Montreal Olympics
I went to Montreal last week and the interesting thing was it was a french speaking place in the midst of America and Canada. Not too sure about the history but i am rather sure its highly complicated and filled with atrocities. HAHA. A lady actually asked us (3 only occasional French movie guys) for the time and we gave complete stunned looks.
Most people were not snobbish about tourists not speaking the language though and we had some psuedo-french learning lawyers from NUS that helped the rest of us along. There was a new "bibliotheque (?)" built in Montreal which is French for library. If you see "Librarie (?) " its actually referring to a small bookshop or store selling books kind of thing. This is what is called a "faux amie" (?) which means that the French words look similar to an English term but actually it means something else. Like "Gros" (?) is in essence "big".
Another fact about Montreal is that it hosted the 1976 olympics. Apparently it never recovered the $2 billion plus amount spent on building the infrastructure for the games. Well, its been around 30 years and we did spend $10 each going up a curved elevator that is built on the side of the stadium. Apparently, its the most curvaceous piece of architecture in the world. Maybe the debt it racked up also prevented others from trying to surpass that feat. I have a feeling car enthusiasts are arguing otherwise.
And if you are wondering why Montreal seems to ring a bell although you had no idea it was actually in Canada; it is likely that you are thinking of the comedy series "Just for Laughs", which is staged and i believe all "gags" played out in this part of the world.
Most people were not snobbish about tourists not speaking the language though and we had some psuedo-french learning lawyers from NUS that helped the rest of us along. There was a new "bibliotheque (?)" built in Montreal which is French for library. If you see "Librarie (?) " its actually referring to a small bookshop or store selling books kind of thing. This is what is called a "faux amie" (?) which means that the French words look similar to an English term but actually it means something else. Like "Gros" (?) is in essence "big".
Another fact about Montreal is that it hosted the 1976 olympics. Apparently it never recovered the $2 billion plus amount spent on building the infrastructure for the games. Well, its been around 30 years and we did spend $10 each going up a curved elevator that is built on the side of the stadium. Apparently, its the most curvaceous piece of architecture in the world. Maybe the debt it racked up also prevented others from trying to surpass that feat. I have a feeling car enthusiasts are arguing otherwise.
And if you are wondering why Montreal seems to ring a bell although you had no idea it was actually in Canada; it is likely that you are thinking of the comedy series "Just for Laughs", which is staged and i believe all "gags" played out in this part of the world.
posted by efarmer at 11:44:00 AM
2 Comments:
finally, I can post a comment on your blog... had a problem a the last time I tried.
You went to Montreal! I love Montreal! The Francohpone and the Anglo-phone... Lovely, quiant city. I found them to be quite friendly.
But maybe I'm biased because an Francophone guy tried to pick me up in English...
The reason why you'd get spoken to in French is because they probably assumed that you're migrants and hence would have been educated in a French school.
I thot it was alright only la. It was quaint ya that i agree, but the traffic was bad and i dont like having to speak french that much haha. And maybe also because no french girl tried picking me up. OR guy for that matter.
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