What is this now? I don't want to leave. I really really don't want to leave. My brain is saying I should look forward to it. Of course I miss home, especially the people who form home: parents, Pieter, oma and opa, Ankie, Jip, my friends, family, ... but still, I am leaving to much behind which I will never ever find again. Probably that's what hurts the most.
When I left Ecuador 2,5 years ago, I realized I was also leaving a lot of things behind: my host families including my lovely 'sisters' Gabucha, Claudia and Valeria, my brother David, Ecuadorian friends, Susana and her family in Quito, ... And of course there were the other exchange students who I saw during the Rotary trips. But it was different. The exchangies only saw each other for the organized trips, in Salinas I was all by myself: a white, strange, vegetarian (I was not vegan yet), European (Belgian sounded to abstract) girl with views that didn't always fit in the patriarchy of an 'unsafe' country, regardlessly riding my bycicle on a military base, being assaulted in the middle of the day on my way to baking classes, travelling without authoritarian permit. But after all, I liked the people I met there and leaving them I knew that I would find them back as soon as I would find the money to return. They would still be there, some years older, living in the same house, hopefully even the dogs will still be there in the house of the Sanchez-family (even though I didn't always like Mac). If I go back I can step back in the traces I left, pay a visit to my hostfamilies, attend a Rotary meeting on tuesday evenings, find my friends at the Malecon or in Guayaquil, ...
But here, my life in Vancouver is not comparable. The first time I experienced living on my own, together. Fairview is a real community. My best friends are living here. I had some midnight study parties with Petra and Mikyung this week (because we are in exams), we can just take 25 big steps to reach house number 2754 to learn some Swedish with a free sample of Physics. I can pass the bicycle reck and check if the lights are burning in Garrapitto's house, so I can disturb him in his cooking/intellectual projects or salsa practice. Mikyung in number 2770, offering me craftfood pasta (I think she is finally out of her family package) or in a smiling conversation with her boyfriend online. Daniel, who is going to leave very very soon, nor ro Colombia but Oregon. I will see them all leaving, one by one. Most of them will come back after Christmas, but I won't. Who knows if I will ever come back here. We cancelled Bowen Island today, I only realize now that this was my last chance to go there. I will probably never go there, definitely not in the same company. It scares me to realize that IF I come back. In some years, when I am older and feel nostalgicness in my veins, I will not find them anymore. Other people will be living in our houses. My small, but cute, side room will not be my room anymore. Another person will be sleeping in the bed in which I had so many nice dreams. So many memories hidden in my pillow, my dead flower on the windowsill, the turnable blinds hiding secrets for the neighbours, the shower which never really stops leaking, the bath room (wash room, as they call it here) I cleaned so vigorously about one month ago. I will never find them back here. My friends, they will be gone. There is no chance to be together in Beanery anymore, no vegan brownies in Sprouts for lunch, no chain of lights going downstairs to Wreckbeach. I will never find this again. I will never find back my exchange term again. It scares me. Counting the days and realize I only have 10 days left (normally only one week, but I changed my flight to the 23th), makes me nostalgic already. Or maybe it's because of the musical we went to watch tonight. Beauty and the Beast! It was amazing and the singing was goosebumpingly clear. The story was quite predictable, but that increased the entertainment level, as I could silently sing along with most of the songs.
Tomorrow I will leave to Vancouver Island very early in the morning, so I should better pack my stuff and go to bed now. It will be day soon!
Love you all and miss you (even the people who are here with me now),
A confused Veerle with a lot of sentimental musical songs in her head.
zaterdag 13 december 2008
vrijdag 5 december 2008
Behaviour disorders, berry candles and self-made cookies
Artists, especially writers, poets and composers, are in higher risk for mood disorders. Yep, major depression, bipolar I and II, dysthymia, ... they are all on the path I try to wander. Maybe I should take a side way somewhere. Escape, get out of this place, these chains of personal expectations... Some people always want to be different anyway. Reading about mental problems from breakfast (euhm, brunch) till 2 hours after my midnight dinner (gnocchi), you would become depressed for less. Me? Depressed? No, I'm not. Maybe just slightly borderline personality disorder, in a mild and functional sense, experiencing mood fluctuations guided by distracted thoughts. Making loose associations in my head all the time. Does it make me leaning in the direction of schizophrenia? The disorganized subtype, while my 300 'friends' on facebook honor me as 'most organized'. They should know better.... They should... I make good cookies, vegan ones. One day they should honor me for that. Especially my new creation: cinnamon-apple-raisin-vegan delight!
Much has happened the last weeks. Is it really two weeks ago since I wrote? Is it really almost time to leave Vancouver and the people I love here? I have been studying for days now, my eyes getting used to nerdish strong glasses on my nose, the small letters of my textbook (with the suspicious looking psychopath hiding on the cover page), my ears getting deafened by the sound of silence. Fortunately there were Petra and sometimes Alex (and on sunday Marina) to keep me company in the dead house. Never heard such a silence in a student kitchen. And of course there was Whistler last monday. Touching the snow. Marina quite literally with her open shoes. We learned a lesson that day, reading 'wise sentences' on touristic magnetic gifts in one of the hypertouristic shops in Whistler Village. I'll tell you later about the sentence, it just doesn;t fit here. I should tell here about the expedition to the Whistler Public Library, about the two vegan wraps I got in a Greek fast food restaurant for the price of one, about the Korean highschool system which Mikyung explained me and appeared to me a terrible hell comparable to prison or army. And when I think of Whistler, I can't help it think of the hot chocolate we drank on the top of the ski resort, sipping whipped (soy)cream and gossipping about everything a person could gossip about. Is it already 4 days ago? No...
Time flies when you are having fun, says the expression I recently learned from a friend. That's a good one. What does that tell about me and my study? Or does it tell other things? Things about staying in my bed the whole morning, staying widely awake till at least 2 am... Does it tell things I should better be silent about? My distorted life, daily rhythms abruptlyinterrupted. My clock is not running like it used to run. It got stuck in a peculiar moment, a second, an eye blink. Warn me if I am talking nonsense. Analyze me, please, analyze me and bring the results to my postbox. I live in Fairview 2710 room 1, the small unsymmetrical shaped room on the third floor.
I just needed to write 'something' in order to fall asleep. Write the bad spirits away Kill them with the voice of my typing fingers while I am lying in the bed. The bed which witnessed my life in Vancouver without any subjective evaluation, without protesting, warning me, forcing me to sleep when I should. He acts innocent (my bed), but he knows the tears I secretly shared with his pillow. He knows the dreams that follow me at night. He knows what makes me sad, before I know it myself, but he doesn't speak a word about it. Beds don't sooth, they just make it softer...
Goodnight,
Veerle
Much has happened the last weeks. Is it really two weeks ago since I wrote? Is it really almost time to leave Vancouver and the people I love here? I have been studying for days now, my eyes getting used to nerdish strong glasses on my nose, the small letters of my textbook (with the suspicious looking psychopath hiding on the cover page), my ears getting deafened by the sound of silence. Fortunately there were Petra and sometimes Alex (and on sunday Marina) to keep me company in the dead house. Never heard such a silence in a student kitchen. And of course there was Whistler last monday. Touching the snow. Marina quite literally with her open shoes. We learned a lesson that day, reading 'wise sentences' on touristic magnetic gifts in one of the hypertouristic shops in Whistler Village. I'll tell you later about the sentence, it just doesn;t fit here. I should tell here about the expedition to the Whistler Public Library, about the two vegan wraps I got in a Greek fast food restaurant for the price of one, about the Korean highschool system which Mikyung explained me and appeared to me a terrible hell comparable to prison or army. And when I think of Whistler, I can't help it think of the hot chocolate we drank on the top of the ski resort, sipping whipped (soy)cream and gossipping about everything a person could gossip about. Is it already 4 days ago? No...
