So another school year has come to an end, as evidenced by the marked increase in grey hairs found in my bangs. To show for it, I won a street art award at the Maximum Exposure exhibit, (my work will be on trashcans in Toronto, and not in them like usual) and I maintained an A average, which bodes well for graduate school. After final critiques I went on vacation in Niagara on the Lake where my friends and I rented a cottage, played outside in the fresh air, spent quality time together and went on wine tours... ok, we skipped the tours and went straight to the tasting bars. Who has time for instructional tours?! Grapes go in, smashy smashy, wine comes out, and drink. The basics are understood.

Then it was time to leave, during the car ride home I checked my email like any true nerd. Junk, junk... and one from my professor informing me I was nominated by the fourth year photography faculty for an invitation-only submission of a portfolio and essay to the French consulate.

I learned most of this from my friends since after the words "nominated" and "France" were read I went blind from excitement.

I made myself a little portfolio with prints from This Is Not Your Life, and Some of the People I (don't) Know, and handed over one of my books Half-Truths|Whole Lies from my thesis A Healthy Fear of Everything and a giant framed print of Jimmy's contact sheet. Which was more than the 5-7 images they asked for... but I'm very thorough!
I wrote the essay, which boiled down to:

Dear France,

I would love the chance to see your country, your art, and to sample your fine cheeses.

xoxo

On the desk of submissions I saw at least two neat folders, on which I rested my mess of stuff, wishing again that I could be the kind of person who could encase their work easily into manila envelopes. Metaphor for life! I left the office, heart racing, crossing my fingers.

After a week of sleepless nights, and general uneasiness I received word...
Apparently so impressed were they with my passion for dairy that they awarded me the prize of an all expenses paid trip to Arles Perpignan, France, for the International Photography Festival International Photojournalism Festival, French courses and a solo show at the Alliance Francais in Toronto.

Oh mon dieu et pantalons!

For years I have been smattering my speech with nonsensical usage of French and now... now I finally have an excuse! And a reason to step it up!
I am definitely going to get beaten up, but I don't care! Je suis tres heureux!

So the details have changed now that the chair of my school has heard from the consulate themselves, to tie into Ryerson's masters in documentary media, I am being sent to the International Festival of Photojournalism running from Aug 29-Sept 13. I don't know yet how long I will be there or all the logistics, I'll be hearing from the consulate myself at the end of this month. I will have probably chewed through my lip by that time.