GSPIA Interns’ blogs

Merhaba arkadaşlar!
Je me suis interdit de manger un autre morceau de baklava.  Mon dentiste ne sera certainement pas très content mais je ne peux m’empêcher, les desserts turcs sont si délicieux!
L’équipe de l’ambassade est fantastique!  Les Canadiens comme les Turcs m’ont adopté comme la leurs.  Les Canadiens me font boire et les Turcs me font manger.  Par contre, il n’y a personne pour me faire faire de l’exercice…hmm! Dans une seule journée, je vogue entre le français avec mes collègues, l’anglais avec mon patron, le turc au téléphone et l’espagnol avec la réceptionniste.  Ma tête n’arrive plus à fonctionner vers la fin de la journée et à 18h00 quand je ferme la porte de mon bureau, je crois que je parle une langue que seule moi j’arrive à comprendre.  Est-ce l’expérience de tous diplomates canadiens?  Le travail est très stimulant.  Je participe à de nombreuses conférences et galas internationales  (Le meilleur party jusqu’à présent a été l`Octoberfest à l’ambassade allemande.  Mais quelle joie de vivre!)
Les révoltes arabes ajoutent beaucoup de piquant à ma journée.  Étant donné la centralité du pays, soit une qui unie l’Europe à l’Asie et au Moyen-Orient, la Turquie a une importance géopolitique inestimable.  À tous les jours, sans faute, je me retrouve à reporter à Ottawa la réaction turque suite aux gestes et aux mots scandalisant des leaders arabes.
Malheureusement, il y a eu beaucoup d’activité terroriste depuis que je suis arrivée.  Les rebelles kurdes (le PKK)  au sud-est ont fait plusieurs victimes et ont fait exploser une bombe dans la rue à Ankara, à dix minutes de chez moi.  Mes pauvres parents menaçaient de m’acheter un billet de retour le soir-même, mais j’ai réussi à les calmer.
Malgré le PKK, je me suis aventurée à l’est du pays, une région à majorité kurde sur les frontières de l’Iran, de l’Irak et de la Syrie et ce fut un des meilleurs voyages de ma vie…malgré le fait que j’ai passé les 2 prochaines semaines à souffrir de la dysenterie amibienne. (J’évite de vous faire le portrait et je vous invite plutôt à faire une recherche Google haha)  Petit conseil les amis : Ne mangez pas de salade à Van!  Deux semaines après mon voyage à Van, un tremblement de terre, mesurant 7.2 sur l’échelle Richter, a secoué une région qui connaît déjà trop de misère.  L’hôtel dans lequel j’ai resté s’est complètement effondré.  Les édifices se sont écroulés comme des châteaux de cartes, révélant le niveau élevé de corruption qui existe toujours dans le secteur de construction, soit une des plus grandes sources de croissance économique au pays.   Il y a eu deux autres tremblements depuis.  Ils comptent 640 de morts et il y a des milliers sans abris.  Il fait très froid maintenant.  S’il vous plaît, aillez une pensée pour eux.  J’ai passé plusieurs jours à reporter les détails du désastre à Ottawa.  Suite aux attentats terroristes et à trois séismes, l’ambassade, avec le restant du pays, était en deuil.  Mais le pays est résilient et certains osent dire que cette tragédie, qui a affecté en grande majorité la population kurde, a su rapprocher les Turcs et les Kurdes et a su unir le pays en fraternité…si seulement pour quelques semaines.
Mais quel bijou la Turquie!  C’est un pays qui est pris entre la gloire de l’ancien empire ottoman et la promesse de la modernité européenne.  La Turquie se voit négocier à la fois la tradition et la religion et à la fois la modernité et le développement (parfois trop rapide).  À la gauche, il y a des femmes complètement voilées en noir qui prient à la mosquée et à la droite, des jeunes filles qui sortent du secondaire portant des jupes beaucoup trop courtes.  Au nord, les hommes en complet se promènent en Mercedes et au sud, un père et son fils trient les vidanges pour vendre les matières recyclables.  Mais les deux se retrouvent au même plan social lorsque le thé est servi autour d’un bon jeu de Tavla (Backgammon).  La pays vibre de musique orientale et de l’Azan, le chant hantant qui se fait entendre cinq fois par jour en arabe du sommet des minarets, sans pour autant oublier Britney Spears qui résonne des automobiles au centre-ville et parfois même l’héro de notre peuple (Céline Dion) se fait entendre au bar juste à côté de chez moi. La circulation d’automobiles est débile et le comportement des chauffeurs sur la route, encore plus.  On doit s’assumer ici pour traverser la rue.  C’est lorsqu’on hésite qu’on se fait lutter.  Voilà une autre petite leçon que l’on apprend seulement après l’avoir vécue…Ouch!

