Stay tuned for more stories tomorrow, and enjoy these pictures of our awesomely fun day:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
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| From Quebec 2008 |
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| From Quebec 2008 |
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| From Quebec 2008 |
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| From Quebec 2008 |
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| From Quebec 2008 |
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Day Five: Au Revoir Quebec!
It's hard to believe that we've just ended our last day in Quebec! What a fun-filled day roaming the Village des Sports, riding run after run in our inner tubes, and enjoying the 3 degree temperature (just BARELY above zero). We're tired tonight, after a deeply meaningful (and long) epilogue during which students shared their appreciations of each other. (Would you believe that they had so many compliments to pass out to each other that we had to RESTRICT them to two minutes per person!? Gosh these kids love each other right now!). Anyway, students will write text tomorrow while we're on the plane, to chronicle these final hours. You'll notice that the person in the final picture does not look familiar. He is Eddie, the security guard who sat watch over us every night. The kids took to him right away and always enjoyed saying goodnight before heading off to bed. Not only is Eddie an all around nice guy, but he's also a star baseball player, currently on the Quebec Nationales and formerly a member of the Dodgers, among other notable teams.
Stay tuned for more stories tomorrow, and enjoy these pictures of our awesomely fun day:
Stay tuned for more stories tomorrow, and enjoy these pictures of our awesomely fun day:
Monday, February 11, 2008
Day Four: Meli-Melo
Parliament by Alexandra
Today we went to see the parliament. We saw two rooms, the Senate which was red and the National Assembly room which was blue. They were very pretty. In both rooms, it was very clear that there were three parts to Quebec's history: the English, French, and the Canadian. In the National Assembly room, we were curious why there was a cross over the speaker of the house's chair. Our guide then replied that the cross had been put there before the separation of church and state. Here we are, finishing up listening to the guide:
Ice and Snow Sculptures by Kevin and Stephanie
Today we saw the ice sculptures in the ice sculpture contest. There were many ice sculptures from all over the world. There were even sculptures from Canadian provinces! Each one represented its country or province. Some of them even had awards! Our favorites were a ship made by people from Quebec and a raven eating the moon made by a group from the Yukon territories. They were amazing! We could tell that the artist(s) worked very hard on them. Here's the ship:
The Icebreaker Ferry by Jenny
Today we rode on an icebreaker that ferries people across the St. Lawrence river. The ferry was humongous when we approached it. It made me feel like an ant! Anyways, when we arrived at the boat and went to the front, we saw so many blocks of "white chocolate" (like Mr. Tanaka said) floating on the river. When we started to move, it was FREEZING because of the wind on the river. But we didn't care! When we saw that ice breaker break the ice, we were in awe. When we reached the end of it, we rode on these glass elevators called a funicular. We used them to get from the river, which is pretty low, all the way up the hill to the Chateau Frontenac! Here's the funicular taken from inside the elevator, heading up:
Chateau Frontenac by Abby
Today...dun dun dun....we went to the Chateau Frontenac, pictured here from the icebreaker boat.
