Review: Devil in Deerskins: My Life With Grey Owl by Anahareo

Devil in Deerskins: My Life with Grey Owl is written by Anahareo, born Gertrude Bernard, and I really can't begin to describe how amazing she is, and how amazing she is at telling her story. Devil in Deerskins is everything you could ever want in a memoir: humour, adventure, romance, death, separation, coming back together, journeys to find oneself...

Devil in Deerskins begins with Anahareo meeting Archie Belaney, "Englishman, trapper, and guide - later known as Grey Owl, author, lecturer and naturalist - Brother of the Beaver People." She then goes back to tell the story of her Mohawk family and their influence on her, her grandmother in particular, who raised her. Eventually, Anahareo, quite green to the ways of the wilderness (which makes for a hilarious tale), goes to stay with Grey Owl on one of his hunting trips and never goes back. The rest of the book follows Anahareo and Grey Owl's many ups and downs, as well as how they end up adopting two beaver kittens and turning from a life of trapping to a life in conservation.

It was so much fun to read about Anahareo and Grey Owl's adventures, as they were such interesting, funny people, both separately and together. Neither of them quite fit into the usual mold of society, so it is fascinating reading about their lifestyle and the kinds of things they got up to. It's especially funny when they do something more normal, like go to a dinner party, and then one of them (Grey Owl) acts silly because it's so out of his comfort zone.

There was so much tension throughout the book; of what they would do next, of what would happen to the beavers, how they would support themselves, how they would relieve their boredom (this crazy adventurous couple got bored easily), or whether they would find each other again when they left on their various hunting or prospecting trips. Anahareo drives the story forward at a great pace to keep you completely enraptured; I was hooked from start to finish. She also has a great voice and perspective on life that is so much fun to read. Wow did she know how to tell a good story.

I had actually heard of Grey Owl before; every year since I was young, my mom's side of the family has made a trip out to Riding Mountain National Park around the September long weekend. Over the years I've spent going to Riding Mountain, I'd heard of a man called Grey Owl, when wandering through the Visitor Centre or the tiny, packed museum in town. All I really knew about him was that he pretended to be an Indigenous man, and he worked for the park at some point. I'm so glad that Devil in Deerskins was my more in-depth introduction to Anahareo and Grey Owl, as they are both so much more than what I've ever heard in passing.

This year my parents, cousins, uncle, brother and I all biked just over 7 kilometres along the Grey Owl trail in Riding Mountain National Park to get to Grey Owl's Cabin, a cabin where Grey Owl stayed for six months trying to start a beaver colony (Anahareo was off doing something else at that point - I think maybe prospecting?). (All the pictures in this post are from that bike ride.) It was really interesting that Anahareo wasn't mentioned in any of the blurbs about Grey Owl on any of the trail signs or the book about Grey Owl in the cabin, even though she was a huge part of the reason why Grey Owl stopped trapping beaver and turned to conservation.

They are both such fascinating people, and Anahareo tells her story so well; it is humorous, fast-paced, and even romantic, and I definitely encourage everyone and anyone to get their hands on a copy of this excellent memoir.

Bonus fav quote: "A kiss when both parties are on snowshoes leaves much to be desired. Try it sometime."

Devil in Deerskins on:
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
U of M Press

Thanks University of Manitoba Press for providing me with a copy!

30 Travel Tips From My Trip to Vancouver!

Is this post just an excuse to brag about my trip to Vancouver and show you a whole bunch of snazzy pictures? Why yes, it is. Here are some things I learned on this fun trip, which hopefully you can apply to YOUR next fun trip so you don't make some of the same mistakes I did. And check out the previous travel post I did about why traveling is GREAT for introverts like me! Don't worry, I will be back to regular bookish programming next week.

~*~*30 THINGS I LEARNED ON MY TRIP TO VANCOUVER*~*~

1. Fill up your water bottle at the water fountain once you're past airport security - you brought an empty water bottle for a reason, you know.

2. Bring gum on the plane to chew when you're ascending and descending to help your ears pop (I have to credit my sister for this tip - it's her #1 travel tip for flying on a plane, which she has done once.  I know, I should've listened to her.)

3. If you're going to Vancouver in February, bring warm gloves/mitts.

4. Also bring warm socks, especially if your shoes are runners with a million holes in them (because they're mesh, and also old).

