I may be on a different continent, with a different climate and time, but for all of us one thing is the same; it is the holidays!
So HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all you lovely people! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday, whatever it is that you celebrate, and that it was filled with lots of smiling family and friends, good food, and happy memories!
Bolivian Christmas is a bit different than a Canadian Christmas. Here we celebrated NocheBuena (Christmas Eve) more than we celebrate Christmas Day. On Nochebuena all the family gathers at one house, (in my case an aunt), and have a midnight dinner/party. We celebrated until around 3AM, when everyone returned to their own houses. Then on Christmas Day we slept in until around 10AM, and had a family lunch, after which we did presents.
Most families have a fake Christmas tree, but I have seen some Christmas lights on palm trees; it is not the same thing by far.
It has been very weird to have a Christmas without snow or my friends or my family, but I am embracing it as an experience! Christmas has been the hardest part of this trip so far, because it is such a family holiday for me and because it is the first time I am not with my family for it. But I have not forgotten how incredible, and valuable this experience is and I am continuing to love every bit of Bolivia!
Next up.. New Years!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
A Visit to Samaipata
My host family has a "cottage" in Samaipata, a small town about 3 hours away from Santa Cruz. On the weekend of the 22nd we went to get away from the city a bit and relax.
We invited two of the other volunteers, Dana and Franco (who are counterparts), to come with us as well. We drove up late Friday night, and stayed there until Sunday night, when we returned to the ridiculous Santa Cruz heat!
Samaipata is a small town, completely surrounded by mountains. Driving out to get there the road is small (just barely fits two cars), winding, and bumpy. It is paved in some sections, but not all of it so it makes for a very rough ride! The majority of cars on the road are trucks carrying food to sell. They are the South American version of transport trucks; much smaller, much louder, and much slower. Its not uncommon to see people riding on the tops of the load they are carrying, which looks really windy to me!
Their house is in the mountains off a small dirt road that is on the outskirts of the town, and it is absolutely gorgeous! Since there were a lot of us we were all sharing beds, and we completely filled the cottage up!
Saturday Danitza, Sophie, Franco, Percy, Dana, and I hiked up the mountain they live on to a small hotel/cabin at the top. It was incredible to see the beautiful view from the mountain!
Then Saturday afternoon we went to the Samaipata Inca fort, about 10 minutes away from the town on top of a mountain. We spent the afternoon hiking in the mountains, and looking at the fort. Unfortunately my camera died that morning so I wasn't able to take any pictures, but here is the link that tells you more about the fort if you are interested!
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/883
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Fuerte_de_Samaipata
We invited two of the other volunteers, Dana and Franco (who are counterparts), to come with us as well. We drove up late Friday night, and stayed there until Sunday night, when we returned to the ridiculous Santa Cruz heat!
Samaipata is a small town, completely surrounded by mountains. Driving out to get there the road is small (just barely fits two cars), winding, and bumpy. It is paved in some sections, but not all of it so it makes for a very rough ride! The majority of cars on the road are trucks carrying food to sell. They are the South American version of transport trucks; much smaller, much louder, and much slower. Its not uncommon to see people riding on the tops of the load they are carrying, which looks really windy to me!
Their house is in the mountains off a small dirt road that is on the outskirts of the town, and it is absolutely gorgeous! Since there were a lot of us we were all sharing beds, and we completely filled the cottage up!
Saturday Danitza, Sophie, Franco, Percy, Dana, and I hiked up the mountain they live on to a small hotel/cabin at the top. It was incredible to see the beautiful view from the mountain!
Then Saturday afternoon we went to the Samaipata Inca fort, about 10 minutes away from the town on top of a mountain. We spent the afternoon hiking in the mountains, and looking at the fort. Unfortunately my camera died that morning so I wasn't able to take any pictures, but here is the link that tells you more about the fort if you are interested!
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/883
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Fuerte_de_Samaipata
Pictures..
Here are a few of the pictures from the first day in Santa Cruz!
Its hard to get the opportunity to take pictures here because it isn't safe to carry a camera on the street, so I don't have a lot of photos. Most of these are from outside of the city while we were on our way back from the orientation camp.
Its hard to get the opportunity to take pictures here because it isn't safe to carry a camera on the street, so I don't have a lot of photos. Most of these are from outside of the city while we were on our way back from the orientation camp.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Welcome to Santa Cruz, Bolivia !
On Sunday December 16th we loaded back onto the micro (small bus-like things that are the Bolivian version of city buses) and headed into Santa Cruz. I met my host family, who are wonderful, and we spent the rest of the day settling into our new house.
I live on Calle los Junos, between the second and third ring, in a beautiful house with the Camacho family. It is my counterpart Danitza's family. We live with her mom and dad, and their two kids; Jeanine who is 10, and Percy who is 16!
I share Danitza's room, with her and Sophie (my other counterpart), but this time luckily we aren't sharing a bed. Sophie and I sleep in bunk beds, and Danitza has her bed.
