It should be noted that that ADQ is not a federalist party; it's actually nationalist. Not as "Rah rah vive le separatisme!" as the PQ, but still pretty nationalist in the sense that one of their platforms is that Quebec become the Autonomous State of Québec. (Not to mention conservative--look! ally for harper DDD:!)

I'm still quite annoyed that Harper butt his nose in and I know he did it on purpose. In Québec, any politician seen getting too cozy with the PM is almost effectively shunned by the voters. Most of the seats the PLQ lost were the ADQ's gains. And most of the PQ's loss were the ADQ's gains.

Funny. Hm. A probably combination of 'Yar, we're annoyed with the PQ" and 'Woah, Charest is getting too close with the PM/Charest didn't keep much of his promises' ultimately may have caused this maybe

/random

updates:

To those concerned, dad is still in hospital and I feel like a dolt for having not called him for his birthday on friday. He still thinks I'm in Calgary.

In other news, I need higher than a B+ in all my courses to raise my CGPA past 5.0 to squeak into a Communication Minor. Hmm...

In other news, I've noticed how much drastically distant many "friendships" I had coming here have become and how many "friendships" I had beforehand. Oh well, it had to happen. After an enlightening discussion with my aunt about getting hung to dry/left out/ditched almost every other day in High School, I realized that I should've noticed the signs and taken them seriously. (And concluded that, invariably and almost as much as Jr High, High School was a horrid, dingy and an outright disgusting if not terrible experience. And in comparison to Jr High, that's something. Note: I'm not being emo or angsting, this is me being brutally honest.)

In other news, after going missing this afternoon at a transitway station, my cellphone has been found and is in the hands of a kind Gatinoise who phoned my brother. I should change the greeting to "If found, plz ph 613XXXXX".

Finally, Dionne Warrick is brilliant.

PS. ADQ, a right-of-centre party, gets 36 new seats after having 5 to begin with in 2003 (and only 1 when they first started). Granted, this was a protest vote in all forms...this is perhaps a sign of things to come. Ah well...I'm liking this possibility of no more referendums for some more years to come. 1995 was scary. No repeats plz.

Still shocked? Quite.

I got accepted to participate in the one-month exchange in Lyon, France yesterday! Never been overseas before. Ever. It's shocking. (This summer I might possibly be headed to Dallas--brother down there has invited me [as has the one from LA, and BC])

All the life-drama I've been dealing with aside, (and it's staggering. woe.) this is incredible. Today, I went to two different Chapters after writing my psych midterm to look at travelers' guides about France (there were few about the Rhônes-Alpes Region or Lyon.) and felt really amused and giddy. I think tomorrow if I could I would sit down for a bit and read some stuff on France, might even buy one for kicks. :D

(This still doesn't rule out going to France on a 1 year exchange though in the future, I'm still wanting to do that.)

I almost forgot that I had a psychology midterm today in light of having found out about it. lol

EDIT Apparently Lyon is the headquarters for Interpol. Ohoho

Sarah Brightman's Figlio Perduto from her album La Luna is very nice. I advise you all give it a listen.

So, it's been 7 months...

And granted mark wise, the first semester was a complete bomb-drop and my second semester being critical to my not being probated, I for some odd reason don't feel like I should be here.

Don't get me wrong, I love my auntie M to bits, I like living here. She makes the greatest food and we bake--She's awesome, my cousin (1st) and his girlfriend tell me what a knowledgeable person she is and how when growing up, they wish they had her to help guide them. Hell, I've had mum's friends tell me similar and my half-brother in BC who's never met her. And she's knowledgeable in her field--held a top (permanent) position at the UofO for YEARS, done all sorts of work in the field of psychology, all the workshops students in all fields paid to attend and that she hosted, all the people she's baffled and impressed and all the barriers she overcame (discrimination and racism namely throughout Canada--my whole family endured it.) to get where she got to; it's insane.

I'll be honest, and don't all of you in Ottawa take it the wrong way, but I came out East to not only try to get as close enough back to Montréal, I wanted to start anew and without anyone from Calgary. I wanted to make new friends (or try) and just forget what happened in Calgary--the crap, the deaths, the never-ending stresses and anxieties that city gives me non-stop (don't tell me otherwise) the drama, grad (and especially grad). I'm sure others whom we didn't expect to see here were half-hoping the same way.

