One of my favourite things about Montreal is the institutions it has established as tradition. Everyone knows about these established institutions as they became daily, weekly or month ritual in the lives of those living in Montreal. Therefore you often come across the same people when you indulge in them.
I thought it was about time that I wrote something constructive for those actually reading this to help organize their own exchange instead of using it as a self-indulgent way of keeping a diary.
Apartment hunting and areas of Montréal
What better way to start than to talk about apartment hunting considering this is fresh in my mind after spending the last four months trying to find the perfect apartment. No…do not stress it normally does not take that long to find an apartment. Finding an apartment for me was hard for a few reasons
“Splau?” the voice of exclamation as I opened my apartment door.
“Oui”
“C’est toi?” a little more excited.
“Oui…salut McChanteur…ca va?”
“AHHH C’est toi!..Je suis tres heureux pour te voir!!!…”
“Oui…moi aussi…Je suis heureuse etre a chez moi!!” and then came a giant hug as McChanteur twice the size of me picked me up.
This was the very welcoming entrance of my French roommate as I arrived home from my trip around the west coast of North America and realized I was happy to be home. Yes…so a trivial and a somewhat mundane conversation…but it was the one that made me realize that Montreal and this apartment really was my home.
Does life get any better than this? Here in Montreal on a beautiful sunny blue skied day sitting in a café shop in the hip yet to be discovered end of the “The Main” aka St Laurent or in Melbourne lingo Brunswick St. The café evident from the homely feel is an old house turned home style organic, free trade bar/café decorated with arrange of odds and ends, mixed matched furniture, tables chairs, cups from a mixture of decades topped off with an even more diverse range of people, dread locked purpled haired emo students, young alternate mothers with their babies, a young and old couple embracing their time together. And this is all just in the first room…there is another room in this café/house decced out with a mixture of assorted furniture for the more relaxed. This is all topped off with added with music from the 50s and good strong Italian coffee. This place was after all recommended as being one of the only places in Montreal to serve “Melbourne standard coffee”.
If there is one reason to come to Canada…it is definitely the people…!!
While previously I said if there was one reason to come to Canada it would be the landscape…I don’t think I can justice saying that while it is definitely enough of a reason, it is not the only reason. As much as I love Montreal and all it entails, living in Montreal does not feel like I live in Canada. Everything is European in orientation and French always prevails. It makes Montreal the charming place it is! However having meet several friendly and funny Canadians previously while traveling I was disappointed as I had unfortunately not felt their hospitable ways in Montreal, where people are somewhat more serious and distant!
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