Scot becomes adopted Canadian

I have found myself telling stories about home and listening to more and more Scottish music on my mp3. Quite bizarre really; I must be coming down with dreaded Frankie Miller virus. No not the lonesome darlin’ but the Caledonia strain. I seem to better appreciate lone pipers doing Highland Cathedral and even Andrew Stewart telling me that even as green as these foreign hills may be they are not the hills of home . Yes, I have got it bad, and with no Ardbeg left, the only solution is to be homeward bound.

But what a fantastic last few weeks I’ve had and I wouldn’t change a thing. The people I have met, the new friends I have made, the experiences gained, the invites to family homes and being welcomed into people’s lives, the family skype sessions and the appreciation of how much I need family and friends have all been telling lessons.

Typical Scot Abroad - Scotland still the centre of the Universe

I am proud of how I have been accepted and I hope that I have made a difference and a good impression. When I arrived I was the typical Scot abroad; a strange new land converting my own wee work area into a Scottish oasis. But five weeks later, I am a Scot with friends in a welcomed family. I arrived  and got a visitors pass, I return that pass having attained ‘guest ‘ status; as they say in Montreal, visitors come but guests are invited.

Welcomed vandalism to Saltire signals adoption

Thankyou Standard Life, Montreal and Canada. I made ”Je m’appelle Stevie, je suis eccossais et je suis ici jusqu’a vingt-six novembre. Ce n’est pas une jupe, c’est un kilt” my catchphrase. Ma francais est bon et je voudrais retourner……je retournerai. Au revoir mes amis et merci beacoup pour toutes les choses.

Stevie

Weekends recharge the batteries

I’ve just had a typical Edinburgh weekend in Montreal.

Friday was a beer after work in bar Stanley, sharing a jug of Heineken or isotonic lager as Gerry would say. Stanley reminded me of an old Meggetland clubhouse; strip lighting, formica table tops, dodgy toilets but a great atmosphere. You wouldn’t go there for the decor but you’d go there for the craic.

Montreal where they sell isotonic lager. If it was Paris, it would be 1664

I had an early start on Saturday when Bob took me for 18 holes at Dorval; Haddington it is not but playing golf in Montreal in November is very unusual, no winter greens here;  when the snow arrives it stays till March. I was back by 2pm to catch the Scotland vs Fiji autumn international, no rugby clubs nearby so watched it via internet telly without a beer – can’t remember the last time I watched a game without a beer. Anyway, well done to Andy Robinson and the Scots boys. Then down to the gym to exercise to bodypump music tracks on my mp3 player, all that was missing was Angela singing along with that unmistakeable voice of hers.  

Adam at short 11th - this ball is small, that one is far, far away

Sunday slept in. No papers so I turned on the telly and caught Howard Hawk’s Rio Bravo. Not demanding but some good rom-com moments between unlikely couple of John Wayne and Angie Dickinson.  The Scottish Presbyterian church of St Andrews and St Pauls is reminiscent of Reid in design but nowhere near as engaging and friendly. A choir of 50 singing Handel’s Zadok the Priest surely isn’t normal Sunday Morning service material. Still I enjoyed the pageantry and the sermon and I knew all the hymns! Next door was Musee de Beaux Arts (Fine Arts). The Waterhouse exhibition was inspiring and I loved his Lady of Shallott pieces. http://www.mbam.qc.ca/waterhouse/en/index.html  Later in the afternoon I walked down to the old port of Montreal. The St Lawrence River tides are nearly as quick as the falls of Lora and as I headed home in the darkening gloom, the bright lights reminded me we are less than 6 weeks away from Christmas; 34 and a half shopping days left as Barbara would say half way through the squat track.

Weekends are there to recharge the batteries. Doing things you love help that process and being with family and friends accelerate that charging boost. I miss my charging boost. Sometimes you forget how important they are. Trips like this helps reinforce what Dorothy discovered way back in 1939. If only I’d packed my ruby slippers.

Why tempt fate?