I honestly didn't think that over a good chunk of the graduating class wanted to leave (excluding those who won scholarships). Thought (my moment d'ignorance) that most would've stayed, but apparently (and I've spoken with two alumni from Calgary both in 4th year here) this year is the most that either have seen/heard of students from Alberta making a mass exodus for other universities outside the province.

I'm going to give staying here some deep deep thought. Maybe I'll stay all the way to 4th year. Who knows. I've found that I have had a hard time keeping up with the demand of university--all the homework, the papers, the readings...it seems everyone else is taking it in stride (Unless some are lying which is entirely possible; People tend to wear a different mask all the time when around certain people...learned that from a SOC 1501 lecture). Well, I'm definitely not. And I won't lie about it--I've done good on my papers and essays (usually getting a B or C) and failed one midterm while barely passing another. That's better than last semester. I'm not at all caught up on my readings either.

As for the alternative university? Concordia or, if it's even possible (which I doubt), McGill.

I think I haven't gotten proper sleep since August. I fall asleep now at 3 or 4am now, wake up at 10 or don't get out of bed until 1pm. This is all thanks of course to poor time management, starting things at the last minute, jetlag and this new daylight savings time thing.

Anyways, I'm going to work on bringing my CGPA to a B so that I can go to France on exchange for a year. I just need somewhere new and be "on my own" in the sense that I can honestly look at myself and say "I've gone my own way, not following anyone and no one's following me". I've got a tendency to wait for others' "permission" before I do things on my own--like this year's Youth World Cup. I want to go, but I'm basing my decision on whether or not others go---I hate that.

Speaking of France, there's Lyon. Oh, I grinned like a fool when I got the email announcing that there was a 1-month exchange planned. I would love to go to Lyon this summer. I would. We'll see how that goes.

And yes, as you read earlier, I am close to being probated if I don't do well this semester. Not a lot know this, my aunt does, my brother suspects...and you lot know. Family friends in Montréal don't know for a very good reason. Granted I didn't enter university with this mindset, whoever claimed you had more freedom, could do whatever you wanted, and/or (usually and) that university was easy and all you had to do wasn't much but read, do the homework etc. should be, without shame, be hit over the head. Oh the lies I hear from people. It makes me cringe inside and want to shake my head.

Then again, thinking about the probation...I nearly failed grade 8 and 9. There was good reason though, but still all the below 50% marks and marks in the 40%s are on my final report card for grade 8. Failed some classes in High School too. Got yelled at by a member of administration in plain view of other co-workers and a guidance counsellor. So, in an odd way, I've been down this road before.

Finally, I don't think there's anything different from how things were in Calgary. I mean, personal habits haven't changed. I stay home on Saturdays and weekends and try and do homework (which never happens)--maybe go out to South Keys and bum around Michaels and think of what to spend my 40% coupon on once in a while, or hole myself in the library, but nothing different from in Calgary. I mean, for one, I still know that I'll still have a liver when I'm older thank goodness.

Anyway, I'm not being emo I don't think. Just thoughtful and pensive (and I suppose truthful? If you can call it that?) of the way things are at the moment.

SO what am I doing?

Aside being double owned by all things bad in life, I'm attempting to write a letter of in intent to say why I (moi) should be chosen as one of the 20 in the Immersion programme to go on a month-long exchange to Lyon, France at the Université de Lumière Lyon II.

First off, let's make it clear that I have never written a letter of intent, nor was I ever taught how to write such a thing, nor do I really know how to or what the structure for one is. But that's alright, I've walked blindly into the face of danger before and I'm still walking about (walking into the occasional door frame or pole...but I digress)

Second, all the erasers on my pencils are kaputt, gone, dead or dying.

Third, Heroes has become my source of creativity for art. Hurrah. But since none of you watch it*, you have no idea what I speak of. Nada.

Creepy fact du jour: All the candidates for the PLQ all have their fist under their chins on their campaign posters.

What's worse, is that the PQ has adopted green-blue-white as a part of their campaign posters as opposed to the usual red-blue-white. It kills the eyes.

And, apparently there has been talk of Quebec separation of its regions during the election campaign. Ahhh.

Hmm. *goes back to working on LoI*