Sawadee ka from Bangkok!

I am now at the mid point of my internship at the Embassy of Canada to Thailand and cannot believe how quickly the time has gone by. Working at an Embassy that covers four countries—Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Burma—means that you are rarely short on things to do, and I seem to have arrived at a particularly busy time.

One of my first assignments was to monitor and report to the Embassy and headquarters on a high profile court case going on at the criminal court that is garnering a lot of international attention. A webmaster of an user-generated website has been charged with failing to remove ten alleged lèse-majesté comments posted on her organization’s web board. In other words, she did not quickly enough remove other people’s comments that the Ministry Information Communication technology deemed to be defamatory to the monarchy. And for this she faces up to 5 years in prison for each of the ten counts. This is just one example of this archaic law in practice—a law that has seen its application rate increase by 1500% over the last six years. As a student writing my major research paper on social media and internet freedom, you can understand my interest in this assignment.

One of my other main tasks is to monitor the developments coming out of Burma, an assignment that I find equally interesting. Burma recently saw the election of a “civilian” government through elections that were neither free nor fair. I use the term civilian loosely, as all those inserted into power are former members of the military junta. There have, however, been a number of reforms that have recently taken place, ranging from the release of some political prisoners to the opening up of the media. The Embassy must monitor these developments closely in order to recommend to Ottawa how they might think about engaging with the country going forward. I was fortunate enough to travel to Burma before I started work at the Embassy and found the country and its people to be fascinating and beautiful. I only hope that these reforms are a sincere sign of the change to come so that their lives can begin to improve.

As of late, however, I have been pretty much consumed by monitoring the floods in the region and reporting to the Embassy and Ottawa on them. Thailand and Cambodia are experiencing the worst floods in over fifty years, and Laos was hit by typhoon after monsoon after tropical storm this summer. I haven’t actually seen the floods in person, but boy have I read and googled alot about them.

I could go on for ages writing about these four incredible countries, but I think I will leave it at that. Keep your eye on the news cause there is always something interesting happening in this part of the world.

Xin chào!
The city of Hanoi is vibrant, beautiful, chaotic and noisy – all at the same time. From the early hours until late at night, motorbikes weave through traffic, kiddie stools and tables line the streets and women wearing “non la” (those famous conical hats) carry their wares down the street. Hanoi still holds the legacy of French colonialism – French-style cafés, an overabundance of bánh mì (crispy baguette sandwiches), rustic colonial buildings..
That being said, I have fallen in love with this city! While the economic development of Vietnam has rapidly outpaced most other countries in the past few years, Hanoi has managed to maintain its classic cultural personality and has been an amazing city to explore. The coffee and cuisine is to die for and amidst the noise and pollution there are scattered areas of serenity. The people are warm and kind, and I often feel safer here walking around than I do at home (minus the traffic). Getting to work on the back of motorbike (in the scariest traffic I have ever seen) was definitely a new experience and I’ve finally become confident at crossing some of the busiest intersections  – quite a feat, trust me.
My professional experience, thus far, has been fulfilling and extremely enlightening. I work in the political division of PERPA (Political, Economic Relations and Public Affairs), focusing on human rights issues in the country. Since 2001, the embassies of Canada, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland (the Group of Four) have worked together in Vietnam, with a particular emphasis on marginalized groups. Human rights promotion in the political and social context of a one-party system is truly fascinating. Observing and participating in the interactions between governments, diplomatic missions, UN organizations and civil society as they address human rights concerns, has been more rewarding than anything I have learned from a textbook. I have been designated as the point of contact on these files, and I feel very privileged to be gaining such valuable and relevant work experience.
I can’t believe that a month has already gone by since I first arrived! I still feel that I have so much more to learn and experience and am really looking forward to these upcoming months.
Hope all is well with everyone in Ottawa & those around the world!

