Bowling in Burkina

Some people go bowling for Columbine. I go bowling in Burkina.

I’m joking about it, but there is a bowling alley right across from my hotel. That’s something new. For that matter, the whole street is new. So is the hotel. But somehow, the fact that there is now BOWLING available in Burkina is a schock to me. I have made to myself the solemn promise to go to the bowling alley and check that all bowling pins are there, and that they do indeed rent the shoes, as soon as I get back from Mopti, in Mali, somewhere 3 weeks from now. Curiosity killed the cat, but I have 9 lives.

Il y a ceux qui regardent Bowling for Columbine. Moi, je préfère le bowling au Burkina.

J’en ris, mais il y a une allée de bowling juste en face de mon hôtel. C’est nouveau ca. D’ailleurs, toute la rue est nouvelle. Ca inclut l’hôtel. Mais en quelque part, le fait qu’il est maintenant possible de faire du bowling au Burkina est un choc pour moi. A mon retour de Mopti, au Mali, dans 3 semaines, je me suis promis d’aller y faire un tour et de voir si toutes les quilles y sont, et s’ils font de la location de souliers. La curiosité est un vilain défaut. J’aime mes défauts.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Time traveling in Ouaga

Anyway, not that all my life is about food, but it seems that it was because of lot of my memories are linked to restaurants. So I had dinner at l’Eau Vive (Running Water, in French.)

L’Eau Vive is an icon in my child memories. When I was very little in the early 80’s, my parents would take me there, and when the time came for me to go to the loo, I would lift up my skirts, pull down my panties, and thread through the whole restaurant butt-naked. Before you make any lewd comments, readers, keep in mind Baby Beaver was only 2 years old.

When we went back in 1987, we went again, and nothing had changed. One of the key features of the restaurant, aside from the fact that the food is great and the place is conducive to quiet talks and serenity, it that you would get interrupted in the middle of your meal and get invited to join the nun’s community in an Ave Maria.

Because it’s a bit naïve, it’s funny, and touching, and heart-warming. And even more so for me, because 16 years later, the hymns are the same. And so is the place. And so is the menu. Going there is a trip back in time, and I am loving every moment of it.

Enfin, ce n’est pas que tout ma vie tourne autour de la nourriture, mais on dirait que c’est le cas parce que beaucoup de mes souvenirs sont lie a des restaurants. J’ai donc soupe a l’Eau Vive.

L’Eau Vive est un icône de mes souvenirs d’enfances. Quand j’étais toute petite au début des années 80, mes parents m’y amenaient et quand il était temps pour moi d’aller au petit coin, je soulevais ma robe, baissait ma culotte et traversait le restaurant les fesses a l’air. (Avant de faire le malin, rappelez-vous que j’avais 2 ans!)

Quand on est retourne au Burkina en 1987, on est revenu a l’Eau Vive, et rien n’avait change. Une des caractéristiques du restaurant, en dehors du fait que la bouffe est excellente et que le cadre est agréable et relaxant, est que votre repas est immanquablement interrompu par une invitation à se joindre aux sœurs dans un Ave Maria.

Moi je trouve ca marrant parce que c’est un peu naïf, mais c’est aussi touchant pour la même raison. Et encore plus touchant pour moi parce que 16 ans plus tard, les chansons sont les mêmes. L’endroit aussi. Le menu aussi. Aller a l’Eau Vive, pour moi, c’est un voyage dans le temps. Et j’en adore chaque instant.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

SM Syndrome

I had lunch over at my friend C’s mum’s house. I realize that I keep on referring to this lovely lady as “C’s Mum” in my head, just like when we used to go to our friend’s house in the teen-age years. I think I am going to call it “Stifler’s mum” syndrome, where one is referred to solely in their capacity as a parent. To cure myself of this SMS, I am going to refer immediately to her as Mrs. O.

Lunch over at Mrs. O’s was wonderful. She is a funny, warm, maternal lady, and her smile reminds me of C’s smile. We had food, wonderful food, more and more until we begged for mercy. It was great !!! We had attieke (cassava couscous) and Alhoko (fried bananas) and fish, and chicken, and beaufitul strawberries. One of the things that makes me laugh is that Beck’s always tells the story of how she hates cooked bananas and how it was a running gag with her siblings on Sunday mornings. Now everytime she sees Alhoko she thinks of it and still won’t eat any. It’s hilarious and it’s great: more for me!!!

