There is no shortcut to any place worth going

Christmas is upon us. I have sent out my christmas cards.

I have been enjoying a little christmas tree that the “concierge” put up on each floor in my building. 

I have celebrated a christmas lunch with my colleagues at work. 

I have made my own silly Christmas wish. I’m now ready for a christmas tradition my parents once started when I stopped believing in Santa and his little happy helpers. My parents would take each other and us kids by the hand and do what the birds do in fall and head south. 

I once upon a time stopped believing in Santa, later on in the existence of my soulmate, in Mr Right and in true love. I was pretty close to stop believing in love all together or at least love between me and a man, when out of nowhere somebody lands in my life. It was not a bird heading south, nor a man with a white beard and red outfit going "ho, ho, ho”.  It was a dark handsome man who entered my life and decided to start spreading lots of joy. He is doing a fine job helping me regaining belief in all kinds of things. 

I have however not regained my belief in Santa, so I will continue my parents tradition and take my Dominican by the hand, grab our passports and then we will hike ourselves to Toronto, flip flop ourselves to San Jose in Costa Rica and finally GPS ourselves right into ... the jungle. We have a long journey in front of us before we reach our destination. I will not be completely satisfied until I’m hanging out in a hammock while my dude is relaxing in what ever way he wishes. Hopefully somewhere close to me. My Christmas wish this year is a hammock but that’s just because I already found love.

There is no shortcut to anyplace worth going … better make sure you are in good company.

Keep on swinging

A bit more than seven months ago, I packed my car and moved out from one place, drove to Montreal and moved into another place. This building more exactly.  

Up on the 8th floor was my nest for 3 months. On the same floor wast the nest of another girl. She had basically done the same thing several months before me. Packed her stuff, left her hometown with the hope to find happiness in Montreal. We met out on the balcony on my first day. I was having trouble with the door lock, so I just asked her something like "does this thing work?", with a bit of frustration in my voice. I think I wanted to ask her "is this a good place?, "will I like it here?", "did I just make a huge mistake by moving here?". She answered me something like, "I never had any trouble with it". In other words, in my head her answer went something like, "I like this place, it worked for me, so I'm sure it will work out for you too".

Today at 6.30 am, I went to pick up this same girl at this exact building with the same car. We wanted to catch the sunrise this fine winter morning.

Our mission succeeded. It was a cold and beautiful morning. We felt so amazed by the city. Our Montreal. We were both standing there in silence. Thoughts and emotions circling around. I enjoyed the beauty of the city, happiness of getting to know this girl while enjoying her company and sadness because she is leaving.

     

I moved out of the building about 4 moths ago and she is about to move out in two days. I just moved 2 km to the east, she is moving back to her hometown about 200 km to the west. 

The flags were not all the way up this morning. In Finland that would mean that somebody died. I don't know what that means in Montreal. To me it symbolized her leaving. A bitter sweet feeling to this absolute peaceful beauty, we got to enjoy.

Yesterday, when we were planning our sunrise trip, we were sitting on two swings in a place called Confusion. http://www.restaurantconfusion.com.
I came to this place alone in May only a few days before I moved, in a state of confusion.

  
Yesterday there was more wine, more swinging and less confusion. She knows she is leaving, I know I'm staying. We both know we love Montreal. I'm lucky to have met her and for the rest ...

                         well ... we will keep on swinging and life will catch up with us.

(pictures in the resataurant and the one of me taken by "the other girl")

the "oh wow" side to every story

Winter is here to stay, it looks like. We got some snow, then some more snow and then more than we had asked for. It's magic how different places can look depending on it being winter or summer. Here you have the famous Place des Arts in Montreal for example.

I had some magical moments at this place. Both alone and in company.

There was an evening some time in August when me and my female Tuesday company came to watch a movie. 

We placed our foldable chairs right at the flat area covered in snow on this picture. I can promise you I would not have wanted to sit down to watch a film on the night I took this picture. Not even a short movie.

It was a magical night in August. I had already made my decision to stay and I was just feeling very grateful and pleased about my decision, about the company and about what was offered to me completely for free in down town Montreal. This place is called place des arts but honestly most of the city should be called the same. We are handed out art for free all over the city. Montreal is a very generous city in that way. We all know that there is somebody paying for all of this and it is probably the people living, working and paying taxes in this city. There is probably a dispute about how this money could be used for health care and other more necessary things. I don't know. I only know that I work, live and pay my taxes to this city, while I keep on going "oh wow, wow, wow".

