A Nights' Tale (I still got it)

I had a mind to travel to Antigua this weekend, but I had work to do, and well… I was feeling a little bit lazy. So instead, I stayed home and did a few things, though I promise myself to go this coming weekend, since it will be my last occasion to go.

On Friday night I went out to dinner with my colleagues. Our leader’s husband came to spend the weekend with her, and it was lovely to meet him – though I kind of felt like I was out to dinner with parents, seeing as everyone was twice my age.

To shake it up a little, I decided to go out for a drink at the Irish pub on the corner, and ended up chatting with a legal assistant and her friend, a business man. All this of course happens in Spanish, but it goes well, until they leave and a man starts chatting me up. Not that I mind, actually – it’s nice to have some attention once in a while. But it turns out he is an auditor for another organization, and though he wasn’t unpleasant, it was a bit blah to be (again) with auditors.

Saturday was spent working and lazing away, though I did take a long walk in the afternoon in the hopes of alleviating my ever painful back ache. My idle feet took me to a shopping mall and I ended up buying a white sweater and a black shawl, and reserving a pair of black ballerinas. I need those for Bolivia anyway – my standard packing habits don’t take into account colder climates.

Later on in the day, I opted to go out for a drink again, and ended up chatting it up with a high-ranking French official and his wife. I daresay that aside from the fact that they were charming, it was nice to speak some French. Later on that night, I decided to scout a club, just to see what was happening on the night scene, and ended up being pursued by a young man who was 10 years my junior... and a pleasant dancer. To quote one of my good friends, “You still got it, girl!”

It’s nothing truly yeehaw, but it’s nice to know I can still be pleasing to the eye.

Magneto & Mystique

Last night, I danced with Magneto. The sweet, tall, blond swedish engineer twirled me around on the dance floor and held me tight. I rested my head on his chest, closed my eyes, took in the sweet smell of his body. I closed my eyes and let him take me to another world. For a short while that felt like forever, he lead me to another plane, where we were the only 2 beings in the world.

He kissed my cheek tenderly and left without trying to get to my bed, but promising to see me again.


I leave Haiti in 4 days. It's always about terrible timing. I will nevertheless cherich this moment. It was magical in many, many ways. Sometimes, a short moment of magic is all one needs.

Update: I was at the mountain cottage today - and bumped into him... on a double date. Turns out - the guy is charming to everyone - and potentially in a relationship.

Last night, I felt special. Today, I feel ordinary, and kind of like a fool for maybe seeing something that wasn't there. I mean - I get VERY little male attention usually, after all.

P.S. Today is Amias' birthday. Do pop in by her blog (although she is now retired) and enjoy her beautiful writing. And why not leave her a comment wishing her a happy day while you're there?

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 !

Dancing Burundi

Hi everyone !

I uploaded a movie of various dance presentations I filmed in Burundi. Enjoy.



I'm now in Port-Au-Prince after a grueling travel of 3 days. More to come soon ! I miss you guys !

How the Beaver went away and back again

Ok, so I've been rather silent recently.

I have an excuse. I was away travelling to see my family.

So anyway, my last weekend in Buja, we celebrated Naya's Birthday by going to dinner, to a fashion show, and watching some traditionnal dancing.

It also involved clubbing until the wee hours of the morning.

The following wednesday, I was flying on Ethiopian Airways through Addis Ababa to France where I was to meet my family. The plane first stopped in Kigali, though, and I had the chance to take some superb airshots of Rwanda, the land of the 1000 hills.

After a long flight in Business class (I never do this - but then I truely needed to splurge), I got to my aunt's house. I want to take 2 seconds and pay hommage to it because it was the last time I saw the house, and though I didn't live there, I feel like part of my roots have gone with it being sold. So here it is, my home away from home:

The following days were spent catching up with the family and hanging out. On Saturday, I took a road trip with my cousins to go the place where the celebrations were held, in Silly-en-Gouffern (I know, it ressembles "Silly, I'm goofing!" - but what can I say, it's the name of the place.) Along the way, I enjoyed some wonderful french landscapes.

