A Week in Montreal

The first week of classes and of living in Montreal is in the books! It has been a wild week. I kept track of surprising moments and noted subtle cultural differences but already things are starting to feel less foreign. I have familiarized myself with the school and the shops surrounding my small neighborhood. I partook of the classic Montreal foods; more Montreal bagels and Poutine, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly. Especially the bagels… My theory is that they put extra gluten to make them all stretchy and delicious on the inside while the outside is crispy and satisfyingly crackles when you bite into it. 

I am learning to meal prep on the weekends and the first week was a success. The star meal prep item was low-waste granola with Quebec maple spread as the sweetener. I love how abundant maple products are here. 

This week I am planning to make Quebec butternut squash chili, and salsa from local veggies because although I love the food here, I am missing New Mexican spices …and tortilla chips.

As for school, classes are similar to the states in lecture style but the grading is much “simpler”… In my first class of the week, the homework is 10% (and there are two homework assignments), the midterm is 20% and… the final is 70%. The other engineering classes are similar. I think the transition there will take a little more self-directed studying for me without regular assignments from the professor for practicing. I am taking one non-engineering course for 6 credits and it is an intermediate French class, the first day went alright but I fear I do not have the background the other students do and will speak with the professor Monday to assess my placement in it. 

The school itself is built into the city, some of my classes are upwards of the 9th floor, my average for floors climbed has been 25 all week! I am certainly getting my steps in. The school’s underground hub branches from a subway station to four of the main buildings that hold classes. Glowing arrows make navigating the tunnels and avoiding above ground traffic pretty easy. 

After classes and some homework on Friday night, my roommates and I went to Old Port Montreal, a historic district that has kept it’s European, sans vehicles, brick and mortar style in the years since the French first settled here in Montreal in 1642. It was gorgeous, in the evening the buildings were gently lit and the streets were filled with people enjoying dinners, some with views of the water and the glowing ferris wheel. 

I finished the weekend off with trying out a second Montreal church, an international exchange event where I met a lot of Danish people, and a BBQ Canada style – which is to say the same as at home: hamburgers and chips.

I still have a lot to explore, even just in downtown, more in Old Port, and around my neighborhood. As my homework load allows I will continue to wander, experiment with cooking, and otherwise enjoy life in Montreal. 

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