Skiing on the Lake

What a beautiful day! I am experiencing a lot of firsts in Quebec! Today Karl and I went cross country skiing on the lake at the chalet and it was awesome! Mild temperature, beautiful scenery and wonderful companionship!

We are preparing for the upcoming New Year with Gilles & Charlotte at the chalet. We will be posting more photos and updating information so keep coming back!

Thank You

Karl and I have returned back to the chalet and are enjoying the snow (which is over 4 feet!!). It has been a while since I have been in snow like this!!

We had a wonderful adventure this past week. We were in the Sagueny & Quebec City and both are beautiful places. We spent some time with Karl`s best friends Eric & Christine and we had a wonderful time there! We would like to thank them very much for a beautiful few days! The Sagueny is a beautiful part of Quebec with Fjords and lots of nature and outdoor adventure! We saw people skiing in a field with sails...like wind surfing on the snow!

We spent Christmas in Quebec City and I have to say it is a very magical, wonderful breathtaking city! I am very happy to have been able to experience a Christmas in this magical city! Before I go on to tell you my feelings about Quebec City, there are a few people that we have to extend a special thank you to. Thank you to Andre & Isabelle for hosting a fun Christmas Eve for all the family. A warm thank you to Gilles and Charlotte for the wonderful gift of staying right in the heart of Quebec City on Christmas Eve! And last but not least, a big thank you to Tante Suzanne for my first fondue supper and for being a super hostess to us and letting us stay over the snow storm!!

Now to talk about Quebec City...it is a beautiful place to see and I believe that everyone should make the effort to see it and feel it! Yes, I said feel it! There is something about the city that is magical. Can you imagine, seeing and walking on the spot that Jacques Cartier declared that this spot is New France 400 years ago!! It was amazing!! I believe that I now have a small glimpse and better understanding of why Quebec wants to be its own country!

One other amazing feature about Quebec (or at least the parts that I have been priveleged to experience) is that this province is truly a bilingual province. Everyone that I have spoken with can quickly and smoothly transfer back and forth between French and English which has made my stay here very easy. I am sometimes embarrased that I cannot accomplish the same feat but I have definately improved my French listening skills!

Thanks again to all of our hosts and we want to extend a Happy New Year to everyone!

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel & Feliz Navidad

Taking this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

We are in beautiful Chicoutimi and we just came back from a magnificent hike with Christine and Eric beside the Fjord of the Saguenay. We will have photos up to show you shortly!

We are headed to Quebec City tomorrow for a family Christmas and spending some time in old Quebec! We are very excited!

Talk to you soon!

Time Flies

Hard to believe that 2 weeks have passed. It is definately a wonderful place to be...a bit cold, but beautiful. Karl and I are embarking on Project Zen...a time for us to enjoy the moments and plan and organize where and how we will begin Harmonia Project for 2006.

We have had quite a bit of snow...over 2 feet!! We have been able to go skiing twice at Mt. Garceau in St. Donat. It is a great hill!!

We are headed to Montreal and Quebec City for the next few days for the holidays and we look forward to sharing photos with you real soon as we plan on purchasing a digital camera! I am very excited!!

For now we wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad and Frohe Weinachten!!

Karl and Monika

In the Laurentians

Tranquility, stillnes, quiet & peace is the description of living on Lac Defresne in St. Agathe, Quebec. Karl and I have passed a wonderful weekend with Gille & Charlotte (Karl`s mom & partner). We owe them alot...the least of which is a warm & grateful thank you for letting us use their beautiful chalet and also for their big hearts & warm personalities.

Time is passing quickly...it is hard to believe that I have now been in Quebec for 1 week! I am very appreciative of these moment I/we have been experiencing.

It has snowed a bit every day making for an accumulation of about 12". It is vert picturesque with the powdery snow covered pine trees and the frozen lake right outside our door.

Until next time...a Belle Journee!

Montreal Bound

One more day until I am on my way Montreal. I am very excited and looking forward to connecting with Karl and learning more about the city.

Everything is complete here in Victoria. I have spent my last week organizing the final stage of moving and everything has worked out well. It was a bit stressful but I really learned alot about myself which is always a good thing. No regrets and I am looking forward to the next chapter of the journey!!

Home at the Chalet

This is where Karl is spending his time in Quebec. A beautiful chalet by a lake in the Laurentians! I am really looking forward to being able to spend some time there. As of today, there is a bit of snow (5cm) but I am sure in the next few weeks there will be additional snow and I will get to ski in Quebec!

