Phew

I finally have internet installed at home. Back to living in the 21st century. I really hope this will lessen the hours that I spend at work.
Oh, I also have a land line again. Back to living in the 20th century. Actually, that's not entirely true, I went for VOIP (I know, I'm so "now").

Kurios

About a month ago, I watched Kurios, the newest production by Cirque du Soleil. It was AWESOME. There weren't any acts that I didn't enjoy.
I think my favourite act was the Acro Net. I'm a sucker for flips, tricks and light hearted acts. I really appreciated the comedic touches in it too!
The Rola Bola reminded me of my time in Switzerland when the team I was skating with did off-ice training with these things. I remember falling off a couple times!
The clown act(s) in Cirque shows is/are always good. This one did not disappoint.
The opening act got the audience into the mood of the show. The costumes, music...amazing. The first part of this opening with the percussive piece reminded me of the Irish hand dancing video that went viral a couple years ago. I have no idea if that was the inspiration, but that's all I could think about. In fact, speaking of inspirations, the show seemed like it was inspired by Micmacs. The colours, the costumes, the music.

Anyway - if you ever have a chance to see the show, you HAVE to go.

- picture courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Barber of Seville

Last night, I attend the extra night of the Opera de Montreal's production of the Barber of Seville.

It was the first opera buffa that I've seen. And that made a big difference. You see, operas are supposed to end in tragedy. If the curtain doesn't close on a body sprawled on the floor (or imaginarily off-stage in a lake or something) it's not quite right. This whole comedic thing is not what I'm used to.

I mean, it was...different. Sure, it was nice to laugh, but because I have never seen a staging of an opera buffa (or even a video of one), I wasn't sure how over the top they're typically supposed to be.

Three things that I spent more time questioning rather than just enjoying the production:
1. Basilio - Too flamboyant of an interpretation? I was distracted by him!
2. Figaro - Owns a battery powered flashlight?
3. Characters wearing black unitards and oversized balloons attached to their heads - HUH?!?!?! This was to be some sort of staging choice during Basilio's aria. Imagine dark lighting, smoke machines, and 10-20 of these 'characters' crawling around the stage. So confused.

That being said, it was fun. I thought Figaro (Etienne Dupuis) and Rosina (Carol Garcia) were fantastic. And the star of the show (for me, at least) was Bartolo (Carlo Lepore). Lots of funny moments, nice character details and interpretations, and of course great singing.

A nice touch, the production was sponsored by Movember. And fun mustaches made their appearances in the production as well.

Not that I would say that it wasn't deserved, but the show ended in a standing ovation. So, is this just a cultural norm or in fact a brilliant performance?

It was a nice night out. My first time in the Place des Arts which is a lovely, well, place for the arts. The main theatre was really large (I wanted to make my way up to the top balcony to see what the view is like up there, but I kid you not, the escalators - I couldn't actually find the stairs - were only going up pre-show and down at the beginning of the intermission and post-show) but more modern instead of the red velvet and gold gilding of old-school theatres. I walked by some nice restaurants that I'll have to try out at some point and interesting galleries that I'll need to visit. There was a photo exhibition of Dancers Among Us (which was lovely, of course). I'm looking forward to getting out more often and enjoying everything that this city has to offer!

- picture courtesy of Opera de Montreal

Les Étoiles du Métro

On my way to the opera last night (post to come), I stumbled across the auditions for Les Etoiles du Metro. It such a wonderful idea, and there was a small crowd gathered to listen to the musicians. The musicians that you see/hear in the metro they're not just 'whoever'. There are many talent artists who add to your soundtrack of your commute.

A city that loves its sports teams

Now, I'm not saying that Toronto doesn't love its sports teams, but when you are new to a city, you tend to notice things. And this is what I notice about Montreal.
The buses are cheering on the local teams, the bus drivers are listening to the games.
There are people tailgating outside of the stadium today before the football game starts. Cops line the streets to direct traffic and pedestrians. Buses have been commissioned to act as shuttles. People are not only wearing Alouette's paraphernalia, but they're also well prepared for the reality of the elements and stadium seating. Parkas, snowpants, an assortment of bum pads and cushions, and blankets to keep warm.I haven't ventured downtown for when a Canadiens play, but I'm sure it's just as crazy (if not crazier).

Karma?

It's snowing.

Holding out

For the past couple of years, I would wait until (at least) December 1st to switch to my sorta winter coat. And then wait until (at least) January 1st to switch to my actual winter coat.
I'm wondering if I'll have to make the switch a little earlier this year. So far so good. I mean, there's no snow on the ground (which is kinda nice seeing as how I know lots of other people in different cities and provinces who already have had to deal with snow this year) sauf a random day here and there we're hovering around 0 degrees.
I've been going back and forth between two fall coats that I own, always ensuring that I have a mega warm scarf. The scarf makes all the difference. I probably should pull out my mittens (I need to buy a new pair of leather gloves...freak accident last year where something leaked in my bag and I'm not sure if I can revive my gloves) because my hands are always in my pockets.
Some nights I am feeling a little chilly, but I just walk faster and think of the warmth that's waiting for me at home. Do I dare switch to a different coat. We'll see.
Oh, and for some warm thoughts, the picture is from the first weekend after I moved into my place. I was having a snack on my front balcony (I have a side and rear one as well!), writing some cards, and being serenaded by Rush or Bowie (I forget) and the many folks who were out and about and hanging out across the street in/by
the pool (which was the last weekend it was open).

