From Canada to Germany

Last I wrote, I had two weeks to go in the Explore program... It is now over 5 weeks later and I am writing from my Uncle's living room in Hamburg. Suffice it to say, this post will be a long one!

My last few weeks in Quebec were spent exploring Trois Rivieres and returning to Montreal two more times. After my weekend of relaxation, it was back to the books! It was in that week that I finally began to develop a sense of understanding about when to use which tense when speaking in French. The damned language is beautiful, but ever so complicated! It was also in that week that I experienced my favourite night in TR. On the Friday night before we were due to leave for Montreal for the weekend, a few friends and I decided we'd go and explore the town a bit. After long days at school, and with the campus being a long walking distance from town, we were beginning to feel a little cooped up. Luckily for us, we discovered that there was live street music on the main street in town that night! There was a jazz band with an older female singer whose sound was soulful; another band composed of young kids who'd made their own instruments from planks of wood and recyclable products – they were my favourite, because the lead singer was singing Amy Winehouse and Adele songs like they were written just for her; and the final act we saw was referred to by locals as "Bob Marley," who did a fair job at living up to the name. Alongside walking through the town, taking photos, watching the sunset and jamming to great music, we stumbled across a biker named Mathew. He was bicycling across Canada (began in Victoria, and was due to finish in Halifax) and ended up being a really nice person to chat with. We all enjoyed his company and it reminded me of the random meetings I'd have with fellow travellers while in Fiji... the conversations that ensue through such encounters are always the best. After the music ended and we bid Mathew farewell, our little group headed over to our favourite pub in town – Embuscade – which sports an outdoor fire pit and hip hop/old school jams! It was a really fun night and a great way to kick off our weekend, the rest of which was spent travelling to Montreal as a group. I managed to do more touristy things while out there with the university, including a trip to the Montreal Biodome, which albeit being a lackluster version of Vancouver's Aquarium, was still a good amount of fun. My favourite part was when I legit spent five full minutes watching penguins chat flamboyantly (well, it looked like they were chatting to me). That night was spent hanging out at our hostel and dancing at a few places in town. I can't say that we necessarily experienced the best night life that Montreal is so famous for because we didn't plan well enough, but it was still a solid weekend! That brings me to my final 5 days in Trois Rivieres, which were spent wrapping up classes and celebrating! My professor gave us a heartfelt goodbye, which consisted of showing us the videos that he had taken of each of us introducing ourselves in French on the very first day of class. It was hilarious to see how terrible we were, and exciting to realize how far we'd come in just five short weeks of French immersion. Alongside our final karaoke night, ladies' night, class, tutorial and cafeteria meal, we all attended a makeshift "graduation" ceremony, which was a fun way to bring the program to an end. Of course our last night was spent at Embuscade, which ended up being the perfect place to celebrate our newfound friendships and bring an end to what was a really fun experience!

The environmentally-friendly, super talented band.

My favourite building in Trois Rivieres.

Montreal.

The penguins at Biodome.

Night out in Montreal.

UQTR.

The girls from our class with our Prof.

The end of the program meant that I was finally able to visit with Laily, Mehdi and Sonia again! The three of them showed me a really great time and I am so blessed to have such wonderful cousins. We had a great week of catching up and exploring Montreal further. One day that really stood out for me was my Sunday in Montreal, where us girls went up to Mount Royal to see the sights and spent some time jamming with the tam tam players. Each Sunday of summer, a group of people gathers at the bottom of Mount Royal, where they dance and play the tams. It was basically a big hippie fest, and I loved every minute of it! During this time, I also had the opportunity to visit with some of my dad's extended family who live in the Montreal area. All in all it was a great week, and a lovely way to end my month and a half in Quebec.

The Tams at Mount Royal.

<3

From there, Laily and I caught a bus to Toronto, where I spent 5 days visiting with my Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was so lovely seeing everyone after three years, and I got to celebrate Eid with family members for the first time since I was a kid! We spent Eid at Toronto's India Bazaar, which was packed with Pakistani people who were fully dressed for the festivities. We ate dinner at Lahore Tikka House, which I highly recommend to anyone headed to Toronto who likes authentic Indian food. Another one of my days was spent with my eldest aunt, uncle and cousins at Niagara Falls, a place that I always love going to and where I have a lot of childhood memories. The Toronto trip was short but sweet, as I was reminded again of how lovely my family there is!

India Bazaar.

Niagara Falls.

CN Tower.

This brings us to Germany, where I am happily staying for now. I flew here via Finnair, a cheap airline that allowed me to avoid breaking the bank. With that said, the plane had old-school shared televisions and terrible food, lol. On the bright side, I slept for most of the 8 hour flight and was happy to wake up in Germany! Within minutes of my arrival at my Uncle Tamim's home, my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins flooded through the door! It was a fun evening of eating my Grandma's delicious Afghan food and catching up with relatives. My two weeks here have consisted of celebrating a handful of family members' birthday parties, a day at my favourite amusement park here, daily runs through adorable German neighbourhoods, and lots of quality time with family. I got to see my friend Greg this past weekend, whom I had originally became friends with in Fiji. He's going to be moving to Hamburg in October and was in town to see apartments,  giving us a chance to hang out for the day! Other than that, I am planning a trip to Berlin soon, where one of my best friends from home will be visiting also! From there, Iwona, her sister Kasia and I will be doing some travelling within Europe together, which I am beyond stoked for! I'm currently jumping back and forth between staying with my grandparents, and with my uncle, his wife and kids. Staying at my uncle's house is really fun because my cousins live in homes on either side, so there's never a dull moment! However, it is at my grandparents' apartment where I feel most at home, as I have so many memories there and find it so peaceful. I managed to finish reading "The Book of Negroes" while relaxing with my Grandma at home, and I must mention how incredible that book is. It forced me to view human nature in an entirely different light – a far more dim one – and it broke my heart, but I highly recommend it.

DOM.

This time in Germany is meant to be for me to enjoy, for the first time since I can remember, being a citizen of the world with no title. I am not a student, nor a volunteer, nor an employee. I am taking what I know is a small window of time to be as free as a bird... I'm excited that I don't yet know what's next. An internship in Africa, teaching English in Asia, completing a TEFL certification in Europe, post-grad work... who knows?! I recently read an Aboriginal Proverb that said: "We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home." I believe my coming across this proverb – during an exact moment where I found myself briefly panicking over the fact that for the first time I am plan-less – was the universe's way of reminding me what I already know... that our time here is fleeting, that life is meant to be lived for the now, that making time for the fulfillment our dreams is what we should live for and not "make time for." As of now, I am living out one my post-graduate dreams... which is to spend some time in my hometown of Hamburg, where summers are perfect and not a day goes by that a family member doesn't drop by just to hug me hello. This time with my grandparents, over whom I shed tears of joy and gratitude each time I get to see again, family members and friends is perfect, and I am exactly where I want to be.

xoxo