J’ai été invitée a manger le repas du midi chez la maman de mon ami C. Je réalise que je ne cesse de penser a elle en tant que « la maman de C », tout comme quand on allait chez nos petits amis après l’école. J’appelle ca le syndrome de « la maman de ». Pour m’en guérir, a compter de maintenant, je l’appellerai Madame O.

Le repas chez Madame O a été merveilleux. Elle drôle, chaleureuse, maternelle, et son sourire me rappelle celui de son fils, une personne que j’aime beaucoup. On a mange, merveilleusement mange, encore et encore jusqu'à demander pitié. C’était formidable!!! Au menu, l’attieke (semoule de manioc), alhoko (plantain frit), poisson et poulet, et des merveilleuses fraises. Une des choses qui me fait rire, c’est ma collègue Beck qui raconte comment dans sa famille les bananes cuites sont impopulaires, que c’est une vieille blague avec ses frères et sœurs. Maintenant, chaque fois qu’elle voit de l’alhoko elle y pense et est incapable d’en manger. C’est mourant et surtout c’est génial pour moi : ca m’en fait plus !!!

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Back on JFK Street

I’ve been trying to revisit the places I loved. I located on Saturday the American Rec Center where I used to finish last in the swimming competition in P.E. The only major difference is that they now have a gym, with no air conditioned in it. The other change is that now you have to go through a US security gate to access it, since it’s on the street across from the Embassy and the whole street is closed to circulation. Probably a post 9/11 thing. They had the same set up in Dakar, as I recall.

J’essaye de revoir les lieux que j’aimais. J’ai localise le centre récréatif américain, celui ou je finissais toujours dernière en compétition de natation de mon cours d’éducation physique. La principale différence que j’ai observe est qu’ils ont maintenant installe un gym, sans air climatise. L’autre changement, c’est que maintenant pour aller au centre, il faut passer par une barrière de sécurité, puisque le centre est en face de l’ambassade et que la rue entière est fermée a la circulation. C’est probablement un truc datant d’après le 11 septembre – c’était le même système au Sénégal, si je me souviens bien.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Introspective Post and Season's wishes

It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and I am not working. I just made eggs and toast for myself, jazz is playing in the kitchen, and the sun room where I am sitting is filled with the Toronto grey skies. It’s the first time I have in about a month to really sit down and reflect. It’s a scary thing. Last time it happened, I wrote a post called Cul-de-sac – and it was so very depressing and somewhat tragic.

This time – I am at peace. So much has happened between Cul de Sac and now. Last time I took the time to write an introspective post, I was in Haiti, sequestered, lonely, bored and depressed. This time, I am in Toronto, in one of my homes away from home, Pgwrox’s lovely townhouse where I have now been enough times to know my way around and feel at home. I am rested, sated, and somewhat content.

Christmas is coming round and I feel no fear, for the first time in a long time. Dad won’t be there, of course. CQFD will not be there either. My mum, PG and I will be celebrating the family thing together, as the tightly knit family that we are, despite distances.

My mum and I will be the 2 widows that we are, her in her own right, me…. in my own way. Last year, at this time, we were decorating the Christmas tree, CQFD and I, at his parents’ house. I was at peace, happy, in love. I felt like it was a day of days. I felt like that moment was immortal.

But all moments are immortal. And so while my 4 years with CQFD are suspended in time, so are my memories of my Yankee lover immortal, his warmth, and how I felt happy and at home in his arms, though I may never see him again.

And so timeless are the memories of my friend Naya, grilling red peppers while chatting with her sister at the other end of the world, and so are those of the Peacekeepers of Haiti, whom I may never see again but carry forever in my heart.

The Belgian crew in Bujumbura and the Philippinos in Aceh, and of course the orphans in Sierra Leone, the staff in Liberia and CMR & Princess, whom I met in Pakistan, now scattered in Zambia and Australia, my family in France and Canada, all of you will stay in my heart for ever.