Of course, we also had the inevitable "we're lost and we're late moment". Although my cousins were getting all racked up, I though it was really hilarious.

We finally made it and I had the pleasure of spending a night of partying, eating, and singing with my aunts and uncles, most of whom I had not seen in years. This really did me good to feel the family connection. It was nice to see those familiar faces, and to feel that affection. I like my french family. And of course, there was the cake !

Well, more to come soon, but for now... da da da that's all folks !

Full photoset can be viewed here.

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 !

10 000 ! - and the low-down on Bujumbura

Last night, my hit counter went over the edge of 10,000 visits !

Thanks everybody.

Ok - about Burundi (I have SOOOO much stuff to do. I should TOTALLY be working right now.)

It's a nice country. I like the Burundians. It's green. Food is good. Potential for partying is exponential compared to Aceh.

When I arrived at the hotel, I settled down in my 2-star bedroom like it was the Ritz-Carlton. What I like best about my room is the view outside on the beautiful flamboyant tree:

We had dinner that night and even had a dancing session. It hit me then that all the Nasi Goreng I fed on in Aceh had taken up residence in my tummy and my hips. So green salad and exercise it is for me. This is getting ridiculous. Looking fabulous will be a nice bonus.

On my second day (a Saturday), my friend/colleague and I went to Club Tanganyika, by the namesake lake - we could see the congolese mountains looming over us.

The week was spent working hard on budget analysises, getting to know the staff and figuring out my surroundings. There were several pleasant dinners at various restaurants, during which I held my word and had salads and green stuff. One of the restaurants that really struck me with gorgeous vegetation and actual wildlife roaming around (only birdies though) was the Flamboyant.

We had another wild night of clubbing this last weekend as it was my friend's birthday. Boy. It's nice to be able to have a bit of fun - at least i'm not going totally wonkers with boredom.

Click here for the entire photoset of pics from Burundi.

In a few days I'll be going to France to attend a family event before I get back to BUJ and work like a madwoman again. This is getting pretty hectic, and it's great. I would not want to be less busy.

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 !

Some news of what is going on in good ol' Aceh

Just sharing with you guys the local news. Do know that in Meulaboh, where I am now working, this is a bit less strict than in Banda Aceh.

Nevertheless, my word to you is: don't come here unless you really have to.

Picture take from the local news agency : this is what a Canning is.

Source: Rakyat Aceh, Monday 7 August 2006
Rayket Aceh is a local Banda Aceh newspaper.

Raid to a house occupied by NGO

• Suspected of being used as place to do alcohol party.

Banda Aceh, it is suspected that some houses or even offices that are occupied by foreigners from different NGOs in Banda Aceh have become places to hold alcohol parties during the evening.

Not just that, the houses that are occupied by NGOs are also suspected of being places to conduct adultery/immorality.

The assumption of immoral action conducted in the houses that occupied by NGOs was expressed in the meeting of several students from Student Executive Board Faculty (BEM) Syiah Kuala University – the Chairman was Head of Banda Aceh Legislature, Muntasir Hamid and other members, Saturday (5/8).

Chairman Muntasir Hamid mentioned, to the Rakyat Aceh, Sunday (6/8) this assumption was based on information that was received by students from the communities that was addressed to the council office.

Muntasir said, if houses that were occupied by some NGOs are truly become the places for alcohol parties – it should not be allowed to happen as it will contaminate the capital of Verandah of Meccah. Muntasir also asks the ‘law upholders’ to investigate and if necessary take some action against them.

“We did not want the Veranda of Mecca to be contaminated by the presence of NGOs in Banda Aceh as this territory is under the enforcement of Syariah Law” Muntasir said.

So he asked the related Dinas to uphold the Syariah Law and not to gives any tolerance to NGOs that conduct adultery and or beverages party. We will ask in this case, the Dinas of Syariah to do search/raid on houses that are occupied by NGOs especially during the evening. Muntasir said.

He mentioned, if matters like these do not get attention, the students would do direct investigation during the night on the houses that are occupied by NGOs to look for the truth that alcohol parties and immoral actions are really happening.