The houses here are all behind walls or gates, so to access them you have to ring the buzzer to be let in. Our house is behind a wall, and so from the outside it looks like this:
My room is on the back, on the second floor. The view from the window is out over all the other roofs and houses, which I find absolutely awesome. My favorite place, by far, is to sit outside of my window on the little balcony/ledge!
This is part of the view from my window!
I live on Calle los Junos, between the second and third ring, in a beautiful house with the Camacho family. It is my counterpart Danitza's family. We live with her mom and dad, and their two kids; Jeanine who is 10, and Percy who is 16!
I share Danitza's room, with her and Sophie (my other counterpart), but this time luckily we aren't sharing a bed. Sophie and I sleep in bunk beds, and Danitza has her bed.
The houses here are all behind walls or gates, so to access them you have to ring the buzzer to be let in. Our house is behind a wall, and so from the outside it looks like this:
My room is on the back, on the second floor. The view from the window is out over all the other roofs and houses, which I find absolutely awesome. My favorite place, by far, is to sit outside of my window on the little balcony/ledge!
This is part of the view from my window!
Bolivian Orientation Camp
As you know, if you read my previous posts, we landed in Bolivia around 3AM on December 12th and headed directly to our Orientation Camp. The camp was outside of Santa Cruz by about 45 minutes, and it was very isolated from everything so we really got to concentrate on getting accustom to Bolivia.
Our orientation camp was held in a hostel/religious compound type thing. It was a gorgeous location! We were the only ones there, other than the people who lived and worked there. It was made up of a big building with two wings; a woman's wing and a men's wing. In between were a few communal rooms, and a kitchen. There was also a little church, and a house for the people who lived there. The compound was fenced in, for safety reasons, and also had a basketball/soccer court and a pool.
Around it was the Bolivian country, so essentially a lot of cows and very few people!
Here are some more pictures from the orientation camp!
I also met a few girls who worked in the kitchen there, and had the chance to get to know them pretty well. Two of the girls were deaf and mute, which made communicating with them a challenge. But interestingly enough it was these two that I became the closest with! Here is a photo of Dana and I with some of the girls!
Amnesty International Conference video
Hi all :)
I know I am VERY far behind on my blogging, and I will try to catch up asap, I promise!
Remember the Amnesty International Conference we helped out at back in Saint-Jerome? I know I posted a bit about it. One of the guys in my group, Keith Mitchell (an incredible cameraman), took video footage of the conference and made a really good re-cap video!
Here is the link if any of you would like to see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yexRZr7BO4&feature=plcp
I know I am VERY far behind on my blogging, and I will try to catch up asap, I promise!
Remember the Amnesty International Conference we helped out at back in Saint-Jerome? I know I posted a bit about it. One of the guys in my group, Keith Mitchell (an incredible cameraman), took video footage of the conference and made a really good re-cap video!
Here is the link if any of you would like to see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yexRZr7BO4&feature=plcp
Saturday, December 15, 2012
BOLIVIAAAA :)
This is just a really quick update to let you all know that I have arrived safely, and I am settling in!
We arrived around 2AM Wednesday morning, and headed out to the location of our orientation camp. Since then we have been very busy with the orientation camp, and out of reach of internet so I wasn't able to update.
This morning we moved into our houses in Santa Cruz, and we are just getting set up now before we meet everyone again for the afternoon meal.
In Bolivia they eat four meals a day, and one of them is called "tea"; which we are meeting the group for. I promise a proper update as soon as possible!
:)
We arrived around 2AM Wednesday morning, and headed out to the location of our orientation camp. Since then we have been very busy with the orientation camp, and out of reach of internet so I wasn't able to update.
This morning we moved into our houses in Santa Cruz, and we are just getting set up now before we meet everyone again for the afternoon meal.
In Bolivia they eat four meals a day, and one of them is called "tea"; which we are meeting the group for. I promise a proper update as soon as possible!
:)
Monday, December 10, 2012
A Slight Delay..
We left Saint-Jérôme Sunday around 7AM. The group boarded the school bus to Toronto after some tears and a lot of hugs to the host families we were leaving behind. The plan was to drive to Toronto, then spend the night in the airport hotel in Toronto. Our first flight was scheduled for 9AM Monday morning.
But, unbeknownst to the group, my supervisors and I had planned to stop at my house for a surprise lunch. Around 11:30 we reached my house, and my family welcomed everyone in. They had decorated the house for Christmas, and it looked lovely! We spent a little over an hour and a half there, and everyone (including the bus driver) got to eat a delicious home cooked meal by my mom and some of her famous Christmas cookies. It was so great to see them all! :)
Then, we continued on our way to Toronto, where we spent the night. Our group showed up at the airport around 7AM for our 9AM flight, only to learn that there was going to be a bit of a delay.. the 9AM flight was cancelled and we were scheduled onto the next one. Guess what time? 9 PM.