All of my fellow officers are immortal. They are all unique and special and beautiful in their own way. And I love them all, in a way that is unique to them. I will miss them during this month of rest, and I will miss some of them more until I work with them again, sometimes 6 or 7 months from now.

This year has been a busy and eventful year. I have been ill. I have had my heart broken. I have also learned much and grown in wisdom and confidence through it all. Friends have died, and babies were conceived. Love was lost and friendships were found, built and nourished. Decisions were made, lessons were learned and through it all, the wheel of life kept turning, inexorably and timelessly.





So on the eve of Christmas 2006, may your time with your loved ones be rich, filled with love and may it remain suspended in time, shimmering and bright for you to remember, should hardship befall you. We are all immortal, timeless, evanescent. And all of you readers, may you find in this holiday season the power to love, forgive and to remember.

The Beaver

Back to Beaver Land

I left Baltimore yesterdau (much baking is going on here with my cousin/uncle/father figure - so it's not yesterday - it's yesterdough). I am now in Toronto where I am enjoying some heartwarming family time.

I have SO MANY updates to put up - it's frightening. But I'm not sure I'll have time just now. I'll just tell you that many things happened over the last 3 weeks - and that I have much to say.

Stay posted !

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Who EVER said Canadians were not patriotic ?

Here is all the reasons that I proudly bear the nickname "Beaver".

Thanks to Surind for posting this great video ! I'd seen the ad before, and still love it very very much !





The Beaver


My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Good times, bad times, this one might be painful for you but was fun for me (and some nice readings)

I mentionned earlier that I had been enlisted to perform at the hotel - here it is !

It's anything but professionnal, and it was a lot of fun. Some while ago, Salt Water had requested that I put up some of my voice - so here it is.

Enjoy it, because this is NOT going to happen often !
(If you don't just scroll down and read the book reviews!)



__________________________________________________

Some books I have enjoyed reading during my travelling :

Geisha of Gion / Ma vie de Geisha (Mineko Iwasaki )

Hygiene de l'assassin (Amelie Nothomb)

The Sea House / La Maison Mer (Esther Freud)

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Horror and Shame

Below is my personal take in a discussion that has been going on here.

Steven Harper, our conservative prime minister, newly elected in December 05, has been brown nosing with Dubya ever since. With now confirmed rumors that the US are participating in the Israeli attack plan, more and more canadians feel that Harper has broken the image of neutrality and tolerance that Canada usually has across the world.

Moreoever, his evacuation plan moves at snail pace, and he has NOT taken action since some Lebenase-born Canadian citizens have been killed in the attacks.

There are rumors that we will go in election mode again in the fall to get rid of this useless politician, and Canadians are down in the street to express their discontent.

My word is this: if your government is supporting the Israeli attack, go in the street and support the protest efforts.

If you are an American citizen, consider your options. The Democrats are not disapproving the Republican support to Israel, which I guess means a third road is starting to be PARAMOUNT.

As far as I'm concerned, if Canada remains conservative, it's likely that I will join the soveignist cause in Quebec or move to France. I have no interest in being affiliated with Harper's support to the massacre of innocents.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

100 Things about my significant other (Part 2 of 2)

As promised, on the eve of our separation, I write this post, dedicated to the love of my life.

