New News News

A few of my lovely katimavikers were in the news.
http://www.globallethbridge.com/video/scene+and+heard++aug+9/video.html?v=2087420788&p=1&s=dd#scene+and+heard go until 3:20 and thats where the segment starts. Ah look at little morgan and cedric. How I love them:) and our lovely PL:D

Well...it has been a long time since I posted. Two weeks. Ugh, too much free time, then no free time. It's frustrating but I guess thats what Katimavik life is. Ah well, we have done SO much in the past two weeks its crazy!

So the weekend of August 6th and 7th we volunteered at the Canadian Little League Championships. It was fun, we did 50/50 raffle tickets, sold merchandise, and sold door tickets. Best part is they fed us breakfast one day (And they had a TON of pancake mix left over and they gave it to us) and then the next day we got to have lunch. Ah French fries my favourite (this is where I drool, seriously I love french fries) Um Whalley (They represented British Columbia! It's in Surrey, near Vancouver) won and I really liked giving it to the Ontario kids, it was funny because we kept trying to prove which province was better. We got a free t-shirt volunteering there (seriously if I get any more free t-shirts I will never have to buy another one again!)

Then working at birds of prey. two weird stories...funnier one first. This guy came into Birds of Prey Centre with a puppet, and his son. He looked more concerned about his puppet than his son. Anyways he asks us if he has to pay for his puppet to come in. Weird... second story is that I got to ride home in the backseat with a baby short eared owl. He kept trying to jump out of his little box, it was so adorable!

apologize for the bad photo, jumping bird, plus bumpy car ride...bad picture.

This week we also did YOGA! Which I find interesting. I like that it keeps my mind buzy for the hour it takes, also hot showers that I dont have to wait for. Ah, I cannot wait for quebec city and that way our group will have more than one bathroom.

This weekend was interesting to say the least. I am so tired and ready to go back to work tommarrow. So Saturday we went to a Hudderite Farm Tour! Interesting, it was crazy. Okay this is just my opinion so if you want ignore it but like I say its my opinion and I am allowed to have one. I hated it there! I know its their lifestyle and such but ugh. We got to see everything, the capentry shop, the metal shop, the cattle place, the kitchen, the garden, the preschool, and the school house. But most of the guys were VERY sexist! It was so hard to hold my tongue! We were talking with one guy in the capentry shop and he looks at the guys and was like "This is mans work, Women always say they want to be treated equally until it comes to hard work" I was like "Calm down, this is their culture" BUT SERIOUSLY! ARGH! Most of the guys around the farm/colony had that attitude though. Anyways, we went to the area where the cows were and got to see the calves. They kept licking my hand and sucking on it, it was adorable. We also found a kitten that the girls were smitten with, it reminded me of my cat Nardo (My little orange kitten I had, he got killed by a cougar, always tried to attack things bigger than him:( ) We also got to go to their garden which is AMAZING! They kept handing us cucumbers, tomatoes, raspberries, I loved that part. Their rolls were amazing too! Oh those rolls, light and fluffy and homemade...I am drooling just thinking about it:) We also went to their school house. They learn German as children, and then when they get older they learn English, then learn German some more. They go to school Monday thru Friday 7 until 3:30, and then Saturday Sunday 7 until noon. Wow, they also finish school at 15, I don't think I would have ever been ready to finish school at 15! All in all, the women that showed us around were amazing and the sweetest ladies you would ever meet, and the children following us made me giggle, but the guys yeah its their lifestyle whatever. Except the guy that we asked to do the tour with named Jason, he was nice and very polite to the girls.

Then later that afternoon the Medicine Hat Group came! Crazy night proceeded. Although a lot of them went off and did their own things, a few of us helped with murder. We played a game called Werewolf, it was fun. It is so much better with a larger group, it was weird though when I woke up and their was so many more people! Except our one bathroom was definately in need of a clean after 22 people.

Sunday we volunteered at the BMX event in Lethbridge. People there actually knew where Maple Ridge, B.C. was! Apparently there is like a giant track there and thats why they knew it. My job there was helping with food, I got to serve people their burgers and ask if they wanted sauce on it or not. Medicine Hat group helped there too, so there was like no real jobs for them. It was crazy! We keptt having people come up and thank us. We also were asked to sing O' Canada and explain Katimavik to the people in the stands. All in all it was an amazing weekend. Except for the fact that I have been crazy sick and am going to go to the doctor hopefully with Helena tommarrow. i would rather be safe than sorry.

