Halloween in mind

Maybe I am writing this as a cheap excuse to upload another picture of the Jack O'Lanterns on the house windows of this house I saw recently. Well, not maybe, it certainly is an excuse to upload more pictures. However, like I am sure many of my fellow Halloween aficionados, I am getting in a Halloween mood more and more. It is not autumn yet, but the air in the morning and evening is filled with a bit of a chill that is definitely not summery. It looks and feels more and more like the summer is ending. And it is, of course. But in the evening, there is something vaguely eerie about it. Soon, as soon as I finish reading this novel, I will get started on horror stories. I can barely wait. The Halloween mood starts in late August for me. I read Dracula and The Phantom of the Opera in the middle of summertime and they haunted me until the end of the next season and beyond, I played the Dracula game on a hot September day... Somehow, it is always now that I start thinking about Halloween.

Avoir hâte au retour à l'école

Petite anecdote apprise via Facebook, qui m'a fait penser à la question existentielle 196 (et en passant personne n'a encore répondu à la 199) ainsi que mon billet d'hier en anglais: une de mes amies de Facebook, la mère de mon filleul, dit que sa fille a hâte de commencer l'école secondaire. Qu'on soit impatient d'un retour à l'école, c'est rare chez un enfant (et un adulte?). Bien entendu, la mère est nerveuse. J'ai trouvé ça très drôle. J'envie ma presque nièce d'avoir du sang froid comme ça. Les débuts d'années me donnaient toujours des angoisses, mais le tout début du secondaire encore plus. Tout de même, ça me donne confiance en l'avenir de la civilisation humaine, du moins sa survivance.

The "Back to School" feeling

It usually starts in August, and this is why I sometimes don't like the month. I have blogged about it in French earlier this month. It is often triggered by one trip in the shop. And you are stuck with it: the "back to school" feeling. it got me. Again. There is advertisement everywhere in the shops reminding parents to buy new clothes for their children, furniture to get back to school and reminding me of the end of summer holidays. I know I do not have summer holidays anymore, not automatically, but I have been conditioned since childhood to have the same dreary feeling when I see all this. August is the time to renew your autumnal wardrobe, buy new shoes and gradually start getting into the mood of a new working season. Don't get me wrong, I love autumn. But the days in August leading to it, I often feel melancholic, a feeling triggered by the preparations to the new school year around me.

Un panda (Mosaïcultures)

Petite note en préambule: ceci n'est pas la photo du mois (que vous trouverez ici). Je télécharge donc à nouveau une photo des Mosaïcultures. Mon père a pris les photos que vous retrouverez sur Vraie Fiction. Celle-ci est celle d'un panda. J'ai pensé la télécharger depuis que j'ai vu cette vidéo sur La Presse, à propos d'un bébé panda réuni avec sa mère au zoo de Taipei à Taiwan. Les pandas du zoo étaient un cadeau de la Chine. Enfin bref, ça m'a fait penser à cette mosaïcultures.

The burgers of L'Anecdote in Montreal

I don't want to blog too much about food on such short time period (last time was yesterday), but I have been wanting to plug this restaurant and its burgers for quite a while and I had promised to do so last time I plugged a restaurant/pub. Although I think I did plug the place before, I certainly mentioned it, this is the formal post about what is one of my favourite eating places in Montreal. Since Eurosnack closed down, it is where I usually go for my first meal in Montreal, sometimes for the last one the day before departure. I am talking about L'Anecdote (no website, this is the info you get on TripAdvisor), at the corner of Rachel and Saint-Hubert, at the heart of the Plateau Mont-Royal. It has a vintage American diner look, far from a rarity in Montreal, but L'Anecdote gets it right. It is there, but not too kitsch, and the appearance is not everything: there is quality food too, and especially. Everything I tried there is delicious, especially the burgers. I usually go for the Anecdote #4, which has deer meat and, instead of bacon, smoked bison on top. It just makes the experience very, very unique. There is a range of mayonnaise as well to go with the fries, I usually choose their curry-mayo. So here it is, in a nutshell. Go and try some.

La mauvaise herbe

Je n'ai pas téléchargé de chanson de Georges Brassens sur Vraie Fiction depuis ma fête, donc le mois d'avril. Je vais corriger cette erreur à l'instant.J'ai choisi La mauvaise herbe, comme ça, sans raison. Ou peut-être un peu en pensant à la voisine mégère qui s'est autoproclamée jardinière du bloc et qui a des préjugés sur tout le monde (et les chats). Dans tous les cas, la chanson s'adresse à tous les gens étroits d'esprit.

