Well I've made it! Three weeks of freedom await me - and to those non-teachers reading this and judging: just go teach 29 six-year-olds for a while and tell me you don't need a mental health break.
I figure this would be an appropriate time of year to revisit my goals (read about them here).
Goal #1 - Eat organic food. I can proudly say that this goal has been accomplished! Paul and I have a great variety of vegetarian recipes to choose from for our weekly meals, and we splurge on weekends or when we go out we eat meat. The food we buy is almost always organic AND LOCAL! Jean-Talon market has been a great place for this, but the grocery stores are also great, with two aisles full of organic food, it's hard to go wrong. It's something we believe in and we've been doing well.
Goal #2 - Finding a spiritual group. Major fail. Uh oh. I was afraid this would happen. I feel like anytime you mention the word God or belief people automatically look at you as if you had three eyes. I've had great discussions with friends and family and Paul, of course, but I haven't been able to find that peace and prayer time that I had during the Bible Study I did last year. I'll keep looking!
Goal #3 - Exercise. This went well for a while. After school on Tuesday and Thursday, my two colleagues and I would go swimming. Swimming is AMAZING! It's great for my knee and it's a great way to keep in shape. And it's FREE! Public swimming pools are awesome. But now I don't have the same ride as I did before, so we don't go by the pool on our way home anymore. After Christmas, my new carpool driver colleague friend (hehe what a title for a friend!) mentioned that there is a new hot yoga place opening near our school, so we might go there! I also should try to go to the hot yoga place by my house during the break. I'll keep trying!
In conclusion: I eat well, exercise somewhat and need to pray more!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
What the elves are making this year...
Our 'writing a letter to Santa' has been especially rewarding to me as a teacher this year, because my students have come so far and can actually write! I am very proud. Along the way, I learned that there are some toys that never go out of style, for example:
-Barbies/dolls/Barbie accessories
-legos (especially Star Wars legos)
-books
The 'new' items on the list are the techy things such as:
-DSI
-PSP
-Wii
etc... really, I hope Santa is up-to-date on his technology and acronyms, because I don't think children would be very happy to end up with Pretty Sparkly Princesses when they really wanted some hand-held video game device.
In other news, it was my annual Christmas decorating party yesterday, which I only partly hosted with my mom at my parent's house. I say partly because, to be honest, my mom did most of the cooking and cleaning. I just came up with ideas. The decorating aspect was a success. I am lucky to have older cousins who have the cutest kids EVER, so we had two 1-year-olds, a 2-year-old and a 4 year-old helping to decorate the tree this year (and only one of the little guys was into un-decorating!). Then we ate - oh how I love Christmas food! I learned how to make tourtières and cassoulet with my mom last weekend! We also had mulled wine and cider, great salads and too many scrumptious desserts! After that, the cute kids helped decorate the gingerbread cookies I made. The one-year-olds were way past their bedtime at this point, so they didn't participate, but the other two kids did a great job. I had to supervise the chocolate chips though - I guess they prefer chocolate to gingerbread! For all the Puebla girls, it definitely was not the same without you, but you now have a very special place on our family Christmas tree! PS - I know I promised pictures, but my camera ran out of batteries, so you'll just have to wait and see!
-Barbies/dolls/Barbie accessories
-legos (especially Star Wars legos)
-books
The 'new' items on the list are the techy things such as:
-DSI
-PSP
-Wii
etc... really, I hope Santa is up-to-date on his technology and acronyms, because I don't think children would be very happy to end up with Pretty Sparkly Princesses when they really wanted some hand-held video game device.
In other news, it was my annual Christmas decorating party yesterday, which I only partly hosted with my mom at my parent's house. I say partly because, to be honest, my mom did most of the cooking and cleaning. I just came up with ideas. The decorating aspect was a success. I am lucky to have older cousins who have the cutest kids EVER, so we had two 1-year-olds, a 2-year-old and a 4 year-old helping to decorate the tree this year (and only one of the little guys was into un-decorating!). Then we ate - oh how I love Christmas food! I learned how to make tourtières and cassoulet with my mom last weekend! We also had mulled wine and cider, great salads and too many scrumptious desserts! After that, the cute kids helped decorate the gingerbread cookies I made. The one-year-olds were way past their bedtime at this point, so they didn't participate, but the other two kids did a great job. I had to supervise the chocolate chips though - I guess they prefer chocolate to gingerbread! For all the Puebla girls, it definitely was not the same without you, but you now have a very special place on our family Christmas tree! PS - I know I promised pictures, but my camera ran out of batteries, so you'll just have to wait and see!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Reports cards are finished, parent teacher interviews (until 9pm!) are finished, and yesterday was one of the best days ever! I woke up at 6:45am (this is after the 7:30am-9pm workday on Thursday) and got ready for work. I left my house and noticed the stairs were super duper slippery, as was the rest of the sidewalk and street. I start walking down to meet my lovely friend who gives me a ride to school everyday and my phone rings. I wish I remembered what song I was listening to at the time. Probably 'Empire State of Mind' by Alicia Keys. I LOVE that song! It puts me in the best mood and is so inspiring. So I clicked on my headphones to switch to the call (oh how I love technology) and MM (my first grade teacher colleague) says, 'Have you heard? The school's closed!'.... ahhh the joy! So I turned around and went back home. I had already had too much coffee for my own good, so going back to sleep was not an option. I watched mindless TV instead and waited for Paul to wake up. He did and we decided to go for coffee. Second Cup on St. Laurent, two eggnog lattes and chocolatines later, we were in deep conversations about the world and our lives and our future together. I can't start to describe how much I love him! Then we stopped at the Dollar Store (I took advantage of my day off to buy lots of stickers, Christmas stuff, etc. for my students). There is a sale going on at Jacob right now (it's the best clothing store for all non-Canadians reading this) where you bring your old clothes and each item is worth 25% off a new item you purchase. They then donate your old clothes to the needy. I brought two old pairs of pants and two old T-shirts and off to Jacob we went. Well... it was American Black Friday, which meant sales in Canada as well!!! Yay for me, instead of 25% off, it was 40% off all last marked prices. I got new pants and a new turtleneck kind of shirt. We then went to the Gap because Paul needed new jeans. Now we both have what I like to think of as our new 'Christmas' outfits. Who knows whether we'll actually wear our outfits for Christmas or not, but you know what I mean... I had a lunch date with a friend I hadn't seen in far too long, and we had fun catching up at a cute vegetarian restaurant on Milton by McGill. It reminded me of the good old days of being an undergrad student. Snow started falling, gently and beautifully. It was just perfect. Paul and I then went to the movies (if you remember from a previous post, I LOVE going to the movies) and saw 'Love and other drugs' which I recommend. It's a tear-jerker, though, so bring your kleenex and wear as little makeup as possible. Oh and I probably haven't posted about this yet but 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1' is AMAZING! It is so true to the book, the actors are great, and the views are just breath-taking. So there you have it, my first 'snow' day of the year. There is now about an inch of snow on the ground and I am probably one of the happiest people around!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A question a day keeps the doctor away?
I have this amazing student who is just too cute and always asks me the most random questions. I'll try to remember most of them and the context they were asked in (it's way cuter that way).
#1 - We were doing an activity about Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone. As he colours, he raises his hand and asks:
#1 - We were doing an activity about Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone. As he colours, he raises his hand and asks:
"Who invented shoes?"
"That's a great questions, we'll have to look it up" I answered (turns out shoes have been around for quite a while, basically since human beings realized rocks could hurt our feet, but running shoes have been around since rubber has been around and some say the first were made for basketball (I got my info from Wikipedia))
#2 - Literally out of the blue one day:
"Where did our universe come from?"
"I'm not too sure I understand your question, what do you mean exactly?"
"Well, did someone invent the universe, or did it come from somewhere else?"
(keep in my I teach at a nondenominational school)
"mmm..... have you asked your parents?"
"ya, but they don't know"
"mmm... ok, well let me think about it"
---A day goes by---
"I know who we can ask because he knows EVERYTHING!!!!"
"Really, who's this?"
"My kindergarten teacher"
"Sounds like a plan, you should ask him"
---Time passes---
"So did you ask your kindergarten teacher?"
"Yup"
"So, where did the universe come from?"
"Well, there are lots of different ideas, but lots of people think that there was this big explosion that happened and then BOOM, there was the universe."
"Sounds really interesting."
---More time passes (this was evidently a question that required lots of time and thought in order to be answered to this student's content)---
"You know, some people think God created the universe."
"Ya, I know. What do you think?"
"I don't know."
"I think it's OK not to know, but you've already got two great answers to your question!"
#3 - During center time, when the students can choose their activity, he comes over to me and asks:
"Who invented school?"
"Do you mean the idea of school or our school?"
