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A friend from Vancouver expressed surprise when I explained that on a return visit to my hometown of Montreal, I encountered bilingualism in action. He was talking to two businessmen while he was walking down Sainte-Catherine Street. One person started the sentence in English but ended it in French. One more time she responded in French at first, then switched to English and concluded in French. This kind of mixed language (or should I say mixed language) exchange went on between them for the entire five minutes I happened to be walking behind them.
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Clearly, what was happening was that some nuances of their ideas were better expressed in one language than the other. For me, this was a bilingual “poster conversation” at its finest.
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I was born and raised in Montreal's British community and attended McGill University, but I've lived in Vancouver for 50 years. I go to Montreal three or four times a year to visit family. Occasionally I take a vacation or stay for a short period of time as a first stop to explore other parts of the state. I feel like I'm about as much a Montrealer as a Vancouverite when it comes to staying up to date on Montreal and Quebec-related issues.
Besides reading the Gazette (and watching all the Corner Booth podcasts), I have continued to use French over the years and have actually expanded my French skills to the point where I consider myself more than functionally bilingual. That's what I think. Much to the delight of the Quebecers I occasionally interact with in Vancouver, I record every episode of his Tout le monde en parle and get lots of cultural, political, and entertainment-related information about Montreal and its province. doing.
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I frequently watch TVA and listen to local French CBC radio (British Columbia has a sizable French and Quebecois community). After going to Quebec City on a recent vacation and touring the National Assembly, I'm currently listening to an archived Q&A session.
This is how I improved my French skills and became a Quebec nerd at the same time. Finally, a few times a year, I get 8 dozen St. Viateur bagels shipped to my house in one night. I will rest my case.
Don't get me wrong. I've never wanted to move back to Montreal full time. I always thought the ideal situation would be to spend three to four months a year in Montreal and the rest in Vancouver.
These two cities are polar opposites in many ways: climate, history, geography, culture, and nature, the number of potholes, orange cones, and Valley Street signs. These are the perfect combination for a balanced urban and cultural life.
My friends here are confused when I tell them they know when the moment of my death will be, except for a group of ex-Montrealers. “When and how will I die?” they (and you) may ask. My answer is: “I will die of shock when the Cavendish Boulevard expansion is finally completed.”
On the positive side, this means I can live a very long life. But for all Montrealers, I certainly hope that doesn't make me immortal.
Stephen Framer is a semi-retired psychologist living in Vancouver.
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