This is first important to understand the title and the great divide of the city of Montreal. An Anglophone is an English-speaking person. The flip side to an anglophone is a francophone. A Francophone is a french speaking person. There in lies the biggest issue influencing where you will decide to live, who you will get to interact with and ultimately who you will fuck. This city self-segregates itself between language. It’s a big factor unless your willing to be bi-lingual. Which isn’t the worst idea. You and I will have to learn French to break down these socially dividing walls. It feels as if I’m right back in Mexico again with the language barrier but people are a lot nicer generally speaking about not knowing the language so long as you try to learn it and have a kind attitude. 

Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, none of these major Canadian cities have anything on the park culture that permeates this city. It wasn’t until I spent a morning in Westmount Park that I understood why everyone here goes crazy for being outdoors. I love nature but I usually have to get out of the cement city to get near nature. Now, there’s a park that almost defines every neighborhood in Montreal. Parks aren’t just for kids & families here. It’s where people go to see & be seen. It’s where first dates happen and where community socialization takes place. It’s also killer when you have a pet to take them for walks in beautiful surroundings. I can dig it and as it’s Summer here I will continue taking full advantage of my weekly park dates with my dog California. Thus far my go to is Westmount Park. Clean, friendly, and not too many people are around at once. My least favorit is Mount Royal. It’s slammed with people. They do a strange dirty hippie ritual called the Tam Tam’s every Sunday in the Summer. It’s a combination of more dirty hippies, and people drugged up from the previous night of partying who cannot dance for shit. My humble opinion. If that’s your vibe, then that’s the park for you!

A lot of god fearing folks out this way. There are a ton of churces seemingly one on every street corner. Mostly old and mostly pretty gorgeous architecturally speaking from the exterior. I prefer not to step foot inside a church for fear of burning… I kid. The church has never been of importance to me. I’ve always been a staunch anti-christ however, I’m accepting of all beliefs. In my opinion religion seems to divide people more than it brings them together on a grand scale. However, I’m a sucker for design and I will give credit where it is due. Some of these churches are really pretty. From the outside. 

It’s the one thing I keep hearing over and over. Enjoy the Summer while it lasts in Montreal because very soon it will be gone and you will freeze your face off. From what it sounds like come December your in a deep freeze until April/May. I haven’t had a proper Canadian winter in 10 years. My last experience with extreme cold was in Calgary, Alberta. I remember it vaguely but also barely. I’m curious as to how this hell freeze will be for me. I’m almost looking forward to a deep freeze just to see if I can survive it. For now I’ll enjoy the never-ending heat-wave from my air-conditioned room. No jackets, and over loads of Vitamin D before the electic shock of winter sets in.

In closing, there is still so much to discover here. For a first impression it’s not doing too shabby. There is no perfect place to live. That’s the one lesson to take with you wherever you roam. Every city, country, beach has it’s downsides. I see more good than bad here. Not every area is pretty, not all people are friendly and the general population dresses incredibly sloppily. I thought the West Coast was bad for lack of style but Montreal is showing me a whole new level of lackadaisical and outdated style. You cannot win them all but I’ll take that over living in the Cartel Land formerly known as Mexico.