🚀 go-pugleaf

Ariane Lantz wrote in message ...

I appreciate your comments monsieur, primarily because it is the
`French culture' for which I moved to Montreal in the first place.  So
thank you for the advice.  However, you are wrong in thinking that I don't
speak a word of French.  My family immigrated to Canada from Avignon, but
i admit, having been born and raised on Vancouver Island doesn't really
help one's French much.  In any case, upon first impressions, the west
coast certainly seems to be a lot more of an open minded milieu than this
pervasive right-wing bourgeois mentality that dominates the east. Anyway,
I just want to make one or two points in response to your message.


==== If you know a little bit of French it will be easy for you to make some
friends and to have some cultural activities.

First of all, it seems beyond stupid that we have groups like
`Alliance Quebec' (and their french equivalent) bickering like mindless
children over shop signs!!  Are there no more important issues than
this??!?

==== I agree with you, we should not have to do that, but with the situation
of French in America, we do not have the choice... If all English would do
their homework and learn French, there would not be any law on the
language...

There are many english people from all over the world who have
chosen to come to montreal because (we thought) it was french, and
therefore, living here would enrich our own cultural horizons.

==== Go say that to the English here : they will kill you. They do not
understand that.

  But with all these bourgeois simpletons imposing their own priorities on
this
place, and forcing us to deal with their silly little issues, what you end
up with are feelings of animosity and antagonism between linguistic groups
while the real issues which seem to distinguish anglo from franco from
everyone else in quebec are, at root, cultural ones.  The simplistic focus
on language only seems to obscure deeper issues.


==== Well, you are right here, try to learn more about history, and you will
see that French people in America were treated like shit, and I am polite...


And secondly, PLEASE DON'T confuse the attitudes and actions of
Ontario with the rest of english Canada.  When you say `english' i get the
feeling you're referring to Ontario, and believe me, the rest of the
country has very, very little in common with that province.  I've often
wondered if Quebec separatism would even be an issue at all the Quebecois
didn't have such a belligerent provincial neighbour.  Trust me, its common
knowledge all across Canada that Ontario sucks.  B.C. is filled with
people who have personally "separated" from there, and I think Ontario
provides a very distorted example of what the rest of english Canada is
like.  Ontario is unique in having turned the "power trip" into everyday
normal behaviour, and I would bet that these are the english people who
can't be bothered with learning French and who look down on the language.
Its all part of the Ontario power trip.


==== I lived in Western Canada for a couple of years, what I saw there is
basically the same attitude that you are taking about the Ontarians.


Finally, I can understand that there are certain niches in
Montreal where people turn to France for their cultural inspiration rather
than to America but, can you name some places in the city where one could
go and meet people while soaking up this "francophilia?"  Like certain
cafe's, artist's hangouts, etc??  (More like knowledge any english
newcomer should know about the Montreal vibe.)  Thanx.


==== Lots of place, but I think it would be easier for you to make some
friends before and polish your French a little bit. However, you can go see
some movies at ''la cin�math�que'' on Maisonneuve, or another theater with
''films de r�pertoire''. You will find interesting people there. There is a
little bar called ''Le p'tit bar'' on St-Denis near Sherbrooke that often
presents singers performing classic french repertoire, like Brel, Brassens,
etc... This place is so small that it will be difficult for you to not talk
to somebody. That would probably be a good place for a start. You can just
sit there with a good ''Belle gueule'', watch around and talk to people. I
am sure everybody will be very interested to talk to you and answer your
questions. It is always pleasant to see others people interested in our
culture. When I was in the West, I taught French to several people who
wanted to learn and I enjoyed that.

==== One final word, do not take my advices to seriously, because like
somebody said in another post, I am not in the class of educated,
open-minded and smart French people. Well, I guess I am illiterate, stuborn
and stupid. To bad for me. Thanks to the genius that wrote that. It is nice
to know more about myself.

==== Once again, welcome to Montr�al and keep up posted of your progress and
your experiences here, it is interesting.