1. David means "loved of God". I feel it's absolutely relevant.
2. When he was a kid, he hid behind a garbage can at recess.
3. He often reminds me that I put someone in a garbage can at recess during our college years. It wasn't him though.
4. When planning his appartment, his main concern was being able to host a D&D game.
5. He claims that from now on, his vacations will be planned around my schedule.
6. He plans on going back to school full time to accelerate the end of his studies.
7. The main reason Dave had failed some classes is his failure turn his papers in on time.
8. When he does turns his papers in, he actually gets good grades.
9. He actually refuses to own an oven.
10. He is able to call friends people that he likes, but doesn't trust.
11. He'd be willing to take a bullet for a friend.
12. Dave loves sleeping.
13. He's been living on 4 hours of sleep a day for the last week.
14. He's never had anyone else then me.
15. He knows everything I did, good and bad, and still accepts me.
16. He's been talking of going to teach English in Thailand for the last 3 years.
17. Dave is the one person I know to have made a friend of his brother.
18. He likes when I read Beaudelaire to him. Or Paulo Coelho. Or other stuff.
19. Dave is a sleepwalker. Runs in the family, I heard.
20. He snores very lightly when he's tired. He denies it thoroughly though.
21. He's been spending every evening with me since we found out I'd be leaving.
22. I've been recording the touch of him in my mind, so I can replay it once I'm gone.
23. He's very patient with me.
24. He keeps on forgetting stuff.
25. Together, we are the 2 most absent-minded people of the universe.
26. He's not ready to be a daddy. Neither am I to be a mummy.
27. He loves cheese. His nickname should be the cheese monster.
28. When Dave was born, his dad got worried that the baby would eat all his ice cream. He was right.
29. Dave is going to become very fat : he lived down the corner from the best cheese shop in Montreal.
30. He is addicted to coffee. He's the official coffee clerk at home.
31. Dave doesn't smoke. He tried and failed miserably in Senegal.
32. When Dave came back from Senegal to Montreal, he tried to negociate his first cab fare.
33. I still have copies of the emails we sent to one another during our initial courtship 3 years ago. He thinks it's creepy.
34. He said his goal was to always had the bed made in his appartment. So far, it's a failure.
35. Recently, Dave learned to do the Demon sign at rock concerts. He looks incredibly funny when he does it.
36. Dave's favorite TV series is Angel.
37. His favorite character is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce.
38. He's shown to me on countless occasions that he is usually not afraid of what he doesn't understand.
39. He's become more practical over the last few weeks.
40. Dave has a thing for Dungeons and Dragons. I like to say that him and his crew suffer from the DOG syndrome : Delusions of Grandeur.
41. He, however, knows the difference between reality and fantasy.
42. The main issue we've had recently has been about too much / not enough D&D.
43. This issue is now self-resolved, since I'm leaving.
44. Next time we will live together, we will hire a maid.
45. David has lived 7 years in Paris. He retains a certain worshipfulness for the City of Light since.
46. I do hope I get to see Paris with him one day.
47. He is 100% french canadian. Yet, most people believe him to be French of France.
48. He speaks French with a French accent. He speaks english with a French Canadian accent.
49. He is sensitive to bad voices, and thus, has had trouble dealing with our former landlady.
50. He hugs me every night, and tells me he will miss me. I will miss him too.

The Beaver


My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

100 things about my significant other (part I)

I dedicate this post to those who seeked love and found it, to those who seek love, to those who lost hope.
May this restore your faith.

Every time I blog, I share my entries with my s.o.

Every time, he complains that I don't blog enough about him.

This post is dedicated to him, 100%.

I will make a 100 things list, but in 2 parts.

1. My s.o.'s name is Dave. It suits him perfectly.
2. He is my significant other, lover, best friend and confident.
3. He is one head shorter then me.
4. He is the king of procrastination.
5. His heart could hold the world.
6. The first time I told him I loved him, I was a teen-ager. He said I was too tall.
7. Our first conversation was about me talking too much.
   
8. Dave is brilliant, but was never an A student because he couldn't hand in his papers on time.
9. He nevertheless wrote a brilliant comparison paper about Stendahl's Le rouge et le Noir and Tristan et Iseult.
10. Dave could never make a carreer out of it, but he would be a great carpet salesman.
11. As we speak, Dave is doing the dishes. For the first time in 3 days. It's his only shore.
    
12. When I went on a 6 months fellowship in Senegal, he spent all his vacations and lots of money to spend 2 weeks with me.
13. Dave is allergic to vacuum cleaners. I have to vacuum when he's not home.
14. Dave laughs at all my jokes. Even when they're truly awful.
15. I bought my first car because of Dave. He was studying and living 300km away from home.
    
16. Dave is the oldest of 2. He never had a sister.
17. He constantly claims to be asocial. Yet, he is rarely seen alone.
18. He has very strong ties to his family.
19. I once drove 6 hours to and back in one night, just to be with him.
20. Dave lives with me. He still buys me flowers once a month and takes me out all the time.
    
