Popular to contrary belief (and to reassure my mother) I have done other things in Montreal apart from drink! Yes I know, its hard to believe I've had any time for "culture" but when in Rome and all that ;-)
Every Sunday at Mont Royal Park is known as Tam Tam Sunday and it draws hundreds of people for what can only be described as a massive impromptu party. People sitting in a huge drumming circle with their bongo-like drums playing along to a rhythm that never seems to end, surrounded by spontaneous dancers in their various arrays of hippy attire. Yesterday produced a man in a leopard thong who was a very enthusiastic groover and another dressed as Jesus carrying a massive picture of a tree. Womad festival in my own back garden :-). However its days are numbered as it only lasts throughout the summer months.
Last Saturday's football match (Montreal Alouettes v Hamilton) was probably the most surreal and cheesy experience on my trip to conquer north America. Three hours of total confusion, and when I thought I'd finally understand what the hell is going on they'd start running in a total opposite direction and contradict everything that I thought I had just come to understand, HA! The atmosphere was pretty wicked, cheerleaders in four inch thick foundation, and wait for it, there was even a marching band!! Oh yes, American Pie eat your heart out (soPhle would have loved it). We won the match, not that I could tell you how, by what score, and indeed if we were any good, I'll be sticking with the hockey for now at least.
So apart from watching lycra clad men in very very funny shorts and other men dressed like Jesus we had a serious exciting trip to the "Festival des Films du Monde." Quoted as being "a prestigious international film festival attracting stars, directors, producers, writers and about half a million visitors" it was for sure the most hilarious cinematic experience of my life. Lets just say Iraqi cinema aint what it used to be. "Fatima" was probably the best comedy film I've ever seen, the only problem being that it wasn't a comedy, the acting was just hilarious! So we had to sit there for a good hour and a half biting the insides of our cheeks to stop the hysterics and disdaining looks from the "arty" people sat around us. Imagine Hollyoakes cross Borat cross the Waltons and you might get the image.
Every Sunday at Mont Royal Park is known as Tam Tam Sunday and it draws hundreds of people for what can only be described as a massive impromptu party. People sitting in a huge drumming circle with their bongo-like drums playing along to a rhythm that never seems to end, surrounded by spontaneous dancers in their various arrays of hippy attire. Yesterday produced a man in a leopard thong who was a very enthusiastic groover and another dressed as Jesus carrying a massive picture of a tree. Womad festival in my own back garden :-). However its days are numbered as it only lasts throughout the summer months.
Last Saturday's football match (Montreal Alouettes v Hamilton) was probably the most surreal and cheesy experience on my trip to conquer north America. Three hours of total confusion, and when I thought I'd finally understand what the hell is going on they'd start running in a total opposite direction and contradict everything that I thought I had just come to understand, HA! The atmosphere was pretty wicked, cheerleaders in four inch thick foundation, and wait for it, there was even a marching band!! Oh yes, American Pie eat your heart out (soPhle would have loved it). We won the match, not that I could tell you how, by what score, and indeed if we were any good, I'll be sticking with the hockey for now at least.
So apart from watching lycra clad men in very very funny shorts and other men dressed like Jesus we had a serious exciting trip to the "Festival des Films du Monde." Quoted as being "a prestigious international film festival attracting stars, directors, producers, writers and about half a million visitors" it was for sure the most hilarious cinematic experience of my life. Lets just say Iraqi cinema aint what it used to be. "Fatima" was probably the best comedy film I've ever seen, the only problem being that it wasn't a comedy, the acting was just hilarious! So we had to sit there for a good hour and a half biting the insides of our cheeks to stop the hysterics and disdaining looks from the "arty" people sat around us. Imagine Hollyoakes cross Borat cross the Waltons and you might get the image.
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