5. Also bring a scarf for the cooler days.

6. Also maybe a hat, or at least one of those headband things to cover your ears. (At least it is not windy in Vancouver, though.)

7. Whenever you travel (or even in your own city), make friends with people from all over the world so you can stay at their house when you visit their hometown.

8. Connect with locals because they know way more than you and can show you/direct you to cool stuff. Listen to their recommendations! Or write them down for next time.

9. If you can, host people yourself so they will be more willing to let you stay with them in the future to repay the favour.

10. Don't eat out for every meal if you're not used to it.

11. Don't drink tea right before you go to bed.

12. When you first arrive, it is never going to go like you expected, but don't worry, it'll get better.

13. Be flexible. (Very important!!)

14. Don't put pressure on yourself to have the most fun all the time; enjoy the highs AND lows. It's all a learning experience.

15. Get lost! (But be safe.)

16. Walk places, you see more and get to know places better.

17. Take transit. You see the city better, learn how to get around your own, and don't have to figure out parking.

18. Don't be too set on your plan. Actually, don't be set on plans at all because they WILL change.

19. Take lots of pictures.

20. Don't forget to take pictures of yourself, too, and the people you're with.

21. Google Maps is great for finding random attractions and restaurants.

22.  Get a good sleep over doing more things so you can actually enjoy and have energy for the things you do.

23. If it's cold outside and you have a couple of hours to kill and need somewhere quiet and free (with Wi-Fi) to hang out, find a local library.

24. Pack your backpack as light as possible, or get one of those backpacks with a chest strap so your shoulders aren't aching (as much) by the end of the day.

25. If you are deathly afraid of heights, don't walk over a giant bridge with sketchy side railings.

26. Rent bikes and bike around Stanley Park if you're in Vancouver! Yes Cycle has cheap rates, only $5/hour and they only charge you after you get back. This was probably my favourite thing that I did.

27. Instead of eating out all the time, buy some groceries and make your own meals. Cheaper and better for you! And then you can eat as soon as you're hungry instead of walking around trying to find somewhere when you're starving. (But also treat yourself and try local food, too.)

28. Take breaks. You don't have to be going all the time.

29. Bring thank you gifts for people who host you.

30. It's your vacation! Do what is most fun for you, which might be ziplining, or it might just be hiking through a magical forest.

3 Reasons This Introvert Loves to Travel

In a few hours I will be on a plane to Vancouver, where I will be staying with a friend for Reading Week and doing all the fun things! So I thought for my post this week I would talk about why I love to travel, as well as why being an introvert and traveling actually go together way better than you'd think.

I'm an introvert, which means I get drained going out to big parties, making small talk and meeting new people, but I get energy out of being by myself (sometimes), and  being around my close friends. That's just a basic overview, there's a lot more complications and different circumstances, and also all introverts are different, but that's how I feel most of the time.

So, traveling - something that involves dealing with new situations, people, and the unknown pretty much all the time, so why do I as an introvert love it so much?

Well here are some reasons traveling is actually GREAT for introverts like me! :)

1. It forces you out of your comfort zone

There's not really going back once you've bought a $500 plane ticket, and once you do that you have to deal with all the new things, complications and people that traveling involves. Even if you're traveling with friends, you're going to have to deal with things that you wouldn't have to in your everyday life. When I went to the Philippines, I had to do so many things I'd never done before, and discovered how capable I was at doing things I'd never imagined I would do.

The wind made my hair like that, fyi

2. People traveling also want to meet new people!

One of the things I find difficult as an introvert is meeting and connecting with new people. It's especially hard in day to day life when people already have people they know and circles they travel in, and aren't necessarily looking to get to know new people. But I still want to meet people! Often when you travel, other people who are traveling also want to new people, so you already have somewhere to start. When I went on Explore, talking with people was easy because basically everyone came on their own so nobody had previously established friendship groups to break in on - we were all making them up as we went!

3. You get to know people REAL WELL REAL FAST

This is one of my favourite parts of traveling. When you're stuck in a car with someone for 8 hours, or you're spending a week with someone, you have ample time to get to know them and chat about everything and anything. When traveling, you're often in cramped quarters - a tent, a hotel room, a car - and that means you find out a LOT about the people you're traveling with. As an introvert, I get so much energy from getting to know people really well. (I LOVE deep, soul-searching conversations. Give me all of them.) I went to NerdCon: Stories in Minneapolis with a friend of mine, and during the two eight hour drives we had to do we had some really nice chats. :) 

Going through all my travel photos made me really want to travel again... good thing I'm leaving in like two hours!!! 

