Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Montreal Notes
- Montreal is multi-ethnic. Indians, especialy Sikhs, are a large minority, and Chinese and Middle Easterners are noticeable. French Canadians are pretty diverse, too. Lots of dark-skinned French speakers, perhaps Italian or Middle Eastern.
- Society is integrated. I saw a lot of biracial couples. Still, I detected hints of racism. The day I ran in the Plateau, I jogged past a panhandler. The bum said to me, "Slow down, nee-how!" (Ni hao is Chinese for "hello".) And at the Botanical Gardens near the Chinese Garden, I walked behind a French-speaking family whose father made mock-Chinese sounds, which were delightfully repeated by his daughter.
- Society is more European than American. People spend more money on clothes than on personal technology. I didn't see a single Blackberry or Bluetooth headset. Quebecer girls are in much better shape than their American counterparts and wear tight outfits reminiscent of Southern Italy and Poland. People on the street are polite and keep to themselves.
- Montreal is a city for youth. Saw two times as many college-aged people as professionals. Perhaps that's a result of the neighborhoods I spent my time in.
- Montreal takes dining out seriously. Restaurants and cafes are well decorated and dimly lit.
- The most popular take-out food is Lebanese.
- Housing is cheap. Noemie's apartment, a 4-bedroom, costs $800 per month!
- As a young person, there is plenty of work, but most of it is in the service sector: salesperson, receptionist, waiting on tables.
- Watch out for bikes!
# posted by billklee @ 23:36 
