Sunday, March 23, 2008

Zeitgeist


For those who haven't seen yet the movie "Zeitgeist", I wanted to let you know about it and strongly encourage you to watch it. It can only make us question and positively challenged our constructed beliefs as well as what we consider being reality and "the truth"...

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace".
Sri Chinmay Ghose

http://zeitgeistmovie.com/index.html


Pour ceux qui n'ont pas encore vu le film "Zeitgeist", je voulais vous mettre au courant et vous inviter à le regarder. Ce film ne peut que nous interpeller et avoir le potentiel de remettre en question de façon positive et constructive nos croyances toutes faites et ce que nous prenons pour réalité et "être la vérité"...

"Lorsque que le pouvoir de l'amour triomphera de l'amour du pouvoir, le monde connaîtra la paix".
Sri Chinmay Ghose

http://zeitgeistmovie.com/index.html

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Visit to Seattle

My few days in Seattle were very fullfilling! Every minute of my time was scheduled, which made me feel like a business woman but I enjoyed every minute of it! John was very sweet to
throw a party at his house and it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with people I had not seen since I left last August. It was wonderful to be back to a familiar place and realizing how many wonderful people I know there. I guess leaving helps one to better realize and appreciate what you had ...




Carole and some of her favorite tall dudes! (Clay, John and Derek) :) John had a party theme, which involved taking pictures with every male friend that was present. I'm not quite sure yet what the message was behind it but the party was lots of fun!!







Carole trying out Derek's shoes, size 18! Big sexy huge boats worn with Courtney's dress.











Diane and Courtney preparing some yummy food for the joy of everybody!










Courtney, thanks to whom I was able to look more dressy for the party. The air line company had lost my luggage on the way in and back ;(





Emily who made an amazing Paëlla dish! I'm so looking forward to attending the wedding this summer! I'm crossing my fingers to be able to return to Seattle for this very special occasion!!






Thank you to all of you guys for coming to the party and making the evening such a wonderful and memorable time! I should be back another time to Seattle in the next few months so I could catch up with those that I did not get the chance to see then or spend much time with. Next time, I'm planning to stay at least for 2 weeks in order to be more relaxed, less rushed and enjoy Seattle a bit more.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Back to the top floor and Seattle!

I'm finally moved out of my basement and all moved in into my top floor apartment! It reminds me of my old apartment in Seattle where I lived for almost 10 years! I can finally see again the sun, the moon, the snow falling ... ! It's a new world of light and life again! It will definitely improve my overall moral and hopefully motivates me to study harder! So, the invitation is out, I have a comfortable place to host those of you who are interested to visit!

Few weeks ago, I was so home sick that I booked a flight to Seattle and I'm going back next week for a short visit. I'm so looking forward to the familiar and be with people I feel comfortable with and with whom I can be myself, especially goofy as much as I want to be! :) Unfortunately, since I'm only staying a long weekend I won't be able to see everybody but I should be back in July so I can catch up with the ones I haven't see then then.

Friday, February 15, 2008

The paradox of our time

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

A shared experience and more

First of all, thank you so much for those who provided their support and understanding! I was very touched! It definitely makes a world of a difference and all of a sudden the solitude is more bearable when your experience is shared and understood by others.

This episode made me realized how homesick I was and I jumped on buying one of the airfare deals that Air Canada had. I miss tremendously the familiar and my friends. Even if it is for few days, I 'm very excited to go back home for a short while....

It is amazing how many emotions, challenges, questions and discomfort acculturation can bring up! Even after the 3rd acculturation process, I am still struggling to peacefully dive into the unknown ... Imagine how much those who are not white, bilingual, well educated, may struggle! It is definitely a reminder of how much hardship refugees are faced with when they find refuge to our countries. It helps to put into perspective my own reality...

Monday, February 4, 2008

Back to darkness...

How long will this loneliness last? It feels so painful at times….
I know it is a matter of time and adjustment but it is so hard at times to be patient.

Am I doomed to always feel this way? Feeling overwhelmed with adjustment, then adjusting to finally being bored, wanting something new, getting it and moving on, and the cycle starts again. I guess the only other time it happened before was when I left France in 1998 for love and stayed in Seattle even after my marriage collapsed. I tried for several years to make it work on a personal and professional level. After a while, after many attempts of feeling not fulfilled I decided to take a leap of faith and shifted my life journey for a new start. I left a place where I was settled and tried the adventure of a PhD program in a new country. Was it a crazy idea? Will I be able to succeed? Gosh! I feels like it will be too much to overcome on my own… I guess it’s only now that I understand why so many people said how courageous I was…

Is it because it’s winter? Is it a mix of my living and seasonal conditions along with the acculturation process that make me feel this way? I miss seeing people on a daily basis. I miss being a social worker, a therapist, having an active life. I miss organizing parties at my old apartments and act goofy with my friends ...

There are so many new things to figure out when you are a foreigner before life feels finally stable again. I know I cannot figure out everything at once. I know I can’t get to know a new city, be comfortable as a PhD student, build a new social network, make a descent living and deal with the in between cultures and languages in 5 months. I know I can’t but I so would love too!

I know how privileged I am and that I should not complain. I am white, well educated, bilingual, I have more chances than most to make it work despite the immigration process. I feel ashamed to even feel this way but the feeling are real and overwhelming …

I guess, I’m simply feeling depressed and it will finally go away soon…. Hopefully, in a few months I will be laughing at what I just wrote and will no longer want to run back to Seattle …

Saturday, January 19, 2008

From darknesss to light


So 2008 started with the plan to moving to a new place! I was not looking to move until spring or summer but I had this great opportunity that presented itself and I could not turn it down! It's allowing me to leave my basement and move to a top floor apartment! Great location, a very good deal, and especially I can finally see the light!! I can't wait to move in because my moods have not been great since I came back from France... ;( I'm still waiting for the credit check to clear before I get the green light to move in, so I hope it all works out! I'm also very excited to move into this new place because I will have much more space to host more comfortably. So guys get in line!!

Besides the moving news, which will happen towards the end of February, school started again with social policy and research methodology classes. I'm also awaiting impatiently to see my thesis advisor in order to move forward with my thesis and employment situation but she has not been available so far. Things will be much more stable once I talk to her and clarify our collaboration, which will determine how well the rest of the year will unfold. This situation is definitely impacting my moral and my ability to continue adjusting to my new life in Montreal.

I also think that my moral has been impacted by a change of pace. I went from spending over 2 weeks in France being very busy every day, seeing friends and family, to returning to my basement with a much slower pace, a limited social network and an unclear situation with my thesis advisor.

Furthermore, my experience with guys here in Montreal has not been the most positive so I'm going to hold off for a while and stay away from them until my life with my doctorat program is more stable and that I am more adjusted with this new life!

So many learning experiences in the last 5 months! I forgot what it meant to move to a new country! Amazing learning experiences but it always go with some major soul searching and questioning about one's self! I think it's finally time for me to stay in one place! However, it's a bit soon to tell if Montreal is the place...