Day-trip to Sarlat and its surroundings

This Saturday, I went on a day-trip to Sarlat with a couple of other assistants from Perigueux. Sarlat is -- according to my boss at the Inspection Academique -- the most touristic town in the Dordogne region. Compared to Perigueux, it is a lot cuter and more manicured but it has a similar medieval architecture and farmer's market. 

We spend the day exploring the town and the Château de Castelnaud (pictured below), a medieval fortress in the nearby commune of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle. In the evening, we went to a very nice restaurant to celebrate the birthday of one of the Sarlat assistants. I highly recommend it, it was called L'instant Delice. Their specialty is regional Dordogne/Perigord food, which is basically duck or goose, duck or goose by-products, and anything cooked in duck or goose fat. YUM. I remember having foi gras as an entree, and the popular confit de canard with pommes de terre sarladaises* as a main dish. 

In my short time there, I was able to verify that Sarlat is indeed a very beautiful town with lovely plazas, restaurants, markets, and landmarks, so I can see why it has become the home to a lot of British expats and a favourite destination in the Dordogne. However, I did notice a number of odd and negative things while I was there that kind of made me happy I live in Perigueux. 

The most inexplicable one was the omnipresence of (quite expensive) porny fairy figurines in every gift shop -- each one more provocative than the next. Grim. They had also chosen "the big white North" a.k.a. Canada a.k.a my country as the theme for their Christmas market. It was very strange for me to be welcomed to a tiny french town with Canadian flags and weird, stereotypical, and borderline offensive scenes of Canada's Indigenous Peoples. The food also seemed more expensive than in Perigueux -- not only in restaurants but also in the market. Blame tourism for that I guess. Finally, after we left the restaurant, the town was incredibly dead, especially for a friday night! The assistants and teachers who were at the dinner were able to confirm that Sarlat is virtually devoid of any nightlife. I wonder if it's the same during the summertime. C'est tragique. On the other hand, Perigueux is not Berlin. At least there are a lot more assistants and we make our own fun. 

Either way, it was a very good trip and I will forever remember Sarlat as the Dordogne capital of porny fairy figurines. 

(*duck cooked in its own fat and potatoes cooked in duck fat. See? I told you)

Sarlat farmer's market + chick old lady

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

Christan exploring Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

Château de Castelnaud 

Château de Castelnaud 

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

Sarlat

Sarlat

Sarlat

Sarlat - weird depiction of Indigenous Peoples of Canada

Sarlat

Sarlat

Sarlat's Christmas Market - Canadian theme

More weird depictions of Canada's Indigenous Peoples

Sarlat market

Sarlat market

Sarlat market

Outfit Review Parody

This weekend I went through a fair share of fabulous outfits. I think it's only fair that I include all my style inspirations... Get excited.

Outfit#1: I was really interested in exploring the contrast between a square, masculine, comfortable  shape and the use of feminine tones such as fuscia and pink. The burgundy also added an unexpectedly rich layer and depth to the outfit.

I wore:
- Snuggie (Gemma's)
- Scarf (I'm pretty sure I found it somewhere at Uni)

Inspiration: 

Chanel Fall 2012

Chanel fall 2012

Givenchy Spring 2013

Boney Tyler's total eclipse of the heart circa 80s

It's also really practical if one wants to take a nap but wishes to remain stylish. 

Daphne Guiness

 Outfit #2: I am all about contrast! The constricted nature of the pants paired with the airiness of the shirt gives the outfit a complicated, meaningful edge. I wore:

- Shirt from Perigueux only charity shop
- DKNY pants
- Aldo boots
- Friendship bracelet I gave to myself #treatyoself2010

Inspiration: Frida Kahlo, Stevie Nicks, and Jerry Seinfeld. 

Perigueux: medieval urban exploration

I have been living in Perigueux for two months now and I am ashamed to admit that before last weekend, I had not embarked on any urban exploration adventures! Usually, it's the first thing I do when I move to a new place; I walk around, get lost explore a bit, and try to familiarize myself with the neighbourhood. I was just being a snob, thinking that I had inevitably seen everything that my tiny new city had to offer. Spoiler alert: I was wrong!

