Montreal Mont Royal

Well, it's very hot in Montreal. We loved the mild winter here, but are struggling a bit with the heat. It's hot (+30s th

is week), muggy, and while the air feels fresh it often smells of construction projects. Fortunately we have an air conditioner in our bedroom, and we've pretty much given up on turning on the stove.

I've been enjoying escaping the downtown heat (including the exhaust from cars, honking horns, and dirty looks given to us cyclists) on my lunch breaks, and have been climbing the Mont Royal mountain three times a week. It's been really good exercise, and the shade from the trees makes it cool. It's a really beautiful hike, and when I get to the top, there's an amazing view.

It's a steep climb up!

 

For more photos of my climb, see my Flickr page:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/acenaiko/

How are you guys managing the summer heat? 

Specs mission to Ottawa

Adam in our sketchy dorm room that we rented at the University of Ottawa.

A couple of weekends ago Adam and I went to Ottawa to check out the city. As many of you already know, I'm going to be attending grad school there in the fall, taking a MA in Communications (government and media focus). I thought I'd share some photos and a bit about our trip with you.

Our friend Leon enjoys a hotdog on campus. Look how much he's enjoying it! Look!

I think this sign is for me (in 2015)

We went to this great pub for supper and Sangria. We were up top at "The Pour House" at The Aude Dubliner. This is in the Byward Market area.

Mangos at the Byward Market. I seriously eat a mango every afternoon. I love 'em!

Fiddleheads and asaparagus are in season.

There were many people painting at the Tulip Festival.

Tulips! We were there at the end of the festival, so there weren't as many as a week or so earlier.

These girls were so cute. There were a lot of sod (grass) figures around the park.

This figure had FAKE TULIPS around it. We thought that was shameful at a festival devoted to the flower!

Local HogsBack microbrew. They decorated a tulip for the festivities.

This was in the International Tent. There was music, food, and knick-knacks to buy.

I dressed to match (and got a brutal sunburn in the process).

When Obama visited Canada he stopped at this bakery. They named a cookie after him and play the news clip of him eating the cookie in the store on a loop. Pretty sad if you ask me....in the nation's capital to boot!

Best photo ever! Adam at the Hard Rock Cafe with Michael Jackson's pants that he wore the first time he moon-danced!

Magpies and jazz make excellent bedfellows.

I was originally going to do this as a guest post on Adam's blog as it is entirely music based, but I figured my blog needs the update more than his does. Several years ago when I was hosting the Afternoon Buzz at CFCR 90.5 FM in Saskatoon, I did an animal-themed show where I played sets featuring various animals. One of the sets focused on magpies, and as a new song has come out with magpie in the title, I figured I would revive the theme on my blog.

The new song that I referred to is Radiohead's "Morning Mr. Magpie" off their new album The King of Limbs. I like listening to this song on my way to work because it perfectly suits the hustle bustle of traffic. The beat is faster than your heartbeat, and makes you step quickly, in pace with the rush-rush-rush of everyone on their way to work and the step-click-click of heels on the sidewalk. This morning it was fairly gloomy out, and there were seagulls circling the sky above McGill campus when I was walking through it. It seemed like the birds were swooping to the music.

The next magpie song is "Two Magpies" from Paul McCartney's side project band, The Firemen. It has a jazzy feel that I love, fairly consistent with McCartney's latest releases. His voice is smoky and strained in this song, it has just the right amount of "jazz cymbal" (hah!), and the lyrics are simple and accessible. I could almost see this song being on the White Album.

The last song I want to share is "Magpie to the Morning" by Neko Case off her 2009 release, Middle Cyclone. It's another jazzy song that makes you stop and appreciate your surroundings, and a must-have on your iPod if you haven't downloaded it already (get the whole album). Case's voice is so strong and earnest it makes you reflect on life, the universe and everything. It's perfect for a spring day or an autumn afternoon.

Update on work, trip, and happy hour.

My office. I forgot to take pictures of our communal work area.

Always smells delicious in my office.