We’ve all done it. “I won’t be late” or ”I know my way from here”, ” It won’t rain today” or ”I won’t drop it”. When we focus on the negatives they invariably happen. Now all know me as Mr Positive so why did I mention sickness not once but twice in previous blogs, was I subconsciously tempting fate?  I saw the signals on Wednesday morning (work colleague coughing and spluttering) by the afternoon the signals were a bit more personal and by Thursday I was hit with the lurgi. Not a bad lurgi (the NZ Argentinian strain of 2005 was worse) but a lurgi all the same.  

I went to the local pharmacie. “Do you have paracetemol?”  I asked. “”je ne comprend pas” was the reply, normally in Montreal that’s my reply. I try again, “Do you have anything for a cough and cold?” So she gives me extra strength Cold FX – the official cold and flu remedy for the 2010 winter olympic games. They look the biz and a price to match too. One day later I am still struggling, turns out this medication is of the alternative variety. What I really needed was Tylenol, the north American translation of paracetemol. So I am now on the mend and confident enough to say “it’s not H1N1”. (will I ever learn?)

So if this is the week to tempt fate then I’ve no chance of winning either the UK lotto (£6m), Euro millions (13m) or Canadian lottery ($50m) lottery. You can never win at these things, can you? But just in case…I have the tickets and I’ve seen the Montreal house I want to buy. Beautiful old Grange style houses half way up Mount Royal – Montreal’s very own Arthur’s seat and Botantic Gardens combined. I was up there last Sunday, along with most of Montreal’s inhabitants. There were kids kicking fallen autumn leaves, joggers, walkers and cyclists exercising to fantastic views and plenty of fat gallous squirrels doing what the seagulls do in Scottish coastal towns.

Scot up Mount Royal with short sleeves - he'll catch his death...

Next week, purchase of warm clothes are on the agenda. I have found the Montreal equivalent of TK MAX -it’s called Winners – just my style and my prices. It’s going to be a cosey next three weeks and if the weather improves? C’est la vie!

A game of three halves…and a wee chaser

Well, wot a result; stitched them right up! It was game of three halves and who knows what they put in the tea at half time, but they came out fighting and thoroughly deserved the victory. Yes the game could have gone either way, but when the chips were down the team showed their mettle by taking the game to the wire and wining with the last kick off the game. It would be a sombre bus all the way home to Toronto who were so close but yet so far.  My name is sheepskin coat Stevie in cold Montreal and with that it’s back to the studio.

I must admit it was a fantastic spectacle. There was only going to be one winner, the game is structured that way – drawing after regulation time, the game goes into overtime for that golden goal. Still drawing? then down to penalty kicks and hoddle and pearce both missed for toronto.  

Happy Scots arrive early for the "warm up"

The Scots arrived early for the occassion, we wanted to see the warm up but the real attraction was the free bar. Even without the effects of the beer, those skaters were awfy, awfy quick over that ice. At times it felt like an old firm game on speed. Montreal played in hoops (albeit red, white and blue hoops); body checks all over the place, high tackles by players with italian surnames, any skills were overrun by sheer endevour. There was even the obligatory player who had moved between sides during the close season and received the special attention only locals can give (Judas Johnstone I think they called him) ; and yes there was even a huddle from the hoops.

Rangers hoops do a huddle

For the record, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leaves 5 to 4 at the Bell stadium on halloween night in front of 22,000 fans after 65minutes of game time and penalties.  At the end of the night we gave thanks to our hosts for putting up with our endless queries on the offside law (you thought rugby or footy was complicated) and for the hospitality in their loge.

Montreal Scoreboard even bigger than my plasma at home

We meandered happily home only to stumble into more halloween nurses – where’s a boogie man when you need one.

Montreal tricks and treats

We asked one hundred Montrealians what Halloween costume they would dress up in this year….I dressed up as groundskeeper wullie and our survey said? baah baah. The top five answers were pirates, witches, ghouls, students (they have their own dress code which I don’t understand – I am getting old) and at five – nurses. NURSES? On halloween? I never found them that scary, I mean, I married one, patience of a saint too…deals with man flu very effectively (gives me absolutely no sympathy) but NURSES; well I had to ask why. It seems the H1N1 virus is praying on the minds on everyone. In North America, H1N1 is officially more scary that the boogie man.

