2013/06/21

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  Rue Notre-Dame – Vieux Montréal – 2013.05.15
  Scènes de Montréal – Montreal Scenes
  

  Above

  We’ve got a few of those weirdos too. Our American side I guess.

  

  The joke of the day

  The American government, which through the NSA and other organisations, has been conducting an unprecedented worldwide espionnage operation on the citizens of this planet, is charging whistle-blower Edward Snowden for espionage. I’m not too sure what English word can best describe the absurdity of this situation.

  

  Job opportunity

  I need a medical secretary. This month alone I had to show up at one appointment with my surgeon, one appointment with my hepatologist, one appointment with a urologist, one appointment with my personal doctor, three blood sucking sessions, one call to my local health services center to make sure I can get my back bandage replaced if ever I drive east to see my mother in July, all this knowing that Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings I have to stay home to have said bandage replaced, and Monday and Wednesday afternoons I have to go downtown for my physiotherapy and ergonomy treatments, plus one extra treatment relating to forearm/fingers sensitivity (with an extra one on July 4), plus thinking about renting a car for said trip to the East, let alone deciding dates for such, and feeding daily the downstairs shrimp while my neighbors are gone to Finland, and the same weekly for my inside plants. Somewhere in there I have to plug in some time for personal hygiene and feeding my body. Comes to think of it, if I had pets on top of that, it would kill me quicker than a hospital nasty bacteria.

  

  Blog? Oh yeah, that blog!

  In view of the above, and if I do travel back east around the 6th of July, I may have a little problem with the aftermath of Xanga’s funeral. Squarely put, I didn’t have the time (or resolve) to adress this issue and my current Plan B comes July 16th can be summed up in one word: Geez! Although I don’t have a clue how it works, I’ve reserved a little place in my heart for WordPress. I just hope this prospected love is not just a one-way affair.

  

  Milestones

  A few days ago, I went to Marché Jean-Talon to get some stuff. I needed to go also to my 2nd closest supermarket (± 400 meters from my pad). That would have meant a 20-minute walk, at least, just to get there. I checked the BIXI stations, many bikes were available so I picked one, put my stuff in the front tray and left.

  It sounds like nothing put like that, but it was the first time since last summer that I used a BIXI. After all I’ve been through, it may not have been a giant step for mankind, but it sure was one for me. Especially that I still have pain and numbness in my left hand. Summer can now officially start.

  

  Fête Nationale

  Monday, June 24, is Québec’s National Day. As I’m sure I’ve explained before, “national” here does not mean “country” but “nation in the French meaning of the word”. It is also called by some “La Saint-Jean” or “La Saint-Jean Baptiste” because St John the Baptist was the saint patron of French-Canadians long before Canada even became a country (somewhat, in 1867). He is still the patron saint of French Canadians living west of Québec, essentially because they have the same origins. In the east, the Acadian, a separate people, have their own patron saint and National Day (August 15). Of course, for many Quebecers including me, we still hope that one day “national” will also refer to its English meaning.

  The party has already begun in day-care centers and schools. Today I could see toddlers coming back home with the blue “fleur de lys” painted on their face, and there was loud music this afternoon coming from a nearby school. But it’s Monday that most events will happen (in Montreal). Of course there are the big mega-events, but also a lot of community gatherings around the city, some larger, some smaller in people’s yards. This is made possible because on June 24, by law, no one can be forced to work. Therefore, except for small business outfits run by their owner, the city is for all purposes closed to business. It also means that supermarkets and wine stores are closed like everything else. So one has to prepare accordingly in the preceding days.

  I also have to fetch my small Québec flags from storage and install them here and there on my balconies. Until July 2. Them being there on July 1 is even more important than on June 24. I should stop saying that the current Canada (since 1840 in fact) means nothing to me because in fact it does mean something. And it’s not pretty, that’s all I can say (without becoming vulgar).

  

  Rock & Roll & Blues & Gerry

  I seldom (if ever) had to post the French lyrics along with a French song, but this one is in Québec slang and for Europeans it probably sounds like Chinese. The lead singer is the late Gerry Boulet and the group is Offenbach, the best rock & blues group ever in Québec’s history. The first song is of course a cover of Georgia on my mind. No need to present that one.

  CÂLINE DE BLUES
  Lyrics: Pierre Harel/Gerry Boulet
  Music: M. Lamothe

  Câline de doux blues
  Câline de blues
  Faut que j’te jouse

  Câline de doux blues
  Câline de blues
  Faut que j’te jouse

  Ma blonde a sacré l’camp
  J’ai rien que toé
  Pour passer l’temps

  L’autr’ soir, l’autr’soir
  J’ai chanté du blues
  L’autr’ soir l’autr’soir
  Ça l’a rendu jalouse

  Anyway, les femmes
  Sont jalouses du blues
  Câline de blues
  Faut que j’te jouse

  Câline de doux blues
  Câline de blues
  Faut que j’te jouse…

  For European French speakers:
  câline -> variante politiquement correcte (avant le temps) du juron québécois “câlice”. Ces jurons sont appelés ‘sacres’ probablement parce qu’ils sont issus pour beaucoup des rituels de la religion catholique (pour des raisons historiques). On dit aussi “arrête de sacrer” à quelqu’un qui les utilise trop ou dans un contexte inconvenant.
  jouse -> joue
  sacré l’camp -> foutu le camp

  For anglo-saxons:
  câline like all québécois swearwords is untranslatable. Contrary to the anglos who litter their language with ‘fuck’ and its variations, the number of swearwords in Quebec (and French Canada also) boggles the mind, especially that each one also can be used as an adjective, an exclamation, a verb, and so on… ‘Câline’ is a socially acceptable variation of “câlice” which is a chalice.

  Tentative translation in English

  Darn sweet blues
  Darn blues
  I must play youz
  {repeat}

  My girl buggered off
  I’ve only got you
  To spend my time

  The other evening, the other evening
  I sang some blues
  The other evening, the other evening
  It made her jealous

  Anyway, women
  Are jealous of the blues
  Darn blues
  I must play youz

  Darn sweet blues
  Darn blues
  I must play youz

  Technically, for rhyming purposes, it should be ‘jealouz’.

  

  • 22:07
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