrews was right after all: The hills are alive with the sound of music). One of the beauties of being here is that I have been able to discover things about myself that I didn't know before. If you ask anyone in my life, I'm a control freak, I need to have every situation under my control at all times, and have everything planned out for hours, days, months, and years. Yet, the idea of letting go a little, venturing to an unknown side, and experimenting with life's surprises is becoming increasingly more appealing to me. I consider myself to have already achieved a lot in my short 25 years on this earth, and I think I could afford to take off some more time to not particularly make any notches in my "successes" belt, but to release some of that grip on life's details and let myself get carried away.

In our day and age, we are tied to details and plans from when we wake up to our cell phones' alarms, to the "martini night" invitations on our facebooks to which we must RSVP, to our e-agendas bursting with dentist's appointments, meetings with your power-people group to take over the world, and lunch with your family to fill them in on what your 5 year plan looks like. It's exhausting! No wonder we develop stress disorders, have back problems and start dieing our hair at 22 because we have grey hairs. I think I've just come to realize (and this is not the first time that I write about this) that ambition is good, but life is not about getting to your goals at no matter what price. It's about the process that gets you there. There is no one right way to live this life, no one right way to find happiness.

So here's to the next few weeks... where I'll be tossing in my head whether my way to find happiness for the next year lies in Vancouver with my family, friends, and career; or if it lies hidden in a rocky cranny in the middle of the Alps. Wish me luck.

Carnavalesque 25th

Well, that time comes in everyone's life where you cease to be young and crease-less, and turn into a... 25th year old. This phenomenon, known as "the turning point birthday" in your life, often (but not always) occurs between your 24th and 26th birthdays. You may know some people who have turned 25, or you may be (or have been) one yourself. You might also agree that these peculiar beings display different behaviour than others (but oddly similar to that of odd creatures turning 50). Having recently (and most gracefully may I add) turned 25 myself, I can offer some help identifying some behavioural symptoms of 25 year olds, so that you may help these poor confused souls into their transition from young and careless to the "start lying about your age" period:

• The symptoms may commence earlier than you suspect... maybe 6 months before their birthday, the subject may decide to leave to live in a non-Anglophone country which has its own kiss name, and there's cheap alcohol. This may signal the 24 year-old's last attempt to capture slippery freedom from 'adult' responsibilites.
  
• You may find the subjects' thoughts to be centered often around the meaning of life, seizing the moment (or the carp), and being thankful for each minute. (refer to december blog archive to see a prime example).
• They refuse to accept their friends' steps towards adulthood as something they could be doing themselves: " WHAT? they're getting MARRIED? That's CRAZY. I could never get married this young" Little do they know that they're not that young.
• In your attempt to soften the blow for your loved one who is turning 25, you may send out a bday card to congratulate them... prepare yourself to have it returned by mail, with a note saying: Thanks, but you've got it all wrong, I'm just turning 23!! You know, the Nile isn't just a river in Egypt.
• Each day they find a new gray hair, tiny wrinkle, or nagging pain that must mean they're getting older.
  

If any of your loved ones is experiencing these effects, just go with the flow. Don't contradict them, attempt to make them come in touch with reality, or remind them of the importance of this milestone in their lives. You may risk putting these people into a permanent state of shock at how time is flying by... I received quite a successful treatment for my 25th blues. I recommend it to all who are soon to turn this age (which are many of you, my dearest 1984 friends).

First, the city of Nice started carnival on the exact date of my birthday. This is to say that they knew how big this moment was, and that they were going to put forth all their money and effort to celebrate my bday in style. Then, friends flew in from all parts of the world (well, Europe) and accompanied me in drinking tequila, dancing salsa, and going to Monaco to gawk at the millionaires. Lastly, I received many abundant gifts and cards from home. Really, doesn't every 24 turning 25 year old deserve this??

My advice to you, is if you know someone soon turning a quarter of a century, get started on the preparations. Help them plan their trip abroad, send letters to your city to organize a carnival, buy a humongous bottle of tequila, and party on!

Crazy Brits

Well, since I have about 48 extra hours that I had not been counting on, due to a "massive" snowstorm (20 cm over 24 hours... Eastern Canada is rolling on the floor laughing right now), I can take some time to share with you my trip to London and Newcastle. Having reached the midpoint of my trip on January 25th, I was very happy to be able to go somewhere where I would find familiar faces, people that made part of MY life in Canada.

So, leaving a sunny 13 degree Nice I travelled to London to first meet with Nathan, my adoring friend from Uvic, who is doing law school in London. Coming into town in the bus from the airport, I noticed how dynamic and ever-moving London. As I arrived, it was drizzling, which I thought it to be very appropriate, since London is famous for its overcast glory. We took a cab to Piccadilly Circus, in Soho, where we went to a pub (surprise!) for dinner and drinks. I was so overwhelmed, fascinated and awed at the never ending stream of activity on the streets. Everywhere you look there are men and women dressed to the nines in their power suits, strutting the streets, and rocking out their accents...which when you really think about it, are not really accents here since they're in their homeland. One of the things that I've loved the most while here, is the culture liased to socializing after work, everyone goes out to the pubs after they're done working, resulting in masses of young, extremely well dressed, Londonites, mingling with each other after a day spent in the office facing a computer. It really puts a focus on interpersonal relations, as opposed to relations through your Blackberry( or other techie toy of your choice).
My first full day in London was filled with sunshine, and although quite chilly, it was the perfect way to see a city that was meant for walking. I made my way to St. Paul's Cathedral where Princess Di got married, but did not go inside because they charged a ridiculous amount to get in. Then, I crossed the Millenium Bridge across the Thames (watch Love Actually, you'll see it in the intro) and went into the permanent exhibition at the Tate Modern museum. It was a free entrance, and I was able to see some very interesting modern art spanning from the Impressionist Era (Monet's water lilies) to contemporary art. Most of the art was fascinating, but others, especially some video installations, left me wondering if these people were seriously talented or seriously disturbed.
After my cultural fill for the day, I had lunch next to the river, and then walked along the Thames, to the Jubilee Bridge. From here I was able to see the London Eye, Big Ben, and enjoy street performers. The whole time I was regaling in one of London's best pasttimes: people watching. You get everything from modelesque 6 feet tall women, to guys dressed in punk rock outfits, to ladies with fur coats and little dogs. Next up was a walk to Covent Gardens. This is a hip and young Central London neighbourhood with lots of shops, a market, pubs, and some world-class street entertainment. I was able to feast my ears listening to a string quartet which boasted an opera tenor, and delighted the crowds with a magnificent rendition of O Sole Mio . Then, it was MY turn to be part of a street show, as I stumbled upon a man who walked on a rope and juggled knives at the same time. In front of a pretty big crowd, he asked me to be his "Lovely Assistant", and I was in charge of giving a demo on the sharp knives by cutting a carrot, and then handing him the knives while he was on the tight rope. It was fun to be a street performer for 30 minutes!
Meeting up with Nate, he took me to a Liverpool Bar. This area of town is much more eclectic and fresh than the rest of London, home to a laid back but hip crowd. We ate and drank at a bar with excellent atmosphere, playing everything from 70s rock to techno. After 5 pints, and some more catching up conversations, we made our way home in the tube, and got into bed after a jam-packed day.
The third day was spent with my lovely friend Chelsea, who is doing her Masters in Art History. She took me to more touristy places like Trafalgar Square( where, much to my disappointment, I couldn't climb on one of the plaza's famous lions for a shot... damn ledge), Buckingham Palace, Whitechurch, the Parliament Buildings (where Big Ben is), and even a personalized tour of her schools impressive Impressionist Art gallery which includes works by Manet, Monet, VanGogh, Boticelli and Renoir. After another day of very tired feet, we went back to her place to re-charge, re-apply make up, and re-dress for a Friday night out in town.

We met up with Nate, and went to get a little taste of home at a pub called the Maple Leaf, which has beer from Canada, and food from Canada too. Then, on our way out, we struck conversation with a rickshaw driver, who turned out to be COLOMBIAN, and he gave us a really fun ride on his kabuki cab through London streets to a Latin bar called Salsa. This was by far, the best Latin bar I have ever been to outside of Latin America... they had a live salsa band, played traditional merengue, reggaeton and salsa, and in short, we danced the night away. It was a perfect way to end my sejour in London.

Saturday brought a very early flight, and the second leg of my trip: Newcastle. Amanda and Neil were waiting for me at the airport, and I was so happy to see my bff again! We had home made omelettes, caught up, and then I was taken on a little tour of the city, the North Angel - which is, and I quote: "believed to be the largest angel sculpture in the world", and then to a very windy, very rocky, very english-looking beach. My time in Newcastle was mostly a relaxing ordeal, meant to refresh and rejuvenate me for my second half in France, and mostly to spend good quality time with Amanda. We had a movie night, ate Fish and Chips, and Sunday we spent the whole day at the pub watching a football match. You might as well call me English now, I've done it all!!