Separately, Head of Banda Aceh Syariah Natsir Ilyas said, related to the indication of immoral/adultery action he did not receive any objective evidence. However, he really appreciated the input from the students and information given from the community for any violation to Syariah Law.

”We are investigating and if eventually get a strong indication of this violation, his side will mobilize Syariah Police (Waliyatul Hisbah/WH) to put them in order” Natsir said.

Natsir added, to search/raid into houses that are occupy by NGOs, his side must coordinate with police first, Syariah police could not move alone, because we have limitations, he explained.

Natsir also recommended that village heads and Geuchiks monitor, supervise, and inform current Achenese law to those NGOs that occupied houses in their areas. Some time before, public figures in Lambheu, Aceh Besar conducted a raid into an NGO office and found that there was a party, dancing, and alcohol as well, therefore the local community dispersed the party.

Source: Aceh World, July 26 – August 1, 2006
Italian National Arrested for Adultery in Bireuen

AN Italian national (30) who works with an international humanitarian organization in Aceh was arrested by the local shari'a police for committing adultery with his translator, an Acehnese woman, who used to work as his translator. The couple was arrested in a rented house in the village of Desa Pulo Kiton, Sub­district of Kota Juang in the District of Bireuen.

The local shari'a police received an anonymous report through text messaging about the whereabout of the pair. They were arrested at around midnight. According to local residents, they have been suspicious of the couple who fre­quently were seen to be together in public and spent long hours in the rented house.

Drs M. Daud Yusuf, the Commander of the Sharia' Police in Bireuen told reporters that his agency immediatelv sent his officers to arrest the couple as soon as he received the text messaging. The Sharia Police broke down the front door and caught them red-handed. They were then taken to the local police station. Both confessed to the offense and explained that they have been romantically involved since November 2005.

The Shari'a Police also confiscated dried ganja leaves, and alcoholic drinks. The Bireuen Police Chief stated that the Italian suspect will be charged with the crime of possession of narcotics under Law No. 22/1970 on narcotics with a maximum penalty of 10 years prison time. The Italian Embassy in Jakarta has been notified about the arrest. The woman suspect will be charged with a violation of the Shari’a law for committing adultery.

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 !

Addicted to Coffee (tag tag tag)

I was tagged by Coffee Addict in Denmark ... I always enjoy that stuff !

If you have been tagged, you are to come up with 4 of each of the below items. Then list down, and tag, four other bloggers on their pages. If you've been tagged, you need not do this again.


4 jobs i have had in my life

* Assistant VP business development for a Hassidim family business (Quebec)
* Law intern for a Senegalese business lawyer
* Internal auditor for an international organization on 4 continents
* Donor address verifier and envelope licker in Canada

4 films i would wtach over & over & over

* Moulin Rouge (ahhhh Ewaaaaan!!!!)
* Independance day (ahhhh Wiiiiiill!!!!!)
* La belle histoire (ahhhh CQFD!!!)
* Troy (ahhhh Braaaaad!!!!)

4 places where i have lived (as in not at the hotel)

* Montreal, Quebec
* Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
* Dakar, Senegal
* Argenteuil, France (surrogately - went on vacation at my aunt's for years and years)

4 TV shows i love to watch

* In Montreal: Angel (ahhhh David !!!!)
* In Johannesburg: Isindigo (love the triligual subtitled series)
* In Freetown (Sierra Leone): Children of Dune
* In Conakry: La vie devant soi

4 places i have been on vacation (among others)

* Paris, France
* North Truro (on Cape Cod)
* Madrid, España (I was 5, only remember being on an elephant's back!)
* Shanghai, China

4 websites i visit

* www.blogger.com
* www.google.com
* www.monster.com
* www.msn.ca

4 of my favourite foods

* New-York style cheesecake
* Pate Chinois 'sti!
* Salmon Sushi
* Imperial rolls

4 places i would rather be right now (so many places, no money and no time)

* Montreal, snuggling in bed with CQFD
* Dakar, dancing on Cool Graoul Night or singing Karaoke at the Papagayo
* Paris, exploring the Louvre (again and again and again)
* Tokyo (just because I've never been there)

4 people i have tagged

* 007 in Africa
* Salt Water
* Saurkraut
* Victoria

I am an Espresso

At my best, I am: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic. At my worst, I am: anxious and high strung I drink coffee anytime I'm not sleeping. My caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

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 !