Grace Kim

Without knowing the full extent to what I would be doing or seeing while over in Riga, I came four months ago hoping to learn and experience as much as possible during my short time as an intern for Foreign Affairs. I have since worked in Vilnius, Lithuania - travelled for a weekend to Sweden and visited another API intern with a friend in Russia for a week. I have met numerous foreign Ambassadors and diplomats from all over the world, made several good friends (both local Latvian and internationals), represented the Embassy at a sporting event to support some Canadian athletes and enjoyed watching the Riga hockey team eliminate a Moscow team in the first round of the KHL playoffs (tickets cost $20 and 5 beers around $15!!!).
I’m not going to lie, the life was exciting in terms of being abroad and soaking in a new culture, job, colleagues and friends - but it was also hard at times, as living alone abroad is not always the easiest thing, especially when your apartment is falling apart, lacks central heating and the Latvian winter brings about as much sunlight as the Canadian North.
My work content was very interesting. I was the only other Canadian at the Embassy besides the Ambassador, as the 7 members of the staff were locally engaged staff. The offices in Lithuania and Estonia are not embassies and fall under the Embassy in Riga. Collectively the offices only have one Charge D’Affairs and less than 10 locally engaged staff members combined. As the staff was small the workloads were high and I was able to lend a hand on smaller issues such as editing texts, working the reception desk of the Embassy for a week, or helping the Driver - Dainius with packages. On the other end of work I was able to work on the trade file, reporting to Ottawa on several issues regarding international procurement tenders and regional train projects. My colleagues were highly knowledgeable on Latvian viewpoints and current affairs in Latvia and worked hard to provide the Ambassador with the best information and provide good representation for Canada abroad. At times I found working with my colleagues extremely rewarding as we shared different viewpoints and viewed issues completely differently, and at other times very diffucult as cultural attitudes towards how work is accomplised be it in a team or solo are completely different in Latvia, at least from my point of view. Latvia is a very class oriented society and is still shaking off the shackles of the communist mentality of viewing help with suspicion (Canadians would see this as insecurity, while Latvians see asking for help as something to do with inferiority). My most rewarding work experience was working directly with the Ambassador on everything from help with public lecture presentations to reporting to Ottawa.
In terms of Latvian politics, it did not enter my mind all that much as to be completely honest, it’s quite boring stuff given the Arab uprisings, Afghanistan, the Japanese earthquake, terrorist attacks in Moscow, a Canadian election and so on. Even while scandals saw the Latvian Minister of Interior resign, the existing complex Latvian-Russian ethnic mix in Latvia (More people in Riga speak Russian than Latvian) and the IMF and International donors breathing down Latvia’s neck to consolidate its budget to gain further financial support (Latvia was the hardest hit EU economy). Latvia has done an admirable job so far in trying to climb out of recession, despite heavy criticism of rampant corruption - look up the Economist’s Eastern Approaches coverage. Estonia saw the adoption of the Euro and an election, but nothing earth shattering, while the Lithuanian government continued on track confusing their bilateral partners with conflicting statements on everything from language issues (Polish minority) to nuclear energy plans.
Looking forward, I firmly believe Latvia is a good destination for an API intern as the work exposure is excellent in terms of seeing what a foreign service officer may look at, while the Embassy in Riga covers all three Baltic states in some form or another. I have gained a better understanding of the amount of work that goes into promoting Canada’s interests abroad and the workings of DFAIT on numerous levels. I have also gained a better appreciation for being Canadian and living in the best country in the world. We have so much to be proud of in Canada - our multicultural society, our acceptance of religions and promotion of equality, the freedom of expression, our social safety net and most importantly the people that make up our great nation.
To future API  interns looking into Latvia, prepare yourself for a wide variety of work, a very different than normal Embassy environment, cheap beer and living costs, and a very different cultural experience! Experiencing different cultures, their languages and the dynamics they offer is important and something we should take advantage of and saviour…I know I have and will… I’m currently sitting on a train from Rome to Florence with my girlfriend about to take in a month of travelling.
Life is good!
Andrew Deruga

