Author Archives: rwb5129

Rollin’ on the River…

Throughout the course of this study abroad, there have been various activities to partake in order to give us more time to practice our language skills. I got to do a high ropes course, canoe, visit a First Peoples’ Nation, and listen to a nature concert on a lake. The grande finale of the entire program of events took place on a cruise ship that sailed up and down the river.

We got to get all dressed up and relax on the boat….

There were beautiful scenes along the river throughout the night. Check out the Chateau Fontblanccccc at dusk.

Dancing, of course, was encouraged.

Unfortunately, my phone died so I didn’t get to take too many pictures. But it was a lot of fun hanging with our professors and animateurs in a more relaxed setting. (I’m borrowing this picture of the group from a friend since my camera died. )

Location: quebec

Cirque du Soleil

I got to see Cirque du Soleil (for free!) one night in Qu�bec. The show was called “Les Chemins Invisibles” and was about a little boy’s dreams and nightmares, many of which had an enchanting, futuristic feel. Before the show, the box men entertained the crowd.

Later the mad scientist/comic relief character came out to mingle with the people. I tried taking a better picture of him, but he came over and gestured towards my phone. When I gave it to him, he turned it off!

The show was so much fun. My favorite acts at the Cirque concerts are always the high ropes acrobats and the contortionist.

I love Cirque du Soleil so much that I have practically seen every taped show they’ve performed. I got to see them once before at the BJC, but this show was better because I got to be pretty close to the stage.. Absolutely one of the things I’ll remember about Qu�bec!!

Location: quebec

Festival d’été de Québec

Some of the most amazing experiences that I’ve gotten to have so far in Canada are directly related to the Festival d’�t� de Qu�bec. In total, there were “300 spectacles 10 sc�nes, and 11 jours [days] de musique.” Throughout the festival, I attempted to go to one concert a day, though it was exhausting to go into the city every night after classes and homework.

The first one I had the opportunity to see was LMFAO at Sc�ne Bell. This state was the biggest of them all and as you can see in the photo, there were so many people. The newspapers said the next day that over 800,000 people were in attendance for LMFAO. Though their music isn’t my favorite jam, it was so amazing to experience the energy that such a huge, peaceful crowd gave off. Below is a picture of just a small chunk of the crowd.

I also got the chance to see Salom� Leclerc in concert. Though her songs are in French and were hard to understand, I enjoyed the concert as Sc�ne Loto-Qu�bec is a lovely place to have an open air concert. Many people brought blankets and the younger children amused themselves by running around. You can check out one of Salom�’s chansons ici:

Le Vent Nous Portera

My favorite band to see live (and by far, THE BEST concert I’ve ever been to) was

Walk of the Earth.

I was afraid I would not get to see them since the venue they played at was very small, and the line had wrapped around the block. But after waiting over an hour and half, I was victorious! The Imp�ral venue was beautiful inside.. and shortly after I was admitted, they began to play. Never have I experienced a show quite like that. They played with so much energy and whipped the crowd into a joyous frenzy. Though I knew them mostly through their covers, they played a lot of their own music that night that was also incredible. Their new song, “Summer Vibe” was most excellent (the youtube version pales in comparison). The crowd helped, singing the Eh-oh, eh-oh, eh-oh bop bop away-o in unison with the band’s prompting.

Walk off the Earth originally gained popularity through this video with the whole band playing the same guitar: Somebody that I Used to Know.

When they came back for their encore (after we hooted and hollered and sang Eh-oh, eh-oh, eh-oh bop bop away-o for at least three minutes straight), they came back to play a lengthy encore, including “Somebody that I Used to Know.”. (I have a video of it but was unable to successfully upload it to the blogging platform.)

I also got to see Jah & I in concert at Sc�ne Hydro-Qu�bec, the stage thats free for anyone to come watch. I was so close to the stage for this one! I think the boy in the foreground of this photo traveled with the band..

One of the last concerts I had the pleasure of attending was The Wailers concert. As you can see in the photo, the venue was not large enough and the crowd spilled out onto the streets to hear. A couple of my friends and I climbed up onto the St Jean “castle” wall in order to enjoy this view of the concert and the familiar music of Bob Marley. His band captivated the audience and the sea of green, red, and yellow Rasta colors was so cool.