Scary, vary scary standard life nurses with big needles

Still that is what I find attractive about Montrealians; life is a real raison d’etre. Why be concerned about what people think of you dressing up when life itself is too short. Pirates on the metro, ghouls in coffee shops….it would never happen in Edinburgh? Can you imagine a pirate at 8am getting on the number 23 bus at Morningside with a briefcase in one arm heading to work? “Arrr jim lad, pieces of 8 – single to princes street please driver”. Still if you see a pirate next year in Morningside on a bike travelling to work…please say hello (and don’t ignore me)

Arr Jim lad, pirate ship ahoy to starboard

The Canadian staff at Standard life are absolutely no exception to this dress up fun. They are normal (in my book) and they love Halloween. I was absolutely gobsmacked with the effort some of the teams made to join in with the fun.  Their involvement was contagious (not in a H1N1 way). My Scottish colleague Peter had arrived in a suit and felt very over dressed and formal. He did the Edinburgh thing and removed his tie. Thank goodness I had the foresight to wear my kilt. In Standard Life the H1N1 nurses won best dressed team but the pirates were a very close second.

 

Happy Halloween from Montreal to all, I bet you wish you were here.

Arrived Safely and found Eric

I didn’t know he was lost, did you? Eric the king to some, brought fantastically to life by Ken Roach. Not even the small screen and ropey sound system of my in flight facilities could detract from the film (I normally watch my movies on a rather large plasma at home with sony digital dts sound with carefully positioned speakers). I’ll defo order that DVD (once it drops down to my fiver cost bracket). The only other travel highlight was the purchase of some uisce beatha, a lovely Isla malt. I need something to remind me of home and even the smell of an Ardbeg puts me on a barstool in the Cannies with friends listening to jokes about fancy liquors.

Ardbeg love at terminal Five

Montreal is cosmopolitan with a capital K. Everyone gets along with everyone and only once have I been tutted at for jay walking. I am in a fab apartment in the downtown area; Stanley (my dad’s name) to be exact and on 14th floor. There is something about high rise living that I love. There seem to be a lot of single people in my block all living the world that petula clark paints. Still I’ll never be alone and to prove it (as Herbert my building security caretaker will testify) I have been out every night this week. The down side to socialising is that I feel the need to exercise; so its operation gym membership at the local YMCA tomorrow; just watch my energy levels soar!

downtown; where the neon signs are pretty

I am being well looked after. I have a lovely workstation at Standard Life and I am meeting many new faces (just what a Woo needs). This Saturday we are away to see the big game with one of my Canadian colleagues, so watch out for that Ice Hockey power play blog early next week. It’s a local(ish) derby vs Toronto and we’ll see whether the game hits the passionate heights of an old firm game. I do expect as much fighting. C’mon the canadiens de montreal.

Au revoir mes amis.

Ready to Go

My Bags are packed and ready to go, taxi waiting at the door, I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.  Yes I am leaving on a jet plane for Montreal and I do know when I’ll be getting back. Friday 27th november to be exact. I am away to meet some new friends and be an adopted Scot abroad. Many years of touring with rugby friends means I pack a mean suitcase; complete with kilt, sporran, see you jimmie hat, one pair of brogues, flip flops and two suits for my working days in Standard Life Montreal. Bag weight limit means no room for the troos; still there is sometimes a fine line between tartan troos and amercan tourist abroad; so I’ll stick with the kilt and buy some talc when I get over (stops the chaffing).

I’ll miss the family and my Scottish rugby pals but I’ll come back with stories and adventures which will make life all the richer. I am also hoping to improve my french. Je parle un petit peu seulement. I have my french translation book to help me on my way; formidable n’est-cepas?

Au revoir for the now and be in touch when I land in quebec.