Mega-YULblog

Holy mackerel! There was a huge crowd at YULblog last night. Estimates run from 70 to 100 people. Quite a change from this time last year when we were lucky to have a dozen. Although I wasn't interested in seeing all 100 attendees, I was very happy to catch up with familiar faces and meet many new faces of blog I've been following for a while especially Danièle, Kate, and Vanou. As Danièle pointed out, it's interesting because you are meeting this person for the first time, yet you already know so much about each other already.

I had trouble prying myself to leave because there were so many people I wanted to talk to. Even after four hours of conversation. As Martine mentioned, it would be even better if they toned down the music. I was hoarse this morning from speaking so loud. But otherwise it was a great evening and I hope it continues to have this kind of turnout.

Thanks everyone for the best wishes and the compliments regarding the weight challenge. Though it could be that I look slimmer because I haven't cut my hair. Since my head looks bigger, the rest of me looks smaller. At least that's the plan.

Celebrity

The other night we went to a large birthday party for one of our relatives. It was a surprise party and was an extremely well done affair with great food, good company, and a great band. But there is another reason we'll remember that night. One of the guests brought a local celebrity. So as much as I/we enjoyed the night, there was always one eye occasionnally glancing over in that corner of the room.

Now, I have always felt that celebrities get enough wanted or unwanted attention. So I don't approach them and try not to stand there gapping in awe in order to respect that many of these people would like to return to being another invisible face in the crowd. But I could not help but keep covertly checking over in that direction to see what she was like. How did she interact with others? How did she hold herself? How well does she dance? I have to say that although we did not speak face to face, she's quite a respectable person and very outgoing. She's also incredibly thin. They say TV adds five pounds, but she seemed to lose ten to twenty stepping out from in front of the camera.

And it was also fun to watch the others at the party. From what I saw, everyone respected her space and allowed her to enjoy the party with the company that she came with. But there were many who like myself would glance over to see what was going on. Once, a couple of teenage girls sat there with their mouths gaping open gazing at her as she crossed the room.

It's interesting because last summer I had also seen her co-star from our favorite Quebec television series. I had gotten into the elevator to leave work. A couple floors down, she got in. Part of me wanted to say that I enjoyed her work in the series, part of me wanted to allow her her space, and another part wasn't entirely sure it was her. So I kept my eyes forward, but I swear that out of the corner of my eye it looked like she was staring at me. As I turned to verify if that was the case, the doors opened at another floor and more passengers got in before I could look in her direction. When we got to the ground floor, it seemed everyone was continuing to the basement, so I headed out and on my way. From what I heard behind me, she didn't realize it was the ground floor and the others told her how to get out. It was then hearing her distinctive voice that I was positive it was here. But with my body already on the way out, I would have felt awkward doing an about-face.

Although it would have been nice to talk to her and say that I wish the series had continued, I still prefer to allow celebrities to lead lives with as little unwanted attention as possible. They likely get enough recognition on the street without my input. They're people doing their jobs like everyone else. It's the way I'd want to be treated also if I were in that position.

Points of Relativity

Over the past few months I've noticed three differences. A couple of progress and one of quality of life.

The first was back last summer. We went to Parc Orford and spent a day at the beach. We had done the same thing soon after moving here. The thing I noticed was how at ease I was compared to the previous time. That first time, I was nervous. My French was quite shaky and I was worried someone would talk to me and would be totally lost. Or worse judge me for being an anglophone not fluent in French deep in what I thought was a largely francophone part of the province. I have to say that I was spooked for quite a while that there was an anti-anglo sentiment below the surface that one day would explode on me. Not that I had any indication that it was the case, but with the referendums and with some negative experiences with some of our French aquaintences in Versailles, I worried it was there. Maybe I'm also a bit of a perfectionist and felt I was not showing respect unless I spoke fluently and correctly. But three years has made a difference. I was completely at ease after getting to know so many people from here and to see that anti-anglo sentiment is rare as long as you show respect. To boot, my ear for the language has advanced considerably so I was able to follow most everything that was said around me.