The original plan was that we would leave Monday morning and arrive Tuesday morning, but this delay meant things would be a bit different.
Now we will leave tonight (Monday) at 9PM, and fly to San Salvador, El Salvador. In El Salvador we have a lay-over from 3AM until our next flight to Lima at 3PM. Then we fly to La Paz, Bolivia. In La Paz we wait on the airplane while people board, and then we fly to Santa Cruz! Our new ETA is Wednesday at 2 o'clock in the morning.
Yay for four days travelling in the same clothes and without a shower! But to be honest, I don't care that much because I am SO EXCITED FOR BOLIVIA! :)
But, unbeknownst to the group, my supervisors and I had planned to stop at my house for a surprise lunch. Around 11:30 we reached my house, and my family welcomed everyone in. They had decorated the house for Christmas, and it looked lovely! We spent a little over an hour and a half there, and everyone (including the bus driver) got to eat a delicious home cooked meal by my mom and some of her famous Christmas cookies. It was so great to see them all! :)
Then, we continued on our way to Toronto, where we spent the night. Our group showed up at the airport around 7AM for our 9AM flight, only to learn that there was going to be a bit of a delay.. the 9AM flight was cancelled and we were scheduled onto the next one. Guess what time? 9 PM.
The original plan was that we would leave Monday morning and arrive Tuesday morning, but this delay meant things would be a bit different.
Now we will leave tonight (Monday) at 9PM, and fly to San Salvador, El Salvador. In El Salvador we have a lay-over from 3AM until our next flight to Lima at 3PM. Then we fly to La Paz, Bolivia. In La Paz we wait on the airplane while people board, and then we fly to Santa Cruz! Our new ETA is Wednesday at 2 o'clock in the morning.
Yay for four days travelling in the same clothes and without a shower! But to be honest, I don't care that much because I am SO EXCITED FOR BOLIVIA! :)
The Final Saint-Jérôme Goodbyes
My time in Saint-Jerome is done, and unfortunately that means I have to say goodbye to my lovely host family :(
Regina and her two kids, Catherine and Nic, have been the most incredible, generous people to Sophie, Danitza, and I. They opened up their lovely home to us for the past three months, and provided us with everything we needed to have the best experience possible in Saint-Jerome.
Our time together has turned three strangers into family, and made a strange house my home. I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done, and I know I will miss them A LOT.
A JCM/CWY Christmas
Almost everyone was able to come, and the one family that couldn't sent a video. The night was purely reminiscing and having fun with good company. Thankfully, all of the sad goodbye stuff was left until Sunday morning.
Here are some pictures from the night! :)
One of my counterparts; Sophie, and I with the Christmas tree.
The cute little gingerbread house Sophie and Ian made!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
La Grande Guignolée de Moisson Laurentides
December 6th is the Quebec wide event called La Grande Guignolèe.
For more information on the event, here is the webpage: http://www.lagrandeguignoleedesmedias.com/
It is the day when all sorts of charities unite across Quebec to raise money by collecting change from drivers at stop lights and street corners. Our group volunteered to help with the collecting in Saint-Jerome. The money collected in Saint-Jerome goes to a number of different organizations, (La Maison Pause Parent and La Centre SIDA D'Amitie are two of them), to help them buy food.
Our day began at 9am in downtown Saint-Jerome. We met up with some of the other many volunteers, some of which who had been outside working since 6am, and learned a bit more about what we were doing and why. Then we were assigned a collecting bucket (decorated paint can with a small hole in the top), given a florescent vest and a Santa hat, and sent to our appointed corners. From then on we spent the day shaking our buckets, dancing, singing, having a great time, and collecting lots and lots of donations!
We had a quick break for lunch, which was a delicious soup and bread, from the Maison Pause Parent. But then we all bundled back up, and returned to the corners to continue collecting.
By the time we packed everything in and returned out buckets I had filled three collection buckets, and had a great time.
At the beginning of the day I had been unsure of the whole thing; the idea of collecting money at stoplights and street corners made me uncomfortable. But by the end I had learned a lot about the event, and I was no longer uncomfortable with it. I learned that this event is a big deal all across Quebec, and since it is so widely publicized and talked about people aren't surprised to see you. Most people already have donations ready in their cars, and some even go out of their way to find a corner where they can donate. It is an event filled with generous, friendly people who smile and tell volunteers to "Lache pas" which means "don't give up" or "keep it up". People who didn't have donations, or who had already donated felt the need to roll down their windows to congratulate you on your work and explain why they weren't donating. It is such an incredibly positive event!
La Grande Guignolée de Moisson Laurentides was a really nice event to end my three months in Saint-Jerome with and I'm so happy I got to be part of it! :)
For more information on the event, here is the webpage: http://www.lagrandeguignoleedesmedias.com/
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The first of the goodbyes
Yesterday, December 4th, we had to say our goodbyes to my host brother Nic. :(
Nic is going on a trip with a few friends to Florida, LA, and then eventually ending in Vancouver and Banff. Atleast thats what his "starting plan" is. He has planned the beginning of the trip, and then from there his plan is to not have a plan. Nic is just going to see what happens, and go where he ends up going!
