¨The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.¨

 

 

 

Hello all, I know you were all waiting impatiently for this next post, so here it is!

 

I was placed in an environment-friendly, non-profit, organization called Éco-Quartier. This institution is active in the community since 1988 and its' mission is to make prevention and simply encourage everyone to become a little greener. They are not like other establishments that urge you to buy their products. Their plan is simply to help the community with small steps that could make the biggest difference. Hopefully my experience will make me learn a lot of things without being too stressful. After all, I DID get the internship I wanted, so what can I say?

What did I notice on the first day?

Within the moment I entered Éco-Quartier's building, I first noticed how narrow the place seemed. Upon my visit though, I felt at ease since there was a very smooth atmosphere and it was also a cosy environment. I noticed that other students from other countries were currently in the same internship. We share the same goals for our job: to improve our language skills, develop our fluency in our second language and acquire knowledge in the English culture.

 

LANGUAGE: I did not learn any new written strategies or structures yet although I noticed that I have a much more pitched voice when I speak English than when I speak French. I also noticed how difficult it is to maintain a professional dialect whilst being interviewed under pressured circumstances.

CULTURE: People seem more outgoing when speaking in English. At least that is the impression I had during the short time I was interviewed. In spite of the subject in question, the place inspired a homely sense which gave the impression that anyone could join in the ¨family¨. It is not in the English culture per say although it is in the group’s nature it seems that they encourage a warm welcoming to everyone.

 

 

These are idioms which could potentially help my writing in my articles throughout this blog.

I.A leopard can't change his spots: You cannot change who you are.

II. A penny saved is a penny earned: By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).

III. A piece of cake: A task that can be accomplished very easily.

IV. Add fuel to the fire: Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is.

V. Against the clock: Rushed and short on time.

VI. Variety is the spice of life: The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.

VII. Crack someone up: To make someone laugh.

VIII. Cross your fingers: To hope that something happens the way you want it to.

IX. Cut to the chase: Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.

X. Drastic times call for drastic measures: When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.

XI. Keep your chin up: To remain joyful in a tough situation.