House Managing Report

Awesome house managing week? I think so!
For those who don't know house managing is one week (For me and most of the group this means two house managing weeks in one rotation, for some it just means one) you get to stay home from work and cook and clean for the entire Katima-house! Fun :)
Helena and I are...no words can describe how amazing house managing with this girl is! Our menu for the week was as follows
Monday dinner-pizza and garlic cheese bread with vegetables (cucumbers, carrots, and peppers)
tuesday breakfast-fruit salad tuesday lunch- sandwiches tuesday dinner- lasanga with mixed vegetables
wednesday breakfast- breakfast bagels (bacon, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, etc.) wednesday lunch-salads (potato, and a green salad) Wednesday dinner- burgers and fries with vegetables
Thursday breakfast- oatmeal Thursday lunch-wraps Thursday dinner-Mac and cheese with veggies
Friday breakfast- banana muffins Friday lunch-witches fingers (bread with stuff in it) Friday dinner-chicken pot pie
Saturday breakfast-eggs/toast/bacon/cereal Saturday lunch-potato casserole Saturday dinner- spagetti
Sunday breakfast- cereal Sunday lunch-provided at a volunteer event (Autumn Festival) Sunday dinner- stir-fry and rice
Monday breakfast- cereal/misc. Monday lunch-grilled cheese
Our group does it so that the monday you start you only cook dinner because we don't go grocery shopping until just before lunch on monday. So you just cook going into the next monday that way you know you have all the ingredients. Our group also cooks breakfast and lunch (A few groups don't but they just have to make sure that they have all the stuff to make those types of things) for the whole group. I find this very nice because that way I can wake up later and just quickly grab a lunch and catch the bus for work.
Anyways Helena and I have had a really amazing time and we work really well together. We prepare breakfast and for the following day the night before so that way we can sleep in. Then when we get up we just clean clean clean. That takes up most of our morning, then we start preparing dinner. Once dinner is ready and prepared we usually start making breakfast and lunch for tommarrow. Sometimes (like most nights for us) if we have extra time we make cookies or cinnamon buns (vegan of course, for our lovely vegan). It is the nicest time I have had house managing (although Jill and I had a great time house managing, but it was way more stressful being in between billeting and our 48, compared to that this week is WAY more chill)
Monday grocery shopping was fun. In Lethbridge we had to go to four places (two organic farms, the flour packaging company, and stupid store) here we just went to IGA so it was way easier, but we filled up two carts by the end of it. We spent WAY less than our budget and we were fine. Annabel did have to run out to grab a few more items that people needed/that people accidently ate (like chicken, advil, salt, and misc. things) We were worried we would spend over our budget (like the last two groups of house managers) but we didn't so we celebrated a bit. It's nice because if we can keep our budget in check we won't have to worry at the end of our rotation about money. (You get a lump sum at the start of your rotation, that will last the full three months. You can only spend a certain amount per week to make the budget balance itself out)
House managing with Helena, we dance and fool around, but we get the job done. People have commented on how awesome our cooking is, and even if they aren't being genuinely truthful its nice to hear.

BACK TO LA BARRATTE (WORK!)


Random pictures to come, a pre-billeting post(My experience will be so amazing this time...more information to come), pumpkin carving contest, murder mystery night, themed dinners, halloween, gender reversal night?! MY GOODNESS! So much happened this week, hopefully a post soon!

You know the sun is shining

You know you're in Katimavik when you stay up late on a Tuesday night eating M and m's (doing lines of them in rainbows to be exact) and learning to crib walk. Wednesday (tonight) we're having our first themed supper since Erin tied our hands together in Lethbridge. Gender reversal NIGHT! This will be interesting...I am hoping to get my hands on some nice pictues. Ah Katimavik sometimes I love you so much, other times...well...yeah...

I am now officially on the Katimavik blog list/blog roll on the Katimavik blog, so thats always nice to see!

That is all:) A nice detailed house managing post to come at the end of the week:) Bon journee!

Quebec has random pieces of graffiti placed throughout the city, here are some of the pictures I took of them during my 48 hours off. They are really interesting...well I find them interesting the people who have to deal with them afterwards probably don't find them as amazing

This is the wall standing outside of old Quebec, on my 48 hours off Jaz, Willie and I climbed the wall:)
Willie and I rode a cannon! En Garde! We were joking around pretending we were commanding an army.
Apparently if you scream outthis windo "I AM YOUR KING" you will get a lot of looks from strangers

48 hours

48 hours off! YES! For those who don't know...it is two days where we get to be teenagers and do nothing that involves Katimavik! (Basically for most people it's their excuse to get some alcohol...not for me though!) I have a love/hate relationship with my 48 in Lethbridge I did the Galt museum, fort whoop up, and other random things which you can read in the previous posts. Here...I have no plans other than sleeping in. I might go to the museum de la civilization here in Quebec City with Helena and her parents (*might!) but other than that I am doing my christmas shopping because I won't get another chance to do it. I also bought a small bonhomme for myself! The picture above. I love him...I feel like a child when I see him. He is adorable and I wanted something to remember him by when I leave. So volia a little bonhomme stuffie:) I am happy. Well onwards to my 48 hours...then house managing! YAY buzy buzy buzy!



