Author Archives: ceb5156

car nous allons ce soir danser

Being that it is my last day in Qu�bec, I thought I should do one more blog before I leave.

I’m sure everyone’s last geoblog entry is somewhat similar- talking about how fast the time went and how much they’re going to miss everything. I could do that, but I really am having a hard time finding words that aren’t clich� to explain the feeling that brews in my gut and bursts out to my extremities every time I think about leaving this city.

Exams were nothing too difficult, I don`t think. I`ll be the first to admit that I should have spent more time studying, but this past week has been surreal, and I really think that while I`ve learned a lot in class, I`ve gained exponentially more knowledge elsewhere. I think that`s part of why I`m torn up about leaving- I`m hungry to keep improving and speaking french on a regular basis. The people here are so fiercely protective of their language and I adored being a part of this little European pocket in North America that celebrates its linguistic diversity and welcomes everyone to take part.

So, I suppose it is fairly appropriate to end with an au revoir, Qu�bec, however I really hope it`s more of an � bient�t.

Location: Rue St. Jean, Quebec City QC Canada

la dernière semaine…

So, as of tomorrow I`ll be halfway through my last week here in amazing Qu�bec. I feel like it`s really clich� to say, but I can hardly believe how fast it all went.

I thought for this blog I`d talk about what I`ve been up to for the last week as well as the whole home stay experience, because in one of my comments someone asked what that was like.

So… last week was actually kind of odd because we were finishing up les examens du mi-session (midterms) in some classes, getting grades back in others, and in all we were immediately talking about les examens finales (finals). I suppose that the nature of a 5 week program is such that there`s no time to really catch your breath between exams, but that`s ok. One thing that I`ve found here that is contrary to what I`ve heard about a lot of other study abroad programs is that the coursework is incredibly difficult. Not that I mean to say that the other programs abroad aren`t rigorous, just that the work here seems a lot more strenuous than what I`ve heard students talk about in classes at Penn State. One of my Canadian friends assures me that the grading scale is different here (he says an 85 is still considered an A in Canadian universities) so if that is the case it makes sense why the courses are so tough. My grammar examen was literally a story with all the verbs lifted out that I had to fill in, which doesn`t sound so bad, except that it was 60 verbs and any of the tenses and moods were fair game. It was definitely the most difficult examen de grammaire (grammar exam) that I have ever had- in the grammar classes at Penn State we were tested on all the verbs but separately, never where we had to pick among all of them for each blank.

I think that this method of testing is better, though. It was definitely un d�fi (a challenge) but it also made me think a lot harder about what I was writing, and I feel like I have a better understanding of everything now.

This weekend I spent some time with friends from class and from the CIC program. There is a fairly large Brazilian population here in Qu�bec and one of the women in my class had a f�te (party) and I went with some friends, thinking nothing of it at first. When I got there, I realized that our only language in common was fran�ais (I still don`t know how this fact hadn`t occurred to me prior to going), so it was une soir�e francophone (a french-speaking evening). It was cool, though, to have another reason to use mon fran�ais outside of the classroom in a social setting. It made the language seem more useful and less textbook. Even though I`m surrounded by people speaking it every day, and even though I use it outside of the classroom every day, it`s still different to use it in a party setting… I can`t really explain it other than to say that it makes it feel more real.

Last night, Universit� Laval had a croisi�re fluviale (river cruise) to celebrate the last week of class. C`�tait une soir�e tr�s chic, et tout le monde �tait sur son trente-six… It was a very fancy soir�e and everyone was on their thirty-six (haha… I know that doesn`t make any bit of sense in English, but it`s a Qu�b�cois expression that means everyone was all dolled up and looking sharp). It was an amazingly fun time and it felt good to relax and dance and everything with everyone else in the program here- there are about 500-600 students in the French immersion program here this summer and I would say probably half of them were on the croisi�re.

It wasn’t the best weather for the cruise, but we all had the chance to take photos of the Ch�teau-Frontenac, which was as always beautiful.