Two pack

Last Saturday me and my Dominican decided to have a little celebration at home and we wanted to do it just right. If you live in Montreal or somewhere around here and have something to celebrate and want to do it just right, you might start with getting your fresh vegetables, fruits and eggs from Marché Jean Talon. http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/marches/jean-talon/

If you're lucky to be spoiled with flowers, somebody might go and get them from this place at the same market place. Fleuriste Chez Daniel.

If you're lucky to be even more spoiled, you go and pick up a cake specially made at Conca D'oro, same street but a bit more to the east. 

You continue your trip while enjoying the wintery view.

If you want super duper delicious big shrimp and you're smart enough, you continue your way all the way to Saint-Leonard and go to United Seafood. http://www.unitedseafood.ca/splashB.html

I'm obviously not the smart one, except that I did know how to get myself in company that would take me all these places and stop when I'm going "oh sweetie it's so beautiful".

When you want to do it just right, it's good to have a little extra time on your hands, because a few hours easily pass by.

 We made it on time. On time to celebrate the 6th of December before it turned into the 7th, in Finland. Seven hours of difference can be tricky sometimes, actually most times. The 6th of December is the independence day of my great home country. This year we turned 97. 

The 6th of December is since this year a reason to celebrate for a certain Finn and her Dominican. The birth of a new us. I no longer come alone, I come in a two pack.

A blur

Tonight I needed to use my car to get out of the city. I don't use my car that often any more. I have still been able to bike around. The other day it was -15°c but with the wind factor, they ever so often talk about here, it was down in -20°c, so I felt the need to dress up warm.

Dressed like this when it gets dark at night you can actually manage to scare a few dudes. I would be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of it. I however realized that this is a better -35°c outfit. In -15°C you're basically a Finnish sauna on a bike. However exotic it may sound to some... it's not.

Tonight, I needed my car. My car needed oil. She is a moody, heavy drinker.  Apparently it runs in the family.  So while I was standing there with my darling of a Mini Cooper's hood wide open, my neighbor comes home. I met this man already on the first week I moved into the building. He started with greeting me sounding something like this " Hi there, I guess you're the new one in the building. Did you know that you and I have something in common?". I answered him with a "ah oui?" as he is the french speaking kind. The thing we ended up having in common was a car and parking next to each other. So he gently informed me of how he would like me to park, so that it would be easier for him. 

I figured out pretty quickly that what will help him, will be more difficult for me but I have been nice enough to park according to his request none the less.
As I was there doing my thing, he approaches me with a few nice questions and then he blurs out " no need to be scared of me, I'm a priest". I wasn't aware of being scared before digesting this sentence. What a weird thing to blur out. I responded with a laugh, like it was a joke. That was the best I could come up with, that's very often the best I can come up with. He thanks me for my nice parking, asks me if I will stay another year. I answer him that I don't know. He informs me of his wish for me to stay. Then he leaves and says "as I don't tend to see you more than once every 2 months, I wish you a merry Christmas! 
I answer him "pareillement, merci" My favorite sentence in French. You 're polite by avoiding all kinds of gender and tu/vous distinctions. 
After I manage to poor the oil in my car without spilling anything on the side, I drive off to the Montreal evening.

I can't help to laugh when I realize my accomplishments so far in the building is making a priest happy because of my small car and considerate parking. I'm as well thinking that maybe next time a dude gets scared of me in my biker outfit out in the Montreal evening, I should just blur out a "don't be scared, I work in customer service".

The beautiful big picture

December is already here. Christmas decorations are lighting up the city. Snow is coming and going. People are complaining it being cold and dark. December in Montreal is pretty much like December in Helsinki.

My life has started to form some nice patterns. Routines are good to have. Brings structure and safety.
Work, gym sleep. Weekends tend to be flavored with male company from the Dominican Republic. Tuesdays and sometimes Fridays have a wonderful feminine flare from Libanon. 
This is what I really, really, truly love about this city. It's full of people from all over the world. Not only nationalities but religion and races just mix up in one great juicy cocktail. Muslims, Jewish and Christians are hanging out being friends. There may be wars going on in the rest of the world but Montreal is one great big spot of peace. Sure it might be covered with some graffiti, smelling like weed and decorated in garbage ever so often but those are minor details in the big picture. The big beatiful picture.
Today my female flavored Tuesday looked something like this.

We were supposed to go skating but because of a cold weather and the lack of snow to give the right ambiance, we ended up in a nice café downtown called Vasco da Gama.
http://www.vascodagama.ca/accueil

A nice evening like we always have. Different backgrounds, different upbringing, different ages, different personalities and yet a comfortable, effortless, fun, heartwarming, easygoing and positive friendship. Weather we sit around admiring the beautiful big picture or pointing out the funny minor details, the result ends up being a great time.