And just for a giggle...this is my job...in picture form:)

Tying up the loose ends

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNBDn-Gp6WU
Our groups final video for Lethbridge

One other thing...we donated blood as well before we left! YAY! Well...a lot of us tried, some couldn't for medical reasons, some were sick, some the nurses couldn't find the viens, fun times. It was fun! We took up almost the whole clinic! I am now a registered blood donor, round of applause! This makes me really excitied, I would encourage everyone to go donate blood you save lives (cough cough like mine:) )But I got in the chair they jabbed me with the needle a lot, and alas they couldn't find a vein, because they kept jiggling and moving the needle while it was in my arm it hurt. At least they only poked one of my arms, a poor guy in my group they poked both sides and still couldn't find a vein. Alas! WAY more water next time I think. Ah well, five of us were actually able to donate blood. We can donate again on November 11th but I don't know if we can because we are in Quebec, hopefully we can its a great thing to do. I want to continue donating blood for the rest of my life if I can, it can save someones life.

Quebec...oh Quebec...

I am really starting to hate you! Our group was a happy little family in Lethbridge, we had adjusted quite happily to our quiet life in little Lethbridge (We were adorable Lethbians, inside joke) but now...I feel like we left too much of ourselves in Lethbridge. I for one know I left a lot, a lot of my heart (family I love, my job, Erin, the view, the beautiful city that I will probably never see again) its hard now. We had gotten used to Lethbridge, and we have been pulled and replaced. I am scared because I don't think things can go back to the way they were before.

We are fighting a lot, stupid things are blowing up in peoples faces. Oh this person said this thing about me two months ago, oh this person forgot to put the toliet seat down, this person can't cook, why does this person keep talking, that person keeps glaring at me, its frustrating. We weren't like this before and now we are acting like children. We're adults, come on guys I thought we were better than this! But we've been through worse, and I know we will survive. Although everyone is in countdown mode, which isn't good. If you're counting down the time you're not going to enjoy what is around you.

I'm fearful of the end to tell you the truth. There will be a void in my life once again, what with leaving school (I miss Gleneagle) and not going back until september, and going straight into Katimavik I didn't have time to have a break, and now...what will happen to me? It's not like everything will have frozen and stayed the same from the time I left my family in the Vancouver airport four or so months ago. Nothing will ever be the same again...that scares me. I want the normality of going to school again, where my biggest stress in life was getting good grades...I don't want the real world. Part of me wishes I could stay in Katimavik forever, but even I know that I grow bored of this. I feel in a rut, like I was when I was almost finished school, COAST, the summer, anything. Like when I finish I will be the happiest person on earth, but two months later I will hate myself and wish I could go back. All I want right now is my twin, my family. That is the only reason I am excitied to go home. It's hard to be so far away from those that I love...Katimavik has given me a new appreciation for my family.

When I get in moods like this it's my black hole...I cannot get out. One more day of work this week, then my 48 hours (aka christmas/birthday shopping) then I am house managing next week. November we billet the 4th until the 13th then work work and more work, then the 28th until the 4th I am house managing again with Cole. November 3rd and 4th were trying to plan a trip to Montreal. Last day of work is December 9th...I think. and we go home December 16th. Just two months left of this adventure...I'm happy but sad. Bipolar with emotions once more.

Pictures!

Lots of pictures. We are currently cooking our Katimavik Thanksgiving! Buzy day...so glad I am not house managing, although I am helping...making rolls, and I did some dishes.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend:)

Quebec City

Weird, I have been here for a little over a week and it seems like I have spent a lifetime here. So here goes a blog post because I should update you on the situation here. Well Travel day was hectic and crazy and I didn't sleep at all. It was really sad because I hugged Erin and she wouldn't let go! When the bus pulled away she was in the dining room and the lights were all on and all I saw was her cry and place her head on the table. Jaz and I were really sad we were crying on the bus as we traveled to Calgary. Next time I fly it will be back to the people that I love! (cough cough, I come home December 16th)

QUEBEC CITY!? Really, little old me is in the big city. By that I mean I live in Ste-Foy, Quebec which is like a half hour bus ride to OLD QUEBEC! I love it. We had work place tours the day after we got here, La Baratte-soup kitchen and meals on wheels for the old people, Morrin Centre-an english library, Ozanama-a thrift store, YWCA-thrift store as well, and another job which I don't remember, La Rivere-cleaning paths, planting trees, raking, etc., Petro Laval-a community centre where little kids get to do sports and such, L'arche-a place where you get to work with people with mental disabilities. My favourite choice....MORRIN CENTRE! But sadly I didn't get to work there. And the winner is...La Barratte. The reason why I hate life at the moment. Out of seven it was my last choice. I get to cook...ALL FREAKING DAY! I really hate working there. But the question is do "Work at a job I hate, and hate my monday to friday just to live in the city I love, and sacrifice my happiness monday to friday. Or quit and make no one happy" Ah well

Old Quebec is amazing. I love all the history and stories that accompany it. It is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. (as you can tell I have been out of school WAY too long because I use a lot of amazing in this blog post) If you ever have a chance to go to Quebec City go to Old Quebec and just get lost it is beautiful. I will update my next blog post with pictures. I had real "squeaky" poutine and beaver tails for the first time! I love Old Quebec, the history, the stories, the atmosphere, the beautiful architecture, everything about it!

The only weird thing about Quebec is the french. Not that french is weird or anything its just...difficult to describe. I feel like an immigrant in my own country. Imagine your only asset (English) being used against you everyday! My biggest skill for me is my language and being unable to actually speak and tell everyone how I feel is very hard. It's like being mute and deaf, everyone else can understand each other yet you are the only one who doesn't speak and cannot hear. That's the best way I can think to describe it. It's difficult, people ask me to do stuff at work and all I can do is just look and nod at them. It's frustrating, I just want to sit and cry because I don't understand. Seriously people I'm English, not stupid!