Springtime in the city

You know, I always love it when seasons change. That's what's great about Montreal, you really see the seasons change. Sydney was great and all, but you barely see a difference when spring or autumn comes because trees continuously have leaves, or rather, they shed their leaves year round. It gradually gets warmer or cooler, but i'm talking really gradual. Especially since the change in temperatures are about a third of what we experience in Montreal. Sydney will go from 5 degrees to 40 degrees in 6 months, and Montreal will go from -30 to +40 degrees in 6 months. So the following pictures depict a very obvious change of seasons. Winter to Spring, when all the snow melts (by mid April it's gone) and trees get new leaves (April) and flowers start to blossom (May-June). It's beautiful. Utterly beautiful: On the street where I live, there are so many lilac trees, and apple trees and cherry trees. Not the edible kind, but the kind that still produce beautiful flowers and very nice aromas!

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Tulips actually from a neighbors lawn. very pretty.

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Lilacs up close and personal. Lilacs give off the most wonderful smell that I associate oh so well with springtime! Actually jasmine flowers have a smell that is equally delicious, but you don't smell that much around here ;)

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Maple trees! Can't have Canada and not have maple trees. Maple trees make foreigners what Canada is!! hahaha. In the spring, Maple trees get these "helicopters" which are the seeds and the helicopters spin as they fall and boy is it fun to grab a handful from the ground and throw them up and see them flutter down! yay!

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I love the above picture because of not only the nice flowers that are, by the way, on our front lawn, but also because our precious kitty, Julie (short for her real name Juliette Bailey II) is in the background.

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Dandelions!! aww bet you aussies that ditch montreal before spring came are sorry now! yeah, you guys missed the wild wild yellow fields of these delicious smelling (sarcastic) weeds. But seriously, what's spring without dandelions? and it's so much fun when they turn to seeds and they blow in the wind!

Like this:

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Campus, not quite on graduation day, but probably the week or two prior. in this one, we see rows of cars (wow!!) but more importantly the McGill main street and the Arts building at the end. It's really pretty, really.

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This is another campus picture. It's the Burnside field greenery. It's just cool to see all the baby leaves; they are so green and hopeful. They just are so eager to start making oxygen ;P

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I took a stroll to the old port with Tanya one day, and we took a little detour through this park on the way down. This is before the rain hit, but thankfully, by that time, we were well under the awning of a restaurant, on a terrasse, shielded from the rain, having a quebec's own brewed Blanche de Chambly. yum!!, while being serenaded by a really good guitarist playing songs like Wonderwall, reminding me of my youth! haha, I tipped him a quarted of what my meal costs, and, yes, where was i? the park, beautiful.

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Of course, McGill had to do the cool thing and plant some red and white tulips over the grave of Mr. James McGill, located in the front of the Arts building! (Although, it looks as though the red ones died)

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Touring Montreal

Coming back from the eastern townships I still get all excited when the sun sets over Montreal. Especially after Australia, I feel like I'm going into this big unknown city that is way awesome, but as if I don't know it yet and I am about to find out ;)
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Of course, while making friends with other Aussies (other because I have turned aussie at heart while I was there hahah) we just HAD to go to LaRonde because like everyone is doing it. This ride's dropoff was scary as.
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When I went to the botanical gardens with the aussie gang, we probably took a good 15-20 minutes just taking pictures of the O-tower, trying different views and trying to get the best tourist photo!
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The botanical garden's annual (last few years) autumn lantern exhibition. It was beauuuuuutiful and even Sophie went twice. I think

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One day as the leaves were about to change colors, walking on campus gave me a huge inspiration to take a gazillion pictures (only one of which is shown above). Very touristy thing to do, that is, look at McGill campus as if it's a work of art. I swear, it gets more beautiful when you haven't seen it in so long (especially when the snow melts and it's like "So THAT's WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!!" hehehe)

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Ahhh canadian money -- definitely not plastic.

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You don't really find these in OZ (french!!)

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Actually hardly having seen snow in a year and a half, you really really miss it!! And every time it snowed, I was so giddy, I loved it. Snow is awesome!!! I took pictures everytime it snowed and You know when there are huge flakes and they are really spread out, it looks like you're in a snowglobe -- that is the BEST kind of snow!!! I love it, I'd consider moving to australia, but damn I think i'd really miss Montreal winters.

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The front of my home, under a beauuuutiful blanket of white!!

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Burger King Poutine.... really really not the best, but when it's the only thing open in your viscinity, and you're craving the deliciousness of melted cheese curds in gravy on chips/fries, it doesnt matter too much that it's not Belle Pro. mmmm
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So one day I missed my "home-land" so much I drew it. If you can't see the caption, it says "Where I was and where I want to be".

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During the winter, lots of trees are decorated with (way too many) christmas lights. McGill College is the prettiest when the trees along both sides are decorated though being a beautiful street year round, and with the Ville Marie Tree at the end, like wow. When you're standing at Roddick Gates looking down the street, and when it's snowing like you're in a snowglobe. :D

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Sophie (from UNSW Sydney), reaaaaaaaaally into it at cafe campus tuesday nights!! Who wouldn't be?? Great fun!

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This is my wall dedicated to surfing related stuff, all made from posters and pages in magazines that I got while I was down under! (there's also a pic of me holding a Koala from Cairns and a pic of the Sydney Opera House with all signatures from my Contiki group) awww good times

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This is the sunset over the St-Lawrence river, on our way back from a skiing/snowboarding weekend at Mont Ste-Anne :) Other people didn't seem to see how beautiful it was. Oh well, too bad for them.

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Another pic of sunset over Montreal as seen from the bus. I carry my camera almost everywhere I go, believe it or not.

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I went on a very touristy day with a few friends to the Cabane a Sucre (sugar shack) -- you can't get more Quebecois than that!

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And the next day, I broke my arm snowboarding. That was a month and a half ago, but no worries, the snow is no longer around!! I see grass! But I haven't done anything touristy since. Soon. The End.

Stacked it

Aight
I haven't updated this thing in yearrrrsss (okay, less than a year). Hmm I wonder if it'll upload on facebook (that would be lame coz this is a lame post). Talking to Mack on msn is sweet. he uses the totally aussiest expressions (stacked it, giving me the shits, its mad, got me spewin, accos, ambo.....)and talking about zarrabi and dang i miss sydney. oh and i made wedges with sour cream and chili sauce and they were yummy (wilson loved the dip). ummmm my arm is broken coz i stacked it snowboarding, but now it's better. That is all.
Cheers mates