A view of the Isles river and the Barris bridge, some old houses, and the cathedral at the back

Last weekend, another assistant (Gabrielle) from Bordeaux was visiting and I suggested we go on a self-guided walking tour of the medieval district, which is more or less my neighbourhood. For only 50 cents, the P-town Tourism Office gave us a little map featuring medieval touristic streets, medieval buildings, and cute medieval plazas. One or two of the "medieval buildings" were built in the 60s but to the untrained eye, they look mad medieval.

Add caption

Passage Taillefer

Place Saint Silain

Place Saint Louis

Inside Perigueux' Saint Front Cathedral

To be honest, the map wasn't that great. It suggested a route but it hardly gave any information about the different points of interests. Then again, it was 50 cents! Gabrielle and I eventually diverged from the route and did our own thing. To anyone who is really interested in the history or architecture of medieval Perigueux, I would recommend researching a bit online and crafting their own tour before coming to town.

Two assistants came to visit this weekend (Holly and Siwan) and I tried to take them on a similar tour but, like with Gabrielle, we ended up taking different roads after a while. On both occasions, I took a lot of cool pictures and I had a lovely time looking at old crooked medieval and fake-medieval buildings. I guess I could say now that I've seen everything that the center of Perigueux has to offer but I am not so sure. I mean, could go on the same walk everyday and depending on the weather, my mood, the people around me, or the time of day, the experience would be different every time... Also there's a lot left to eat in this place!

Basque Haircut

I went to the Basque country at the end of October to visit my aunt and I accidentally came back with a really short and haircut, which I now love obviously. It's so cool. But right after I got it, I freaked out a little bit because I hadn't had my hair this short since babyhood.

When I went to the hairdresser, I thought I made it quite clear that I wanted a bob with side bangs but I can see how she could have gotten mixed messages. I showed the lady a buch of pictures of cool bangs that I wanted but they must have all been short hairstyles because before I knew it, I ended up with the haircut below.

Eitherway, I am happy how it turned out. The night after my haircut, which was exactly a month ago #Monthiversary, I wore:

- My aunt's 20 year old "SUPERBOWL" sweatshirt
- Underwear (not pictured)

#SELFIE

On Careers, Teaching and Education

When I was a kid I would often pretend that I was a teacher. Sometimes it was with my little human friends and other times with my little non-furry animal friends (I was allergic to dust). It wasn't my favourite game but I must have liked it enough to remember it now. Other times I would play that I was a bus driver, a stay-at-fort mom, a cook, a scientist, etc. I didn't have to choose the game that I would play for the rest of my childhood. I mean, asking a child to make such a choice would be crazy! So it was all great, I just focused on the present and eating as many mangoes as I could get a hold on. I looooved mangoes. 

Oh how I wish things were as simple now! Even in University... The idea of making a career choice was there, guiding every academic and extracurricular choice, but it remained just an idea. It is only now that I am out in the "real world" that the perceived modern obligation of starting your career ASAP has punched me in my face and the option of pursuing teaching has come back to me.

It seems like a sensible. I already have some experience under and I am really loving teaching English in Perigueux. It’s challenging and rewarding. I have fun preparing lessons. I like drawing my own flashcards and illustrations. I like picking the right song that will help them learn how to count or introduce themselves. I like hanging out and drinking coffee with SOME OF the teachers during breaks. These are simple things, and although they’re not my favourite things, I enjoy them enough that going to work in the morning is actually something to look forward. The kids love me too. 

Would I want to do this forever though? Having my own class and teaching the same curriculum year after year. Playing the same games over and over again? Dealing with the same personalities class after class. Good grief! The idea of sticking to the same job and staying in the same city for the rest of my life (unless that city is New York, obviously) is terrifying. On the other hand, teaching or a career in education doesn't have to be so...logarithmic. Depending on your personality and wits about you, I think you can make any job exciting. For example, it is possible for teachers to go back to school and get involved in education research or policy or activism. 

Maybe being a teacher wont be THE career of my life but "education" might just be. So for the time being, I am going to enjoy teaching kids in Perigueux and keep slipping anti-racism messages into my lessons. It doubt this is the best job I will ever have in my life but I think it's good enough for my age and experience. Also, in the future I think I will always think back to my very first job in the education sector. AAAWWW #cheesy. 