"No, no, just our school."
(I'm thinking: phew, an easy one I can look up on our school's website)
"Oh I'll look it up and let you know."
---weeks pass by---
"You still haven't told me who invented the school."
(um ooops, I still haven't told him!)
#4 - While doing a calligraphy assignment, he raises his hand:
"But how can Spiderman see?"
"Um, sorry, what?"
"Well, Spiderman has a mask, but there aren't any holes for his eyes, so how can he see?"
"Oh Ok I understand, come here"
(we have those blinds that are perfect to use as an example, if you look at them from further away they look opaque, but if you get closer, you can see through them because they have little holes)
Ok that's all I can think of right now, but I'll post more if he comes up with more great questions, which I'm sure he will!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
This might be the best weekend ever...
Friday night: dinner at an Italian restaurant, the Hangover guy's new comedy Due Date (funny but not as funny as the Hangover)
Saturday: super productive correcting, cutting and pasting, planning etc. morning, late lunch at Santropol (I think this may be my favourite cafe in the world), Toy Story 3 and E. T. movie night
Sunday: baking blueberry muffins (from scratch from this recipe), www.stumbleupon.com for the better part of the lazy day, and perhaps going to an authentic taco place for lunch later today
What makes it the best weekend ever? (please be prepared for the gross, gooey, cheesiness that is about to take place) Sharing it all with my hilarious, thoughtful, curious, intelligent best friend who just happens to be my husband.
Saturday: super productive correcting, cutting and pasting, planning etc. morning, late lunch at Santropol (I think this may be my favourite cafe in the world), Toy Story 3 and E. T. movie night
Sunday: baking blueberry muffins (from scratch from this recipe), www.stumbleupon.com for the better part of the lazy day, and perhaps going to an authentic taco place for lunch later today
What makes it the best weekend ever? (please be prepared for the gross, gooey, cheesiness that is about to take place) Sharing it all with my hilarious, thoughtful, curious, intelligent best friend who just happens to be my husband.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Stress relief and Halloween
My life seems to be full of ups and downs. I guess that's normal, but I am stuck in this cycle of being mega-stressed, then being OK, then being mega-stressed again, etc. This week I was talking to my car-pool teaching friends about this and we came up with a nice list of stress relieving activities and ideas. I am going to be generous and share it with you!
-physical activity (we go swimming, but if your knees are OK you could run or do something else)
-yoga and or meditation (this helps to control your breathing and focus on your internal organs so I hear, I haven't actually tried it yet)
-a glass of wine (I prefer red, and it sure does take the edge off after a long day)
-a bath (after living in bath-free Mexico, I relish in taking a nice, long, warm bath)
-writing down and analyzing the stress-causing things (this helps to identify what it is that's stressing you out and freeing it from your mind in a way, I do this once in a while but I don't find it's the best one for me)
-there is one more thing... but I'll let you figure that one out and keep this blog PG-13
As for Halloween, we celebrated at school yesterday and it was a massive success! All of the cycle 1 (that's grades 1&2 for non-Quebeckers) teachers and I dressed up as one of our colleagues (a grade 2 teacher). When we told our friends and families about this, they were all appalled: "Oh no, she is going to be so offended." "Wait, isn't that like making fun of her?" We knew her well enough to anticipate her reaction correctly - she LOVED it! It was such a hoot! So there were 5 Madame Ls at school yesterday and our students even joined in and called us Madame L. It was awesome! I am very very sorry I don't have a picture of it, but I will try to describe our costumes so you can imagine the 5 of us. First of all, Madame L was dressed up as Glinda, the nice witch from the East, in a beautiful pink dress with silver stars on it and a silver wand accessory. MM was dressed up as 'leather L', so she had a leather skirt and jacket on with a white button up shirt and a fur belt, her black high heels completed the look. I was 'outdoorsy L' so I had taken my inspiration from pictures of her at camp with the kids. I had running shoes on, black yoga pants, a white T-shirt and sweater, and a brown vest. M was dressed up as 'working L' so she had a beige pant suit on. JC (who is a man) was dressed up as 'just out of the shower L' so he had a bathrobe on. The real killer was the blond wigs we all got, we had matching hair, and matching bright lipstick and our make-up was really well-done, exactly like L's! Oh and we also had little black roller suitcases, because apparently last school year that was her 'school bag'. So really, it wasn't at all offensive, I think she took it more like a compliment that we all wanted to look like her. It goes without saying that she does dress really well, but it's not your regular teacher look, which is why we chose to dress up like her. So fun.
Tonight I'm going to wear the same wig, a sparkly shirt and black pants and heels and I'll be 'la femme Nikita' or Lady Gaga... it all depends on if I find a toy gun or how I do my makeup.
-physical activity (we go swimming, but if your knees are OK you could run or do something else)
-yoga and or meditation (this helps to control your breathing and focus on your internal organs so I hear, I haven't actually tried it yet)
-a glass of wine (I prefer red, and it sure does take the edge off after a long day)
-a bath (after living in bath-free Mexico, I relish in taking a nice, long, warm bath)
-writing down and analyzing the stress-causing things (this helps to identify what it is that's stressing you out and freeing it from your mind in a way, I do this once in a while but I don't find it's the best one for me)
-there is one more thing... but I'll let you figure that one out and keep this blog PG-13
As for Halloween, we celebrated at school yesterday and it was a massive success! All of the cycle 1 (that's grades 1&2 for non-Quebeckers) teachers and I dressed up as one of our colleagues (a grade 2 teacher). When we told our friends and families about this, they were all appalled: "Oh no, she is going to be so offended." "Wait, isn't that like making fun of her?" We knew her well enough to anticipate her reaction correctly - she LOVED it! It was such a hoot! So there were 5 Madame Ls at school yesterday and our students even joined in and called us Madame L. It was awesome! I am very very sorry I don't have a picture of it, but I will try to describe our costumes so you can imagine the 5 of us. First of all, Madame L was dressed up as Glinda, the nice witch from the East, in a beautiful pink dress with silver stars on it and a silver wand accessory. MM was dressed up as 'leather L', so she had a leather skirt and jacket on with a white button up shirt and a fur belt, her black high heels completed the look. I was 'outdoorsy L' so I had taken my inspiration from pictures of her at camp with the kids. I had running shoes on, black yoga pants, a white T-shirt and sweater, and a brown vest. M was dressed up as 'working L' so she had a beige pant suit on. JC (who is a man) was dressed up as 'just out of the shower L' so he had a bathrobe on. The real killer was the blond wigs we all got, we had matching hair, and matching bright lipstick and our make-up was really well-done, exactly like L's! Oh and we also had little black roller suitcases, because apparently last school year that was her 'school bag'. So really, it wasn't at all offensive, I think she took it more like a compliment that we all wanted to look like her. It goes without saying that she does dress really well, but it's not your regular teacher look, which is why we chose to dress up like her. So fun.
Tonight I'm going to wear the same wig, a sparkly shirt and black pants and heels and I'll be 'la femme Nikita' or Lady Gaga... it all depends on if I find a toy gun or how I do my makeup.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Updates
Well, I know you are just dying to find out how market day went at school. It was AMAZING!!! The students cooperated and counted and added and subtracted beautifully. Yay!
I am so glad I have absolutely NOTHING planned for this weekend. I needed it. I have already worked too much (correcting spelling tests and such). I also have to handwrite all of my student's names and personal info on our report cards. The report cards won't go out until the end of November, but I have to use a beautiful French calligraphy that I myself am learning, so I am giving myself a lot of time. It's actually kind of fun, though, in a weird way. I feel really accomplished about having written a name beautifully on the report card. French calligraphy really is beautiful. Still though, I do prefer computers and typing. If I were to handwrite this post, I would probably still be on the first sentence. Oh and just in case you are curious, here is an example of this beautiful calligraphy:
I am so glad I have absolutely NOTHING planned for this weekend. I needed it. I have already worked too much (correcting spelling tests and such). I also have to handwrite all of my student's names and personal info on our report cards. The report cards won't go out until the end of November, but I have to use a beautiful French calligraphy that I myself am learning, so I am giving myself a lot of time. It's actually kind of fun, though, in a weird way. I feel really accomplished about having written a name beautifully on the report card. French calligraphy really is beautiful. Still though, I do prefer computers and typing. If I were to handwrite this post, I would probably still be on the first sentence. Oh and just in case you are curious, here is an example of this beautiful calligraphy:
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Market time!
