Bonjour! I cannot believe how quickly times passes. It seems as though just yesterday I was getting ready to leave on my french expedition, and now I am repacking for leg two. The past two weeks have been wonderful and rewarding in so many ways.
Everyday we are in class from 8:30-11:30 usually with Richard. I love the class because the french we are learning is very practical and serves as a very good review... not to mention giving us socially useful information like where the best discotheques are. Making us laugh at ourselves and teaching us the alternative meanings phrases may have, Richard is a phenomenal teacher and makes our mornings go by quickly. After class, we always do on some sort of expedition in Quebec to get to know the area and the history better. The first museum we went to was Le Musee des Ursulines a very interesting museum which tells the story of the first school in Quebec commencing in 1639. With original living quarters, cafeteria, and hand-made creations still in tact, it is an exquisite way to see the life of community, religion, and education of the Ursulines. Other places we went to inculde the Isle d'Orleans, Eglise Saint-Roch, la Sainte-Anne bascilica, the Musse de la civilization, and the Musee de beaux-arts where we saw the Picasso exhibit! Something that struck me at the Musee de la Civilization was an exhibit simply named the "Trash Mines." This exhibition was created by Paul-Antione Pichard for the purpose of educating others about the poverty across the world. A link to the Museum's website can be found here: http://www.mcq.org/fr/mcq/expositions.php?idEx=w1112
Quebec has definitely left an impression on me. I am excited to return and to see my host family again. When reflecting on my stay, I can see how quickly I adapted to things and how different things were when living there. A friend told me before I left that "culture shock" is a result of the little things, not the big things and I can absolutely see how true that is. Studying abroad has also made me realize some of the things I take for granted such as having a ride to places around, having a bank where I don't have to pay to take out cash, having Internet, being able to call without an exorbitant fee, and speaking/hearing English. I am so thankful that I signed up for this study-abroad program because I really think that it will stretch me mentally in ways that I have yet to experience. Thank you for your encouragement and support on my French Expedition!
Quebec has definitely left an impression on me. I am excited to return and to see my host family again. When reflecting on my stay, I can see how quickly I adapted to things and how different things were when living there. A friend told me before I left that "culture shock" is a result of the little things, not the big things and I can absolutely see how true that is. Studying abroad has also made me realize some of the things I take for granted such as having a ride to places around, having a bank where I don't have to pay to take out cash, having Internet, being able to call without an exorbitant fee, and speaking/hearing English. I am so thankful that I signed up for this study-abroad program because I really think that it will stretch me mentally in ways that I have yet to experience. Thank you for your encouragement and support on my French Expedition!
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