It sounds like he will have an incredible time, and I'm so happy for him. I'm just sad we had to say goodbye!
I had a great time living with Nic over the past three months. We have definitely had our fair share of adventures, and I am so glad I got the know him! :)
It sounds like he will have an incredible time, and I'm so happy for him. I'm just sad we had to say goodbye!
I had a great time living with Nic over the past three months. We have definitely had our fair share of adventures, and I am so glad I got the know him! :)
Dia de la lucha contra el SIDA
December first is the Dia Mundial de la Lucha Contra el SIDA/Journée de la Lutte Contre la SIDA/World AIDS Day.
To help raise awareness for World AIDS Day we spent Friday (November 30th) working at the Centre SIDA D'Amitie in Saint-Jerome.
We spent the morning cooking and preparing food for a lunch for all the volunteers of the center. Then in the afternoon we worked with a number of the less-privileged members of the community (homeless, HIV/AIDS positive, poor, etc.) making signs and posters. We had everything from giant banners saying "CENTRE SIDA D'AMITIE" or "Journée de la Lutte Contre la SIDA; Decembre 1" to smaller signs reading "I never thought it would happen to me.." or "Klaxonner pour supporter la lutte contre la SIDA". When all the signs were done, the decently large group of us marched our way across town to one of the largest intersections right near the highway. Our plan was that since it was around the time that work and school ended, everyone going in and out of the city would see us.
The next three hours were spent energetically jumping around, waving signs, talking to people, and ultimately; getting people to honk to support the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Here is a photo of a few of us with one of the signs, right outside the Centre SIDA.
For more information on World AIDS Day or HIV/AIDS you can visit this site:
http://www.worldaidsday.org/
A visit from the family :)
On the weekend of November 24th my family (part of it) came to visit me! :)
My Dad and brothers; Patrick and Will, were able to come up to Saint-Jerome for the weekend. It was so great to see them, and show them around where I live and work.
They also got to meet a bunch of the other volunteers in my group! On Saturday night the group had planned to go skating. The only problem was that most families didn't have skates we could use, and none of the volunteers had their own here with them. So my Dad, being as great as he is, brought up a biggggg bag of all the old hockey skates my family has, and then lent them out. My brothers also put on their skates and helped to teach the Bolivians how to skate!
It was really cool to see my family and the volunteers together, because up to this point it has kind of been two separate parts of my life.
My Dad and brothers; Patrick and Will, were able to come up to Saint-Jerome for the weekend. It was so great to see them, and show them around where I live and work.
They also got to meet a bunch of the other volunteers in my group! On Saturday night the group had planned to go skating. The only problem was that most families didn't have skates we could use, and none of the volunteers had their own here with them. So my Dad, being as great as he is, brought up a biggggg bag of all the old hockey skates my family has, and then lent them out. My brothers also put on their skates and helped to teach the Bolivians how to skate!
It really was a GREAT weekend, and I loved being able to see my family!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
T minus 13 days until.. BOLIVIA!
In exactly 13 days I will be moving to the extremely large, very exciting, entirely Spanish city of SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA! Yes, I am a little excited.. :)
This is a picture of the aerial view of PART of the city. I will be living just North of downtown, between the second and third rings!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
A visit to Mont Tremblant!
Sunday November 11th (Remembrance Day):
We were woken up around 12 by an excited Regina (my host mom); it had turned out to be a beautiful day and she proposed a visit to Mont Tremblant. We were all exhausted since it had been a very late night the night before and we had only managed to get a few hours sleep, but Danitza and I had never been to Mont Tremblant and we both really wanted to go. So we dragged ourselves out of bed, threw on some clothes, and grabbed food on the way out the door. My other counterpart Sophie decided not to come with us because she was too tired, so it was me, Danitza, Regina, and Catherine (my host sister). Since Cat had to work at five we only had until four to get there, climb, sight see, etc, so we rushed out of the house and were on the road before one.
We arrived at Mont Tremblant in beautiful, sunny weather, and began our tour of the small "community" at the base of the mountain. We could see that they had started to produce artificial snow on one part of the mountain higher up, but we thought that was the only spot until we turned the corner and.. there was a field FULL of snow. Sure it was artificial and all that, but to a Bolivian who had never experienced snow before in her life it was theeee coolest thing in the world. We must have spent at least half an hour in the snow having snowball fights, tackling each other, and taking pictures (obviously we needed proof we had actually found snow).
After that we continued exploring all the little shops and places until we found one that makes Beaver Tails. It was decided that there was no way Danitza could come to Canada and not experience beaver tails, so naturally we got a few. YUMMM!
