Almost four years of blogging later, today I’m publishing my 500th post.
It all started in October 2006. At the time, I had been a permanent resident in Canada for exactly a year (and I had been in Canada for already two years) but I was still getting comfortable with my new country. I had no idea what I would do with a blog nor did I have any idea how all that (all that being me in Canada, working as a teacher) was going to turn out.

After the Egyptian and the Thai performances, I just couldn’t leave without watching the Latino’s. Mexico and Venezuela put out quite a show!
Both countries featured a lot of very young dancers, both shy and proud to be the center of attention. Older dancers swirled and spun, their colorful flounced skirts following each one of their steps. The dances were fast, contrasting with the slow Thai performance, but as graceful.

After the Egypt performance was finished, I was about to exit Major’s Hill Park when I noticed a strange procession making its way to the stage. Hidden behind bright red sunshades, Asian-looking girls and women were shyly posing for photographers. From the pattern of their clothes, I gathered it was time for a Thai dance, and once again, I hide besides the stage to watch the performance.

I was on a photography hunt last Saturday when I heard some music coming from Major Hills Park, by the Parliament. I hurried there and stumbled upon the Tulips Festival’s final weekend celebrations. The festival is not just about gorgeous flowers, it also promotes international friendship and a number of performances from around the world are invited to star on the aptly named “International Friendship Stage”.

On one side, my experience with university in Canada is pretty good. First, I hope that eventually I will be able to complete a Canadian degree, even if the goal seems to be very far away. Second, it helps me keep a balance with my crazy work environment. Culturally speaking, it is also interesting to see how things are taught on this side of the Atlantic Ocean: perspectives, especially on economics, history and politics are quite different from Europe’s.

As the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intention”. But for Canadians, the saying takes a very deep and literal meaning in the spring.
A popular Canadian joke claims that there are only two seasons in Canada: winter and construction. Indeed, after our long and harsh winters, crews of construction workers are dispatched all over Canada to tackle new projects, fix the roads and repair the many cracks in the pavement.