Montreal en Lumiere

This last weekend I went to Montreal with Kristen for the annual winter festival. For those not in the know, which is I am guessing everyone south of the Canadian border, Montréal en Lumière is a yearly food and arts fair for those more cultured than myself. This year's theme was Belgium and so they had a variety of expensive Belgian food we largely did not partake in. But we did have Belgian waffles. Sweet, delicious, chocolate filled Belgian waffles. No doubt just like the Belgians make.

Montreal's about a three and a half hour drive from Lebanon, and it's a fairly beautiful one at that. The Northeast Kingdom, a green hilly feudal area I believe run by hobbits, is very picturesque and Southern Quebec though largely flat farmland is punctuated by mountains that emerge periodically from the country side, climb rapidly into the air, and then descend back into the flat plains just as quickly again. You'll have to take my word for this, though, we didn't take any pictures.

But we did take a picture at the border! It was a small crossing and so small in fact that the Canadians did not care to put much in the way of a welcoming banner around it. Just a sign at a largely abandoned rest stop.

Montreal is a beautiful city and Old Montreal is especially so. Although there's a fairly efficient metro system it's perhaps better to walk if the distance is not too far just to see the city. We got in Saturday afternoon and immediately headed for the festival. After redirecting ourselves in the proper direction about twenty minutes later we headed for the festival again. The fair grounds were a collection of random colored lights, plastic domes to keep warm when it got too cold (and which had their own random collections of random colored lights inside but otherwise served no real purpose), a Ferris wheel, bonfires, and a giant ice slide that unfortunately had a two hour wait. It was my only regret.

Things got a little crazy at times like when they played a trippy, psychedelic video short on the wall of one of the nearby buildings, and a little rowdy at times when the Canadians spontaneously broke out into dance during the free concert by a French Canadian band later in the evening. Belgian waffles aside, we also had some poutine which is Quebec's contribution to the culinary world. Seriously, though, I cannot get the video short out of my head. Or my nightmares.

Much of the rest of the city was beautifully lit up as well, and we took pictures of some of it, but you're going to have to use your imagination for the most part. I was told by Kristen that much of it looked like Boston so, you know, if you've been to Boston before it's kind of like that but with more Frenchmen. The next day we tried to go to the biodome, but there was over a one hour wait in way too sweaty a line so we hiked over to the Montreal history museum instead. That's when our camera died, and when we'll say the trip ended. After a very long wait at the border to get back into the US. I'm pretty sure I've smuggled Mexicans across the border in less time than it took to get back into New Hampshire. It's good to know that part of the border is safe, though. From the terrorists and their flannel.

Pictures!

A Brief Visit

This last weekend my brother and sister-in-law visited with their dog and dog-like thing. Being in the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) still I was semi-lucid throughout most their visit which is about 25% more lucid than I typically am in the intensive care unit. Despite the wacky hours and Sushi's repeated attempts at thwarting good times by her unrequested pooping and stick leg punch assaults we managed to have a reasonably good time complete with Robin Hood, Sea World, and the requisite Nerts play.

The best part, though? Toxic Waste candy. Between visiting Sea World's timeless Cannery Row Caper and the slightly less entertaining spray-water-in-your-face 4D Pirate movie experience we visited the candy shop which, in addition to the standard candy fare, advertised Toxic Waste: Hazardously Sour Candy. It was sour, no doubt, but I would have hesitated to call it hazardously so. As such, in the interest of ascertaining the truth, we then insisted Adam eat six of them at once. He survived with little more than some superficial sloughing of the oral mucosa and with little in the way of face puckering. Still not terribly hazardous. Then we saw that they were made in Pakistan. He now has cancer.

Anyways, here, finally, are photos from Canada.

The Loose Moose

Canada, it seems, is the land of wacky restaurant names. C'est What?, Kit Kat Italian Bar and Grill, Fred's Not Here, Burrito Boyz, The Jerk Spot, Joe Mamas, The Red Tomato, Hey Lucy, Forget About It, and, of course, The Loose Moose. Much more creative at least, than San Antonio's perennial favorite, Taqueria Jalisco Arandas #4 which about every third restaurant is named. And they were tasty too!

There was of course more to Toronto than good food; though, skinny people! I had forgotten what it was like to be in a city of attractive individuals. We undoubtebly brought down the standard in our highwater, navel hugging dress blues, but being a polite people the Canadians didn't seem to mind.

The conference from a conference perspective was a success, I guess. There was much conferencing at least. And I was right, it basically was both a series of boring lectures by distinguished guests and internal medicine dance party. If by internal medicine dance party you mean more boring lectures by distinguished guests. Thankfully they were interesting boring lectures, and by and large fairly educational. There was also a moose sculpture painted in a rather dapper tuxedo at the special events center that I am still sorry I did not get my picture taken with.

When we weren't conferencing we were poster presenting, and that was unfortunately not quite as successful. Although I displayed my poster with the best of 'em, it won me no prizes. Which, we all know, is the sole purpose of presenting research posters. I am hopeful the judges are regretful of their decision and lying awake at night troubled by the knowledge my genius went unacknowledged. If so they may send any and all reconciliatory awards and medals to me directly at an address to be given upon request.

And when we weren't poster presenting we were... drinking recklessly? An overstatement perhaps, but my co-residents it seems like to party and no party is complete, Canadian or otherwise, without significant sums of alcohol. Everyone was safe and classy, no doubt, but safe and classy and somewhat inebriated. Thankfully Toronto is a travel friendly town and whether through taxi, or metro, or bus, or foot, or bike, or rollerblade everyone made it home safely. Likely because no one took to rollerblading.

Then there was a trip to Toronto Island where we road slightly effeminate bicycles. Visits to an amazing museum or two. An aborted trip to Niagara Falls thanks to a complete absence of rental cars. Some Tim Horton donuts (which it turns out are just "alright" if my Canadian brethren may forgive me.) And a whole lot of aimless city wandering.

I cannot say I completely experienced Toronto or even got a true, adequate taste of Canada, but I can say it was a pretty good time. Will definitely have to go back some day. No doubt aboot it.

Oh, Canada...

Canadian photos pending future computer cooperation. They're just that awesome. And my computer is just that not cooperative.

Oh Canada

Canada!

We have been estranged too long.

I am coming for you!

After twenty-seven long years of living in ignorance of my northern neighbor, the sum of my knowledge stemming from a few Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, a Five Iron Frenzy song, and some pictures of what was likely Antarctica, it is time for change. Real change. Powerful change. Barack Obama-style change -- though with less ambiguity and non-productivity. It's settled! I am going to Canada, and in the national spirit I will hug a Canadian. Which I can only assume is an eskimo.

In anticipation of this warming in relations, I have heavily studied the recent 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Although it took me two weeks of additional TiVo watching to get through it all, or most all of it save yet another women's biathalon with fatigued Norwegians drooling all over their rifles, I have learned that some Canadians are good at sports and NBC news personalities seem to enjoy mounting and riding moose. Or mooses. Or meese. I think this is sufficient information to bridge the cultural divide.

I have the USAF to thanks for my pending travels. After further consideration, and a second round of acceptance from the ACP, they have agreed to pay my way to Toronto for the the National ACP Medical Conference where I will present my research and, I guess, do some serious conferencing. Having never been to one of these events before I am not sure what to expect. Boring lectures? Boring lectures by distinguished guests? Internal medicine physician dance party?

This brings me to my last question, though, what to do in Toronto? I hear they have a tower. And.... the Blue Jays? Perhaps I will get myself some milk in a bag. Or stir up the Quebecois.