It was so much fun. We separated into two groups: boys with Mr. Tanaka and the girls with Mme. Amy and Ms. Wegner. It was so much fun. At one point the girls passed the boys in the hallway, and the teachers said, "Don't make eye contact, don't even look at them. This is girl time." It was so funny. I learned that the bricks on the wall came from inspiration from the British who stored them in the bottom of their ship on the way over to Quebec. The British used them to weight down their otherwise empty ship on the way over to Quebec. When they got there, they switched the brick for wood. They built the houses out of the brick, which inspired the architect of Hotel Frontenac. We also learned that there were three suicides in the hotel and the maids refuse to clean those rooms. Bum...Bum...Bum! Also, our tour guides wore old timey outfits and pretended to be characters from hundreds of years ago. Here is the girl's guide, whispering to us the secret of the disappearing portrait:
Movie and Snow Ball Fight by Jessica
This night we took a city bus to M. Vincent's parent's house to watch a movie. It was called La Guerre des Tuques (Beanie Wars). It was about two groups of kids over winter break having a snowball war. Even though the plot is about snowball fights, at the end a lovable dog died, which upset all of us. Afterwards, we gave M. Vincent's parents a thank you card and had hot cocoa. Later, we walked two blocks to the bus stop. The bus was going to take about twenty minutes to get there, so...we decided to slide down the snow pile behind the bus stop and had our own snow ball fight (Ms. Wegner comments: luckily, no dog died during this one). One thing that I am really going to miss is M. Vincent's parents. They are literally some of the sweetest people you will ever know. Here's a picture of the snowball fight:
Weather Report by Jack
The weather, you could say, was not the best experience ever. It was cold!!! It was so cold that when we went to the ice sculptures, we had to go back to the hotel to find the right clothes. It was so cold that when the wind blew in my face, it felt like my cheeks were frozen and i could take my cheeks off my face. I couldn't even cry if I wanted to, because it felt like the water in my eyes was frozen. Well, hopefully the weather is better tomorrow when we go to the sports village! (Ms. Wegner Notes: In the picture below, you'll see that our dear weather reporter is not wearing his face mask, as his classmates are; could that be why his face nearly fell off?!)
Food Report by Grant
For breakfast we ate at the hotel buffet, which includes potatoes, crepes, croissants, bacon, fruit, cereal, sausages, and much more. For lunch we got sandwiches at Paillard. I thought they were pretty good, but Eric thought they were some of the best sandwiches he's ever had! For dinner, we went to a steak house near M. Vincent's parent's house. The service took forever, but the food was pretty good. Hayley had a Mexican dish while I had a spicy sandwich...Mmmmmmmm!
Ms. Wegner Reflects
You don't have to read between the lines to infer that we have a very busy schedule here in Quebec! And...you may be wondering, WHEN do these kids get time to type their blog entries!? Well, tonight we did it on the city bus on the way back home after M. Vincent's parent's home. I have to say, it was really sweet watching the kids tucked into their seats, scribbling in their journals and handing me the sheets when they were done. Other nights I've grabbed them as they're getting ready for bed, asking them to type the entry directly in. We are so grateful for technology, allowing us to share our stories immediately with you... It's hard to believe that in two short days, we'll be home to share stories and pictures live and in person. The kids have started expressing their twin feelings of sadness and relief--sad that our fun days together are coming to a close, but relief that they'll be home soon with their families. See you soon after a very educational day at....the Village des Sports!
Today we went to see the parliament. We saw two rooms, the Senate which was red and the National Assembly room which was blue. They were very pretty. In both rooms, it was very clear that there were three parts to Quebec's history: the English, French, and the Canadian. In the National Assembly room, we were curious why there was a cross over the speaker of the house's chair. Our guide then replied that the cross had been put there before the separation of church and state. Here we are, finishing up listening to the guide:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Ice and Snow Sculptures by Kevin and Stephanie
Today we saw the ice sculptures in the ice sculpture contest. There were many ice sculptures from all over the world. There were even sculptures from Canadian provinces! Each one represented its country or province. Some of them even had awards! Our favorites were a ship made by people from Quebec and a raven eating the moon made by a group from the Yukon territories. They were amazing! We could tell that the artist(s) worked very hard on them. Here's the ship:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
The Icebreaker Ferry by Jenny
Today we rode on an icebreaker that ferries people across the St. Lawrence river. The ferry was humongous when we approached it. It made me feel like an ant! Anyways, when we arrived at the boat and went to the front, we saw so many blocks of "white chocolate" (like Mr. Tanaka said) floating on the river. When we started to move, it was FREEZING because of the wind on the river. But we didn't care! When we saw that ice breaker break the ice, we were in awe. When we reached the end of it, we rode on these glass elevators called a funicular. We used them to get from the river, which is pretty low, all the way up the hill to the Chateau Frontenac! Here's the funicular taken from inside the elevator, heading up:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Chateau Frontenac by Abby
Today...dun dun dun....we went to the Chateau Frontenac, pictured here from the icebreaker boat.