Freetown!!!

Early morning walk, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

To go to work in the morning, we have to drive 45 minutes. This is one of the views on Freetown, from Aberdeen, where I am staying for now. The sky is green here... maybe it's the mist?

Pour aller travailler le matin, nous devons rouler 45 minutes. C'est un des vues sur Freetown, d'Aberdeen, où j'habite pour l'instant. Le ciel est vert ici... peut-être il est la brume?

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Youpi and the Lagoon at Sierra Lighthouse, Aberdeen, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

This is the sun-set from my window! Youpi is still with me, and has returned as ever to witness my crazy habits :)

C'est le coucher du soleil, vu de ma fenêtre! Youpi est toujours avec moi, et est revenu pour être témoin de mes habitudes folles:)

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Between Aberdeen and Freetown - the baobab, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Another view on the way to work. This road is a little bit bumpy, but I really enjoy seeing the Baobab and the sea everymorning.

Une autre prise de vue sur le chemin du travail. Cette route est un peu inégale, mais j'ai vraiment plaisir à voir le baobab et la mer tous les matins.

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Freetown homes, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

I took this picture while hanging out in downtown Freetown on Saturday. The Krio (sounds like Creole, doesn't it?) are the descendants of the freed slaves who returned from the Americas to Africa and estabished themselves in Freetown.

J'ai pris cette photo tout en accrochant dehors à Freetown du centre samedi. Le Krio (ca ressemble a Créole, n'est-ce-pas ?) sont les descendants des esclaves libres qui est revenu d'Amériques en Afrique et qui ont construit Freetown.

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Freetown from the mountain, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

On Saturday, we went to visit Desmond, a friend of my colleague's who runs a children's home. I took this picture on the way there. This is what Freetown looks like from the hill top.

Samedi, nous sont allés visiter Desmond, un ami de ma collègue qui gere une maison de jeunes. J'ai pris cette photo en route. Voici a quoi ressemble Freetown vu de la colline.

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King David Fast Food, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

You all know who this made me think of ! This is a tribute to all the Davids out there ;)

Vous que tout sait à qui ceci m'a incité à penser! C'est un hommage à tout les Davids !

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With the kids, over at Desmond's, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

We refer to them as the kids, but in fact, they are young adults or teenagers. They were abandonned, before or after the war, and were taken in by a Swedish NGO. Desmond, a local reverend, had been managing the project and fathering them. Left to right, we have, Mary, Beaver, Hawa, Johnny, Daniel, Assantu and Moses. Squatting at the front is Desmond Jr.

They are wonderful and full of life. You will see more of them later ;)

On les appelle "les enfants", mais en fait, ce sont de jeunes adultes ou des adolescents. Ils étaient abandonnes, avant ou après la guerre, et ont été pris en charge par une ONG Suedoise. Desmond , un pretre local, gere le projet et leur sert de pere. De gauche a droite, nous avons, Mary, Le castor, Hawa, Johnny, Daniel, Assantu et Moses. Accroupis à l'avant est Desmond Jr. Ils sont merveilleusement pleins de vie. Je vous reparle d'eux plus tard...

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Lumley Beach, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

There are lots of beaches in Freetown... On Lumley, it's Easy to get a drink or a lunch by the water. We had lunch here after visiting Desmond.Freetown is the first place where I go where the beauty of mountains complement that of the sea. (Ok, not true, Mamelles in Senegal is pretty nifty too !)

Il y a beaucoup de plages à Freetown.. A Lumley, il est facile d'obtenir une boisson ou un déjeuner au bord de l'eau. Nous avons pris le déjeuner ici après avoir visite Desmond. Freetown est le premier endroit où je vais où la beauté des montagnes complète celle de la mer. (Non, c'est pas vrai, la plage des Mamelles au Sénégal etait aussi tres belle!)

