1) Americans are pretty funny and will say dumb things on tv. Thanks Rick Mercer for teaching me this! My favorite example is when Mercer asked the campaigning George W. Bush how he felt upon hearing that Prime Minister Poutine of Canada had given his endorsement. The response was something to the effect of, "I'm thrilled, he and I have always had a good relationship." If you didn't get the joke, then let me tell you another thing I've learned:
2) Poutine! This Quebecois dish consists of fries, cheese curds (squeaky cheese as they call it out west), and gravy. I personally love the poutine au poulet (chicken poutine) from the restaurant called "The Green Stop" au coin de rue Monk et rue Jolicouer. I know it looks disgusting, but trust me, it's disgustingly delicious.
3) While I'm on the subject of the Quebecois, I've learned that it's possible to speak French in such a way that even natives of France can't understand. "Ouais, c'est vrais, beh, la la."
4) Perhaps the stereotype that Canadians love hockey is a little understated! I love this promo for the Toronto Maple Leafs of a Toronto class photo. In case you can't guess, the kid on the left is a Montreal fan.
5) No matter what you're mad about, the solution involves going on strike. There is a revolving door of major strikes in this city. 2 years ago it was the metro system (imagine if the subways stopped running in NYC for a couple weeks), last year it was college students and this year it's been college teachers. This pic is taken directly in front of my campus.
6) I've learned what -40 degree feels like; it's a lesson I don't need to revisit. That's around the point that Celsius and Fahrenheit cross over and are the same. If you didn't know that, then consider yourself lucky!
More to come as I continue to think about it.
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