Montreal in Random Photos - 3

Have you seen The Avengers yet? If not, then you need to stop reading this shit excuse of a blog, make your way to the local cineplex, grab a garbage can sized bucket of popcorn, and enjoy that brilliant piece of film. And it shouldn't need to be said, as every other previous Marvel film does this, but you need to sit your ass all the way through the credits to catch the final cut scenes.

Now, if you have seen this movie, then please feel free to continue perusing the wares below... all photos shot with the Kiev 88CM on Kodak Portra 400 in beautiful sunny Montreal back in March (you know, when the student protests hadn't yet degraded to unruly behaviour, violence, and now infighting amongst their own).

Montreal in Random Photos - Part 2

I'm uploading a second set of randoms from Montreal while Anita slowly wakes from her marathon 20hr sleep (okay, maybe I exaggerate just a touch)... funny story, yesterday we were talking about Kris Kross (remember them? Wiggity Wiggity Wiggity Wack), and I was telling her about how they only had one hit. And she was like, "Oh they're a 'One Song Hitter', right?" Sometimes her slightly incorrect use of colloquial terms is pretty funny.

Anyways, on with the show. JUMP JUMP. Mac Daddy make ya...




















In order from top to bottom:
1) Beautiful homes in an affluent neighbourhood just south of Sherbrooke Metro Station.
2) Dinner at the 'good luck getting in if you don't have a reservation' Au Pied De Cochon.
3) We didn't have reservations, but managed to snag the one remaining table anyways. Anita had the Duck in a Can, which was literally served to you out of the can. It was fantastic.
4) Street Art involving Batman... kickass.
5) Another film shooting student I spotted during the massive student protest. She was rocking a Mamiya C3 TLR.
6) Breakfast at St. Viateur's, famous for their fresh bagels
7) Decor at Khyber Pass, an awesome Afghan restaurant next door to Au Pied De Cochon.
8) Beautiful architecture in the square surrounding Basilica Notre-Dame.
9) A delicious savoury crepe with eggs, ham, bacon, and maple syrup.

Montreal in Random Photos - Part I

Well it wasn't quite the full on pink slip exercise that we were fearing today, so I can hold off on my backup career plan of becoming a professional sperm donor... for now. Too much info?

Anyways, quick set of random photos from my first day in Montreal last week.

















In order from top to bottom:
1) View from our hotel room.
2) I liked this teapot at a great little dumpling place called Qing Hua.
3) A little Vespa in the street action.
4) Daytime view from hotel room.
5) Without meaning to, I ended up stumbling into Chinatown when google maps pointed me wrong. The sculpture is of chinese maidens.
6) The front facade of Notre-Dame.
7) I met a local gal who was sketching the front facade of Hotel Deville.
8) The sketch only took her 30 minutes. I was impressed. But I think she may have thought I was hitting on her. Seriously, it's nigh impossible to approach a girl to take a photo without coming off as a creep.

Montreal Student Protests

Been in Montreal for the past few days, and it has been awesome - hot summery weather, GREAT food, and super friendly folks everywhere! Got into the thick of it yesterday, as I attended a good old fashioned Student UPRISING protest against tuition hikes. Good for them, sticking it to the man (or in this case, Jean Charest's provincial government). The protest was the culmination of a weeklong general strike for a lot of university students (who knew students could strike?!!)... It was well organized, well attended, and most importantly, well behaved. Which is refreshing, given the riot a couple weeks ago during Anti-Police Brutality day, which ironically then ended in police brutality.

I'd write more, but let's face it, you're all just here to see the topless protester…























Alright, it's time to go eat obscene amounts of smoked meat. A la prochaine, mes amis!

Update - May 10, 2010 - While I was generally supportive of the idea of fighting unilateral decisions on tuition hikes, I have to say that after a month of prolonged protests that have often ended in unruly behaviour, violence, and smoke bomb campaigns along the Metro lines, I no longer have much sympathy for this movement. Access to education is an issue that is of utmost importance to society, but resorting to violence and (smoke) bombing of public transit lines instead of rationally debating the attempts at compromise is certainly not bargaining in good faith. For the majority of students out there who are protesting within their legal means, good on you. But the few organizers of the aforementioned unfortunate (illegal) tactics is giving the entire student body a bad name. End rant.