2 years ago..by thomas

... almost to the minute, I was landing in Montreal, Canada, not knowing where to stay, and wondering why I had decided to leave France. I remember calling that girl that had tried to help me finding an apartment and asking if I could stay at her place... And so my first contact with North American culture was Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, one of the worst neighbourhood's in Montreal. Eventhough people where really nice, and really curious about this french "cousin" visiting from sooo far away, I had to admit I seriously wondered what I was doing there, and decided myself to call an old friend of mine I studied with in Scotland, and fortunately, his parents were renting an apartment... So what happened during these two years?

• I discovered that people in Quebec dont speak French - even after two years I can have a hard time understanding
• I tried poutine and smoked meat - I still prefer to cook real food
• I lived my two first winters, with snow and -8000 at least, sleding, snowshoeing..
• I met a fantastic girl!
• I visited the land of the crazy people, (where I met said girl) and go there every weekend, eventhough I am still as nervous when crossing the border
• I saw Niagara falls, twice
• I visited the Ice Hotel
• I bathed on the East side of the Atlantic ( it was cold)
• I drove a stupid automatic car...and a stupid automatic van
• I kissed a great girl (the same I mentioned earlier)
• I found a job on my first interview

So many other things happened, but it would be too long...All in all, I am just starting to understand American culture, and eventhough it is hard and sometimes frustrating, I adapt myself. I miss my country, I miss my family, I miss french food, french tv, french sports... but this is my new life and it won't wait for me, so I enjoy every single bit of it... Two years already!!