The second was more recent and related to the first. Nowadays when I order at a restaurant, I don't have that nervousness and have that confidence to be OK with making minor mistakes. But it is also that it all comes so easily now. Before I could spend minutes formulating what the correct words should be. Now it's old hat and flows off the tongue. It's definitely not perfect and I still make long pauses searching for words. It's a nice knowledge level to be at and will make advancing much easier. I bit more incentive to study and fill in the gaps. I hope to do that over the vacation with a study book I purchased.

Lastly, one of my favorite topics: traffic. When I first arrived here, I was so surprised with how courteous all the drivers were. Driving relatively slower, not cutting each other off, and taking turns when two lanes merged. Well over the last year or so, the drivers here have started getting on my nerves. I've been seeing less respect shown between drivers. Or have I? I thought back to some of the driving I experienced in Chicago and the people here returned to being angels. It also becomes a question of whether you bring your level of tolerence down so that you get stressed out driving, or do you keep the same level and live a life of less stress. I will be choosing the latter. The bad drivers are not worth it.

Winter Observations

Now that we have received our first snowfall, I can expect with every new encounter to be asked if I have any trouble with the cold weather up here. I've talked a bit about it here before, but I thought I'd share some of my more recent or better understood observations.

The average year-round temperature difference between Chicago and Montreal is about 8 F (5C). The mean temperature difference at the height of summer is 6F (3C) and 11F (6C) at the height of winter. Now that's not really a big big difference. At least when you compare Chicago to North Carolina or to Florida. But it is enough to make a difference for one aspect of winter.

The snow removal post from last winter has been getting alot of attention and it has been interesting to read comments left on the Skyscraper Pages. I was surprised to see some people assume winter or the amount of snow that falls is not very significant. They were questioning why such an elaborate operation is required as opposed to almost every other US city.

Well it is not so much the amount of snow as the temperature. Back in Chicago, we would get snow. It gets cold and the snow sticks around. Sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months. But the temperature would get up high enough that there would be daytime thawing from the strength of the sunlight. It would not all go away, but it would usually keep the snow from piling up too high. Every few years there would be a particularly snowy and/or cold winter and the snow could pile up. But not to the levels or frequency of here in Montreal.

But here is the difference. That 11F (6C) degree difference keeps snow from melting during the day. In addition, Montreal is farther north and receives less sunlight in the winter. So unless snow is moved, it isn't going anywhere for a few months. And there seems to be significant snowfalls once or twice a week. Enough that they need to plow the streets every week or two if not more.

As for the conditions of the roads and sidewalks. They salt the major streets just like they do in Chicago. But due to the frequency of snowfalls, they probably salt them at least three times a week. The bridges seem to get almost daily treatment because although snow melts due to the saltings, they water refreezes overnight creating black ice. It seems rare to see the bridges dry during winter. As for the sidestreets, there is almost always a thin layer of snow or ice on them. Again this is due to the temperature not getting high enough for daytime thawing. Same goes for sidewalks unless they are along a commercial strip. Even then they likely have a mix of gravel and ice. So designer shoes are useless. Winter footwear and winter tires are a must.

Lastly, I'll repeat how I'm dealing with the colder temperatures. Kanuk. The fall before our first winter here, the in-laws suggested we get a Kanuk winter coat at their big annual sale. We each bought coats good for -30C and it has made all the difference. That along with long underwear, a scarf, good gloves, and a real stocking cap make the winter almost pleasant down to 0F (-17C). Kinda wish I had all this stuff back in Chicago when I had to spend an hour outside with part of it up on a windy el platform.

Nation?

Yesterday, the Canadian Parliment passed a resolution recognizing Québécois as a nation within Canada.

