Fire at will

Ok, normally I try to have some structure in my posts. But I guess this time I just wanna blurt out some random things:

I just love the way how people in Montreal queue up for the bus. Not like in Belgium where everyone just hangs around the bus stop and when the bus arrives everybody forcing themselves through the doors. Not here Mister! People stand politely in line, even when it's freezing cold and nobody dares to think about jumping in line before someone else. Neat!

Montreal used to be a real Sin City. As a result of the Prohibition in the States, Montreal really reached its pinnacle as Vice City in the 40ies & 50ies. The reminiscent of that can still be found troughout the city. Stripclubs right downtown in the shopping district, and not in some shabby railwaystation neighbourhood. When I go to work, I have to go downtown and it takes me about 15min on the bus and 2min on the Metro. And when I get out of the Metro, I need to cross St. Catherine, the place for hardcore shopping in MTL. Usually it's very quiet, only on Thursday night (well actually it's 00:30, so technically it's Friday morning) it's rather busy. I pass this one nightclub La Boom next to a stripjoint. I heard from my colleagues that's La Boom is a place filled with grad students trying to do college girls. Usually there's some stretch limo outside (It's the idea of fun for the kids here, hire a limo and play pimp downtown). Bweuaargh! A little bit later I pass a parkinglot where ususally some guys/girls are doing some blow and then I am on Rene Levesque, a big boulevard and only a couple of blocks away from my job (it's right next to Bell Centre, the hockey stadium for Montreal's pride "Les Montreal Canadiens" ... also referred to as the Habs, short for Habitants). But you know, it all seems to slide in front of my eyes. Just like sitting in a bus and watching the scenery. I don't feel uncomfortable with it, it's just part of what Montreal is, and I kinda like it! It's probably due to the fact that I am reading this book "Kafka on the shore" (thanks PHD) by Haruki Murakami. It's quite philisophical .... It's my new 600 pages fat friend on the bus and metro. Guess I need to find a new friend next week coz I'm almost done.

The past 5 years I worked in a predominantly Frenchspeaking company in Brussels. Typical for Belgian French is Septante (70) and Nonante (90). Everywhere else in the world they say Soixante-Dix and Quatre-Vingts-Dix (except in Switzerland I believe). It's kinda hard to get used to it. It's like trying to get rid off a bad habit. And if somehow it stills slips out, people look at me like I speak a totally different language. Huh!

There was a huge maffia bust in Montreal this week. They arrested about 70 people. Including the Don of the family who's more than 80 years old. It's the Sopranos right in my own city:-) And BTW: Italian people (well they're not really Italian anymore, it's more 3d generation or so) in Montreal really speak like the ones in Sopranos, with this fat accent. Kinda funny!

We moved into an appartment that has a telly and cable. For some reason we only watch the English channels (Canadian and American). Guess we don't like to watch the Quebecois channels coz they dub everything. And that's so weird coming from a country where nearly everythingis OV. Besides the typical shows like Everybody Loves Raymond, Will & Grace, CSI Miami, Las Vegas and NYC, ER, etc. that we have in Belgium as well, there are a couple of other things that are quite good:

• Ugly Betty: about a ... well not so attractive girl from Queens working for a fashion magazine in NYC. It's kinda cheesy but it's produced by Salma Hayek and there are some nice twists.
• Smith: a gangsters series with Ray Liotta. It's kinda like the film Heat. Unfortunately the ratings turned out to be bad, so after a couple of episodes it was taken of the air. A real shame!

Informationwise I can only cofirm that we're really spoiled in Europe. CTV (the commercial channel) supposedly brings international news, but besides some stuff about OJ and Canadian soldiers being killed everyday in Afghanistan, the outside world doesn't seem to exist. Gladly there is CBC (national public TV) and they do much better. But not good enough to our European standards. But amidst your average yankee sitcom and late nite talkshow there's always a rare gem, and for me it is: The Hour with George Stroumbouloupoulos (what's in a name) on CBC. It's a nice mix of rock, politics, literature, news and a nice dram of humour packed in a ... surprise, surprise: one hour show (hence the title)! You could watch some of it online, so go check it out!

Ok and last but not least ... apparently people were worried about our cat so ... we really had to go to the vet because he was limping. So gave him some drugs and he seems fine now. I only think he misses T. a lot coz when I'm home, I sleep and eat and I am not really around a lot to give him the attention he needs/asks/deserves/normally gets. He keeps following me around the house and purring along. But I am so happy that he is with us here in Montreal.