Long weekend

We have a long weekend here in lovely Alberta so we have been super buzy. (Here they call it heritage day-according to signs, in lovely bc it is bc day) Well I should update you on the week so far

FLASHBACK! To thursday
I get up at 7:45 to get ready for work, and I am ready with my lovely ginger Willie at 8:20 like normal...we wait, 8:30 rolls around and we start getting worried...9 we start wondering where our work partner was...we try calling and cannot get anyone... by 11 our lovely PL (who was away for 48 hours for a meeting and her 24 off) and she told us to stay home and just help clean. I WAS SO BORED!! I didn't want to step on the house managers toes and try to help clean, so I just cleaned the basement and laundry room, put things away in the living room, and then I also did laundry...I WAS BORED!!!

Friday we went to work, sprinkler management...sucks so much. But I love working in the sun, and I love working near the birds. I am also really lucky to work with Willie, he is very nice and is always smiling.

Saturday and Sunday we volunteered at the Heritage Acres Antique Farm Show. It was fun, we played with the kids. I got to run the fish pond (EVERY CHILD GOT A PRIZE!) which was fun because I didn't have anyone getting upset. We also had to stop cars at the gate and ask them questions to help with the fair. I hate talking to people, but I actually talked to people...Katimavik is definately helping with my shyness. We went around to all the booths, and I bought an orange cameo necklace, its super pretty:D Willie got swindled by a lovely old lady, she kept buttering him up, calling him adorable and sweet telling him he needed to gain weight because he was so thin. Then she told him to buy her cookies...and he did. Later Saturday night we went to a barn dance. It was fun, there were mostly elderly people there. We danced like fools, it was fun. I had a lot of dance partners, Helena, Jaz, Erin, and Willie. It was fun, an elderly couple tried to teach us how to dance. Apparently the woman works in Fort Mcleod so she is going to try to help us plan more activities there, volunteering and such. We slept in a barn too! It was two stories, horses were below us and we kept hearing them all night. It was nice...I actually loved it. Sterling in the morning started playing the piano, he is truly amazing. I wish I could play that well...then Willie decided he was going to play...HE PLAYED ZELDA!! Made my weekend. I have no idea what we are doing tommarrow, so this could be interesting. Have a great long weekend:D

Kapeekapo

Ah my lovely Katimafamjam. How I love them <3...it feels like we have been together can you really believe that tommarrow it will only have been three weeks with these people that I have come to know. I love my group....My group has to be one of the best out there. But anyways I shall now update you on my last three weeks! and of our future plans in kapeekapo village!

Well week one, hectic. I seriously cannot remember any of it. Well we made whole wheat bread, went over some of the rules with the medicine hat group (Did I mention I got to go to medicine hat?!?!)...also the rules are all really obvious (curfew is 12 on weekdays and 2 on weekends:D YAY!) We met our amazing PL Erin...seriously you are lucky if you ever get her she is the most amazing young adult I have ever met. I have no idea of anything time wise so how about just a big blurb until I get back to present time and day? Our basement flooded...and I couldn't use the group computer to update, and I felt bad bumming someone else's computer. We didn't have our basement for a long while, until thursday or friday...but now we have it back. SO WE CAN HANG OUT DOWN THERE AGAIN!?! We went for a hike in the coulees (small hills) and that was fun, got to see the high level bridge from up close. We went to watch a soccer game, Lethbridge university vs. Calgary university (Calgary won). We volunteered at the South Country Fair, pretty much a hippie fest. It was fun though, Jas, Willie, Helena and I danced in this misty thingy, and got drenched. The music was epic, and we got so many compliments from the people who saw us helping. Also we met a lot of past participants there. We also got to start working! I am working at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale...I get a ride to work everyday in the most epic orange car that blasts tons of 80's and 90's music (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air lol) So far I have got to help clean out bird baths, clean bird cages, put up the bird cages and take them down, water tree (apparently that's my main job this summer :( ) oh well... But hey I got an epic STAFF t-shirt the other day:) Great fun that is. Except the centre closes for the season on September 10th and we don't leave Lethbridge until September 28th...so I might have to work in the Mouse House for two weeks...ah la vie! French lessons started...I think they seem like a total joke...seriously the woman is telling us verbs but not how to conjugate them...and then she taught us numbers and the alphabet today like argh! It is so frustrating I wish she would teach us practical application of french...looks like I am f-ed for Quebec City. oh well...I have Helena...aka the best person to know in Quebec! :) Oh...For one of our meals our PL tied all of our hands together...not the best experience in the world, but somehow still fun. Now onwards to more recent times....(aka Cause I don't remember anything else!)