For my atelier obligatoire (mandatory workshop) this week, we went exploring another quartier (neighborhood) of Qu�bec. We got to see some of the oldest streets of Qu�bec, including the Place Royale, where Notre-Dame des Victoires is located, as well as a bust of Louis XIV. Le Roi Soleil (Louis XIV) is oddly not looking towards La Nouvelle France, but rather towards the ocean… because he apparently wanted to be facing towards France at all times, even in his non-living representations. Notre-Dame des Victoires (Our Lady of the Victories) is a fairly nondescript church, but other than being really old and historic, it has another claim to fame: It was featured not too long ago in the film starring Leo DiCaprio Attrape-moi si tu peux (Catch Me If You Can).

Now, about my homestay… I live with my host mom and three other students who are from the States as well, but not in the same program. My host mom`s name is Lise and I`ve had a really great experience living here in her home. Her sous-sol (basement) is set up like an apartment and she rents out the rooms to students during the school year, but in the summer she works with the university and takes only students who are in the French immersion program at Laval. I actually live on the rez-de-chaus�e (ground floor), whereas the three boys live in the basement.

All four of us chose to take d�jeuner (breakfast) and souper (dinner) with Lise (when you get accepted into the program you have the option of taking both, one or no meals with the homestay family), so we all eat together twice every day (except when one of us has something going on, or sleeps through the breakfast alarm on Sunday morning… oops). I`m really glad I chose that because it`s more time every day that I spend speaking French, and it`s a good way to practice with other students as well as a native francophone (French speaker). Lise worked for a travel agency for a long time so her English is pretty good, which helps when there are words here and there that we don`t know. I would still say that 95% of the meals are in French, though.

I got really lucky for my homestay because Lise isn`t just doing it for the extra money- it`s very evident that she takes on anglophone (English speaking) students every summer because she feels strongly about preserving the French language in North America, something that is becoming more and more of a struggle with each new generation who gets more exposure to English. Another chanseux (lucky) aspect is the proximity to the campus- I have to walk maybe 10 minutes to get to my classes, which is about what I have at Penn State. Most people in homestays don`t even live close enough that they can walk, but the bus system here is excellent so it`s still not too much of a problem.

Well that is enough studying procrastination, it`s high time I start to �tudier (study), malheureusement (unfortunately).

� la prochaine fois! (Until next time)

Bisous!

Location: Picardie, Rue Cartier Québec QC Canada

a busy weekend

After a week of mid-terms, I celebrated a lot this weekend and had a pretty busy schedule.

On Friday, I went to a micro-brasserie (micro-brewery) with a group organized by the university. This micro-brasserie offers 8 different bi�res (beers) every night, with flavors that rotate from week to week. I was lucky enough to try multiple flavors (at the expense of the university, which was a bonus), and I really liked rousse l�g�re et fruit�e (loose and fruity redhead) and pale ale lime et framboise (lime and raspberry pale ale). The group I was with was really great and it was definitely a cool experience (again, even cooler because it was gratuit- free).

After the micro-brasserie, we went to see Cirque du Soleil together. Cirque started in Qu�bec and every summer a portion of one of the troupes has a permanent gig in the city putting on free shows, as a way to thank the city for its support. It was set up under an old highway overpass, with all the visual and audio effects of a traditional theater performance. It was really really cool to see it so close. I had gone to see Cirque at the BJC fall semester of my freshman year and that was cool, but being literally right in front of the performers to the point that I could hear them breathing (not to sound creepy) was something else entirely. They had a really cool portion where acrobats were doing tricks on poles that I suppose are the most similar to a balance beam, except that the poles bend under their weight and are being held up by two men on either end. At one point, there were three poles parallel to each other and the acrobats were bouncing from pole to pole on their stomachs like it was nothing more than a trampoline. That was really impressive to see but it did make me wonder how these people don’t get sick…

On Saturday, I went to the village of Tadoussac to see baleines (whales). Tadoussac is about three hours away from Qu�bec, near the mouth du fleuve (of the river) St. Laurent. Several different species of whales travel down into the river for a bit because it has, at that point, a high enough salinity level to sustain their lives (thank you GEOSC 040). We saw des b�lugas (beluga whales) baleines bleus (blue whales!), as well as phoques (seals).

It was seriously an amazing day, I never imagined that I would be seeing whales while I was here. Our captain said that it was only the second time this season that he had seen any baleines bleus, so we were tr�s chanceux (very fortunate). The closest came probably within 8 feet of the side of our little zodiac bateau (boat) and it was really really cool. We also got to see 3 tail fins, which is trickier because the whales only show them when they are going to plonger (dive) into deeper eau (water).

