Work Tours

Anyways I should talk a bit about the work placements here in Alma. Selection-wise, it`s better than Blind River, in my opinion, just because the organizations are better aimed at "making the world a better place". However, the anglophones (myself included) are frustrated at the situation because the good work placements (the ones I am interested in) pretty much said they want French speakers...at the end of the day we kind of felt like shit for being English speakers.

So the work placements...
1) La nichee - a centre which provides services for newborns and pregnant mothers. May have some childcare involvement. They want French speaker
2) Cafe Sofa - the very hip fair trade coffee shop where I got my smoothie. English speaker allowed (although the boss would pretty much talk to you in English if you are an English speaker, which I don`t want)
3) CPE Les Picassas de ile - Child daycare centre, enough said (English speaker allowed, although I think it`s rather difficult)
4) CSI (Centre de solidarite internationale) - an organization that promotes fair trade and developement of 3rd world countries. A combination of office work and project developments (French Speaker)
5) Ecole Maria - an elementary school that promotes environmental issues and non-violence (English speaker allowed, but I don`t see how it`s possible)
6) Ferme du Couteau - an animal farm. Lots of dogs, chickens, ducks, horses...
7) A second-hand/recycling center/thrift store
8) Youth Employment Centre/Drama theater - data work, plus working in the theater (imagine high school plays)...French speaker
9) Women`s Center - a mix of many types of work. They have this really cool house that I want to work at...unfortunately they prefer French speaker.

So Valerie asked us for our top 5 choices...here`s mine:
1) Women`s Center 2) Cafe Sofa 3) CSI 4) Thrift store 5) Youth Employment Centre

Problem - most of the jobs I want require good French, plus I don`t fully understand what the job is like (try listening to 15-30 minutes of French, and you see what I mean)...plus everyone who knows me knows that I don`t like kids and animals...yikes

Well we just did the interviews this morning at Cafe Sofa, and although I really like how Valerie set up the interviews (she put a french person with an english person - eg. Me/Stephanie/Rebecca, plus we do rotations so we meet every employer), I don`t think I impressed the lady from the women`s center well enough with my mediocore French. On the other hand, I may have conveyed some incorrect information to the daycare lady and the school principal...goddamnit I don`t want to work there...oh well I did what I could with the amount of French I have, so hopefully things will work out.

We will see for tomorrow, because we start working tomorrow...

By the way, it`s Stephen and Cheryl`s birthday today! Happy 20. I made them a chocolate cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake last night, and I took the chocolate cheesecake out from the oven for cooling and specifically told Stephen not to let Cheryl have any, which also meant Stephen couldn`t have any. Well lo and behold this morning I found the cheesecake almost finished with a note next to it from Stephen, saying the cheesecake was awesome...that dick.
I should have known...this is like asking a fox to guard the chickens.