Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Being an Expat
Living abroad is a great experience, no doubt about it. I've learned so much about the world, about people and about myself in the past three years, and I truly believe I would have never gained this knowledge if I'd stayed back home. But beside the great things that have been happening to me (being accepted for my masters programme, mastering in general the german uni systems, finally getting good marks, finding a nice and rewarding job, making good friends on whom I can count, etc, etc, etc) there are also the down sides. Sometimes I have the impression that people back home think it's so glamourous that I live in Europe, but what they (and I) sometimes forget is that:
- I never get to celebrate my birthday with my family
- I hadn't seen my dad in roughly 22 months
- I can't work as much as I would like to - in Montreal as a student I was rich compared to my lifestyle now
- I'm never there for birthdays, weddings, etc.
- I actually miss snow (never thought that would happen!)
- I can't stroll through the streets and remmeber where I used to hang out as a teenager, where I had my first kiss, where I worked for my first job...
- On Facebook's "compare people" I get continously rated as "most absentee" :)
I'm just kind of down now, and really between 2 worlds. I'm thankful for all that I have here, but right now I still dearly miss home.
- I never get to celebrate my birthday with my family
- I hadn't seen my dad in roughly 22 months
- I can't work as much as I would like to - in Montreal as a student I was rich compared to my lifestyle now
- I'm never there for birthdays, weddings, etc.
- I actually miss snow (never thought that would happen!)
- I can't stroll through the streets and remmeber where I used to hang out as a teenager, where I had my first kiss, where I worked for my first job...
- On Facebook's "compare people" I get continously rated as "most absentee" :)
I'm just kind of down now, and really between 2 worlds. I'm thankful for all that I have here, but right now I still dearly miss home.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Katy Perry sucked
Last night I went to see Katy Perry live here in Berlin and I was really disappointed.
She can't even sing her own songs (hello computerized album!), started 45 minutes late (um, you're not Madonna!) and the live version of her songs were very disappointing. All in all the background music played while we were waiting for the concert to start was the musical highlight of my evening.
In other news, my dad was here for two weeks and we went to visit Dresden and Prague together. It was great and now I can't wait till Christmas to fly home and see him, my family and friends again. I had forgotten how much fun I have with my dad. I think I just spent the past two weeks laughing non stop.
:)
She can't even sing her own songs (hello computerized album!), started 45 minutes late (um, you're not Madonna!) and the live version of her songs were very disappointing. All in all the background music played while we were waiting for the concert to start was the musical highlight of my evening.
In other news, my dad was here for two weeks and we went to visit Dresden and Prague together. It was great and now I can't wait till Christmas to fly home and see him, my family and friends again. I had forgotten how much fun I have with my dad. I think I just spent the past two weeks laughing non stop.
:)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
This is what I listen to...
in the mornings to motivate me to go the daily 20km by bike rather than in the subway....
Great weekend - good music
Saturday - 38.8km bike ride
Sunday - 12km kayak tour
and here some good music:
Sunday - 12km kayak tour
and here some good music:
Monday, August 18, 2008
I'm back!
Sunrise on the lake, seen from our front door...
What a vacation!!
1st day: swam across the lake
2nd day: 25km bike ride through the forest and around 3 lakes
3rd day: 11 km kayak tour on 3 lakes
4th day: relaxing, sunbathing and swimming.
5th day: 18 km, 4-hour kayaking down the Rhin river.
6th day: 14 km hiking through the woods to a charming little town
7th day: 9 km boat tour (rowing) on 3 different lakes.
I feel great, got plenty of fresh air, feel finally relaxed and happy, and most importantly, my body has been reenergised. I can't wait to ride my bike to work again tomorrow.
Oh, and when I came back home, wonderful news was waiting for me: I've been accepted for the Master I had applied for!!!
What a vacation!!
1st day: swam across the lake
2nd day: 25km bike ride through the forest and around 3 lakes
3rd day: 11 km kayak tour on 3 lakes
4th day: relaxing, sunbathing and swimming.