Unrest, Chants and Detention in Syria
March 24th, 2011 | WaQas Yousafzai
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N.B: This blog was written months prior to posting due to the risks inherent in blogging about current affairs in Syria while being physically present in Syria.
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It seems like a perfect time for me to write a quick blog entry.  Surrounded by regional unrest of the Arab world, Syria is finally getting the press it deserves. International media has been largely pre occupied with Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and now Gaddafi’s Libya. Syria, which has been under Baath party’s leadership and ruled under emergency law ensures limited anti-government activities. It is known for its human rights record with political and human rights activists being frequent targets of its secret security services apparatus. The Baath party’s control over the population and the nation’s entire political system is evident in the fact that the Baath party is legally the only party allowed to exist under the emergency law in place due to the threat to the Syrian state caused by Israel’s existence. This justification has been used to ensure the continuous prolonging and postponement of a president-for-life style political system. My knowledge and experience in dealing with the security services (mukhabarat in arabic) had been limited to the regular “watch what you say and who you talk to” “be aware of your surroundings” “don’t panic if you are followed” types of banter from those in the diplomatic and foreign community circles of Damascus. This changed on March 19th, when I was forcefully kidnapped (Canadian terminology) or detained (diplomatic terminology) or arrested (Syrian terminology) by armed civilian clothed agents of the secret police in Damascus. Taking a taxi ride from a soiree at a diplomat’s house to my apartment, the mukhabarat waited for my friends in the taxi to leave and then rushed and arrested me. I was put in a vehicle and taken in for questioning (told to me after 2 hours of detention) at an unknown police building in an unidentified car with four unidentified people. I have been followed a few times in and around Damascus up till this point, but I thought this was a bit extreme. Syria has been shaky due to the regional unrest and it has put the secret police on edge and some of this behaviour against foreigners can be chalked off to this. My arrest may have to do with the fact that I attended the criminal court proceedings of a human rights activist, or the fact that I attended initial anti-government protesters as part of a team of international observers, or simply being out late when the country is trying to grapple with national unrest. Needless to say, the experience has been eye opening and remarkable. I felt relatively lucky and secure in knowing senior diplomats at the Canadian embassy during this ordeal. After contacting and informing them that I was in trouble, I was relived because if this had not been the case, my experience would have been hellish.
During the questioning period, I had the most interesting experience I have had in Syria. Due to my ethnic, cultural and geographical background – the secret police did not believe me when I mentioned that I was a Canadian student, working at the Canadian embassy. I had to explain why my name is Waqas (Arabic) and why I was born in Qatar. If I am infact telling the truth, why do I not look like an Arab? Explaining to them that my parents are of Pakistani origin only further complicated the story and led them to simply chalk me off as someone working for outside powers and a ‘foreign nuisance’ causing problems in Syria. Most Syrians do not travel extensively and the limits of the average Syrian travel is quite literally just Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and, if they are adventurous, Turkey. My first week in Syria, I was identified as Ukranian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Indian and a host of latin American countries. How anyone in their right mind can think I am  Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian or Russian is evidence of the general Syrian global disconnect. In stark contrast to my experience in Morroco, I was identified as a Pakistani of northern origins bordering Afghanistan. It was mind blowing to have complete strangers identify your ethnicity down to a specific region. But this was Morroco, a country that has received waves of tourists from around the globe making the domestic population very aware of a world outside Morroco even if they did not travel much themselves. Needless to say, my story was too confusing and did not seem plausible to the Syrian security forces.
The experience was also rewarding in that I was able to glimpse into the life of an average Syrian shabab (Youth in Arabic) who has to deal with similar situations on a day-to-day basis. Had I not been a non-western passport holder or simply looked western, I would not have been able to get this perspective. On a more macro level, there have been non-stop pro- and anti-government demonstrations in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and other major cities. Rallies include non stop car honking and chanting throughout the day while car speakers blast continuous slogans. Windows and trunks of cars are taped with the Syrian flag and people are holding large Syrian flags in their hands as they hang off the side of the car. At night, the convoys of cars and shababs drive through neighbourhoods continuing a similar pattern. The situation is pretty surreal as you hear nationalistic, religious and ethnic chanting in all forms that keeps residents up all night. Some choose to voice it themselves, others use large speakers set up in front of their houses or shops. Needless to say, we live in very interesting times as far as the Middle East is concerned. That is all for now, hope rest is well in Ottawa.
waQas Yousafzai | GSPIA | UOttawa

When I first arrived in South East Asia three years ago on an internship as an undergraduate student, I could not even begin to imagine what this region would come to mean to me, the effects that it would have on my personal life and on my professional and academic ambitions.

