This should be in a museum!

Feeling adventurous, Adam and I headed out to Vieux-Port this past Sunday for the Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology exhibit at the Montreal Science Centre.  Adam had been wanting to go since I moved here, and the exhibit will only be in Montreal until September 18, so we decided to go check it out.  


I have insisted on leading the way when we go out so I can learn my way around the city.  Adam isn't allowed to correct me if I make a mistake - I learn best through experience.  Luckily the route to the museum is not complicated.  A quick Metro ride downtown and I managed to get out at the proper stop and successfully led us to the museum.  On our walk through Vieux-Port we stopped to check out some downtown condo listings posted in a window, but decided the million dollar lofts weren't really our style.  I happen to like our cozy, narrow apartment in the Plateau.  And I think it will get even better once I "girl" it up a bit.

My wayfinding skills took a turn for the worse as soon as we arrived inside the museum.  I'm still not really certain if the museum's signage was poor or if our excitement was at fault, but we somehow managed to walk right by the very long ticket line and down a very long hallway all the way to the archaeology exhibit - only to be turned back to the museum entrance for our admission tickets.  Once we managed to do things in the proper order we were finally allowed into the exhibit.  


It is billed as an interactive museum adventure, shedding light on historical myths (such as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail) through clips and memorabilia from the movies.  The displays include a large collection of Indiana Jones film props, costumes, models, concept art and set design from the Lucasfilm archives along with material remains and real world artifacts from around the world. 

It was a unique comparison, and I learned a lot.  Who knew bullwhips are not standard gear for archaeologists?  I think Adam was hoping for more action and that we would be chased through the exhibit by a giant bolder.  He spent more time on the movie displays than most of the artifacts (although the hieroglyphics had his attention).  At one point, while going through an educational section of the exhibit, Adam said to me, "We can skip this extra stuff... there is more Indiana Jones stuff over here!"  Of course we stopped to try on fedoras at the gift shop.


After spending a couple hours going through the museum, we wandered over to Chinatown for a delicious lunch.  Our bellies full of sizzling beef, we headed back to the Metro and home.  But not before we stopped to get our free samples of Dr. Pepper inexplicably being handed out from the back of a Dr. Pepper van.  Not a bad day for a couple of couch potatoes. :)

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Men World

Mad woMan, Lauren

Adam and I are avid couch potatoes.  Our favorite moments are when we are sitting around, doing nothing, watching television together. And as newlyweds, our couch potato habits haven't actually changed very much.  Even though we purchased a brand new kitchen table and chairs for our apartment, we have only eaten at it a handful of times.  The table has become a catch-all for immigration paperwork and where I sit to write my blog.  Most nights we fix dinner, then fix ourselves in front of the TV for a marathon of our favorite show of the moment.  Right now that show is Mad Men.


Although Adam had already watched it all, I was (way) behind the times, and had never even caught a single episode.  As we were settling into our spots on the sofa one Saturday morning, our plates heaped with cheesy omelets and bacon, Adam turned on the very first episode of Mad Men.  From that long overdue moment, I was transfixed by the story of 1960's ad man Don Draper and his colleagues on Madison Avenue.  The stories, the sets, the costumes... what's not to love?


We have nearly finished watching our way through the fourth season, and it's going to be a long wait until new episodes begin airing next year.  But honestly, I am kind of looking forward to our hiatus.  When you are immersed in a marathon of Mad Men episodes, you can't help but feel like a character yourself.


I am not a smoker.  But after watching the characters puff through countless cartons of cigarettes (not to mention the drinks!), I find myself craving a cigarette... or at the very least a drink (or two).  So if a non-smoker like myself, feels compelled to smoke it's no wonder that Adam has been having trouble sticking with his plan to quit.  I wouldn't be surprised if there is an increase in cigarette sales during any given Mad Men season.  After a brief relapse, Adam is back to the Nicotine gum.  I can't say that I mind the slip-ups or that I even blame him (the last several weeks have been stressful at work).  I just hope that he doesn't quit trying to quit.


Because I have too much time on my hands, Adam and I took a quiz on AMC's Mad Men page to find out which characters we are most like.  As he predicted, Adam is a Pete Campbell (who oddly enough, is one of the few characters that does not smoke), ambitiously working his way up the corporate ladder.  I feared that I would be a Betty Draper, but was relieved to be likened to Salvatore Romano, the former art director at Sterling Cooper.  (whew!)  I'd gladly be compared to a highly creative, closeted gay man over an immature housewife any day.