21. He likes to think a lot before deciding things. That drives me insane.
22. When we were in high school, his nickname was ''Lutin des bois" (Wood Sprite). It really sounds much less ridiculous in English.
    
23. He keeps on saying I should teach him to blog. Everytime I remind him, he decides it's not the time for it.
24. One night, we found a woman in crisis in the street. He suggested we try to help her, and actually carried her from the car to the hospital.
25. Though he was raised in a comfortably wealthy family, he feels compation for the world and care little for profit.
26. He has capitalistic tendencies though.
    
27. He has never been physically violent toward anyone that I know.
28. In 12 years that I've known him, I saw him yell twice. I must admit I was pushing my luck both times.
29. If he could, Dave would spend his whole life without doing any chore anywhere.
    
30. Though he was never baptized, he considers Jesus to be a great philosopher and patron.
31. He has the utmost respect for Gandhi and Bouddha.
    
32. His dream job would be to teach philosophy to children.
33. His nightmare position would be housekeeper.
34. Dave's shortest job was as a material handler. He was doing ok but hated the schedule. He stayed there 3 weeks.
35. He has been talking about going to work in Thailand for the last 3 years.
    
36. He is addicted to coffee, chesse and sherbet.
37. In 12 years that I've known him, I saw him drunk twice. He was really sweet and quite funny.
38. Silence with him is never uncomfortable.
39. He hates pop music in general, and heavy metal and rap in particular.
    
40. He is the most forgetful person I know (aside for myself).
41. He keeps on reminding me of stuff.
42. He is always considerate and respectful of me, and my rythm.
43. When we were 20, we dated. He left without saying goddbye because he thought I was miserable with him. I cried for months.
44. If I were to choose one person on which to be alone on an island with, it would be him.
45. I trust Dave with my life, but not with my crystal glasses.
    
46. He loves to play chess.
47. He taught me to love Mozart's requiem.
48. He is the reason I beleive in soul mates and reincarnation.
49. After I'd been gone away for 6 months, he asked me to live with him.
50. He commited to me despite my recent job conditions.

I will sorely miss him when I leave.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

It's a catastrophe !

I just got home from the hairdresser. I go there once a year, usually because my hair desperately needs a trim.

Today, I went there to get a nice, professional haircut for the interview for the job of my dreams.IT’S HORRIBLE !

Did she want to take revenge my neglect of her business ? did she get carried away by her enthusiasm to cut my locks ? did someone pay her to f* up my haircut and mess up my interview ?

I look like I had an accident with a lawnmower.
I look worse than when I cut them myself in Senegal.
I feel like there is nothing on my head.

Even the handyman at my place noticed it.

It’s so short, I can’t even tie it up to hide the misery.

OMG - is it acceptable to wear a hat for an interview ?

The Beaver

P.S. Thank you, StraightfromtheCask in France and VVH1 in Bentonville, AR for posting on my guestmap ! Watch this space for some French entries, very very soon :)

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

100 Things about The Beaver

I wrote 100 things about myself three years ago - and most of them are still true. I thought this would be a perfect introduction.

I have updated the list on July 1st, 2007.