The picture below is of me holding les dents de la baleine (whale teeth), for lack of a better word. They filter all their food through the fibers that hang down.

Today, I went to Ile d’Orl�ans (Orl�ans Island) with some friends, The �le is in the middle of the St. Laurent, and is completely charming. It’s an island known for its natural products. There are fruit orchards all over the place, and I was chanseuse (again, fortunate) enough to get the chance to stop at one and pick des framboises (raspberries, yummm). It wasn’t too expensive and the cartons available were big enough that all three of us split one. I think I ate more than I put into the carton but they were too good to pass up.

After framboise picking, we went to a cidrerie (a cider house) and paid a measly $3 CAD to try 6 types of cider, about 10 different moutardes (mustards), and as many confitures (jams). It was a delicious afternoon. The cidrerie makes both ap�ratif ciders (for before dinner) and just regular cider, with some interesting mixes. There was one that was framboise et pomme (raspberry and apple), another that was fraise et pomme (strawberry and apple), which tasted a little like robitussin, but their specialty is cidre glac� (ice cider), which is made from pommes harvested right after the first frost, when they are sweetest. It was the sweetest alcoholic cider that I’ve ever tasted, and although tasty, it was a little much. The experience in the cidrerie was really cool though and I’m glad we got the chance to experience it.

The rest of the afternoon we explored other parts of the island and just took in the natural beauty around us. The inhabitants of the island are adamantly against too much commercialization- my host mom told me that about 25 years ago there was talk of putting in a centre commerciale (mall), but everyone freaked out so they decided against it.

That’s it for my weekend adventures. I have less than two weeks left here in Qu�bec, which is very sad, but I’m sure there are lots of other exciting things to come before I leave for home.

merci � tout le monde qui lit ce blog, c’est vraiment un plaisir 🙂

p.s.- to give credit where it’s due, all the pictures except the framboise ones came from other students in the CIC program with me. Thanks for letting me share, mes filles!

Location: Tadoussac, Canada

La danse et la musique

I decided it was about time I wrote a blog about the dance and music that I’ve been experiencing here. For those who know me, it’s probably not surprising that I would want to write about dance, and for those who don’t, trust me when I say that dancing is what keeps me sane.

Everyone here dances. The sentence “oh I can’t dance” doesn’t really exist. Sure, there are those who wouldn’t want to get up on a stage in front of everyone, but from what I’ve witnessed, dancing in bars is something that everyone here likes to do. This is mostly true when it’s traditional qu�becois music, especially. The songs that everyone knows are the ones that get everyone up and moving, and it really gives a great vibe to the whole night to see people let loose and not care what they look like. They know how to just enjoy themselves without worrying about looking dorky- and believe me, some of the moves I’ve seen are nothing but dorky. But it all comes down to the attitude- it may not be the slickest moves, but it’s really a community kind of thing that everyone does, so it doesn’t matter.

I went to the Mus�e de la Civilisation (Civilisation Museum) the other day and they had a huge exhibit on music in the Americas, which traced the influences of African music on the music here and in South America and how it has all developed. It was an incredibly interesting exhibit. Everyone had a sensor with headphones that changed what music you were hearing as you walked through, so you could not only read about the evolutions but also hear examples. It was really refreshing to see lots of people dancing their way around the exhibit. There was one woman in particular who had planted herself in front of the Benny Goodman section and who was having the time of her life, busting a move without a second thought as to what everyone else around may have been thinking about her. This woman pretty well sums up the trend- there is a much lower level of self-conciousness here and I gotta say I hope it’s catching and that citizens of the United States take note and loosen up a little.

As for the music, traditional qu�becois music is cool in a folky kind of way. The CIC arranged a music workshop for us in the first few days, and we got to hear (and sing) a mix of music. One thing that is common is call and response, which again gives a feeling of community, what with everyone singing together back at the musicians. One song that I particularly liked was Le Ziguezon, which you can listen to here. This percussion in the song is actually les cuill�res, the spoons, which is a typical instrument in traditional music. Another song that I liked is called D�g�neration by Mes Aieux (which you can listen to here), which talks about the differences among generations but then ties it up at the end talking about how even though we’re really different, we’re really similar as well. Also I really dig the last line of the song: car nous allons ce soir danser (for tonight we are going to dance). For me, it suggests the idea that we all just want to have a good time and that it’s important not to forget that we have that in common.