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| From Quebec 2008 |
It was so much fun. We separated into two groups: boys with Mr. Tanaka and the girls with Mme. Amy and Ms. Wegner. It was so much fun. At one point the girls passed the boys in the hallway, and the teachers said, "Don't make eye contact, don't even look at them. This is girl time." It was so funny. I learned that the bricks on the wall came from inspiration from the British who stored them in the bottom of their ship on the way over to Quebec. The British used them to weight down their otherwise empty ship on the way over to Quebec. When they got there, they switched the brick for wood. They built the houses out of the brick, which inspired the architect of Hotel Frontenac. We also learned that there were three suicides in the hotel and the maids refuse to clean those rooms. Bum...Bum...Bum! Also, our tour guides wore old timey outfits and pretended to be characters from hundreds of years ago. Here is the girl's guide, whispering to us the secret of the disappearing portrait:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Movie and Snow Ball Fight by Jessica
This night we took a city bus to M. Vincent's parent's house to watch a movie. It was called La Guerre des Tuques (Beanie Wars). It was about two groups of kids over winter break having a snowball war. Even though the plot is about snowball fights, at the end a lovable dog died, which upset all of us. Afterwards, we gave M. Vincent's parents a thank you card and had hot cocoa. Later, we walked two blocks to the bus stop. The bus was going to take about twenty minutes to get there, so...we decided to slide down the snow pile behind the bus stop and had our own snow ball fight (Ms. Wegner comments: luckily, no dog died during this one). One thing that I am really going to miss is M. Vincent's parents. They are literally some of the sweetest people you will ever know. Here's a picture of the snowball fight:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Weather Report by Jack
The weather, you could say, was not the best experience ever. It was cold!!! It was so cold that when we went to the ice sculptures, we had to go back to the hotel to find the right clothes. It was so cold that when the wind blew in my face, it felt like my cheeks were frozen and i could take my cheeks off my face. I couldn't even cry if I wanted to, because it felt like the water in my eyes was frozen. Well, hopefully the weather is better tomorrow when we go to the sports village! (Ms. Wegner Notes: In the picture below, you'll see that our dear weather reporter is not wearing his face mask, as his classmates are; could that be why his face nearly fell off?!)
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Food Report by Grant
For breakfast we ate at the hotel buffet, which includes potatoes, crepes, croissants, bacon, fruit, cereal, sausages, and much more. For lunch we got sandwiches at Paillard. I thought they were pretty good, but Eric thought they were some of the best sandwiches he's ever had! For dinner, we went to a steak house near M. Vincent's parent's house. The service took forever, but the food was pretty good. Hayley had a Mexican dish while I had a spicy sandwich...Mmmmmmmm!
Ms. Wegner Reflects
You don't have to read between the lines to infer that we have a very busy schedule here in Quebec! And...you may be wondering, WHEN do these kids get time to type their blog entries!? Well, tonight we did it on the city bus on the way back home after M. Vincent's parent's home. I have to say, it was really sweet watching the kids tucked into their seats, scribbling in their journals and handing me the sheets when they were done. Other nights I've grabbed them as they're getting ready for bed, asking them to type the entry directly in. We are so grateful for technology, allowing us to share our stories immediately with you... It's hard to believe that in two short days, we'll be home to share stories and pictures live and in person. The kids have started expressing their twin feelings of sadness and relief--sad that our fun days together are coming to a close, but relief that they'll be home soon with their families. See you soon after a very educational day at....the Village des Sports!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Day Three: Sugar & Ice
Charlie Remembers the Ice Hotel
Today we visited the ice hotel (one of only two ice hotels in the world, the other one in Sweden). It was easily one of the main highlights of the trip. I learned a lot about how the ice hotel is made and how it works. They kill bubbles to make the ice super clear, and they use fiber optics so that the ice doesn't melt. Then we went in a room and learned how they get ready for bed. They use the hot tub to get warm. Then they hurry into giant sleeping bags. Then we went in the chapel and got married, which was pretty cool, and it all ended with an awesome slide ride! (Ms. Wegner's note: According to our guide, this is a chapel that real couples get married in, and so Mr. Vincent offered to marry someone. Jessica agreed to be his wife, and Grant jumped in as the pastor). Here's a picture of us in the main room of the hotel, underneath a chandelier made out of 100 pieces of ice:
Jessica Reviews the Visit to the Huron Village
This morning we went to the village of a first Nation Tribe, the Huron Tribe. While we were there, we had a traditional lunch which included sunflower soup, elk sausage, and cake smothered in maple syrup. Afterwards we took a tour to see what life was like for them. First we went to the long house where many families lived together, and the leader was always the woman because, according to the Huron Indians, they are wiser (oh yeah!). After that, we went to a sauna and learned that to heat the water, you would first heat the rocks and put it in the water. Also, we learned that the teepees they lived in were for traveling so they could follow their game. Here's a picture of us in the long house:
Michael L. on the Musee de la Civilisation
Today we went to the museum, which is about the history of Quebec, and we learned about some of the history of Quebec through some of the worksheets that we did. We had to search around the exhibit to find the answers to the questions on the paper. There was also a dragon exhibit. We mainly just did the worksheets, but we also had some free time to look at a the dragon part of the museum. We just played some of the games there. I personally thought that the museum was fun!