1. The Beaver is the official Canadian mascot. I got my nickname the Beaver Hare when I got baptized by the Senegal Sunday Hash House Harriers.
2. My true name will never be published on this blog, but you can call me Marie.
3. Before the movie came out, I was a huge Tolkien fan. I read The Lords of the Rings in a week.
4. My Hobbit name is Tigerlily Sandydowns.
5. I'm 6 feet tall, so I don't look like a hobbit, though my feet are hairy.
6. My Elven name is Tári Eärfalas.
7. I weigh more than I should, so I'm definitely not an elf.
8. I play Dungeons and Dragons. And no, I do not take myself for Tári Eärfalas, the 16th level elven mage/warrior.
9. I started going out to clubs at 16, stopped at 23 and started again at 27.
10. I hate drinking beer.
11. I love wine.
12. I do not use drugs.
13. I'm addicted to Ice Cream.
14. I stole an ashtray at a hotel when I was 16.
15. I was born one hour too late to be born on the first day of spring.
16. I've been 25 years old for the last 4 years.
17. I'm older then I look.
18. I was born in Montreal. The doctor who supervised my birth was Congolese (RDC).
19. My eyes are blue when I cry, grey when I'm bored, and green when I'm in love.
20. My hair used to be platine blond as a baby. Now it's venitian blond.
21. I have no tatoos or piercings. I'd love to develop the nerve to get a tatoo though.
22. I own 5 pairs of shoes and always wear the same pair.
23. I died my hair red once. Nobody noticed.
24. I would never shave my head.
25. I own 2 pairs of jeans and 1 cargo. I never wear anything else, except for work.
26. My worst fear is to loose everything.
27. When I'm home alone and it's dark outside, I get paranoid that a stalker will come and stare through my windows.
28. If I could, I'd go into space. And be afraid.
29. I wouldn't bungee jump even if you paid me to.
30. I'm very loyal to my friends.
31. If I could choose my own death, I'd die for love.
32. Last time I thought of committing suicide, the thought of causing pain to my loved ones was enough to stop me.
33. I'm jealous of those who manage to lead fulfilling lives. I try to let them inspire me.
34. I'm a very carnal person. I love to touch and be touched. But not by just anyone !
35. When new people come in my life, I get all happy and excited.
36. I studied the piano for 10 years and professional singing for 3 years. I've done a few shows but was never in a band.
37. I never had a favorite band because I got introduced to pop culture only at the age of 18. Really like Pink Floyd though.
38. I kill plants. Don't give me something in a pot, because despite my best efforts, in a few weeks it'll be dead.
39. I'm obsessive compulsive about ice cream, sci-fi series, and blogging. My short attention span usually saves me from being truly addicted, though.
40. I like to read thrillers that are well built and correspond a a political reality. Like Robert Ludlum's for example.
41. Horror movies freak me out.
42. I've never hurt somebody with intent.
43. If evil means Every Violet Instantly Lives, then I'm evil. If it means Every Villain Is a Loser, I want to join the club too.
44. I have a tendency to go skinny-dipping when ever possible.
45. I only go to McDonald's to use the toilets.
46. I've been doing my laundry by hand by choice for 2 years. It doesn't bother me.
47. If I were to belong to a subculture, I'd say I'm a hippie, man.
48. I want the war in Iraq to stop.
49. I beleive in reincarnation. I'm sure that every person that's meaningful in my life today, I met in a previous life.
50. I want war not to exist altogether, but at the same time I know it can't happen.
51. am not fundamentally a violent person.
52. My favorite movie of all times is La Belle Histoire. It tells the great adventure and examines with a magnifying glass the love at first sight that happened between two individuals who met and loved two thousand years ago. Now in comtemporary times, their love remained intact. Two thousand years of hardship for one second of eternity. The director is a frenchman called Claude Lelouch. He's a genius.
53. I understood I truely loved Dave while watching this particular movie with him 10 years ago.
54. I beleive in soul mates. I found mine and live with him.
55. I beleive in love at first sight. However, I don't beleive it lasts forever.
56. The longest relationship I've been in lasted 4 years. I'd know him since I was 17.
57. My favorite song is "Come what may" from the movie Moulin Rouge. I like it because it speaks of unconditionnal love.
58. I secretly watch reality shows. And actually shed a tear. And actually feel shame for the whole thing.
59. My favorite food is Chicken French Guyana - style. It involved bamboo sprouts, onion, and a molasses-based sauce which my mother buys in France. The only 2 people that I know who can make it are my mum and my cousin. I haven't had it in 5 years and now i'm a vegetarian so....
60. My favorite cocktail is the hard-on, a shooter that the barman at Ozio could make : it involved bailey's, kalua and tia maria.
61. My favorite smell is the smell of humid moss in the North of France. Shorltly behind is the smell of bakery cooking.
62. My favorite color is blue. I think it's because I love blue skies and water. Or maybe I love them because they're blue.
63. My favorite moment in the day is sunset.
64. My least favorite moments in the day are going to bed and waking up.
65. I'm hyperactive.
66. The most broke I've ever been was when I had lemons and water for dinner. I never asked anyone for money though.
67. I used to own a 1991 Corolla. She's had everything redone, so I expected her to last at least another 5 years. My plan was to drive her until she fell apart on the road - but now that i travel 100% I managed to sell it.
68. I've never been to jail and don't plan to, being an attorney and all...
69. The shortest period of employment was a receptionist gig when I was 16. The standard was receiving 500 calls a day. I quit after the first 2 hours.
70. My dream job would be to be a private detective and wear a trenchcoat a la Dick Tracy. My other dream jobs would be to represent Canada at the UN general assembly, to be a chocolate-taster at Godiva, or an Ice-Cream-taster at Haagen Dasz.
71. The worst job I could ever get would be President of the United States. (ohhh the responsibility...) It would be worst then picking up garbage.
72. I hate selling stuff. I once begged someone not to buy something I was selling. It really was a crappy product.
73. (yes, that's me, chewing on a pipe!) When I was a little girl in Burkina faso, I had a pet chimp called Cheetah, how original! She was kinda sweet and very bent on trying to remove stuff from our hair. Anyway, it's cool to say I had a monkey as a kid, but my mum would tell you it was a whole lot of work keeping the garden clean. Eventually she became nuts and was taken away (not my mum, the monkey).
74. When I was 7, I used to play-pretend star wars (as in episodes 4-5-6) and I always was Leia and Nick and Nico (my neighbors in DKR) would be like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker and double casted as the Emperor and Darth Vador.
75. I used to dream that Peter Pan came to take me with him. I still do sometimes.
76. I never had any brothers and sisters. So I'm very close to my parents.
77. When my dad died 3 years ago, most of my friends didn't know what to do with it, so they just didn't react. I don't blame them, but would have loved to have someone who would just come by and hang out with me, even in silence... This taught me that when we lose someone we love, it takes a lot of time to grieve and accept the loss. And that no matter how horrible it is at first, it turns out fine in the end...
78. I still miss my dad.
79. I consider myself lucky to have had the parents I had. They taught me about honor, justice and loyalty.
80. I talk to my mum every two weeks. I see her twice a year. It's not enough.
    
