Salut, de Saskatoon! - Semaine I

Ahoy from Saskatoon! What am I doing here?
I am participating in a 5-week intensive French immersion program, with the goal of improving my French oral and comprehension skills. The program offers bursaries to study French in most provinces in Canada, doubling as a chance to explore a different part of our country. I know it sounds silly to be studying French in Saskatoon, especially having lived in a bilingual city my entire life.  But! I'm actually really grateful to be here. It has given me the opportunity to visit an area I wouldn't have thought to otherwise. Since being here, Saskatoon has really grown on me with its small-town charms, indefinite horizons and friendly people. #prairielove.

I've been here for a week now, and am ready to embark on Week #2.

Things I am really diggin'

1. Living in our Ukranian residence
Sharing the "Boys' Lounge" with my 3 roommates makes for good laughs and many stories. Elles sont formidables! So is our homely couch and home-cooked meals.

 
 2. Workshops - la danse latine & la photographie
Who doesn't love shaking around in heels? :p With photography, I hope to leave more equipped to take better photos in Peru, next month! This week, our focus is portraits (my favourite!).

3. Coop - Les Sask-ATCHOO!
We've been placed in groups with students from different levels to compete in various activities. Everyone in the group is really encouraging and creative, so those other groups need to watch out! ksrslytho.

4. Saskatoon
IS BEAUTIFUL. Come visit! There are 7 bridges crossing its river. In our (limited) free time, it's always nice to stroll along the river or towards downtown to discover the restaurants, boutiques and pubs.

Merci beaucoup à Ana-Maria pour ces photos!

5. University of Saskatchewan
The campus is absolutely gorgeous and HUGE. There are cows on campus for research, a field of statues, an observatory for star-gazing, an indoor Geology museum, and all its buildings have the unifying traditional stone architecture. In the famous "airplane room", under the opportune air current conditions, students fly their planes into the ceiling, made of mock asbestos. During war times, parents would check for their child's name inside the fallen airplanes to see if their child had fallen in war. By fluke, there are also two chairs across the auditorium that "secretely" magnify their sounds to only each other, like you're underwater.

Merci beaucoup à Cindy! :)

The med building. Merci encore Ana-Maria!

6. THE PEOPLE.  
We see each other tout le temps, so it's a good thing we get along. Already, I feel like I've known many people here for a long time. I received many unexpected celebratory
(med school!) hugs the day I found out and classmates genuinely worry about each other when you cough or sniffle. It's truly warm&squishy feelings all the time :)

 Things I am getting used to:

1. French 24/7. 
 We speak French in class, while we eat, off-campus (mostly :p) and in our rooms. It can become brain-numbing, but it's also wonderfully awkward and really fun to find different ways of communicating, like hand gestures and doodling, and watching those around you improve, as you improve.

2. Walking everywhere. 
Our residence is within a 10 min walk from campus and 30 min walk from downtown. It's not worth using public transportation, so we walk everywhere!! Although I really do enjoy walking, I've really come to realize how much I enjoy vehicles too :p But I find walking literally grounds you, in that you became more aware of the small things in your surroundings.

3. Class 6 hrs/day
That's twice more than an average week in University. I don't know how I got through those 12 years of school, but it's definitely a challenge for me to stay focused. Luckily, most of our lessons include interactive activities.

une vire-langue francaise

 4. Gym - (like living in French) this is a foreign concept to me.
Everyone here is so active! When we're not in class, many are running or at the gym. I'm not sure I can keep up with the weight-lifting and ab work, but I am making an effort to rock the climbing wall and attend yoga and zumba classes during the week. That's a start?

Things I am excited for:
- our Banff camping trip next weekend
- potential smaller road trips to Prince Albert and Regina w/ Dan&Ana
- not yet having booked a plane ticket back = open possibilities for travel!

That`s all for now. A bientôt!!

Med Chronicles: Part I - Accepted!

The first response I received from Med School was a rejection from Calgary. It hit me hard, as I thought my best interview was in Calgary, by far. I loved their school’s philosophy, their learning style, and the diversity in their students. Unlike other schools which focused more on critical thinking and knowledge, Calgary’s interview focused 100% on your personal values and how you truly react in different situations. Thinking back, there is nothing I would change. So learning that what I perceived to be the most honest version of me wasn’t deemed fit for their medical program was confusing and disappointing. I would hear from the rest of the other schools in the next week, while alone in Saskatoon, and suddenly this thought became very ominous. I was worried, I ran through every single What if, and I struggled to maintain hope.  So last Tuesday morning, I woke up terrified, heart racing as I anxiously opened my Gmail inbox… but seeing “Offer of Admission” in those first few subject lines gave me the most overwhelming feeling of relief. I was elated -  Accepted?? Accepted!!! THANK YOU BUDDHA. All the time and effort I put in this year, all the flights and travels across country, it was all worth it for this moment. It’s really surreal actually, when you witness your long-awaited dreams come to life.  I am going to be a doctor. And I couldn’t be happier :)

Since then, I’ve had time to reflect and am left with these thoughts regarding the whole admissions process:  

           1. Run your own race.  

The term “quiet confidence” is one I’ve become more comfortable with this year. It is easy to become competitive or intimidated when applying for the too limited spots in med school. It is also easy to underestimate yourself when seeing others CVs and GPAs.  But, the truth is, everyone comes unique with qualifications, characteristics, stories, and experiences that make them different. Won that race? Sweet, YOUR trophy. Failed that course? Hm, YOUR mess. Passed it later? Ace, YOUR solution. Your mistakes, your problems, your achievements- it is ALL yours and ONLY yours. So never think that the goal is to be better than others. Instead, strive to be the best version of yourself, never ever sell yourself short, and just go OWN it like you know it. 