Which brings me to the end of this trip, which has been incredibly stressful. Britain got dumped with 20cm of snow, which is way too much for them to handle. Airports shut down, I almost didn't make it to my flight from Newcastle, and I'm camped out in the city for 2 days until they can fly me out on Wednesday. I guess it's a little more free time than I asked for.. hehehe. But, hey, it's given me time to update this blog, my diary, and read my ridiculously good French book that I can't put down!
I'll leave you all for now, but just as an aside... it's 10 days until my birthday, and it's a BIG one (25!!!) so you better all get those cards in the mail if you want them to get here on time ;) hehehehe
Big hug, missing you all tons!

Not exciting, but still GOOOOOD

I've been getting complaints (mostly from my adoring Mother, who follows my every move on this trip ;)) that I haven't updated my blog in a while, and she's right. The thing with committing to writing a weekly update is that when you have slower weeks, it's quite hard to get motivated and write about how you spent New Year's alone (true story! Remind me to tell you aaaaaallll about it one day), or write a re-tell of the French movie you saw the other day. Which led me to think about what I wanted to write about, since I didn't want to write just for the sake of writing. This post will be a little bit like those TV episodes of your favourite show, where they have a 'reminiscing' and 'reflecting' episode, and they show flashbacks of your most beloved scenes. So, regale my friends (and MOM!!) I'm about to share with you some of my most unique, embarassing, and self- discovering moments of my voyage thus far:

PART 1- Everyday Lessons
"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma". ~Eartha Kitt

• Before I left, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted from my life, and that I knew myself pretty well: my ambitious personality, my desire to overtake every single obstacle and turn it into another success, to be the BEST 24/7, 7/7, 365/365. You might all be familiar with this Maria, who while overtaking the biggest adventure of her lifetime in a foreign country, decided she wanted to start her masters, not even a year after having finished her undergrad, and with only 5 months of teaching under her belt. But I think a lot of my "150%" mentality has a lot to do with the environment that I have been in for the last 5 years. Being competitive in university, for the best grades, the best practicum reports, the best candidate for that interview.. it eventually gets to you, and you think of yourself as this one-faceted person who is only truly herself when being on top. Now that I've had some time to unwind, live a life that is less demanding, and immerse myself in a culture that is innately laid back, I've come to realize that as much as I love being the aggressive Latina who works her butt off for everything, I also enjoy succeeding in the smaller challenges of life. This means, that instead of overloading my plate when I come back with a new job, a new city, a re-entry culture shock (can you imagine, no wine, no cheese??? THE HORROR!) and on top of that starting a Masters program, I'm going to focus on making my first full teaching year a success, and really enjoying from A-Z all the things and the people that make my life at home so rich and beautiful. Then, if I feel satisfied with the way I've tackled this challenge, I'll continue with my perfect plan for world domination :)
• It's okay to be alone. If I'm completely honest with myself, I'll recognize that I'm a total people addict. I need to have several meaningful social episodes with multiple different people in one week to consider it a success. And you really can't blame me! I have the most amazing family and friends... why on earth would I want to be alone?? But here, I've learned that my life can still be satisfying while I enjoy little moments with myself: going to the movies alone, sitting at a cafe and writing on my journal, taking off on a whim to explore a city for a day. If I may say so myself, I am the most delightful company!!
• Being uncomfortable is a good thing!! And I'm not talking about my lifestyle or physically, since I've been quite pampered my whole trip. I must admit that there was a significant part of me that didn't quite want to leave on this trip. I was comfortable and cozy right where I was: fresh diploma in hand, making an actual salary, surrounded by people that I love... Sometimes I just couldn't see past the little things to focus on the big picture. So mentally, I think I was way out of my comfort zone when I first came here. I had to start from zero, and get used to being out of my cocoon, but as a result, I'm a bigger, better person!
• I can eat and be fine!!! hahaha... I know this doesn't seem like a very philosophical or meaningful point, but it really is. The French are famous for their love affair with good food, and I must say that I'm in love too. While I've been here, I've re-learned to love "forbidden" foods like cheese, butter, white bread, pastries and chocolate. But I've also re-learned the true pleasure of eating. Sitting down, and really savouring each bite, stretching a meal for easily, 3 hours, without devouring everything that's set on the table at first sight (unlike one unnammed sibling of mine... ) Really, in the past 5 months, I have eaten more of these things than ever, and have gained 2 pounds only... I'm sure if I was going to the gym 5 times a week like I was back in Canada, you'd barely notice! Viva la France, viva la food!

PART 2- These are too good to be made up.

"The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarassment he can tolerate"- Anonymous

• Week one, I'm having a very meaningful conversation with my hostess Michelle in Nantes. I'm very proudly, and eloquently, in my broken French explaining the difference between nutritional habits in North America and the rest of the world. I sustained that food in North America was more conducive to obesity because of the amount of preservatives in it... which is perfectly true, except that in making the exact translation of "preservatives" (preservatifs in French) I just stated that North American food was full of condoms. So much for an intelligent argument!!
• Driving on highways here requires you to pay a toll everytime you get on one. About 2 weeks ago, while driving to Antibes to see my friend Marion, I forgot to bring change for the toll.. no biggie, I'd pay with my card. Except that I got on the lane that only accepts cash, and as luck would have it, someone pulled in behind me right away. While I tried to fish for coins at the bottom of my purse, the guy starts honking like a madman, impatient to get through. I get out of the car, and make my way over explaining that the only way he's getting through is if he pays for me, so he either gives me money or backs up so I can change lanes... I did it all in a very ticked off, impatient tone. He looks at me and says: Mademoiselle, you have a charming accent, where are you from? OOOOH, I GET IT!! WHen you see it's a young pretty girl in front of you NOW you have time? All of a sudden you're not in a rush? You want to make some conversation? Alrighty, let's take out my coffee mug and get to know each other... geez. Some men only think about one thing! (although he did pay for me... so that was nice)
• Imagine: me on a parking lot, hitting a grocery cart with my fist attemptin to get my 50 cent coin back. A supermarket employee comes over, tells me that they're non-refundable, but if it's that important to me, she can talk to her manager... THE SHAME. But seriously, we give money back in Canada, why not here??!?!?!
  
• Standing at the bus station, I commented to the lady next to me that the stroller she had was the same one Sacha has, and that I find them very practical. She proceeded to tell me her baby also enjoyed it... then she took her "baby" out, and it was a furry little yappy dog! Seriously, this lady carried her dog in a stroller!
• Playing at the park with Lisa, she get's on the merry-go-round thing and I start pushing it to turn. Another little boy comes over, I ask him if he wants to go on, he does, and I push them both for a good 5 minutes.. they love it, etc. Then the boy's mom comes over to thank me, the boy turns to her and says in a perfect little Scottish accent: Mummy, that lady speaks French funny! BAH!!! THE NERVE!! I can't believe I got called out on my accent by a snotty 4 year old whose first language isn't even French!

Anyhow, those are just some of my anecdotes and reflections for what's soon to be the first part of my trip (Can you believe I'm half-way done??) I hope they've put a smile on your face.. they put one on mine!

Foie gras et Parfum

With two days to go until 2009 arrives, this will probably be my last post of the year. It has been a good one, filled with many enriching experiences. 2008 has also brought some new people into my life that I never want to part with... and all in all, it has been a year that I would do all over again; from my last practicum, to my graduation, to my first teaching contract, and now my trip, I cannot say that I would erase any parts of 2008 (well, except maybe when the Canucks didn't make it to the playoffs... but that's ancient history).

But before I completely write off the year, I should tell you about what I have been doing for the last days of 2008. Christmas this year will definitely go down as one to remember. It was my first one away from any family, in another language, and with people that I have only known for 2 months. In spite of what would seem an obstacle-ridden holiday season, I had a very charming Christmas. The 24th, we loaded the 2 cars with all the kids' paraphernalia, the presents, the clothes, the non-gingerbread gingerbread house, the strollers, and finally ourselves, and headed to Cecile's mom's house in Mougins, which is close to Antibes. Her house is huge, but seeming as there were 8 of us, plus 3 kids, we were still a little cramped at times. Cecile's brother, Arnaud, came from Paris with his wife and son Karl, whi is this adorable 2 year old. Marion was also there, and so we all had lunch together, then spent the afternoon playing with the kids and finishing the Gingerbread house.