Why do you like to travel (or why do you NOT like traveling?)

NerdCon: Stories Recap

So this weekend I had the opportunity to go to NerdCon: Stories. It was a convention held in Minneapolis, about any kind of storytelling. Of course this meant that there were a lot of authors there, but there were also other people who tell stories, such as podcast writers, actors, and screenwriters. It was put on by none other than Hank Green, one half of the Vlogbrothers and the guy who also puts on VidCon, if you've heard of either of those. I went with a friend from high school. We drove down Thursday early morning, and then came back Sunday. The con itself was Friday and Saturday. 

My friend and I got to Minneapolis around 4pm on Thursday. After resting at our hotel for a bit, we went to what else but a bookstore and bought some used but very new looking books for cheap. 

Day 1

On Friday, we went early to the convention centre to register and just ended up waiting around for awhile for the main stage doors to open. At 8:30 the doors finally opened and we all crowded into the main auditorium, to hear the opening speech from Hank Green who basically said he doesn't quite know what this is either, but thanked us all for being there. 

After the morning main stage entertainment, my friend and I went to our first panel called Telling the Truth, moderated by Hank Green with panelists Paola Bacigalupi, Leslie Datsis, Jacqueline Woodson, Ana Adlerstein, and Nalo Hopkinson. They talked about telling the truth, both in nonfiction and fiction, and what that means. Both Jacqueline Woodson and Nalo Hopkinson were very eloquent speakers and said lots of important things, unfortunately I did not take any notes and forgot all the cool things they said shortly after. There was one part where they were talking about the important of telling diverse stories, and someone asked whether they feel a certain responsibility to represent all these different perspectives. Jacqueline Woodson replied with "it's not a responsibility, it's my world." I definitely need to pick up one of her books. 

After that panel, we went to the Nerdfighter Q and A with Maureen Johnson and Hank and John Green. It was basically just lots of ridiculousness and laughter. 

The other panel we went to that day was The Benefits of Diverse Stories, with Liz Hara, Desiree Burch, Jacqueline Woodson, Dylan Marron, and Jacqueline Carey. I did take notes for that one, but it would take too long to recap all the great things that were said. I would suggest following all the work of the panelists, and of course, following We Need Diverse Books. If you're not part of the discussion of the importance of diversity in stories, you need to be. 

Then we went to the closing main stage, got supper and then went to the Storytelling Circle at 6pm, hosted by Leslie Datsis. That was fun. There was a big group of attendees gathered in kind of a circle, and people would raise their hand for the opportunity to share their 5-minute story, on the theme of "Firsts". I thought it had the potential to be really annoying, but I guess the people who would want to share their stories out loud in front of people tend to be better at that than say, me. It was actually fun hearing all these different stories from people you'd never meet in your own life, and there were some pretty interesting stories too.

Day 2

This morning we got coffee early and then headed to the small vendor room so we could walk around when it wasn't too busy. Then we waited around for the start of Stephanie Perkins signing. We weren't allowed to line up until an hour before, and then we were ushered in to the room to sit in chairs, so it wasn't bad at all waiting. While we were waiting to meet her, my friend and I met a girl from Chicago and ended up talking to her for an hour. Then we met Stephanie Perkins! She is just as adorable and lovely as her books. It is a funny thing, because you meet this person and chat for a bit, and then they're never going to remember you. But I think it's fun to see the person behind the book. 

I think that was a cool thing about the panels, is I got to see some of my favourite authors, like Stephanie Perkins and Maggie Stiefvater, talk about things out loud, in person. You just get to see more of what people are like when you see them in real life, even if you don't interact with them directly. It's fun to realize that these authors are exactly like what you'd expect from reading their books. 

After the signing, we went to a panel with Stephanie Perkins, Pat Rothfuss and Maureen Johnson on writing sex, and then the next panel was about writing (or trying not to) write stereotypes with Liz Hara, Jeffrey Cranor, M.T. Anderson, Tea Obreht and Maggie Stiefvater. That was also a really great discussion. Listening to all these people talk made me want to devour all their books or podcasts or whatever they produce. Mary Robinette Kowal, the moderator for the stereotypes panel, seemed so intelligent and fun and I've never even heard of her books. 