Well Saturday we played a game called "Bigger and Better" where you start off with a paper clip and have to trade up getting bigger and better items. My group (AKA team kickass, Kristen and me) traded our paperclip for a weird/creepy doll -> Squirt gun -> pair of sunglasses (Kristen then found a duck on the side of the road that we added to our pile) -> old atlas, giant candle, bedskirt -> painting, purse, and still the old bedskirt -> trampoline! YES!!! Other groups had great success too, in total we had groups bring home: GROUP Connor, and Cedric, two old tvs, camping stove, and one more thing, GROUP Morgan and Willie a bean bag chair, weird giraffee statue, and a lamp, GROUP Sterling and Helena a lamp, and GROUP Cole and Jazz a weird soccer ceiling fan. Pretty good right, all for a paperclip...yeah!

Sunday we got to volunteer at the Lethbridge International Airshow! It was fun, while we were driving in though Erin our PL hit a gofer. She squealed and me being in the backseat laughed thinking she was squealing about the air show and being super excitied...well no it was because she hit a GOFER! Anyways the airshow was fun, we were on recycling detail. Except Liz (Family Centre lady) was all like "Hey Keagan, wanna hop on my tractor and help me with loading up the recycling" of course I was like "Yes" because I had never been on a tractor before....fun for the first ten minute and then boring as sin...hop of the tractor grab recycling throw it into the back, get back on the tractor. Except I had ripped my pants riding behind Liz on the tractor...lol at least she's an authorized driver:) Except tragedy struck, and my foot got slightly run over by an ATV while putting cardboard in another tractor. It hurts, but it's not swollen or sprained...all I have is weird red indents on my foot. But we also got fed there too! Great fun times.

MONDAY WE GOT OUR LAST GROUP MEMBER! Jillian arrived monday, much to our excitement and now I have a bunk buddy! She is on the top of my bunk, and I am on the bottom.

What else....homesick as crazy but not as much anymore. I feel like my homesickness is a cup filled to the brim. If I don't think about my family, home, my twin, anything to do with B.C. (Shaking the glass) then I'm fine, as soon as I do that I feel sad and homesick. But it is only like four and a half months away from them:) But then that makes me sad to think that I have to leave my katima fam who I have grown to love.

Happier things today:)

PEACE OUT!

Katima Family

In Order of appearance: Yaritza (Jaz), Cedric (With an accent over the e), Cole, Morgan, Kristen, Willie, Connor, Me in all my awkwardness, Helena, and of course Sterling

Ah My lovely family:) Aren't we adorable. Blog post tommarrow!

I've landed

My first plane ride was fun, it felt like a roller coaster taking off though, seriously I don't like watching a plane turn, it makes my stomach drop. This is only the second day! Yay...seriously it has been so buzy! We got in on Thursday morning at four am. Very tired participants. But then once we got up that morning we talked, had breakfast, and then went to the SAAG (South Alberta Art Gallery) where we then got to learn all about our work partners. Then today we went to the rest of the workpartners. Birds of Prey (Get to work cleaning cages, doing stuff with mice...won't even mention the mouse house) Family Center (Get to work with Kids) St Teresa, and St. Michael (Get to help with the elderly) Safety City (get to teach kids safety) Fifth on fifth (get to help people get jobs) ummm I have a horrible memory so I apologize to anyone I didn't mention

Seriously though, I am homesick...I miss my twin. I feel like the awkward one trying and failing to make conversation...any ideas on how to make the shy awkward kid, less of that?

I should go hang out with my group, see ya!