The Sugar Shack by Grant
Maple butter. Probably one of the best things that you will ever taste in your entire life. Definitely my highlight of the trip so far. When we got to the shack, we had a guide tell us how they get the sap out of the trees and the first person who discovered it. After that, she let us go around the shop where we bought the one, the only, maple butter. After we were done satisfying our maple needs, we went over to the dinner room where, duh, we had dinner. During the dinner, we had a man play music while we ate, sometimes calling us up so that we could dance (line dances and the chicken dance). The boys kind of thought that the dancing was dumb, but the girls liked it. Here is a picture of some of us playing spoons to back up the one-man band:
Food by Hayley
Today for breakfast we ate at the hotel's buffet. For lunch we went to the Huron Indian tribe and started off with sunflower soup, then Elk sausage, and finally ending off with maple cake...yummy! For dinner we drove to the sugar shack and ate many choices like potatoes, maple on crepes, hot dogs, beans, and ending off the delicious day with "tire," a maple syrup that you pour on the snow to freeze and then pick it up with a popsicle stick.
(Ms. Wegner notes: The boys really loved the elk sausage at lunch, but the girls were hesitant. They don't seem to have any problem eating chicken or beef, but an exotic meat like elk just seemed too real to eat, I guess!)
Weather by Hanna
When I first woke up this morning and looked out my window, and it looked like a blizzard because of how much snow was falling. Perfect snow-tasting weather:
Today's weather was in the high 20s (-1 degree Celcius), and it was snowing all day long. Watching the snow fall into the light is a gorgeous sight!
Alex Remembers the Bus Ride Home
Today on the bus ride we all had tons of fun listening to the "G&G Show." That is Grant and Gabe, who used the bus driver's microphone to be radio talk hosts, inviting us all up to be a part of the show. We all talked about random things, from Eric's "public service announcements" to singing the first and only lines of random songs we know. Everyone participated, and the whole ride everyone was laughing including the driver! It was a really fun way to end the day. Here's a picture of our hosts doing their thing:
Today we visited the ice hotel (one of only two ice hotels in the world, the other one in Sweden). It was easily one of the main highlights of the trip. I learned a lot about how the ice hotel is made and how it works. They kill bubbles to make the ice super clear, and they use fiber optics so that the ice doesn't melt. Then we went in a room and learned how they get ready for bed. They use the hot tub to get warm. Then they hurry into giant sleeping bags. Then we went in the chapel and got married, which was pretty cool, and it all ended with an awesome slide ride! (Ms. Wegner's note: According to our guide, this is a chapel that real couples get married in, and so Mr. Vincent offered to marry someone. Jessica agreed to be his wife, and Grant jumped in as the pastor). Here's a picture of us in the main room of the hotel, underneath a chandelier made out of 100 pieces of ice:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Jessica Reviews the Visit to the Huron Village
This morning we went to the village of a first Nation Tribe, the Huron Tribe. While we were there, we had a traditional lunch which included sunflower soup, elk sausage, and cake smothered in maple syrup. Afterwards we took a tour to see what life was like for them. First we went to the long house where many families lived together, and the leader was always the woman because, according to the Huron Indians, they are wiser (oh yeah!). After that, we went to a sauna and learned that to heat the water, you would first heat the rocks and put it in the water. Also, we learned that the teepees they lived in were for traveling so they could follow their game. Here's a picture of us in the long house:
 |
| From Quebec 2008 |
Michael L. on the Musee de la Civilisation
Today we went to the museum, which is about the history of Quebec, and we learned about some of the history of Quebec through some of the worksheets that we did. We had to search around the exhibit to find the answers to the questions on the paper. There was also a dragon exhibit. We mainly just did the worksheets, but we also had some free time to look at a the dragon part of the museum. We just played some of the games there. I personally thought that the museum was fun!