Now that I have settled into my job I hope to update more often. It's been awhile, and much has happened. I'm now working at McGill in the department of Human Genetics and I really like my job. I definitely miss writing, but now that I'm settled I hope to pursue freelancing more aggressively. Anyways, I thought I'd show you a picture of my office and of course, the famous espresso machine that I am always bragging about.



It was really busy at work for December-January, so now that it has quieted down a bit I have a bit more time to think about what I'd like to start doing next. Freelancing is definitely on the agenda, and I'm on a waiting list to start French classes at McGill. My french has already improved a lot since moving here, but I look forward to developing my business french.


Adam and I were able to go visit our friends Sara and Marge a couple of weekends ago in Kingston, ON. They moved out East from Saskatoon the same time as we did. It was a nice little city, and it was great to see our buddies again. It was a small taste of "home".

Playing Bonkers with Sarge.

Marge making cosmos at the bar. Riders beer cozy, U of S tshirt. So much SK in one photo.

Sarge at the bar- still representin' SK with their Great West beer basin.

Matt and Chantal - from Saskatoon, but we met them here.

Nicolette and JF - Nicolette is from Calgary, and JF is a real Montrealer! ha

Margot, Adam and JF

We also hosted our first official Cinq à Sept - the French Happy Hour. We invited people to stop by after work for a drink and some apps. Most of our friends so far are from Saskatoon, but we're slowly meeting more and more people.

#nochips2011

 Well, Christmas has passed, and I start work again tomorrow. We had a nice dinner with our friend Theresa, and ended up purchasing a large turkey from Jean Talon market instead of a goose. The geese were so expensive, at least $100 each, and for three people that just wasn't practical.

Anyways, I figured that for this post I would show your our Christmas instead of blab on about it.

Christmas at our place

We made perogies with our friend Theresa

Adam in front of our Christmas eve feast - muscles cooked in wine, seafood dip, cheeses, and spanikopeta (sp?)

Adam on Christmas morning. We had cinnamon buns, cheese and fruit

We had champagne mimosas on Christmas morn.

Our turkey, Nestor, turned out really well. I stuffed it myself!

The three cooks.

In Quebec it is Christmas Eve tradition to have a yule log. Ours was from Première Moisson, a great bakery chain in town. Double chocolate.

Adam looking handsome on New Year's Eve

NYE- I never noticed this before, but Adam and I really match here don't we? Wearing my E-label shirt dress I bought in Iceland, and my mukluks from SK.

Adam drinking water at the end of the night on New Year's. (Good idea)

Happy New Year! Have a great 2011!

Well, that's it for now. Adam and I gave up chips for 2011. NO CHIPS. For a WHOLE YEAR. Did any of my readers make a resolution or a goal for the new year?

And the Fire is Sooo Delightful

So as you have probably gathered from my lack of depressing blog posts, I got the job! (see last post).

I'm now working at McGill University in one of the College of Medicine Departments working as an assistant. It's not the communications or writing job I had been trying to get, but I am really enjoying it a lot so far. The people I work with are really nice and fun, and I'm learning a lot of skills. Plus, now that I'm Internal, I can apply for other positions as they come along. I plan to stay here for awhile, but this job will definitely open up some doors for future positions.

I forgot how fun working in an office around Christmastime is. There are treats coming in the door all the time, and I'm definitely going to have to start going to the gym in the new year! I've really been missing playing Squash, and I'm hoping to convince one of my friends to take it up. Yesterday we went for Peking Duck with quite a large group, and on Wednesday we're going for lunch again with the smaller office. This is so nice after being unemployed and alone all day for such a long time.

Adam and I are very excited for Christmas. We've decorated a tree, watched our Christmas shows, and on Wednesday (my last day of work) I'm going to buy some egg nog (lait de poule) and spiced rum and relax. We're going to have a goose for Christmas dinner this year instead of turkey, so I'll have to post pictures of our first goose cooking attempt.

Interview.

Well, I had promising interview yesterday. Instead of telling you about it, I decided to draw a comic. Enjoy!

I made another comic about my eczema. My hands have been very itchy lately! It's definitely not as red and gross looking as I made it out to be in the comic, in reality it just looks like dry skin, but that's how it feels.

When it rains it pours.