           2. Stay calm and carry on. 

Med Admissions is a game and you are its player. But, like Pita once mused, “I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don't own me. [If I'm gonna die,] I wanna still be me.” And you can. No one, much less a 4-person admissions committee, can wipe away your knowledge, your experiences, and your spirit. You are you, and you are wonderful. Remember that you have done all in your power to show them all that you have. Leave what’s done behind, believe that the system is just, and keep on living. Remind yourself that luck plays a factor in final decisions and that life will still go on if you don’t get in. More importantly, no matter what they decide now, you WILL become a doctor, and a kick-ass one at that. 

           3. Be open to change.

My reasons for wanting to be a doctor, my career goals, and my values have flipped, flopped, and turned this past year. I walk out of the admissions process with more validation and more enthusiasm, inspired by the journeys and aspirations of other folks I’ve met. When asked “Why would you be a good doctor?”, “What are your strengths?”, “What are your goals?”, my answers often changed with every interview. Some could say I’m easily influenced, but for me it was more so thrilling, in a way, to let myself change as I reflected more, reflected differently, and reflected openly with different people. Saying things out loud is scary, especially in front of others, but it can change you, and sometimes for the better.

           4. Surround yourself with beautiful people. 

It is true, the application process is stressful and extremely grueling. You always have doubts, worries, and count-downs in the back of your head, but determined to never show it. And though I believed I never wanted to talk or think about decisions, it truly was the “You’ll be fine”s, the “I believe in you”s, the “Calm down child”s, and the “Don’t worry, I’ll still love you even if…”s that pushed me through this incredibly long year. ‘Cause hearing that the people who know you best truly believe in you is uplifting and gives you hope when you need it most. So spend the dolla dolla bills, but the greatest med school resource is not Kaplan, books, or premed101. The no.1 resource is priceless, and it is “your” people.  Thank you thank you thank you. Thank you. 
  
           5. Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" memes. That is all. 

Part II: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Green Chicken Chile Enchiladas

Hey everyone!

This week the wisperosa gang (with the exception of annie) got together at Caitlin's house to catch up and cook! I suggested that we should make green chicken chile enchiladas. I've never made them nor have I ever tried them but how can you go wrong with mexican food? It's just too good to resist and the wisperosa crew is always up for some new recipes.

Overall, the enchiladas tasted great. Making them was.. interesting. We actually made a lot of the ingredients from scratch, even the tortillas! Now that's something I don't normally do but we accepted the challenge.

So what you'll need is:

• 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
• 1 can of Green chile enchilada sauce or make it yourself
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 4 tsp of chile power (add more depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• A little less than 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 tablespoons and 1/4 tsp white flower
• 2 cups of shredded cheese (we used mix mozzarella and cheddar)
• Diced green chiles
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup or make it yourself
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth 
• 1/2 cup milk
• dash of salt and pepper
• 8 medium sized tortillas (flour or corn)
• Buy these at your local grocery store or.. make them yourself (not recommended unless you're really good at this.)
• You'll need:
• 2 cups of instant corn masa mix
• 1 and 1/2 cups of H2O
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Salt, pepper to taste

Step 1. Bake the chicken

• We used chicken breast
• Place in aluminum foil
• Oven bake for 25 to 30 min
• Shred the chicken, put aside

Step 2. Make Cream of Chicken Soup

• In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in flower and let it cook for 1-2 min
• Slowly stir in chicken broth, then milk. Stir until it begins to thicken. Season with a dash of salt and pepper

 

Step 3. Make Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

• In a sauce pan, add the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, lower the heat to low and add flour
• Mix with a whisk for ~1-2 min stirring constantly. You want to see a little bubble going on. Then add the chile powder and whisk in till fully mixed
• Slowly add 2 cups of chicken broth. Turn the heat up to a medium again and stir till fully mixed
• Add the cumin, garlic powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar stirring after each addition. Bring to a boil as you continue
• Once boiling, stir and cook for 3-5 min
• Turn off the heat

Step 4. Make tortilla

• Divide the dough into 8 balls
• Cover with a cloth to not dry up
• Place one ball of dough on parchment paper and cover it with parchment paper
• Roll them out in a tortilla shape on parchment paper 
• Peel off the tortilla and cook it in a pan (Add oil if you desire but this is not necessary)

Step 5, Put everything together!

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken with 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, green chiles, sour cream, cream of chicken soup and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• Microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds to be easier to roll up (Skip this step if you decide to make homemade tortillas)
• Divide mixture evenly among 8 tortillas and roll them up. Place tortillas in 9 x 13 inch casserole dish
• Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then a shit ton of cheese
• Bake for 25 min, or until cheese has melted
• Sprinkle enchiladas with chopped fresh cilantro and serve IMMEDIATELY

The Wisperosa cheer!

Bloopers and Tips

Tip #1. Make sure to use parchment paper

It even sticks on the spatula too..

Don't worry if it looks like this after 10 tries

We do not recommend making your own tortillas

The only word I can use to describe this tortilla is just pure beauty

Well that's a wrap, I hope you guys try this out!

Until next time,

Bahareh