The Sugar Shack by Grant
Maple butter. Probably one of the best things that you will ever taste in your entire life. Definitely my highlight of the trip so far. When we got to the shack, we had a guide tell us how they get the sap out of the trees and the first person who discovered it. After that, she let us go around the shop where we bought the one, the only, maple butter. After we were done satisfying our maple needs, we went over to the dinner room where, duh, we had dinner. During the dinner, we had a man play music while we ate, sometimes calling us up so that we could dance (line dances and the chicken dance). The boys kind of thought that the dancing was dumb, but the girls liked it. Here is a picture of some of us playing spoons to back up the one-man band:
 |
| From Quebec 2008 |
Food by Hayley
Today for breakfast we ate at the hotel's buffet. For lunch we went to the Huron Indian tribe and started off with sunflower soup, then Elk sausage, and finally ending off with maple cake...yummy! For dinner we drove to the sugar shack and ate many choices like potatoes, maple on crepes, hot dogs, beans, and ending off the delicious day with "tire," a maple syrup that you pour on the snow to freeze and then pick it up with a popsicle stick.
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| From Quebec 2008 |
(Ms. Wegner notes: The boys really loved the elk sausage at lunch, but the girls were hesitant. They don't seem to have any problem eating chicken or beef, but an exotic meat like elk just seemed too real to eat, I guess!)
Weather by Hanna
When I first woke up this morning and looked out my window, and it looked like a blizzard because of how much snow was falling. Perfect snow-tasting weather:
 |
| From Quebec 2008 |
Today's weather was in the high 20s (-1 degree Celcius), and it was snowing all day long. Watching the snow fall into the light is a gorgeous sight!
Alex Remembers the Bus Ride Home
Today on the bus ride we all had tons of fun listening to the "G&G Show." That is Grant and Gabe, who used the bus driver's microphone to be radio talk hosts, inviting us all up to be a part of the show. We all talked about random things, from Eric's "public service announcements" to singing the first and only lines of random songs we know. Everyone participated, and the whole ride everyone was laughing including the driver! It was a really fun way to end the day. Here's a picture of our hosts doing their thing:
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Saturday, February 9, 2008
How to View Pictures
Just a quick note: I hope you enjoy the slide show of our pictures posted to the right of this screen. If you want to browse through them more slowly, you can easily see our complete album by clicking on the link below each of the pictures on this blog. Also, please note that we haven't yet posted pictures from Mme. Amy's camera; they will be up tomorrow, hopefully, and they are beautiful! (Right now we're making do with Ms. Wegner's pictures, and she's somewhat of a forgetful photographer).
Day Two: Celebrating 400 Years of Quebec!