I can attest that it is isolating to be a housewife when everyone you know works and you don't speak the local language.  I made it nearly a month, but I finally became really homesick last week.  Luckily, I have Adam for a husband and not Don Draper.  Adam heroically made it through my crying melt down, and then helped me pick out a French class to ensure that I will not become a bored housewife.  He made me feel a thousand times better - but I must admit, I feel silly for getting so upset.  I have an amazing opportunity to live in a new country, learn a new language, and meet new people.  I can't help missing my family and friends, but I think it would be really unfortunate if I spent too much of my time here crying about it.  Hopefully, I won't have more Betty Draper moments.

Mad Man, Adam

As for homesickness, I think Don Draper's pitch to Kodak at the end of the first season says it best: "Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent.  Teddy told me that in Greek, "nostalgia" literally means "the pain from an old wound".  It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.  This device isn't a spaceship, it's a time machine.  It goes backwards, and forwards... it takes us to a place where we ache to go again.  It's not called the wheel, it's called the carousel.  It let's us travel the way a child travels - around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved."

Lighting up the Montreal Sky

Best seats in the house, an apartment view of the
International Firework Competition in Montreal.

There are many things I enjoy: a deliciously crunchy pickle spear to accompany a sandwich, coming home to snuggle with Adam in front of the TV, and the razzle dazzle of fireworks (just to name a few).  I will elaborate on the first two in future posts and stick to the subject of fireworks this time around.


Having lived my entire life in the United States, there are two national holidays that burn brightest - The Fourth of July and New Year's Eve.  Any celebration that requires lighting things on fire and watching them go boom is bound to be a great time.  Montreal must feel the same way, because they have devoted a good portion of their summers to enjoying pyrotechnic displays.


Known for being the best and largest fireworks festival in the world, L'International des Feux Loto-Quebec began in late June and finished up last weekend.  At 10pm every Wednesday and Saturday evening, the sky over Montreal lit up - with at least 4,000 fireworks set off during each thirty minute display.  I don't think I need to explain how exciting it is to have a full hour of fireworks every week!  


The competition has been held yearly since 1985, over Lacs des Dauphins (Dolphin Lake, for my anglophone friends) at La Ronde (Montreal's amusement park, opened as part of the Expo 67 World's Fair, and now a Six Flags theme park).  At La Ronde, the show can be viewed from the 7,600 seats available for purchase or there is standing room for an additional 30,000 people.  If you don't want to pay the park's admission you can join the thousands of spectators who enjoy the show for free throughout the city - in Vieux-Port, on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, or as we did this year - from a well positioned apartment balcony belonging to Adam's friend.


This was the first year we realized the fireworks were synchronized to music, which seems obvious now, but makes them even more spectacular.  There are sixty acoustic speakers surrounding the lake.  Or if you are at Bjorn's apartment, the music is broadcast over a provincial radio station to accompany the display.

This year eight countries competed: China, Czech Republic, England, Italy, Australia, USA, Canada, and France. The final show was a non-competitive tribute to the Beatles and their music.  A jury, chosen from the general public, determined the winners of the Jupiter award in Gold, Silver, and Bronze.  Those familiar with Roman Mythology, may remember that Jupiter is the god of the sky and natural elements, such as thunder and lightning.


I'd love to say that we made it to each and every pyrotechnic display, but sadly there were a few we missed.  I truly regret having missed Italy's "Angels and Demons" themed display (put on by Pirtecnia Mosani RSl, the same company that does the firework displays for the Vatican) which was awarded the Gold Jupiter.  I wish I could tell you how amazing it was to watch that show in person, but I wanted to attempt ordering dessert in French when we were out to dinner that night.  Adam warned me I would not have time for both dessert and fireworks, and I forgot that service can be a lot slower in Montreal than what I am used to in Chicago.  On a side note, I learned an important lesson that night: "mangue", French for mango, is not pronounced "man-goo".

iPhones aren't best for photographing fireworks,
but this captures some of the awesomeness
during the finale of the Beatles tribute display.

Next year I would like to splurge and actually see one of the firework displays from La Ronde.  There is no doubt that the fireworks are impressive from anywhere in the city.  But after watching some of the displays we missed online, I think there is definitely an exceptional view of the ground show and a whole perspective at La Ronde that just cannot be seen from anywhere else.

J'aime Le Mont-Royal!

For the past two weeks the mountain has been calling my name.  To an outsider, it may seem like just a large hill.  But the natives like to think of it as a mountain. I myself have an infatuation with this slice of nature plopped down in the middle of the city, so I will have to side with the Montrealers on this one.