Time flies when you are having fun, says the expression I recently learned from a friend. That's a good one. What does that tell about me and my study? Or does it tell other things? Things about staying in my bed the whole morning, staying widely awake till at least 2 am... Does it tell things I should better be silent about? My distorted life, daily rhythms abruptlyinterrupted. My clock is not running like it used to run. It got stuck in a peculiar moment, a second, an eye blink. Warn me if I am talking nonsense. Analyze me, please, analyze me and bring the results to my postbox. I live in Fairview 2710 room 1, the small unsymmetrical shaped room on the third floor.
I just needed to write 'something' in order to fall asleep. Write the bad spirits away Kill them with the voice of my typing fingers while I am lying in the bed. The bed which witnessed my life in Vancouver without any subjective evaluation, without protesting, warning me, forcing me to sleep when I should. He acts innocent (my bed), but he knows the tears I secretly shared with his pillow. He knows the dreams that follow me at night. He knows what makes me sad, before I know it myself, but he doesn't speak a word about it. Beds don't sooth, they just make it softer...
Goodnight,
Veerle
donderdag 20 november 2008
Back from the swimming pool
I'm just back from the swimmingpool. My cat-like hair still dripping on the keyboard of this Irving Learning Centre Computer. my mind set on studying (for the first time in the library... It's a way to reinforce myself I guess) and still not succeeding in my mission not to be distracted by computerscreens... I'll never learn it! Anyway. I have just one week and 1 day of classes left. After that hell begins. No, just joking. I'll have 4 finals, nicely spread over my last 3 weeks in Vancouver. Empathic people can hold their thumbs up on friday 5th (at 7 o clock at night!), the 10th, 11th and 16th. I am desperately behind with some courses, but put more effort in the Teaching Writing project I have to finish for next wednesday.
At the same time I stay relaxed with movie-evenings, cooking, swimming, yoga, origami, walking in the rain, sunsets on the beach, Lady in red soup and vegan brownies from Sprouts, a kitchen salsa with Juan from now to than, long evening chats with parents and Pieter, writing emails to strangers on Couchsurfing in order to meet some more 'vegan Vancouverians' before I leave, karate (but not today because my legs cry out because of terrible muscle pains "no more stairs please! Please don't kick!!! Au au au!!!". I just did some stretching in the sauna to make them relieved again...
Just discovered that they only have 3 changing rooms in the female part of the swimming pool changing area. You can guess my surprise entering the open public space, immediately being surrounded by a dozen naked girls. We, Belgians, are not used to that, aren't we? Or did I just never go to an university swimming pool before? Maybe that's it. Anyway, be informed.
Some more things about my life here: I don't want to go back, but miss you all very much (especially you!!!!). Last weekend I went to see Deep Cove, a regional park close to West Vancouver. What a wonderful view just after sunset!!! But... after sunset means 'no light anymore'. We returned by re-entering the forest in the dark of the 6 o'clock night. Imagine the Canadian forest... bears hiding behind every tree, but you can't see them in the scarce light of a desperate almost battery less photocamera. You can only hear a soft murmuring... We used Jeremy's flash (on his professional camera) to light the way from time to time in order not to get lost. Probably he took a lot of abstract forest-pictures in this way. Alex showed off by walking in front of us without any light to guide him. This rainforest (yes, it really is a rainforest. They exist here in Canada. just like in Ecuador, with trees too big to hug, outreaching green arms of plants, waterfalls and seemingly not so stable bridges... and mud of course (but I already told you about that) reminded me of the night trip in the Amazon jungle almost 3 years ago now. But in this case we didn't see any colored frog, wanting to poison us.
Yesterday I went with Petra (from Slovenia) to Mikyungs (from Korea) house to watch the Spanish movie Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el Sexo) together. Awesome to have a girlsnight with movies, chips and chocolate chai tea. We were lucky that Mikyungs roommates didn't enter the common place at some moments, because they would suspect us of watching porn before midnight ( we don't know how open Canadian are about this :D Even though they don't use changing rooms in the swimming pools). But overall it was a love story. Erotic, but romantic in a rather strange sense.
I could tell about the Malaysian birthday party I went to on saturday. Farah became one year older than me, so we celebrated with a buffet of delicious Malaysian spicy snacks. Mmmm... I love red rice coconut desserts!!! And the soymilk with bubbles was tongue-teasing! Farah introduced me in some Malaysian traditions, like for example singing Malay(and in my case English) karaoke on your socks. On the 29th I am going to be the bride in a Malaysian cultural event. I wonder what that will give... And I still need a groom!!!! Apply by sending a mail to farahilde@gmail.com
That's all for now. I should start studying now. Just like to waste my time in a usefull way...
Love you all!!!!! Miss you!!!
God nat! Goedenacht! Bye bye! Namaste! Oyasumi! etc...
Veerle Joanna
At the same time I stay relaxed with movie-evenings, cooking, swimming, yoga, origami, walking in the rain, sunsets on the beach, Lady in red soup and vegan brownies from Sprouts, a kitchen salsa with Juan from now to than, long evening chats with parents and Pieter, writing emails to strangers on Couchsurfing in order to meet some more 'vegan Vancouverians' before I leave, karate (but not today because my legs cry out because of terrible muscle pains "no more stairs please! Please don't kick!!! Au au au!!!". I just did some stretching in the sauna to make them relieved again...
Just discovered that they only have 3 changing rooms in the female part of the swimming pool changing area. You can guess my surprise entering the open public space, immediately being surrounded by a dozen naked girls. We, Belgians, are not used to that, aren't we? Or did I just never go to an university swimming pool before? Maybe that's it. Anyway, be informed.
Some more things about my life here: I don't want to go back, but miss you all very much (especially you!!!!). Last weekend I went to see Deep Cove, a regional park close to West Vancouver. What a wonderful view just after sunset!!! But... after sunset means 'no light anymore'. We returned by re-entering the forest in the dark of the 6 o'clock night. Imagine the Canadian forest... bears hiding behind every tree, but you can't see them in the scarce light of a desperate almost battery less photocamera. You can only hear a soft murmuring... We used Jeremy's flash (on his professional camera) to light the way from time to time in order not to get lost. Probably he took a lot of abstract forest-pictures in this way. Alex showed off by walking in front of us without any light to guide him. This rainforest (yes, it really is a rainforest. They exist here in Canada. just like in Ecuador, with trees too big to hug, outreaching green arms of plants, waterfalls and seemingly not so stable bridges... and mud of course (but I already told you about that) reminded me of the night trip in the Amazon jungle almost 3 years ago now. But in this case we didn't see any colored frog, wanting to poison us.
Yesterday I went with Petra (from Slovenia) to Mikyungs (from Korea) house to watch the Spanish movie Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el Sexo) together. Awesome to have a girlsnight with movies, chips and chocolate chai tea. We were lucky that Mikyungs roommates didn't enter the common place at some moments, because they would suspect us of watching porn before midnight ( we don't know how open Canadian are about this :D Even though they don't use changing rooms in the swimming pools). But overall it was a love story. Erotic, but romantic in a rather strange sense.
I could tell about the Malaysian birthday party I went to on saturday. Farah became one year older than me, so we celebrated with a buffet of delicious Malaysian spicy snacks. Mmmm... I love red rice coconut desserts!!! And the soymilk with bubbles was tongue-teasing! Farah introduced me in some Malaysian traditions, like for example singing Malay(and in my case English) karaoke on your socks. On the 29th I am going to be the bride in a Malaysian cultural event. I wonder what that will give... And I still need a groom!!!! Apply by sending a mail to farahilde@gmail.com
That's all for now. I should start studying now. Just like to waste my time in a usefull way...
Love you all!!!!! Miss you!!!
God nat! Goedenacht! Bye bye! Namaste! Oyasumi! etc...
Veerle Joanna
woensdag 5 november 2008
and suddenly there was mud...
Before I post my new blog with the news of the last month, I would like to share a story with you. An outcome of creative writing, my shopping and cooking experiences here in Vancouver and the appearance of mud seemingly everywhere...
MUD
Suddenly... Maybe not as suddenly as she would like to make herself believe. She deliberately bought the ingredients, without caring for the proportions. Attracted by the colors and the prospect of tasteful delight. Especially the 'organic' and 'vegan' labels attracted her. Sometimes she thinks to know what she wants, especially in the chaos of overwhelming, flashing supermarkets.
