Origin story - Welcome to Chicoutimi
part of a series of how I started learning French - see my origin story posts
After high school. I was motivated to continue learning Spanish, it was a fun language. Unfortunately, my university did not offer Spanish on my campus. I guess that was that…
I never did study more Spanish in an academic setting. On occasion, the need to speak Spanish on trips did arise several times and I made myself useful wherever I could. Spanish was indeed useful in Latin America, but I didn't continue learning it.
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A university classmate at the time told me about this program called “J’explore”, after I had asked him what he was doing for the summer. Intrigued, I researched what it was and found out it was an immersion program to learn or improve French.
What the heck. I had no plans for the summer after my first year, and I needed a language credit. If the program is free, and the tuition/boarding is covered, why would I pass up the chance to explore1 new part of Canada.
My friend advised me he picked several cities that are specifically primarily French speaking. This was you would get the most authentic, immersive experience. I followed his list and selected Chicoutimi, Trois-Rivières, and Laval. I thought my friend was smart, so I went with it and didn’t think too much. I don't think I even looked up where these cities were, I just knew they were in Québec, the next province over.
Problem is, I spoke as much French as a potato. Towards the end of the school year, I found out I was getting placed in Chicoutimi. I looked up where Chicoutimi was and quietly thought to myself, “What the actual f-.”
It was a 10 hour drive. More than 1000km away from home and north of Québec City. I didn't even own a car. Man, I was in for an adventure.
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I don’t remember how exactly I managed to make it to Chicoutimi. But I think it involved a bus trip to Montréal, then to Québec City, and then another bus from Quebec City to Chicoutimi.
I stayed at Montreal for a night to break up the trip, and to see the city a little. I bought a toothbrush at Pharmaprix (French name for shoppers drug mart). The cashier asked if I wanted a receipt in French (I think), and I said “Oui” with a straight face. I took my receipt, left Pharmaprix without uttering another single word. I bet the cashier never found out I did not understand a thing she said, she probably thought I was fully bilingual. To this day, I still considered it one of my greatest feats in learning French.
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After getting on the bus to Chicoutimi, I had misplaced my water bottle in the bus station2. I wanted to inform the bus driver I want to look for my bottle and hope that he didn’t drive away as soon as I got off the bus. He didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak French. I realized at this point I was probably cooked for the next 5 weeks 🥲 memories of struggling to learn French in grade school flooded my memory. I was so happy to be done with it all, and then I got myself into this. Why!
To my amazement. Two girls from Vermont on the bus came to my rescue. They saw my predicament and quickly explained to the bus driver in confident and fluent French. The bus driver nodded and I managed to find my water bottle.
I learned their names were Marissa and Taylor. I found out that they were also going to Chicoutimi for the language program. I felt safer and somewhat more optimistic for the weeks to come. If anything, I could beg my newfound saviours to help me get to where I was going.
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After getting off the bus, we went to the university that was hosting the program. The school was called UQAC - Université du Québec à Chicoutimi - pronounced as U-Quack or U-Kak.
I met my host family - host mom shortly after arriving. We called them Chicouti-mere and Chicouti-pere, affectionately translated as Chicouti-mom and Chicouti-dad.
When I saw my homestay mom, Sylvie. I said to her, “Je m’appeles Jim et je ne parle pas français” - my name is Jim, and I do not speak French. Her smile quickly faded and I awkwardly walked with her towards her car, and went to my home for the next 5 weeks. She also spoke as much English as I spoke French.
It was the start of a great summer. New in a completely foreign city, in a town with a language I knew no more than 10 phrases/words on command.