Teaching fail

Again, another sleepless night. As a result, I half-prepared my lessons, half-showered, and proceeded to have a full terrible day at school. I am aware that English might not be the most important subject at the school but at times, I feel a mild yet hurtful amount of disrespect towards my class time and the amount of work I put into it (except this week cuz' insomnia #yaaawn). The teachers act as though English is a joke class and if that's how language learning is viewed throughout France's primary and secondary schools, it is no wonder why French people suck at them. Hello people, this is not the 19th century... French might be a beautiful language but let's be honest, English is now the universal language for most sectors and industries. Oh yeah, speak you never, Esperanto #Sorry.

My day started off by the CE2 (3rd grade) teacher telling me that he wouldn't be needing me in his class because, allegedly, he needed to finish a lesson. I mean, it was actually great because all I am allowed to do in his class is to teach the kids some vocab... #boring and I really needed a rest. However, it remains a quite unfair decision for the kids since they only have the pleasure of seeing me once a week but also for me because it really fucks up with the schedule of the lessons. Apparently the real reason was that he was angry because two parents told him he was scaring the children and made their kids not want to come to school. For the record, the man is creepy and the kids in his class are indeed terrified of him.

If that wasn't enough, I fucking cried in the staff room today. Mostly because I was very sleep-deprived and weird but mostly because one of the teachers was telling me a bunch of nonsense about how chocolate was good for my vagina. He also told me how I had a big head, which he then changed to "you have a dick head". I mean I barely know this dude and he's already talking about dicks and vaginas? What is this... the third grade? Super inappropriate but everyone was laughing so of course, I cried. He felt bad, you could see it in his face. He tried to explain to me that this was french humour and told me to lighten up. He should light himself on fire, maybe.

That was my day and I wore:

- A Quechua fleece sweater from Decathlon (basically the best store ever)
- The same shirt I wore yesterday but you can't see that
- A pashmina someone left in my house once
- My omnipresent DKNY jeans
- A generic copper bracelet I got in a flea market in Buenos Aires

Yes, I basically wear the same thing everyday.

GLAMOUR SHOT WHATUP

FASHION SHOT #SELFIE

Lazy Sunday + Outfit Review

Today I had a reeeaaaally unproductive day. Typical Sunday. I woke up around 1pm, watched two movies and a bunch of old Law & Order SVU episodes. I think I ate a sandwich too. Classic Rebeca. In an effort to withdraw myself from the staleness of my room, I promised my friend Gemma (also known as G-Pearl) that I'd meet her at the train station. She was away in Nantes for the weekend. 

I wore: 

A Sheep-skin jacket I bought in Buenos Aires, Argentina

A pair of coral DKNY jeans
A black generic tank top
A sheer black button-up shirt I bought at a charity shop in Perigueux
A dark red sweater too old to remember where I got it. Oh, actually I am 99% sure it's from Liz Clairborne

My smelly Bass boat shoes

Style: #OLDLADYCHIC

Outfit Review

Salut les amis,

Today I went on a tour of the medieval part of town. It was lovely, I will post the pictures soon. The weather was quite mild so I ditched my coat and stepped out wearing a Canadian Tuxedo topped with a warm wool jumper from H&M. The jeans and shirt are too old to remember where I got them. The shoes are Bass and they kinda make my feet smell bad but I think it's because I wet them once in a puddle and they never really dried. Other than that, the shoes look cool and that's all that matters. Plus, no one would ever tell you to your face that your feet smell - because of politeness or the possibility that the smell was coming from their own feet.

Sweet life in Perigood

Bonjour les amis,

Today I am writing (as I will be for the next six months) from the wonderful town of Perigueux, located in one France's top gastronomic regions: the Dordogne. I have been chilling here in since October, working as an English Assistant in three primary schools. In practice, my role has become more that of a teacher than an assistant and the work - although rewarding - is harder than I expected. But more on that later...