She overloaded her shopping bags until a point that everybody would describe as ‘a state in which the bag is going to burst’. You don't know when or how, but you know suddenly you won't be able to carry all the things you brought into existence by buying them. There is no way back once you added them in the planning of your dish.
You will put it all together. Of course. it`s natural, you guess. That`s life... mix it up. It`s just one life, so multi and poly and extra is more. If she had a blender, she would have used it, but in her case she had to rely on the residence materials: a from- neighbour-borrowed pot in a messy kitchen. She didn`t want to bother her housemates with it. Kept it silent, even when she already occupied the whole kitchen with her thoughts and the sound of bubbling water.
No, it didn't take long for the water to cook. She even didn't expect it to happen at all. She almost forgot she had put the pot with water on the stove. She had set aside the idea of cooking, at least not all these ingredients at the same time. She would avoid the cooking point, in order to leave the veggies more or less raw. Of course she would flirt with the boiling point, knowing she would exceed the by-herself-agreed temperature. If she never exceeded the boiling point the mud would never have occurred, both the intentional as the unintentional one.
But suddenly there was mud... It smelled nice at first. A mix of sweet and spicy. `Hot in a certain way, but from a distance it wouldn`t look attractive at all. Time to switch off the fire``, common sense would exclaim. `It`s to late, so don`t make it worse`. But she didn`t. She kept staring, fascinated by the way the veggies mixed. How you couldn`t tell after a while where they originally started. She even couldn`t remember what she put in the pot. It must have been everything... Everything she had in her fridge, even the things which were not meant to be ever mixed.
Can mud be messy? Can it be disgustingly brown and swampy, but tasteful at the same time? Can it be totally 'flat', will it leave you smooth? Can it not evoke anything anymore because it just on cooking way too long? Or is that impossible? Will the mud burn anyway, even when you decrease the heat to a lower temperature to make the outlook acceptable? “Will it burn?” she asks. And if it burns, who or what will be hurt? Will she hurt herself by touching the pot? Will the mud smell like an extinguished camp fire or will the old borrowed pot have to live with inerasable scratches? Or will it catch fire? Spread the flame and burn the house and all the people connected to it? Will the mash form a flood? Will they call it ‘the invasion of the stew’ and will everybody who smells it be swept away by the flow of sludge? And she? Will she sink up to her knees in the mud? Will the world sling mud at her? Will they drag her through the mire?
She just doesn’t know and stirs the mud, unintentionally and innocent.
Stirring well, till the brownness blinds her sight... and she can only sightlessly guess how well the mud once tasted.
MUD
Suddenly... Maybe not as suddenly as she would like to make herself believe. She deliberately bought the ingredients, without caring for the proportions. Attracted by the colors and the prospect of tasteful delight. Especially the 'organic' and 'vegan' labels attracted her. Sometimes she thinks to know what she wants, especially in the chaos of overwhelming, flashing supermarkets.
She overloaded her shopping bags until a point that everybody would describe as ‘a state in which the bag is going to burst’. You don't know when or how, but you know suddenly you won't be able to carry all the things you brought into existence by buying them. There is no way back once you added them in the planning of your dish.
You will put it all together. Of course. it`s natural, you guess. That`s life... mix it up. It`s just one life, so multi and poly and extra is more. If she had a blender, she would have used it, but in her case she had to rely on the residence materials: a from- neighbour-borrowed pot in a messy kitchen. She didn`t want to bother her housemates with it. Kept it silent, even when she already occupied the whole kitchen with her thoughts and the sound of bubbling water.
No, it didn't take long for the water to cook. She even didn't expect it to happen at all. She almost forgot she had put the pot with water on the stove. She had set aside the idea of cooking, at least not all these ingredients at the same time. She would avoid the cooking point, in order to leave the veggies more or less raw. Of course she would flirt with the boiling point, knowing she would exceed the by-herself-agreed temperature. If she never exceeded the boiling point the mud would never have occurred, both the intentional as the unintentional one.
But suddenly there was mud... It smelled nice at first. A mix of sweet and spicy. `Hot in a certain way, but from a distance it wouldn`t look attractive at all. Time to switch off the fire``, common sense would exclaim. `It`s to late, so don`t make it worse`. But she didn`t. She kept staring, fascinated by the way the veggies mixed. How you couldn`t tell after a while where they originally started. She even couldn`t remember what she put in the pot. It must have been everything... Everything she had in her fridge, even the things which were not meant to be ever mixed.
Can mud be messy? Can it be disgustingly brown and swampy, but tasteful at the same time? Can it be totally 'flat', will it leave you smooth? Can it not evoke anything anymore because it just on cooking way too long? Or is that impossible? Will the mud burn anyway, even when you decrease the heat to a lower temperature to make the outlook acceptable? “Will it burn?” she asks. And if it burns, who or what will be hurt? Will she hurt herself by touching the pot? Will the mud smell like an extinguished camp fire or will the old borrowed pot have to live with inerasable scratches? Or will it catch fire? Spread the flame and burn the house and all the people connected to it? Will the mash form a flood? Will they call it ‘the invasion of the stew’ and will everybody who smells it be swept away by the flow of sludge? And she? Will she sink up to her knees in the mud? Will the world sling mud at her? Will they drag her through the mire?
She just doesn’t know and stirs the mud, unintentionally and innocent.
Stirring well, till the brownness blinds her sight... and she can only sightlessly guess how well the mud once tasted.
donderdag 16 oktober 2008
La confusion pone casa en mi cabeza...
My sexuality expedition yesterday didn't turn out well. What I expected to be an entertaining free lecture (that's how my exchange friend Maria described it and the reason why I wanted to attend the lecture without being registered for ) ended in a quite unexpected situation. A cold shower which forced me to run away as fast as possible!
Did you ever enter a room where you didn't belong, put your bag down and suddenly stood eye in eye with a Teaching Assistant, offering you an empty exam sheet? Only at that moment I realized I was surrounded by nervous students, desperately revising their human sexuality notes and textbooks. Out of pure anxiety my hand lost grip of the paper and I dropped it somewhere on the floor. " I think that one is yours," pushed the TA pointing at the floor. I nodded, but at the same time I found the opportunity to hide under the chairs and escape the lecture hall in the fraction of seconds she didn't take attention. Actually it would have been more fun if I had completed the midterm, but maybe that would have caused a lot of trouble (maybe even a earlier return to my boring European dwarf state...).
I am looking forward to the Poetry Slam in Cafe Deux Soleils in Commercial Drive on monday evening. If you want to join me, feel welcome! Doors open around 7:30. With a bit of luck I will perform for the first time on an Canadian stage (if you don't count my performance as an Indian Afghan backing vocal in Quebec ;) ). Viva poetry!
These days are rather strange than normal. I don't really know what I want, what I am here for, what I am doing, what to say, what to think, what to avoid and what to embrace. A silly thing called confusion. The default state of being of thie highly neurotic individual. The only melody which reliefs my mocking thoughts from time to time is the childish uncomplicatedness of Ode to Confusion (by the South African artist Harris Tweed).... "life should be more fun, it should be a laugh a minute going hahahahaha, but we don't know who you are (...) You know you want to let it you... ", even though I am not sure if it really should...
Actually I have to study for Cultural Psychology. There's a midterm coming up tomorrow and this time I can not just run away... In the meanwhile I take Jens' suggestion of "the Philosophy of Art" into consideration. Maybe Leuven isn't that bad after all...
Some October pictures to remember
Going out with Mikyung and her friends on the evening of Wild Asian Club life. (That evening I realized Asians are not as shy as they appear at first sight)
Colours of Universityof British Columbia
oh ah, Poetry in the Sun! (or what are Teaching Writing classes normally look like).
The smiling artist on the right is our prof Kedrick James.
Sushi can be funky and Vegan, as Alex and I demonstrate here.