At night time, the kids all went to bed, not before Lisa left the candy-covered house next to the tree with a glass of milk for Santa to snack on when he came. Then, it was the adults' time to have fun. Everyone got out of their jeans, dressed up and we had a 4 course dinner with its accompanying wines by candlelight. I tried Foie Gras for the first time, served with fresh bread, caramelized onion jam, and fig jam; It was to DIE for, and I think after this Christmas with it, I will not spend another without it!! then came the grilled scallop and prawn salad, then theRoasted Veal with Wok vegetables (made by yours truly); and finally the Bûche de Noël, a delicious grand Marnier and Chocolate cake made by Iannis.
It was truly French, to have spent nearly 3.5 hours at the table, eating good food in small portions, enjoying wine; and conversing... then at midnight we opened the grown-up gifts. I got a gorgeous suede designer bag, a french pastry cookbook, a short stories french book, and a beautiful candle holder. I was very pampered, considering I wasn't chez moi.

The morning of the 25th was a flurry of pyjamas and wrapping paper, as the kids opened their gifts. It was a little overwhelming for them, since each one had about 12 presents... they don't even know where to look by the end of it. At 1pm the rest of the relatives came, and after converting the table into one that fit 16, we had the traditional Christmas dinner; with ,ore foie gras, turkey, foie gras stuffing, veggies, mashed potatoes, etc.
Overall, I felt very much like part of the family, and considering how far I am from home, i think I could've spent a much sadder Christmas; I was truly blessed that day!

So, I was supposed to leave for the UK this week, but for reasons not worth mentioning, I had to cancel and postpone my trip. I was pretty devastated, since I'm getting to a point where homesickness is getting very strong, and to have seen my friends, someone familiar, would've really helped me out. But, there's no sense in dwelling; life goes on, and I better keep up!! So I spent the day in Grasse yesterday. Grasse is known as the Perfume Capital of the World. It became so when tanners started to impregnate their leather products with essences from Italy to make the animal hide smell go away; Later, they learned to make their own essences, and being as Grasse has the perfect climate to grow some of the most aromatic flowers in the world (orangiers, jasmine, May rose, lemon), it was easy for the market to develop itself.

I don't know if any of you have read The Perfume, History of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, but it is in Grasse where a lot of the story takes place, because for centuries it has been renowned as the capital of parfumes in the world. It was also really neat to see all the techniques they mention i nth ebook for essence extraction in real life. It was a gorgeous day for a day trip, and I was able to enjoy the inland city with the sun coming down on the palm trees. My first stop was the Musée International de Parfumerie, where they have exhibits of everything from the earliest uses of perfume by the Egyptians, to a collection of modern day art found in perfume vials. It was truly interesting, and the best part was that they had free entrance for the week of the 24th to the 31st.. yay for free!
After the museum, I had a quick lunch, and made my way to one of the most celebrated parfumeries in France: Fragonard. They have a 225 year old factory in Grasse, which is still in operation, and they offer free tours. They also employ one of France's 10 "noses". A Nose, is someone who studies the science of fragrance. There are only two schools in the world, one in Versaille, and the other in Paris. A nose's formation takes between 10-15 years; by the end of their education, they can recognize over 350 essences (most of us can only recognize about 80) and by the end of their career, they can recognize 3000. They can even tell the difference between jasmine grown in Grasse, and jasmine grown in any other part of the world! To maintain their sense of smell intact, they must renounce all spicy food, alcohol and tobacco.
It was this nose that created the delicious perfume that I bought as a souvenir, called Belle de Nuit. Its delicious... and I got it for half the price that they usually sell it in their stores, since I was in the factory.

These are all the updates I have for now.... i wish you all a very Happy, Merry and FUN New Year's, but most importantly that you may live life to the fullest and love every minute of it in 2009!!!

The Christmas Tree is Always Greener on the Other side...

Christmas is upon us again, my friends. I hope you've all pulled out your stockings, put up the Christmas lights without falling off the roof, and tried your hardest to avoid Santa's Naughty list (although for some of you, that might than others- no judgment here!). I for my part, have decorated the Christmas tree with Lisa and Cecile, tried to teach Spanish carols to the kids, and have strolled through Christmas Markets in Paris, Cannes, Monaco, Nice, and Aix-en-Provence.
Yet, the Christmas-y Feeling is just not as strong this year. I think it might have to do with my association of Christmas to the break I get from university to go home, or the bitterly cold December weather, or the Firefighter's Light display at Stanley Park (who are we kidding... we all go for the firefighters, nobody pays attention to the lights!).

Somehow, between my lugging around of my life from one continent to the other, traipsing from Northern to Southern France, and spending my first Christmas away from my family in 11 years, I think I've lost track of time and tradition. It's as if my life is suspended from all familiarity, and no holiday or special occasion has the same meaning, because it's not "real". To be honest, I'm starting to panic a little... if I feel this way about Christmas, what will happen for MY BIRTHDAY????!?!?! We all know how my whole social calendar and sense of well-being revolves around the 13th of February! What if I don't feel it to be as big of a deal as I do usually? For someone who usually likes to ignore birthdays, that would be fine; but I start counting down the days on January 1st! I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it...

Back to Christmas. I've had people asking me what traditional Christmas is like in France. Well, for one, I haven't noticed that general sense of merriment and festivity that I felt in Colombia and Canada. But maybe that's just the French conservatism coming into play. I know that for my family, we're having 2 dinners. The 24th is the "fancy" dinner, when there's less people. There will be 7 of us at Cecile's mom's house, and I've learned there's seafood, foie gras, and wine in the menu. The 25th, after opening presents in the AM, we'll be eating a more traditional meal with turkey and other goodness. I'm sure I'll have more details to tell you when it's actually happened.

Anyway, I just wanted also to send out a big Christmas hug to all of you. I hope that wherever you're spending it this year, you won't have as hard a time as I am in finding the Christmas spirit within you :) Joyeux Noel mes chers amis!

Very busy December!

To all of those following my blog regularly, to those who follow it occasionally, and to those who pretend to follow it so as to not hurt my feelings... I owe you all an apology for letting my writing slip for so many days! It has been a very busy 2 weeks. A lot has happened, and there's more to come, but that's no excuse to leave my legions of fans in the dark!! (HA! that's a good one)

I guess the beginning is always a good place to start... so, let's commence there. The weekend of the 6th was Lisa's birthday party. I've been talking about it for a while, and if you've been keeping in touch with me, you know I was planning it for a loooooong time. As someone said, it seemed that we were planning the coronation of a king more than a 3 year old's birthday party. But hey, Lisa is only going to have one super awesome Colombian nanny in her lifetime, so she better get the most out of me that she can!
The party was a total success. After spending over 40 man hours cooking, papier-macheing, planning, shopping, and decorating, I was very pleased with the results! The pinata was beautiful, not because it was particularly appealing to the eye, but because it was a very unique experience for everyone involved. I don't know how many of you have ever had a pinata at your birthday party, but for me, it was a staple when I was growing up. The excitement of beating this thing with people cheering around you, the anticipation the little treasures inside, and the sugar high from the birthday cake make for a very singular combination and a guaranteed high. The kids and the parents loved it, but Lisa was the most proud, since she helped me make it, and was telling everyone who would listen.
Then came the birthday cake.. that Barbie creation that took me 5 hours to make and decorate; it almost felt like my baby by the end of it. I had to fight the urge to take the cake and run before the guests ate it and destroyed my masterpiece. All in all, the whole party was a hit, and I enjoyed myself just as much if not even more than the kids themselves.
After the party, my friend Chelsea came to visit for a week. She arrived here last Wednesday, and we've had a lovely week (albeit a little wet) together. She's doing her masters in London, but she won't be there while I'm in the UK, so she came to visit. It's been a nice change of pace, to have a "roomie". I've fully taken advantage of having someone around to do some fun things...
For example, Thursday night, we went to this bar in Vieux Nice that has "Ladies' Night". This encompasses paying 3 euro, and getting all the champagne you can handle for that until their bottles run out. This meant that for 3 euro, we each got 5 glasses of champagne... I don't think I've ever found such a deal anywhere else! Then, the live music begins. Wayne's is a great place because there's a lot of ex-pats and Anglophone tourists, so the band plays everything from AC/DC, to the Beatles, to Bob Marley. The best part about Wayne's though, is the dancing... See, there's no dancefloor, so people just get up on the tables and make those their dancefloor. I know, it sounds like something trashy that drunk girl in the too-short-skirt would do on Tequila Sundays at your local biker bar. But here, everyone does it... literally, there are 12 or 14 tables with people on them, dancing, talking to each other, and having a blast. That night, we met Australian and French guys, and it was a lot of fun.
Being the troopers that we were, we stayed until closing time, and woke up 6 hours later, with a heavy head as a reminder of the Champagne extravaganza of the night before, to go to Monaco. That day, was the ONLY nice we have had as far as weather goes. The pics are here if you haven't seen them:

Monaco was gorgeous as usual, we were able to mix with the rich and powerful, while basking in the sun, walking around the Christmas market, visiting the Prince's abode, and even making a new Canadian friend ( from ABBOTSFORD of all places! It's such a small world!)
The night brought a divine Christmas concert from the Nice opera, and dinner at an Italian restaurant.