Teacher self: I am so excited for tomorrow! This moment right here is how and why I know I am meant to be a teacher. Tomorrow we are setting up a market in our classroom. Today I had the students decide which fruit or vegetable they wanted to sell (they had to work in groups and cooperate to do this... all but two groups were able to do it without my intervention). Then they had to decide how they would sell their fruit (in bunches or one by one) and how much it would cost ($50 strawberries were ruled against by a unanimous vote). Finally (this was the best part for all of us involved) they had to create the product they were selling using paper, magazines, and their imagination. I have some beautiful carrots, strawberries, cherries, watermelons, apples and bananas.
Tomorrow they will have to buy and sell their produce. I'm giddy with anticipation to see whether or not the little munchkins will be able to cooperate, add and subtract to make this thing work!
Tomorrow they will have to buy and sell their produce. I'm giddy with anticipation to see whether or not the little munchkins will be able to cooperate, add and subtract to make this thing work!
Wife self: Paul and I mailed all of our immigration documents yesterday! The package is a good inch and a half thick and includes various pictures, emails, journal entries, and even my honeymoon blog entry! Now we wait... it could take up to six months to get an answer... please think of us and hope it's less than that!
Myself: I had a bad bit of PMS the other day and was feeling super negative. I need to remember to count my blessings. By the way, your comments make me feel awesome - I really like knowing that someone out there is reading what I'm writing! Have an awesome day!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I'm on a train
I'm amazed by the fall and it's colours.
I'm amazed by my iPhone for choosing the best songs and allowing me to write this.
I'm amazed by how much 6-year-olds learn in one and a half months.
I'm amazed by my exceptional husband.
What amazes you?
I'm amazed by my iPhone for choosing the best songs and allowing me to write this.
I'm amazed by how much 6-year-olds learn in one and a half months.
I'm amazed by my exceptional husband.
What amazes you?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Too frustrated
Blogger was a big poop head and erased the mega-long blog I had written especially for you.
So long story short: if you are an ex-pat returning to your home country, be prepared for a LOT of paperwork.
I had to jump through hoops to get my healthcare re-instated. It still isn't and wont be until January 2011, because I was out of the country (province really) for over 6 months in 2010. BUT I got to go to the doctor's today... it took a bazillion hours to get there and the ride was quite an adventure, but I'm too frustrated to write about it right now.
Sorry this blog sucks... blame blogger!
So long story short: if you are an ex-pat returning to your home country, be prepared for a LOT of paperwork.
I had to jump through hoops to get my healthcare re-instated. It still isn't and wont be until January 2011, because I was out of the country (province really) for over 6 months in 2010. BUT I got to go to the doctor's today... it took a bazillion hours to get there and the ride was quite an adventure, but I'm too frustrated to write about it right now.
Sorry this blog sucks... blame blogger!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Les plaines d'Abraham
There is no easy way to say this and I'm sure I'll create a conflict. This is a big deal, because I hate conflict. Here it goes: I hate hate hate the ongoing French/English debate that still exists in Montreal. Sometimes I'd rather speak Spanish. Actually it happens quite often.
Q - "English or French?"
A - "sólo hablo español"
Q - "Separatist or federalist?"
A - "sólo hablo español"
I've never actually tried this, though I think I should start. How can it be that in such a multicultural, civilized world, I feel GUILTY, yes guilty is the appropriate word, for speaking my two mother tongues? In a group of anglophones (as they're called here) I feel guilty speaking French, or even if, God forbid, the group begins a discussion about Quebec and Frenchies, I feel guilty for not being able to just sit there and accept their comments. I definitely cannot just 'go with the flow' for this one. The opposite is also true. In a group of francophones I feel guilty speaking English, but also for being able to relate to 'les maudits anglais'. This internal conflict has been raging within me for a long, long, long time. Actually for as long as I can remember. I honestly do not think there is an easy answer, and I do realize speaking Spanish and embracing a new culture is just a way to 'escape' the problem.
The only solution I have found, and continue to search, is to surround myself with open-minded people who accept me for ME, not for a language or the ideology and culture that accompany that language. I also sincerely hope that I can teach my students this value of open-mindedness, so that they never feel judged for the language that they speak.
PS - Just a little disclaimer - I realize I am writing this blog in English, the reason is twofold: 1 - I did most of my schooling in English, thus writing is easier for me in English and 2 - I can reach a larger audience in English (not by like becoming a popular blog, but I mean friends and family wise - those who speak French or Spanish usually also speak English, the opposite is not always true)
Q - "English or French?"
A - "sólo hablo español"
Q - "Separatist or federalist?"
A - "sólo hablo español"
I've never actually tried this, though I think I should start. How can it be that in such a multicultural, civilized world, I feel GUILTY, yes guilty is the appropriate word, for speaking my two mother tongues? In a group of anglophones (as they're called here) I feel guilty speaking French, or even if, God forbid, the group begins a discussion about Quebec and Frenchies, I feel guilty for not being able to just sit there and accept their comments. I definitely cannot just 'go with the flow' for this one. The opposite is also true. In a group of francophones I feel guilty speaking English, but also for being able to relate to 'les maudits anglais'. This internal conflict has been raging within me for a long, long, long time. Actually for as long as I can remember. I honestly do not think there is an easy answer, and I do realize speaking Spanish and embracing a new culture is just a way to 'escape' the problem.
The only solution I have found, and continue to search, is to surround myself with open-minded people who accept me for ME, not for a language or the ideology and culture that accompany that language. I also sincerely hope that I can teach my students this value of open-mindedness, so that they never feel judged for the language that they speak.
PS - Just a little disclaimer - I realize I am writing this blog in English, the reason is twofold: 1 - I did most of my schooling in English, thus writing is easier for me in English and 2 - I can reach a larger audience in English (not by like becoming a popular blog, but I mean friends and family wise - those who speak French or Spanish usually also speak English, the opposite is not always true)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Grand-maman
Today we got together with my dad's side of the family to celebrate my grandma's 82nd birthday. She is so cool. We had nice long chats about life and I find she is so impressive in so many ways. Mostly because I feel like she is very open minded for an 82-year-old. Some members of the family have been rallying to try to get her to want an iPad so they'd get her one for Christmas, but honestly I don't think she'll ever open up to that idea - but she is open in the sense that she listens and always answers very diplomatically in a "I'm gonna stick with my way of doing things" kind of way. I am amazed at how much change she has seen in her lifetime. I realized today that it was a big deal for her to get a TV, first a black and white one and then a colour one. It was a big deal that her son (my uncle) had to take Ritalin in elementary school - ADD was a very new concept back in the 60s. Not only that, I started thinking about how different our newlywed lives were. Here is a bit of compare and contrast:
My grandma and grandpa met at church - Paul & I met at a rugby party.
They had a very small wedding - we had a fairly big wedding.
They went to Quebec for their honeymoon and my grandma was so nervous about the wedding night that she took her bath with her watch on (which totally ruined her watch) - We went on a huge cruise ship for our honeymoon and neither one of us was very worried about the wedding night.
They came back to Montreal after their honeymoon with 10$ and the hope that my grandpa's paycheck would arrive soon - We came back to Montreal after our honeymoon with some money in savings and me (the wife) with a full time job to support us both.
Some similarities now:
They didn't have a car when they got married - We don't either.
My grandpa's name was Paul - Paul's name is Paul.
They dated for three years before they got married - we did too.
Then they had 52 wonderful years of marriage together - we sure hope we will!
That's it for today. I love love love my grandma. Oh also, she dried and kept the rose we gave her on our wedding day. She's awesome.
My grandma and grandpa met at church - Paul & I met at a rugby party.
They had a very small wedding - we had a fairly big wedding.
They went to Quebec for their honeymoon and my grandma was so nervous about the wedding night that she took her bath with her watch on (which totally ruined her watch) - We went on a huge cruise ship for our honeymoon and neither one of us was very worried about the wedding night.
They came back to Montreal after their honeymoon with 10$ and the hope that my grandpa's paycheck would arrive soon - We came back to Montreal after our honeymoon with some money in savings and me (the wife) with a full time job to support us both.
Some similarities now:
They didn't have a car when they got married - We don't either.
My grandpa's name was Paul - Paul's name is Paul.
They dated for three years before they got married - we did too.
Then they had 52 wonderful years of marriage together - we sure hope we will!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Carpe Diem
I feel so great today. I had a super mega major stressful week and most of the stresses have been dealt with, and now I feel more able to seize the day and live each moment. If you think about it though, it's really hard to do. We are usually reminiscing about the past or planning for the future. Anyway, that's how it is for me. Very rarely do I just sit and feel grateful for the moment. I do today though. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!
So here I go reminiscing about my week. The first major stress was the first communication I had to do at school. It's basically a mini report card, which meant a lot of evaluating. I also had to mentally prepare and/or forewarn certain parents because one thing I've learned over the past few years teaching in private schools is that if a child isn't doing so well, it is DEFINITELY the teacher's fault. So yes I have to back myself up in very many ways to prove that I am doing everything in my power for the child to succeed.
