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The Interviews From Hell
How many interviews have I been to ? I’d say about thirty in Canada so far, ¾ of them in my first year in Ottawa. I was desperate for a job but the odds seemed to be against me. At 20 years old, my resume was pretty short. I had no previous work experience in [...]
From Laowai To Canadian
– 老外！老外 ！
It’s me, Zhu. I’m a laowài, a foreigner, a white woman, an object of curiosity. An oddity in the streets of Hong Kong.
This summer 2001 is hot and humid. The typhoon season is in full swing and some days, I can’t even leave the 32nd floor of the building where I live. The [...]
Dirty Little Secrets
Post high school, it’s always fun to see close friends pursuing a carrier. The people you’ve seen heartbroken, the friends you got high and drunk with, those who were anxious before exams, those who once stole stuffs in a supermarket, might now be doctors, lawyers, policemen, salespersons or… yeah, or teachers.
When I was a teen, [...]
The Teacher And The Test Dilemna
I was a student not that long ago. Now, I’m the teacher. I make the rules in my classroom where cell phones have to be switched off and notes must be taken.
My students are usually twice my age. They sometimes have an impressive background but they need me. They need French. According to the law [...]
It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night
I’m a young office worker. The world is mine. As soon as I’ll finish my cigarette, I’ll go deal with the commissioner, a weekly task to which I excel. That’s life when you go teach at the government.
- Hi/ bonjour, what’s your name ?
Great. A spelling bee contest at 8:55. I must say [...]
Us And Them
Office workers have always fascinated me. I used to see them in public transportation, early in the morning : guys drinking their daily shot of black java in some kind of fancy spill proof cup; women awkwardly applying another layer of make-up on their face. They looked busy. They looked like they had a goal [...]
Comment Je Suis Devenue Prof de Français…
J’ai été inventoriste, fleuriste, secrétaire, réceptionniste, agente de centre d’appel, vendeuse, j’ai fait du télémarketing, encadré les auditions de Canadian Idol, ai bossé dans une usine et… je suis devenue prof de français, une job que je ne suis pas prête de lâcher - guess why !
Il faut dire que je suis tombée sur le [...]