In a misty morning, on the edge of time

I woke up this Sunday morning around six. The person next to me asks me if I want to go and look at the sunrise on Mont Royal. I have never been asked this question before but I immediately knew that as long as I live in Montreal there will be one answer to it and it will always be "I do". I check my phone and see that sunrise will be at 7.03 am, so off we went.

The story of the illuminated cross on Mont Royal dates back to 1642. Paul Chomedey the governor and founder of Montreal, is afraid that his Fort of Ville-Marie (now Montreal) will be destroyed due to sever flooding of the Saint Lawrence river, he prays to the holy virgin and promises to plant a cross on the mountain if he gets to keep his new colony. His prayer is answered and the 6th of January 1643 the cross is carried up by the man himself. The current cross was constructed in 1924 and illuminated the sky of Montreal for the first time on Christmas eve.
This morning there was nothing illuminating the sky of Montreal. 

We did not see the sunrise, we didn't even see the city.

This picture was taken at the same exact spot about a month before so a more winter version of this is what we should have been seeing. 

     

We might not have seen much on our misty walk this morning but we got to enjoy a more mysterious side of Montreal.

I kept on having this song in my head.

"In the misty morning, on the edge of time

We've lost the rising sun, a final sign ...

As the misty morning rolls away to die

Reaching for the stars, we blind the sky"

                                 (Black Sabbath)

Frustrated female sipping on her tea

I don't know what is the worst about having a flu; how you feel, how others make you feel or the amount of tea you are forced to drink? I'm all of a sudden surrounded by highly opinionated doctors. Everybody thinks that they have the magical recipe to fight off a flu and I'm just a looser sipping on my tea not doing it right. All these; you should do this and you shouldn't do that, just brings out a large amount of frustration that is hard to digest for a coffee drinker like me.

I'm however starting to feel that the worse is behind and that I'm probably going to feel okay when weekend arrives. I'm asking myself if I shouldn't try to escape humans for a while. 

I'm gazing at the sky from my apartment looking for ideas.

Sometimes clouds forms funny figures and can help your mind on the right track or some track. I'm not sure it has to be the right one. I'm not like these opinionated doctors. I'm sure there are many ways to do things, just pick one you believe in. If you find a friend who think alike, good for you but don't force your opinion on anybody. Don't force them to change their mind. Amen

While I have been this frustrated female with a flu, some changes has happened around.We have been lucky enough to embrace that winter I was forecasting. We got to enjoy our first snow. So here I am on the same bench with shorter hair than when I was embracing this years fall. 

I'm happy about winter. I'm happy that my flu is almost over. I'm happy that thanks to my flu I spent more time in bed surfing on my computer and found this splendid series. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld                                                http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

I'm a huge fan of Jerry Seinfeld and this mix with cars, coffee and conversation is just splendid. Especially the episode with Sarah Jessica Parker just made me feel so warm inside, it almost cured my flu. 

I remember back in the old days when I used to have a TV, Lipton had this advertisement for their tea. It was a question. Got the right attitude? They however spelled it out atTEAtude. I always used to answer "no I don't, I'm a coffee drinker". 

Monumentalove

"Your current safe boundaries, were once unknown frontiers" 

Fear is no reason for not doing it, what ever your "IT" might be. It will eventually become a familiar play ground. There is always a first time to everything but it will hit you hard only once. 
My first days in Montreal, when I had just moved in to my "one room with only a mattress on the floor" place, were filled with a lot of "oh dear, what have I done". It was however summer and everybody who knows what winter is in Finland/Canada knows that during summer hell might fall over you and you still just keep on gazing up on the clear blue sky and thank the sun for hanging out with you. 

I kept on zooming in the sky, Montreal and its very wonderful landmarks. Letting myself slowly and gently feel welcomed to the city.

This is why I totally and utterly fell in love with Jane Hellers art, the first time I saw it. It was in forms of postcards and magnets. I needed to cover a ugly electrical cabinet in my second place here in Montreal.

Later I decided to upgrade and cover my Iphone with her art and get bigger pictures up the wall.

She is an artist who once saw these same Montreal landmarks for the first time, based her art upon it. We are the lucky ones who still gets to enjoy them. She struggled and passed away of breast cancer. 
         http://monumentalove.com. More of this great artist and these heavenly landmarks of Montreal.