Le parfum de Montreal

So for a couple of days (at least since I've been here) the city smells. Maybe not the entire city, but near where I work. And even gets into the ducts and my office stinks. Like manure.
The first time it happened I got really self conscious. I wasn't sure what was going on and I have to admit that I did a self-check to make sure I didn't step in something or have some sort of accident that I wasn't aware of. I mean, the smell was bad and very apparent.
I finally asked a colleague the most recent time that I smelled it if he noticed anything and he let me know that across the river, the farms are taking care of their fields and it just wafts into the city.
So I'm not going crazy!

Marche Jean-Talon

As you know, I've been making Jean-Talon my market of choice when I have time to go. It's close to where I live and it's awesome. Most recently when I went, I noticed that they winterfied it.
In nice weather there are so many outdoor stalls in the market, but with the colder weather approaching (or here, depending on how you look at it) they've erected gazebo/tent/covered areas so that the 'outdoor' vendors are in fact 'indoors'. I'm not sure if this will mean that there are less vendors in the cold weather seasons than in the warm-weather seasons (I'm suspecting so)but it's still a nice place to pick up produce and grab a snack.

One of the times that I was at the market, I decided to have a snack of sausages on a stick. I didn't have the list of sausage types with me as I was snacking so I'm not able to remember which type I preferred (I can definitely say it wasn't the lamb, though!) but it was neat to try the variety that was available. It's the "Super 8" that I got, bien sur!
Each time I'm there, I see people ordering different things off of the menu and I can't help but giggle when I see people gnawing at the meat off the bone. I should nab a picture of it the next time I'm there.

"Welcome to Quebec!"

I had a lovely phone conversation with a gentleman about exchanging my Driver's License. After figuring out the logistics of what I need to bring with me to my appointment (booking one-month in advance!) to get my new driver's license, he told me about how much it cost to keep said license. Turns out QC folks have to renew their license every year on their birthday. And pay a nice little sum of money to boot. "What a horrible birthday present!" I said to my fellow Quebecker. I told him about the differences in Ontario and we had a good laugh. To which he said, well, you can probably guess!
I'm kind of sad to be turning over my Ontario card. I like it. And it'll be an reminder of this big change in my life...and my identity. One that I'm still grappling with.

Amelie

I watched one of my favorite films (if not THE favorite) again last night for the first time in a couple of years. It was perfect.
There's so much about that film that resonates with me, and with how things have been going for me recently (emotionally and otherwise), I'm glad I watched the film again.

Scorched

I recently attended a performance of Scorched by the graduating class of the National Theatre School (NTS).

It was incredible. But brace yourself.

I didn't have a chance to do any research or look into the premise of the play. Of course there are pros and cons to this strategy for seeing productions, but for me, at the end of the play, I was in a little bit of shock. I just wasn't sure how to process what I had watched, and wasn't able to go beyond the surface of what happened.

Content aside, the production was awesome. The acting seemed really good (although, I wonder if I would be able to tell if the acting wasn't good?), but I was most impressed with the staging of the production (which, students of the NTS took care of as well). It was a "theatre in the round" set up, and there was clearly a lot of care that went into the staging and choreography of it all. I liked the use of props in the production. The lighting and special effects were also great.

Well, the run of the production is over, so it's not like you can go out and see it for yourself. I guess the take away is that the National Theatre School has some great productions that I will continue to look into (and you can/should too) and that Scorched is a great play. I've only clued in, after the fact, that it's Incendies which I remember reading about when it made the rounds (during TIFF and otherwise).

Cendre des Pres

I went back to the cheese shop yesterday. I told them about the cheese that we'd gotten the last time and that I wanted to get something similar. I told the salesperson that I liked the creaminess. She asked is there was assez de gout, and yes, the taste was strong enough for me. I'm still a little shy when it comes to pungent cheese.
She offered me a couple cheeses to try. One left too much of a plastic and rubbery taste in my mouth and the other was too salty.

In the end, I decided to go for the Cendre des Pres from the Fromagerie Domaine Feodal.
A description: "Pâte molle à croûte fleurie cendrée au centre comme le morbier. Tres cremeux et leger. 1er service." (Translated by Google for those who need it)
I like that the label from the cheese shop also comes with recommendations for the type of wine that pairs best. It's not specific enough to suggest a specific wine, but to say blanc ou rouge fruite.

I have to admit, the ash throws me off. I think I like everything around the ash the best...which probably defeats the whole point of the cheese. (I'm a work in progress, ok?) But it's not like I'm eating around it. I'm a big girl and eating the whole thing and it's quite good. I like the creaminess of it and (again) the mild flavour. I think I like the Saint-Honore better, but it's good to try different things.