5th day: 18 km, 4-hour kayaking down the Rhin river.
6th day: 14 km hiking through the woods to a charming little town
7th day: 9 km boat tour (rowing) on 3 different lakes.
I feel great, got plenty of fresh air, feel finally relaxed and happy, and most importantly, my body has been reenergised. I can't wait to ride my bike to work again tomorrow.
Oh, and when I came back home, wonderful news was waiting for me: I've been accepted for the Master I had applied for!!!
Friday, August 08, 2008
Vacation!
I'm off to a top secret location where I can go swimming, kayaking and bike riding everyday...
;)
All I need now is good weather!
xx
;)
All I need now is good weather!
xx
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Katy Perry II
Well, it turns out she's coming to berlin in September, and I just bought a ticket for 11 euros!!
I'm really excited!
Anyone care to join me??
I'm really excited!
Anyone care to join me??
Friday, August 01, 2008
Welcome to the world!
Welcome to the world, Emil Linus!!
A good friend of mine had her baby Wednesday morning and today I had the pleasure, the honour, to be among the first people to see him.
Cutest baby ever! And so sweet and quiet and cuddly and... I almost had to cry when I saw him. It's like I can't even express in words all the emotions I was having.
This tiny being, lying in my arms, sleeping. The happy, ecstatic parents. Perfect.
I felt right away unconditional love for this tiny baby boy.
And I can't wait, when the time is right, not now, but someday, to have my own...
A good friend of mine had her baby Wednesday morning and today I had the pleasure, the honour, to be among the first people to see him.
Cutest baby ever! And so sweet and quiet and cuddly and... I almost had to cry when I saw him. It's like I can't even express in words all the emotions I was having.
This tiny being, lying in my arms, sleeping. The happy, ecstatic parents. Perfect.
I felt right away unconditional love for this tiny baby boy.
And I can't wait, when the time is right, not now, but someday, to have my own...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
What a great weekend!
Yesterday I went kayaking with my bf and it was great! the weather was wonderful, and it felt good to be out on the water and still enjoying the sun.
Today, it was sunny and 32 degrees Celsius, so I sat outside did nothing and had a couple of beers... NOT!
No, I didn't sit outside and do nothing, I was inside, doing my cardio, training my muscles and rounding it up with a little yoga.
I'm proud of myself!
:)
Today, it was sunny and 32 degrees Celsius, so I sat outside did nothing and had a couple of beers... NOT!
No, I didn't sit outside and do nothing, I was inside, doing my cardio, training my muscles and rounding it up with a little yoga.
I'm proud of myself!
:)
Friday, July 25, 2008
The problem with german youth...
is just out of control. Once again today I experienced a crazy situation with teenagers, except this time I was in the middle of it. I left this afternoon to go teach a class, and just as I was waiting to cross the street to get to the tram station, I noticed three teens waiting next to me: a guy, maybe 16, a girl maybe 15, a smaller guy, probably 13 years old. I noticed they were looking in my direction, but I ignored it, thinking they were looking down the street.
When the light turned green, I crossed, and the little guy bumped in to me. I look at him, and just as I was going to say something along the lines of "hey, careful there buddy", he looks at me wth crossed brows and says in German, roughly translated: "hey watch where you're going!". To what I answer "hey, relax, you can't just talk to people like that". Then he answered "shut up, bitch". At this point I looked at the sixteen year old boy, which I assumed was his older brother, thinking he would tell his little brother to be quiet or be polite to strangers or something. But he kept quiet, and looked on, amused. I looked down to the 13 year old and told him "how old are you? I'm sorry we bumped into each other, but you can't go around treating people like that", smiling to try and deescalate the situation. To this, he started getting in my face, bumped me again and told me to wipe that stupid smile off my face!! All the while I'm thinking "this can't be, he's a thirteen-year-old kid!".