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Stitched_001, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

On Sunday, for once in a long while, I went to church. For those who don't know me too well, I need to specify that it was, for me, a cultural experience more then a religious one. (For a more detailed explanation of my opinion on religion, CLICK HERE.)

What I found truely interesting in this experience was the fact that:

1) there were people. Lots of them. And of all ages.

2) they were happy to be there, concentrated, and full of energy.

3) the preacher was a woman.

4) people participated in singing and dancing.

Le dimanche, pour une fois dans un long moment, j'est allé à l'église. Pour ceux qui ne me connaissent pas trop bien, je dois indiquer que c'était, pour moi, une expérience culturelle plus que religieuse. (pour une explication plus détaillée de mon avis sur la religion, CLICK HERE

1) il y avait les gens. Un bon nombre d'eux. Et de tous ages.

2) ils étaient heureux d'être là, concentré, et plein d'energie.

3) le prédicateur était une femme.

4) les gens participaient en chantant et en dansant.

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Children dancing, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

The other thing that was amazing was that it was Children's day, so kids were really given ownership of the whole ceremony. There was a party going on in there, I tell you!

L'autre chose qui était étonnante était que c'était le jour des enfants, et donc les enfants ont été vraiment associes a la cérémonie. C'etait toute une fete!

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Sunday Beauties, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

After the service, we hung out at Desmond's with the Girls and Boys, who were all partied up for Sunday.

Après le service, nous avons bavardé chez Desmond avec les filles et les garçons, qui étaient tous sur leur 31 pour dimanche.

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Space Cowboy, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Daniel even gave us a pretty good lip sync show of some bluegrass folk. The joy I found with these people was simple and sincere. I was looking forward to sharing it with you, dear readers :)

Daniel nous a même donné un spectacle de lipsync sur fond de folk bluegrass. La joie que j'ai trouvée avec ces personnes était simple et sincère. J'avais hate de la partager avec vous, chers lecteurs:)

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 !

Once, again.... suffering from DRS...

HAPPY NEW YEAR to YOU and YOUR LOVED ONES. May 2006 be a year of PLEASANT SURPRISES and SMILY THOUGHTS.

If you don't know about DRS, click here.

So I disappeared...

In my defense, I haven't been home in 3 months, and have very little time to spend with friends and family. So I had a hard time working on my projects in the meantime, let alone put down some coherent thoughts...

So I did do a few cool things while I was gone:

I resumed my taste for movies and saw:

1. Harry Potter IV
2. Chronicles of Narnia
3. Chicken Little (hi hi hi)

I resumed my taste for international dining and:

1. Went out for SUSHI with my mum
2. Went to an Indian Restaurant with Dave
3. Went to a Korean Restaurant with my girlfriends

I also reconnected with my RPG habits and:

1. Played a barbarian NPC at D&D
2. Finished the first episode of our 7 year Star Wars Saga (in which I play an outlawed military commander belonging to the Homo Aquarius race...)

Last but not least:

1. I had coffee with friends;
2. Enjoyed intense dancing during a girl's night out;
3. Enjoyed intense partying during New Year's eve with Dave and my good friends JP and Mymy.

During the last 2 weeks, I did not:

1. Work, think about, or consider working on the project I was supposed to work on; (blushing in shame)

But I did :

1. Keep taking my work email and responding;
2. Make arrangements for my next travels out.

BUT HERE'S THE NEWS !!!!!

As of last week, my travel schedule has changed pretty drastically since September

(click the link to see the old schedule):

January 2005

I am actually going to PAKISTAN 2 weeks from now !!!!

(Of course, this is an audit)

February and March 2006

I'll be spending 2 weeks in each of these countries of West Africa in the course of follow-ups:

April and May 2006

June and July 2006

August and September 2006October and November 2006

Whewww... and it will very likely change some more over the year...

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 !

Orphelins.... Orphans....

Sizanani2005-11-26_17-07-25
Originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

These kids performing the traditionnal Zulu dance, have been orphanned by HIV Aids and live in difficult conditions. Thanks to community projects, though, they manage to be in foster homes, and to have the support necessary to keep on striving... and dancing. The need, however, is much greater than the available resources.