Down the Rabbit Hole

I leave for Katimavik today! It seems weird saying that, the months of hype and now its finally here. Weird... Anyways my room is looking bare, I had to clean it and strip my bed and now it just looks sterile. The sun is shining (not into my window still a little early for that) casting everything into light, that must be a good sign. We haven't had sun, mostly rain this year, so this must be great. I am nervous and scared yet extremely excitied! I have never seen any other province (other than B.C.) I have never been in a plane (that is where all of my nerves are coming from) Katimavik is going to give me a lot of firsts!

Well...I leave at around 12ish probably. My dad took my bags with him this morning to work. I am going to take the bus, and then the skytrain and hang around metrotown (a mall) with my mother and twin sister until my father finishes work. Then we will meet up with him and my bags. He will then proceed to take us to the airport (like a chauffeur) and then I will meet Cole (a groupmate who lives in Vancouver) and hopefully a girl named Erin (I believe she is in the medicine hat group, but she is going to travel with me and Cole) We get on a flight to calgary that takes off at 615, then we get to go to our katimavik group sitting in the airport. Then we all get into a bus, drop other groups off in our cluster and go to lethbridge (at 4 a.m.!!!)

CRAZY EXCITIED!!!

Katima-Cupcakes

Had my goodbye party last night:D It was awesome... my friend who is an amazing baker made cupcakes!! Be jealous at this!

Here is a cupcake to represent when I get to go to quebec:D


Here is a cupcake to represent me flying for the first time:D


Here is my favourite cupcake a suitcase and the world!



...no lethbridge because and I quote "I don't want to make a damn bridge" (In response to the high level bridge)

I like to keep you reading with pretty pictures...also because I have a short attention span and like they say a picture says a thousand words

French Evaluation

Did my french evaluation...ugh, I hate talking on the phone, but we have a power outage so I had to use my mothers cell phone....FML. I have been trying to call her for a month now and we have been playing phone tag. But today I won tag!!! Yes, I finally got a contact of the French Evaluation lady! I didn't exactly fail...but well....it was still bad. She asked me to speak in full sentences or if I didn't know how then to try and tell her what she was asking in french.

NOW PRESENTING...HOW TO FAIL AT FRENCH!
*=speaking french
aka me mumbling something in french...
Her:It's early isn't it?
Me: Ah, yes it is (I ALWAYS GET UP AT THIS GOD FORSAKEN TIME!!)
Her: *What is your name
Me: *I am Keagan
Her:*What is your email address
Me: Umm giggle(I giggle when I am nervous) Are you asking my email address?
Her: Yes
Me: Uh, I have no idea how to say that in full sentances
Her: *What is the date today?
Me:* The date is June...2011
Me: I have no idea what the day is
Her: OH! Okay I will tell you the date in English, it's the 15
Me: OH! *Its June the 15 2011
Her: *Do you speak french often
Me: Uh...speak french...?
Her: *Do you speak french often
Me:Yeah, I have no idea
Her: I am asking do you speak french often
Me:*NO, I don't speak french often
Her: *Have you taken a french class before
Me:*I took a french 11 class, last year
Her: Okay your finished, you will be okay you can speak full sentances, and understand a lot of what I am saying.
Me:Thanks, I am surprised I remembered that from my French class!
Her: Okay, any other questions?

That's all she asked...I think I did okay...a 1 would be nice....ugh

Later: I found out I did get a one...well at least I don't fail that bad:D

What did you guys get on your french evaluation?

Group Mate Blog

Yes, she put it on her facebook...so here it is:
http://sixmonthsofkatimavik.tumblr.com/
She is in my group...I hope this doesn't make me officially the "creepy" one of katimavik

Also, haven't been able to contact the French evaluation lady, CURSE YOU TIME ZONES!!! I am going to try again soon, but if I can't reach her I will for sure call her during exam week (since I am not writing exams so I get the whole week off)

Accepted

I got my official acceptance today:) So thats good, and so far I know three other people in my group, one guy lives near vancouver!! We could totally meet each other, but that would slightly be creepy. Anyways we are probably going to be traveling together, YAY I won't get lost:) Seriously, I have never ever been on a plane (I feel very childish writing never ever lol) and I am nervous and excitied! So I may or may not be screaming or crying "I need an adult" (brownie points to you if you get that reference) Also today i got my volunteer guide so I know what to bring.