The Soap Box Races and the Musee de l'Amerique Francaise
We began the day on foot today! How nice to emerge from The Delta hotel into a sparkly Saturday sunlight and the celebrating crowds of Quebecois and tourists. Our hotel is just blocks away from the fortified part of the city where the Carnival is held, and on our way we stopped to watch the Soap Box races. Although the build up to the race was exciting, after the two boys rolled down the hill in their fancy home-made cars, we were ready to head on up to the first major stop of the day: the Musee de l'Amerique Francaise. This museum chronicles the growing relationship between the French and the Americans, and a high point was a fifteen minute movie of this history narrated by a musician-storyteller. I'd never before thought about why the British might have wanted to invade Canada (one reason: in the United States, their expansion was impeded by the Appalachian mountains, but in Canada the land stretched continuously westward) or about how many of the explorer men here got their wives back in 1600s (they were women brought over from French orphanages). It's so much fun for me to learn along side the kids, since this is a history I know little about! --Ms. Wegner
Gabe's Report on the Citadel
Today our class visited the citadel. The citadel is a star-shaped fortification that was built by the English after they took the city from the French. In person it is a very stunning structure, its walls reaching nearly 40 feet high. Our guide was fantastic, and gave us stories and personal references that taught us a lot of stuff that we could not have learned otherwise. After seeing the armories and inner structures, we walked along the ridge of the walls. From there we could see the huge Chateau Frontenac (see picture below), the city, and the icy St, Lawrence river. The very personal guide and the amazing scenery made for a great tour.
Jack's Blow-by-Blow of the Snowball Fight
Today we had a huge snowball fight at the plains of Abraham (which is a plateau that the French and English fought on for the fate of new France). We all had lots of fun and re-enacted the battle on the plains of Abraham. There were lots of funny parts of the battle when the kids would hit the teachers (mostly Mr. Tanaka and M. Vincent) and then they would fight back. We would also get lots of snow down our shirt, and we would all be screaming, but Ms. Wegner got it out for us. When we finished the battle, we had tire (pronounced "tier"), which is a maple syrup substance that you put on a stick and eat. After the battle, we got to go back to the hotel and have chill time, yea!!!!! Here's an action shot of Charlie throwing a snow ball:
Elise on Our Evening Chez Hermosilla
This evening we took a public bus that was PACKED with people. There was no one sitting on a isle seat who didn't have some stranger hovering over you. Since it is the 400th anniversery of Quebec this year (yay!), today was a party in the city! Many adults would sing on the bus really loud... our class didn't understand. It was complicated French. Finally, we got to Vincent Hermosilla's childhood home in the suburbs of Quebec. These parents are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Vincent doesn't even work at Saklan anymore, and they still let us in his home. They served us some yummy pasta and these amazing "little syrup cakes." The family has spoiled us so much. After dinner we went down the street to the night parade. The class all sat on huge snow banks and played in it while we were watching the parade. The people in the parade were so happy and energetic. Now that we're back to the Hermosillas, we have just started epilogue in the family's home, warm and comfy. (Note from Ms. Wegner: In epilogue we sit in a circle in the dark and share a reflection of the day; today we are sharing "thank you"s to each other and also remembering "quotes of the day.") Here we are at epilogue before the lights are turned off:
Stephanie' s Food Report
Today we ate really good food. Because we didn't have enough time to go to Mike's pizza (we were scared we'd be late to the citadel, which runs on military time and doesn't like late comers), we had a choice between Chez Ashton and McDonalds. Most of us chose McDonald's. Then later on we had tire (pronunced "tier"), which is maple syrup on a stick. It was delicious. For dinner we went to M. Vincent's parent's house. We had chicken broth, fruit salad, spaghetti and "little cakes" (cup cakes covered in maple syrup and cream. Yum!). After we watched the parade, they gave us cookies and hot cocoa. They were so nice!
Alex's Weather Report
Today's weather was about 28 degrees Fahrenheit and very sunny. The snow was just perfect for making snowballs! As night approached, it got steadily colder. Luckily none of us have frozen... yet.
Kevin's Random Noticings
During our walk to the citadel, I saw people on the roof of a building swinging huge hammers at the roof that they were standing on. At first it looked like they were trying to bring the building down, but they were actually breaking the ice off of the roof! They were using big sledgehammers like things people use to clean the roof. It was awesome!
