Fragments of 9/11

 Today is the anniversary of 9/11. I always commemorate it on the blog.I once used to blog about deeper stuff, when I started blogging in fact, and I gave this date a lot of thoughts back in the days, As you can read in this post from 2008 and that post from 2009. In the latter, I said that I remembered the most trivial thing about it. What I ate that evening for instance: shepherd's pie, or pâté chinois as we call it, with beetroots on the side, and a chocolate cake for dessert, which my mum made as a goodbye treat because I was going back to England a week or two later. I remember reading the morning newspapers and just stopping, because it felt absurd to read old news. I went to the bar that night, but did not get drunk. I discussed this with my wife a few days ago: she was then living at her parents' house, she had walked the family dog and in the park where she walked, she saw people doing tai chi, which she thought was a strange activity to do in a park. Then she walked home and she learned the news. That night, she thought that if the terrorist attack had not happened, she would have thought the 11th of September 2001 to be a day like just any other. Now she remembers these people doing tai chi. And I find it strange and a little bit eerie that for so many people this date in history has been crystallised like this, with every single trivial detail of their day forever in their memory.

Pizzédélic

Lors de notre dernier séjour à Montréal, nous avons fait un petit détour nostalgique chez Pizzédélic sur l'Avenue Mont-Royal. Je suis étonné que ça existe encore, tellement les choses ont changé sur le Plateau, surtout côté bouffe. Une pizzéria sans prétention, ça m'étonne qu'elle ait survécu (touchons du bois). Les pizzas carrées ont fasciné petit loup, justement parce qu'elles sont carrées. C'est un design d'une époque révolue. D'ailleurs, je me trompe ou il n'y a plus guère Pizzédélic qui fasse encore des pizzas carrées? Enfin, j'avais l'impression d'être le temps d'un repas dans les années 90, lorsque je commençais à apprivoiser Montréal.

Wolfie in Autumn

Well, I am not the only one in the family to consider the beginning of September with the beginning of autumn. We went downtown last Saturday, my wife, our son and me. And Wolfie said: "It's a beautiful autumn walk." Which could be considered a new Wolfism. Anyway, he kept stressing how autumnal the day was, even though it was fairly mild: he picked up leaves on the ground, for us to keep as a souvenir. My wife said that my son is turning more and more like me: same tastes, same likes and dislikes. It surprises her a little more every day. But anyway, I'm glad he embraced the season so much: too many children just see autumn, or at least its beginning, as the end of the holidays. Wolfie can see that it is also a beautiful time.

Huître

C'est le mois de septembre, ce qui veut dire le mois des huîtres. Enfin, l'un des quatre mois des huîtres. Donc, mes parents ont acheté des huîtres gigantesques. La photo ne lui rend pas justice. Cela dit, j'aimerais en trouver des comme ça ici. En trouver, point.

The Guillotine in the Classroom

I foudn this meme online recently, it came on my Facebook feed. I guess it is back to school even for social media. In any case, it really made me laugh. Anybody remember these? We did have one in every classroom in the primary school where I went. And they were not mino guillotines. They were pretty much proper, if simplistic, guillotines. I'm not sure if they could have chopped a head off, but small fingers certainly. They thus scared me a bit and I never liked having to go use them. Since I was a sensible child, the teacher used to give me the responsibility to cut papers or cardboard with them more often than I cared for.

Le Stade olympique

Tiens, il m'est venu à l'esprit que depuis que le blogue existe, je n'ai jamais publié une photo du Stade olympique de Montréal. Peut-être à cause de son héritage controversé et, disons-le, amer. Petit loup était impressionné d'être sur un site olympique et m'a posé pleins de questions sur les Jeux de 1976. Il a même dit qu'il espère que l'on aura d'autres Jeux à Montréal. Il est peut-être bien le seul Québécois à l'espérer... Dans tous les cas, voici une photo du Stade, avant qu'il ne s'écroule. Et je n'ai aucune idée du gars sur la photo. Ce n'est vraiment pas facile de prendre des clichés de lieux publics.

Little Scarecrows

 Well, it seems that I'm not the only one thinking of Halloween already. We were walking by the local allotment yesterday and we saw these: two tiny, child size scarecrows, one boy, one girl, one holding a little plastic Jack O'Lantern thingie. (Can you see the Jack, by the way? It's hanging on the left hand side of the boy scarecrow). They looked cute, yet deliciously creepy. Must be their size. Anyway, whoever made them, I love the way they are thinking. And I think there is at least one scary story to write about these little scarecrows. What do you think?

Guédille au homard

 Lors de ma dernière visite au marché Jean-Talon, j'ai mangé pour la première fois depuis longtemps une guédille au homard. En fait, je crois que c'était ma première fois. J'ai mangé par le passé des sandwiches au crabe, aux crevettes, au homard, mais des guédilles en bonne et dûe forme, je crois que c'était une première. À quasiment 20$ la guédille, ce n'était pas donné, mais avec l'inflation... Dans tous les cas, c'est bon, mais j'ai trouvé ça un brin frugal.

Bookshop Day (Upcoming)

Thanks to Books Are My Bag that the enxt Bookshop Day is Saturday the 12th of October. In a month's time, and on such perfect timing. I guess I don't have to tell you why. One of the many events to attend in the new few weeks. The promotional picture is really nice too.