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Risking our lives in the Othello Caves
Did you ever enter a room where you didn't belong, put your bag down and suddenly stood eye in eye with a Teaching Assistant, offering you an empty exam sheet? Only at that moment I realized I was surrounded by nervous students, desperately revising their human sexuality notes and textbooks. Out of pure anxiety my hand lost grip of the paper and I dropped it somewhere on the floor. " I think that one is yours," pushed the TA pointing at the floor. I nodded, but at the same time I found the opportunity to hide under the chairs and escape the lecture hall in the fraction of seconds she didn't take attention. Actually it would have been more fun if I had completed the midterm, but maybe that would have caused a lot of trouble (maybe even a earlier return to my boring European dwarf state...).
I am looking forward to the Poetry Slam in Cafe Deux Soleils in Commercial Drive on monday evening. If you want to join me, feel welcome! Doors open around 7:30. With a bit of luck I will perform for the first time on an Canadian stage (if you don't count my performance as an Indian Afghan backing vocal in Quebec ;) ). Viva poetry!
These days are rather strange than normal. I don't really know what I want, what I am here for, what I am doing, what to say, what to think, what to avoid and what to embrace. A silly thing called confusion. The default state of being of thie highly neurotic individual. The only melody which reliefs my mocking thoughts from time to time is the childish uncomplicatedness of Ode to Confusion (by the South African artist Harris Tweed).... "life should be more fun, it should be a laugh a minute going hahahahaha, but we don't know who you are (...) You know you want to let it you... ", even though I am not sure if it really should...
Actually I have to study for Cultural Psychology. There's a midterm coming up tomorrow and this time I can not just run away... In the meanwhile I take Jens' suggestion of "the Philosophy of Art" into consideration. Maybe Leuven isn't that bad after all...
Some October pictures to remember
Going out with Mikyung and her friends on the evening of Wild Asian Club life. (That evening I realized Asians are not as shy as they appear at first sight)
Colours of Universityof British Columbia
oh ah, Poetry in the Sun! (or what are Teaching Writing classes normally look like).
The smiling artist on the right is our prof Kedrick James.
The organic heaven of Choices! Food!!!!!!!
I like leafs, even the green ones!
Sushi can be funky and Vegan, as Alex and I demonstrate here.
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We and the highest Mountain of Canada : Mount Robson 395400 cm!!
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Bees, the world traveller!
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The glacier is ours :) Frozen hands on the Columbian Icefields
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Relaxing on a frozen beach
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Europeans on their way to the top of Tunnel Mountain (Banff National Park)
They call him the Flying Swedish Man
Some hairy guy :), Bees and I on the beach
The everlasting duo: My backpack and I
The red mermaid (Lake Louise)
The hairy guy and I with the 'poster' of Lake Louise in the Background
Wonton!
Risking our lives in the Othello Caves
For more pictures, visit my skydrive! Or facebook (if Facebook doesn't go against your principles)
See you soon!
A Veerle who really needs to study now...
Rocky-after-math: Friendship and Coincidence
Wanted to go to the Psychological Aspect of Human Sexuality lecture (as entertainment, probably because of lack of the previous mentioned thing), but ended up in a crowdy lecture hall with a desperate and hypernervous teaching assistant trying to explain some vague exercises about rates, primes, equations and more far-away-from-my-bed math functions. Sex comes in one hour... Patience Veerle, patience...
My midterm of cultural psychology is waiting for me on friday. In the meanwhile I just keep dreaming about the Rocky Mountains, watching and re-watching the hundreds of pictures I took of this snow-dipped stoney tops. I loved it and if I had more than 10 procent of my laptop battery left, I would tell you everything about it. Now I will just quickly send you to the picture album: http://cid-623d43d05c27b292.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Photos/October%202008/Rocky%20Mountains%20Trip%2010-13%20october
Friendship... in these days I wonder what it is. Is it sending smileys in a live messenger chatbox in the internet after midnight, is it sharing food even though you don't really have enough for yourself, is it offering a shoulder to support a broken heart, let your toes almost become frozen just because the conversation is too interesting to interrupt, texting that you already miss each other after just one weekend, talking the whole night through on a cold couch in the reception hall of an some-stars hotel in the Rocky Mountains? If this is called friendship, I can say I have at least 4 very good friends here in Vancouver. But why don't I put enough effort in some other friendships that matter. Why do most of you have to put up with only my scarce news on this weblog or a short facebook message from time to time. Why is there no time left in these overbooked evenings to have a oversea-s chat? I just want to say I'm sorry for that. You all mean a lot to me, even though I'm far away. Nevertheless, on Canadian Thanksgiving (last monday) I mentioned all of you in a kinda-formal pre-vegan-dinner-speech. A moment to give thanks. to eat Tofurky (tofu-turkey) and to sing European Harvest Songs (I could only think of 'waar int bronsgroen eikenhout" and "the zomerse hei". Dad would be proud of me :P
Finally I am sure. My religious view is based on the laws of coincidence. Some things in life are just to 'coincidental' to be random. God (or however I can name this spiritual power) proved it to this doubting Belgian creature on sunday, to be exactly, alongside the heavenly blue shore of Lake Louise. Ok, it's the most visited touristic attraction of Canada, but that day there weren't that much tourists at all. I felt totally excited. Even though I lacked one night of sleep and I lived in some kind of memory-damaged sleepdrunk condition, I am sure that God's prove actually happened. Right at the moment my eyes crossed the blue surface of the lake, a voice reached my ears. " Sorry, did you go to Ecuador 3 years ago?". I was perplex. It was not necessary to check the name tag around her neck: this was Kim Lipscombe! My Canadian friend during my year in Ecuador. I knew she lived in Beautiful British Columbia, but how big it the chance to actually meet each other in the second biggest country of the world. Kim was guiding a group of international students of her college, I was with another group of Vancouverian International Students. And right on that moment, these fiveteen minutes of touristic exposure to the lake, our paths crossed. Isn't it planned coincidence?
Time for sexuality now. Lecture is going to start!
Enjoy the pictures and keep in mind I miss you!!!!!!!!!!
Veerle
My midterm of cultural psychology is waiting for me on friday. In the meanwhile I just keep dreaming about the Rocky Mountains, watching and re-watching the hundreds of pictures I took of this snow-dipped stoney tops. I loved it and if I had more than 10 procent of my laptop battery left, I would tell you everything about it. Now I will just quickly send you to the picture album: http://cid-623d43d05c27b292.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Photos/October%202008/Rocky%20Mountains%20Trip%2010-13%20october
Friendship... in these days I wonder what it is. Is it sending smileys in a live messenger chatbox in the internet after midnight, is it sharing food even though you don't really have enough for yourself, is it offering a shoulder to support a broken heart, let your toes almost become frozen just because the conversation is too interesting to interrupt, texting that you already miss each other after just one weekend, talking the whole night through on a cold couch in the reception hall of an some-stars hotel in the Rocky Mountains? If this is called friendship, I can say I have at least 4 very good friends here in Vancouver. But why don't I put enough effort in some other friendships that matter. Why do most of you have to put up with only my scarce news on this weblog or a short facebook message from time to time. Why is there no time left in these overbooked evenings to have a oversea-s chat? I just want to say I'm sorry for that. You all mean a lot to me, even though I'm far away. Nevertheless, on Canadian Thanksgiving (last monday) I mentioned all of you in a kinda-formal pre-vegan-dinner-speech. A moment to give thanks. to eat Tofurky (tofu-turkey) and to sing European Harvest Songs (I could only think of 'waar int bronsgroen eikenhout" and "the zomerse hei". Dad would be proud of me :P
Finally I am sure. My religious view is based on the laws of coincidence. Some things in life are just to 'coincidental' to be random. God (or however I can name this spiritual power) proved it to this doubting Belgian creature on sunday, to be exactly, alongside the heavenly blue shore of Lake Louise. Ok, it's the most visited touristic attraction of Canada, but that day there weren't that much tourists at all. I felt totally excited. Even though I lacked one night of sleep and I lived in some kind of memory-damaged sleepdrunk condition, I am sure that God's prove actually happened. Right at the moment my eyes crossed the blue surface of the lake, a voice reached my ears. " Sorry, did you go to Ecuador 3 years ago?". I was perplex. It was not necessary to check the name tag around her neck: this was Kim Lipscombe! My Canadian friend during my year in Ecuador. I knew she lived in Beautiful British Columbia, but how big it the chance to actually meet each other in the second biggest country of the world. Kim was guiding a group of international students of her college, I was with another group of Vancouverian International Students. And right on that moment, these fiveteen minutes of touristic exposure to the lake, our paths crossed. Isn't it planned coincidence?