Once we had finished the delishhh beaver tails it was time to climb the mountain.. or as far as we could get in the time we had left. We found a little path that wound through the woods beside a giant rock waterfall, and followed this up the mountain. Eventually it led out onto the middle of one of the ski runs where there was plenty of.. you guessed it; SNOW. And obviously this meant more snow activities.. :)
We were woken up around 12 by an excited Regina (my host mom); it had turned out to be a beautiful day and she proposed a visit to Mont Tremblant. We were all exhausted since it had been a very late night the night before and we had only managed to get a few hours sleep, but Danitza and I had never been to Mont Tremblant and we both really wanted to go. So we dragged ourselves out of bed, threw on some clothes, and grabbed food on the way out the door. My other counterpart Sophie decided not to come with us because she was too tired, so it was me, Danitza, Regina, and Catherine (my host sister). Since Cat had to work at five we only had until four to get there, climb, sight see, etc, so we rushed out of the house and were on the road before one.
We arrived at Mont Tremblant in beautiful, sunny weather, and began our tour of the small "community" at the base of the mountain. We could see that they had started to produce artificial snow on one part of the mountain higher up, but we thought that was the only spot until we turned the corner and.. there was a field FULL of snow. Sure it was artificial and all that, but to a Bolivian who had never experienced snow before in her life it was theeee coolest thing in the world. We must have spent at least half an hour in the snow having snowball fights, tackling each other, and taking pictures (obviously we needed proof we had actually found snow).
After that we continued exploring all the little shops and places until we found one that makes Beaver Tails. It was decided that there was no way Danitza could come to Canada and not experience beaver tails, so naturally we got a few. YUMMM!
Once we had finished the delishhh beaver tails it was time to climb the mountain.. or as far as we could get in the time we had left. We found a little path that wound through the woods beside a giant rock waterfall, and followed this up the mountain. Eventually it led out onto the middle of one of the ski runs where there was plenty of.. you guessed it; SNOW. And obviously this meant more snow activities.. :)
Like teaching Danitza how to make a snow angel!
We also made a (mini) snowman (Danitza's first) and gave him my poppy. On Mont Tremblant with the peaceful, beautiful view seemed like a perfect spot for a small troops memorial especially since it was Remembrance Day.
This wonderful day in my beautiful country once again reminded of why I am so thankful for our troops, both past and present.
:)
Monday, November 19, 2012
Film: A Fleur De Peau
November 13th the documentary A Fleur De Peau; Un Bouquet de la Colombie was playing at my work, so a few of us went!
The film was on Colombia, and the flower industry. In Colombia there are at least a million different types of flowers, and almost just as many cultures, traditions, religions, and types of people. But because the flower industry is the biggest industry in Colombia, it is also the cause of a lot of exploitation of the workers. Since these people have to work flowers to put food on the table they are forced into working under ridiculous conditions, with very very little pay. The documentary tells the story of multiple different types of "flowers" (people with different perspectives).
I was so unaware of the situation before the film, and it reaaaally opened my eyes. Not only did I learn a lot about Colombia, but I learned that Canada is contributing to a big part of this problem too. Most of Canada's cut flowers (the ones you buy from the flower shop) are imported from Colombia. Because Canada is importing so many flowers from the big, powerful companies, it allows them to continue to be unethical and exploit the workers. There are smaller fair companies that do not exploit workers, but they are being crushed by these larger companies. Naturally, since the small companies have to close the workers from these companies have to get jobs somewhere, so they begin working for the large companies. This allows this companies to continue exploiting workers because no one can stop them.
Also, have you ever noticed the certification of ethical, fair companies that come with the flowers? Well they are often not true. The inspection that happens for the company to receive its "certificate" will often happen only once, when it is pre-planned with the company. This gives the company the opportunity to create the image of a good, fair company. Often what happens is that in the week up until the inspection workers are paid higher, so that during the inspection no one complains. Then as soon as the inspection is over and the company is "certified", wages and conditions return to normal.
It's is kind of shocking, isn't it? North American countries hold a kind of superiority because they are known to be ethical, and have fair values and companies. Yet here we are, one of the largest contributing factors to the exploitation of millions of people.
If you want more information on the film here is the official page: http://afleurdepeau2009.blogspot.ca/2011/01/journee-internationale-des-travailleurs.html
I believe the documentary is accessible on the site as well, though be forewarned it is in French and Spanish. I would recommend watching it, I really learned a lot!
The film was on Colombia, and the flower industry. In Colombia there are at least a million different types of flowers, and almost just as many cultures, traditions, religions, and types of people. But because the flower industry is the biggest industry in Colombia, it is also the cause of a lot of exploitation of the workers. Since these people have to work flowers to put food on the table they are forced into working under ridiculous conditions, with very very little pay. The documentary tells the story of multiple different types of "flowers" (people with different perspectives).