Pollo alla milanese sandwich

Remember when I used to write about my Friday's sandwich treats? Well, for one blog post, I am reviving the tradition.Today at work, as I usually do every Friday, I went to the sandwich shop where the Italian guy works, to have my special Friday sandwich treat and speak Italian a bit. He was there, all friendly and chatty as usual. Now he greets me in Italian form the start, which is always a good sign. He then offered me something, again in Italian, I could hear pollo and milanese, and I said yes out of curiosity. I love being offered something special from the chef. Well, he is not exactly the chef, but as he is Italian and was speaking to me in Italian and was making a big deal about it, I knew I was getting the royal treatment.

And I did get the royal treatment. Through our conversation, a mix of English and Italian, I understood that the sandwich I had ordered was a polla alla milanese sandwich. Basically, it is, in a baguette, fried chicken in breadcrump, with melted mozzarella on top and mayonnaise with it. It was delicious. The guy (I need to find his name really) also explained to me that it was something his mum used to make for him when he was a child. He had prepared the chicken the night before, soaking it in herbs and what have you. Ironically enough, he is Sicilian. I wonder if next Friday he will try something special. I would be happy with the same thing, this is comfort food at its best.

Le Red Champagne

Petite nouvelle découverte par PJ dans Le Quotidien: Herménégilde Plourde, l'inventeur du Red Champagne, une boisson saguenéenne qui est pratiquement inexistante hors de la région, est mort à 94 ans. Je ne suis même pas certain d'en avoir jamais bu, si c'est le cas je ne me rappelle plus ce que ça goûte. Je me beaucoup plus du Saguenay Dry, lequel lui a disparu. À mon sens, c'était la vraie boisson des Bleuets. Le nom en tout cas était beaucoup plus typiquement régional. Mais des imbéciles ont décidé de cesser de le vendre. Au moins, le Red Chanpagne est encore vendu, et bu. Alors Herménégilde Plourde a laissé un vrai héritage aux gens du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

Happy Birthday E. Nesbit

Ah, the things you learn when you open your browser on Google sometimes. Like today, first thing in the morning, I see a Google Doodle, and I discover it is celebrating the birthday of Edith Nesbit, or E. Nesbit. She was the author of children's books, such as The Railway Children, which was the one illustrated in the Doodle. It is maybe a lesser known fact nowadays that she was also the author of a good deal of horror/ghost stories, including Man-size in marble. I know nothing about her children stories, ironically enough. But I read Man-size in marble in this anthology. It is a really good chill, a classic ghost story, set fittingly on Halloween night. As it is my favourite holiday, I found the story very fitting for a read in the time leading to the season.

The short story had a strong enough impression on me to make me want to truly discover Nesbit, so as I mentioned on this post I bought a book of her horror stories, The Power of Darkness: Tales of Terror (and by the way what brilliant covers Wordsworth Mystero books have). I will read them eagerly soon, in the upcoming weeks leading to Halloween (I usually start shortly before September). One could find strange that a famous (or once famous) author of children fiction also wrote horror, but to me it did not surprise me at all. Children have a wild imagination and often a sinister one and childhood fears and nightmares feed one's psyche for a lifetime. If one can channel them, they can write magnificent tales of terror. I am looking forward to explore the dark side of Edith Nesbit.

Un objet (la photo du mois)

C'est aujourd'hui le moment de la photo du mois. Surprise, ce fut très facile. Le thème étant "un objet", il me fallait simplement trouver un objet (duh!) et essayer d'être original. Voici l'objet. Trouvé dans le jardin d'un pub. Ca sert à, heu... Ben, heu, ça sert à égaliser le sol? À taper le gazon pour lui donner l'allure d'un tapis? Enfin, je n'ai pas à expliquer ce que c'est, tant que c'est un objet. Rouillé, soit, mais un objet. Un quossin, comme on dit au Québec.

Vous pouvez voir ici ce que les autres ont découvert comme quossins:

Agnès, Akaieric, Alban, Alexinparis, Alice Wonderland, Anaïs and Spip, Ann, Anne, Arwen, Aurélie Ménard , Ava, Bestofava, BiGBuGS, Blogoth67, Calamonique, Cara, Carnets d'images, Caro from London , Caterine, Cathy, Cekoline, Céline in Paris, CetO, Champagne, Chat bleu, Cherrybee, Chloé, Christelle, Christophe, Claire's Blog, Coco, Cocosophie, Cricriyom from Paris, Dame Skarlette, DelphineF, Djoul, E, El Padawan, Eloclemence, Elodie, Eurydice, Fanfan Raccoon, François le Niçois, Frédéric, Isa, Galinette, Gilsoub, Giselle 43, Gizeh, Guillaume, Happy Us, Hibiscus, Homeos-tasie, _Hypeandcie, Isaquarel, J'adore j'adhère, Josiane, Julie, Kia909, KK-huète En Bretannie, Kob, Krn, La Dum, La Fille de l'Air, La Messine, La Nantaise, La voyageuse comtoise, Lau* des montagnes, Laulinea, Laurent Nicolas, Lavandine, Lavandine83, L'Azimutée, Les bonheurs d'Anne & Alex, Les voyages de Lucy, Louisianne, Lucile et Rod, Lyonelk, M.C.O, magda627, Mamysoren, Marie-Charlotte, Marmotte, Mathilde, Mes ptits plats, Meyilo, MissCarole, Monptitboudoir, Morgane Byloos Photography, Nicky, Nie, Ori, Oscara, Photo Tuto, Pilisi, Pixeline, Renepaulhenry, scarolles-and-co , Sephiraph, Shoesforgirls, Skipi, Solveig, Sophie Rififi, Stephane08, Tambour Major, Testinaute, Thalie, The Parisienne, The Singapore Miminews, Thib, Tuxana, Un jour, une vie, Une niçoise, Violette, Viviane, Wolverine, woocares, Xoliv', Zaza,