Time for sexuality now. Lecture is going to start!
Enjoy the pictures and keep in mind I miss you!!!!!!!!!!
Veerle
vrijdag 10 oktober 2008
On my own...
En daar gaat de tweede huisgenote... And there goes the second room-mate
Ik weet niet wat mijn huisgenootjes bezielt. I don't know what the matter with my housemates, but it seems there is some mean spirit bewitching this house 2710. Last sunday I saw my roummate Sarah for the second time in 5 weeks. She was standing in the middle of the corridor, her hand packing her room in carton boxes. I was happy to see her, finally I could have a conversation which could last longer than 5 minutes with my roommate Sarah, the actress, the silent invisible, who I only seem to know from Facebook (even though she was living under my room for 5 weeks now). But no, the only reason she left her room for a moment, was because of practical motives: moving out Fairview, moving it with her boyfriend (with whom she spent most of her time anyway). I didn't even have the chance to say properly goodbye, nor hello to her.
Fortunately there was still Jessica, my co-psychology student, who made the house a bit less spooky. (the other roommate Devina I only saw one when she was having dinner with some of her friends, but I'm not quite sure anymore which of them was Devina). Jessica was the one who I regularly saw studying in the coach downstairs. It's to say, I saw the back of her head and a part of her, by mp3-sound deafed, ears. One day I said 5 times 'Hello' to her while I was cooking only 3 meters away from her. She didn't take notice of it. It was only some minutes later that I could blame the headphones for it.... I decided to put up with the fact I wouldn't have a lot of company of my roommates. Fortunately there are plenty of people in this university with whom I can have a great time! Thanks Mikyung, Alex, Juan, Saori, Hiro, June, Fumi, Farah, Mio, Lenny, Yujin, Saori 2, Bruce, Antonio, Maria, IPP-group and all the others! You mean a lot to me!!
Anyway, to come back to my house-situation. When I entered the house today around 5-ish I encountered Jessica's room totally empty, wide open door, not even a single forgotten sock which could remind me of my former roommate. I felt and still feel totally abandoned... :( Now I will really be the only one using the kitchen! And the only one baring the responsibility of throwing out the overwhelming mountain of garbage... Maybe that's her reason to move! What is wrong with this house???
While I am getting myself so depressed by the moving-behavior of my invisible roommates, there is fortunately one positive thought to sooth myself with: Maybe I can get some new roommates!!! I know Farah from Malaysia is still searching for a room in Fairview, so this is her chance! I hope, I hope!
I will keep you informed about the big surprise of the new roommates. Tomorrow (at 5.30) in the morning I will go to the ROCKY MOUNTAINS till Thanksgiving (monday). So will I get a new, more social roommate (or roommates) in return? Shall we study together in the evening? Shall he or she borrow my soymilk and can I use her/his pots and pans? OMG, if not I will not be able to cook anymore, because I was always using Jessica's pots!!!! My days as kitchen queen are counted... Just now I really started to enjoy living on my own. First the herbs went away, now even the pots, pans, pepper, salt and sugar...
But tomorrow there will be Rockies! And the company of international friends!
And a lot of more positive news coming up!
Miss you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Veerle
Ik weet niet wat mijn huisgenootjes bezielt. I don't know what the matter with my housemates, but it seems there is some mean spirit bewitching this house 2710. Last sunday I saw my roummate Sarah for the second time in 5 weeks. She was standing in the middle of the corridor, her hand packing her room in carton boxes. I was happy to see her, finally I could have a conversation which could last longer than 5 minutes with my roommate Sarah, the actress, the silent invisible, who I only seem to know from Facebook (even though she was living under my room for 5 weeks now). But no, the only reason she left her room for a moment, was because of practical motives: moving out Fairview, moving it with her boyfriend (with whom she spent most of her time anyway). I didn't even have the chance to say properly goodbye, nor hello to her.
Fortunately there was still Jessica, my co-psychology student, who made the house a bit less spooky. (the other roommate Devina I only saw one when she was having dinner with some of her friends, but I'm not quite sure anymore which of them was Devina). Jessica was the one who I regularly saw studying in the coach downstairs. It's to say, I saw the back of her head and a part of her, by mp3-sound deafed, ears. One day I said 5 times 'Hello' to her while I was cooking only 3 meters away from her. She didn't take notice of it. It was only some minutes later that I could blame the headphones for it.... I decided to put up with the fact I wouldn't have a lot of company of my roommates. Fortunately there are plenty of people in this university with whom I can have a great time! Thanks Mikyung, Alex, Juan, Saori, Hiro, June, Fumi, Farah, Mio, Lenny, Yujin, Saori 2, Bruce, Antonio, Maria, IPP-group and all the others! You mean a lot to me!!
Anyway, to come back to my house-situation. When I entered the house today around 5-ish I encountered Jessica's room totally empty, wide open door, not even a single forgotten sock which could remind me of my former roommate. I felt and still feel totally abandoned... :( Now I will really be the only one using the kitchen! And the only one baring the responsibility of throwing out the overwhelming mountain of garbage... Maybe that's her reason to move! What is wrong with this house???
While I am getting myself so depressed by the moving-behavior of my invisible roommates, there is fortunately one positive thought to sooth myself with: Maybe I can get some new roommates!!! I know Farah from Malaysia is still searching for a room in Fairview, so this is her chance! I hope, I hope!
I will keep you informed about the big surprise of the new roommates. Tomorrow (at 5.30) in the morning I will go to the ROCKY MOUNTAINS till Thanksgiving (monday). So will I get a new, more social roommate (or roommates) in return? Shall we study together in the evening? Shall he or she borrow my soymilk and can I use her/his pots and pans? OMG, if not I will not be able to cook anymore, because I was always using Jessica's pots!!!! My days as kitchen queen are counted... Just now I really started to enjoy living on my own. First the herbs went away, now even the pots, pans, pepper, salt and sugar...
But tomorrow there will be Rockies! And the company of international friends!
And a lot of more positive news coming up!
Miss you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Veerle
vrijdag 26 september 2008
Na een maand grizzlyberen...
Konichiwa! (hallo) Genkie desu ka? (Hoe gaat het met jullie?) Genkie des! (Met mij gaat het goed). Lieve vriendjes in de landen met de vreemde talen (en Belgie). Voor mij geen nieuwe taal (ik bleek net te laat te zijn voor de registratie e E(nglish) S(econd) L(anguage) Course, dus stort ik me nu volledig op Japans ... en op mijn vijf andere vakken.
k ben nu precies een maand in Vancouver en al bijna twee maanden in Canada. Mijn Koreaanse vriendin Mikyung en ik worden depressief van de gedachte dat we hier nog maar 2 maanden en 3 weken zullen zijn. Er is hier veel te veel te doen voor zo een korte tijd! De afgelopen weken liep ik van de gratis proefsportweek, naar de studentassociation fair naar de communicity service orientatie. En dan waren/zijn er nog de UBC vakken, die toch wel een beetje moeilijker zijn dan de Maastrichtse PGO (oh, ik mis PGO!!!). Tot gisteren draaide ik op 6 vakken, wat toch wel een beetje teveel bleek om te combineren met al mijn hobby's hier. Dus met pijn in het hart heb ik er eentje laten vallen. Wat overblijft: (indien niet geinteresseerd in vakken, spring naar beneden)
VAKKEN
- Memory (2 lezingen per week over de herinneringen in onze breintjes en wat daar allemaal mis mee kan gaan. Viva amnesia! De prof klinkt verdacht veel als Homer Simpson, speelt de Sinterklaas door elk college kauwgom naar studenten te gooien als ze een vraag stellen en maakt er een sport van om elk college over zijn 1-jarige baby te vertellen). Maar misschien denk ik er volgende week minder positief over, want ik heb er volgende donderdag mijn eerste 'midterm'examen van.