I was so unaware of the situation before the film, and it reaaaally opened my eyes. Not only did I learn a lot about Colombia, but I learned that Canada is contributing to a big part of this problem too. Most of Canada's cut flowers (the ones you buy from the flower shop) are imported from Colombia. Because Canada is importing so many flowers from the big, powerful companies, it allows them to continue to be unethical and exploit the workers. There are smaller fair companies that do not exploit workers, but they are being crushed by these larger companies. Naturally, since the small companies have to close the workers from these companies have to get jobs somewhere, so they begin working for the large companies. This allows this companies to continue exploiting workers because no one can stop them.
Also, have you ever noticed the certification of ethical, fair companies that come with the flowers? Well they are often not true. The inspection that happens for the company to receive its "certificate" will often happen only once, when it is pre-planned with the company. This gives the company the opportunity to create the image of a good, fair company. Often what happens is that in the week up until the inspection workers are paid higher, so that during the inspection no one complains. Then as soon as the inspection is over and the company is "certified", wages and conditions return to normal.
It's is kind of shocking, isn't it? North American countries hold a kind of superiority because they are known to be ethical, and have fair values and companies. Yet here we are, one of the largest contributing factors to the exploitation of millions of people.
If you want more information on the film here is the official page: http://afleurdepeau2009.blogspot.ca/2011/01/journee-internationale-des-travailleurs.html
I believe the documentary is accessible on the site as well, though be forewarned it is in French and Spanish. I would recommend watching it, I really learned a lot!
A visit to the hockey arena :)
Saint-Jerome's provincial men's hockey team is the Panthers, and they play every Wednesday night at the local arena. So, since the majority of the Bolivians had never seen real hockey before.. we decided to go!
We went to the game on Wednesday November 7th; Saint-Jerome Panthers vs. Saint-Leonard. And naturally, Saint-Jerome won :)
It was really fun to watch, and the Bolivians loved it!
After the game, unknown to us, Eliana (one of our supervisors), had organized for us to visit the Panthers dressing room. They were warned we were coming, but for some reason when we arrived the majority of them were undressed..
We went to the game on Wednesday November 7th; Saint-Jerome Panthers vs. Saint-Leonard. And naturally, Saint-Jerome won :)
It was really fun to watch, and the Bolivians loved it!
After the game, unknown to us, Eliana (one of our supervisors), had organized for us to visit the Panthers dressing room. They were warned we were coming, but for some reason when we arrived the majority of them were undressed..
Congrès Jeunesse d'Amnistie Internationale
On November third there was an Amnistie International conference in Saint-Jerome at L'Academie LaFontaine. Three members of our group (Sophie, Jonny, and Nicole) work at L'Academie, so they helped to organize it. Naturally, if one part of our group is helping.. we all are! So on November third we spent the day running kiosks, directing people, organizing marchers, serving food, and doing security. It was a very busy day for everyone, but somehow between all the work I managed to find time to go to one of the "ateliers".
The one I went to was called "Droits Humains et Santé; Quels liens à faire?" and it was run by the International Federation of Medical Students (IFMSA). We talked about access to medical care, and how people's race, social status, and education affect the medical care they receive. We talked about the situation abroad and in Canada. I found it very interesting to learn that even here in Quebec the race and education you have affect your quality of care. I guess it was something I had never really thought about before, and it shocked me to hear many of the real stories and examples they had of people whose access or quality of care were affected negatively because of their race, social status, or education.
By the end of the atelier it had successfully (like many of the things in this program) inspired me to continue pursuing work in International Development!
On a side note.. I began my university applications this weekend!
The one I went to was called "Droits Humains et Santé; Quels liens à faire?" and it was run by the International Federation of Medical Students (IFMSA). We talked about access to medical care, and how people's race, social status, and education affect the medical care they receive. We talked about the situation abroad and in Canada. I found it very interesting to learn that even here in Quebec the race and education you have affect your quality of care. I guess it was something I had never really thought about before, and it shocked me to hear many of the real stories and examples they had of people whose access or quality of care were affected negatively because of their race, social status, or education.
By the end of the atelier it had successfully (like many of the things in this program) inspired me to continue pursuing work in International Development!
On a side note.. I began my university applications this weekend!
Fête d'Halloween au Méridien 74
Wednesday the 31st was.. you guessed it; HALLOWEEN :)
It was also the Halloween party at my work that my work partner Luis and I organized. We were told to expect a lottttt of people, but not nearly as many as expected came. Which was good.. because 200-400 people would have been WAY too much!
Our pumpkin shaped pinatas were very popular, though a little too hard to make breaking them easy, but all of the hard work payed off!
We also had a pumpkin that Luis and I carved. This was Luis' first time carving a pumpkin EVER! I got really excited and took lots of pictures.. which he didn't really appreciate much because it meant I didn't do much actual carving.
But overall, the Halloween party was a success! :)
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Our mi-projet camp!