The Odin saga continues

Well, it is Wednesday so it is just an excuse as any to talk about Odin. I thought it was the end of my time with my feline friend. I thought Odin, now that his owners had found out about his visits to the neighborhood (well, in fact it is the same neighborhood, as they live in the street perpendicular to this one), they would just spend more time with him and that would be it. Only two days ago, I titled my post about Odin The end of the Odin saga?. Well, I was wrong, at least for now.

In fact, not much has changed. Odin is still around, in the morning when I go to work, in the evening when I come back. It was raining tonight and he was still there.He still rubs my feet, he still asks and receives treats, from me and from the neighbours. Except the evil witch I mentioned here, who has been passive-aggressive to everyone who gave cuddles and treats to Odin. She keeps on bitching about him to anyone who would listen, usually passersby, as no one in the block listens to her anymore. Like one of my neighbours said about it: "There is nothing wrong with being compassionate." This is wise, and good enough to be a great unknown line. People here understands this, including Odin's masters. And this is on this note that I want to end this post.

Question existentielle (199)

Parce que mon manteau achève après quatre ans d'utilisation (et non pas trois comme je le disais dans mon billet du 12 août), je me pose cette question existentielle:

-Quelle devrait être la durée de vie d'un manteau?

The beaver's diet again

Remember the beaver's diet I mentioned in January? Twice, actually. It struck me today: I have it again, I mean I crave sugar more than usual during daytime, so much so that I need to control myself. It happened inconspicuously: first it was someone's birthday and he had brought donuts, biscuits and other sweets. I had brought my own breakfast, but of course I had to eat some of course, I mean to be polite. Then today a new colleague, from Germany, came with chocolate cookies and other biscuits and some more desserts, I think I saw some rocky roads. She sent an email, saying it is a tradition in Germany for newcomers in a working place to offer food to everyone. That is one hell of a way to be accepted and appreciated by your peers! The chocolate cookies were delicious. I had them for breakfast with plenty of tea. Everything high in sugar tastes better with tea.

I always have sugaree breakfasts on a working day, but now I am in pure beaver's diet mode. I wonder why, I mean why I crave sugar that much. I think it might be the need to stay awake and alert. Or maybe it is getting colder outside. In any case, I crave it. I think I can keep my waistline under control, if I cut on crisps and I walk a lot, which I do. But I need to remain vigilante. Because a beaver's diet is a very tempting one, but I do not have a beaver's metabolism.

L'Italie montréalaise

Je l'ai appris dans La Presse, car ils ont un dossier sur le sujet: c'est la Semaine italienne de Montréal. Je ne savais même pas que ça existait. J'ai une relation trouble avec l'Italie, un mélange amour/haine. On le sait. Je trouve la culture italienne tour à tour fascinante et insupportable. Je me demande ce que je ferais si j'étais à Montréal, de cette Semaine italienne. Parce que l'italianité peut être encore plus insupportable, surtout quand elle est montréalaise. Mon expérience italienne, elle vient surtout d'Italiens natifs, alors que je partageais avec eux le rôle d'étrangers en terre étrangère. Avec un petit saut touristique d'un mois dans leur pays. L'Italie montréalaise, c'est trop souvent ces temps-ci le scandale de la construction, la mafia et cette couleuvre de Lisa Frulla. Je lis tout de même les articles sur le sujet avec fascination, surtout les chroniques de Foglia, que j'ai trouvées touchantes. Un peu malgré moi, je dois dire. Mais l'Italie, c'est aussi ça et ça aussi. Et je n'arrive pas à l'oublier. Alors j'irais sans doute faire un tour là-bas, si j'étais à Montréal.

The end of the Odin saga?