The so-called father of qu�becois music, Gilles Vigneault, is really really old. I had the lucky opportunity to see him in concert during the Festival d’�t�, and I have to say that while I appreciate the fact that I saw this great musician, I couldn’t really connect with the music that well. I felt like it was comparable to someone going to a concert of an oldies artist just because the name carries so much weight. I’m glad I went because he was highly influential in the world of qu�becois music. One song that I do find a little more enjoyable is called La danse � St-Dilon, song here. Again, someone is playing the spoons (which are always wooden). I don’t know if I actually like the song or am just impressed by how fast he sings. The two who presented the music workshop both admitted that they can’t sing it because of his speed.

One last song- modern qu�becois rock this time, which I really like, by the group Malajube, called Montr�al -40C.

Location: Le Boudoir 441 Rue du Parvis Quebec QC Canada

It’s a different world

In my adventures here in Qu�bec have been really exciting, and not really what I was expecting in many ways. I think I had it in my head that everyone here would be fairly similar to people in the States. In many ways, they are, but I’ve found that the Qu�becois (and for that matter Canadian) attitude is much more pleasant. I was talking to a friend in one of my classes from Toronto and he made the observation that it seemed to him that everyone in the United States hates the police. At first, I was a little ruffled by his comment but after considering what he was saying I realized that he had a good point. The people here are much more respectful towards law enforcement officials, and are much more appreciative of the service they provide. Words of derision aren’t attached to every sentence with police in it, which is really kind of refreshing. The level of mutual respect gives entire evenings a whole different outlook- people don’t walk around constantly thinking that the police are out to get them.

Not only is there a higher level of respect regarding les policiers (this is a cognate people… police), but also just among people in general. The times I’ve had to ask for directions, everyone has been super helpful. I would certainly have gotten lost many many times without the kindness of random people on the street. They didn’t give off an air of being disturbed or annoyed by my questions like that which I’ve encountered chez moi (at home) in Baltimore. Even the bus drivers, who I would have expected to be the least tolerant based on my experiences at home, are more than willing to help. In many cases, they not only answer questions, but they also will remind you when you should get off (if that was the nature of your question) at the correct arr�t de bus (bus stop).

As I mentioned in an older post, Qu�bec has been in the midst of it’s annual Festival d’�t� (summer festival), and I’ve tried to go to as many concerts as possible. I’ve seen a mix of francophone and anglophone artists, and the highlight for me was definitely the Black Eyed Peas. There were so many people there that they had a huuuuge screen set up behind the stage, and there were massive foules (crowds) on both sides of the stage. I’m a pretty big fan of BEP but I had never seen them in concert before, so I was really excited to see them, and they definitely weren’t a let down. They played mostly their hits, with portions of a few songs off the latest album that haven’t been released on the radio. It was really an awesome concert but halfway through I realized that although most of the population of Qu�bec knows a little bit of english, for the most part people weren’t really singing along. That was an incredibly odd realization because I just took it for granted that everyone would know the words to all the songs. It was evident that they all knew the songs, but it really had never occurred to me that singing along wouldn’t be the name of the game. Will.i.am dj-ed for a bit too and put together some incredible mixes, ranging from MJ to Nirvana to Kings of Leon to James Brown. He even used part of Zombie Nation and il faut croire (you better believe) I screamed We Are Penn State. I never expected that either and it was really really cool to see the crowds reaction and his response to all the screaming.

I was really interested by the fact that Taboo was taking video on his iPhone of the crowd during part of the concert. It was his birthday and a small cake was brought out for him, and the entire audience sang Happy Birthday to him (in english- I was impressed that they all knew it). It was just really cool to me that there were probably thousands of people taking video on their cameras of them performing, and he too was moved enough by the whole thing that he took video of all the people who were there to see the show. I would have thought that after so many years of touring, energetic crowds had lost their novelty but apparently not.