Camp Jeune Air is a fairly large camp on the edge of Lac au Quenouilles, right in the Laurentian mountains. It has a big chalet type building, and a smaller cottage style building. Right beside it is a forest with a ton of hiking trails (which Franco and I got a little lost on when we went running), and a ways into the forest there is an old Indian set-up with teepees and such (these we also discovered while running). Overall it is very quiet, and a peaceful break from Saint-Jerome!
When we arrived at the camp all of the doors to all the buildings were locked, and there was no one around.. we were locked out and it was COLD. The people that were supposed to meet us to let us in and show us around apparently forgot. So Lili and Eliana (our supervisors) walked down the road until they found a neighbor. The neighbor called an old employee, who called a current employee, who sent her husband to open the door because she was breastfeeding. So when we finally got inside about two hours had passed (we spent the time playing road hockey and exploring).
We were staying in the small cottage-like building. It had a loft with beds that overlooked the main room, and the boys slept up there (or some slept in the main room because there weren't enough beds). Then there were three rooms in the basement for the girls to share. The kitchen was attached to the main room. The main room had a stone fireplace, and big windows looking out onto the lake and the mountains in the distance. It was really pretty!
The mi-projet camp is for everyone to have a chance to reconnect and relax, and for the group to evaluate and solve any problems. So that afternoon we did out first group activity called "Linge Sale" (dirty laundry). We all wrote down any problems that we were having in the group on pieces of paper cut out like clothing, and then we went through them all and talked about them, and found solutions. It felt very productive, and a lot of things that needed to be said were said! I was really glad to see that a lot of people were on the same page regarding many things, but because of small misunderstandings they didn't realize they were. It also gave us the opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings, especially ones that were caused because of language barriers. I felt that it helped the group a lot!
That night we had time to just hang out as a group, have a fire, and relax.
Monday morning (day two) Franco and I decided to run before the day started. So we found our way onto the hiking trails and, obviously, got lost. Somehow we finally found the road (not sure how we even ended up where we did), and we returned to camp with just enough time for.. A SWIM :)
Yes; it was freezing cold, and yes; I was the only one who went.
Day two passed quickly, filled with the same kind of group/counterpart activities! That night we had a bonfire outside, and a fire in the fireplace inside, and everyone just relaxed again. This was the night that the hurricane Sandy storm hit Quebec. Luckily it didn't hit us too hard; we only lost power for a bit, it rained lightly, and the wind was the worst part of it. The only (almost) accident we had was when a tree fell right beside the bonfire, and some people had to jump out of the way! No one was hurt though, and after that we all stayed inside until the storm was over.
The camp ended Tuesday evening, and we all returned home relaxed and renewed!
Overall, I found it to be a really good, and productive thing for the group. It felt like everyone re-connected. Sometimes when we are all so busy in Saint-Jerome its hard to keep a tight group bond, and I think this gave us the opportunity to re-bond!
:)
Going waaaaay back
I know this is REAAAALLY late but I just realized I haven't posted about it yet!
On October 10th our Canada World Youth group went to Montreal for an official visit and an awards ceremony. We took a bus from Saint-Jerome to Montreal, and on the way we stopped to pick up another Canada World Youth group in Terrebonne, QC. The exchange is a Canada/Benin one, so their exchange language is french. It was really cool to meet up with another group and have the chance to hear all about how their exchange is going!
After picking them up we continued into Montreal to the "hotel de ville" or city hall for an official visit and tour. We spent the afternoon learning lots about Montreal's history, and how the city hall works. Then in the evening we went to the Prix Jeunes Leaders de Jeunesse Canada Monde. The awards recognize CWY alumni who exhibit the qualities of Youth Leaders in Action. The winners are people who have gone on to develop projects that help others. Each winner receives 3000$ towards their project, and the opportunity to travel and speak about their projects across Canada.
It was really interesting to see how the same program I am doing has affected other people, and what these people have created out of the inspiration they got from the program.
The night ended with some time for dinner in Montreal, and then we headed home, sadly saying goodbye to our new Terrebonne/Benin friends!
Here is a picture of some of the two groups at the awards ceremony :)
On October 10th our Canada World Youth group went to Montreal for an official visit and an awards ceremony. We took a bus from Saint-Jerome to Montreal, and on the way we stopped to pick up another Canada World Youth group in Terrebonne, QC. The exchange is a Canada/Benin one, so their exchange language is french. It was really cool to meet up with another group and have the chance to hear all about how their exchange is going!
After picking them up we continued into Montreal to the "hotel de ville" or city hall for an official visit and tour. We spent the afternoon learning lots about Montreal's history, and how the city hall works. Then in the evening we went to the Prix Jeunes Leaders de Jeunesse Canada Monde. The awards recognize CWY alumni who exhibit the qualities of Youth Leaders in Action. The winners are people who have gone on to develop projects that help others. Each winner receives 3000$ towards their project, and the opportunity to travel and speak about their projects across Canada.