- Behaviour Disorders (3 uur per week): Super interessante les over psychopathology, depressie en andere dingen waardoor gaat beseffen dat het toch nog niet zo erg met jezelf gesteld is ( al moet je wel oppassen dat je jezelf niet teveel in bepaalde symptomen herkent. De prof kon zo uit een toneelacademie komen. Ik hou van haar psychopatenimitaties! Hoewel ik voor dit vak les heb tot halfacht 's avonds, vliegt de tijd.
- Culturele Psychologie (3 lezingen per week0: Of: waarom Japanners minder individualistisch zijn dan Amerikanen. Denken mensen anders in andere culturen en hoe kunnen we dat testen. De prof schreef ons handboek, dus je krijgt de informatie dubbel. Handig.
- Culturele Anthropologie (2 lezingen per week plus tutorial): herinnert me heel erg aan Maastricht. Veel over 'wat is cultuur', veldwerk, sociale constructies, ... maar ook over witchkraft, cultureshock, rituelen en hockey :) Een paper wacht volgende week om geschreven te worden...
- Teaching Writing (2 keer per week): vak dat onverwacht in mijn schoot viel toen ik een mede-exchanger volgde naar haar volgende klas. De leraar leek me te geflipt om waar te zijn. Hij klom op de tafel, zong luidkeels Shakespeare, imiteerde Monty Python en had iets van Johny Depp. Dus heb ik me er voor ingeschreven. Onderwerp van de les: hoe kan je middelbare school leerlingen enthousiast maken voor schrijven. Echte inhoud van de les: one-man show van prof Kedrick over de ludieke gschiedenis van pen en papier, Japanse poezie en dreigbrieven uit krantenknipsels. Hoewel het de meest vreemde les is die ik ooit heb gehad, kan die luidkeelse man soms wel eens vermoeiend zijn zo vlak na het ontbijt...- Gisteren heb ik besloten Sensory Systems (oftewel: hoe werken de neuronen in de retina van het oog?) te laten vallen. Op de prof beoordelingswebsite was ik al gewaarschuwd voor prof Giashu "run away fast! She's evil!". Ik was beter vlugger weggerend, want die vrouw vloog sneller door de zintuigen dan mijn pen kon neerschrijven.
REIZEN
Tot daar het academische gedeelte van mijn leventje hier. Het leven daarbuiten is echter interessanter. Natuurlijk hebben we veel feestjes met de andere uitwisselingsstudenten. Erg ironisch eigenlijk. Hoewel ik in Canada ben, heb ik amper Canadese vrienden. De meerderheid van mijn feest- en reisgenootjes komen uit Korea (veeeeeeeeeeel Koreanen), Japan (mijn prive-leraren en leraressen Japans), Taiwan, Zweden, Spanje ( ik heb de echte JUAN gevonden!!!) en eentje uit Ierland, Buiten feesten, probeer ik ook zoveel mogelijk van Vancouver en omgeving tee zien.
Elk weekend zit vol uitstapjes. Vorig weekend bracht ik door in Penticton (hier zeven uur vandaan) voor een driedaagse met Canadese gastfamilies. Ik verbleef bij een veggie gezin met een passie voor Ierland. Harpmuziek, dans en tofu, het kon niet beter! En natuurlijk een interessant kosmosobservatorium, meren en prachtige bergen en ravijnen (en Clouseau als Belgisch cultureel product).
Het weekend ervoor was het prachtig zonnig weer. Reden genoeg voor mij an mijn Zweedse vriend Alex om naar Vancouver Island te varen (ongeveer 5 uur onderweg). En wat voor een onderweg! Op de ferry hadden we de luxe om echte Orka's te bewonderen vanaf het dek. Een Canadees naast ons was met verstomming geslagen. Hij had op zijn honderden ferrytochten nog maar 3 keer orca's gezien en nog nooit zo vlak bij de boot. Het was impressionant, fascinerend en zo adembenemend dat ik er niet aan dacht mijn fototoestel op de zwart witte beestjes te richten. In Victoria (hoofdstad van BC), gelegen op het eiland, hadden we een actief weekend. Zaterdag wandelden we uren in de zomerse hitte (het was 29 graden!) langs het water, het parlementsgebouw en de wel erg Brits aandoende straatjes. We verwonderden ons over de hippies en al de concentratie van veggie restaurantjes en tweedehandsboeken winkels. De zoektocht naar het kasteel bleek niet zo een succes. Na drie uur wandelen, raakten we hopeloos verdwaald in de buitenwijken van Victoria. Een vreemd vrouwtje wees ons de weg naar een donker bos (we hadden zware vermoedens van hekserij), dus maakten we uit veiligheidsoverwegingen rechtsomkeer. Zondag bracht ons naar de bossen van Potholes National Park. Echt het Canada dat je op postkaarten ziet: bergen, veel groen, zwemmen in meertjes met speelse otters, braambessen van de bomen plukken, oppassen voor beren...
Het weekend daarvoor gingen we hiken in de jungle van Stanley Park. Onderweg ontmoetten we heel wat wabeertjes (raccoons rule!) en spotten we zelfs een paar totempalen. Na acht uur wandelen (zonder eten) kwamen we terug in de bewoonde wereld. Geen wonder dat ik hier zo makkelijk gewicht kwijtraak. De week daarvoor had ik immers al Grouse Mountain getrotseerd (2,5 uur steil naar boven klimmen om in het land van de eekhoorntjes en grizzlyberen terecht te komen). Vermoeiend, maar worth the sweat...
NEVENACTIVITEITEN
De clubdays hadden zoveel Amerikaanse flair, dat ik me even in een Amerikaanse high school film waande. Het student centrum van drie verdiepingen stond vaol standjes van studentenclubs. Kies je club! Van yoga tot rafting, van journalist for human rights tot the UBC loves Vaginas club. Uit puur vermaak ben ik lid geworden van Origami club (de Japanner die de uitleg gaf, was een verbluffend vouwer en toverde een roos uit papier tevoorschijn. Ik was meteen verkocht en betaalde de 2 dollar lidgeld). Verder ben ik lid van de Psychologie Studentenclub (als welkomsgeschenk kreeg ik een gratis rat) en de filmclub (elke week film kijken voor maar 2 dollar). Ik ben nog niet zeker, maar waarschijnlijk ga ik ook bij de Yogaclub (de gratis proefles viel heel goed mee, net als de karate en capoeira klas).
Om mijn steentje bij te dagen aan de Vancouveriaanse wereld, doe ik elke week vrijwilligerswerk in een Inner-City school met Indigineous kinderen van 9 tot 13 jaar. Volgende week geef ik mijn eerste les... Arts and Cultures... Spannend! En op donderdagavond (en dit weekend) doe ik vrijwilligerswerk voor Earthsave ( www.earthsave.ca ) een non-profit educationele organisatie die bewustzijn voor gezondheid, milieu en ethische voedings- en levensstijlen bevordert. Hun jaarlijkse festival Taste of Health vindt dit weekend plaats. Je kan mij vinden bij hun infostand en als uitdeelster van gratis (vegan) hapjes! Nyam!!!
Heel veel groetjes! Foto's kunnen jullie vinden op http://cid-623d43d05c27b292.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Photos/September%202008 of op het geliefde facebook!
Mis jullie!!!!!!!!!!
Dikke kussen uit Vancouver!
Veerle (die zichzelf hier Joanna noemt)
k ben nu precies een maand in Vancouver en al bijna twee maanden in Canada. Mijn Koreaanse vriendin Mikyung en ik worden depressief van de gedachte dat we hier nog maar 2 maanden en 3 weken zullen zijn. Er is hier veel te veel te doen voor zo een korte tijd! De afgelopen weken liep ik van de gratis proefsportweek, naar de studentassociation fair naar de communicity service orientatie. En dan waren/zijn er nog de UBC vakken, die toch wel een beetje moeilijker zijn dan de Maastrichtse PGO (oh, ik mis PGO!!!). Tot gisteren draaide ik op 6 vakken, wat toch wel een beetje teveel bleek om te combineren met al mijn hobby's hier. Dus met pijn in het hart heb ik er eentje laten vallen. Wat overblijft: (indien niet geinteresseerd in vakken, spring naar beneden)
VAKKEN
- Memory (2 lezingen per week over de herinneringen in onze breintjes en wat daar allemaal mis mee kan gaan. Viva amnesia! De prof klinkt verdacht veel als Homer Simpson, speelt de Sinterklaas door elk college kauwgom naar studenten te gooien als ze een vraag stellen en maakt er een sport van om elk college over zijn 1-jarige baby te vertellen). Maar misschien denk ik er volgende week minder positief over, want ik heb er volgende donderdag mijn eerste 'midterm'examen van.