The other days, we went to Cannes and Antibes, where I was able to show Chelsea some of the lovely beaches that we have in the Cote d'Azur. Too bad it was raining the whole time... we even had a small version of a hurricane while walking along the beach in Cannes on Sunday morning.We tried to be brave and took a bus to the charming Aix-en-Provence, home of Paul Cezanne on Monday. But that ended up being a bit of a disaster, as the rain did not let up, my boots let all the water in, and Chelsea developed a horrible sore throat and couldn't speak. Aix is really a gorgeous city, but it needs to be appreciated in the summer.

I'm going to be busy again planning Christmas and my impending trip to the UK, but I promise I won't leave as much time between posts as I just have!
I hope most of you have gotten my little surprises in the mail? Let me know when you do, I want to know that they got there okay!
Allez, Bisous!!

Random...

Seen today, in a French street:

A woman driving a motorized wheelchair... on the ROAD. Like a car.
She had blinkers and everything... she was behind a Citroen, and in front of a Renault. This is too good to make up! I was so stunned I literally stopped in my tracks, grocery bags in hand, and just looked at her smoothly change lanes, do a right hand turn, and go on her way.. maybe she was even going to get on the highway! Wouldn't even surprise me. Ah, the little things that remind me I'm in a different country...

Improv at its best: Paris Again.

Well you know, life surprises you, plans change, you find discounted ticket to Paris, you have 4 days off work, one of your friends says she'll receive you with arms wide open and even has plans for you already... what do you do? If your answer was "Go to Paris", you're right!
I had the incredible luck to go to this gorgeous city for the second time since my stay here, and it was a very different, but still electrifying experience. Being far more North than Nice (duh) it was a good 8 or 9 degrees colder than my sunny abode. I was smart enough to buy a scarf, hat and gloves before getting on the train, and I made good use of them!
Paris in the winter is still as charming as when I visited under the warm September sun. I think a lot of its charm has to do with the impending Christmas holidays. The city is dressed to the nines in decorations and lights, making it a completely euphoric experience for the eyes to go out at night. Champs Elysees are a sight, as is the famous Galerie de LaFayette, (somewhat equivalent to Bloomingdale's in New York, and The Bay in Canada). The latter, which has 4 stores all across from each other, pretty much occupying the whole block, leaves no penny unspent when it comes to prettifying its facade and the interior. You can see the pics on my Facebook... but my camera did not do it justice, as it's not very good at taking night time pictures.
Well, when I arrived on Thursday night, we went out to a chic club next to the Arc de Triomph, and we met up with Diana's boyfriend, as well as two of his friends from Spain, who were visiting. The club was not very pretentious, which was nice, and it had 2 rooms, one playing techno and the other playing a little bit of everythign. We stayed in the second one for the most part, where we danced the night away until 3:00 and beat off a particularly aggressive breed of Parisian man, who would do "n'importe quoi" to dance with us, even though we were surrounded by 3 other guys. Anyway, we had a blast, got home close to 4am, and poor Diana roughed it out next morning to go to work at 8:30.
I slept in a little longer, and then met her in the business district of Paris, the very modern, very sober La Defense. It's a little surprising to get off the metro from the Paris I know, filled with classical architecture, into a plaza full of skyscrapers, aluminum and glass. It was an even more pronounced difference with the grey winter sky as the background. Here is where Diana works, and we met up to splurge on Sushi. I say splurge because sushi here is very expensive.. to give you an idea, I had a California roll, 6 pieces of sushi and a miso soup for 20 Euros (about 34 dollars). But, I hadn't had sushi in 3 months, and since I was on "vacation" I decided to just go for it. It was heavenly!
After, Diana had to go back to work, so I spent the afternoon by myself. First, I went to the Christmas market at the Defense. It was a paradoxical place, because the market were all little wood houses, very rustic and welcoming. Yet, it was placed among giant skyscrapers and next to the Arc de la Defense, which is grey and cold. But the market was incredible... very cozy, festive, and full of surprises at every turn. After having some very delicious Hot Wine (a mix of spices, oranges and red wine... oooooh, so ridiculously good) when I was strolling along, I took the metro to the Musee d'Orsay.

The Musee d'Orsay is the Impressionist Museum, home to Monet, Manet, Degas, and Picasso amongst others. It's a lot less intimidating than the Louvre, and I was able to cover it in about 2 hours. I was very tired from our gallavanting until 4am the night before, so I went back home, we had a quiet dinner, a nap.. and then went out again. This time, we just had some crepes on the street, went to Hard Rock Cafe, and had a drink at a Cafe. Still, we were out until 2am. Don't ask me how that happened!
The next morning, Nicolas, Diana's boyfriend was taking his friends on a little city tour of places I hadn't been to, so I came along. We visited the Cour St. Emilion, which used to be an industrial area, and it's turned into a cool little street with all these cafes and restaurants. Then, we headed to the Jardins de Luxembourg. It was pretty cold, and there werern't very many flowers, but it was beautiful nonetheless. After that, a short visit to Notre Dame to see the Christmas Tree, and then to have late lunch with Diana.
We ate at a traditional French Basque restaurant.. the food was really rich, and I was full until the next day, but it was definitely worth it. After that, the garcons had to go, so Diana and I took off to have some girly time parading around the Champs Elysees at night, enjoying the Christmas lights, and doing window shopping at Sephora, Esprit, and others. It was magical, with all the people, the lights and.. yes, one more glass of Hot Wine.. heheh.

It was a lovely weekend, all of it. It was nice to get out of town, see different people, and do different things. It really filled me with some energy that I very much needed, and I'm re-fuelled to attack December and all its challenges! You think Christmas is chaotic? Try it when you have kids (well, someone else's, but still). We have about 4 different craft projects planned, Christmas baking, tree trimming, gift wrapping.... it's going to be so much fun to live this holiday through the eyes of kids again! And speaking of Christmas... don't forget to send me lovely Christmas cards and gifts through the mail! Until next week!

An ode to Life

I have a couple posts to catch up on, but my time and energy are limited tonight, so I thought I would write the most important one right now, and save the more light-hearted and Lonely-Planet-ish for tomorrow.
I want to dedicate this blog to all the beautiful people in my life... the ones who have touched me from birth, to the ones who have stopped momentarily to intervene in my everyday banter. I want to dedicate this blog to Life. The life that zooms by your eyes when you're in your car, the one that you can almost touch with your fingers when you're in front of a magnificent sunrise, the life that curses through your veins when your heart pumps extra hard at the sound of the voice of someone you love so much. I want to dedicate this blog to the life that we sometimes take for granted, letting its precious minutes slip by us, as we complain we wished we had a better life. This blog is for those who are clinging to their lives,by threads of transparent hope wishing they had the Life that you and I are able to wake up to everyday. This blog is dedicated to the Life you know you want to have, and that you're working so hard for, even though sometimes you feel that you're throwing your days away in search of that life.

A very, very close friend of mine has been diagnosed with a very treatable, very curable cancer, that has been caught in time. He is 26, and has his whole LIFE in front of him. In my heart of hearts, there is NO doubt that he will beat it, as his body and mind are some of the strongest I have ever encountered. But, the sudden manner in which it appeared, and how quickly he has found himself in chemo really made me think about how thankful I am for what I have already lived and what is ahead of me.

My own sister, last weekend, also had the chance to be thankful for Life. She was incredibly lucky to escape unscratched and unscathed from what could have been another deadly accident at the Portman Bridge. But, she's okay.. and that makes me want to celebrate Life.

So to all of you out there, who are struggling in the mornings to get out of bed, who have lost the spark that makes your heart race, who wonder how long they will be trapped in the routine they have created for themselves... Stop. Stop, and make a list of what you're thankful for in life. I did it, as I was on the train back from my weekend, and I found myself writing for an hour. I had a list in which I thanked the powers that be from everything to forgiveness, to crepes in Paris, to my family, and to my warm house and full fridge.

I know I'm sounding a little like a Hallmark card here. I can't help it... I need to live the life that has been given to me as fully as I can, for as long as I can. If I don't, I will feel like everyday I'm going about rushing through moments when I should've been paying attention, and later on will have the anxiety that I have missed something really important. Your life, your REAL life, is not about being gifted, about having money, about your successes in school or work, about your car, about your education, circumstances, or failures. Your REAL life revolves around your attitude. Everyday, you have the chance to choose your attitude, and thus, choose your life. What will you choose tomorrow? And the rest of the week?