It was really interesting to see how the same program I am doing has affected other people, and what these people have created out of the inspiration they got from the program.
The night ended with some time for dinner in Montreal, and then we headed home, sadly saying goodbye to our new Terrebonne/Benin friends!
Here is a picture of some of the two groups at the awards ceremony :)
Nuit Des Sans-Abris Picures
Here are some more pictures from the Nuit des Sans-Abris event:
One of the fire dancers!
One of the fire dancers!
Everyone in their ponchos during the march!
I'm really bad at this.. sorry!
Wow. I have A LOT to write about!
The last few weeks have been packed with stuff. I'll begin with the weekend of the 19th of October.. That Friday night was the Nuit Des Sans-Abris. The Nuits Des Sans-Abris is an awareness event held all across Quebec for the homeless. The general idea of the event is that it includes a march, some speakers, and the goal is for participants to stay up all night.
The Nuit Des Sans-Abris held in Saint-Jerome was at the local community art center called Ici Par Les Arts. Two members of our group whose work placement is Ici Par Les Arts helped organize the event, and the whole group was partaking and lending a hand throughout the night. The event began around 6PM with a march through Saint-Jerome. Unfortunately for us we were accompanied by a rainstorm as well. So just before the march began bright yellow ponchos were handed out, and then off we went. To be honest I think the ponchos attracted more attention.. and hopefully this helped raised more awareness! After the march the event moved inside for bit so speeches could be made, and soup and coffee could be distributed. Later on in the evening there was a fire show, tam tam jams, multiple performers, and much much later on; a documentary on the homeless. By the time the documentary came on the majority of people had gone. Even most of our group couldn't make it all night! By the time the "breakfast of champions" rolled around at 7AM there were only me, four other CWY volunteers, and about ten other people still awake!
Here is a picture of the CWY "survivors" at 7AM:
Even though we were exhausted after not sleeping at all Friday night we couldn't sleep all day. I had time for about three hours of sleep and then it was off again because we were going bowling, and then we had a surprise party for Luis (my work partner) who was turning 26!
The surprise party ended pretty late Saturday night, and even though it was fun, I think everyone was glad to go home and sleep. Unfortunately though, that wasn't the last of the plans for the weekend!
Sunday morning we were up bright and early for the commemorative march for Dr. Dominique Ouimet. Dr. Ouimet was a cardiologist at the Saint-Jerome hospital who died recently while climbing a mountain in Nepal to raise money for the hospital. The march was expected to attract between 500 and 1000 people! Unfortunately, (once again), we were joined by rain and very cold weather. But by the time the march got going most of the rain had cleared up, and it was just very cold.
My CWY group was there to work security for the march, and help keep everyone organized.
Here is a picture (from the local paper) of the march:
The last few weeks have been packed with stuff. I'll begin with the weekend of the 19th of October.. That Friday night was the Nuit Des Sans-Abris. The Nuits Des Sans-Abris is an awareness event held all across Quebec for the homeless. The general idea of the event is that it includes a march, some speakers, and the goal is for participants to stay up all night.
The Nuit Des Sans-Abris held in Saint-Jerome was at the local community art center called Ici Par Les Arts. Two members of our group whose work placement is Ici Par Les Arts helped organize the event, and the whole group was partaking and lending a hand throughout the night. The event began around 6PM with a march through Saint-Jerome. Unfortunately for us we were accompanied by a rainstorm as well. So just before the march began bright yellow ponchos were handed out, and then off we went. To be honest I think the ponchos attracted more attention.. and hopefully this helped raised more awareness! After the march the event moved inside for bit so speeches could be made, and soup and coffee could be distributed. Later on in the evening there was a fire show, tam tam jams, multiple performers, and much much later on; a documentary on the homeless. By the time the documentary came on the majority of people had gone. Even most of our group couldn't make it all night! By the time the "breakfast of champions" rolled around at 7AM there were only me, four other CWY volunteers, and about ten other people still awake!
Here is a picture of the CWY "survivors" at 7AM:
Even though we were exhausted after not sleeping at all Friday night we couldn't sleep all day. I had time for about three hours of sleep and then it was off again because we were going bowling, and then we had a surprise party for Luis (my work partner) who was turning 26!
The surprise party ended pretty late Saturday night, and even though it was fun, I think everyone was glad to go home and sleep. Unfortunately though, that wasn't the last of the plans for the weekend!
Sunday morning we were up bright and early for the commemorative march for Dr. Dominique Ouimet. Dr. Ouimet was a cardiologist at the Saint-Jerome hospital who died recently while climbing a mountain in Nepal to raise money for the hospital. The march was expected to attract between 500 and 1000 people! Unfortunately, (once again), we were joined by rain and very cold weather. But by the time the march got going most of the rain had cleared up, and it was just very cold.
My CWY group was there to work security for the march, and help keep everyone organized.
Here is a picture (from the local paper) of the march:
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