Other than concerts and outings, classes are going along en toute vitesse (at a scarily rapid pace). I’ve already had 2 weeks of class, and starting tomorrow I have midterms starting. It’s odd because the professors don’t even know everyone’s names yet but the courses are just about halfway over. I got a list of 34 �xpressions qu�becoises (qu�becois expressions) which was really interesting to learn. A lot of them are similar to expressions we have in english, for example avoir un chat dans la gorge (to have a cat in your throat) is the same as having a frog in your throat. Another that I really like (mostly because it’s ridiculous) is �tre habill� comme la chienne � Jacques (to be dressed like Jacques’ dog), which means to be very poorly dressed. I still am unclear as to who exactly Jacques is, and what he chose to dress his dog in, but that is perhaps meant to vague so as not to offend Jacques (or his chienne). It’s clich�, but the time here has really been flying. I’ve definitely been learning a lot though. It helps that we are kept very busy, what with our classes, workshops, and excursions de Samedi (Saturday excursions).

Speaking of which, yesterday I did another randonn�e (hike), this time at Cap Tourmente. It was a 9.2 km hike up another mountain. It was a really hot day and everyone was beat by the time it was over, but it was definitely fun to go out with les animateurs and spend the day speaking French again.

Next weekend I’m going baleine (whale) watching at Tadoussac. From what I understand, it’s about 3 hours away on bus, then we take a big bateau (boat) out, then we take small pontoon bateaux further out to get closer to where the baleines will be. I’m really excited to do this and I have high hopes that I’ll get to see a bunch of baleines, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little afraid- just because they are �norme (enormous) and I’ve never seen one before.

bisous!

Location: Université Laval 2325, rue de l'Université Québec (Québec) G1V 0A6 Canada

Immersion isn’t just about classes…

Even though I’m here for classes, the program at Université Laval is set up so that coursework is anything but what we do the majority of the time here. That’s the beauty of this program, à mon avis (in my opinion). I’m here to immerse myself in the francophone (ok so this is an English word, but just in case, francophone=French-speaking) world, so what better way to do it than by participating in as many activities as possible with the animateurs (they are a group of quebecois 20-somethings who have workshops for all the students- comparable to camp counselors, but for college students).

I have been doing lots of things since I last wrote. Jeudi dernier (last Thursday) I went to the Cabane à Sucre, the Sugar Shack, and learned how maple syrup is made. The cabane I went to still uses the same methods that were used back in the day. After a quick tour, we were fed traditional nourriture (food) such as du jambon, des œufs, des pommes de terre, la soupe au pois, du pain, des saucisses, tous avec le sirop d’érable (ham, eggs, potatoes, pea soup, bread, sausages, all with maple syrup). Pour le dessert (For dessert), we had crêpes avec le sirop d’érable, bien sur (crepes with maple syrup, of course).
Samedi (Saturday), I went for a randonnée with the animateurs. There were three buses of us, and we went to Mont Sainte-Anne and hiked about 2 miles to the summit, which afforded a beautiful view of le fleuve Saint-Laurent (Saint Lawrence River). It was a randonnée fatigant (tiring hike) due to the steep incline, but it was definitely worth it. After, we went to the Basilique Sainte-Anne, Saint Anne’s Basilica, which was incredibly beautiful. The inside had all sorts of mosaics and a beautiful stained glass rose window (smaller than the one in Notre Dame in Paris, but still just as beautiful).

So, other than my classes (which have been going swimmingly, I must say), students at Laval have an atelier obligatoire (obligatory workshop) once a week with the animateurs. The name makes it sound incredibly boring, but in reality it’s anything but. We had the option of a few ateliers, and I chose Découvertes de Québec, Discovering Québec, which means that I have 4 free tours of different, less tourist-y neighborhoods of the city with other students in the program. Today was the first, and we explored the faubourg (literally means suburb, but it’s not really a suburb the way we think of them in the United States) Saint Jean and Cartier. It was really cool to see all the little shops and cafés along Rue Saint-Jean, and we got a nice taste of the Québec that the natives know. After that, the animateur Pierre-Olivier took us to get la crème glacée (ice cream!) in Rue Cartier, which was vraiment chouette (really awesome).

While on our tour, we saw this too-cute-for words staircase. The sunlight was hitting the sign on it weird, but the sign reads Pour Chats Seulement (for cats only).