Second stress was also school-related. I have three students who have behaviour problems, so I went to see the counsellor for some advice and we were definitely on the same page with what needed to be done. It still takes a lot of time and energy, so that was stressful.
Third stress was a French exam called the CEFRANC I had to take. Funny thing is that I don't really have to take it, but it's a good thing to have because all of the French school boards ask for it. I studied as best as I could but I know I could have studied more. I took the test today and I decided it could be considered a linguistic experiment, because really I took the test intuitively. Since I hadn't studied much, there were a few questions I just had to guess at and be like well that sounds most right, so I'll pick that one. I wonder how effective that will be. I wish I could have this test be the control exam (no studying) and then if I fail, the next test could be the "with study" exam, but really that's impossible because there are too many other factors to control for - oh social sciences. Anyway, an experiment on your own self is probably not recommended. I wonder if they'd still call it observer bias? Are you observing yourself? Haha... Ok I'm making myself laugh which means I'm probably boring you - sorry!
The last thing I wanted to mention was that there are a few songs that I'm greatly enjoying at the moment. Listen to the lyrics and you'll probably understand why (if you know me at all)!
Suddenly I see - KT Tunstall
Whenever, wherever - Shakira (I really hope you're reading this Corie, I just thought of the mud and mountains and papelitos and so much fun!!!!!!!!!)
So here I go reminiscing about my week. The first major stress was the first communication I had to do at school. It's basically a mini report card, which meant a lot of evaluating. I also had to mentally prepare and/or forewarn certain parents because one thing I've learned over the past few years teaching in private schools is that if a child isn't doing so well, it is DEFINITELY the teacher's fault. So yes I have to back myself up in very many ways to prove that I am doing everything in my power for the child to succeed.
Second stress was also school-related. I have three students who have behaviour problems, so I went to see the counsellor for some advice and we were definitely on the same page with what needed to be done. It still takes a lot of time and energy, so that was stressful.
Third stress was a French exam called the CEFRANC I had to take. Funny thing is that I don't really have to take it, but it's a good thing to have because all of the French school boards ask for it. I studied as best as I could but I know I could have studied more. I took the test today and I decided it could be considered a linguistic experiment, because really I took the test intuitively. Since I hadn't studied much, there were a few questions I just had to guess at and be like well that sounds most right, so I'll pick that one. I wonder how effective that will be. I wish I could have this test be the control exam (no studying) and then if I fail, the next test could be the "with study" exam, but really that's impossible because there are too many other factors to control for - oh social sciences. Anyway, an experiment on your own self is probably not recommended. I wonder if they'd still call it observer bias? Are you observing yourself? Haha... Ok I'm making myself laugh which means I'm probably boring you - sorry!
The last thing I wanted to mention was that there are a few songs that I'm greatly enjoying at the moment. Listen to the lyrics and you'll probably understand why (if you know me at all)!
Suddenly I see - KT Tunstall
Whenever, wherever - Shakira (I really hope you're reading this Corie, I just thought of the mud and mountains and papelitos and so much fun!!!!!!!!!)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
My word
If you've read the book Eat, pray, love, you'll know that the main character - Liz - discovers her 'word'. Since I read that, I have been thinking about my word. I have decided that my word is apple. May sound boring, and I'm sure not many people would choose a noun, but let me tell you why. An apple is ordinary, and I think I'm a pretty ordinary girl. It is also sweet, comforting, healthy; all adjectives I hope you agree would describe me. We cannot forget the teaching connotation. Perfect fit. And finally, last but not least, the sexy 'forbidden fruit' metaphor. Well, believe it or not, I'm pretty sexy. And I'm a forbidden fruit for anyone who isn't my husband.
I know it's hard to believe I'm sexy judging by this picture... but trust me.
On a side note, an interesting teaching moment happened today (almost all day actually) because a huge weeping willow (the tree) was cut down right outside my classroom. A huge branch of the tree fell down last week during a thunderstorm, and when the city went to check the tree, they noticed the whole inside of the tree was rotten and sick. My very thoughtful principal (I've had really good luck with great principals so far in my teaching career) came by my classroom a few days ago to explain to the children that the tree had to be cut down because it was sick and that this would cause a lot of noise. Well I don't think the students quite realized what 'cutting down the tree' meant, since when the tree-cutter men arrived today, my students started screaming 'DONT CUT DOWN THE TREE!!!!' I explained to them that the tree was sick and that the principal had stopped by to warn us this would happen, but they still didn't quite get it. Then a student raised his hand with the best metaphor ever! "Miss" he said, "it's like a cavity." Of course! That explanation went over very well with all of the students. They understood that a cavity was a tooth that was rotten inside and that it had to be pulled out, therefore they understood that the tree had to be cut down. Still, it was very sad and very distracting. I realized at some point that I could have just pulled down the shades, but what fun is that? And seriously, it was the first time I ever saw a tree being cut down and it was exciting and interesting for me too!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Teaching
Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the complexity of my job. I might not be able to express how complex it is, but trust me, it is. When you think of teaching, you probably think about the basic (well what I consider to be basic) aspects of the job: the actual teaching (you in front of students explaining, demonstrating, or asking questions so they'll create their own learning... etc.), the planning and the evaluating aspects. But then there are the hidden parts of the job.
Some are more obvious than others. You have to be a nurse, because heads will hurt, noses will run, vomit and pee will happen. You have to be a psychologist, because people will die, tragedies and emergencies will happen. You have to be a mother, because some children don't get enough hugs, clean clothes, or food at home. You have to be a conflict resolver, because life just isn't fair. You have to be a problem solver, because sitting 29 students comfortably in a classroom isn't easy. Oh and an interior designer, to give your room just that 'look' and 'feel' it needs.
Now the part I am really working on this weekend is hard to describe. I am trying to plan so that my classroom will function smoothly, yet also be representative of me in a way. I learned so much the past two years in Puebla teaching in an IBO school and I really love the PYP program and the transition from that to the more traditional school I am teaching at right now is a bit difficult. How do I make my classroom come alive with experiments and curiosity and research and art projects without compromising the skills and curriculum I need to get through? That balancing act is the hardest part of teaching, in my opinion. I am going to take some time to get into the routine of teaching at this school and see how things go, but I am hoping that in a week or two (or a month), I'll be able to add my flavour to the teaching! To all the teachers out there, if you have any advice on how to make this happen more quickly, please let me know!
Some are more obvious than others. You have to be a nurse, because heads will hurt, noses will run, vomit and pee will happen. You have to be a psychologist, because people will die, tragedies and emergencies will happen. You have to be a mother, because some children don't get enough hugs, clean clothes, or food at home. You have to be a conflict resolver, because life just isn't fair. You have to be a problem solver, because sitting 29 students comfortably in a classroom isn't easy. Oh and an interior designer, to give your room just that 'look' and 'feel' it needs.
Now the part I am really working on this weekend is hard to describe. I am trying to plan so that my classroom will function smoothly, yet also be representative of me in a way. I learned so much the past two years in Puebla teaching in an IBO school and I really love the PYP program and the transition from that to the more traditional school I am teaching at right now is a bit difficult. How do I make my classroom come alive with experiments and curiosity and research and art projects without compromising the skills and curriculum I need to get through? That balancing act is the hardest part of teaching, in my opinion. I am going to take some time to get into the routine of teaching at this school and see how things go, but I am hoping that in a week or two (or a month), I'll be able to add my flavour to the teaching! To all the teachers out there, if you have any advice on how to make this happen more quickly, please let me know!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Happy Birthday to me!