Anyways, as we arrived at the tram station and it seemed as though I was going to have to wait for the tram with these devil kids, I decide top go further down and at least get on another wagon than where they're getting on. As I pass in front of the sixteen year old, he looks me straight in the eye and says: "I always wonder how come people as ugly as you dare to come out in public during daytime". What the??
I'm just ignoring them, open a book and try to concentrate on that. The tram finally comes, and they follow me. As I sit down, they pass down the aisle next to me and the thirteen year old hits the book out of my hand. There are 2 other adults who just keep on minding their own business (thanks for the help there) and I just keep on reading. As the kids sit down I think I'm in the clear, and start enjoying reading, and just before they finally get off at the next stop, the thirteen year old creeps up behind me, takes me by the back of my neck and rams my head into the seat in front of me, saying something like "here, have a good look at your stupid book"!!!!!!!!
I really, really, really don't understand what motivates children to think and act like this, but one thing is for sure: their parents should be in jail for creating sociopaths...
And I'm going to be a teacher. Lucky me.
When the light turned green, I crossed, and the little guy bumped in to me. I look at him, and just as I was going to say something along the lines of "hey, careful there buddy", he looks at me wth crossed brows and says in German, roughly translated: "hey watch where you're going!". To what I answer "hey, relax, you can't just talk to people like that". Then he answered "shut up, bitch". At this point I looked at the sixteen year old boy, which I assumed was his older brother, thinking he would tell his little brother to be quiet or be polite to strangers or something. But he kept quiet, and looked on, amused. I looked down to the 13 year old and told him "how old are you? I'm sorry we bumped into each other, but you can't go around treating people like that", smiling to try and deescalate the situation. To this, he started getting in my face, bumped me again and told me to wipe that stupid smile off my face!! All the while I'm thinking "this can't be, he's a thirteen-year-old kid!".
Anyways, as we arrived at the tram station and it seemed as though I was going to have to wait for the tram with these devil kids, I decide top go further down and at least get on another wagon than where they're getting on. As I pass in front of the sixteen year old, he looks me straight in the eye and says: "I always wonder how come people as ugly as you dare to come out in public during daytime". What the??
I'm just ignoring them, open a book and try to concentrate on that. The tram finally comes, and they follow me. As I sit down, they pass down the aisle next to me and the thirteen year old hits the book out of my hand. There are 2 other adults who just keep on minding their own business (thanks for the help there) and I just keep on reading. As the kids sit down I think I'm in the clear, and start enjoying reading, and just before they finally get off at the next stop, the thirteen year old creeps up behind me, takes me by the back of my neck and rams my head into the seat in front of me, saying something like "here, have a good look at your stupid book"!!!!!!!!
I really, really, really don't understand what motivates children to think and act like this, but one thing is for sure: their parents should be in jail for creating sociopaths...
And I'm going to be a teacher. Lucky me.
Barack Superstar!
We were a bit more than 200 000 people this evening at the Siegessäule to listen to Barack Obama's speech, and I didn't regret going! The city had prepared an "Obama-Fan-Mile" complete with sausage stands and beer stands and giant screens for those further away from the stage.
Obama held a great speech, talking about many subjects that are so important and haven't been so much taken into account by the Bush administration in the past seven years, like environnement, nuclear weapons, and TRUST and COOPERATION between America and Europe (and I'm sure somewhere in his heart he was thinking about Canada too, but he just didn't mention it).
I met a lot of nice american people, and all in all, I really had the feeling that I was experiencing history as it unfolded.
Citation of the day (American dude): "It's nice to finally have somebody articulate represent the USA abroad."
Obama held a great speech, talking about many subjects that are so important and haven't been so much taken into account by the Bush administration in the past seven years, like environnement, nuclear weapons, and TRUST and COOPERATION between America and Europe (and I'm sure somewhere in his heart he was thinking about Canada too, but he just didn't mention it).
I met a lot of nice american people, and all in all, I really had the feeling that I was experiencing history as it unfolded.
Citation of the day (American dude): "It's nice to finally have somebody articulate represent the USA abroad."
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