The chance to return to this region is not something that I take lightly, but an opportunity that I am grateful for every single day. The Embassy in Bangkok has been a perfect fit; it is accredited to four countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Burma, and each country comes with its own unique political climate and social and cultural dynamics, offering a mix bag of policy issues, including topics on human rights, regional security dilemmas, and on issues of reconciliation, to name just a few.

I am very lucky that my colleagues at the Embassy have been so supportive. My primary home is in the political and economic section, but the objective has been to give me a whole of Embassy experience, and to this end the Embassy has come through on its promise. In addition to my projects in the political section, I have worked in the consular section and in development; I have worked with the Ambassador and attended various meetings, and helped with planning official visits.  My academic focus has always been in the area of human rights, and many of the main regional branches of several international organizations and human rights groups are based out of Bangkok. This unique opportunity has given me the chance to attend conferences on human rights and to meet key players in the field who I was able to exchange and discuss ideas with; these consultations have given me a fresh regional perspective that often cannot be found in our text books.

Finally, living in Bangkok has been a unique experience. You can be sure that in exploring its nooks and crannies you will stumble upon vibrant markets filled with silks and fresh fruit vendors, and all while surrounded by the smells of lemongrass, fresh basil and ginger. It is virtually impossible to find the right words to describe how delicious the food is in Thailand. The various curries, including my favorite Phnang Curry, Pamelo spicy salad, and jasmine rice have become staples in my diet, and the best part is that some of the most delicious food does not come from high-class restaurants, but from simple food stalls. Having a smile on your face and attempting to speak the language goes a long way in Bangkok.

I am surprised by how much I have experienced in such a short period of time, and I know that there is still so much more to explore and learn. But I do look forward to meeting up with my API friends and professors to hear all about what they have been up to over the last four months!

Anna Borotko
Bangkok, Thailand

waQas Youafzai :  Damascus, Syria - March 15th 2011

Greetings from Damascus!

To me, the whole experience of living in this region is more than the typical sights of 9 year old kids driving motor bikes on crowded highways against traffic flow and people risking their lives every day by running across busy highways and getting on dodgy busses being driven at reckless speeds by reckless drivers. The reason I picked the Middle East, and in my mind, the right choice, was evident when I went to beautiful Beirut for a quick five day trip this past week and got to experience an incredible event – a political rally with a passion.
Political rallies and protests are rather common in the region currently, however – across the Atlantic in Canada, low voter turn out at all levels of government is a serious concern. So much so there is an entire body of literature looking at low voter turn out and various methods to be employed to eliminate voter apathy. Such research is absolutely unnecessary in this region as demonstrated by the swaths of people that show up to public rallies and protests here. Being in Lebanon on Sunday, March 13, for the annual March 14th alliance rally, named after the Cedar Revolution, was an intense experience. The alliance is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon that call for sovereignty over all Lebanese territories, led by MP Saad Hariri, younger son of Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated years ago. Despite tanks, armed police and security forces surrounding Beirut, the tension in the air could be felt as the rally continued in full swing. The flags of Lebanon, the Kataeb (Phalange), Future Movement and the Lebanese Forces were waved and painted on people’s faces, and worn as scarves, capes and headdresses. Days before the rally itself, the voices of prominent politicians were broadcasted on TV, radio, and in downtowns of Lebanese cities. Chanting and non-stop political chatter could be heard from businesses, homes and cars throughout Beirut adding to the significance of the rally. Due to the entire downtown core of Beirut being in lock down, it was impossible to drive out of Beirut without driving through thousands of supporters. Supporters that believe strongly in a sovereign Lebanon (hence against the presence of Syrian forces in Lebanon up until full withdrawal in 2008). This is where it got very interesting. I, a Jordanian national and a UK national heading to Damascus in a Syrian plated car have no choice but to head through the rally to get to the main highway connecting Beirut to Damascus - dotted with police check points. The supporters of the alliance, noticing the Syrian plates and realizing the destination of the car (licence plates of vehicles going between borders and offering transportation between Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey are different from personal, diplomatic and commercial licence plates) started harassing the driver and shouting anti-Syria and anti-Bashar chants. Simultaneously rally goers started to bang on the hood, windows and trunk of the car causing the driver distress and forcing him to manoeuvre quickly through the crowd so not to stay in the same location for too long before the situation got out of hand (we almost completely ran over two people to get out of this situation). In direct contrast to this experience, just hours ago - speaking to the army to get permission to walk through the downtown streets that were closed off to get to the taxi stop – we were asked where we were trying to go. After mentioning Damascus as our final destination and asking for permission to take photographs of the rally, we were encouraged by the M-16 armed army personnel to ‘maximize’ the photos. After further elaboration through hand gestures, we realized he wanted us to “tell peoples” and maximize exposure of the rally outside of Lebanon. Needless to say, in this part of the world, everyone has a political opinion and everyone tries to have their voice heard. Sadly, such can not be said for Canada, where despite having a well educated population, clear channels to express political wishes and a solid Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian public continues to be disinterested and unaware.