Now when I first moved here I was a bit confused when I was told that the Féte de Saint-Jean-Baptiste (St John the Baptist Day) is Québéc's national holiday. "Shouldn't it be a provincial holiday?" In my mind the words nation and country mean the same thing. Consulting the dictionary, a country is a whole territory or the people of a nation. A nation is a stable community of people with a territory, history, culture, and language in common. While nation specifically states history, culture, and language, country still refers to people or territory as part of a nation. Either way, I'd say that Québéc does qualify as a nation by definition due to it's distinct cultural differences that tend to fall along the lines of language.

But the reason for this post is to talk a bit about the reaction after Prime Minister Harper proposed the resolution. For those of you who don't know, the Québéc sovereignist party, the Bloc Québécois, was planning to propose a resolution stating that Québéc should be recognized as a nation outside of Canada. Harper beat them to the punch to say that it should be a nation within Canada. Now mass media has been debating this nonstop ever since. It is the variety and difference of answers that have surprised me.

Some are saying Harper was an extremely shrewd politician for stating it. Also saying that it will appease the Québécois to be acknowledged as a nation within Canada. That this will be enough for them to forget the idea of becoming a sovereign nation.

On the another side, people are appalled that someone of Harpers intelligence (by the way, that's his redeeming quality over his counterpart down south) could totally miss the boat and open the door to Québéc sovereignty. How could he commit such a gaff?

Even the sovereigntists are divided. I've heard some say they are happy enough to be recognized as a nation. Others are assuming new rights within Canada will come from it. And others are saying this is the first step towards sovereignty.

Who's right? Who knows? Where do I stand? Well, I've said it before. Basically if they can pull it off and nothing changes, more power to them. That is unlikely, but if there is minimal change and there isn't a Montréal airlift of anglophones out of the province the day after a referendum is passed, I'd be OK with it. I like it as a place where anglophones and francophones can peaceful coexist. Like at our house.

And lastly there was talk today about how Harper and his lackeys specifically stated Québécois instead of the anglophone version Quebecers. When pressed about why one word and not both, he in no specific terms stated it primarily directed toward the one group.

This is all quite important, but also quite dramatic.

Really makes you wonder what the future holds.

Public Consultation

For those of you not living in Montreal, the hot topic of the last week has been the mayors decision to rename Parc Avenue along with Bleury Street to Robert Bourassa Avenue. Many people are furious for a variety of reasons. Some are upset because they feel Parc is an integral part of the collective memory. Some are upset because another avenue is being renamed for a politician. And others are unhappy because they don't feel Mr. Bourassa was deserving enough to have a major thoroughfare named after of him. But the biggest reason people are upset is because the mayor made the decision without public consultation. He did not consult the general public, nor the local community leaders, nor the local elected officials. He decided it within his administration then announced it to the public as a fait-au-compli.

While I completely agree with this last point, I also feel a tinge of guilt. You see, seven years ago I was on the other side of the coin. One day my supervisors came up to me and asked if I was interested in working on the New Chicago Bears Stadium. Growing up as a Bears fan, it was a dream come true. The only thing that could top it would be a worlds tallest building or work on Wrigley Field. It was very beginning stages so I could have the chance to see the building from start to finish.

As with other projects, it is not always in the best interest of the project for the public to know about it until the development reaches a certain point. Many times the goal is to have a well thought-out project before it goes under the microscope of public scrutiny. While other times it is to advance a project to a point so that the public could not prevent or distort the project from being built. Sometimes this is done for the developers financial gain, and sometimes it is done to prevent a good project from being designed by committee. A perfect example of this is the site of the World Trade Center. Daniel Libeskind designed a wonderful soaring building that has now been completely redesigned by David Childs and pressures from every possible person connected to it. It will still be a good building, but quite likely not a great building.

This was the worry with the Adaptive Reuse of Soldier Field. The concept and design of the project were extremely bold. Gutting a classical lakefront landmark and placing an ultra-modern stadium situated in and spilling over the existing facades. The project was quietly developed over a couple years, then when it was getting close to ready for construction, it was opened for some public hearings. But the mayor and his connections helped get the project approved with some additional funding. Many in the public were furious, particularly those who did not like the mayor to start with. The project went through the wringer of public opinion only after it had been approved and started construction. It was called the "mistake by the lake" and an ultra modern toilet bowl. People were generally polarized as either loving it or hating it. Even to this day.