Question existentielle (391)

 Nous sommes le premier samedi de septembre, autant dire le premier vrai samedi de l'année, enfin pour un enfant, puisque l'on compte le temps à partir de l'année scolaire. J'ai souvent blogué sur le premier samedi de septembre. Je bloguerai sans encore sur le sujet, mais je veux d'abord poser une question existentielle:

-Quels sont vos souvenirs d'enfance des premiers samedis de septembre?

Things to do this September

Well, September is already a week in, but it is still early enough to mention do some planning and find inspiration for activities, in family or with friends. Just like every year (and, indeed, every month), the English Heritage published a post titled Top 5 Things To Do in September. I just wanted to mention a few things about it. Firstly, going on historical sites during autumn is always a great idea. Also, the post mentions uncovering sites with literary links including... Dracula. Because yes, it is not too early to get into a spooky mood. I am not the only one who thinks that September is Halloween Eve. And I really love it, especially since the trees are already getting colours. So anyway, what are you going to do this September?

Gelée de pommettes

L'arrivée de l'automne, dans ma famille, ça veut dire aussi faire de la gelée de pommettes, que lon mange sur les toasts pour le déjeuner. J'ai eu la chance d'en manger lors de mon dernier reotur au pays et vraiment, ça a un goût automnal, même si les pommettes sont cueillies à la fin de l'été et la gelée peut être mangée durant toute l'année. Dans le sucré, c'est pas mal ce que je préfère mettre sur mes toasts le matin. Surtout que c'est une gelée faite maison et la cueillette des pommettes est une tradition familiale.

Pumpkins in Montreal

ANother reason why I love my city: one can always find early signs of Halloween there. So we went to the Marché Jean-Talon in the very last days of August and we saw these pumpkins. They are still small, but all the same, it's a sign of Halloween to come, of harvest that have already started and, of course, of autumn, which was then round the corner. It would have been pointless to buy one, but of course I had to take a picture.

Les Cahiers Canada

Je suis tombé sur ce paquet de cahiers Canada lors de mon séjour à Montréal, je ne sais plus si c'était chez Jean-Coutu ou ailleurs. Mais ça m'a comme fait un effet drôle. Je me suis rappelé l'odeur que ça avait, ainsi que la sensation du papier quand on l'a dans les mains. Avant que l'école recommence, il n'y a rien qui fait plus retour à l'école, justement, qu'un cahier Canada. Surtout au primaire. C'est un autre marqueur du retour de l'automne. Au début de l'année scolaire, ça a un côté rébarbatif, enfin je trouve. Puis il devient autre chose, selon l'usage qu'on en fait. Je crois que j'en ai gardé quelques uns du primaire, de mes cours de français, enfin je crois. Un jour, il me faudra faire une recherche Google sur leur histoire. Parce que c'est une marque assez vieille et elle existe encore, dans une époque où tout est électronique.

Well this cheered me up...

I know nothing is certain, I tend to be pessimistic about human nature and decency or lack of, because I don't dare to have broken hopes, but this video got me in a good mood for the evening...

Jardin chinois

 Photo prise au au Jardin botanique de Montréal, dans le jardin chinois. Je partage rien que parce que c'est pas mal notre section préférée, à ma femme et moi.

Autumnal Chronicle

 First, I want to make a statement before getting on this post's topic: yes, yes, we are in autumn. Because it starts on the first of September, all right? Meterologically, it does. It might not always feel like it, it might not be a perfect autumn, but we are already in autumn. Now I am glad I have cleared things out. And yes, this is another post about my favourite season. This blog will often be an autumnal chronicle. And so far, I am not too unhappy of how things are turning out. Maximum tmperatures are in their lower 20s. Not ideal, but exactly a year ago we had a heatwave. Now, it is just cool enough for me to wear a jacket morning and evening. I have not been able to wear a thick jumper, but it should come. The leaves have started to change colours, I mean more than I had expected. And there is of course the light. Evening comes down earlier and earlier. And the lights, in the mornign and especially the evenings are definitely autumnal. Anyway, that's my September so far.

Un tremblement de terre au Québec

Petite nouvelle québécoise que je voulais commenter: il y a quelques jours, un tremblement de terre de 4.5 a secoué le Québec dans la nuit. L'épicentre était à Pierreville, mais on l'a ressenti à Montréal. Je dis ça, et je n'en ai pas eu connaissance: je dormais. Mais ça a réveillé ma femme, qui s'est demandé ce qui se passait. Quand même, 4.5, c'est une bonne secousse. Bien entendu, ça m'a rappelé mes propres souvenirs. lesquels étaient plus impressionnants.

"Back to school" today

These are two pages from What to Look For in Autumn, one of the books WOlfie and I read together come this time of year. I am sharing the picture today because, as you probably have guessed, it is back to school for Wolfie today, and it is meant to rain a lot. Not unlike many of the first days of the school years from my own childhood. I remember that it did not always rain, but I do remember the rainy ones more. I think this image pictures it perfectly. Today is a melancholic day for me: not so much because the holidays are over, but because Wolfie grows up way too fast for my taste.

Salon du Livre (rappel)

Petit rappel pour vous rappeler que le Salon du Livre du Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean tiendra sa 60 édition du 26 an 29 septembre. Une des raisons d'aimer septembre quand tu es saguenéen.