Monday 1 July 2013

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Working... on Canada Day?!

Bonne fete du Canada tout le monde! Happy Canada Day everyone!

While most people (including some of my new friends in my Terrebonne Est group!) were enjoying the holiday, I got up bright and early to start my first day of work at Camp du Jour de Crabtree (day camp at Crabtree). On the flip side, because it is a holiday, we had less people at the camp, about 30 today. One of my coworkers was telling me that they expect upwards of 100 kids throughout the summer! I was accompanied with my homestay brother, Remy.

Today was quite the learning curve, as obviously most of my coworkers and virtually all of the kids speak rapid French. If I thought that 4 years of intensive French class (with two years in honours French, thank you very much!) was good enough preparation, well, j'avais tort (I was wrong)! It was a blessing to work with people who also speak English, and that all of the kids were very understanding with the fact that I am a girl who speaks English very well and that my French n'est pas bien (is not good). At the beginning, I will admit, I was very homesick again, probably because the French is so present everywhere, every time.

It was a fun day though: my boss/coordinator at the Camp du Jour is also a Zumba teacher, so we did a massive work out which then segwayed into a full on soccer game where yours truly scored a goal! The kids then went swimming in a gigantic swimming pool that was inside the arena/community centre.

Lunchtime was spent at La Cremiere du Pont, an ice cream shop in the area that had it's 10th birthday today. There was a celebration that consisted of hot dogs for the kids and a rally (scavenger hunt) around the neighborhood. The prize was un pop-sludge (popsicle) for each of the kids... and some very delicious cake! It was a very extravagant cake, and I wish I had gotten a picture of it! My camera ran out of battery -.-"

When we returned, we were playing little games that I recognized from my own experiences as a camp leader at home - Squirt; Duck, Duck, Goose; Stella Stella Ola - but all in French. I have to say though, all the kids were great and I tried my best to communicate to them in my broken French. I find that kids in Quebec are really sophisticated, but maybe it's because of the fact that they are speaking French.

I was happy to spend the rest of the day at home. We had spaghetti for dinner, and after my chores I played Life (the board game, but in French!) with Remy. It was a great first day, and I feel that it can only get better from here on out. Here is to 6 more weeks with Quebecois kids!
 << Playing Life!
 
(L-R) Me, Remy, Mathieu
 


C'est tout pour aujourd'hui (that is all for now). Currently listening to this on my Youtube mix as I blog - la chanson du jour, ma chanson favorite, "Beautiful Disaster" by Jon McLaughlin (and no, he has no relation to Sarah McLaughlin).



Later alligators! Happy Canada day once again! :)

Dragon (Rachel)

1 comment:

  1. Lol we played life as well...rock star version!! (:

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