All in all I attended around 13 concerts including LMFAO, Deltron 3030, Delhi 2 Dublin, Salom� Leclerc, Walk off the Earth, Johnny Hallyday, Gnawa Diffuion, Sarah Mclachlan, Beirut, Caracol, Jah & I, The Wailers, and Donavon Frankenreiter. It was amazing to experience so many different types of music and truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I hadn’t realized how many people here love music… it seemed like everyone in the city came out for the festivities… from young (many children on the shoulders of their parents) to very old got to enjoy the festivities.

Location: Scène Bell, Scène Loto-Québec, Impéral de Québec, Scène Hydro-Québec

Arbre en Arbre

Yesterday, I had one of the most exhilarating and terrifying experiences in my life. Let me explain: I vehemently detest heights. I don’t do ferris wheels or desire to get close to the edge of any tall place. So I’m not quite sure what I was thinking when I signed up to go Arbre en Arbre (tree to tree). When we got to Le Relais centre de ski resort, I was super excited/nervous to try my hand at the high ropes course, even though J’ai peur des hauteurs (I’m scared of heights).

As I was climbing up the ladder and onto the platform, the adrenaline started to rush in my bloodstream. I started to dread that first footstep out onto a tight wire, and as if to make it more difficult, the wind started to pick up, swinging the rope I stood on back and forth. Eventually, I coaxed myself out onto the first level and continued to make my way through the obstacles. Alexis (below), made the course seem easy as she was a little less queazy about heights!

A big part of me wanted to give up, but if you know me personally, you know that I’m as tenacious as a mule. Once I commit to something, I see it through, and personally feel like one should to something every day that is out of one’s “comfort zone.” Surely, this was way out of my comfort zone!!! I spent a good portion alternating between making awful animalistic howls of terror, muttering “Mon Dieu” under my breath, and singing Ani DiFranco’s “Buildings and Bridges” to keep myself calm.

As Ani writes,

Buildings and bridges

Are made to bend in the wind

To withstand the world,

That’s what it takes

All that steel and stone

Are no match for the air, my friend

What doesn’t bend breaks

The ropes course took about 3 1/2 hours to complete. Indeed, I didn’t think I’d learn any life lessons swinging from tree to tree, but life is surprising that way. It was invigorating, visceral, and very very frightening in ways that were eerily similar to being deposited into a foreign place and forced to speak a foreign language. What doesn’t bend… going abroad is an exercise in gaining that sort of flexibility.

I’m glad that I had the chance to step out of my safety zone, to take a chance of falling. I’m proud to say that I didn’t fall once, even though the terror of falling even a little gripped hold of me for most of the course. However, it was a great feeling to have had to have relied on my balance and strength to get me through it.

Still, twas the best fun I never want to have again.

Location: Le Relais centre de ski: Lac-Beauport, Québec

Poutine et biére

One of my favorite things to do in a new place is find out what is local to that area, especially when it comes to food and drink. I believe that doing things “as the locals do” is the best way to experience a location as well as being an exercise in global citizenship. For me, eating is an intimate experience and when one opens oneself up to trying new foods and customs surrounding food, I believe it is an exercise in adaptability. Participating in other customs make us more fluid in our ability to relate to others very different from ourselves.

So as part of this experiment, a group of us ordered a gigantic bowel of poutine one night.

Poutine is a Canadian dish comprised of french fries, gravy and cheese curds. Though it might not look very appetizing I must say, is delicious. We ordered it at le PUB on campus, just inside Universit� Laval’s social/business hub. The place looks like a nightclub on the inside and has this beautiful large outside seating area.

Another thing the Canadians seem to love is good beer. We went to La Barberie, a cooperative microbrewery and ordered some sangria-bi�re. At 9%, a “pichet” shared among friends leads to warm conversations.

Bi�re is a staple it seems for the Quebecois, and often it consumed socially. I had this Cheval Blanc (White Horse) a more commercialized Canadian beer while watching a football (soccer) game on the television.

Granted, there are drawbacks to enjoying this excellent food and beer. Taxes for such items are around 15.5%. For example, a pitcher of the sangria-bi�re is $24 CAD plus tip. The language intensive students get a discount on the pitchers at le PUB ($9) with our blue/red/yellow bracelets (Normally $14).