Personnally, I'm not proud of that aspect of the project. Though I had no part in ramming it through the approval process, I did keep my mouth shut about it for a couple years. Why? I felt it was a great project. Something the city would be proud of. A better stadium than any other in the league. Plus it was so unique with an unconventional layout and design. And I still feel very strong it is a great building. Not only for the spectators, but also the guy walking or driving alongside it.

After it opened, the camps were still divided. But it seemed that many, especially the spectators, liked the new stadium. Though the one thing that remained and remains a sore point with so many was the lack of public consultation. In very rare instances, something good can come of it, but for the most part the public must be able to have their voices heard. Who knows how many more people would like the project had they not felt it was shuffled in behind their backs?

Breastfeeding & Circus School

Last Saturday morning our family went to Complex Desjardins to drop off my wife and the baby. It was an assembly to raise awareness for breastfeeding. At 11am, all of the mothers would attempt to feed and they would be counted. There were 920 feeding of the over a thousand participants who were trying at that time. We received two tickets to see Monsters on Ice since we participated. Although myself and our older kid were not there for the event, we did spend a bit of time inside before we had to leave. The atmosphere was a little on the surreal side. A gathering of babys with mothers who are more endowed than your average woman on the street. Baby carriers, diaper bags, strollers. And quite a few fathers who seemed a bit uneasy and out of place. They were asked to stand on the side while the mothers gathered in the center court.

Our older daughter and I left and went to Circus School. That is really a cool place. They have all kinds of apparatus. Trampolines, high wires, trapeze, tumbling mats, items to juggle, and high bars to balance yourself while atop balls, rollers, or stilts. And there are at least five different groups all going at the same time in different corners of the room. Flips on the trampoline, handstands on the mats, or walking up the stands while juggling balls. Its interesting to see these kids already doing circus type exercises and all looks like so much fun.

Well, last weekend I had the chance to join in. The youngest children are required to have an adult with them, so it was my turn. It was much tamer stuff, but it was still a blast to do things similar to what they do in the circus. We did an exercise where I throw and flip her in the air. She had to balance on my hands while I lifted her up. And there were some basic balancing and tumbling exercises. At times I found myself concentrating more on what I was doing as opposed to helping my kid do what she was doing.

It reminds me of two things. First, it reminds me of the exercises we did in high school. Our cross country and track coach was a pole vaulter and a bit of a nut. At times we did unrelated exercises like handstands for cross country. And for the year I attempted the pole vault, we were doing gymnastics on the rings or the high bar. Swinging on a rope up over the bar in order to simulate pole vaulting and jumping off the gym balcony onto the mat in order to get used to the falling. Actually I tried the pole vault just to do those exercises. I was really not good at it. I was too slow to generate enough energy to produce any height. And my weight didn't help things.

But the other thing it reminds me of is my grandfather and it makes me wonder if one of our daughters may follow in his footsteps. There is a very strong circus presense here in Montreal and part of me wonders if they may follow that path. For now we'll just have fun with the classes. Maybe I'll try one.

Pay It Forward

One weekend earlier this summer I needed to mow our fairly small lawn. I went out to the shed and didn't see the lawn mower. I did a cursory poking around, then asked my wife if she had done something with it. She had not, so I looked more in depth figuring it got buried under all the stuff we have been throwing in there since last summer. The shed is not big, but was in need of some organizing. I still couldn't find it, so I asked our neighbor with whom we share the mower. He had not seen it either.

In disbelief I slowly came to the realization that it must have been stolen. I really could not believe it. We're in the burbs and I have slowly relaxed my urban high-security ways. Plus this mower was a year or two younger than myself and on average took three pulls to get started with a puff of blue smoke. We inherited it from the previous owner and we shared it with the neighbor since we both have fairly small lawns. It served it's purpose and had only cost sixty bucks when it was bought refurbished a couple years back. Not really something high on a thief's 'must have' list.