Until next time, Massalama

waQas Yousafzai | GSPIA

Hola ¿Qué tal?,

It is easy to see why you can find so many ex-pats who showed up in Buenos Aires and just never left. This vibrant city of almost 3 million people is hard not to love.

The city of Buenos Aires, as everyone will remind you, has a European flavour to it. Its tree filled avenues have Italian style tiles along the sidewalk and the European looking apartment buildings are contrasted with a Latin feeling which pervades the city.  Restaurant menus are dominated by pastas, pizzas and the world famous Argentine lomo (tenderloin steak). You can walk almost anywhere in the city and find a great place for grilled meats within a five minute walk.

Actually, what struck me the most when I arrived was how Latin the city is, despite all the claims that it is the New York or Paris of South America outside of the downtown Capital Federal is ‘La Provincia de Buenos Aires”, which reminded me more of parts Guatemala and Mexico.  This feeling was reinforced even more by the fact I arrived in the dead of summer. The heat was intense at times as it could be plus forty with no wind and a lot of humidity.

I am working on exactly the kinds of files I was hoping and feel like I am definitely getting the hands on experience I wanted. I work directly with the Second Secretary of the Political Section and in my position here I have had the opportunity to help her with her daily tasks, visit external organizations to build Canada’s presence and to develop contacts and do research on local political and development issues in Argentina and Paraguay.

As an example of a current project, I am currently helping draft a report on the declared and potential presidential candidates in the upcoming 2011 Presidential elections. To do this I had the opportunity to meet with, listen to and learn from head editors of major news dailies, radio hosts, local professors and those in the Argentine Department of Foreign Affairs. Fun fact: what do they all have in common? Every meeting starts with a joke about how nobody really understands the Argentine political system or local politics. Politics here are incredibly interesting; strong ideological divides, a long and storied history and deep personal relationships make for an obscure and confusing political landscape marked by intrigue and guessed intentions. Sometimes it’s a bit much for a poor intern to understand, but luckily Argentines love to talk and explain their system.

All in all my two months here I have been an incredible experience. I have loved working for the embassy, getting to experience Argentine culture and taking in a whole new part of the world. Next blog will cover my new Argentine (porteño) accent, Paraguay and why you must strategically hoard centavos (change) like they are gold.

Life could be worse…
Hasta luego
Ciao,
Dan

Madrid, la ville qui ne dort jamais. Un cliché dont on saisit très vite le sens dès que l’on met les pieds dans les rues bondées de gens, tous très occupés à profiter de la vie. Parce que pour ça, les Espagnols sont les experts! La « movida », mouvement qui a émergé suite à la mort de Franco en 1975 (l’Espagne démocratique est très jeune) guide encore le pays aujourd’hui, et surtout les Madrilènes! Malheureusement, depuis le début de la crise économique, cette caractéristique légendaire du peuple espagnol semble en « manger un coup ». Le pays a été frappé de plein fouet, en témoigne un taux de chômage de 20%, 44,5% chez les moins de 25 ans. Ouf, ça fait mal, et cela se ressent beaucoup à Madrid. Les perspectives d’avenir ne sont pas très roses pour le moment, encore moins pour les immigrants qui ont tant de difficultés à percer l’épaisse bulle de la société espagnole. En espérant que la reprise économique sera pour bientôt, et que les Espagnols pourront continuer à propager la bonne humeur et la joie de vivre loin des soucis financiers!