Even though the food and beer tends to be on the pricey side, the quality is clear. So while it is expensive, it is definitely worth getting a glass or two and having good conversations with the local patrons and waitstaff. So as they say here, “Gulu, gulu, gulu” …in moderation of course!

Location: Université Laval et around

Losing un peu… gaining beaucoup

When I loose one of my favorite things in a foreign place, I know it’s an omen of a good trip. When I went to Hawaii last summer, I lost a stone and wood necklace I had made. This time, I surrendered a favorite turquoise ring of mine the first day the CIC group toured la ville de Qu�bec. Though I am sad to have lost the ring, I know that I will gain so much by studying here this summer.

The CIC group got to tour Vieux Qu�bec (Old Quebec) with Monsieur Fernand Gill. His accent was difficult to understand, but he had a lot of interesting historical knowledge about the city.

We got the chance to see the Parliament building and and see an amazing fountain that is situated in front of the epic building.

We also visited some churches including the beautiful Basilique-Cath�drale Notre-Dame de Qu�bec.

We also learned about the precarious weather of Qu�bec: it can change from sunny to cold to pouring in five minutes flat and indeed, it does! The tour got stuck in a rainstorm for some of the walking tour and at times, had to seek refuge!

After the 2 1/2 hour tour with Monsieur Gill, the group split up and had an chance for some “temps libre” (free time). Most of us chose to get a pint at a bar. The group I went with chose this charming little hole-in-the-wall.

Later, we reconnected to go to dinner at a charming little restaurant called Le Carthage where we ate our fill and were entertained by a live belly dancer.

She even got some of the group up to dance with her!

The first day, although a bit overwhelming, was SO much fun. Though I knew my French speaking skills were terrible, I felt like I spoke more French that first day than I have for some of my french classes at Penn State. Though I was extremely thankful for all the French that I have taken formally, immersion programs, like the Qu�bec program, seem like the best way to learn a language

Location: Ville de Québec, CA

Waiting Anticipation

When I begin packing for a trip, whether it’s for a summer long job or an extended weekend at a friend’s house, I always forget either toothpaste, contact solution, or sunscreen. Generally, I’m a highly organized person, but there’s just something about the frantic (yet fabulous) fray surrounding an anticipated trip that makes me absent-minded enough to forget at least one key item. However, I’m determined to not leave for Qu�bec City without having everything I need for a successful trip (while still leaving plenty of space to bring a few souvenirs back).

“Why Canada?” you might ask. Well, for starters, I’ve never been to Canada and I think it’s time I get around to visiting our neighbors up North! I’m excited to see other parts of North America and hopefully get to experience some of the Canadian countryside as well.

Secondly, I have a passion for learning French; however, even after 18 college credits and several years in high school, I still am not fluent in the language. As a Comparative Literature major in an integrated five year B.A./M.A. program, French is my secondary language and one of my minors so I’m really eager to gain fluency. In comparative literature, we talk a lot about differences in global contacts in regards to culture, language, literature, and society. My major interests in comparative literature focus on power dynamics and normative systems within cultural contexts as well as the different ways individuals can positively transgress these boundaries. I hope to gain a better global understanding while abroad in addition to expanding on my ability to effectively communicate in French.

I’m also pursuing a B.A. in Women’s Studies with a minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies so I have interests in understanding different cultural understandings of gender and sexuality. My undergraduate thesis was titled: “Rethinking Rigidity: Fluid Genders, Liquid Identities,” and I’m invested in expanding my knowledge in this area of study. While abroad, I want to learn more about gender and sexuality, either by exploring the educational resources available or finding the groups that are supportive of sexually diverse peoples. It’s interesting how culture can influence those parts of our identities so much; I want to see firsthand how Canadian gender dynamics function and the different expressions of sexuality that exist outside of American contexts.

I leave for Canada on June 28. Roughly five weeks away and already, my stomach is full of anticipation! My excitement has manifested in daydreaming and excessive planning: I’ve booked my flight, paid for my tuition, and bought tickets for the epic 10 day music festival in July.

Just today, I began to make a list of things I want to bring:

Toothpaste: Check.
Contact solution: Check.

And yes, I even remembered to order sunscreen online.

Always, Reva

Location: State College, PA

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