Stay Tuned Tomorrow For Reports By:
Charlie, Michael L., Jessica, and Grant
We began the day on foot today! How nice to emerge from The Delta hotel into a sparkly Saturday sunlight and the celebrating crowds of Quebecois and tourists. Our hotel is just blocks away from the fortified part of the city where the Carnival is held, and on our way we stopped to watch the Soap Box races. Although the build up to the race was exciting, after the two boys rolled down the hill in their fancy home-made cars, we were ready to head on up to the first major stop of the day: the Musee de l'Amerique Francaise. This museum chronicles the growing relationship between the French and the Americans, and a high point was a fifteen minute movie of this history narrated by a musician-storyteller. I'd never before thought about why the British might have wanted to invade Canada (one reason: in the United States, their expansion was impeded by the Appalachian mountains, but in Canada the land stretched continuously westward) or about how many of the explorer men here got their wives back in 1600s (they were women brought over from French orphanages). It's so much fun for me to learn along side the kids, since this is a history I know little about! --Ms. Wegner
Gabe's Report on the Citadel
Today our class visited the citadel. The citadel is a star-shaped fortification that was built by the English after they took the city from the French. In person it is a very stunning structure, its walls reaching nearly 40 feet high. Our guide was fantastic, and gave us stories and personal references that taught us a lot of stuff that we could not have learned otherwise. After seeing the armories and inner structures, we walked along the ridge of the walls. From there we could see the huge Chateau Frontenac (see picture below), the city, and the icy St, Lawrence river. The very personal guide and the amazing scenery made for a great tour.
 |
| From Quebec 2008 |
Jack's Blow-by-Blow of the Snowball Fight
Today we had a huge snowball fight at the plains of Abraham (which is a plateau that the French and English fought on for the fate of new France). We all had lots of fun and re-enacted the battle on the plains of Abraham. There were lots of funny parts of the battle when the kids would hit the teachers (mostly Mr. Tanaka and M. Vincent) and then they would fight back. We would also get lots of snow down our shirt, and we would all be screaming, but Ms. Wegner got it out for us. When we finished the battle, we had tire (pronounced "tier"), which is a maple syrup substance that you put on a stick and eat. After the battle, we got to go back to the hotel and have chill time, yea!!!!! Here's an action shot of Charlie throwing a snow ball:
 |
| From Quebec 2008 |
Elise on Our Evening Chez Hermosilla
This evening we took a public bus that was PACKED with people. There was no one sitting on a isle seat who didn't have some stranger hovering over you. Since it is the 400th anniversery of Quebec this year (yay!), today was a party in the city! Many adults would sing on the bus really loud... our class didn't understand. It was complicated French. Finally, we got to Vincent Hermosilla's childhood home in the suburbs of Quebec. These parents are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Vincent doesn't even work at Saklan anymore, and they still let us in his home. They served us some yummy pasta and these amazing "little syrup cakes." The family has spoiled us so much. After dinner we went down the street to the night parade. The class all sat on huge snow banks and played in it while we were watching the parade. The people in the parade were so happy and energetic. Now that we're back to the Hermosillas, we have just started epilogue in the family's home, warm and comfy. (Note from Ms. Wegner: In epilogue we sit in a circle in the dark and share a reflection of the day; today we are sharing "thank you"s to each other and also remembering "quotes of the day.") Here we are at epilogue before the lights are turned off:
 |
| From Quebec 2008 |
Stephanie' s Food Report
Today we ate really good food. Because we didn't have enough time to go to Mike's pizza (we were scared we'd be late to the citadel, which runs on military time and doesn't like late comers), we had a choice between Chez Ashton and McDonalds. Most of us chose McDonald's. Then later on we had tire (pronunced "tier"), which is maple syrup on a stick. It was delicious. For dinner we went to M. Vincent's parent's house. We had chicken broth, fruit salad, spaghetti and "little cakes" (cup cakes covered in maple syrup and cream. Yum!). After we watched the parade, they gave us cookies and hot cocoa. They were so nice!
Alex's Weather Report
Today's weather was about 28 degrees Fahrenheit and very sunny. The snow was just perfect for making snowballs! As night approached, it got steadily colder. Luckily none of us have frozen... yet.
