Jack Frost

Be good. Heal well.

It's made to handle slower streets like in downtown rather than on a major avenue next to the highway.

I can't believe I was so unaware that this was going on. That's what I get for free of Internet in Spain. For my bday... Thankssss!!!

I love you all. Most especially Lacey for drawing up me. <3<3<3

So cool...

Won't tell. Just till I can marry him.

Chuc mung nam moi. I'm doing it in the Vietnamese way.

Or Jack Frost is keeping aiming all wrong?

Congratulations. You have gotten more snow than Montreal throughout winter now.

You're speaking my language.

The thing is... The pic doesn't look like any ordinary washroom. But no thanks... It's always too cold there. That's not the Canadian way. The Canadian way is go to the manager to apologize for hurting yourself. Then the manager apologizes. Finally you apologize for making the manager apologize. And leave as if everything is all sorted out.

Toronto... NOT EQUAL TO CANADA.

I know someone whose surname is Hussey. He's half-British. He didn't know the meaning of it until I told him last fall. He must be feeling glad it's only his second surname (Spanish tradition) that he rarely uses in real life.

Hockey. At least we can sneak a lucky loonie in ice without anyone knowing it. Unlike Turin. ;p

hahahaha That woman is Quebecois.... It's French. I love it.

Trying out the new cam that came with the new laptop that my parents gave me for Christmas.

I had some TimTams and vegamite on buttered toast to honour this day. Not to offend the Aborigines.

I've been telling you over and over...

;p

I just finished this last night. Le dernier homme qui parlait catalan -Carles Casajuana It means "The Last Man who Spoke Catalan". There is no English version yet as it's rather new (published originally in Catalan last year). Basically, it's about two writers living in an almost empty run-down apartment building in central Barcelona (both were being pressured to sell the apartment to the owner so the latter could resell the whole building at a profit due to rising estate prices). One of which writes in Castellan (Spanish spoken in Spain) and other writes in Catalan (native language of Barcelona and several surrounding regions in Spain and France) and both defend with passion their choice of language in books (one argument, Castellan is spoken by hundreds of millions whereas Catalan only had about seven-eight millions). It's a mixture of friendships, rivalries, love (both tried to compete for the girl, but failed as at the end she got sick of writers who put books before everything; not necessarily a flaw), linguistic and cultural philosophies, and a hint of nationalist ideologies. Also the Catalan writer speaks in details about Catalan on verge of extinction later this century due to various, sometimes imagined, reasons (centuries of oppression and subornation from the late 18th century until the end of the Franco regime in the 1970s) in goal of alerting readers to take more interest in and appreciate centuries of rich history of Catalan literary works. All to avoid Castellan from taking too much foothold in Catalan culture (literature, events, books, films, etc.). It is exaggerated because Catalan, unlike other European minority languages, is getting stronger and recovering from decades of Castellan-based nationalist dictatorships in the 20th century, but the author, from a narrative point of view, wanted to put the readers in another prescriptive of what could've happened to Catalan if the language hadn't gotten such strong support from the Catalan government now. Hence the title, the last man was a 99 year old villager in the Pyrenees and a professor from Boston, not believing that the language has completely died out, found him and interviewed him for months before the last speaker, and the language as well, died. Now I'm moving on to... Vers l'est -Mathieu Handfield "Towards to the East". I haven't started yet, but the back says (literal translation): "Paul spat out blood that came back up out of his mouth and let himself slide down to the ground. The two others took him by shoulders and put him on the bench. Hauteville slid a hoodie under his head to make a pillow out of it. - He's going to get sicker and sicker, Normandin. We gotta get moving. - It could've been quicker if we had known where we were going. - No, it could've not been quicker. It would just be less scary. Drive, it's your turn and I'll deal with him."

Catalan... I really love that accent... I can't help that there's something quite distinctive in the speakers' voice (at least the male ones). Even my two Catalan friends have that same similar distinctiveness... Could be the pitch or tone that is slightly deeper than what I'm used to. This is an example...

In your dreams.

I don't think the Village will disappoint you, but remember... It's only a small part of the city. If you spend a week, you're going to get bored with it. We have loads of other great stuffs. As a local, I will be very happy to help you out pointing out to places/events that meet your needs. I'm traveller too. I would even recommend visiting places outside of the city because Canada is pretty much 90% of nothing, yet full of wonderful sceneries. For the Village event, I would recommend Mado Lamotte: www.mado.qc.ca But this drag queen (I f**king love her... she's so damn hilarious) always does her shows at her own club in French. Actually... French could be a misnomer because she always speaks in full-blown Québécois.

BONJOURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is so my thing... Bragging about my awesome city. We have this. You probably researched enough on the Village. It's not huge... just about several blocks along Ste-Catherine Street (one of the main shopping arteries in the city). I personally prefer to avoid it. Not that it's seedy or anything. Just not my thing and I don't feel the need to be with huge crowds of gays. I haven't been there since September (not my choice..,. my friend made me). http://www.diverscite.org/2009/anglais/index.htm It explains itself if you want to go there during the summer, unless you don't mind freezing your tits off during the infamous long Canadian winters. As I am speaking, -12C outside with wind chill down to -25C, ice/snow on sidewalks and roads, and 30 cm of snow on the ground. Not that I am complaining... I'm used to it. But you, as an Aussie, most likely you will consider 5C as bone-chilling. ;p Montréal has this concept of "la joie de vivre". It means "joy of living". That is, we work so we can live whereas Toronto just lives to work. Hence why Montreal has the best nightlife in the whole country. And that is just not drinking and clubbing, but also eating at restos because the city has the most restaurants per capita in the world. Plus, you'll get a taste of the culture unique in the Americas due to our French past. If you want to make good friends, it would be much better to call it "Québéois" accent. We love that much more than just the cliché "French accent". It would help a lot if I know what you are hoping to do (your interests), what you're planning so far (just Montreal? Or also visits to other Canadian cities such as Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto?), what possible dates, etc. Then I'll brag as usual. And Montreal is very liberal. You won't find a major city that has several of these on its main shopping streets... even if there are kids around and a church next to it. Note that the strip club is over a clothing shop for pregnant women (Lori). Erm... The link to NYT article, I'd like to make a disclaimer. <No one never does this today. At least for the Montrealers as morons outside of province keep thinking like this no matter what. Don't worry about the language issue that the article seems to show off. No one really cares as long as you're not being an idiot about it.

Thinking about doing in the Azores now.