I can't think of a good, strong way to end this Ode to Life, other than to leave you with this:
" Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending"
- Maria Robinson

I guess I should update this...

Well, I've been putting it off long enough-updating my blog. I think I've hit a bit of a "traveller's wall" if there is such a thing. This week has been somewhat up in the air for me in terms of exciting activities ; it's felt a little like I'm just sitting around for exciting things to happen. Now that I've spent a whole month in Nice, and 3 in France, the glazed-eye look where I see everythign with wonder is starting to fade a little, and for the first time since I left, I'm feeling the toll of being away from home.
One of my best friends back at home is getting married, and talking about all the planning and whatnot via Facebook just makes me wish I wasn't so far away to miss all the details. As well, I keep having all these dreams where I'm back in my grade 3 classroom teaching my little darlings. And, inevitably, with Christmas lurking in the horizon (in a MONTH, can you believe it??!?!!) I'm feeling the pang of missing my loved ones. So I guess coming here to update my blog would be a little like looking at myself in the mirror and finally admitting that inspite of being in love with my life here, and the opportunities and experiences it has afforded me, I can't help but truly miss my life if Canada!
I would like to think that I have always recognized how rich my life is at home, and how blessed and lucky I am to have my education, my job, my family, my friends, etc. But after just 3 months away, I can really really feel the pride and the love that I have for the people and the accomplishments in my life.
Ah, it feels good to get that off my chest! Don't you all feel warm and fuzzy now that you know that I miss you tons inspite of all my fabulous perks here in France? ;)

Anyway, on to more exciting topics. Like I mentioned, this week has been somewhat lacking in exciting activities. I guess what stands out the most is that I have purchased my ticket to the UK. I have my friend Amanda living in Newcastle, who I will spend New Year's with (we're going to an 80's party!!! Aren't you just itching to see the pics of all the awesome costumes already??) and I have some Uvic friends living around London, whom I want to visit as well. I'm very excited, but I have to admit that living my balmy 18 degree city to -2 and snow is not all that appealing... I don't even have gloves!! I guess I'll just have to spend my time inside English pubs to run away from the cold... oh the sacrifices I make!
Let's see what else... last Saturday I went out with Cecile's sister, whom I had mentioned in my last post. She is a lovely, lovely girl , we had a lot of fun, and it was so nice to have a girl-friend to talk with and drink wine with! I'm seeing her again this week :)
As for work, it continues to be wonderful. Lisa, who is turning 3 in 2 weeks is very excited about her upcoming birthday party. Since I'm trying to be a mixture of Mary Poppins and SuperNanny, I have brainstormed with Cecile to make some cool party projects. For example, Lisa and I will be making her very own piñata with papier maché... impressive, no? Also, I have volunteered to make a Princess cake with the top of a Barbie doll, and her skirt being the cake. I will take pics so that you see how very Betty-Crockerish I have become. It's quite impressive, actually. About twice a week I bake for the family while the kids sleep, and so far I've made oatmeal and blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, feta and spinach scones, regular scones, cinnammon rolls, zucchini bread... and they love it. I don't eat any of it, because I'd rather splurge on French food, but if it keeps them happy, then it's all good!
This upcoming weekend I have my American friend Dan coming to visit, hopefully I'll make a good tour guide, since we're goign to try to go to Aix-en-Provence and Monaco.
Well, it sounds like I've done my bit here. I thought I would leave you with a little list of the things that I miss the most from Canada.. so that you can send them to me on the mail, for Christmas!
1) Nonfat vanilla yoghurt in big 750ml tubs.
2) The gym :(
3) Supermarkets that are open on Sundays
4) The ban on smoking on restaurant patios
5) Canadian Diet Coke... it tastes different that French Diet Coke. Don't ask me to explain it, it's like asking me to be rational!
6) Cheap shoes. You can't find a pair for under 100 euros here.
7) Banks who update your online account status immediately... as opposed to 3 days later.
8) Dog owners who don't leave their dog's poop on the sidewalk
9) My L'Oreal facewash that costs 7 dollars at home, and 17 euros (approx 30 dollars) here
10) Organic Peanut butter for my morning toast
11) SUSHI!!!!! All you can eat for 13 dollars at Davie St, or that other place in North Van that's ridiculously good. I actually salivate everytime I think about it.
12) Cheap makeup. For some reason Covergirl hasn't made its mark in France. As a result, I'm economizing on eyeshadow, mascara, bronzer and blush... I don't know how much longer I can go on....

So that's my Christmas list folks... you know what to get me now!!

I REALLY live here

So, it's been (*gasp*) 11 weeks since I left Canada, and took on France. I've changed residences, and had a couple adventures. But now that I'm more of a working girl, I've had to settle down a little bit and actually do things people do when they reside somewhere. You may be wondering then, exactly what I was doing in Nantes? Well, it wasn't the same. I seemed to be in this constant honeymoon phase, where everything was glittery and new. And don't get me wrong, Nice has very much been a dream come true, but I'm actually very happy that I'm more settled and can say I take part in everyday routines of French people. Here are some of the things that mean I really really LIVE in France:
1) I buy my bread fresh from the boulangerie every couple days.. make it a 6 grain baguette. Yum!
2) I have a constant supply of wine at home. Be it a nice rouge to accompany the Camembert I have in my fridge, or a nice chilled white to have a glass as an "aperitif" before my dinner.
3) I do laundry, and hang it up in the lines outside of my balcony, like everyone in Nice does. I don't think they have yet encountered the technology of driers here. All the better for the environment!
4) I watch the news in French, listen to the radio in French, read my free Metro newspaper in French, and watch dubbed versions of Friends, Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. It's like good old times in Colombia, where everything was dubbed into Spanish.
5) I have to deal with a garbage cubicle for the building that fits 1.5 garbage bags for 15 apartments. That's how I get my upper body workout.
6) I have become accustomed to paying 3.5 euros (about 6 dollars) for a Diet coke when I go out to a restaurant. I no longer see this as scandalous.
7) I earn in Euros, have a French bank account into which I deposit Euros, and a check book (French people pay for cheques for everything. Let me tell you, it makes waiting in line at supermarkets a patience game)
8) I have to clean my apartment twice a week. That includes dusting, waxing the wooden floors, vacuuming, etc. No more Michelle who did the housework in Nantes!
9) I take the buses, go for jogs around the neighbourhood, and am the butcher's best friend (he gives me a discount on rotisserie chickens!)
10) I give directions to tourists!!! In french, english and Spanish!! That's right, I've had to do it a few times already, and I actually know what I'm talking about, I'm not just making up false directions so that they'll leave me alone.
11) On the tourist subject: They're ANNOYING when they walk all 5 or 6 of them in one single file on the sidewalk. It reminds me of Victoria... and you all know I was an active militant against tourists there...

So yes, my life is a bit calmer and less full of surprises, but I'm really comfortable, and happy with my life. But don't worry, I'm not getting too comfortable... I'm still coming back to Canada!
By no means am I becoming boring though. Last Friday I wanted to have a cultural outing, so I scoped out the shows at the National Theatre, and I went to see Don Juan, in its original Spanish version, with French subtitles projected above the stage. It felt nice to have the upper hand for once with this language business!
Then on Sunday, since I had la voiture, I took off to a couple towns in the Corniches, which are all the towns along the ocean between Nice and Monaco. Cecile and Iannis had made a couple suggestions as to places to visit. So my first stop was at Beaulieu sur Mer (literally: Beautiful Place by the Ocean... Napoleon was VERY creative when naming this town). Here,the Greek villa Kerylos is found. This is a mansion, built by a very rich, very eccentric millionaire in the early 1900s. He wanted the whole house to be an exact replica of a 2nd century Greek abode. The whole inside is built from Ferrara marble, the frescoes and rugs artificially aged to look the part, the beds like those Ancient Greeks sleep in, and even a shower which collected rainwater, and that's how they bathed. It was impressive to see that much passion and dedication being put into recreating something you're in love with, but at the same time, it was excessive! I walked around with this telephone-like apparatus which had the recorded guided tour of the place. Everytime you came to a place of interest, you would find a plaque with a number. I would then punch the number into the machine, and listen to the French explanation of the artifact/room. It was very cool.

