Week 8
Monday, July 15
Monday, July 15
As a dual citizen of both France and Canada, Dr. Stéphanie Palisse, has an extensive background in French instruction and pedagogy, as well as academic program coordination and advising. Her career in French language education spans nearly 20 years, and her wide academic experiences range from teaching positions at the University of British Columbia and the Alliance Française in Toronto to language and culture program direction at the Université Lyon 2 and Sciences Po Paris summer programs, among others. Stéphanie holds a PhD and Masters in linguistics from Université Lyon 2.
After an incredibly hectic yet lethargic day of flights, layovers, and customs, I finally landed in Auckland at the ripe hour of five in the morning. To say I was exhausted would be an understatement; however, the tangible excitement of an entire semester in Aotearoa maintained the pep in my step. While that fails to mention the espresso bar conveniently placed adjacent to the international arrivals terminal, I digress!
When people say that Japan has a rainy season, it's more about the earth offsetting the oppressive heat from the previous day. I love the rain; whether it's heavy or light, it's always the best part of the day. It can feel like the melodies of soft songs from the 1970s or the heated synths from the 1980s. I love how clean it makes everything, and because of the lack of trash on the ground, the fresh smell lingers longer than I ever thought possible.
It has been a while, but it has been almost a week since I left Japan. It's weird. I didn't have any reaction to leaving; it felt surreal. I have been in the same place for at least 3 months, settled into a routine, and felt like nothing could shake me.