- Behaviour Disorders (3 uur per week): Super interessante les over psychopathology, depressie en andere dingen waardoor gaat beseffen dat het toch nog niet zo erg met jezelf gesteld is ( al moet je wel oppassen dat je jezelf niet teveel in bepaalde symptomen herkent. De prof kon zo uit een toneelacademie komen. Ik hou van haar psychopatenimitaties! Hoewel ik voor dit vak les heb tot halfacht 's avonds, vliegt de tijd.
- Culturele Psychologie (3 lezingen per week0: Of: waarom Japanners minder individualistisch zijn dan Amerikanen. Denken mensen anders in andere culturen en hoe kunnen we dat testen. De prof schreef ons handboek, dus je krijgt de informatie dubbel. Handig.
- Culturele Anthropologie (2 lezingen per week plus tutorial): herinnert me heel erg aan Maastricht. Veel over 'wat is cultuur', veldwerk, sociale constructies, ... maar ook over witchkraft, cultureshock, rituelen en hockey :) Een paper wacht volgende week om geschreven te worden...
- Teaching Writing (2 keer per week): vak dat onverwacht in mijn schoot viel toen ik een mede-exchanger volgde naar haar volgende klas. De leraar leek me te geflipt om waar te zijn. Hij klom op de tafel, zong luidkeels Shakespeare, imiteerde Monty Python en had iets van Johny Depp. Dus heb ik me er voor ingeschreven. Onderwerp van de les: hoe kan je middelbare school leerlingen enthousiast maken voor schrijven. Echte inhoud van de les: one-man show van prof Kedrick over de ludieke gschiedenis van pen en papier, Japanse poezie en dreigbrieven uit krantenknipsels. Hoewel het de meest vreemde les is die ik ooit heb gehad, kan die luidkeelse man soms wel eens vermoeiend zijn zo vlak na het ontbijt...- Gisteren heb ik besloten Sensory Systems (oftewel: hoe werken de neuronen in de retina van het oog?) te laten vallen. Op de prof beoordelingswebsite was ik al gewaarschuwd voor prof Giashu "run away fast! She's evil!". Ik was beter vlugger weggerend, want die vrouw vloog sneller door de zintuigen dan mijn pen kon neerschrijven.
REIZEN
Tot daar het academische gedeelte van mijn leventje hier. Het leven daarbuiten is echter interessanter. Natuurlijk hebben we veel feestjes met de andere uitwisselingsstudenten. Erg ironisch eigenlijk. Hoewel ik in Canada ben, heb ik amper Canadese vrienden. De meerderheid van mijn feest- en reisgenootjes komen uit Korea (veeeeeeeeeeel Koreanen), Japan (mijn prive-leraren en leraressen Japans), Taiwan, Zweden, Spanje ( ik heb de echte JUAN gevonden!!!) en eentje uit Ierland, Buiten feesten, probeer ik ook zoveel mogelijk van Vancouver en omgeving tee zien.
Elk weekend zit vol uitstapjes. Vorig weekend bracht ik door in Penticton (hier zeven uur vandaan) voor een driedaagse met Canadese gastfamilies. Ik verbleef bij een veggie gezin met een passie voor Ierland. Harpmuziek, dans en tofu, het kon niet beter! En natuurlijk een interessant kosmosobservatorium, meren en prachtige bergen en ravijnen (en Clouseau als Belgisch cultureel product).
Het weekend ervoor was het prachtig zonnig weer. Reden genoeg voor mij an mijn Zweedse vriend Alex om naar Vancouver Island te varen (ongeveer 5 uur onderweg). En wat voor een onderweg! Op de ferry hadden we de luxe om echte Orka's te bewonderen vanaf het dek. Een Canadees naast ons was met verstomming geslagen. Hij had op zijn honderden ferrytochten nog maar 3 keer orca's gezien en nog nooit zo vlak bij de boot. Het was impressionant, fascinerend en zo adembenemend dat ik er niet aan dacht mijn fototoestel op de zwart witte beestjes te richten. In Victoria (hoofdstad van BC), gelegen op het eiland, hadden we een actief weekend. Zaterdag wandelden we uren in de zomerse hitte (het was 29 graden!) langs het water, het parlementsgebouw en de wel erg Brits aandoende straatjes. We verwonderden ons over de hippies en al de concentratie van veggie restaurantjes en tweedehandsboeken winkels. De zoektocht naar het kasteel bleek niet zo een succes. Na drie uur wandelen, raakten we hopeloos verdwaald in de buitenwijken van Victoria. Een vreemd vrouwtje wees ons de weg naar een donker bos (we hadden zware vermoedens van hekserij), dus maakten we uit veiligheidsoverwegingen rechtsomkeer. Zondag bracht ons naar de bossen van Potholes National Park. Echt het Canada dat je op postkaarten ziet: bergen, veel groen, zwemmen in meertjes met speelse otters, braambessen van de bomen plukken, oppassen voor beren...
Het weekend daarvoor gingen we hiken in de jungle van Stanley Park. Onderweg ontmoetten we heel wat wabeertjes (raccoons rule!) en spotten we zelfs een paar totempalen. Na acht uur wandelen (zonder eten) kwamen we terug in de bewoonde wereld. Geen wonder dat ik hier zo makkelijk gewicht kwijtraak. De week daarvoor had ik immers al Grouse Mountain getrotseerd (2,5 uur steil naar boven klimmen om in het land van de eekhoorntjes en grizzlyberen terecht te komen). Vermoeiend, maar worth the sweat...
NEVENACTIVITEITEN
De clubdays hadden zoveel Amerikaanse flair, dat ik me even in een Amerikaanse high school film waande. Het student centrum van drie verdiepingen stond vaol standjes van studentenclubs. Kies je club! Van yoga tot rafting, van journalist for human rights tot the UBC loves Vaginas club. Uit puur vermaak ben ik lid geworden van Origami club (de Japanner die de uitleg gaf, was een verbluffend vouwer en toverde een roos uit papier tevoorschijn. Ik was meteen verkocht en betaalde de 2 dollar lidgeld). Verder ben ik lid van de Psychologie Studentenclub (als welkomsgeschenk kreeg ik een gratis rat) en de filmclub (elke week film kijken voor maar 2 dollar). Ik ben nog niet zeker, maar waarschijnlijk ga ik ook bij de Yogaclub (de gratis proefles viel heel goed mee, net als de karate en capoeira klas).
Om mijn steentje bij te dagen aan de Vancouveriaanse wereld, doe ik elke week vrijwilligerswerk in een Inner-City school met Indigineous kinderen van 9 tot 13 jaar. Volgende week geef ik mijn eerste les... Arts and Cultures... Spannend! En op donderdagavond (en dit weekend) doe ik vrijwilligerswerk voor Earthsave ( www.earthsave.ca ) een non-profit educationele organisatie die bewustzijn voor gezondheid, milieu en ethische voedings- en levensstijlen bevordert. Hun jaarlijkse festival Taste of Health vindt dit weekend plaats. Je kan mij vinden bij hun infostand en als uitdeelster van gratis (vegan) hapjes! Nyam!!!
Heel veel groetjes! Foto's kunnen jullie vinden op http://cid-623d43d05c27b292.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Photos/September%202008 of op het geliefde facebook!
Mis jullie!!!!!!!!!!
Dikke kussen uit Vancouver!