My birthday weekend was awesome!!! I'm lucky to have labour day always fall on or around my birthday so I get a three-day weekend! Paul and I wanted to get out of town for a change of scenery and we decided to go to Quebec City since Paul had never properly visited (or hadn't been since he was 12, according to him). I know some of you will read this and think "really, you needed a change of scenery after a cross-country move?" and the answer is a simple YES we did. The drive up went smoothly, but we stopped at a Tim Hortons and they didn't take Visa! Is that normal across Canada? What's up with that? Luckily I had enough change! We (and by 'we' I mean Paul) had checked out a few hotels on the internet but everything was booked, so we weren't sure if we were going to stay in Quebec City or drive back the same day. We parked in Old Quebec City and walked around a little bit looking for a hotel and at the beautiful streets. We found a super cute hotel / inn and booked the night. Then we kept walking and - I'm sorry if this post doesn't make much sense, I'm watching Glee as I write this - so we walked around and stopped to have a Beaver Tail and take pictures, here's one:
Then we shopped for a while since my new school has a pretty intense dress code and because my feet were tortured by new shoes for 'Meet the teacher night' so I needed new heel-less shoes. I love my new clothes, and the shopping spree was fun! I also got awesome emerald earrings that match my ring from Paul's parents! We had a very yummy dinner. On Sunday we went to Galerie de la Capitale, which is a big mall with a roller coaster and such. We did a little bit more shopping and then drove back to Montreal. There was a bad crash on the highway so we were stuck in traffic for a little over an hour! We came home and rented the first 'Millenium' movie. If you haven't read the books yet, you should, they are much better than the movie. Oh speaking of movies, I also saw Eat, pray, love with my mom (it was good but the book is better) and Dinner with Schmucks (the original is better). Yesterday, Monday, my birthday, we went to my parent's house. My aunt, uncle, cousin, grandma and adoptive uncle were all there (plus my immediate family). It was really fun! My birthday gift from my students was an amazing day today! They were so well-behaved and we had a lot of fun reviewing the vowels - hopefully this keeps up!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
How rude
I feel awful. I just realized the last time I posted was August 24th... exactly one day after my husband's birthday and I didn't even mention him! This just goes to show I'm quite wrapped up with school these days and may be ... what's the word? not ignoring, but well just not giving him enough of my time and attention. So to clear things up, on the 23rd we went to Rockaberry's for desert and it was delicious! I had an oreo cheesecake and he had the triple chocolate cake. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I LOVE MONTREAL! Just to be able to sit outside on a terasse and watch people walk by and live right in the heart of the city is an experience I will never forget!
Last Tuesday was my first day carpooling as well. Remember the 6:35am departure? Well now it's 7am. I definitely appreciate those 25 minutes. I ride with a third grade teacher and with my first grade teacher partner. They are both awesome.
"We should get a move on"... OK I better make this quick. I'm truly enjoying myself here. Work is overwhelming, but I sincerely hope that a routine will quickly be established in my classroom and that way I can stop worrying about it so much. I haven't had a full day with my students yet, but I met them on Thursday afternoon and they were wonderful! They are a lively group, but as I said, I think once the routine gets established, we'll all be just fine.
Other than that, Montreal is awesome. Did I mention that already? I went out to Juliette et Chocolat on Thursday with my friend Melanie, and then we walked up and down main street (St. Laurent) which is closed to traffic for 'main mania' (the shops put their stuff outside and there are a few DJs and dance groups out there to entertain you as you walk along - it's great). Friday I had dinner at my parents, which may sound boring, but it's a blessing when you haven't been living in the same city as them for two years. We had a great time and even played the train game. Saturday we went for a picnic on Mount Royal with Melanie and then we went shopping. I needed to get some things for my classroom so we went to Ikea and then to Staples and then I also got teacher shoes because my shoes were starting to hurt my feet. Last night we went to L'Academie and Vol de Nuit with Willow and Luc and another couple from Nova Scotia. It was so great to catch up with old friends and hang out around Montreal. I hope this feeling doesn't rub off too soon - I'm enjoying how novel everything feels, even though I'm re-visiting it. So we should indeed get a move on and go to Marché Jean Talon for our groceries! Have a great week!
Last Tuesday was my first day carpooling as well. Remember the 6:35am departure? Well now it's 7am. I definitely appreciate those 25 minutes. I ride with a third grade teacher and with my first grade teacher partner. They are both awesome.
"We should get a move on"... OK I better make this quick. I'm truly enjoying myself here. Work is overwhelming, but I sincerely hope that a routine will quickly be established in my classroom and that way I can stop worrying about it so much. I haven't had a full day with my students yet, but I met them on Thursday afternoon and they were wonderful! They are a lively group, but as I said, I think once the routine gets established, we'll all be just fine.
Other than that, Montreal is awesome. Did I mention that already? I went out to Juliette et Chocolat on Thursday with my friend Melanie, and then we walked up and down main street (St. Laurent) which is closed to traffic for 'main mania' (the shops put their stuff outside and there are a few DJs and dance groups out there to entertain you as you walk along - it's great). Friday I had dinner at my parents, which may sound boring, but it's a blessing when you haven't been living in the same city as them for two years. We had a great time and even played the train game. Saturday we went for a picnic on Mount Royal with Melanie and then we went shopping. I needed to get some things for my classroom so we went to Ikea and then to Staples and then I also got teacher shoes because my shoes were starting to hurt my feet. Last night we went to L'Academie and Vol de Nuit with Willow and Luc and another couple from Nova Scotia. It was so great to catch up with old friends and hang out around Montreal. I hope this feeling doesn't rub off too soon - I'm enjoying how novel everything feels, even though I'm re-visiting it. So we should indeed get a move on and go to Marché Jean Talon for our groceries! Have a great week!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Quicktakes
If I understand from the blogging world I stalk, I can jot down a few things I want to mention without going into full-blown details... please let me know if I'm wrong.
1 - Arbre en arbre (literally 'tree-to-tree') on Saturday with parents, Paul and Florianne to celebrate Paul's birthday. The concept is basically that you get from one tree to the next doing all kinds of different challenges in the air. You have a harness and the game might consist of a shaky bridge (easy) or a weird combination of ropes and logs to walk on (hard). It was very fun, we all enjoyed and then had dinner and a yummy home-made chocolate cake for desert!
2 - Rugby on Sunday. Paul and I went to watch our friend Hector play rugby. We're very good friends because it was rainy and cold and we went anyway. Afterwards we hung out and caught up. We cherish our few friends in Montreal.
3 - First day at work on Monday = waking up at 6am, metro from 6:35 to 6:55, bus from 7:10 to 7:45. It's early, and it's FAR. Oh well. I drank coffee and read (I'm reading Wicked, which I recommend). The day was good. There was a general welcome meeting and then time to check out my new classroom and undo many many boxes full of goodies. The teacher I am replacing was there with her beautiful baby and graciously showed me where everything was and how she normally did things - I have a feeling I'll be emailing her often!
4 - A day-long meeting. Oh boy. Various topics came up such as whether or not children should play with snails and whether or not 'we' (teachers) should move the plastifier to the teacher's room. Both made for great discussion and debate, surprisingly. Coffee was not mentioned, which was a first for me at a start-of-the-year meeting, but they have a fancy-schmancy coffee machine and you have to pay for your coffee, so that settles the coffee issue quite quickly. A few Kindergarten teachers and lunchtime and afterschool aides saw my class list and said "oh - insert awkward smile - have fun". I have 29 students, and apparently a few of them have behavioural and or academic and learning difficulties. Oh well, I hope to make the best of it and make sure those little children reach their full potential and feel awesome! Just in case you are wondering, as a team we decided children should not play with snails and the plastifier should indeed be moved to the teacher's room.
There you have it! A quick update. I hope to post pictures soon so you can see what the apartment and classroom looks like!
1 - Arbre en arbre (literally 'tree-to-tree') on Saturday with parents, Paul and Florianne to celebrate Paul's birthday. The concept is basically that you get from one tree to the next doing all kinds of different challenges in the air. You have a harness and the game might consist of a shaky bridge (easy) or a weird combination of ropes and logs to walk on (hard). It was very fun, we all enjoyed and then had dinner and a yummy home-made chocolate cake for desert!
2 - Rugby on Sunday. Paul and I went to watch our friend Hector play rugby. We're very good friends because it was rainy and cold and we went anyway. Afterwards we hung out and caught up. We cherish our few friends in Montreal.
3 - First day at work on Monday = waking up at 6am, metro from 6:35 to 6:55, bus from 7:10 to 7:45. It's early, and it's FAR. Oh well. I drank coffee and read (I'm reading Wicked, which I recommend). The day was good. There was a general welcome meeting and then time to check out my new classroom and undo many many boxes full of goodies. The teacher I am replacing was there with her beautiful baby and graciously showed me where everything was and how she normally did things - I have a feeling I'll be emailing her often!
4 - A day-long meeting. Oh boy. Various topics came up such as whether or not children should play with snails and whether or not 'we' (teachers) should move the plastifier to the teacher's room. Both made for great discussion and debate, surprisingly. Coffee was not mentioned, which was a first for me at a start-of-the-year meeting, but they have a fancy-schmancy coffee machine and you have to pay for your coffee, so that settles the coffee issue quite quickly. A few Kindergarten teachers and lunchtime and afterschool aides saw my class list and said "oh - insert awkward smile - have fun". I have 29 students, and apparently a few of them have behavioural and or academic and learning difficulties. Oh well, I hope to make the best of it and make sure those little children reach their full potential and feel awesome! Just in case you are wondering, as a team we decided children should not play with snails and the plastifier should indeed be moved to the teacher's room.
There you have it! A quick update. I hope to post pictures soon so you can see what the apartment and classroom looks like!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Where do I start?
I have so many things to tell you since our big move! I guess I'll go in chronological order.