Ces jeunes qui dansent la danse traditionnelle Zoulou, sont des orphelins du SIDA et vivent dans des conditions tres difficiles. Grace a des projets communautaires, ils sont (parfois) accueillis dans des foyers et obtiennent le support necessaire pour continuer a lutter... et a danser. Le besoin, par ailleurs, reste beaucoup superieur aux ressources disponibles.

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 !

80's Frenzy

Two weeks ago, I went to an 80's party...

(I'm the dork behind the 80's queen)

There were really a lot of people there. Some guy was pretending to be a conductor to the dancing crowd. Very cool !

Of course, we made for the stage !

I gotta say, it was priceless to dance to "Holiday", "Thriller" and "Touch me".

The Beaver

St-Jean-Baptiste, Quebec National Holiday

On June 24th, I spent the afternoon and evening in Ste-Hyacinth, serving beers to party goers and enjoying the local show of french-canadian music. It was fun to renew with my Quebecer identity and to enjoy the French Canadian way of partying. The whole thing started at 3PM and ended with seemingly cool (well, what I could see from behind the tree) fireworks. No traditionnal bonfire, though, as apparently some Einstein decided to jump in the last bonfire that was made, years ago.

Some may question the existence of a nationalist holiday in a province, but to put all this in perspective, according to a CROP survey, in june, 55% of quebecers would have voted YES to a referendum. Even without ventilation of the indecise, sovereignty would have passed with a meager 52 % based on the 1995 question, which involved a political and economical partership with Canada. Where do I stand ? I don't know. I've been away during most of the events that stand behind such an increase, (the Gomery commission investigating corruption in the federal Liberal party and the student strike contesting modifications to financial aid to students), so I do feel less involved than I might otherwise be. Nevertheless, I am first and foremost a francophone and do feel simpathy for the cause, even if I don't feel that my opinions are strong enough to go along with the new majority.

So anyway, for those who wonder, what is "La Fete Nationale" ? here's a quick wrap-up which also gives you a 101 on French Canadian history. (Thanks, http://www.genealogyforum.rootsweb.com/gfaol/resource/Canada/StJean.htm).

Of European origins...

"While the orgin of the holiday in France was the pagan celebration of the summer soltice; a celebration of light and a symbol of hope. In the reign of the French King Clovis, the annual event was christianized and became a religious celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, who is known as the Precursor of Christ, the light of the world – thus the link with the soltice and the bonfires.

The festival of Jean Baptiste had particular importance for all the Catholics of Europe, especially those of France. The King of France would light the bonfire in the nights of June 23 and 24 in Paris.

...a custom which travelled to Quebec...

Once in America, the French continued to celebrate this event, but it was then a very pious, religious festival with processions in the streets of Quebec City.
St-Jean Baptiste came to be know as the patron saint of French Canadians as a result of centuries of recognition of the influence he had on New France as new colony was developing from the time of early colonization.

It was on 24 June 1615 that the first St-Jean-Baptiste mass was celebrated in New France, though mass had been celebrated since the times of Jacques Cartier. The religious authorities found that the day coincided with the summer soltice and the birthdate of Jean Baptiste, thus the symbolism of the baptism of New France.

From the 150 French residents of New France in 1635, their customs spread with their pursuit of the fur trade. It was quite important, particularly since it coincides with the summer collection of furs and the gathering of employees who had been isolated during the winter. Large bonfires, singing, fiddle music and dancing are all a part of this festive occasion. The conviver (come together) was boisterous with many les santés (toasts) to health and much gunfire and cannon booms. Festivities lasted throughout the night.

French residents in the St. Lawrence River area formed a chain of bonfire lights from village to village. Even in the late 20th Century, more than 15,000 of these fires could be seen on 24 June. Soldiers mustered to fire cannon and muskets as a part of the provincal.

Which survived the British conquest...

After the conquest of New France by the British, the celebration of St-Jean Baptiste lost some of its importance. It was just over two centuries later on 24 June 1834 when Ludger Dunvernay, a newspaper editor, and about 60 people decided during a banquet to turn that day into an event that would unite all French Canadians. The festival grew in size and importance to French Canadians.