Kevin's Random Noticings
During our walk to the citadel, I saw people on the roof of a building swinging huge hammers at the roof that they were standing on. At first it looked like they were trying to bring the building down, but they were actually breaking the ice off of the roof! They were using big sledgehammers like things people use to clean the roof. It was awesome!
Stay Tuned Tomorrow For Reports By:
Charlie, Michael L., Jessica, and Grant
Friday, February 8, 2008
Day One: Dogsledding...and More!
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| From Quebec 2008 |
Ms. Wegner's Intro:
We've officially been in Quebec for 24 hours now. Wow! There's not much for me to say because the kids have done such a good job reporting for the blog. Their notes are below:
Abby's Weather Report:
At 12:30pm today we pulled over to defreeze our windshield wipers! We needed more fluid for the wipers, and the windshield was brown from all the dirt and salt they get on the window. While we were sledding, it was around 15 degrees Fahrenheit where we were! It has been constantly snowing, and the snow is powdery on top, but then ice once you dig down. Not the best for snowballs, but we've managed. (Note from Ms. Wegner: All the kids are dressed so well for the weather! None of them ended up a soggy mess by evening, and Mme. Amy and I are so grateful for all the careful attention families have put into making sure their kids have the right supplies to enjoy this amazing, but cold, weather!)
Hanna's Blog Morning Tour:
This morning we had a tour of Old Quebec. Our driver was named Gabriel (he said we could call him Gabby). We learned about history and fun facts. An interesting place we got to see on the tour was just a normal street where a bloody battle was held between the English and Americans. While we were out exploring the area, we got to see Chateau Frontenac (a hotel named after Louis de Buade) , a Samuel de Champlain sculpture (the founder of Quebec in 1608), and ice sculptures carved for the 400th Quebec Anniversary.
Michael G.'s Report on Dog-sledding:
After lunch we went dog-sledding. Dog-sledding was very thrilling and exciting. To brake the sled we had to step on this metal bar and just hold on. Each dog-sled held two people, one driver and one rider. What made it most thrilling was just the nervousness at the beginning as well as the giant hill we got to go down. When we were on the hill, we had to put the brakes on all the way down, and almost everyone tipped over at the curve at the bottom. It was really cool to command the dogs with the calls learned from the instructor. To stop the dog we had to say, "Wooooooooooah," and to move the the dogs we yelled the dogs' names and "en avant," though sometimes they didn't listen to us. Overall it was a great experience, and I would love to go again.
Hayley Reviews The Post-Dogsledding Fun:
(Written on notebook paper on the bus): The Saklan 7th graders are currently in a bus going back to Hotel Delta while I am writing this. We had a fun and amazing Friday. After dog sledding we did numerous things. First, we went snow shoeing with a guide, learning about Quebec's nature. When we returned from our walk, we had quiet time writing in our journals. From there we climbed a HUGE hill in the dark to eat dinner and learn of about the 1st nation people (Native Americans). From there we raced down the hill and into the bus, to get ready for our next adventure.
Jenny's Food Report:
Today for breakfast we had a selection from the Hotel Delta's breakfast buffet. For lunch we had Chez Ashton, a popular fast food restaurant. Mostly everyone had poutine (gravy fries with cheese curds). For dinner we had a Native American style dinner offering all an appetizer (bean soup), main dish (beef stew), and dessert (cake). It was a delicious day.
Eric's Editorial:
Today was cold. Really, it was under sub-zero (Celcius that is). Not cool. Other than that, it was great! In Quebec, they have European-esqe close together houses, often built in the 1600's (Or so they say). But other than that, the dogsledding and the snowshoeing were great, and we'll never forget this. Ever. And ever.
Off to A Day of Old Quebec and Dog Sledding
This is just a quick note to say that we'll have our OFFICIAL first entry with stories and pictures this evening. It's been a rush since we've been here, from arriving in late on the plane to getting the kids into their bed and breakfast routines! But everyone is excited to get outside, and the snow is falling beautifully...perfect for dogsledding this evening.
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
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