La Ronde demain!!
Bonjour Ying!
Ok, I'm no longer on the crazy French keyboard, cuz my friend was able to get internet in her room! But I still don't know if I can upload photos or not... we'll see...
Around two hours ago, I had so much energy, I was dancing down the halls and singing the French song we listened to in class (along with other animateurs -- French equivalent of counselors). But now... I've had time to sit down, relax, think... and I miss home again!
Don't get me wrong, I'm having a totally awesome time! C'est chic alors! My French has already improved so much, and it's only the second week. And so has my confidence in it, it's so cool! It's kinda funny too, since we're in Quebec, the French we've been learning is basically the same as the French we learn at school, but the accents here are very thick, and there is so much slang, both of which I have started using in my own dialogue. (comme, c'est chic alors! ... one way of saying Bravo! or THat's cool!) And it's hilarious too that a lot of the slang, has English words in it, but they sound so funny with the accents. So for example, we'd say, "That's awesome!"... Quebecois it would be: "C'est full-hot!" Except, they don't pronounce the "h" and there is a very thick accent, so it sounds more like "fullott" ... you have to hear it, but c'est vraiment bizarre... c'est curieux! (that would be, it's wierd!)And some English words as well, have just lapsed into French, so you can say "je joke, tu joke, il/elle joke" or "je slide, tu slide, il/elle slide" ... again, it sounds really funny cuz of the accents.
The other night, me and Sabrina went to go see a film in French, for the experience. We saw a film called "C.R.A.Z.Y." made in Quebec, and it was actually quite funny. There were some serious parts as well, and a whole bunch of jokes that we didn't understand fully, but for the most part, we understood the story, and the characters were amusing. (I was gonna write something in French, but i no longer have the cool keys with the accents, so I'll refrain)At one point though I almost fell asleep cuz my head was just getting so tired of trying to comprehend the French, they talk so quickly! And with the accents, many words are sometimes lost completely. For example, when conjugating the verb "etre" -- to be... Je suis... but here, they say it really fast, and it's written "J'suis" but pronounced "Shweee" ... teehee
Going out in the city is so much fun though, sometimes it's hilarious talking to people who live here. We had a field trip on Monday to Vieux Port, which is right next to Vieux Quebec, and was basically a marche with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and of course wine! We had a questionnaire sheet we had to fill out, which meant we had to go talk to venders, and find out prices of items, where things are from, the best places/time to grow certain fruits, that sort of thing. I was one of the lucky people, because everyone I talked to were so nice, and very helpful. There was one woman though, who just kept trying to speak English to us. We told her several times, Nooo we're here to learn French, and she just persisted in English. IT was quite funny to see her struggling for words in English, and have us answer/find the words in French. But she was still very nice, so it was very amusing.
Oh my goodness, so many activities we've been having. We get lots of free time too (like now!) so I've been to Vieux Quebec quite a number of times, shopping (oh my goodness, it seems like every store here has a sale... i've had to literally hide my money from myself, just so that I will stop shopping!)... and we also have obligatory activities, but those have been quite amusing as well. Last night we had a coup-de-foudre -- avoir un coup de foudre means love at first sight... basically it was a show similar to the bachelor... there was one girl who poses questions to the three male contestants, and in the end chooses one. The remaining male contestants each chose girls from the audience as well. And then it was done in vice-versa. But the students involved had all been informed before hand, and it was totally hilarious to watch... especially when David (one of the counsellors)came out in a toga with red fairy wings and a bow and arrow! (cupid!)
Yesterday I woke up to find a note under my door, asking me to come to a secret meeting later that day, and to tell no one of the rendez-vous. hm.... interesting! So I went to the meeting... I got there, and was talking to a couple other people who had also received the mysterious notes... C'etait vraiment bizarre! 16 people were chosen for this special rendez-vous. Slowly, others trickled in, until we we were all there. I thought it was something for the "coup-de-foudre"... but it wasn't. Then a couple of the animateurs came in, all bearing very solemn faces, not smiling at all, not being their usual upbeat and cheerful selves. Then I got a little nervous.
But it turns out everything was ok, it was just a very serious occasion. You see, in 1932, in Quebec city, there was a grand mafia, and the godfather of the mafia was murdered in the underground tunnels of one of the buildings by someone... we don't know who... we don't know why. But us 16 have been chosen to lead teams on Monday night, to try and discover who is the murderer. Because the ghost of the Godfather is not at peace, and every year, during the third week of July, his ghost returns to haunt the residents. The search for the murderer has been attempted before, but it has never been achieved.
This year will be different though!
I had to force myself not to laugh while they were explaining all this to us. IT was so hard, cuz the animateurs were being so serious, it was hilarious, they're normally never like that. And it was really funny too, cuz they were saying the murder took place in 1932, in a building that couldn't be more than 10 years old. And at the same time, I felt so proud to be there, cuz they said they had chosen us because we are active, participating students, who are very friendly with others, comprehend French well, and can be good leaders. I'm excited now! And no one knows about this except for us and the animateurs. The other thing that was really funny was that at the end of the meeting, we were all dismissed, and all 16 of us gathered outside to discuss what the heck we are supposed to do. I still don't exactly know. But i'm looking forward to it! woot!
Anywho... this has gotten really long... and I'm going to La Ronde tomorrow (it's apparently the biggest amusement parc in Quebec!) but it's in Montreal, so we have to leave here at 7:45 tomorrow morning and take a 2-3 hour bus ride... on a school bus!
so bonne nuit!