Cela fait déjà deux mois que je me plais à découvrir un pays qui vacille continuellement entre la modernité et la tradition, ce qui lui confère une nature surprenante et très difficile à saisir pour une étrangère. Je profite au maximum des choses merveilleuses que l’Espagne a à offrir : de la bonne nourriture (impossible de ne pas être constamment en train de manger), un climat très agréable et ensoleillé, une vie culturelle en plein effervescence dont on peine à suivre le rythme, une langue magnifique (et un accent qui donne du fil à retordre), des gens fantastiques qui passent la majorité de leur temps à rire…

Je profite aussi énormément de mon expérience à l’ambassade. Je crois que je n’aurais pas pu arriver dans un aussi bon moment. Beaucoup disent que c’est la période la plus occupée depuis qu’ils sont ici! Au programme des dernières et des prochaines semaines: plusieurs visites en Espagne (dont Michaëlle Jean, maintenant envoyée spéciale de l’UNESCO pour Haïti, que j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer à une réception donnée par l’ambassadeur et pour laquelle j’ai sorti mes habiletés en matière de notes d’information, Bill Graham, Lawrence Cannon…), de nombreux événements culturels, un séminaire hispano-canadien sur la défense et la sécurité, etc. Ça bouge beaucoup et j’adore ça!

Voilà! Je crois que cela résume bien jusqu’à maintenant mon aventure au pays du plaisir! À suivre…

Venga, hasta luegos chicos!

Marie-Ève Francoeur

2 mars 11

Dès mon arrivée, j’ai été surprise par la modernité, la propreté et le luxe de Bogota, ou devrais-je préciser, du quartier dans lequel je vis et je travaille. Puisque dès qu’on sort du quartier hyper protégé de l’ambassade, qu’on s’éloigne des restaurants branchés et des innombrables bars d’Usaquén, lorsqu’on s’aventure au Sud de la ville par exemple, ou encore pire, lorsqu’on ose quitter Bogotá, la pauvreté nous rattrape et est impossible à ignorer. Les inégalités économiques me sautent aux yeux et cohabitent d’une façon qui me semble complètement irréaliste. Je loue une chambre, avec salle de bain privée et walk-in, dans une belle et grande maison où vit également Marixa, la bonne de 19 ans qui habite avec nous et qui travaille 6 jours sur 7. Le dimanche, sa seule journée de congé, elle la passe à étudier pour terminer son secondaire. Marixa est littéralement au service (lire - répondre aux caprices) de la famille pour qui elle travaille. Elle habite aujourd’hui à plus de 22 heures de route de son village natal, dans la région de Nariño, un des départements de la Colombie les plus pauvres et les plus touchés par le conflit armé. Marixa a dû quitter sa communauté une première fois à 14 ans, puis de nouveau á l’âge de 17 ans parce qu’elle se sentait en danger après que son ancien copain se soit fait assassiner par un groupe de la guérilla. Dans la maison, elle nettoie, repasse et cuisine, mais elle n’a pas le droit de s’asseoir à la table et de manger avec nous. Pourtant Marixa est l’une des personnes les plus chaleureuses et généreuses que j’ai rencontrées ici.

La vie est belle dans notre beau quartier de Bogota, on se promène en voiture avec chauffeur, tout en croisant des enfants qui jonglent aux coins des rues ou qui vendent des fleurs exotiques pour récolter quelques pesos. Dernièrement, j’ai assisté à un déjeuner 5 services avec des représentants des Nations Unies pour parler de la situation de misère des populations déplacées à l’intérieur du pays et leurs conditions de vie qui frisent l’extrême pauvreté. Je suis témoin d’un grand paradoxe en Colombie.

Je me vide le cœur, mais prochainement, je vous parlerai de la richesse humaine et de la beauté spectaculaire des paysages du pays… et contenu de mon travail à l’ambassade, bien évidement !

Hasta luego amigos!

Gabrielle W.Cusson
Bogota, Colombie