Before coming to Perigueux, I was in Toronto for a month after living in New York for the whole summer. I was very sad to leave NYC and Toronto. To say that I was not excited to come to france would have been an understatement at that time. But I packed my bags, said goodbye to my friends and family and embarked in my France adventure. In retrospect, I think I was not necessarily as sad as I was really scared to be so far away from everyone and everything I knew.

Everything has turned out pretty great until now. When I first arrived in Perigueux, I couchsurfed with a lovely French family for a little under a week. My boss helped me find small but cozy and bright studio in the centre of town. Location, location, location. I am close to the Cathedral, which is beautiful, and a lot of shops and restaurants. I share the floor with another assistant and this French girl who is really nice except that she is really racist. Definitely more on that on another post...

A view of the cathedral from across the bridge

In terms of my job, the three primary schools I work out have been welcoming and for the most part, I think the kids are enjoying my lessons and learning. It's hard work, but I least I only work 3 days a week so I really should not complain!

I have met all of the other primary and secondary school English, Spanish, and German assistants and so far they constitute the entirety of my social/friend group BUT obviously I am in a quest to find a lot of french friends (I think all of us are). I feel very lucky because there are a lot of us here and everyone is nice, interesting, and mostly excited about France and travelling.

I feel so silly - foolish, even - for having had such low expectations of Perigueux and of what this experience would be. It's kind of liberating though, to not have to live up to any standards.

A morning commute

When I was in New York this summer, I lived in Hamilton Heights and worked all the way to Bushwick. It was a LONG commute - about  one hour and a few minutes of my day. But had I not endured all these hours on the subway, I doubt I would have witnessed pretty much every vignette of new york life you can imagine. Oh the things I saw, heard, and smelled!

One time on the 1 train, a guy sitting beside me insisted on demonstrating to me the newly acquired flexibility of his broken arm. I declined and let out a nervous laugh. Broken arm guy shrugged one shoulder in sign of indifference. Seconds after, another stranger sitting across from me scolded me for making fun of him. This is one of many examples of the most unlikely interactions I had with other riders.

The weirdest, most shocking incident happened towards the end of a morning commute to work on the J train, between the Flushing and Myrtle av. stops. There were a few other people around me, but nothing compared to the manhattan-bound commuting madness. Almost everyone gets off before crossing the East River. Enjoying the empty seats, I started changing into my work shoes. Suddenly, I noticed the homeless man who had been sitting diagonally across from me since Marcy Av station. We locked eyes. Oh man, I knew that look

I have worked with children since 2007, as a day care assistant and as a babysitter. I am very familiar with that look. I just had never seen it in an adult man before. To the untrained eye, it may be confused with the "glazed look", but it reflects the mindset of a person experiencing full concentration, pleasure, and slight embarrassment. More often than not, this look is accompanied by a semi-open mouth and a slight frown. This man was, without a doubt in my heart, pooping. Seconds later, the most foul smell invaded the subway car, making it impossible to disprove my hypothesis.

Not giving a f*** about the $75 fine, I made my way to the next car. Of course, not before exchanging one last glance with the homeless man. He now sported a very different look of utter satisfaction and mischief.


Originally posted here http://torontonewyorkcity.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/the-bad-on-the-j-train/

MTA subway map, zoom on Manhattan-Brooklyn line

Hello internet!

Hello internet residents!


This is my third attempt to creating and maintaining a blog. Like they say, "la tercera es la vencida", am i right? The first one was all over the place, discussing anything from climate change to craigslist while the second one was a bit too narrow, only focusing on my brief stint in New York City this summer. I don't know why the first one didn't work, it didn't keep me very interested and it certainly didn't keep other people interested. I think it was too impersonal and I was pretty much re-creating the content already available in more popular blogs. While working on the second blog (torontonewyorkcity) , I learned to open up and write about myself. Well, not exclusively about myself, I explored more popular topics but I always inserted my emotions, my experiences, and my opinions. This sincerity in my writing really paid off in the sense that it heavily engaged ME, and as a bonus engaged a few other readers who are NOT my parents. Nevertheless, I was only in New York City for the summer so I can't really use that blog anymore. But I still have so MUCH more to talk about, man. So why not continue this blog writing experiment?

Also, I can use GIFS with blogger, how fucking awesome is that!?????