A great number of English-Speaking Montrealers took part in the national banquet, which was held in the gardens of a prominent lawyer, John McDonnell. While the enthusiasm for the annual event were put on hold during and after the Patriot’s Rebellion in 1837-38, Celebration of the Fête de la Saint-Jean as it was named, reappeared in Quebec City in 1842 as a religious festival with a great procession. Montreal followed suit in 1843.

... and was declared a statutory holiday...

The annual celebration grew and in 1925 the Quebec legislature declared June 24 as a holiday.
(...) The usual order of activities would open with a mass to commemorate St-Jean Baptiste. A parade would follow the streets of the villages with a band, baton twirlers, people dressed in period costumes and floats. The last float would represent St-Jean Baptiste with a blonde and curly haired child wearing sheep skin, holding a cane. One or more lambs would signify a shepherd and his flock of sheep.

After the parade there was a banquet with entertainment, folkloric dances and the day would end with a great bonfire and fireworks.

...with nationalistic meaning...

The evolution of St-Jean-Baptiste Day from a religious to a nationalist celebration was complete by 1975. In 1976, the Province of Quebec government passed legislation making it the official national holiday of Quebec and an official paid holiday. The name of the holiday was then changed to la Fete Nationale, though many still refer to it as St-Jean-Baptiste Day.
At the beginning of the 19th century, in towns and villages along the St-Lawrence River, it was customary to take the first swim of the year on the even of St-Jean-Baptiste Day. Even today most swimming pools in Quebec open for the season around that day.
Another tradition was the petits pains benits (blessed loaves of bread). These bread loaves were shaped either as a star (another announcement of the birth of Christ) or heart (For God so loved the world). They were then given to the priest. This is not the same as the Lord’s Supper.

Many other French-speaking villages in other provinces celebrate St-Jean-Baptiste Day and several of them have churches named for the patron saint. And there are villages named for St. Jean Baptiste—one in Manitoba is known as the soup pea capital of Canada. Several are in the Province of Quebec."

At last, a wild night in Montreal !

The LOFT :

"This bar used to be known as "La Nausée" (nausea) and boasted they had the worst bathrooms in Montreal. It now still keeps the venerable tradition of cheap alcool. "


This bar also was the stage of my early beginnings as an immature, illegal clubber. Located in the less glamorous (to say the least) part of downtown, this place is particularly special because of its two rooms (one plays rock and one plays top 40 stuff) and its amazing rooftop terrace in the summer.

Last night, after a very adult evening at the theater, I ended up with some friends in this temple of my teenage years. We sat on the terrace, had a few beers, chilled out. We were 3 girls and a guy, with a second guy about to join us when one of my friends bailed to go to bed and the other one begged me to take her home because she was feeling sick. So I did, and then went home to fit back out of my classic little black dress and in my comfy jeans, leather coat and biker boots to meet up with my male buds. The evening went along great, with lots of beer, dancing to some hard rock (which I had so dearly missed in DKR) and some private chatting. I went home late by MTL standards, as we actually stayed until the bar closed, at 3 AM.

Life in Montreal is getting better !

I'd like to thank you all...

This post is dedicated to the people I met during my stay in Dakar. In the hopes to preserve privacy, names will be left out, but hopefully, you all know who you are !

• thank you for playing father figure and making me feel safe ;
• thank you for the quiet presence, the soothing innocence, the hyperactivity that made us go out ... all the time !
• thank you for infecting me with the love of hashing ;
• thank you for always being cheery, always laughing and making sure everyone felt special ;
• thank you for teaching me the meaning of freedom and friendship ;
• thank you for the gift of autonomy ;
• thank you for showing up, dancing, smiling and just being your clumsy, lovable self ;
• thank you for the wild partying, the crazy behaviour, the loud jokes and salty humour ;
• thank you for your warmth, your smile, your love of fun, and being taller than me ! ;
• thank you for teaching me to be a girl again ;
• thank you for opening your house and welcoming me in ;
• thank you for teaching me to appreciate cynicism ;
• thank you for making me feel special and loved.