Then, I walked 5 km to the other town I was going to visit: St. Jean Cap de Ferrat. This town is not very special, but the walk there, along the Mediterranean is incredibly beautiful. Annnnd, on the way there, I saw Saddam Hussein's ex-yatch. The state of Irak has had it anchored in the Nice port for the past 2 years, and I saw a news reportage on it about 10 days ago, mentioning that Irak was putting it for sale, and it would be showcased to potential buyers in the month of November (for a small sum of 165 million dollars). Well, I was lucky to see one of the potential buyers taking it out for a spin on Sunday, I noticed it was the same name as the one I had seen on TV. Whoever was on it (maybe it was the help that ran away with it! That's what I would do if I worked in a fancy yatch) was having a blast, running the ski-doos around the boat, and soaking in the sun.

I came back to Nice, after a lovely Sunday excursion, and found myself with another proof that I really do live here: it took me 30 minutes to find a parking spot. I'm not even exaggerating. I spent more time circling around the neighbourhood looking for a spot than I did entering Nice from St. Jean Cap de Ferrat. As I have found out this week that I have the car everyday, it's like that always. I guess it's the curse of living right downtown, in the old continent where roads are tiny, and there's literally no more space.
Other than the parking, the driving has been very good.. on my part. On the part of the French. Well, let's just say that they have a diminished regard for civic laws and no fear of authority. That means that they park ANYWHERE -on the sidewalk, on the crosswalk, double parked... you get the idea- they go at the speed they damn please, they run over pedestrians (well, not quite, but little green man=accelerate and scare the people crossing the street), and they often cut in and out of traffic without signaling. I have been very careful, and will continue to be, as I don't trust these baguette lovers on the road. But, I must warn you that if I come back cussing and talking like a sailor when I drive, it's all the French's fault. Doesn't make me less of a lady ;)

This week has been a bit unique, since Cecile and Iannis took off on a little couple holiday to Prague, and I've stayed at Cecile's mom's house. But on Saturday, I'm taking on the town with Cecile's sister, Marion, who is 26, and lives here in Nice. I just met her on Wednesday, and I'm already loving hanging out with her... it's going to be fun to have someone to do things with!
That's all for now, Happy belated Remembrance Day!

A tourist in my own city

Coming on my 2 weeks in Nice, I've still really loved my work, but now it's starting to sink in that I don't really know anyone, and that it might take some extra effort on my part (why not walk up to strangers on the road and introduce myself???) to start building a social circle in this lovely city. Yet, I've really enjoyed balancing what I call the incognito-tourist lifestyle. This lifestyle I discovered a bit of in Nantes, but I'm really becoming a pro here in Nice. Let me explain a bit...

When you move to a new city, you're always excited to see the sights, get to know your surroundings, and discover all the hidden treasures your new abode has to offer. For me, I have a really big passion for sharing with everyone back at home what I'm living right here. This, no matter how many pictures I take, and how many blogs I type, is MY experience, and it's hard to convey to all of you... yet, I get out there and I try to be detailed with my descriptions so that you can see and feel a little of what I'm experiencing. So, to do that, I explore and take pictures... but I don't really want the people who live here to see me as a tourist. Firstly, it's not the safest for me as a young woman, alone, to be seen with a camera and looking all gazey and in love with the city. Also, I want to really LIVE here, and not be treated like someone who is just passing by. To do that, I have to be stealth when it comes to my touristy actions. These are the things you should always avoid:
1) Wear a backpack
2) Walk really really slowly so that you're holding back the pedestrian traffic behind you, and people start pushing by to get through.
3) Walk around with your mouth open in awe... even if you really are in awe.
4) Walk with the camera in your hand.
5) Avoid all souvenir shops.

So, I've been perfecting this technique, and today when I went to the place of the Vieux Chateaux, no one could have mistaken me for a tourist! This, my friends, is being an Incognito Tourists. I'm getting to see all the sights, but without jumping out as a tourist target.

I've been doing a couple interesting things. Sunday, there was a series of concerts hosted by the city of Nice, and I went to see the Orchestra of Montecarlo (from Monaco) at the Acropolis theatre. The classical live music was sublime and moving, and I really enjoyed the Opera soloists as well. I feel very cultured when I do things like that... I vow to myself that I will do them more often when I go back to Canada!

Then today, like I mentioned, I went to the place of the old chateaux. It was first a Celtic fortress in the 11th century, until the Sardinians came in, and built it into a modernized version of what it is right now. Later, Louis XIV destroyed it, and all that is left nowadays is the parks, the fortress walls, and some archeological ruins. Not to mention, the best view of Nice, since it sits atop the highest point in the city. See the pics on Facebook!

Weather-wise, I haven't had anything to brag about. It's been a rainy 10 days.. there is a huge storm front going through all of France right now, and 5 departments in the interior have sustained serious flooding from the Loire (just imagine the 3 months of rain squeezed into 5 days of raining, and you'll get a picture of what these people are dealing with). Here, we've had some big electrical storms, one which left 1.5 million people-including myself- powerless for 6 hours Monday morning. Right now as I write there is another big storm going on.. the thunder is so loud the glass on the windows is actually shaking, not a word of a lie!

Aside from drowning in the rain, I've been working lots, and still loving every moment of it. Yesterday, Cecile informed me that we'll be taking a couple family vacations during my stay. The first, is scheduled in late Dec or early Jan, to Switzerland. The other, is a 2 week getaway to a rented villa in Tuscany, Italy. I'm telling you.. life is ROUGH out here.
This is all for now, hope you enjoyed the update and the pics that are now up!
bisous

First few days of work

Tuesday was my first day of work, and really, you could’ve barely called it work. Cecile came to look for me at the train station. I may have not explained it before, but the family lives in a small town called Cap d’Ail, right next to Monaco (as in you walk 3 blocks and you’re IN Monaco). So to get there, I have to take the train or the bus from downtown Nice, either is a 10 minute walk from my apartment. She came to get me at the station, and since it was a gorgeous day out (24 degrees… how’s the weather in Vancouver??) we took the kids to a small park with inflatable jumping houses right on the beach- in Monaco. Cecile explained to me that since Iannis works there, and it’s closer than Nice, they spend a lot of time in Monaco for their shopping, going out to restaurants, etc.
Lisa, the little girl I look after, went to play in the castles (after her mom paid TWENTY EUROS to have her play there for 3 hours) while Cecile , the baby Sacha and I sat on a table in the restaurant next to the play area. We ordered Diet Cokes (She is also in love with it, sign from the universe I’m really really supposed to be here!), and sat in the Mediterranean sun, watching the ocean, and talking about each others’ lives. She’s a super amazing lady, who studied law and practiced it for 5 years before quitting after she had Lisa. It’s not really like they need the money, since Iannis has his own investment company and works with the Stock (and yes, is stressed right now with the crisis). But anyhow, it was so surreal for me to be sitting in a gorgeous sandy beach in Monaco, being paid to talk to this amazingly nice person, and with two super kids. Monaco is gorgeous, but a little overwhelming to the senses, since there are buildings everywhere. We definitely drove by the Montecarlo Casino, and saw the Prince Albert’s castle on the peak of one of the mountains. I will be going back with regularity, so don’t worry I’ll be telling you more about it. Iannis came to meet us for lunch, and then we went back to the apartment.
So far, I have really enjoyed being with the kids. Lisa is a firecracker of a 2 year old, and listening to her talk in her little French accent is the cutest thing ever. She likes to play doctor, cook (we made crepes together!), and anything artsy. Sacha, the baby, is an angel. He rarely cries, always laughs, and is happy just to be hanging out with all of us.
As predicted, I’ve definitely been exhausted after each day of work, not because it’s hard, but because it’s a big change from what I was doing in Nantes. I haven’t had any huge adventures, but I’m definitely just loving the atmosphere of the city, and having my independence again (I missed living alone!!). I went to the open air market today and bought fresh produce, fresh fish, cheese, olive oil, and bread… I wish I could take back all the amazing food to Canada! Annndd, the cheap wine. A good bottle of wine costs between 2.50-3 euros, so I’ve become quite a connoisseuse, and at a cheap price!
My new address is:

Maria Ruiz chez Bok Invest
10 Boulevard de Bouchage
Nice 06000
France

Hope to get mail soon, so I can use my new mail key!

The first couple days in Cote d'Azur

The bags have been packed and unpacked, the train ridden, the welcome at the station given, and now I’m sitting peacefully in my internet-less apartment, writing the my blog’s draft on Microsoft Word, so I can post it later. It was a wonderful last week in Nantes. After all my trials and tribulations at the start, I ended up being quite happy in that city, and very blessed and fortunate to have met the people that I met. My life in the past year has felt like a constant parade of goodbyes, and unlike everything else in life, they don’t get easier with practice! I was definitely sad to leave my French family, as they had been nothing but wonderful with me. And, I made some good friends at the University that I will strive to maintain in touch with. But, life goes on, I had many open doors waiting for me in Nice, and ultimately, I’m convinced I made the right decision.