Flying with a failing company is quite an adventure. Mexicana is almost out of business and we kept checking our flight status to make sure our flight was still scheduled. Luckily for us, it was and we were able to leave Mexico City on time. Just before take-off, the flight attendant says 'Welcome to flight 880 to Monterrey - LONG PAUSE - final destination Montreal'. The other passengers, as well as Paul and I, look at each other questioning whether this is supposed to happen. She comes on the speaker a little while later to explain we have to stop in Monterrey to fill up on gas. Apparently, Canada and the USA do not allow Mexicana to fill up in their country anymore because Mexicana has an exorbitant amount of debt everywhere. So we stopped in Monterrey for an hour and a half, unable to leave the airplane. Fun. Also, Paul's family had flown with Mexicana to come to our wedding a month before this and had come back telling us how amazing the food and service was... needless to say, the amazing food we got was a tiny bag of peanuts. We did get free beer though (Dos X) and I got tomato juice to add to it, so that was better than nothing, but still. We ate peanuts that day.
When we arrived in Montreal, we had to pass through immigration to explain that I would sponsor Paul to get his permanent residency. The lady we talked to was super nice and everything went rather smoothly. We have to go and actually START the paperwork tomorrow.
My family patiently waited for us and was nice enough to go out for dinner with us at midnight! My poor dad had to wake up super early the next day, but he didn't mind going out for poutine at La Banquise (check it out at www.restolabanquise.com).
The next day was spent going back and forth from our new aparment (Jessica's place) to my parents' house, hauling and unpacking suitcases and trying to find a place for everything. In one day, we did quite well, but were absolutely exhausted by the end of it! Again, thank you mom and dad for a great dinner of moules et frites! Actually, thank you Xavier who made the fries home-made!
Today we woke up very early to take the metro and bus to my new school. The journey went well and even though it's a trek (it takes a little over an hour), I think I will enjoy the time to read and relax. After getting off the bus though, we got seriously lost and walked down a wrong street - google maps' fault! Anyway, we eventually found the school, I met the principal and took a tour of the school. I also handed in and filled out some paperwork. The school looks amazing and the people I met were all very sweet! My classroom is huge!!! I am very excited to start decorating next week. I think I will stop by tomorrow just to drop off some classroom stuff I have.
After realizing how awful it was to live without a phone, Paul and I decided to go out and check out the different plans for the iPhone 4. I was pretty much sold on Telus, but then we went to Rogers and their network is a bazillion times better so we got our phones there. I also realized I just wanted an iPhone, I didn't care if it was 4 or 2 or 3 or whatever. So I got the iPhone 3GS and Paul got nothing - yet! There was a massive line up outside the MacStore to get the iPhone 4 and it was sold out everywhere we went. The super nice lady who sold us my phone told us she would call when the next shipment arrived, but she actually called 30 minutes later to tell us she had found an iPhone 4 in the store!!! So we went back and Paul got his iPhone and we are now able to communicate with the world.
We then got our metro passes in the metro and are now 'home'! It has been a busy few days and I sense it will be a busy next few months! I hope to update as much as I can!
Flying with a failing company is quite an adventure. Mexicana is almost out of business and we kept checking our flight status to make sure our flight was still scheduled. Luckily for us, it was and we were able to leave Mexico City on time. Just before take-off, the flight attendant says 'Welcome to flight 880 to Monterrey - LONG PAUSE - final destination Montreal'. The other passengers, as well as Paul and I, look at each other questioning whether this is supposed to happen. She comes on the speaker a little while later to explain we have to stop in Monterrey to fill up on gas. Apparently, Canada and the USA do not allow Mexicana to fill up in their country anymore because Mexicana has an exorbitant amount of debt everywhere. So we stopped in Monterrey for an hour and a half, unable to leave the airplane. Fun. Also, Paul's family had flown with Mexicana to come to our wedding a month before this and had come back telling us how amazing the food and service was... needless to say, the amazing food we got was a tiny bag of peanuts. We did get free beer though (Dos X) and I got tomato juice to add to it, so that was better than nothing, but still. We ate peanuts that day.
When we arrived in Montreal, we had to pass through immigration to explain that I would sponsor Paul to get his permanent residency. The lady we talked to was super nice and everything went rather smoothly. We have to go and actually START the paperwork tomorrow.
My family patiently waited for us and was nice enough to go out for dinner with us at midnight! My poor dad had to wake up super early the next day, but he didn't mind going out for poutine at La Banquise (check it out at www.restolabanquise.com).
The next day was spent going back and forth from our new aparment (Jessica's place) to my parents' house, hauling and unpacking suitcases and trying to find a place for everything. In one day, we did quite well, but were absolutely exhausted by the end of it! Again, thank you mom and dad for a great dinner of moules et frites! Actually, thank you Xavier who made the fries home-made!
Today we woke up very early to take the metro and bus to my new school. The journey went well and even though it's a trek (it takes a little over an hour), I think I will enjoy the time to read and relax. After getting off the bus though, we got seriously lost and walked down a wrong street - google maps' fault! Anyway, we eventually found the school, I met the principal and took a tour of the school. I also handed in and filled out some paperwork. The school looks amazing and the people I met were all very sweet! My classroom is huge!!! I am very excited to start decorating next week. I think I will stop by tomorrow just to drop off some classroom stuff I have.
After realizing how awful it was to live without a phone, Paul and I decided to go out and check out the different plans for the iPhone 4. I was pretty much sold on Telus, but then we went to Rogers and their network is a bazillion times better so we got our phones there. I also realized I just wanted an iPhone, I didn't care if it was 4 or 2 or 3 or whatever. So I got the iPhone 3GS and Paul got nothing - yet! There was a massive line up outside the MacStore to get the iPhone 4 and it was sold out everywhere we went. The super nice lady who sold us my phone told us she would call when the next shipment arrived, but she actually called 30 minutes later to tell us she had found an iPhone 4 in the store!!! So we went back and Paul got his iPhone and we are now able to communicate with the world.
We then got our metro passes in the metro and are now 'home'! It has been a busy few days and I sense it will be a busy next few months! I hope to update as much as I can!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wedding day memories
Inspired by my awesome friend Kristen who just got married, I decided to jot down a few wedding day memories so I don't forget them! I will go in chronological order.
1 - When both hairstylists used their hairdryers at the same time the electricity went out - I was a little bit worried when it happened a second time, but then they decided to only use one hairdryer at a time and everything was fine.
2 - I arrived at the hotel to be told the room I was getting dressed in wasn't ready yet! I had a bit of a bridezilla moment (my mom and sister can attest to this) but I had no idea how awesome those twenty minutes would be. We walked down to Starbucks and had a family lunch and it was definitely a priceless moment.
3 - We were already taking pictures and I was so happy with how everyone looked and then THE BOUQUETS ARRIVED! Oh my goodness, it was pure perfection! I had never in a million years imagined something so beautiful!
4 - I arrived to the church and needed to confess myself before the ceremony, but I definitely did not want Paul to see me, so I confessed myself outside on the street! I was in such a happy and excited mood that I honestly could not think of anything to confess, so we just prayed for the fact that Paul and I lived together before getting married.
5 - The walk down the aisle was not as I had imagined it would be. I could barely see anything or anyone through the veil so I just caught glimpses of guests. I was really excited to see Paul and his reaction (he looked bored according to my sister) but I couldn't until the last second. My parents were so cute the whole walk down they kept saying how happy and proud they were. As soon as I did see Paul I got a huge knot in my throat and my eyes started to water and I knew I would be crying the whole time if I didn't control myself. I did a pretty good job through the readings and everything up until the vows - as soon as I said the word 'husband' I was practically bawling, but I got through it.
6 - Before we ate, when we arrived at the reception, what felt like many people (but was probably only a few) kept coming up to me and asking questions. I just remember turning to Paul and being like I'm done organizing and planning - tell them to figure it out! My second bridezilla moment (to my friends, this is also why I missed the group picture). Oh well my mini freak-out worked because the rest of the evening went really smoothly.
7 - I remember not being able to sit down during the dance at all. Every new song was better than the last and I didn't want to miss dancing to it! I did take a break to get some fresh air at some point and missed the beginning of the boy's group dance to 'Backstreet's Back'! I ran in though (again, how could I NOT dance to 'Backstreet's Back'?) and caught the end of the dance!
Well there you have it - those are the moments that truly stand out in my memory. Overall I just kept thinking of how great it was to have everyone I love in one room having a good time. I wish I could get married every weekend! hehe... minus the planning and spending, of course!
1 - When both hairstylists used their hairdryers at the same time the electricity went out - I was a little bit worried when it happened a second time, but then they decided to only use one hairdryer at a time and everything was fine.
