Montreal, Tu Me Manques

I’m feeling a bit of a withdrawal. I’ve arrived here in Toronto by bus, safe and sound. Upon my arrival, the first thing I noticed were the street signs that were in English. Next, I heard the low rumble of people talking, also in English. I walk towards the bus station, fumbling with the doors since I was dragging two luggage bags with me, when a friendly woman helped me with the doors. “Merci beaucoup” was what I initially wanted to say, and then I realized that I’m not in Quebec anymore. I won’t greet people with bonjour, I won’t write entries with titles en français anymore, I won’t do my groceries at Côte-des-Neiges.

I still have lots of traveling ahead of me, and I’m really excited to explore new places! But a part of me wishes that I stayed back in Montreal, I miss it already…

A street sign in Montreal.

Explore Program 2010 – Universite de Montreal

We had our last day of classes hier, our last time to see classmates and our teacher, Louise. I really enjoyed my classes. Out of seven levels of difficulty, I was placed in niveux deux. That was the right level for me, since I had taken French up to Grade 12. I had forgotten most of what I had learnt in high school, and simply needed some reviewing. Je trouve la classe pas difficile, it was actually really chill and laid-back. Yes, we get homework, but it was very manageable.

I’m really glad I participated in the Explore program, it has been an amazing 5 weeks. I’ve met so many new friends, and visited so many new places! It is a wonderful, and perhaps even a life-shaping experience, and I highly recommend it to everyone. If interested, then check out their website:

http://www.myexplore.ca/

It is a government program to promote bilingualism, so most of the expenses are paid for. That includes accommodation, tuition, and even food. All I had to pay for was the flight!

The two books we used in class.

Aimes Tu La Vie Comme Moi

Our teacher played this song for us in the first week of class. I remember the whole class tapping their feet to the beat, Louise clapping her hands and dancing, while others even sang along. Now, whenever I think about our class, this is the song that pops up in my head. It is a song that simply asks, “Do you love life like I do?”

Aimes Tu La Vie Comme Moi by Georges Thurston

Video by Roysrecords.

J’aime prendre le temps qu’il me faut pour vivre
Regarder autour tout en cherchant l’amour
J’aime la musique, et les chansons magiques
J’aime le soleil et l’amour éternel

J’aime le matin quand près de moi elle se réveille
J’aime bien la nuit dans le nid du paradis
Dis-moi qu’est-ce que tu penses, qu’est-ce que tu préfères
Qu’est-ce qu’il te faut pour monter monter monter plus haut

Aimes-tu la vie comme moi ?
Vois-tu la vie comme ça ?
Aimes-tu la vie comme moi ?
Vois-tu la vie comme ça ?
Oh, dis-le moi

J’aime la campagne, le seul endroit pour être calme
J’aime les animaux y a rien d’plus fin, y a rien d’plus beau
J’aime le matin quand près de moi elle se réveille
J’aime bien la nuit dans le nid du paradis
Dis-moi, qu’est-ce que tu penses ? Qu’est-ce que tu préfères ?
Qu’est-ce qu’il te faut pour monter monter monter plus haut ?

Aimes-tu la vie comme moi ?
Vois-tu la vie comme ça ?
Aimes-tu la vie comme moi ?
Vois-tu la vie comme ça ?
Oh, dis-le moi

L’Université de Montréal

L’Université de Montréal main building.

My classroom is inside this building, on the bottom right side. It is a bit confusing to get to at first, even our teacher had difficulty finding the place. I will miss walking to this place every morning…

On the way to the residences.

The west tower of the residences.

I live on the 8th floor of this building. If you look at the bottom right of the building, my window is the one on the most right. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my dorm room. The bed is uncomfortable, the room is quite small, and the walls are quite thin. Nevertheless, atleast I had a place which I called home during the 5 weeks here in Montreal.

L’Escalier

Stairs inside the UdeM building.

Métro

The Montréal metro is made up of four lines: orange, blue, green, and yellow. In the first week that I arrived in Montreal, I was so confused about the whole subway system! But now, after 5 weeks, taking the metro is a breeze.

To get to downtown from l’Université de Montréal, I would get on at Université-de-Montréal station, switch at Snowdon to the orange line, switch at Lionel Groulx to the green line, and get off around the McGill area. Or I could just take the 129 bus.

Picture taken from Le Société de transport de Montréal.

I often compare it to the “Skytrain” in Vancouver, and the metro system here is much more developed, I think. The trains in general are so much shorter in Vancouver, here in Montreal, the platforms stretches for a long distance.

Platform at Berri-UQAM.

The station isn’t too dirty, although it is quite dim. I like how there are artworks in every station. One thing that surprised me, though, is that the metro is not accessible. There are no elevators, so I would often see parents struggling to bring the baby strollers down. For a big city like Montreal, I would think that they would make transportation systems accessible for everyone.

Inside an empty train.

I will miss using the métro, especially since I use it pretty much everyday. I will miss the voice that announces the upcoming station, “Prochaine station, Snowdown”. If it is a terminus station, then it wishes us une bonne journée!

The metro logo.

La Crème Glacée

Nothing too fancy, just ice cream from Cold Stone. I had been putting off dessert in so long since I always get full from the meals, so it felt rewarding to be eating ice cream after such a long time!

Ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, brownies, and fudge.

Oratoire St-Joseph… encore

I went to Saint Joseph’s Oratory in the first week that I arrived in Montreal, so I thought it would be fitting to visit it again on my last day here. It is located close to Cote des Neiges, nearby l’Université de Montréal.

I was sad to realize that it would be my last visit here, it is such a meaningful place for me. I remember having conversations on the front steps with new friends that I had just met, who in turn became some of my closest friends here in Montreal. I remember the first mass I went to was here, and I was amazed by the organs, choir, and sheer size of the basilica.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory is such a beautiful place. I hope to visit again, and next time, I will actually look forward to walking up the three flights of stairs!

The Oratory is the largest in Canada, and has third largest dome in the world.

The Crypt Church, the smaller church constructed in 1917.

Candles being lit for Saint Joseph.

A room full of candles.

On the right side of the picture, do you see the crutches? Brother André was said to perform miracles. A thousand crutches now hang on the wall from those who were allegedly healed.

The basilica, completed in 1967.

People praying in front of the sanctuary.

The view from the top of St. Joseph’s Oratory.

Here is a video from inside:

3 Amigos

We went to 3 Amigos for some Mexican food, located in Quartier Latin on St. Denis. I didn’ get burritos or tacos though, I ordered chicken.

Santa Fe Pollo.

Le Mont Royal

Despite bad weather, we went up to Mount Royal, a hill (mountain, as locals want to call it) nearby where the name of the city Montreal originated from. I always use Mont Royal as a landmark, since it is in the immediate north of downtown. Once at the observatory, we were treated to a beautiful panoramic view of the centre-ville. Absolutely beautiful!

The view from the top of Mont Royal.