Ok, I'm no longer on the crazy French keyboard, cuz my friend was able to get internet in her room! But I still don't know if I can upload photos or not... we'll see...
Around two hours ago, I had so much energy, I was dancing down the halls and singing the French song we listened to in class (along with other animateurs -- French equivalent of counselors). But now... I've had time to sit down, relax, think... and I miss home again!
Don't get me wrong, I'm having a totally awesome time! C'est chic alors! My French has already improved so much, and it's only the second week. And so has my confidence in it, it's so cool! It's kinda funny too, since we're in Quebec, the French we've been learning is basically the same as the French we learn at school, but the accents here are very thick, and there is so much slang, both of which I have started using in my own dialogue. (comme, c'est chic alors! ... one way of saying Bravo! or THat's cool!) And it's hilarious too that a lot of the slang, has English words in it, but they sound so funny with the accents. So for example, we'd say, "That's awesome!"... Quebecois it would be: "C'est full-hot!" Except, they don't pronounce the "h" and there is a very thick accent, so it sounds more like "fullott" ... you have to hear it, but c'est vraiment bizarre... c'est curieux! (that would be, it's wierd!)And some English words as well, have just lapsed into French, so you can say "je joke, tu joke, il/elle joke" or "je slide, tu slide, il/elle slide" ... again, it sounds really funny cuz of the accents.
The other night, me and Sabrina went to go see a film in French, for the experience. We saw a film called "C.R.A.Z.Y." made in Quebec, and it was actually quite funny. There were some serious parts as well, and a whole bunch of jokes that we didn't understand fully, but for the most part, we understood the story, and the characters were amusing. (I was gonna write something in French, but i no longer have the cool keys with the accents, so I'll refrain)At one point though I almost fell asleep cuz my head was just getting so tired of trying to comprehend the French, they talk so quickly! And with the accents, many words are sometimes lost completely. For example, when conjugating the verb "etre" -- to be... Je suis... but here, they say it really fast, and it's written "J'suis" but pronounced "Shweee" ... teehee
Going out in the city is so much fun though, sometimes it's hilarious talking to people who live here. We had a field trip on Monday to Vieux Port, which is right next to Vieux Quebec, and was basically a marche with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and of course wine! We had a questionnaire sheet we had to fill out, which meant we had to go talk to venders, and find out prices of items, where things are from, the best places/time to grow certain fruits, that sort of thing. I was one of the lucky people, because everyone I talked to were so nice, and very helpful. There was one woman though, who just kept trying to speak English to us. We told her several times, Nooo we're here to learn French, and she just persisted in English. IT was quite funny to see her struggling for words in English, and have us answer/find the words in French. But she was still very nice, so it was very amusing.
Oh my goodness, so many activities we've been having. We get lots of free time too (like now!) so I've been to Vieux Quebec quite a number of times, shopping (oh my goodness, it seems like every store here has a sale... i've had to literally hide my money from myself, just so that I will stop shopping!)... and we also have obligatory activities, but those have been quite amusing as well. Last night we had a coup-de-foudre -- avoir un coup de foudre means love at first sight... basically it was a show similar to the bachelor... there was one girl who poses questions to the three male contestants, and in the end chooses one. The remaining male contestants each chose girls from the audience as well. And then it was done in vice-versa. But the students involved had all been informed before hand, and it was totally hilarious to watch... especially when David (one of the counsellors)came out in a toga with red fairy wings and a bow and arrow! (cupid!)
Yesterday I woke up to find a note under my door, asking me to come to a secret meeting later that day, and to tell no one of the rendez-vous. hm.... interesting! So I went to the meeting... I got there, and was talking to a couple other people who had also received the mysterious notes... C'etait vraiment bizarre! 16 people were chosen for this special rendez-vous. Slowly, others trickled in, until we we were all there. I thought it was something for the "coup-de-foudre"... but it wasn't. Then a couple of the animateurs came in, all bearing very solemn faces, not smiling at all, not being their usual upbeat and cheerful selves. Then I got a little nervous.
But it turns out everything was ok, it was just a very serious occasion. You see, in 1932, in Quebec city, there was a grand mafia, and the godfather of the mafia was murdered in the underground tunnels of one of the buildings by someone... we don't know who... we don't know why. But us 16 have been chosen to lead teams on Monday night, to try and discover who is the murderer. Because the ghost of the Godfather is not at peace, and every year, during the third week of July, his ghost returns to haunt the residents. The search for the murderer has been attempted before, but it has never been achieved.
This year will be different though!
I had to force myself not to laugh while they were explaining all this to us. IT was so hard, cuz the animateurs were being so serious, it was hilarious, they're normally never like that. And it was really funny too, cuz they were saying the murder took place in 1932, in a building that couldn't be more than 10 years old. And at the same time, I felt so proud to be there, cuz they said they had chosen us because we are active, participating students, who are very friendly with others, comprehend French well, and can be good leaders. I'm excited now! And no one knows about this except for us and the animateurs. The other thing that was really funny was that at the end of the meeting, we were all dismissed, and all 16 of us gathered outside to discuss what the heck we are supposed to do. I still don't exactly know. But i'm looking forward to it! woot!
Anywho... this has gotten really long... and I'm going to La Ronde tomorrow (it's apparently the biggest amusement parc in Quebec!) but it's in Montreal, so we have to leave here at 7:45 tomorrow morning and take a 2-3 hour bus ride... on a school bus!
so bonne nuit!