International Students @ Concordia

Limbo

I’m on my seventh day into Spring Break and everyone and their mother is in New York right now. I don’t get to go to go because I don’t have a VISA to the states. I think a trip down to the city that never sleeps would have given me exactly what I needed right now to shake away this bizarre lull that’s hanging over my head.

Every day, I attempt to bucke down and tell myself that I’m definitely going to be finishing all the assignments, papers, and projects that my lovely professors gave me to hand in right as we get back to school next week. But alas, the powers of procrastination should never be underestimated. (Especially when the thought that there’s more than 60 hours left until school starts creeps its way as an opposing argument to actually doing work.)

Not helping matters whatsoever, I will in fact be graduating soon. Yipee. After four and a half years here at Concordia, I have a few concrete ideas (key word being ‘few’) on where I want to be ‘when I grow up’. You never really relate to people in this situation until you realize that you’ve pushed away this discussion with yourself to the last, final semester you have.

I guess I should just have more coffee and continue my highly productive day of lying around and listening to AOL radio (Indietronica in case you were wondering).

It'll come to me eventually I’m sure.

Little Belle at the Airport

She is wearing Belle’s gala dress from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and is dancing in circles next to a row of big black luggage. Her fluorescent yellow dress shined glitters and puffs up when she turns round and around. Her mom carries a handful of white and red plastic bags and her older sister is pushing the heavy bags as the line moves forward. The digital screen reads: “Mexicana flight to Toronto.”

Getting dizzy, she stops. Her tight little ponytail is held together by multicolored braids. Her mom speaks to her: “Baby, please, come on, we have to pack your dress before we leave.” She doesn’t protest. She takes off her dress carefully and her sister helps to press it down and fold it into her pink Barbie rolling backpack. Her blue-marker name spiraled on the back, growing from small faint letters, turning into darker, bold letters: NataSHIA.

After forcing the zipper to close, her mom looks up and points towards the back of the line. “Papa!” She runs off with those Wizard-of-Oz shiny shoes (except they are black and tiny) and jumps as tall as she can, only to reach her dad’s waist. He kisses her on the forehead, and puts her down. She climbs one of her dad’s legs as he holds her hands and somehow manages to help her do a backward somersault. She repeats it three more times, laughing out loud. When she finishes, she sees me smiling at her. She smiled back, she knows she had a show…

Usually, airport stories are frustrating. But from time to time, something this cute just makes your day!

Go Habs !!!

Whoever pretends to have lived the real "Montreal experience" and has not yet went to a NHL game is a faker.  Last weekend, I finally went to see my first hockey game.  The Montreal team (called the Canadians) versus The Islanders from New York.  When wefirst arrived, the stadium was empty (normal since we were 2 hours early). It was very cool because we got to see the warm up.  I felt like we were VIP ! The game was very passionate.  It is like soccer, there is few goals, and when there is one, the crowd will let you know!!!  I was also pretty proud,  because their famous goalie Huet, is French ! The ambiance was very familial, even though the beers were being consumed in great amount...  But the best thing was the DJ !!! During every short time out, I felt like I was in a club...between Timberlake, Britney, and old house... the DJ had what it takes to make a crowd HOT !!!!! If you ever have a chance to experience the thrill of a real Hockey game, Don't miss it...

Also, another rite of passage living in Montreal, is to go the Igloofest. It's a techno festival, located outdoor's in the old Montreal.  Good music, great crowd and good workout... cause let me tell you that between the cold of the night and the good music you won't stop dancing !!!

                                                               

 

On behalf of the welcome center, we thank you, all of you, who went to come to see us at the Open House.  It was great !

The weather here is pretty snowy...but, hey, we've already finsihed with half of it ! So be strong and don't complain because spring will soon be here !

PS: By the way...;-)....the Winter Break is coming, I'm thinking to go to down to New York...and you ?

Peace Audrey