2 - I arrived at the hotel to be told the room I was getting dressed in wasn't ready yet! I had a bit of a bridezilla moment (my mom and sister can attest to this) but I had no idea how awesome those twenty minutes would be. We walked down to Starbucks and had a family lunch and it was definitely a priceless moment.
6 - Before we ate, when we arrived at the reception, what felt like many people (but was probably only a few) kept coming up to me and asking questions. I just remember turning to Paul and being like I'm done organizing and planning - tell them to figure it out! My second bridezilla moment (to my friends, this is also why I missed the group picture). Oh well my mini freak-out worked because the rest of the evening went really smoothly.
7 - I remember not being able to sit down during the dance at all. Every new song was better than the last and I didn't want to miss dancing to it! I did take a break to get some fresh air at some point and missed the beginning of the boy's group dance to 'Backstreet's Back'! I ran in though (again, how could I NOT dance to 'Backstreet's Back'?) and caught the end of the dance!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Goals
My three personal goals for this school year are (in order of importance):
1 - Eat organic food. There are a few great organic shops I can't wait to try out when I'm in Montreal - I will surely let you know what I think of them. Also, Paul and I would like to go to Marché Jean Talon once a week or so to stock up on fresh veggies.
2 - Find a spiritual group. I believe in God, I have a very hard time with religion, which to me is a man-made construct. I would like to find a group I can grow spiritually with.
3 - Do some kind of exercise. Yoga? Dance? Pilates? That kind of thing appeals to me and would help me feel healthy.
I will let you know how this goes!
1 - Eat organic food. There are a few great organic shops I can't wait to try out when I'm in Montreal - I will surely let you know what I think of them. Also, Paul and I would like to go to Marché Jean Talon once a week or so to stock up on fresh veggies.
2 - Find a spiritual group. I believe in God, I have a very hard time with religion, which to me is a man-made construct. I would like to find a group I can grow spiritually with.
3 - Do some kind of exercise. Yoga? Dance? Pilates? That kind of thing appeals to me and would help me feel healthy.
I will let you know how this goes!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Blackberry madness
Before I start, we have decided on a new dinnerware set. Paul's grandma recommended Villeroy-Boch because they last for years (she's had hers over 25 years and Paul's mom has had hers for 30 years and they don't chip or break!). So we started looking there and found this:
We went to see Paul's aunt and she has agreed to buy it for us, but some items are temporarily out of stock. We are going to wait to buy it, but this will most likely be it! It's called 'Flow'.
Paul did win his hockey tournament last night!!! We went out to celebrate but instead of Tacos al Pastor, we went to Applebees. At one point in the evening, there were about 10 people there and I swear to you I was LITERALLY (oh how I wish I was exaggerating) the only one without a Blackberry. This would not be a problem for me but they were ALL (again I wish I was exaggerating) chatting/texting/calling/etc! I looked around as thought 'I wish they would all turn into blackberries (the fruit) and explode' just like in Charlie and the Chocolate factory when that girl (Victoria?) turns into a blueberry. It was so annoying and I felt so left out, but then I also thought I really don't want to have a Blackberry and turn into one of those people who ignores everyone - especially at the table! To me, texting or talking on the phone while at the dinner table is very rude. When I absolutely have to, I will excuse myself about having to use my cell phone at the table. So to be the only person who was sitting there willing to talk with someone and having no one but BB addicts to interact with, I did the only logical thing I could do: I turned to my husband and told him to put that piece of technology away. Being the wonderful husband he is, he listened, and slowly but surely everyone else followed suit. Now this is a very important note. If I EVER become a Blackberry addict, please, please someone remind me of how rude it is to use it ALL THE TIME, especially at a dinner table. Thank you in advance.
Paul did win his hockey tournament last night!!! We went out to celebrate but instead of Tacos al Pastor, we went to Applebees. At one point in the evening, there were about 10 people there and I swear to you I was LITERALLY (oh how I wish I was exaggerating) the only one without a Blackberry. This would not be a problem for me but they were ALL (again I wish I was exaggerating) chatting/texting/calling/etc! I looked around as thought 'I wish they would all turn into blackberries (the fruit) and explode' just like in Charlie and the Chocolate factory when that girl (Victoria?) turns into a blueberry. It was so annoying and I felt so left out, but then I also thought I really don't want to have a Blackberry and turn into one of those people who ignores everyone - especially at the table! To me, texting or talking on the phone while at the dinner table is very rude. When I absolutely have to, I will excuse myself about having to use my cell phone at the table. So to be the only person who was sitting there willing to talk with someone and having no one but BB addicts to interact with, I did the only logical thing I could do: I turned to my husband and told him to put that piece of technology away. Being the wonderful husband he is, he listened, and slowly but surely everyone else followed suit. Now this is a very important note. If I EVER become a Blackberry addict, please, please someone remind me of how rude it is to use it ALL THE TIME, especially at a dinner table. Thank you in advance.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Random thoughts
So big news - Paul and I sold our car today!!! Yay! It was quite an ordeal and with just a week before the big move we were both getting a little bit stressed. First we went to a sketchy dealership with gross men who were wearing bling and horking (spelling?). One guy even smoked in our car without our permission - gross! They were offering to buy the car for really cheap, like way less than what we had paid, so we said no thank you and went on our merry way. We went to a second dealership where the guy called another guy and it just seemed complicated so we left. Then finally the lightbulb came on and Paul had a great idea! We just went back to the dealership where we bought it four months ago, explained our situation and sold it back to them for a fair price - the fairest offer we'd had all day! That is taken care of and that is one less thing to worry about.
I'm off to Paul's final hockey game, I hope he wins and we go out to celebrate with some tacos al pastor!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Dinnerware
Who knew it was so hard to settle on a dinnerware set? Paul and I have been surfing the world wide web for about two hours now and we can't seem to settle on anything. My problem is that I keep thinking 'man, I have to look at those dishes for the rest of my life'. That is way too overwhelming for Little Miss Change here. Also, this is a gift from his aunt, so I feel like it would be inappropriate to use them for a few years and then change. I guess we will be living in different countries though, we could just take it out when she comes over, which will most likely not be too often. Anyway, hopefully we narrow it down soon enough - I might even post a picture of what we settle on!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Movies and stories
Most of you already know that I love movies and good books. I was thinking about this the other day and it occurred to me that what I really love are stories. I love meeting people and hearing about their life story, or going for coffee with friends and hearing their stories. I love teaching little kids and hearing their stories. The world is full of stories we just have to learn to look out for them, and appreciate them. I guess not everyone appreciates a good story.
Going back to movies, I appreciate even a bad story. Or well, a very predictable one is what I meant. You know the typical Hollywood love story or romantic comedy where X falls in love with Y (someone they are really not supposed to fall in love with like a coworker or a bosses' daughter or something) and then a variety of good things happen so they are super duper happy and then something goes horribly wrong and then one of the two has to prove their love to the other person and then they life happily ever after. Even though I already know all of this, I still enjoy them. But I must say I do prefer a shiny, new story. All of this blabbing has just been to tell you how amazing the movie Inception is. It is new and fresh and I don't think anyone will be bored or unappreciative of this story. I don't want to ruin it for anyone so I won't tell you much, but I wonder about the end: is he or isn't he? What do you think?
Going back to movies, I appreciate even a bad story. Or well, a very predictable one is what I meant. You know the typical Hollywood love story or romantic comedy where X falls in love with Y (someone they are really not supposed to fall in love with like a coworker or a bosses' daughter or something) and then a variety of good things happen so they are super duper happy and then something goes horribly wrong and then one of the two has to prove their love to the other person and then they life happily ever after. Even though I already know all of this, I still enjoy them. But I must say I do prefer a shiny, new story. All of this blabbing has just been to tell you how amazing the movie Inception is. It is new and fresh and I don't think anyone will be bored or unappreciative of this story. I don't want to ruin it for anyone so I won't tell you much, but I wonder about the end: is he or isn't he? What do you think?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
My honeymoon on the Oasis of the Seas
Before I start, I just want to say my blogs wont always be this long.
