Categories
Experiences History, Culture, and Politics Only in Montréal Pictures

Dancing With Pride

Sylvain and I went to the MTL Pride parade yesterday; it was a homegrown affair but with abundant color and music and smiles.

Here are a few photos and three short videos of an Irish-dancing rainbow, two-stepping white hats, and a good ol’ cheer squad going to town.… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences Places

A Visit

Last weekend, our niblings “Felix” and “Jenesse” came up to visit, coinciding with another canicule. It was ludicrously hot and humid, and yet we managed to fit in a lot of good activities.… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences Food

My $20 Strawberry

I’ll get back to Becky deMarie and pretendian issues soon, but in the meantime I want to tell you a true story about a girl and a strawberry.

I’m the girl.… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences French

Donkey Backs

I read the news in French every morning to build my vocabulary and keep apprised of local goings-on.

As a result of this article (it’s in French only, sorry) about a cyclist who was injured after sliding on a newly-painted pedestrian crossing, today I learned the term dos d’ânes, or “donkey backs.”… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences Only in Montréal Only in Quebec

Here It Comes: La Canicule

Canicule = “heat wave” to you and me. Also vague de chaleur. Either way–much, much hot.

Temps are going to be “dangerously high” this week in Montreal and Ontario: 30C-35C, with humidex values of up to 45.… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences French History, Culture, and Politics Only in Montréal

Driving, Not Laughing

A subtle cultural layer you discover in a new city is the locally-sourced humor, i.e. the local problems that are joked about by the people who live there. Per my post yesterday about the Grand Prix, Dan Ramos Comedy posted the above graphic on Reddit with the headline, “I Fixed the F1 Poster.”… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences Only in Montréal

♫ You Port 1,320 Tons, and What Do You Get?♫

♫Another F1 race day, and it’s gonna be wet…♫

The Grand Prix du Canada is back in Montréal this weekend, with all its economic boom and ecological doom. It’s estimated that 1.2 million kilos of equipment get hauled into town for this event (that’s 1,320 tons to you and me) and then it all gets shuffled off to Madrid for the next race on June 23.… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences French Only in Montréal Only in Quebec

The Frigo of Doom

We haven’t gone on about it too much here on the blog, but when we moved into this furnished apartment it was a *disaster.* Filthy from the drawers to the floors, broken appliances, an unmade bed with a pile of crumbs on the chair next to it….just… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences History, Culture, and Politics Only in Quebec

Patriot’s Day Weekend

(aka ‘Victoria Day” in the R.O.C.)

(R.O.C. = Rest of Canada, whose federal holidays Québec likes to rename and rebrand as Québec-centric celebrations.)

Victoria Day, which celebrates the birthday of Queen Vicky, isn’t so popular here in Québec due to the many years of oppression of the Québec French by the English ruling class.… [Read More]

Categories
Experiences Musings and Observations

Do You Remember “Sexy Elevator”?

Sure you do, from our 2022 rental building:

That voice! Sexy Elevator!

Now, in 2024, we have Banshee Bathroom Fan:

Banshee Bathroom Fan, or “Boggart of the Bog”

The shrieking usually goes away after a couple minutes, but: le sigh.… [Read More]