We stayed for the last main stage, which was just insanity, and then left the con to meet up with a friend of mine who lives in Minneapolis. 

All in all, my first convention experience was pretty great. It was nice that it was the first year and relatively small, since that's more within my comfort zone. Also that meant that there were only four things to choose from at any given moment, rather than like, thirty. It's cool to see and participate in these things in person that I usually only experience online. 

So I actually think that NerdCon is pretty cool. :)  

Je reviendrai, Québec

Salut, tout le monde! 

Well, I am back home from my five week French immersion program in Québec. It was an amazing experience, but I am also glad to be back home, where everyone speaks English and where the landscape is ridiculously flat. Dorothy was right when she said there really is no place like home. 

I thought I'd just take some time and talk up the program I did. The program is called Explore and is offered through the Canadian government. Anyone can do it (there were a few Americans in my program) but only Canadian residents are eligible to receive the bursary that pays for everything except your transportation. If you're Canadian, I would definitely suggest doing it. Your entire 5 week trip only costs whatever your flight/train/bus/gas costs, and you get to learn French! Even if you're not Canadian, you can still do the program, you just have to pay. 

Explore is an awesome program for improving confidence in French, especially oral. There was a lot of focus on speaking French. We had classes where we're encouraged to talk, conversation classes, and activities with the animateurs (the hosts who are native francophones) so we get to talk to francophones. The best thing about the hosts is that it's their job to be patient with you as you learn French. It's a great environment, because you get to feel comfortable talking and practicing with the animateurs, and then you can go out and talk to francophones in the city!

A hike to Cap Tourmente with students and hosts!

 There are Explore programs all across Canada, both English (for francophones) and French (for anglophones), but the one I went to was at Université Laval in Québec City. I can't really judge since I've only been to one program, but I honestly think the Laval program is the best. Laval is a bigger university and has been doing language exchange programs for years and years, so their program is super organized. They have a big focus on making you speak French, so you learn a lot in the 5 weeks. We were given bracelets the first week that identified us as either beginner (blue bracelet), intermediate (red), or superior (yellow). I was amazed at how much people with blue bracelets learned. At the beginning, they knew a few words, and by the end they could hold entire conversations! 

I was a red bracelet, so I could understand fairly well and speak enough to get by, but I definitely noticed an improvement in my own French as well. By the end, I could understand pretty well and felt like I could communicate well enough to get by living in Québec. The biggest thing though was definitely building up confidence. One of my friends commented on how her confidence had improved more than her actual ability to speak well, and she summed up it by saying, "They're going to hear my French whether they like it or not!" This is a great attitude to have if you want to learn a language, because you have to use it in order to practice and get better. And if you're too scared to use it, well that's not going to get you anywhere. 

Saturday hike to Mont du Lac des Cygnes, with the most incredible views.

The program itself at Laval is very strict about making you speak French, so it's an awesome environment to learn. The other thing is that the Québecois in Quebec City don't always automatically switch to English if you speak to them. Sometimes people switch, but a lot of people acknowledge your effort and the fact that you're trying to practice and will keep speaking French to you. There were were only a handful of people that spoke back to me and my friends in English when we spoke French to them. That's just another reason to go to Québec City if you really want to learn French, rather than Montreal or anywhere outside of Québec. 

Another reason to go to Laval is because there is a ton of stuff to do in Quebec City! There are some Explore programs at universities in smaller towns, but there is not as much to keep you entertained during your free time in afternoons or on weekends. The Université Laval campus is surrounded by malls, shops and little streets with cafés and cute little trinket shops. It's also about a fifteen minute bus ride from Old Quebec, the main tourist attraction, and the main metro bus goes right through the university so it's super easy to get around the city. 

One of the optional afternoon activities - painting!

The Laval Explore program itself organizes tons of activities. They have activities either at the university or around the city every afternoon, as well as a choice of three outing activities every Saturday. If you go on these activities with the university, that are led by the hosts, you get the chance to speak French even more. Sometimes it was difficult hiking up a mountain while also trying to speak French, but it was fun! 

I did the spring session (May-June) but they also have a summer session (July-August). If you are interested in going to Université Laval or doing an Explore program, I would love to chat with you or give you advice on what to expect or what to do in Québec City. Even if you're reading this months after it's posted, leave a comment, shoot me an email at asherlockwrites(at)gmail(dot)com or contact me on Twitter @asherlockwrites!

On Being A Second Language Learner

Bonjour! 