81. When I was 10, I witnessed a coup and political instability. My reaction was to keep busy and do stuff at home.
82. My mother tongue is French. I learned English at age 10 through immersion at an american high school in Burkina Faso that lasted 3 years.
83. Racism and sterotypes make me angry.
84. My temper got me in trouble more then once.
85. My temper got me out of trouble more then once.
86. My father was adopted. He was beleived to be of Irish descent. My mother is French of France. Her family is beleived to be of Viking descent.
87. I love learning new languages. I wish I could learn Gallic, or Breton, or Ancient Egyptian, and not have to tell people why I'm studying a language deemed dead or useless.
88. That makes me 50% Celt and 50% Viking. Which means in pre-medieval times I would have fought naked and covered in ritual tatoos, but weilding a huge battle-axe. It explains a lot about my temper.
89. I cuss when I'm angry.
90. Though I may feel the urge once in a while, I could never bring myself to bring an end to one's life of my own initiative. If I killed someone accidently, I don't know how I'd deal with the guilt. I might kill to protect my loved ones though. It might kill me, too, in the process.
91. I don't respond well to threats. I deal well with constructive criticism.
92. My weapon of choice when fighting is biting.
93. I'm a hot-head ascendant travel freak.
94. The list of places I'd like to visit is very long, but amongst others : Thailand, Australia, New-Zealand, Guadeloupe, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Singapour, California, Barcelona, Mexico, the Grand Canyon...
95. I went to Paris over 10 times and never went to the third floor of the Eiffel Tower.
96. I've lived in Canada 12 years and the furthest East I went is Miscou Island (New-Brunswick) - Furthest east is Toronto.
97. I went to London twice and never saw Buckingham Palace.
98. Now I live nowhere - I am a NOMAD - and I am desperate to settle down - but WHERE? The world is SO great !
99. If I had to pick a place and a time to live, I'd be a 19th-century poet. (This one's Nelligan, a French Canadian poet of the golden era of poetry.)
100. Every word I put down here is meant to be read by the world.

The Beaver