(no longer) LOST IN JAPAN

Sarcasm is a tool that losers use to bring winners down to their level

It's time for an update. I'm only updating this blog for Angie because I love her to death... my life here in Montreal is not nearly as exciting as it was in Japan... not that my life was earth-shatteringly exciting there either... but at least I was in Japan.
Montreal is a beautiful place. Big city, good shopping, lots to do... except that I am still trying to figure out where I belong here. It's weird. I'm home but it doesn't feel like home. I couldn't find Bonaventure Metro Station! What is up with that?! It's a really strange feeling being lost in the city you grew up in...

A few things that I realized coming back to Montreal:
1) Japan is not nearly as expensive as people think it is... especially now that the Canadian dollar is worth more than 100 yen...
2) Customer service in Montreal is basically non-existant... Most cashiers don't even acknowledge your presence... WOULD IT KILL YOU PEOPLE TO SMILE!?!?
3) Not everyone deserves a tip. I don't like tipping people 15% just because they brought me my food... That was not the point of tipping
4) Drinks are really expensive... and I thought Japan was bad... $7,50+tip for a cocktail is BS
5) The trains in Japan, although expensive, are better than the buses in Montreal
6) I really miss my PS2 (it broke while I was in Japan...)
7) Living in a city where people can use both English and French with ease is awesome... I never noticed how unique Montreal is in that respect
8) Montreal is a really great city... It may not be as big as Tokyo or as old as Kyoto or Nara... but it certainly is pretty. Don't believe me? Just check out the pics below.


Old Montreal at twilight

IN OTHER NEWS:
The Japanese girls left Montreal on August 24th. The 23rd, we were invited to their "graduation" ceremony... which was a regular university graduation ceremony for the first half and then performances just like at school festival. I was so happy when the students were performing. It made me feel like I was in Japan again, during the best part of the school year: Bunkasai. The students danced and sang songs. It was really great. And as usual, the Japanese students blew me away. And when it was all over and we were saying goodbye to the girls... it was just like saying goodbye to Japan all over again. I cried. Again.

This weekend was Labour Day weekend. Last Wednesday, my cousin Dave (from Ireland) and his wife had called to let us know that they would be arriving in Montreal on Thursday. My Dad went to pick them up at the airport but little did he know that instead of 2 people coming over, it was 6... David failed to give us warning... But my mother... superwoman that she is... took the news without even batting an eye... If I can be half the woman my mother is, I'll be happy. Right now I think I'm at 10%.
Having our Irish guests was excellent. They were great fun and I got to show them around some more. I've been off school since Wednesday so I had some time to give them the grand tour of the city. They had great weather the whole time they were here. And then the day after they left, we got the tail end of Ernesto so the weather has been quite grey...

I saw Snakes on a Plane the other day. The movie was terrible yet awesome at the same time. I also went to see indie film Little Miss Sunshine which was a great movie and had me in stitches for most of it. It's so nice to be able to go to the movies for under $10 again...

I suppose that's about it for me. I'll end the post with some long awaited pictures of our international visitors this past month.


Kumi and Miyuki with the family on top of the St. Joseph's Oratory (a really big church built about 100 years ago)

Miyuki, Jen, me and Kumi at the Mont-Royal observaory. You can see the Olympic Stadium in the distance

Yasuyo at the Biodome de Montréal

Yuki at the Biodome de Montréal

Under an umbrella at an outdoor "concert"


Our Irish guests (David, Nuala, Judy, Paddy, Angela and Mark) at the Mont-Royal observatory. Notice again the Olympic Stadium in the background

The Russells. That's David on the left and his wife Nuala on the right. Can you see the family resemblance? I'll give you a hint... It's the nose...

Our Irish guests at St-Hubert Restaurant in downtown Montreal

David, Nuala, Judy and Paddy in front of the statue of Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve (the founder of Montreal... founded in 1642 for those of you who are not Montrealers)

Everyone in Old Montreal. I'm taking the picture. And as usual, my brother looks like he is about to kill someone...

And that's about it. I hope that by giving you my faithful readers a taste of what my city looks like, some of you will feel inclined to come and visit me.

posted by Samantha @ 7:20 PM