I say that because currently I am in Quebec! I am here because I'm doing a 5 week French immersion program that the government provides bursaries to Canadian students for. (If you're interested, you can find more information at www.myexplore.ca). In the program, you go and stay at a university (or with a host family if you want), take classes, and participate in French activities and outings around the city. We also are required to try to speak French all the time. And the program I'm in in Quebec City, you get warnings if you get caught speaking English, which can lead to you being kicked out of the program. It makes sense, since the government is paying for you to be here to learn French.

Anyway, as I've been learning, I've learned a lot of things about being a second language learner, so I thought I'd share them with you.

1. It is EXHAUSTING. It is really hard to speak a language that is not my mother tongue all the time. It takes extra effort to concentrate on understanding people, and it takes a lot of effort to be able to find the right way to say something. It's so much easier just to slip back into English. I now understand why one of my friends who was learning language would always be falling asleep in the car. He was just exhausted from trying so hard to keep up with everyone!

2. I probably sound stupid, even though I'm not. I know I'm using the wrong tenses or words or orders of words all the time, but I'm just trying to do my best to communicate in the best way I can. I do know how to express complex ideas and carry on interesting discussion, just not in French.

3. I feel like it is impossible to truly get to know me if you only speak French with me. At times when I would talk or add to the discussion in English, I don't in French because I don't know how to say certain things, it would just take way too long for me to say it, or I didn't fully understand what was said in the first place. I almost feel like there is this wall of fog separating me and francophones. I can kind of see through the fog, but only enough to understand general ideas and not every word. My understanding of others isn't complete enough to have the wall break down. 

4. You can never become a native speaker. I know this should be obvious, but I didn't quite realize it before. I never realized how even if you become fluent and capable in another language, you will probably still have an accent, and you'll just be missing essential knowledge about the other language that native speakers just take for granted. When I reflect on how I speak and use English, there are so many things I do that I don't realize or that would be impossible or at least really difficult to learn.

5. It is necessary to get outside the classroom. There are so many things you learn "sur la terrain" (on the ground) that you can't or won't learn in a classroom. Also, writing and being able to read only get you so far. There's slang, expressions and ways of speaking that you'll only learn by talking with someone who speaks that language.

6. While you can never get on the level of native speakers, if you have people around you that are willing to help teach you and support you in your learning and speaking and who don't make fun of you (too much) when you make mistakes, then you can learn another language!

So, those are just some things I've realized, and also help me to empathize with my friends whose mother tongue is not English. I definitely understand their experience a bit better now. I think I'm very spoiled as an anglophone, because most people in the world speak English, I could get away with only speaking English my entire life. However, I think it's almost a conceited way to go through life, expecting and wanting everyone to speak English just so it's easier for you. Not that I think that way, but I know there are some people who do, even people whose mother tongue isn't English. I wish that English hadn't taken over the world, because I think other languages are important and should be conserved and protected. Anyway, that's a big part of the reason why I want to improve my French, because I think it's important to learn other languages and the culture that goes with it.

What languages do you know? How have you found it learning another language?

4 Places I Want to Visit Because of Books

Some books just have the most fascinating settings, you can't help but want to visit the places their settings are based off of. Here are some places I want to travel to and the books that make me want to travel there!

1. Wales

A lot of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle is filled with Welsh mythology. Anyway one of the big parts of the series is how one of the characters, Gansey, is obsessed with his search for the Welsh king Glendower. I follow Maggie on Twitter and a few months ago she visited Wales and posted pictures and it is so gorgeous.

2. Virginia

This is also a place I want to visit as a result of reading The Raven Cycle, which is actually set in Virginia. The landscape sounds so pretty, and the few pictures Maggie has posted look amazing. It just looks like such a pretty place to go, and it's somewhere not a lot of people choose as a travel destination.

3. Russia

Shadow and Bone and the rest of the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo made me a lot more interested in Russia. I mean, the covers alone portray some of the architecture and beauty that are inspired by Russia. I also just think it'd be really interesting to travel to Russia, since it's a country that I don't know a lot about.

4. Amsterdam

Despite everything that irks me about The Fault in Our Stars, it does make Amsterdam seem like a pretty fun and interesting place to visit. As long as the idiotic Van Houten stays far away from me, I would love to visit the Anne Frank house or any other historical attraction I could find in this beautiful city.

What places do you want to visit because of books?