the Canadian swing of things

I need to get into the swing of this blogging thing!

My group went to Québec City this weekend. Although I spent some time there last summer, I really enjoyed the trip and even saw some places I hadn't gotten around to last year. I ate and walked a lot, usually the elements of a good trip. After days of sight seeing, I got to enjoy the night life in Québec City, which was a lot of fun. Nothing in Canada is open late, though. Québec was no exception.We walked around Montréal for a few hours during a layover. I didn't realize this last year, but Montréal seems much more anglophone, or anglophone-friendly, than Québec City. An overall fun trip, but I passed out & slept for nine hours when we got back.

Interning is going well. I'm not as nervous anymore and speaking French all the time hasn't lost its appeal. I went to the Supreme Court today...it was surprisingly dull, not much to see. I've also discovered all the receptions (parties) with free food, which is great because I'm broke. I love Question Period (when the government and the opposition meet in Chambers so the opposition can ask the governement about its actions aka the two sides yell at each other and it is fantastic), which makes me a huge dork, but I look forward to it everyday. I especially love that it is in French and English, of course. I really like Ottawa, though. Maybe even love. I love working all day and learning interesting things and meeting amazing people, then walking home through the city, and going out or just chilling after work. Maybe partly because school is done with, but this experience has confirmed that I have no future in academia whatsoever. Law school will be the last of it.

Sciences Po officially accepted me. Ecstasy...except future of homelessness and relative poverty in Paris have also become official realities. I've spent most of last night and this afternoon applying to summer jobs. Hopefully I'll get something...I'm desperate.

I.

Today is Monday & I have been in Ottawa since Saturday afternoon. We went out for my birthday, which was nice because I got to meet some of my fellow interns. The dorms here are fine (East Quad was better), but the neighborhood is really nice & close to everything.

Today was my first day of interning! I won't meet my MP until tomorrow (she was out of town), but everyone in her office was enthusiastic and informative and made me excited to start working. There is a Canadian intern in the office as well, & we seem to have a fair amount of freedom in pursuing our interests. I'm most excited about speaking French everyday, although my non-québécois accent is very obvious (or so it seems to me). Someone from another office came in for a bit, and they had the thickest québécois accent I have ever heard! It's kind of growing on me. I wasn't confused or overwhelmed by speaking French or by the québécois accent, although that will most likely change as the week unravels.

We went grocery shopping after work. I love how everything is just a bit different here, in ways I never considered. I am currently drinking lychee pop & this cinnamon spread-thing, both of which I have never seen in the States. Deeeelicious.