In Other news...I am almost legal....IN ALBERTA AND QUEBEC! Now if you guys don't already know that means when I am gone I can legally drink where I am! (Although, Katimavik I don't think likes anyone...in the volunteer guide they said no drinking in the houses...) I probably won't drink but its weird knowing that I can just go and do it. Oh yeah, its in two days I turn 18:) Happy early birthday to me:D My twin and I are going to party on saturday

We have decided to have a BBQ and good bye party for me on June 29th to 30th, sleepover with my friends, because my one Best Friend is leaving for a family vacation on the 30 (She is devestated, she wanted to leave later so she could say goodbye) Its going to be with family and friends. Then hopefully I can go to the Canada day celebrations and have some very delicious french cabane du sucre (I think) since there is a huge group of frenchies coming from malliardville (which is the french area near where I live) to celebrate canada day which means awesome french food

Also while looking on Urban Dictionary I found this...I think it is a good thing to end on:) Its laughable

Under the disguise of a Canada's Leading Youth Volunteer program, it's a science experiment gone awry, lasting nine months and consisting with the strangest group of 17-21 year olds imaginable. The "Katimaviktims" (clever, oh ho ho) live with 10 other strangers and volunteer 8 hours a day in three different parts of Canada. The program includes making 10 page protocalls to go pee, enduring weekly house meetings that are more painful than plucking out your own eye, turning vegitarian or learning to loathe vegitarians, creating screaming wrestling matches over lifted toilet seats, dishes, lint traps, or music, and still somehow managing to get an amazingly positive life-altering experience.

Just don't ever mention toilet seats.
Recently graduated highschool student/frustrated university dropout/bored drifter: What's this? Katimavik? A free travelling program offered by some abstract arm of the Canadian government? Promised self discovery? What's there to lose?

Mothers

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there:) Speaking of mothers (I am so happy you brought up the subject:) ) I love my mother, but mom strangers don't care if I am leaving. Just to let you know, I am the youngest of six kids and I am graduating this year. Alot of the time my mother will be talking to a clerk and saying stuff like "My baby is leaving soon", "I'm going to cry when you graduate and then I will loose my baby only a few days later", "You're the first of my children to leave and go so far away from me",thank you mother. Seriously I love her, but she makes me feel bad for going:( But it's my life and I shouldn't feel bad for leaving...should I? I want to live my life, its my choices that I have to live with not hers

In less heavy news:
I GOT MY CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK! (well...I got it into the police station friday and today they called me and said that it was in) I was so worried not because I have a criminal record or anything, but that I left it too late and it wouldn't be into the station for a few weeks because it always takes long. At the station when I was filling all the paperwork we had a really nice woman helping us, and she actually knew what Katimavik was! My jaw dropped usually I get blank stares, apparently her neighbours daughter did the program too, anyways I get sidetracked too easily, well since I am under 18 (Until May 19th, thats why I was putting off my criminal record check) they don't do Vulnerable sector checks, but the lady said that she would do it for me:) That was nice of her (or did she just want my money lol) So now, once I hand this in I AM DONE WITH PAPERWORK AND EVERYTHING WILL BE GREEN ON KATIMAROUTE! (yes, here is where you can applaud, because if you are an applicant or a past katimavictim then you will know just how much of a pain that novel of paperwork is, Step four and five)

I got my french call...I wasn't home....I called back at school, twice and no answer. Ugh I hate talking on the phone, I know my french isn't the best, so its just nervewracking waiting for it to be done. Seriously I just wanna get it over with. I am going to try calling on Tuesday and hopefully I can get it done. DAMN timezone changes!! *Shakes fist

I am sorta talking to two of my group mates:) YAY! One is an 18 year old female, and the other is a 21 year old female, yeah Females represent (seriously we can find no one else in our group its kinda of disappointing, but exciting because that means the first impression I get from them isn't facebook... BUT I WANT TO KNOW!! And seriously who wouldn't stalk the facebook page:P..or is that just me:) ) Oh yeah...I failed to mention my group number... its 41164 I believe:)

Also my best friend told her mother about me leaving?!?! Whoa but her mother told me to go for it and said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity (YUP:) ) Also two of my favourite art teachers also told me that Katimavik is a good program and they have heard nothing but positive things from it:)

58 days I AM SO FREAKING EXCITIED...oh and 30 days left of school, but Katimavik is more important:)

Quatchi

yup thats 11 quatchi keychains:) one for each of my group mates and one for a PL hopefully they like it, I think they are cute and adorable:) Thats all guys:) Oh and everything on Katimaroute is clear but my criminal record check...but that will hopefully be done soon

Loads of katima-awesome (ness?)

