Montreal, one year on - ask me anything

It's been a rough (in spots) and weird year, but the s.o. and I are both glad to be here.

:hi:

Is it true in Montreal they are VERY rude if you don't speak French well? (heard this from a relative who went and wanted to try out her French there and the locals would have none of it)

On the west side, it's very anglophone. The further east you go, into what are traditionally working-class neighborhoods, the more francophone it gets. We live just east of downtown, and it's a lot more French-speaking than my sister's borough (where we landed for two months upon our arrival). The s.o.'s learning French, and hasn't noticed any overt hostility from the shopkeepers and such. If you're at least trying, people cut you slack; if they know you live in the area, you get extra points for your effort to assimilate.

Of course, there are assholes everywhere.

Are things as bad there as they are here as far as the economy goes?

The provincial government is about to plunk down a huge chunk of change into job creation and the infrastructure, so that should help. Our manufacturing, services, and farming sectors are well diversified, and our financial industry is insanely regulated. Looks like we're in pretty good shape, considering that it used to be the U.S. catches a cold, and Canada dies from pneumonia.

That said, I consider myself very lucky to have a job contract through December of this year. If my contract doesn't get renewed (due to completed project), I should be in a much better position to find a job next year, with 18 months' experience up here.

I was goofing off on the Canadian immigration site one time taking that test they have as a part of the determination whether to accept you into the country as an immigrant. I scored a 67, the lowest you could have and still be considered. I guess truckers aren't in high demand up that way. :) I also have a couple of misdemeanors to my credit :7 and I'm pretty sure with that and the low score they'd be kicking my American ass right back down to Ohio.

I know you get big points if you have an advanced degree. Was that the case with you guys?

The s.o. is on a visitor visa - can't work or undertake a degree at school. We're going ahead with a permanent resident application, which should be settled around September of this year.

We vacationed there last spring (about this time of
year, actually). We visited my daughter's on-line
MySpace friend and his family...

had such a good time that I perused the want ads,
ALL of which seemed to insist on the applicant
being "perfectly bi-lingual".

I'm not even perfectly uni-lingual!

Managed to not forget all my French during my 28-year stint in Texas.

So yes. :rofl:

You can get a job here if you only speak English or only French, but of course it helps to know both. The s.o. is actually doing pretty well with the French lessons.

There's now a significant influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants, so I'm kicking myself in the arse for not bothering to learn it when I was in the States.

:hi:!

I called ahead, was told when I had to be there to get a number because that clinic only takes 16 walk-ins a day. I showed up at 11, was screened by a very competent nurse around noon, then had to wait a bit to see the doctor because the screener also sorts patients by how ill they are. Since I wasn't in that bad a shape, I saw the doctor pretty much last (of all the walk-ins), around 3pm. I was first examined by a student who *read the notes* taken by the screening nurse, took his time with me, asked nothing but pertinent questions, checked me out top to bottom, then called in his supervising MD, who went over some of what he did. I never felt rushed, they answered all my questions, never talked down to me, and sent me on my way after spending almost an hour with me. The student had more on the ball than many U.S. doctors I've met.

Money never changed hands, because I have my universal coverage card. When the s.o. went to the doctor, it only cost $60-80, depending on the doctor.

Everyone in the waiting room was well-behaved and courteous, and nobody got chuffed because of the wait.

There is a shortage of general practitioners, and the province is in its third year of offering incentives to MDs to go into GP. We should be up to our ears in GPs in another couple of years, hopefully.

:hi:

in an office where they have to wait five hours to be seen. Can you imagine what assholes they'd seem, going up to the window every half-hour to demand what the hell's going on?

Thanks for the info. :)

He grumbled a lot about having to wait, but was never rude to the staff. Everybody else in the waiting room sort of ignored him. :P