A warning to everyone who love him: I might write more about Odin the wandering black cat, but not as much as I used to. It was a very eventful evening. So as I had mentioned last time, Odin went to the vet tonight. He was a very good boy. A few things were confirmed: he is a boy, he was not a wild cat, even though he was an outdoor cat, he had a chip... but it was a foreign one, the code being much shorter than the British codes and it being not in the vet's database. My imagination ran wild and I started imagining Odin coming from Scandinavia or Russia or something. As if he was really the Norse god in disguise. Anyway, overall it was very reassuring: Odin is a healthy cat who spends a lot of time outside because he loves it and even his left eye, although suffering from something, can still see.

Then, back home, as I was taking Odin out of his cage, a couple walking by and asked if this cat had a weird eye... And it turned out Odin was theirs. They are really friendly people, the man is American and the woman is French, they are from Florida where they bought Odin and two more cats and a dog. So Odin is really a wandering cat, and a well traveled one. Except he is not from Scandinavia, but from Miami. His "real" name is Homer, not because of the Greek poet, but because they found him at Home Depot. It is a good name, it is a fitting name too, but I still prefer Odin. So anyway, in a nutshell, the mystery of the black cat is now revealed: Odin is just a home cat with Bohemian owners, who likes his bit of independence and is friendly to everyone and not shy to accept people's generosity, especially in food form. Their house, by the way, was their house I mentioned before. I was glad Odin had a safe place to go. I wonder why he spends so much time here. But I need to end this post, and this saga, on a sad note (can a saga end on a good one?): Odin and his masters will go back to Florida in sunny Miami next December. They said they cannot endure another British winter. I should be happy he has a home, a loving one even more, with really lovely, warm, friendly owners (one I could even speak a bit of French with). And he even has some cats buddies with him. But I can't help feeling sad. Oh, and they offered me to pay for the vet, but I refused. I mean, it was my initiative, that would have been cheeky to ask for them to pay.

Le manteau qui achève

Petite révélation de fin de saison: mon manteau léger d'été, justement, que j'ai acheté en 2009 en rabais à rien que 10£ (dix petites lvires sterling anglaises, donc un peu moins de 20$) commence sérieusement à prendre de l'âge. Trois ans seulement, et il est devenu noir pâle par endroits. Il devient également naturellement frippé. Ca m'ennuierait beaucoup de m'en acheter un autre: c'est de loin mon manteau d'été préféré de ceux que j'ai eus durant les quinze ans de mon existence, sans rire.

Early sign of Halloween

I blogged recently about the early signs of autumn and now, without even looking for it, I found the very early sign of Halloween. I couldn't believe my luck. Today is a very sunny day, just warm enough, but a nice breeze that cools things down and makes the temperature not only bearable, but pleasant. It is the kind of end of summer day which I love. As I want to make the best of it, I was walking around midday, when I saw this Jack O'Lantern on the top of a window. In fact, there are two Jacks like this, one over each window. (By the way, how do we call this thing, this kind of half circle, protuding bit in some houses?) Of course, it is not a real pumpkin, just a lantern shaped as one, and the owners might keep them all year round, like some people keep their Christmas lights on no matter the season.

All the same, it reminded me that Halloween is coming, and getting closer and closer. I long for it and I am already getting in a Halloween mood, wanting more and more to read horror stories. i know this is August, but I used to feel the same as a child, because thinking of Halloween was making me forget that the school year was also getting closer and closer as August went. This house would be the perfect setting for a horror story. Heck, they have Jack O'Lanterns already!

Un singe (Mosaïcultures)

Si vous êtes à Montréal et vous vous ennuyez ce dimanche, parce que dimanche c'est souvent plate, pourquoi ne pas aller faire un tour aux Mosaïcultures? Faites comme ce Montréalais d'adoption expatrié ferait s'il le pouvait présentement. Oui, je sais, ce billet est encore une fois une excuse pour télécharger des photos de l'évènement. Enfin, une photo, celle de ce singe. Je ne sais pas si c'est une espèce spécifique, mais il a l'air vivant.

Banana bread on the house

I went to the local artisanal food shop to buy myself sausages for tonight's supper. I go there because the sausages are made by a local producers and they are delicious. I mentioned the shop before. They also offer some kind of café service, where they serve coffee (duh!), tea and various cakes. As I was hesitating between various specialties, the shopkeeper was finishing banana bread, and asked me: "Do you want the last bit of it? It's on the house." I already loved this shop for many reasons (quality food at a not so expensive price, and the most delicious pears I ever ate), now I have another one. So I came back home with tonight's meal, which was delicious (Toulouse sausages) and tomorrow's breakfast. Or maybe tonight's dessert. I am not sure yet. But I love getting slices of banana bread on the house. Buying them, I always find it expensive for the size of the slice. But free, I can't complain.

Question existentielle (198)

J'ai déjà posé des questions existentielles sur le mois d'août, mais après une recherche sur le blogue je ne crois pas avoir posé celle-ci:

-Quelles sont les causes profondes de la mélancolie du mois d'août?