"Les Chuchoteuses" (the whisperers) by Rose-Aimée Bélanger

My mom came for a visit last week, which was wonderful. It was such a nice break from reality, and she spoiled us rotten. We visited a lot of touristy places, like the delicious Schwartz's and St. Viateur bagel, and we also discovered that the best burgers on earth are at L'Amère à Boire on St. Denis.

We also walked around old Montreal, shopping and eating poutine. We saw this lovely statue by Rose-Aimée Bélanger, had some great lattes, and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

We've been really lucky, it's been warm and sunny here, a definitely plus as Adam and I don't drive. It's been warm enough for me to ride around on my cruiser, and I'm dreading the day when I have to store her for the winter.

 We had kind of a traumatic week after my mom left. Adam began having tooth pain in one of his molars, and it got to the point where he was unable to sleep or function. After going to a terrible dentist who was diagnosing him based on a price sheet without looking into his mouth at all, we decided to go to the Montreal General Hospital in the Dental department. They have students working there who are doing their practicum, so it is much more reasonably priced. They recommended that Adam either get a root canal or get his tooth pulled, and since we don't have coverage, we had to go for the latter. I felt terrible that we couldn't afford to get him the best treatment, but it was the best we could do.

I also found out that a part-time job I had decided to short-change me on my paycheque. According to my friend Chris, that isn't uncommon in Montreal. I'm obviously looking into it, and will take action to get my full earnings, but it is infuriating that I have to work so hard to get what I already worked for. With Adam's dental fiasco, and with this paycheque mishap, we're very concerned about paying our bills. (surprise, surprise)

Adam found out that he is most likely not getting time off for Christmas, so that's the icing on the cake.

When I moved to Montreal, I knew it was going to be difficult, challenging, and it would push me to step outside my comfort zone. What I didn't realize is that I wouldn't get the chance to prove myself. It is extremely competitive here for jobs, and I know that if I was given the opportunity for an interview I would impress the employer.
Unfortunately, it seems that employers here are bent on using you, the positions I really want won't give me the time of day, and once you have a bad streak of luck, it sticks to you like a parasite.

Don't Let The Darkness Eat You Up

Good news! Adam has a job. He's working at a place called Le Fromentier. It's a bakery/patisserie/cheese shop. He's making a lot of croissants, breads, and puff pastry desserts. He really likes it so far, and since it is french, he's strengthening his language skills. It's been a huge relief for us. He works Mon-Friday 11-7, so we even have weekends off together.

Since Adam is back at work, I'm at home alone all day. It's been a bit difficult for me, but I've been given a chance to be creative and to spend some time alone to reflect. Today I went for a walk in the misty rain around our neighbourhood, and had a really nice time saying goodbye to the fall. My favourite season is autumn, and we had a really beautiful one in Montreal. Everything was so colourful and vibrant. On my walk I observed that everything is now looking fairly grey and dead. I was listening to the Album Leaf, and then to Jose Gonzales, and the weather and music was really in sync with my outlook. I wasn't feeling depressed or angry or anything, but kind of realized that I've been so apathetic lately that I haven't allowed myself to feel anything at all. I've been wearing emotional armor to protect myself from job rejection, from boredom, from driving myself insane with my own thoughts. Instead of letting myself get emotionally invested in anything, I've been watching Oprah and Dr. Phil. I think it was survival instinct kicking in, preventing me from being consumed with worry over our finances and situation. I guess I was letting the darkness eat me up.

Anyway, I feel more like my old self now. I've decided that I need to keep working creatively even though I am unemployed, and I'm going to start working on a project. I've been wanting to write a book for a long time, and I have an idea for a story. Even if I don't end up finishing it, it will be good for me to start working on a project that I have complete control over. 

One song from Jose Gonzales really struck me today on my walk. I would urge you to check it out if you have a chance:

Halloween!