I poked around some more in the shed worried something more valuable had been taken, but nothing else was missing. All could figure was that some teenager took it to make a go-cart or some other small motorized vehicle. After thinking about it some more, I did remember that the door of the shed had been left wide-open earlier in the week. Well, that's one way to learn a lesson. Thankfully it was not something more expensive.

While we were trying to determine what had happened we had also talked to the retired couple across the street from us. They were also surprised at the theft and generously offered use of their electric and push-mowers. I had remembered they had the push mower, but I hadn't seen them use it in a while. Their next-door neighbor is in her eighties and now has a service take care of the yardwork. She saw that they were using the push-mower and 'took pity' on them by giving them her old electric mower. I think at one point I mentioned how it would be fun to try their push mower since I had never had one before. I grew up on gas and electric mowers. They said they had no use for it anymore so we could have it.

I was/am ecstatic. Over the years I have gotten more and more interested in reducing how much I/we tax the environment. When we moved it, I saw how small the lawn was and really wanted get a push mower. I didn't mind the old gas mower, but I did look forward to having a push mower one day. That day has come.

It's an older model as you can see from this picture. (Blogger won't let me attach it to the post. I'll try again later.) I find it funny that it has "American" blazen across the front of it considering I'm the only one that I know of in the neighborhood. As far as mode of operation, I make twice as many passes as with the gas mower. And you can't let it go more than a week without a trim whereas you could go a week and a half or two weeks without cutting the grass with the gas mower. It also doesn't get the edges so you have to come back with a hand trimmer. It can also get bound up on twigs. But I still really enjoy it. I like the extra exercise and the fact that I can cut the lawn any time of day and any day of the week.

I also like that fuzzy green feeling I get from it.

Two Years

Well, it has now officially been two years. I guess I can say we are pretty settled. We have a house, my French is now as fluent as stated on my resume, I can think in metric, and I have actually started following Canadian politics. The house is probably the biggest of those. It was a bigger step than I had thought. Having an outdoor space larger than a patio makes quite a differnce. I think I have enjoyed it more because I'm able to build things (fence, compost bin, sandbox) that does not need to be as finished as something inside. Tending to the plants is fun also, though I don't plan to become one of those fanatical suburban lawn keepers.

"Do I miss back home?" has been a common question both that other people have asked and also been in my mind. Last year I said it was that I was more nostalgic for the time spent there. Much like any other place or time period in my past. At the time of moving here, we were starting another phase of our lives with the kid. Lately, I have thought differently. I do miss some things about back home. Spending time with the people I would see often, or attending special events with family and friends. The flip side is that when we go back, it is a special occasion and we see everyone. Some people we actually see more often now. It is a bit shallow, but I do miss the food. Or at least the accessiblity to it. We have found some new places here and some substitutes, but I still look forward to having my favorite foods at each visit.

As far as the places, I have always been interested in change. Maybe it is because I have been in the construction industry, I find the transformation of an urban environment or a building being built interesting. To some degree I am also interested in the demolition, but not when the building is worth keeping. So I really like seeing how the city has tranformed or adapted since we were last there. As a kid, I like damming up streams of water, then see how the water would adapt to the situation. Kinda the same thing. But like many places I have been to, you don't need to be there to see the transformation. You just have to return. For the most part places such will remain the same.

Lastly, events are something I miss. Things you can't see unless you are there year round. Mainly summer ones. The Air Show, the Taste, 4th of July fireworks (though they have damn good ones here), the Indy 500, the occasional Cubs playoff, beach volleyball, and watching the lake and it's moods through the year.

As far as what I don't miss, this blog has done fairly well at covering those points. I still have a long list of observations to post. Some deep like the last one, some shallow.

Lilacs

It's that time of year. Lilac trees and bushes seem to be everywhere up here. And they are all now in full bloom. The other day walking home from work, it seemed like the whole neighborhood smelled of lilacs. I'm not sure why they are more popular up here, but it makes for a nice start to the summer.