I'm wondering if I should keep trying similar types of cheese or go with something completely different next time. Or maybe try out a different cheese shop too? There seem to be many to choose from here. All of the grocery stores have a better selection than what I'm used to. But I think the specialty shops would be better for me as they will be able to help me select cheeses and I can try them out before committing to a purchase.

Saint-Honore

My first (!!!) experience buying cheese was great. I was intimidated to go into the shop similar to people I know are intimidated to go into the boutiques that I've come to realize aren't that scary (even if you have no intention of buying anything).

While walking around Jean-Talon Market, we had decided that a perfect lunch would be cheese and a baguette, so of course we had to find somewhere to buy the cheese (I already knew of plenty places to get a great baguette). We walked into Qui lait cru and were helped by a friendly and eager young man. I had no idea what was going on and what to buy, but it was decided that we should get a sharp cheddar (I forget the name of it, but we opted for a 10-year old cheddar with salt in the rind rather than a 15 year old one) and a brie.

We a tasted a couple different brie's, but in the end, we went the Saint-Honore. It was really good. It melted in your mouth and didn't have a strong flavour (ideal for a cheese neophyte like myself). It was so soft that we were basically able to spread it on the baguette, so I think I partially enjoyed it for its creaminess like I was eating a good butter on bread (without the actual butter taste though).

I still get a little confused by the rind and what to do with it, but I'm sure I'll get over that pretty quickly. Anyway, this cheese was clearly yummy enough to get me inspired to try to eat more cheese in the future.

An important goal

When I lived in Europe, I conquered mustard. I also tried to conquer olives, but that didn't seem to fly.

Here, I think I'm going to try to conquer cheese. I think conquer is the wrong word. Ultimately, I'd like to get to know more about cheese and expand my cheese repertoire.

This past weekend, I went to a cheese shop in the market. Encouraged by my cheese-loving friend, we chatted with one of the folks and the shop and narrowed our purchases down to a 5-year old sharp cheddar (instead of a 10-year old one) and a brie that didn't have a strong taste (we'd sampled a couple that we didn't enjoy as much) but absolutely melted in your mouth.

Coupled with a baguette and some tomatoes (I've also recently learned of the awesomeness that is salt on tomatoes), it lent itself to an awesome meal (or two) and our goal of having a faux-Paris weekend.

"To justice and all!"

I've had an awesome day, and this video contributed to that awesomeness.
Great choice of background music too!

Lovely weekend

Having weekends to relax is key. Whoever decided that there should be a five day work week really thought things through.
Yesterday, I finally made it down to a street that I wanted to explore and while the weather wasn't great, it was still nice to just be in the fresh air and walk around and take my time. I followed that up with a trip to the market. Lovely, of course. I was able to tidy up my place a little bit and try to reduce the number of boxes that are still scattered around. A quiet evening at home was exactly what I needed.
Today, after a lazy start to the day, I headed out in search of doughnuts. They have three different flavours: sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate and since they're quite small I got one of each to try. By the time I got the the grocery store just a block away, I had finished them all. I'd recommend the sugar and cinnamon ones over the chocolate. Actually, no, try them all for yourself so that you can decide. The place was very busy with a line almost out the door. As I waited, I admired the original art on the wall and felt very, err, square. I was in hipster haven. It was in the Mile End, so I guess it makes sense, but it still throws me off to be smack dab in the middle of the scene. Hipsters have a very unique look.
Anyway, done with my doughnuts, I picked up some items at the grocery store and people were buying leeks like crazy! They were on sale, but some people were buying multiple bunches. Is there something going on that I don't know about? I wonder what they were going to do with all of them?
Heading back to my place, I realized that some cultures go to school on Sundays. Not only do I live close to hipster-ville, I also live close to a Hasidic Jewish community. It's interesting learning more about different cultures and communities.
So now that I'm back at my place, I've decided to have a quiet rest of the day in. I see more cleaning and organizing on the horizon and I think I'm going to make a big batch of soup. Sunday is usually a big cooking day for me!

IE's MP3 Experiment 11

Improv Everywhere is still doing its thing and has posted the outcome of the MP3 Experiment Eleven.
It always looks like a fun time and the 'inventors' always come up with accessible, simple, yet fun ideas.
I hope I can participate in another mission in the future!

Back to "ha ha ha-ing"

Heading back 'home' on another swanky train ride. This train is a little older so the set up is a little different, but the drink cart still rolls by just as frequently.
They just turned off the cabin lights (or whatever you'd call the equivalent in a train) and literally a second later, you see everyone's hand reach up to turn their reading lamp on. I wasn't sure if the delay was people taking a moment to think "What's up with that?!?" or just the time that it takes to send a signal from your brain to your arm. I'd say 95% of the people in this car are on their laptop or iPad and the other 5% are reading an actual book or the newspaper.
The percentage will hopefully change a bit once they bring food out (soon - I can smell it!) or afterwards when I create a new category (people who as asleep). I'm pretty tired.
Anyway, I found it incredibly amusing to see all of those lights being turned on like that.

P.S. Quebec City is beautiful. Hopefully I'll have a chance to return to really see the city.

Still ha ha ha-ing...

Overheard from my swanky seat:
"Can you make a Manhattan? Ok, fine, I'll have another gin and tonic."

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!