Montreal, 5 weeks on

Some random observations:

1. This is a pedestrian city, with a whole bunch of inconvenient cars thrown in.

2. Pedestrians have the right-of-way, even if they don't look before they cross and have no idea that a vehicle is 2 inches away from them.

3. Nobody has the slightest idea how to keep a car in the lane, except for me :P. My sister confirms this. Apparently, since winter erodes the stripe between lanes, it's fair game to wander all over the road until the lanes are repainted.

4. The speed limit on the island is about to be lowered from 45 to 40kph to address some of the concerns listed above. :P

5. The metro is still a supremely cool way to get around.

6. There are more sushi bars per square foot than any other city in the solar system.

7. Spring is an actual season here, with tree leaves taking more than 36 hours to sproing to life - unlike the "spring" in Houston.

8. I'm really enjoying walking to the grocery store (which, although small, has an amazing produce section and an awesome butcher shop).

9. Recycling is a no-brainer, and it's fun!

10. There is apparently a way to pile four bedrooms into a 1200sq ft or smaller dwelling. Not that I'd live there - not enough space for our bed.

11. Everything tastes better.

12. Still getting used to brightly colored money, and one- and two-dollar coins.

13. There is no parking anywhere whatsoever, so every business delivers - even the grocery store.

14. Backing up and parallel parking are life-saving skills.

15. I should have remembered we already went to *that* Mexican restaurant a few years back, and they (still) really don't know how to make tortillas. And mariachi bands aren't supposed to play Santana tunes. :P

16. The state-sponsored liquor store has all of my favorite booze. :woohoo:

More later if I feel like it. :D

I love Montreal seconded only by Quebec City. Have you found an apartment or house yet?

:hi:

aA

This is the 400th anniversary of QC, and we're planning to visit and hang out for a few days this summer. The tree I planted when I was 6 is visible from orbit. :wow:

We're getting close to signing a lease (a few more places to check out, but we have a tentative winner), and I have a second interview with a small but cool IT company Monday afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed.

:hi:

It really sounds like it's all coming together for you.

aA

public. It is so cute.

Smooching in public like it ain't no thing - which it shouldn't be. It's really cool. :)

Yeah, I'm elitist that way :hide:

but I'm told the reason the city is unnaturally clean is because it's the public beta of the Canadian android project. :P

I think, from what I've heard, it's a city I could be happy living in. What is the cost of living there compared to other places?

like everywhere else, but since we don't have to drive much with the metro, it's not that much of an issue. Food is surprisingly cheap, electricity even more so. You can call Hydro-Quebec and find out what the bills are for any address in town. I'd say electricity is maybe a quarter of what it cost in Houston, less if you opt for balanced billing.

I guess if you're just moving from Houston, you probably wouldn't know so much about other places. I don't drive anymore (I know how, I'd just rather not, and I can't afford a car anyway), so I don't worry about gas. It's good to know that food and bills are cheap. What is rent like? I'd imagine that it would be more expensive than Houston, but cheaper than New York, but that's probably a wide field.

More in the trendy boroughs, less in the burbs. Some come with bills paid, some not. There are lots of places that are renting fully furnished, which I found perplexing until I realized how many students live in the city, what with at least 6 major universities here.

How are the kitties adjusting? Nice to see you, friend! :hug: :hug:

:loveya: The kitties are still being boarded, but it's a block away, so we see them every day. We're really anxious to get our own place (my sister moved in with her s.o. temporarily and is letting us have her condo) so we can all be reunited. They all came down with colds due to the stress of travel, but their new vet is amazing, and they're all doing much better.

Please convey my belated birthday wishes to Call Me Wesley. :) :hug:

I adore Quebec!

If yes, I'm sure we can work something out. I have to sponsor the s.o. first, though. :D

:P