Next Monday, we will discover another neighborhood of Québec. I did find a sign that I kinda wish I could have a copy of, even though I don’t spell my name the same way…

One last thing to discuss before I say goodbye… right now, Québec is in the midst of it’s annual Festival d’Été, or summer festival, during which there are several outdoor stages set up around the city with multiple artists performing at each every night. There is a wide range of musical styles throughout the festival, and as a part of the CIC Program I got a laisse-passer (festival pass) for the entire festival for free. (Usually they cost around $50CAD). I’ve been trying to get to as many concerts as possible, especially those that I am not familiar with. Last night I went to two concerts: the first was québecois artist Yann Perreau, and the second was French electro-swing group Caravan Palace. I really enjoyed both acts. Yann is something of a sex symbol in Québec, and he had a great stage presence though was a little over the top at times (spanked himself multiple times, to raucous applause), and Caravan Palace was music like nothing I’ve ever heard before. They took classic swing songs and updated them, and had 4 swing dancers perform a ridiculously impressive routine. Here’s a link to a video I took of the dancers… worth it to watch the whole way through, they have some pretty amazing stunts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFOWAljYoNw

Tonight I’m heading to see The Arcade Fire, tomorrow night Carlos Santana, and Friday The Black Eyed Peas, among other groupes inconnues (groups that I don’t know).

Ok… so that is all for now! Bisous! (Kisses)

Location: Cochon Dingue 46 boulevard Champlain Québec Canada

Après une semaine…

So, I’ve been here in Qu�bec for a week already, but it feels like it’s been so much longer. Perhaps because the CIC program has had all ten students in it so busy that we’ve barely had time to think about the time that’s passing, but I think I definitely prefer that.

It’s crazy to think how much I’ve learned in a week. For example… les champignons (mushrooms) don’t actually taste that bad. Single gender restrooms aren’t a sure thing. Sweatpants can have a zipper and button too (this is still a little stranger to me than the whole urinals and stalls in one restroom thing). Mostly what I’ve learned, though, has been more and more French… and I’ve only had one day of actual class so far.

Le but (the purpose) of this program is to have a real immersion experience, and the CIC and Universit� Laval have done everything possible to make sure that we have exactly that. The end of last week and all weekend long the CIC group had all sorts of activities together. We toured le Vieux-Qu�bec, which is the only fortified (surrounded by walls) city north of Mexico.

We ate le d�ner (lunch in le fran�ais qu�becois) at the Ch�teau-Frontenac, which is (rightfully so) the most photographed hotel in the world. Each side of the hotel is as austere as the last, and the inside is just as impeccable as the outside. There is a small amphitheatre outside where we all got to hear musicians cover American classics (there’s nothing quite like hearing American Pie sung with a french accent) and watch Canadian b-boys perform.

We also got to explore the city quite a bit, and got familiar with the impressive bus system. Qu�bec is fairly small and has the same atmosphere as a European city, with as much if not more charm. It’s impeccably clean here and les qu�becois (inhabitants of Qu�bec) are incredibly friendly. It’s also very obvious that they love their language and their French roots.

The accent has been interesting to hear. The difference between qu�becois french and Parisian french (the accent I’ve heard the most from professors) is comparable to the difference between American English and British English- it sounds different, and there is tons of slang that just doesn’t translate. It’s been really cool though to learn their colloquialisms and to get accustomed to hearing their different pronunciations. It’s mostly a question of the how the vowels sound, and for me it didn’t take too long to develop the ear for it and manage to keep up in conversations.

The CIC group has been great to be with so far. Everyone is really dedicated to improving their french, so when we are all together or on the campus, we are speaking French, despite the fact that all of us are fluent English speakers. I was really jazzed when I realized that this is how it was going to be for all of us, because I’m really after the immersion experience. Pas d’anglais pour moi!

Another thing we all did was take a ferry across the Saint Lawrence river, which was really awesome. We got to see the whole skyline of Qu�bec, as well as the river (of course), and the fortifications.

We all took our placement exams before classes started and based on the results were either assigned to courses or given some choices. I placed into advanced, so I got to choose one course and was assigned to one other. There are three elementary levels, four intermediate levels, advanced, and superior. I was surprised today in my first class (which is basically an intensive course to learn the nuances of French phonetics) to see mostly adults, but Laval attracts a large number of adult learners as well.

In addition to courses, there is a group called les animateurs (literally, the animators) who have organized all sorts of activities for us to do. I’ve signed up for quite a few, including several hiking trips, whale watching, a trip to une cabane � sucre (sugar shack), where it’s sounding like we eat and eat and eat, dance, sing, eat some more, and get to see maple treats being made (and then eat those), and a big fancy-dress cruise on the river at the end of the program.