Halloween came and went this year with little excitement in our home. Usually we make a big deal out of it by hosting a party and dressing up. This year we didn't even dress up, and I had to work at a snooty mall for rich people where no one was dressed up at all, not even the kids!
We did go to our friend Margot's place to watch Rocky Horror and to eat some spooky treats. That was nice.
Unfortunately on the way there I was almost mugged at the Saint-Laurent metro station. A couple weeks ago a man was brutally beaten up there, and was in critical condition in the hospital afterwards. Scary. This group of young guys were hovering around outside, where I was waiting for a bus after taking the metro, and they started yelling things at me while coming towards me quickly. I started running to get inside the metro station, and they grabbed another guy who was also trying to get inside. They grabbed his coat off of his back and took it. It was very scary. I reported the incident to the metro attendant, who called the police. I hope they punish those jerks. I was so scared afterwards and will think twice about taking the bus alone at night!

I've been working at a muffin shop at a mall for weekends the past month, but I've decided I can't go back there. Working for minimum wage at a job that kills me, isn't at all in my field, and takes me an hour just to get there isn't worth it. So, I'm still on the lookout for something else...even if that means a crap job at a closer location. I've been seeing a career counselor at YES Montreal (Youth Employment Services) and he's been giving me some really good tips. I'm hoping they pay off soon. I also went to a job fair, and I think I impressed the lady at the McGill table. She said someone would be calling me soon, and we're hoping and praying this happens.

Adam has quit his job a Moishes. They wanted him to commit to at least a year, and he didn't have the heart to lie to them as he was actively looking for other work. He didn't love working there, and they didn't pay enough, so he didn't want to stay any way. We're both a bit scared that we've been here for two months and still don't have employment, and our resources are totally gone. It's a bit scary, and we're wondering if we made a huge mistake coming here. We're still trying to keep up hope, and I think things will be better once I start my French classes in January.

We're thinking we're too nice for this city. People pay you nothing and expect the world from you, and we're too nice to lie and be dishonest to employers. Adam has worked at countless restaurants for "trial runs" for free... he is sick of working and not being paid for his hard work. I'm almost wondering if employers try out new cooks on a regular basis just to have someone do the work no one else wants to do. There are certainly enough unemployed people in Montreal to exploit. How sad.

My mom is coming for a visit on Nov. 10th. I'm so excited to have her here. I know she'll be a huge encouragement, and it'll be a lot of fun.

Autumn's here

Bonjour tout mes amis!

Autumn is my favourite season, and it is so beautiful here in Montreal. The leaves are all changing colours and falling off the trees, and we've been having a lot of fun crunching the leaves as we walk through the streets. It's still nice enough to bike around, although you need mittens at night. I've been collecting red maple leaves to mail to my mom and my brother.

It turns out that Adam isn't going to be a butler/personal chef, but he is working in a restaurant making pastries. I think he's going to have a lot of freedom to come up with new recipes, so I hope he practices for me at home.


I'm still looking for work. It's a bit worrying, because I haven't really found anything in my field yet. My french isn't strong enough yet. I went to a community centre where some of my friends are taking cheap french lessons, and had an evaluation that placed me in level four. I'm glad they did evaluate me, I think I'd die if I had to start from square one. Apparently my past tense skills are good.


We went to Fairmont Bagel the other day to get ourselves a taste of Montreal. It is one of the oldest and best Montreal bagel shops, although many would say St. Viateur is better. I like Fairmont because they have the most variety, and have about a dozen different flavours, including onion, all dressed, blueberry and chocolate chip!
They were very tasty and we brought some home to put in the freezer.

This year for Thanksgiving Adam and I decided to make a roast duck instead of turkey. It was very delicious. We had our friend Theresa come over and had some wine, duck, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, salad, and a raspberry sauce Adam made instead of cranberry sauce! It was non-traditional and fun, and because we made the effort it was easier to be away from home. Our friends Margot, Rachel and Dan had a dessert potluck for all their friends away from their families on the holiday weekend as well.

They came over to learn how to make Adam's pie crust recipe a few days before, and you can see the fruits of our labour above! Adam made a peach, plum, pear pie a la Joanna Newsom (although he forgot the pear), and Margot and Rachel made mirabelle pie, pumpkin pie, raspberry cream cheese, and apple I believe. It was very good. Someone also brought gingersnaps which are my favourite.


How are the rest of you enjoying the autumn weather? Has anyone done any baking?