Okay...well officially today it is 12 days until I know where I am going! YAY (insert that annoying applause that sounds like 12 year olds) I was thinking, where in Canada would I LOVE to go? hmm, well obviously I want to get far away from BC seeing as I have lived here all my life, and know it really well (Also, doesn't everyone want to get away from where they have lived all of their life? Sadly someone is gonna be near where they live, that would suck) anyways, I want to go to QUEBEC CITY! Because I love my history and that place is SO FULL of amazing canadian history! The second place I would choose would be in the maritimes, I want to see the other side of canada! But of course Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba would be amazing to visit! Who am I kidding, it would be amazing to go to anywhere, but BC, but hey if I get someplace cool and amazing like Quebec City, I wouldn't be that upset if I wind up in BC

I still have my conditional acceptance, because I haven't been able to go and do my doctors appointment, I have it scheduled for April 9th, yeah I know very last minute, but hey I only got second selection otherwise I would have had it done sooner! I dont have to justify it to you...yes I have to do it for myself. Anyways I met my new doctor and she said I do need a physical since the last one I had was when I was 2, so yeah, but I am hoping that will make it cheaper or my medical (I get it through my fathers work until I am 19) will cover it, Either way I need one. One bonus of Katimavik is that my mother finally got me a doctor! YAY, and she is a woman and she deals with pregnant ladies, and stuff like that so she will hopefully be my doctor for my entire life:D ! But I plan to scan that in right when I get home from the office.

OH! My mother also scheduled all of my other appointments for before I leave! Like eye-doctor (I need to get contacts from there also, but it will be easier after I take my eye exam that way they have up to date information and I can properly see!) and the dentist! I hate the dentist though, maybe I should bite him! Since they always say I should floss more and ask me if I know how! I really hate that because I do floss and brush my teeth I just have bad bad teeth...okay not that bad , I just wanna get it over with

But I have good news!!!!



all the olympic goodness from 2010 like this badboy are on sale! These keychains are like 5 for 10 dollars or 1 for 2.50, so Hopefully if they are still there (there was a lot when I last went) I will get them for my group! Won't that be cool? or lame? I think cool:) I am going back to buy them probably april 16th? So I am crossing my fingers that they are still there, seriously they can't give olympic stuff(well the mascots) away now

Anyways, I am outta here, hopefully the next post will be locations...unless I get bored or things related to Katimavik pop up...also sorry if I am missing letters (especially e) my computer is acting up

So I got a phone call today...

...from a Katimavik alumni

*insert girly squeel here*

and guess who it was (this is where you guess)
**
KYRA!! aka www.katimakyra.blogspot.com

yeah, I didn't realize it so I feel like hitting myself, because I would have told her how amazing and wonderful her blog was, and how alfjdasuuuuuuuuuuujfhlasfk no words, seriously I am angry that I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't paying attention and I feel really bad because it takes a lot of courage to actually call someone you've never met to talk with them. Anyways this was the conversation to what I can recall after a long while of squeeling with excitement

Kyra: Hi this is Kyra and I am a Katimavik Alumni, I was wondering if you were still interested in Katimavik (I can barely hear her at this point because my sister and mother are blasting the television:( )
Me: Oh, Hello (I am trying to contain everything, because I GOT A CALL FROM KATIMAVIK:D)
K: So, I was wondering if you had any questions about the program, about my experience, anything?
Me: Ummm, no not really ( I panicked I was put on the spot and my mind was blank, sadly, and she already answered all of my questions on her blog, but I didn't know it was her)
K: Oh! Do you really have no questions about anything...?
Me: Well...I read a lot of the blogs so I know a bit
K: Do you want to hear about my placements?
Me: Yes..(OMG YES! I WANT YOU TO TELL ME EVERYTHING!!!)
K: Well, I went to Vanderhoof and Quebec City, in Vanderhoof I volunteered for the Volunteer Agency and in Quebec a homeless shelter (I can't really remember..:( Damn my horrid memory) and in the laundry there
Me: Thats so cool! ( the full extent of how lame I am in conversations)
K: Anything else you want to know?
Me: Ummm. No, thank you!
K: You told me you read blogs, well mine is the one at the top of the list
Me: Really?

