Katimavik Day 73

This week was certainly more difficult than any I have had here so far. At the beginning, my homesickness was sharp but I had so many new experiences to distract me - meeting everyone, orienting myself in a new city, and getting into the routine of my work placement. But this past week was very hard, because my homesickness was sharp and there was nothing new going on - I knew everyone, I knew where I was, I knew what work was like.

Using time as an agent of separation is the best method, to me, for healing pains. On Wednesday I got a little more comfortable still being here. On Thursday, we met up with the Masteuiatsch and Dolbeau groups, which was unfamiliar enough to be incredibly distracting. Yesterday, I found that I was back in my old mindset: I'm happy to be here enough that three more months doesn't sound so awful. I'd really like to thank the words of encouragement left on my last post, as they certainly cheered me up. And letters don't make me homesick, rather they make me glad to be here because getting mail is awesome! You two are great and I look forward to seeing you again when I get home - this summer.

Last night I was able to watch part of the Regard Short Film Festival. It was really great. I was there as a volunteer; my work was to ask people a brief survey before they went into the film session. Happily, after thirty minutes of rather intimidating work - approaching strangers isn't something I'm comfortable with yet - I was allowed to watch the full film session. I believe I watched 10 short films, perhaps more, in my 2 hours there. I really enjoyed it. It's the sort of experience I've never had before, and I don't see why I've never sought out such a thing before. It makes me think again about how little I engaged as a citizen back home. I lived in the community without interacting with it. I'm really eager to change that when I go back.

I'm also getting excited again to go to Alberta. As part of my "pull yourself out of this crap feeling before it ruins your experience" efforts (which included some self-pampering involving food and nail polish, and the creation of some strange art work) I wrote a list of all the good things about going to Alberta that I couldn't get if I went home. One example is the new work placement I'm going to have. I can't wait to find out what I'll be doing when I get there.

It's one in the afternoon, so I should probably get out of bed. Tonight we're volunteering at Cuisiner's workplace, at a spaghetti dinner/dance night fundraiser (he works at an old folk's catering service). Tomorrow afternoon we're going to a sugar shack with the Masteuiatsch group. I really like seeing them. The Dolbeau group really keeps to themselves, but Masteuiatsch is very sociable.

11 days left here in Chicoutimi! I still need to try out the sushi bar on Racine st and a cafe, but after that, I will have done everything I wanted to do here.