Leaving for Nice Sunday morning, I found myself with a knot in my stomach, and with the same fast heartbeat and lack of appetite I had when I was coming to France. After a tearful goodbye at the Gare, I rode the train to Marseille, and then to Nice. It was really beautiful to see the change of scenery from the Northern flatlands, giving way to rolling hills, and finally turning into the craggy Alps of the south. My train wagon was nearly empty for over 80% of the trip, but knowing my luck, I had to have the only seat where someone else was sitting next to me. It so happened that it was a woman who had apparently never heard of deodorant, or showers, perhaps. It was a lovely experience to sit next to someone like that for about 4 hours.

I arrived at the gare with my multitude of bags, and the Bokkias family was waiting for my with huge smiles on their faces. Lisa, the little girl, had a “Bienvenue Maria” card, and it melted all my nerves away. We piled into their “station wagon” (I use quotation marks because I think it’s a travesty to call any car from the brand Mercedes a station wagon) and rode 5 short minutes to my apartment. My neighbourhood is one of the nicest ones in downtown Nice, it’s a grand boulevard lined with olive and palm trees. The buildings are all beautiful, with live colours, and very clean. Iannis, who had conveniently forgotten to mention it before, told me that my building used to be the old Russian Tsar’s residence in the 1890s. It was a 3 story mansion, which was converted into this 5 story apartment building in the 1930s. That’s when Iannis’ grandmother bought the place, and it’s been in the family since. It was un-inhabited for 3 years, until Iannis and Cecile decided to take on an AuPair, and voila, now it’s my home. The building has a grand marble staircase, and an old-fashioned elevator that can fit about 2.5 people in it. I love it!!

Cecile and Iannis spent the last two weeks tweaking and working on the apartment, and it really shows. The paint is fresh and crisp, the wooden floors waxed (original parquet wooden floors from the 30s!), and I even have a brand new duvet and duvet cover, and linens. The double bed is a welcome change from my little single bed in Nantes, which had a horrendous mattress. The other room is a dining/tv/living room with a table for four, and a bed-made-sofa for watching TV. I also have the nicest television I have ever had in any of my former abodes- a SHARP flat screen. Don’t ask me how many inches, all I know is that it’s pretty.. hahahah.

Sunday night was spent unpacking a bit, and going to bed early, since I had woken up early and had been traveling all day long. Monday I had off, so I could ease into the routine. I unpacked the rest of my stuff, and went exploring with my camera, since I had no pics. Nice is definitely a grittier, tougher city than Nantes, or even Paris. From the few cities that I visited in the North, I found them all to be very proper, and their architecture sharp and clean. Nice is the opposite… if Paris is your mom, where you go for comfort, Nice is your mistress, where you go for pleasure. The streets are lined with cafes, restaurants, live music, and people are warm and welcoming.The rugged peaks as its background, the city is filled with noisily colourful buildings, sporting hanging lines of clothes waving in the wind. Ladies dressed to the nines and walking all sorts of yappy little dogs seem to be the norm… as is their poop on the sidewalk. Apparently Mediterranean French have never heard of scooping.

Walking around downtown, I heard every language imaginable, except French. I heard a lot of English from England, some Spanish, and definitely Italian. The food displayed at bakeries and restaurants is deliciously Mediterranean, with lots of fresh herbs, tomatoes, olive oil, and fish.

Tomorrow is my first day of work… I think I’ll be completely fatigued by the end of the day, since I haven’t been used to working. My French courses start really soon also, so I’ll be busy right from the start. This is most excellent, since I’ll have no time to sulk around about not knowing anyone yet. But, I’m sure friends will come quickly when I start my classes… and when all of you come to see me in my sweet pad here in the French Riviera.

That’s all for now, folks!

Hi all, just a quick post to say that I have arrived in Nice safe and sound. I have nointernet, and no telephone yet, so Im kind of in limbo and restricted to using internet cafes ahere the owners dont wear deodorant, there's rows of teenagers playing internet games, and the damn keyboards ,ess you up with their mixed up letters. Mais bon, everything else is stellar. My apartment is beautiful, huge, and posh, and so is my neighbourhood. I will post pics and tell more as soon as I can. And remember, just because I can't use the internet, doesn't mean that YOU can't use YOURS to leave me loving messages about how much you miss me. Word.

Monkey on my shoulder: The French Bureaucracy

So, as previously mentioned, I'm going to Nice. To get to Nice, there are two options, you fly ($$$$$) or you train it ($$). Since I'm a low-maintenance gal, I bought a train ticket for Saturday the 25th, for 100 Euros. Making use of the wonderful advances in modern technology, I used my bank card (which here in France allows you to make online transactions like a credit card, very convenient!), and agreed to pick up the ticket at the train station (from now on, referred to as the SNCF or bastards).

A few days before I was due to pick up my ticket, I had the misfortune of losing my bank card. No big deal, it's replaceable, and aside from the mild headache of my account being frozen for a couple days until I got the replacement, it's a problem with a solution. So, I asked the bank to give me a statement which proved that I had, indeed, paid for my ticket, so I could pick it up. Armed with this, and my passport as my ID, I went to the SNCF to get my train tickets that I had already paid for. Little did I know, that the universe was conspiring against me through the form of French bureaucracy.

I'm not sure if I've alluded to this particular phenomenon before in my blogs, but let me just regale how delightful this FB is. Firstly, the French don't believe in saving the world one tree at a time. For them, the more documents, photocopies of documents, photocopies of photocopies, translations, photocopies of translations, receipts, attestations on your honour, Hallmark cards, and all other forms of paper, the happier they will be. Never, never, ever plan on finishing one affair or errand on one day, because you will inevitably be required to bring more documents, more photocopies, and more papers. Also, you NEVER, ever, break the rules. You never tweak the process, alter the order of steps to follow, bypass any parts, or Heaven forbid, override any component of the procedue. Too easy for you? Okay, let's add another obstacle to this race. Offices, institutions, and all other buildings that provide a service (minus restaurants, and you'll see why in a second) are always closed either 1, 1.5 or in some cases 2 hours between 1130-130 on weekdays. The French Lunch Hour is as sacred as their devotion to baguettes and football. So if you're ever in a really big rush to do something between the hours mentioned above, forget about it. It will not get done. You might as well go and sit with the throngs of workers who have left their offices to go have a glass of Muscadet with their lunch.

Okay, so now that you have a better personality profile of FB, I can continue with my story. I've been dealing with the bank since 10:30 am. When I went to the SNCF to reclaim my ticket, they told me it was IMPOSSIBLE to get it without the original card it was purchased with. This is to say, that inspite of my account being debited already, a transaction number, and official documentation from my bank, I had no right to my train ticket. The lady I was speaking with was not at the real train station, but just at an auxiliary branch they have downtown. Thinking that this was a "pawn" , I decided to go to the real train station and sort things out. But then, I looked at my watch, and saw that I wouldn't be able to do anything, because it was the FLH (French Lunch Hour).

So, after a mild cry in the middle of the street (yes, yes, I cry when I get frustrated, got a problem with that?) I went to meet my lovely Colombian friend Walfa, who is like my surrogate mom here. She calmed me down, fed me lunch, and accompanied me to the SNCF. After talking to 4 people, we had the same answer, pretty much to the same word ( I swear, they must have a script), I had to resort to plan B. Plan B included cancelling my original ticket, and getting my money reimbursed into my account, searching for another train ticket online, not finding another one for the same date OR price, and having to buy the second one for 30 euros more, and one day after I had planned to leave.

Complaining about it won't do me any good now, after all, I'm still going to Nice. But, all I could think of yesterday was how ridiculous this whole experience was, how SET in their protocol everyone was, and how not one single person could, after paying my 100euros, get me the freaking tickets... C'est incroyable!!!

A Cinderella Castle Weekend

On Saturday morning, at 7:05am, I left the train station for my second French weekend adventure. The destination was Tours, a city 2 hours East of Nantes, in the heart of the Loire Valley. This time, I wasn't braving out the French countryside on my own, but managed to recruit Daniel (or rather, he recruited me. Credit should be given where it's due!) and we set out for a castle, wine, and sunshine-filled two days. Before we left, there was some commotion in the train station, as a group of 3 guys got into a bit of a fight with one of the guards and some other dude. We didn't know what the fight was all about, because they were screaming and talking really fast, but they kept saying "c'est fou! c'est fou!", which means "it's crazy, it's crazy!" It sure was! I was a little scared, but things seemed to get under control, and we made it to the platform without having to give any testimony to the police.

