Updates: Life As I Know It Of Late

So, I'm behind on updating you all, as usual. And for this I apologise....but will probably end up backlogged again soon when I'm too lazy to write or busy having fun so don't take it personal. I'm very grateful for my solid 28-30 post views, compared to the 4 I used to have lol - and YES I love checking those hit counts, making me feel special for all of half an hour after I post.

Maple Syrup Trip

Right, so pre-Easter my most exciting escapade was going maple syrup collecting with some of the LBG. This basically consisted of me risking my very non-expendable only child life climbing all over snowy hillsides that may as well have been mountain sides (everybody knows we only children like to exaggerate and amp up our descriptions to highlight how special we are, so allow me).

It was actually really interesting though. I'm not gonna lie, I sincerely thought they would stick some kind of tap/funnel/tube thing into the tree and maple syrup sap would just sludge it's way out. For all those who were sadly misinformed like me, check ben ça: 

Special thanks to my lovely assistant, and 5 points to anyone who can spot the moment where he airs (ignores) my question lol. So yea, maple syrup starts off as maple water, then it has to be boiled down into the good stuff. 

That was probably one of my most enjoyed experiences de la vie québécoise. I would have taken more photos of the farm etc but I was too busy trying to hold onto the tractor/not fall into mud or snow.

The only downside in being Quebecois for the day was trying and failing to do things they could do easily, and failing miserably. Instead of going down the hill the long way on the tractor, we decided to scale the hillside like the other young people. Well, Joe went down pretty smoothly, while me, Aimee and Leanne's descent was basically like this:

We basically bumper-carred each other all the way down.

Weather Changes

Nick Carter was always my favourite Backstreet Boy <3

So, this past week or so it's been raining all over the place and I'm so happy about it I may as well be a 90's boy band about to do the wet shirt scene lol.

You see, as much as rain on-top of heavy snow leads to the black ice I always love to complain about, this time it's different. The rain has been employed as natures clean up crew to finally shift all of this bleak snow and slush out of the way so Spring can finally move in and the layers and boots can start coming off. Let me say it loud and clear people: 

Spring is finally IN!!!!

Hair #TheStruggle

So, anyone who sees me in person or on social media and cares knows I've been rocking braids since Cuba and actually loving it. But anyone who has braids/knows about black hair will know that they can only last so long and only have a few months life span. I've decided I'm at the end of mine. How did I come to this decision? I heard the one thing you never want to hear from a restaurant manager, ever: 

Excuse me sweetie, did you loose your braid? [said while she holds it horizontally between her fingertips and its blatantly yours]

When life reaches that stage, you know it's time to call it a day. So who can guess how this weekend is gonna be spent? For once I'm glad I have nothing else to do but take down my braids, sad I know. I can almost see the faces of all my students now when I walk into school back to original hair, which I'm guessing they've all rationalised no longer exists over the past month. Monday is gonna be fun.

Easter Escapades

Allow me to use N*SYNC to describe to you how my 5 day Easter break arc was looking about a week and a half ago:

Leanne and Dan are Chris in the blue PJs hanging out in the back waiting for their family to visit/ weekend engagements. 

Joe and Aimee are JC in the purple PJs already living it up gallivanting cross contry/countries to visit family members.

Meanwhile I'm regrettably bleach blond, curly fro Justin, crying left outside alone because I have nothing to do/nowhere to go. So I did something about it.

I decided to ignore my non-existent bank balance in favour of the ridiculous #YOLO mentality and book myself a Greyhound facilitated trek to good old NYC rather than stay in Buckingham doing nothing. In true Monique fashion I left it all to the last minute before I booked my ticket and asked my family in Jersey and my old friend Mike (who I met in Cuba - calling in the favours lol) to take me in over the weekend. Luckily for me everything panned out well and I managed to see quite a few off my relatives and have a day to myself to strut around Times Square like a celebrity. On the latter day two amazing things happened:

I navigated the subway like a BAWSE

I saw Mario Lopez in H&M and completely lost my senses for a good few minutes.

Even though getting there and back was absolute murder thanks to being stuck at border patrol and carrying the heaviest bag in the entire WORLD (with only myself and my lack of packing skills to blame) I don't regret it. I got to see even more parts of the city I'd never seen before. That being said I need to lock off all these trips to the US and stick to francophone destinations for the rest of my time here I think. Given the chance I would still go again though.

#SorryNotSorry