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Bonjour from the most bilingual city in the world. When I get home I'm going to be devastated that no body in the shops is greeting me in two languages waiting for me to pick one to conduct the conversation in! Usually my response is "bonjour, how are you", because it shows deference to the fact that I'm in a French speaking province, but also shows that if you try and talk to me in French I will have NFI. Sometimes I just say bonjour in the hope that the conversation will end there, and the start crapping on about the promo in Francais until I give them a blank look and go "Anglais, anglais" and they switch back. It's a really beautiful thing. My reading of the French signs is still fairly amazing, but my pronunciation would be horrific (I haven't actually tried because it really would be that bad) and I can't understand a word they're saying past "comment ca va". Moral of the story is, Montreal and it's French is amazing. 2 days ago was also THE coldest I've ever been in my life. It was only like -13 or something, so technically I've been in colder, but it was windy here so it was like hell. Georgina and I went for a walk down to Old Port and we had to keep ducking into shops every three minutes to not actually get frostbite. It was awful!
I'm staying with Gyna in the apartment she's living in with 5 other people, it's a very long apartment though so I actually hardly ever see anyone else, except Gyna's friend Jo who keeps coming down the stairs to visit us because her apartment is emptying out and she's getting bored. Also she just truly loves our company, I think. The first night I was here we went out for Mexican and the restaurant was amazing. I had the vegie fajitas and their cocktails were soo cheap. Like $5 Margaritas, Mojitos and Sangria. I went to town, needless to say. I practically jumped down the garcon's throat when he asked me if I wanted alcohol in my drink or not! What the hell kind of a question is that?
I shopped yesterday and walked to the base of Mont Royal, which overlooks Montreal (pretty sure it would be the namesake of it) and got an awesome view of the city and of the road rage. Montrealer's have an amazing amount of gridlock and road rage. Either that or they just really love using their warning devices. I actually meant to go to Quebec City yesterday, and after getting up at 6am to Skype with the family, and negotiating Montreal's French metro system and only getting lost once, I finally made it to Gare Centrale only to discover that I'd read the timetable wrong and the 8.20am train is only on Saturday's and Sunday's. That was a lol and wtf moment, and also the only train to get to Quebec before 4pm. I made the decision to go on Sunday instead (which is tomorrow) and I floated back into Centre-ville (downtown) and cruised around for five hours waiting for Geo to get up.
We dyed my hair last night after discussing the three inches of black regrowth that no one can work out since the last time I dyed my hair was when Kelly made me a ranga three years ago (you'll all remember that). The regrowth by all accounts did not make sense and shouldn't have been there, but I decided it was time to look past all of that and we bought some packet hair dye in "roasted coffee- light copper golden brown" and George managed to dye the whole head of hair in one packet, so we can use the other one in 6 weeks time! It was a solid effort on her part. And she also managed to do it without making me a ranga, so all is well with the world.
Today we're going scarf shopping and then to Saint Laurent for brunch, shopping and poutine. Jo is coming with us for the scarf shopping part before she gets back to studying for her last exam. Apparently there is a massive party on the 22nd after everybody finishes, and as wine is $10/liter here, that could end badly, also considering the fact that we're supposed to be leaving for Vermont at 7am on the 23rd, maybe just a half liter of wine should be consumed? Let me know your thoughts on that issue.
- comments
Emma Consume the wine buddy. It will be gts. Proud of your French skills :) I look forward to some hair twining with roasted coffee-light copper golden brown.
Madi My coppery ranga, what is 7am travel without a hangover, it adds character to the experience. i got very excited about those $5 Mojitos. i'm sure they even remembered the brown sugar! good work! bon temps. xx