On July 17th we took a shuttle from our hotel in Fort Lauderdale to the port and saw the ship for the first time. It is HUGE! It makes all of the other cruise ships look like babies in comparison. We got very excited and practically ran up the ramp Our whole entire afternoon was spent discovering this beast, with its 16 floors, 24 restaurants, zip line, pools, hot tubs, and more we had a lot to see! We had to do a 'sinking' drill which was kind of entertaining in that a lot of people were in this aqua theatre place (where the diving shows were held) and the messages were said and projected on screens in many different languages. The funny thing was that the people sitting next to us got almost ALL of the languages wrong - they guessed French for Italian, Italian for Spanish, etc. It was funny. Then Paul and I had signed up for a couples massage. We had checked it out online and it cost approx. 100$, which we thought was very reasonable. So we get there and we see the price is around 220$ and we were like oh ok that must be the price for both of us... no no it turned out to be 220$ EACH! So we were majorly ripped off at the spa (Paul also thought it was a good idea to listen to the lady and buy all kinds of soaps and oils which cost a gazillion dollars). The massage (hot stone, by the way, which is incredible) was amazing though, and it was most needed after the crazy stress we'd been in for the previous wedding planning and hosting month. After that we got ready for dinner. I LOVED dinner. Every night we got to dress up, some nights were fancier than others but I just enjoyed wearing a dress every night. We got the wine package so we got a bottle of wine every night, and that was enough to get us both quite tipsy. And the food was yummy!!! I wish I remembered what I ate every night. I know there was lasagna, gnocchis, fettuccini - you all know how much I love pasta!
July 18th, we woke up super early to get off the ship in the Bahamas. We were in the Bahamas around 8am and decided to get a taxi to go to the Atlantis hotel, which is famous, and as it turns out, quite beautiful. We got there and just walked around and saw sharks and sting rays in a lagoon, we walked on the beach a little bit and then we were in a water park! Everything was closed because it was so early and I think this definitely worked in our favour because we were able to see the entire hotel (we later heard a security guard telling people that the area we had been in was for guests only - oops!). Inside the hotel we walked around some more and found a casino and Paul decided we should play. I hate slot machines so I was against this idea until he convinced me to play only two one dollar bills. So we did and I won 15$ (we only actually won 11 because we spent 4, but you know what I mean), and then I decided slots were pretty fun! haha... We took a taxi back to town and walked up and down main street. We went into a few shops, they were mostly jewelry shops, we didn't get anything and soon got bored because they were all the same and we didn't really want to buy anything anyway. So we went back to the ship and went to the pool, and relaxed and read. Paul wanted to see the boat pull away at 2pm since we hadn't seen it the previous day (we were in our massages at 5pm when the ship left) so he went to watch while I read some more. He came back super excited because four people were left behind in the Bahamas! Then we went and had a nap. We got dressed up for dinner, which was a formal night, and enjoyed dinner. We chatted a bit with our dinner neighbours - there were five tables of two right next to each other so the first couple on our left were two older ladies from Boston, they're best friends and go on cruises a lot, next to them were a nice couple from Pennsylvania, George and Debbie, the last couple never came. On our right side was an older couple from Trinidad and Tobago. The lady LOVED to talk - she talked Paul's ear off that night! Afterwards we were going to see the diving show at the Aquatheatre called Oasis of Dreams, but it was cancelled due to technical difficulties. They told us we'd get to see it again later on in the week, but the technical difficulty never got fixed and we never got to see it! So we walked around and stumbled upon a fabulous jazz show - I think Paul has a video of the band on his Iphone, it was amazing!
July 19th was a day at sea. I honestly can't remember what we did during the day, but it was most likely relaxing by the pool or in a hot tub, walking around Central Park (yes there is a central park on this ship), ordering room service and sitting on the balcony eating cheese and cookies. I just remembered what we did!!! We went to see the 'hottest man in the world', which ended up being a super cute 10 year old boy who danced really well. We also went to 'Guess that 80s tune' trivia and to a 'learn how to dance like Michael Jackson' thing. There were just so many things to do! After dinner that night we went to see the Love and Marriage game show - it was just like the show Newlyweds, except they had a honeymoon couple, an older couple (39 years) and an in-between couple. It was really funny! After that we went up to the top of the ship for a party. This day the ship was super rocky because of a storm, so in my high heels it was so hard to dance! It was fun though.
July 20th we landed in St. Thomas. It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived and I was worried our snorkeling tour might be cancelled, but it wasn't. So we walked off the boat (just FYI if you ever go on a cruise I recommend buying a waterproof bag to keep passports and stuff in - we did and it was a very good decision) and got herded together with the Turtle Cove snorkel group. We got on the boat and were soaking wet already, so we sat at the front and started chatting with a very nice couple from Ireland - Ursula and Paidrag (which is Patrick in Irish). Then all of a sudden, the captain told us we'd have to turn around because there was thunder and lightning and the coast guard didn't think it was safe for us to be out. We were all disappointed but they were ready to serve us rum for breakfast, so it wasn't too bad! Just as the sailors were starting to give out the drinks, we saw blue skies! So the captain called the coast guard and told them we would keep going if that was OK. We arrived at turtle island, which is a beautiful natural reserve we weren't even allowed to step foot on! We snorkeled and were lucky enough to swim with sea turtles! It was a magical experience. On the way back, we got rained on again, but this time the rum was flowing freely throughout the boat so we didn't even feel cold! We had been told St. Thomas was the best place to buy things, so we got on the ship to have a shower and get dry in order to go shopping afterwards. We stepped out and I think the rain just sensed our presence or something because it started to seriously downpour! We decided pretty quickly that shopping was a bad idea. We got back on the ship and hung out with our new friends in the hot tub. That night after dinner we went to see the headliner show, which was a man singing. He was OK. He was very talented but catered more to an older crowd.
July 21st was our day in St. Maarten. We landed on the - wait I just realized do you 'land' when you are on a boat? maybe I should be saying 'docked' - anyway, we arrived on the Dutch side of the island and had signed up for a kayak & snorkel tour, so we followed our little group, got a briefing on how to kayak and set out! I was enjoying myself up until Paul said I wasn't kayaking correctly, which just pissed me off, how did he know it all? Maybe he was the one messing it up. We made it through our kayaking experience overall generally happy and were one of the first ones on the other side of the beach, so I guess we must have been doing something right! We snorkeled for a bit but St. Thomas was a lot better in terms of variety of fish and marine life. Here there were a lot of those scary black sea urchins and I kept thinking I would hurt myself. After the tour, we both really wanted to go to the French side of the island, so we got the best taxi driver in the world and went. The taxi driver was just very high and hilarious. Paul asked if there were 'coffee shops' on the island and if they were legal like they are in the Netherlands and the driver's response was that there weren't any coffee shops, but that they had a lot of coffee. He was like "I have coffee every day" and showed us his joint, sitting right there by the steering wheel. After an entertaining ride, we arrived on the French side and had lunch at a restaurant called "Le café de la mer". I had fish, it was good. Then we went to the market and bought a few bracelets and things for Paul's sisters. We returned to the ship and sat in an infinity hot tub while we watched the ship leave. Then we went to the comedy show, which was pretty good, and then had dinner. At dinner that night, the George/Debbie couple got us a bottle of wine as a congratulations on getting married gift, and then the best friends couple got us shots! So we had a good time and I don't remember what we did after dinner!
July 22nd was a day at sea. We had a few things we wanted to do on the ship: the zip line, wall climbing and ice skating oh and the flowrider, which is a surf simulator. Of all of those things, we were only able to go wall climbing because everything else was either closed at the time we went looking, or too full to wait. We did go see the ice skating show, which was amazing. We also saw a diving and synchronized swimming show, which was also great. After dinner, we watched a musical show called 'Come Fly with me' it was really well done! Almost circus like with trapeze artists, dancers and singers. Then we went up to the top deck for a party, but we were about to leave because the music got boring when Ursula and Paidrag showed up, so we stayed a while longer and hung out with them. We were going to go to the bar called Dazzles, but the pizza place got in the way, so we ate and then it was 3am and we got tired and went to sleep so we never did see the bar on the ship!
July 23rd was another day at sea. We bought each other honeymoon gifts with our leftover spending money, I got Paul a nice watch and he got me a nice purse and wallet. I don't remember what else we did, considering we had three bottles of wine to finish that day from our wine package! We had one with lunch, one with dinner and one we brought back to our room with us, but we never did finish it since we were pretty tired!
July 24th got off the ship really early at 7am, took a shuttle to the Miami airport and then realized our hotel was NOT close to the airport! Urg! So we finally make it to the hotel and of course we can't check in until 3pm, so Paul was worried I would freak out about not being able to sleep but I just said if we could find a Starbucks as fast as possible, I would be OK. We did, since we were right next to Bayside, which is a big shopping center. After that we went to Ocean Drive and found Miami Ink (we briefly considered a tattoo and then decided against it). Then we found another shopping street, bought stuff at the Gap, ate really great wraps, and went to yet another mall! I was really intrigued about Target and Marshalls since my American friends always tell me so much about them so I went. Target was awesome, I went a little crazy (but not too bad) and Marshalls wasn't so cool - it's just like Winners where everything is disorganized and you have to find the clothes yourself. I prefer nicely folded and colour-coordinated Gap-like stores.
There you have it, if you read the whole thing, I'm quite impressed!
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