Travel Log- Day 4 in Montreal

To be honest, the day hasn't really started yet but I'm bored because I woke up and my travel friend is still sleeping like a log. :D I thought I would just expand on what I wrote yesterday, about my missions team.

At first our team had 6 ppl but the leader Priscilla and her fiancé had to drop out because of some difficulties. So right now, our team is made up of me, Matthieu, Joël, and Romuald. That's right. One girl and three guys. I was freaking out at first because Priscilla wasn't coming, but then I found out there is a lady missionary at the site and that she is super nice, and she also has a few daughters I think, so I won't be the only girl.

The teams are "older" than I imagined. I thought there were more people my age, but Romu (short for Romuald) is a PhD student (although he looks young enough to be my age), Joël is a GBUC staff worker who is married, and Matthieu I think is a Master's student cuz he named off two universities he went to. I still have to get to know them better but what I know is that Romu comes from a big family of 7 kids, and his origin is from Côte d'Ivoire (in Africa). He's doing economics and really misses his home country after being in Montreal for a couple years.

Joël is from Switzerland, and actualy I met him in Urbana at the GBUC booth, he's so friendly. And Matthieu is like the joker. He cracked me up the moment he walked in the room. He looks so enthusiastic and excited all the time, and I can see a passion of God from him. He was eagerly taking notes haha just like me... Romu and Joël went last year so they have experience. Matthieu and me are new.

I learned that in Montreal ppl's accents are really diverse. Some ppl have a strong québecois accent like Priscilla, some ppl slur their words and say it really fast like Matthieu, and people like Romu speak slower with more of an African hint to their accent. And me, well I switch between English sounding and québécois sounding, I know, it's weird and they stare at me a little when I do that. But they are really nice about everything and I felt very warmed by their friendliness.

I met Jessica Healy first because when I got there I was 1.5 hours early and just sat on the steps, in the rain reading my Bible. It was quite relaxing actually, I had a bag to sit on and my feet were killing me after walking in the rain with high heels (should have worn flip flops to church, but I didn't know their catholic church was gonna be so casual)... so when Jessica came to open the door, somehow she immediately knew I was Martine from Toronto. Seems like people heard that this Toronto girl was gonna come, and they were really happy. They all wondered where I learned French...

I have a lot to thank my French teachers for. All of them contributed to me being able to pick up French more easily here in Montreal. And my love for the québécois culture too. I like France too but maybe cuz Québec seems so casual and easygoing, I feel right at home here. And it's easier when we talk, cuz haha we slur our words a lot and combine 3 words into one sometimes. T'sé? J'parle pas bien mais ché que ch'us pas nulle! (I just said, " U know what I mean? I don't speak well but I know that I'm not dumb!)

hahaha... it's so fun trying to be québécois. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with these guys, and I know I can depend on them in times of struggle too. We were joking about the Martine books (there's this series of books like "Martine goes camping" "Martine goes to school") And they were saying, the next one is "Martine at Uashat" haha....

Ya, I can go on forever but you guys really need to be in a culture to know the culture, that's just how it is. Can't learn about it only thru a book or thru ppl telling you...