Visit to Goldstream Park

Today I went with our students to this is an amazing part of Victoria...Goldstream Provincial Park. This is where the Pacific Salmon come for their annual spawning. It is quite the site to see the lifecycle of the salmon and the view and park are breathtaking. I am including some photos from our adventures and the beautiful nature...
Hope you enjoy :)

The Red Bullet Made it!

Well, it has been 2 weeks since Karl left Victoria...and the RED BULLET has made it! The 1988 Nisan Micra has crossed Canada in one piece and is still working! Now in St. Agathe, Quebec, Karl is enjoying the peace of nature as he spends his time at the chalet. We will try to get some photos for you soon.

I am wrapping things up here in Victoria and using an awesome website called usedvictoria.com (check it out in our sidebar). It has been a great help in selling the "stuff" that I have here! It is incredible how much lighter I also feel with being able to go through my wardrobe and getting rid of alot of old clothes as well as just "letting go" of some items in the house that I was holding onto for emotional reasons. I found that by letting things go, I still had the memories, but I actually phyiscally felt lighter not holding onto a physical object...just an observation :)

Three more weeks of living in Victoria...after 3 years here and I looking forward to having a white (hopefully) holiday in Quebec and Ontario and then heading south in the new year!

We will be in touch!

Happy Halloween!

I am a bit late with this one but Happy Halloween! We had a great costume party at FCLI yesterday and the students had a great time!! Some of the students have never experienced Halloween so can you imagine what they would be thinking watching all these people dress up in strange and crazy costumes?? What a culture shock! Hope everyone had a great day!

Studying

Karl has recently completed his DIVEMASTER program here in Victoria, BC! I am really proud of him for sticking to his dreams and achieving his goals. He is really looking forward to being able to do some diving in the Caribbean!!

I am currently studying in a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course which I will be completing before I make my way to Montreal. It is an awesome course and my teacher is fabulous! This is a great way to learn a new skill and to be able to use it in different parts of the world where people want to learn English. I am also studying and practising Spanish and French...I am going to get alot of practise with French real soon in Quebec.

Getting Ready

The time is quickly approaching for our new adventure to Central America. Karl and the RED BULLET are set to travel Canada over the next 10 days and I will continue to Quebec in December. From there, we head to Costa Rica! We are really excited to see what will unfold on our journies! Through this posting, we will keep you all informed with writings and photos.

Have a great day!

Beautiful Day!

A wonderful day here in Victoria! The sun is shining, the moutains are in clear view and not a cloud in the sky...a beautiful feeling and place.

Here are some words for thought...

Yesterday is the past
Tomorrow is the future
Today is a gift that is why it is called the PRESENT!
Enjoy every moment because you never know what the next will bring!

Enjoy your today!

M

Simply Living in Victoria...

Welcome to our site. We hope you enjoy it and we want to hear about your Harmonia project!

Beautiful Words

What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you have never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's wathcing.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it is heaven on Earth.

Beautiful Words

The first person who has to believe in you...is you.

Language Studies

Learn English in beautiful and friendly Victoria, BC, Canada!

We can provide information on the following:

• Full Time English Programs
• AM Part Time English Programs
• PM Part Time English Programs
• Test Preparation Courses (TOEFL, TOEIC)
• Tutoring for all levels and all ages
• High School tutoring for both International and Canadian students
• French, Spanish and other language programs for your personal interest

Contact Us! for more specific details of the programs.

Activities

We can provide fun and exciting adventures for you and your friends!

• Kayaking - an adventure on the ocean and a chance to see some native BC wildlife
• Scuba Diving - dive in the best place in Canada! See wolf eels, octopus and many more!
• Hiking/Beach Walks - spend the day on the Juan de Fuca Trail or Hike up a Mountain
• Whale Watching
• Arts & Crafts - Learn how to make jewellery, First Nation's Dreamcatchers and much more
• Celebrations of National Holidays - Easter, Christmas, Halloween - see how these are celebrated in Canada

Prices of programs depend on the amount of people involved. Contact Us! for more details!

What is Harmonia?

We bring the world together in "Harmonia"!

It is a service to provide homestay, activities, and language studies.

We are beginning the HarmoniaProject in Victoria, British Columbia and we would like to hear from you on how we can bring Harmonia into your life.

We can arrange homestay, B& B style accomodation or a shared or furnished aptarment for your stay. We will also look after some of your extra curricular activites showing you some of the best places and things to do!
We can also help you with your language studies...English, French or Spanish...we can help you find a program that is right for your needs and schedule!