If I didn’t already mention this, I’m doing a home stay here in Qu�bec, including 2 meals every day with Lise, ma maman de Qu�bec. Lise is really a sweet older lady who opens her home to foreign students every summer to help them learn French. Her attitude towards foreigners here to learn french mirrors that of everyone else– completely jazzed that people want to learn their language. There are three guys in the house, one from Georgia and two from Nebraska, all with different French knowledge, but enough that we can sustain conversation at breakfast (dejeuner) and dinner (souper).

A few girls from my group decided to be brave with me and see what kind of nightlife we could find our first Saturday night. Even though we had been speaking nothing but French with each other since we got here, it was a lot different to use it in the social setting of the bars and clubs than to use it amongst ourselves where its not as embarrassing to take time to think of the response. We managed fine but one girl in the group unknowingly agreed to play pool in one of the bars, which gave us a laugh.

Well I think that’s enough of the adventures for now. � bientot!

Location: 1240 Des Gouverneurs Quebec City CA

Leaving in less than a week!

As the title suggests, I leave for my Qu�bec study abroad program in just a few days. It’s been a hectic last few days and I’m sure the next couple will bring more of the same, but I am definitely looking forward to my upcoming time in francophone Canada. Since I last wrote I’ve learned a lot more about not only the program but about Qu�bec City and the kinds of things I can expect to experience there. I’m really excited to see how everything I’ve read and heard compares to the real thing; I’m sure I won’t be let down.

More than anything else, I’m really excited to just be immersed in a part of the French-speaking world. I’m sure it will be tough at first, especially in my classes with Canadians who are used to producing beautiful sounding French all the time, but I know that if I can make it through one week, I can make it through 5 and a half weeks. The last few french courses I’ve taken at Penn State have been conducted entirely in French so the classroom setting won’t be too much different in that respect. I’ll just have to make sure I’m coming up with halfway intelligent things to say so I don’t make a fool out of myself.

I recently received all my information about my homestay. My host lives about 10 minutes from the Universit� Laval campus and seems like she will be very accommodating. I don’t know if she has any family or if it’s just her in the house but I will find out soon enough, and I hope they are all as nice as she seems from her e-mails.

I also just found out that there will be a bal costum�, or a costume dance, which should be interesting to say the least. I’ve figured out a pretty basic costume and am hoping that it’s the sort of school event that people actually go to, because I really think it sounds like it could be fun. If not, at least I have halloween taken care of for this year!

Next time I write I will be in beautiful Qu�bec, hopefully learning a lot about how life is there and how it compares to the other few parts of the world I’ve seen!

Location: Phoenix, Maryland

Salut!

Hello! My name is Clare and I’ll be studying in Québec City this summer. As far as I know, I’m the only PSU student in this program, because it’s part of University of Iowa’s study abroad that Penn State students also have access to. I’ll be a senior in the fall and I’m studying French here at Penn State.

I’m very excited about my upcoming Education Abroad experience, mostly because I will get to communicate in French all day every day. I’m a little nervous about sounding “too textbook” at first with my Québecoise peers, but hopefully I’ll pick up the slang quick enough and learn about Québecoise culture all at once.

I chose to do a home stay over staying in the dorms, because I want to be completely immersed in French for as much of the time I’m there as possible. Since the program is only 6 weeks, I won’t have as much time to improve my french as some of my other peers in my major who spend a whole semester abroad, so I really want to take advantage of all the opportunities I have to do so.

The other thing I’m really excited about is being able to compare just the feel of Québec to that of Paris. I spent my spring break there and practically had to be dragged to the airport to come home, and I’m really interested to see how much of the “old world” vibe Québec has, and also to see how it’s different.

Université Laval has been around since 1663. I can’t wait to get the chance to explore the campus as well as Québec City, including of course le Vieux Québec (old Québec). I’m hoping that the family I stay with will be close enough to the campus that I can walk, or maybe bike. Another cool thing about the location of Québec City is that I’ll be really close to Montréal, the other main area in Canada that has maintained the French language and vestiges of the culture, so I’d like to plan a trip to Montréal for a weekend to see the sights there as well.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures!

à bientôt!

Clare Eiffel Tower.jpg

Location: Phoenix, MD

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