Then I don't really remember because it finally clicked that this was the girl whose blog I loved reading!! I want to kick myself because my voice kept shaking because when she said she was with Katimavik I panicked and though it was my french exam, and also it was dinner for us, and I really dislike talking on the phone, because I hate how my voice sounds and awkward silences and so on:( sniff sniff, Call me back, I promise next time I will have something intelligent to say :)...I hope

I hope she doesn't think I was being rude...seriously if I had known who she was...alas! She will never call back and she will continue thinking I am a loser. Sigh, times like this I wish I was cool....

Kyra if you ever read this (whats the likelyhood of that happening) I want to apologize for being such a loser, and tell you that it is amazing what you are doing, it takes guts to call people you have never met, call me back I promise I won't sound like I am just hitting puberty(just kidding)

Make me feel better, tell me stories of when you totally messed up an important conversation

Too much, not enough time

Seriously I have so much to do before Katimavik...I haven't been officially selected but I have been conditionally accepted...all I have to do is my money and my medical (For some reason I don't see anything about criminal record check...?) Anyways, I "followed" some Katima-blogs that I really liked, I think two of them never actually finished the program and decided it wasn't for them. Luckily the only thing really pushing me down about the whole Katimavik thing is the medical, I have no idea why I am fit as a horse but it just makes me nervous. I feel like they are going to revoke my acceptance, like it will all be some cruel sick joke someone is playing on me....I need Katimavik a lot more than Katimavik needs me lol

Timeline(ALL BEFORE I LEAVE):
Time to get money/payment in: March 29th (I am sending/dealing with it this weekend)
Go to see the doctor: I go on April 9th (The deadline is the 12th, putting it to the last minute doesn't help when your already stressing about stupid things about it)
Date I find out where I go: April 13th (41 days)
Write my Advanced Placement European History Exam: May 6th (64 days?)
Grad Dinner and Dance: June 6th (95 days ?)
Graduation Ceremony: June 20th (109 days?)
Last day of actual school: June 18th?
Then Exam Week
Last day of official school: June 30th
Day I leave: July 6th: (127? days)
Day I come home: December 16th (127 days and six months)

KATIMAVIK HERE I COME:)

Just get it over with already...

So this morning (7:30 my time) while eagerly awaiting my letter of whether or not I got into Katimavik or didn't, this lovely baby comes into my email, naturally it said Katimavik so I pounced on it



I was reading it saying to myself "Ummm I dont see whether or not I got into the program....geez if they are going to reject me it would be nice if they would just get it over with already (OMG she used the title of the article in the thingy! OMG Squeee!)

I got to school and wanted to check my email again because I knew I couldn't concentrate without knowing whether or not I got in so I opened this baby



I was in my school library, naturally I squeeled like a little girl. Trust me I got more than a few looks. I look over to my sister (the only one I told about second selection) and then said I got in. We then walked to her class and I was laughing and smiling and I looked like a total fool.But I just couldnt contain it, trust me this was all I thought about ALL DAY LONG!!! It was the most amazing thing ever. I just feel really bad for those who didn't recieve placement. But hey I am one of the lucky ones:)

Yours truly
Katimagirl (I can say that now without lying!:) )

Waiting List

This is the email that I got:


I couldn't cry, but then everyone kept telling me they were sorry, because they knew how much I wanted this, and such but it just got frustrating hearing everyone say they were sorry for me. I just burst into tears, this was my dream and all of the sudden it disappeared in front of my eyes...

...but then I realized that waiting list still means good things, because as I started to read it seemed that most people from the waiting list do get in, a few times they have to get more people to fill those spots, so cross my fingers maybe my dream isn't as destroyed as I once thought. Lets just hope that it will happen for me:)

I didn't get in...

