Day 2: Blue Met

I really shouldn't be writing this blog entry! That's because in exactly 20 minutes from now, 20 dinner guests are due to arrive here! They're all friends involved in the Quebec Roots projectand include students from both Nunavik and James Bay. This afternoon, at Blue Met, we were all there for the launch of "Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live" and it was a very happy event for all of us who have been working on the project since last fall.

But I have other fun things to report to you, too. This morning, I did a talk at the Montreal Children's Library. My talk was called "I Spy: Writing About Another Culture." My audience was mostly Grade Six students from Westmount Park School, but there was also a sixth grader named Joshua from Selwyn House School. (Way to go, Josh and Josh's parents, for deciding that sometimes a young man needs to meet a writer!!) The Westmount Park students felt like old friends -- last year, I talked to them about my book What World Is Left. I remembered several of the students, especially Amber who is a champion editor and speller. Last year, for a while, Amber was checking my blog and reporting occasional errors to me! In terms of spying on another culture, this was my basic advice to the students: always be respectful of the differences between us and observe as much as you can all the time!

Speaking of time, I'd better go take my banana breads out of the oven. This afternoon, the two Cree students who are here for Blue Met taught the kids from Orchard and Nesbitt schools how to do goose calls. I don't think any of us who were in the room will ever forget it!

Nor will we forget when Amya from Nesbitt sang a song called "Unwritten" to us. I wrote down my favourite lines: "What hurts the most/ Was being so close/ And having so much to say/ And watching you walk away." Here's to feeling close to new friends and old friends, to people from different parts of Quebec and around the world, and to having much much to say!! Just don't forget to write it down. Signed, happy Monique  ... will post a pic later... or maybe tomorrow... depends what time I get the dishes done!!