Veerle (die zichzelf hier Joanna noemt)
maandag 22 september 2008
The family feeling:
Imagine yourself sitting at the kitchen table of a house you barely know. You arrived there exactly one day ago, met the two housecats Dionysus and Artemis, had a delicious vegan dinner with the family and enjoyed breakfast together. The evening before their vegetarian home-schooled children (they rule!!!) performed in their own mini-concert in which Caitlin (the 16-year old, but quite mature for her age, daughter) was playing a heavenly harp and her 13 year old brother (named Jasper and dancing through the house in his Spiderman pyjama) left us breathless when he played a whole repertoire of violin songs (from classic to fiddle), all by heart and learned by ear. Amazing little boy, you thought while you tried to find the right words to describe how beautiful he performed. English has such a variety of words, that it must sound ridiculous for natives to hear my exclamations being limited to ‘nice’, ‘beautiful’, ‘cool’ and ‘amazing’. Great Veerle, time for you to buy a decent dictionary full of synonyms, you think (in case your name is not Veerle, you can replace this for your own name). Anyway, I don’t use my Belgian name anymore. Last Thursday I almost missed my doctors appointment, because I didn’t recognize my own name being called. At least, I didn’t understand the way doctor Fisher was trying to pronounce my name. No, just stick to Joanna, that will make things easier for all of us.
Before I start wandering around with words, I’ll just give you a quick description of the place where you imaginer yourself staying for a free weekend: Penticton. As Google Earth proudly showed me before arriving here, Penticton is located right in the middle of two lakes. No, let’s use the right expression before you think I am sailing on a ship right now. Penticton is somewhere between two lakes (Okanagon Lake and (other) Lake). Highlights of the city (at least, from the Penticton Rotarian perspective) are the Astronomical observatory, the Tinhorn Creek Winery (where we tasted our first chocolate cup of sweeter-than-sweet icewine (remember that name, because I’m sure you want to taste it at least once or twice or more in your life (in my opinion once you taste it, it’s hard to resist a second cup, even though I’m not an alcohol fan at all) and an old restored boat (the 91-year old guide would be disappointed in me if he would read I described his favourite ship, his work and his life, as an ‘old boat at the beach’. How can i describe the authentical feeling I got while walking in the big common area in Victorian style, imaging myself wearing a wide dress and gliding gracefully through the ladies sitting room (with piano and soft coaches). If this place would offer a coach surfing possibility, it would be one of the far most popular Okanagan spots. After listening together to my audio disc of Belgian music (if forgot to mention I put our CD (Available Online, made by me and Pieter) on the mp3 cd. Disorganized as I am I forgot to bring some jewels with me (who are these ignorant people who vote me to organized person on ‘compare people’ at Facebook? Ever seen my room? Ever seen the spiderweb in my mind?)
Help me, I have to many words in my head this evening. Are this the side effects of a too long time without writing? Are the unwritten thoughts taking revenge on me? Is English a more impatient language that my native Dutch? Why can’t I just tell about the line-dance evening with the Dutch Ankie (who is married to a Canadian and calls herself Anna, because she doesn’t like the Canadianse version ‘Enkie’. It makes sense...There was free Rotary food (North American of course) this evening. What do you think? Indeed, hamburgers! Oh happy day, they had a lot of vegetarian ones! I love Canada!!! In my head I was already preparing how I would teach a Belgian song to all the people, but in the end the only thing we needed to do was planting a small pin in a world map (high concentration in East-Asia ... Who knows how that’s possible? Especially Korea and Japan seemed well-represented. To make time shorter, i flash myself (and you, my friend) to the present (Saturday evening 20th of September), sitting at a kitchen table in Penticton in the house of the MeikleJohn’s-Ferrari family, enjoying their view over the night lights of Penticton city. Too bad that we will only stay for some more hours, In the morning Caitlin and mother Jacinta will leave before sunrise. A ‘wise woman festival’ offers free sunrises, so they want to be there on time. You didn’t see a free sunrise everyday J, at least not in combination with inspiring workshops of influential women from all around the region. If I would need to be back in UBC on Monday morning, I would be too nosey to let this pass without me. Hopefully mother and daughter will have a lot of fun.
I can feel my eyes getting heavy. Time to sleep for this Belgian girl... or should I shower first? Nope, the way straight to bed is shorter... let’s go for it!
Imagine yourself almost sleeping, writing with full stomach and being happy in a family you will probably not see anymore the next year(s), while the rest of the house is asleep, It’s a irrealistic feeling, but for the first time here in Canada i really feel at ‘home’. I love the way this family treat eachother, their patience, their creativity and energy, their endless talents, their warmth to eachother and to us. It’s strange how you can start loving people even when you just know them for one day. Anyway, I hope to return here soon (with Pieter....?) to visit them again.
Have a nice sleep,
Take care,
Veerle
Before I start wandering around with words, I’ll just give you a quick description of the place where you imaginer yourself staying for a free weekend: Penticton. As Google Earth proudly showed me before arriving here, Penticton is located right in the middle of two lakes. No, let’s use the right expression before you think I am sailing on a ship right now. Penticton is somewhere between two lakes (Okanagon Lake and (other) Lake). Highlights of the city (at least, from the Penticton Rotarian perspective) are the Astronomical observatory, the Tinhorn Creek Winery (where we tasted our first chocolate cup of sweeter-than-sweet icewine (remember that name, because I’m sure you want to taste it at least once or twice or more in your life (in my opinion once you taste it, it’s hard to resist a second cup, even though I’m not an alcohol fan at all) and an old restored boat (the 91-year old guide would be disappointed in me if he would read I described his favourite ship, his work and his life, as an ‘old boat at the beach’. How can i describe the authentical feeling I got while walking in the big common area in Victorian style, imaging myself wearing a wide dress and gliding gracefully through the ladies sitting room (with piano and soft coaches). If this place would offer a coach surfing possibility, it would be one of the far most popular Okanagan spots. After listening together to my audio disc of Belgian music (if forgot to mention I put our CD (Available Online, made by me and Pieter) on the mp3 cd. Disorganized as I am I forgot to bring some jewels with me (who are these ignorant people who vote me to organized person on ‘compare people’ at Facebook? Ever seen my room? Ever seen the spiderweb in my mind?)
Help me, I have to many words in my head this evening. Are this the side effects of a too long time without writing? Are the unwritten thoughts taking revenge on me? Is English a more impatient language that my native Dutch? Why can’t I just tell about the line-dance evening with the Dutch Ankie (who is married to a Canadian and calls herself Anna, because she doesn’t like the Canadianse version ‘Enkie’. It makes sense...There was free Rotary food (North American of course) this evening. What do you think? Indeed, hamburgers! Oh happy day, they had a lot of vegetarian ones! I love Canada!!! In my head I was already preparing how I would teach a Belgian song to all the people, but in the end the only thing we needed to do was planting a small pin in a world map (high concentration in East-Asia ... Who knows how that’s possible? Especially Korea and Japan seemed well-represented. To make time shorter, i flash myself (and you, my friend) to the present (Saturday evening 20th of September), sitting at a kitchen table in Penticton in the house of the MeikleJohn’s-Ferrari family, enjoying their view over the night lights of Penticton city. Too bad that we will only stay for some more hours, In the morning Caitlin and mother Jacinta will leave before sunrise. A ‘wise woman festival’ offers free sunrises, so they want to be there on time. You didn’t see a free sunrise everyday J, at least not in combination with inspiring workshops of influential women from all around the region. If I would need to be back in UBC on Monday morning, I would be too nosey to let this pass without me. Hopefully mother and daughter will have a lot of fun.
I can feel my eyes getting heavy. Time to sleep for this Belgian girl... or should I shower first? Nope, the way straight to bed is shorter... let’s go for it!
Imagine yourself almost sleeping, writing with full stomach and being happy in a family you will probably not see anymore the next year(s), while the rest of the house is asleep, It’s a irrealistic feeling, but for the first time here in Canada i really feel at ‘home’. I love the way this family treat eachother, their patience, their creativity and energy, their endless talents, their warmth to eachother and to us. It’s strange how you can start loving people even when you just know them for one day. Anyway, I hope to return here soon (with Pieter....?) to visit them again.
Have a nice sleep,
Take care,
Veerle
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