Just put on a waiting list...it doesn't seem real. I had thought that I would be in for sure, and then today I saw a "get a life"button it was like everything was lining up and I was going to get it. But I got an email and it pretty much says "Hey, you got put on a waiting list, thanks bye." that seems cruel. It kinda is... I still can't believe it...seriously I want to cry but I just can't. I really don't want to tell anyone I didn't get in...I just want to hide in my room all day until March (hopefully I can get placed in a program then) Ugh, I am gonna go eat some frosting and hopefully feel better about myself. Sniff sniff
Katimagirl signing out, hopefully not for long, but you never know

trying to be happy about this doesn't work...

Step 4 on KatimaRoute

I thought some people might want to know what step four looked like. So perfect time to do a blog post. <-- thats step four. Nothing complicated or scary too it. You can open up a Katimaroute any time but no one will look at it until you pay your application fee. All the stuff surrounded in Green is red until you complete it. For the questionnaire you just get simple questions (I will type them out here, that way you guys don't try to steal my epic sauce answers. lol) 1.All Katimavik volunteers work 35 hours a week with non-profit organisations. As a volunteer, how will you contribute to these organisations? What are your strengths? 2.You will have the opportunity to discover two or three Canadian communities other than your own while participating in Katimavik. The Katimavik approach to discovery isn’t like tourism; the focus is on community integration. What does integrating into a community mean to you? What will you do to facilitate your integration into your host communities? .3.Katimavik promotes a non-traditional learning program that will enable you to learn through a variety of experiences and to develop certain competencies.

The Katimavik competencies are:

To interact with others in a variety of situations
To adopt an open attitude towards the diversity of social and multicultural realities
To communicate in both official languages
To engage in diverse work experiences
To apply habits that favour a healthy lifestyle
To develop an integrated vision of environmental protection and sustainable development
To engage as a citizen
To prepare to integrate, as a citizen, into the job market, school or other life event.
Which of these competencies are you most interested in developing and why? .3.Katimavik promotes a non-traditional learning program that will enable you to learn through a variety of experiences and to develop certain competencies. Which of these competencies are you most interested in developing and why? 4.Qu'est-ce qui te motive à améliorer ta maîtrise de la langue française? (I would assume you answer this one in French, I did) 5.In order to foster a positive experience and to ensure the safety of the program's staff and volunteers, Katimavik has established rules and standards. In what way will you take responsibility for ensuring the rules and standards are respected? and then you have to type in your social security number

For ID I just used my drivers license and my birth certificate, I scanned them and sent them (It took about 3-7 days for it to go green on my Katimaroute)
My Mom wrote a check for my application fee and we mailed it in. It took about two weeks for it to go green on my Katimaroute and almost a month and a half to two months for it to be taken out of the bank.

You can fill out your information in any order you choose. It really doesn't matter. Hope that helps. Any questions? (Post them in the comments I will try the best I can to help)

Will Ferguson

www.willferguson.ca I pray to gosh I spelt that right, if not google it, HE IS AMAZING! But seriously, he wrote a book called "I was a teenage katima-victim" I just finished reading it and it was amazing! I wanted to start Katimavik yesterday when I finished reading this book, it was funny, witty, and I hope it was truthful... It didn't just talk about the good things about Katimavik, it talked about the bad things (The fighting, the food, some job placements) I don't think I have ever been this captivated by a book, usually I read books and they don't stick with me, I read this one, and its like "Holy shark, I NEED TO DO THIS!" If you haven't read the book, I would recommend picking it up, even if you never plan on doing the program it was just so funny, and well I guess you will find out what else when you read the book. I am scared that this program is becoming an obsession...I need to find good recipes and work on my cooking (baking is fine, cooking um well I can cook basic things, but not more complex things) I also found out what tabernac means...yeah I found it on a few blogs, I yell the word outloud in my house (Luckily no one speaks french in my house! Thank goodness for anglophones!) and then continue reading find out what it is. Tehe now I have a word I can say and no one will know what I am saying...but I think it sounds cool! It sounds so much more polite than our swear words. Anyways I meant for this to be short, so see ya guys

NEXT TIME ON KATIMAVIK!
Well I guess next time I will just describe in annoying detail step 4 of application, god knows I have had enough practice with it.
OR
You may not see me 'til January hopefully with good news.