A quick history lesson: The first European to climb the mountain was Jacques Cartier, who dubbed it Mount Royal, from which the city takes its name.  The surrounding park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the very same landscape architect that designed New York City's Central Park and the fairgrounds for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (what is now known as Jackson Park).  

Too many stairs to count
on a shortcut up Mont-Royal.

Ever since my first visit to Montreal, I've been dragging Adam up the mountain to explore the surrounding park, trails, and lake.  Each time he would respond with, "Again?!?  We already did that!"  But I always feel compelled to go back and explore more.

So at last, I made a visit to the mountain on a lovely, but overcast day (as you can tell from the pictures).  It's hard to say when exactly the transition from city to nature happens.  The urban background noise begins to fall away and is replaced with a calm of breezy trees and chirping birds.  This natural oasis in the middle of the city is the thing I love most about Montreal.

Chalet du Mont-Royal (above) with
stairs leading down to its front
terrace.  Inside the chalet (center),
paintings hang just below the
ceiling depicting the story of
French exploration in North America.

A view of Montreal and the
St. Lawrence River beyond from
the front terrace of
Chalet du Mont-Royal.

      

On this trip, I took a shortcut from the broad and winding switchbacks, opting for the stairs.  And quickly realized that I could be in much better shape.  I stopped at the Chalet du Mont-Royal to take in the panoramic view of the city on the front terrace.  Then I circled around on a smaller footpath to see the Croix du Mont-Royal, a large cross that is illuminated at night and is visible through out the city.

Water run-offs along
Chemin Olmstead.

A footpath along
Mont-Royal.

Croix du
Mont-Royal.

Three hours wandering around the mountain top, and I can't wait to go back.  If you ever come to visit me in Montreal, be prepared for a hike up the mountain. :)

A Weekend with Grover

Soon we will be the proud owners of an English Bulldog.  Many have wondered aloud (yes, we have heard you) if we are ready for the responsibility of owning a puppy.  Truth be told, probably not.  But is any parent ever really ready for their new bundle of joy?

Luckily, we were able to try out our dog owning skills for a weekend, with an adorable lhasa apso named Grover.  We now have a better idea of all the slobbers, snores, and smells we have to look forward to as future dog owners.


But more importantly, it has been an opportunity to see how Charlie gets along with a dog.  Of course, being a cat, he was less than thrilled.  For Charlie, what started as a terrifying weekend with Grover, has turned into a (somewhat) peaceful coexistence based on distrust, just as many friendships do.

It should be noted, that Charlie believes he possesses some of the legendary skills of the ninja, including invisibility.  To evade Grover, Charlie will freeze into crouching tiger pose for a full 60 seconds until his foe loses interest and falls asleep.  Charlie then switches to "Stealth Cat" mode and creeps in a ridiculously slow manner from the room.  Because barely moving makes him invisible. 

It took a few days, but Charlie has become used to Grover being around.  There is still an occasional hiss or a warning meow, but Charlie is willing to tolerate Grover.  Especially when in the kitchen, because the possibility of getting food far outweighs the annoyance of having a dog around.  I think they are destined to be best frenemies forever.


And I think we are destined to be hitting the library soon so we can study up on house training a puppy and be ready for our puppy-to-be when he gets here.

La vie est bonne!

I have never been big on making changes in my life, so moving almost 750 miles from where I have lived my entire life seems crazy.  I find myself in a new country with a new language as a newlywed.  We've been planning this for years, but to actually be living the plan is surreal!

Arriving in Montreal, I spent the first two weeks getting the apartment in order.  Adam hadn't unpacked (or moved) a single box since he moved in last month so we could do it together and I would feel at home.  I love that excuse!  I can't complain because it has kept me busy during the day while Adam is at work.

It took me a couple of days to build up the courage to venture out on my own to the local shops to pick up groceries and such.  I can't understand a word of French, but usually people will switch over to English and I'm able to get by.  There have only been a few instances when someone couldn't (or maybe just wouldn't) speak English.  I need to find a French class so I'll feel more comfortable going oot and aboot on my own.

Adam also wanted some change in his life, so he quit smoking last month!  I know it has been really hard for him, but he has done an amazing job.  The nicotine gum really works.  Having the motivation of getting the English Bulldog puppy he has always wanted seems to help too.  We met with a local breeder and put a deposit down.  When the pups are born in August we will get first pick of the litter.

So far I am loving Montreal.  I really like where we live.  It reminds me of Chicago's neighborhoods, but in French.  There are lots of little restaurants and shops to explore.  

We even overcame some early struggles of married life: shopping at Ikea and putting Ikea furniture together.  

I guess change is good!  La vie est bonne!