Now that the semester is finally over (hallelujah!), I’ve been exploring the city more and more. Yesterday night, since the weather was absolutely breathtaking, I joined a friend for some ice-cream, and we spent the night roaming the semi-tranquil streets of Montréal (it’s a given that there was a protest, hence the ‘semi-tranquil’.. but apart from that, there were very few people on the streets!).

After a 30 minute casual conversation with the guys who work at Ben Jerry’s, we made our way towards McGill College. We sat in this serene place which had a color-changing water fountain and some grass fields. We tried to look at the stars, but as I learned from my friend that night, because there was already a lot of light around us, we were not able to see the stars. (Something to do with the strength of the light, not too sure) After we finished up with our ice creams, we continued walking towards Old Port in hopes of riding on the famous musical swings. On our way there, we passed by so many beautiful gardens (which I’ve never seen before!) full of tulips. With the colorful tulips on the streets, a perfect degree of wind, and a friend by my side, yesterday night was out-right relaxing.

As we reached the musical swings, we realized that they were locked up, probably because it was a bit late at night. I was a bit bummed out because I’ve never been on them, and I’ve heard so much about them. But, fortunately, my friend showed me yet another amazing place. After jumping over a small fence and walking through a garden, I found my self in complexe Place des Arts. We found this statue-type monument which we climbed. On top of it, we lied down, and this time, we looked at the stars. After making some shapes from the clouds and conversing about various topics, we walked back home..

 Honestly aside from having such a carefree and relaxing time, I sadly realized how caught up I am during the semester. There were many beautiful days where I could have explored the city, instead of restricting myself to the same familiar streets I knew. Not only that, I would always put off new and unfamiliar adventures for the “summer” thinking they are only meant for the summer.

 There is a beautiful quote by Walter Hagen, which reads:

“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

I think every day (almost) deserves a new and exciting adventure to unfold. Whether it be during the semester, summer, or winter, I shouldn’t always rush things, instead should stop and smell the flowers along the way.

 On that note, have a beautiful week!

My friend and I at Place des Arts.

Me near the waterfall on McGill College. 

Quelque chose que j’ai lu pour mon cours de français…

“L’argument central des antiféministes selon lequel les hommes québécois manquent aujourd’hui de modèles masculins est lui aussi sujet à caution. Où les jeunes garçons — et filles — apprendront-ils que des femmes peintres peuvent avoir autant de talent que Michel Ange ou Picasso ? Que des physiciennes peuvent être aussi intelligentes qu’Einstein ? Et d’ailleurs, quelle femme est plus puissante que George Bush II ? Plus riche que Bill Gates ? Plus méchante qu’Oussama ben Laden ? À la tête du Québec, du Canada, de l’ONU, du G8, des hommes et encore des hommes. Tous les prix Nobel en économie ont été attribués à des hommes. « Nos » Alouettes, « nos » Expos, « nos » Canadiens ? Des hommes. Et les légendes pour adolescents ? Les héros de La Guerre des étoiles ? Des hommes. La compagnie du Seigneur des anneaux ? Dix hommes (ou elfes, ou nains, ou hobbits, mais tous mâles… ). Harry Potter ? Un homme. Et la religion : le pape, les rabbins, les mollahs, tous des hommes… Et Dieu ? Une image plutôt masculine…”

 Plus que les hommes, ce sont les « féministes » qui manquent de modèles. 

This past weekend I went to Toronto with my friends. This was my first visit there, and I can say I was impressed.

Initially, I was taken back by the city’s size and congestion. It’s a busy city! There are more people and cars on the streets than there are in Montreal. I did not like that aspect of Toronto, as in I can’t imagine myself, a student, roaming around Toronto on my own.

Nonetheless, I liked Toronto’s classiness and architecture; it definitely is more modern than Montreal. We went shopping during the day since they have shops that we don’t have here, and during the night we explored Toronto’s classy nightlife. 

I would definitely go there again!

My friends and I at a place called Cheval.