The train ride was uneventful, spent with Daniel sleeping (from this point on, you will see that phrase very often. He's a bit of a chronic napper... no offense Dan). At St. Pierre de Corps, we transferred to another train. At first, I thought there was a misprint on the train ticket, because it said the second train ride was 5 minutes long... but no, it was true. We got onto this ghetto-looking train, which I'm sure used to be part of the New York subway fleet, and rode 5 minutes into the Gare de Tours. Since it was too early for our check-in, we thought we would ask the hotel owner to let us put our bags away at the front desk so that we could wonder around the city without carrying our luggage. However, our room was ready when we got there, and we were lucky to be able to put our things in the room.

The hotel was a charming place, an ancient house, re-made into a budget hotel. It had a winding staircase, vintage wall paper, and creaky wooden floors. Our room was at the very top, on the third floor, and so cute. After lounging around for a little while ( we did get up at 5:30am), we went to the Tourism Office to book our afternoon Chateau tour. The one that we had initially scoped out, with 3 castles and a wine tour was booked up, so we had to settle for 2 of the most famous castles, with the possibility of wine tasting at Chambord. After paying for that, we went searching for a place to eat, since we were both ravenous. We found a delicious restaurant that served plentiful portions of Mussels cooked in white wine and herbs. En suite, we paid a visit to the market, which is always a pleasure. We loaded up on snacks for the afternoon, and off we went.

Our guide was a really nice French guy named David. He was supposed to be speaking English because we had a Brazilian couple with us who spoke no French, but because I kept pestering him with questions in French, he spoke to me in French too. The van ride was about an hour, in which we passed a few chateaus from the outside, and I brushed up on my history with the driver's help while Dan slept. I was informed that the Loire Valley is host to a little over THREE THOUSAND CASTLES, about half of them fortresses from the Middle Ages, and the other half from the Renaissance and 19th century. 30% of these chateaux are public, which means they're owned by the French government, and used as historical patrimony sites, as well as a comfy source of income from the thousands of tourists. The other 70% are privately owned, passed down from bloodlines of the past, or owned by extravagant millionaires. Most of these private ones are either homes to the world-famous Loire Valley wineries, or they're hunting chateaus, a very popular past time even in present-day France.

We arrived at Chambord first. This was King Francois' I second abode, when he wasn't gallavanting with his mistress at Chaunecy, another castle nearby. It is the largest and most luxurious chateau of the Loire Valley, and by default, the largest and most luxurious after Versailles in Paris. Francois I was a young king, who died at 25, caught up in a 5-way bloodline feud for the throne of France. True to French king fashion, his ego was barely contained by the humongous castle, and he sought to make the architecture a homage to his greatness. The castle has 365 chimneys, a futile attempt to keep the place warm. When you have a castle that can host a court of 10,000 people, made in limestone and marble, there are no chimneys that will save you from the winter's cold. As a result, no king could ever spend more than 4 months in a row in the castle. Another important landmark of the castle is its double-helix staircase, designed by Leonardo DaVinci himself. The staircase is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Dan went up one side, while I went the other, and we never met, unless we got off at the same landing... even so, by the time we circled around to meet the other, we could've easily run away. Rumour has it, the staircase was built so that Francois could bring his mistresses whenever he pleased, and they could never accidentally run into the queen while going up or down.

Chambord is also host to France's largest natural reserve, a huge forest spanning for 2000 acres. It is a hunter's paradise, and the fall is prime hunting season. David told us it used to be an exclusive hunting club, where the likes of Jacques Chirac used to hunt. Now, it's open to anyone with a hunting licence. Dan's of the opinion that to make it a fair game, hunters should only be allowed to use bow and arrows....

After awing in the extravagance of the castle, we purchased some wine ( and tasted some too.. obviously!) and moved on to the next chateau, Chauverny. This one is an example of a private chateau. It hosted many generations of officials who worked for the French royalty, and nowadays, a wing of the castle is closed to the public because the Marquis still lives there with his family. Chauverny is much smaller compared to Chambord, but still exquisite in its decor. The walls were draped in Spanish leather and Italian Silk, and there are portraits from important French painters, as well as from Italian Renaissance master Raphael.

We were tired from a lot of walking, and we BOTH slept on the way back to Tours. Back in the city, we had aperitifs in our room (Loire Valley wine, of course), got snazzed up in our fancy clothes, and went out to have dinner. Dan, in true adventurous fashion, ordered frog legs for his appetizer, and I tried some. They were really really delicious... "the best chicken I've ever had".

Sunday was a more relaxed day, where we explored the city with our cameras, strolling leisurely. The day was gorgeous, and we got all the vitamin D that we needed. Mid-morning, we felt like having a coffee, so we walked into the most peculiar place. We thought it was a regular cafe, but we realized by the dog under the table, and the friendly crowd ( who shook our hands when we walked in) that this was no ordinary coffee house. It was called a "communitary" cafe, which I'm sure is slang for hippy. There were board games though, so we sat down, and Dan took onto the patient task of teaching me to play Chess (anyone who's ever taught me anything knows I ask a lot of questions... and anyone who survives that gets a golden medal for patience!). After a few more handshakes from the people in the cafe, a proposal to help me win by another patron, and an unfinished chess game, we left hippy-land to explore the rest of the city. Lunch was at the Place Plummerau, in the old side of town. The rest of the town was spent snapping pics of the city, and relaxing.

Back in Nantes, after such a fun weekend, it's dawned on me, that I leave for Nice in 4 days. YIKES. I've been so excited thinking about all the perks that I'm going to have, that I've barely had time to reflect on what LIFE is going to be like. I'm sure that after 2 months of taking it easy here in Nantes, and enjoying life, the shock of working 25 hours a week, and going to class will be something to get used to. Also, I've built some good friendships here in this city, and I'm sad to leave them behind. I'll be back to spending time by myself for the first little while. But I think now that I've done it once, I can prepare myself mentally for the change, and be a little more relaxed about it. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited! Packing will commence on Thursday of this week, and my evenings are all taken up with social engagements... i.e. goodbye soirees with drinking, French, and good times.

Okay, I'm finishing this essay, it's way too long. Thank you for sticking with me until the end!
My next blog post will be from Nice, stay tuned :)

My 2 Cents on the World Financial Crisis

Heading to Rennes, I was reading the French paper Ouest France. The editorial piece talked about the bailout plan that the European Union is planning to inject cash flow into the disproportionate debt of American and some European banks, in order to salvage this wreck called our economy. The amount: 1000 billion dollars. With astounding ease, and surprising speed, this amount was unblocked and ready for use to help those banking giants of the USA get out of the mess our credit-happy Western world is creating.

Inevitably, a sum like the one above leads one to think firstly, of where this money is coming from with such ease, and secondly, why is it so easily available during a financial crisis of the rich, but never to bail out the poor? The answer to the first question lies in the complicated lending system of Central Banks to other banks. The electronic games these institutions play everyday with deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and loans are nothing but numbers, that don't really affect the liquid totals of money in Central Banks. Each country, like they do with their petroleum, never really tell how much they have in their Central Banks, rendering the guessing game a nearly impossible one. But, when a situation like the one today arises, it is necessary for these institutions to drop their veil of secrecy and pump out some of their exorbitant reserves.

Countries and their leaders are all for using these sources of cash, as we have seen in the past two weeks, where everyone from India, China and Europe is scrambling to salvage the financial market. But as bankers jump from buildings, and people in the states lose their homes, we fail to see that this money being put into a capitalist market could have just as easily appeared for the millions of starving humans in our world today. For example, if the European Union were to invest 30 billion (less than 1% of what they've pumped into the US economy in the last week) every year, they could insure that 923 million people in the world, who go hungry everyday, receive the basic alimentation they need to survive.

Yet, where is this money going? It is going into saving a Capitalist system that focuses on instant gratification. The western "go happy with credit" society will buy anything, at anytime no matter if they are going into negatives in their accounts. Yet, it's this greed for posession and "well-being" that supports over 60% of markets in the world. Consumer and commodity goods have replaced basic necessities such as milk and bread in the revenue ladder of world markets. So, world governments are happy to dish out the dough that will temporarily stop the crash of a failed easy-credit system. But, we still have close to one billion people in the world with nothing in their stomachs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating for a socialist system where no one purchases nothing, and we all share our crops. I'm all for spending my GST tax at LeChateau. But, as responsible citizens, we have to advocate for the intelligent and socially-responsible spending of our country's money into causes that are really worth fighting for. It's hard to know where to start from... I myself have no solutions, but I just wanted to share my reflections with you. I know elections just passed, but it's never too late to pressure our government to become more actively involved financially into the markets that really matter- not crude oil, or technology, but the market of humanity.
That's my 2 cents on the financial crisis...