This Mr. Bean float appeared in the closing “Twin Parade” of the 2007 Just For Laughs festival. But was it really Mr. Bean, or was it actually his twin, Spanish PM José Luis Zapatero (with his oso de peluche)?

Well, I’ve done it — gone and bought Photoshop CS3. No more fiddling around with my various array of “almost good enough” tools and toys… Though it does look like I still will be using some of them (e.g. Photomatix for HDRs, Hugin for panos, maybe Bibble now and then). Those tools are all useful but I need to be able to make selections and masks, for the way I do my photo processing. (For the ear-steaming OpenSource freaks out there, GIMP runs too slowly on my iBook; when painting with a large brush it’s pathetic waiting for it to catch up…) It’s great to finally be able to say: “I’ve got the power! Dnt…dnt…dn-dn-dnt…dnt, dnt!” (now that song will be stuck in your head all day, hee hee ;-)

So here’s a shot from the football match last Sunday:

I know this sounds a bit dubious, like something you might accidentally stumble across on the Internet. But no, I’m talking about the FIFA World Cup, and in particular the “under-twenty” version of the championship that’s being held in Canada for the first time this year. (We’re hoping to some day graduate to the “real” World Cup.)

Everyone in Canada loves soccer, don’t they? I mean, we almost all played it (or play it) as kids, and amateur soccer (aka “summer hockey”) is certainly alive and well. (Surely you know our noble Canadian motto: It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you have fun.) We’re not what you would call a world power, though, when it comes to the higher echelons of the sport. We have had (and do have) some professional leagues (Edmonton Drillers, late 1970s, anyone?), but I daresay most people would be hard pressed to name a single Canadian professional team. However, as of this year we do have Toronto FC, the first Canadian team in Major League Soccer (yes, that’s the same league Beckham now plays in, with the Los Angeles Galaxy…in fact he will play his first MLS game in Toronto on August 5!).

Anyhow, I’ve never been a fan of football on TV (and by football, of course I mean soccer). I rank it above golf in watchability but certainly below hockey and women’s beach volleyball. To give you an idea of how casually I take my spectating — even with hockey, I normally only watch a bit during the playoffs (and beach volleyball every four years, during the Olympics, whether I need it or not).

But as someone who wants to live in Spain, a country at least as mad about fútbol as Canada is about hockey, I feel I should give it a chance. I do enjoy watching highlight reels, seeing those spectacular goooooóls and the touch-and-go passing. Other than that, though, watching tiny specks exchanging possession within an enormous midfield area strikes me as almost…golf-ish, in its level of excitement.

But I appreciate the energy of fandom and national pride (actual or adoptive). I live in a neighbourhood with many Portuguese and Brazilian ties, so I’m surrounded by fanatical worshippers of the buckyball. I woke up early on a summer 2002 morning to join in the impromptu parade when Brazil won the World Cup. In 2006, I went to the Spanish social club and shared the humiliation of Spain being eliminated by France in the Round of 16. I remember hearing the roar of 80,000 fans coming from Palo Alto’s Stanford Stadium (near where I was living) during the 1994 World Cup. And last year, although jetlagged, I gave up hope of sleeping in Barcelona on the night Barça won the European Champion’s League — there were home-brew fireworks shows as far as the eye could see (and ear could hear).

So perhaps I was wrong. Somehow, I’ve gotten hooked watching this year’s under-twenty league (on TV or even on the ‘net, thanks to CBC and FIFA). As the teams filter down via elimination, the games get pretty exciting. The skill on display, by tomorrow’s superstars, is great to watch. So is the immaturity of some of these kids, as when Portuguese player Zequinha plucked a red card out of the referee’s hands because he “refused” to allow it to be assigned to his teammate. He then left the stadium in tears, also thrown out. This week I went so far as to buy a ticket to Sunday’s quarter-final match at the Olympic Stadium, between Chile and Nigeria. Amazingly, after almost fifteen years in Montreal, this will be my first sporting event at the Big O (we can’t call it “The Big Owe” any more because it finally got paid off, last December!). I’m excited; I just hope I don’t get caught up in any hooliganism or, more likely, chunks of collapsing roof…ha ha.

No comment about the fact that host team Canada didn’t win a single game, nor even score a single goal… No comment, except to say that we have our own unique way of achieving “firsts”! Suffice it to say that attendance has been great — in fact we may set a record, which would be a true point of pride.

Who do I cheer for? Generally, I do it on cultural and linguistic lines. If the option is there, I cheer first for Canada (why not?). After that comes Spain, then other hispanohablante country (e.g. Chile, Argentina, Mexico), then I move to neighbourhood favourites (both eliminated this time!) Brazil and Portugal. As a tie-breaker in undecided cases, where I don’t really know or care, I cheer for the underdog. On the other hand, if a team is playing exceptionally well, I may switch allegiance simply because they just deserve my applause. My loyalties are many and fickle.

Well, Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood (my ‘hood) has a new “free bike” program, called Bécikvert. They have a pool of 20 green-painted bikes, to start out, and all you need to do is exchange a piece of photo ID for the bike. Your ID is returned when the bike is returned. They have various kinds of bikes, different styles to meet all tastes. You also have access to special offers and discounts at various shops along Mont-Royal while you are in possession of the bike!

In Barcelona, meanwhile, the “green” bikes are actually red. They have a major new bike pool program this year, called Bicing. Theirs is far more ambitious, on a much larger scale. Although not free, it’s a great deal at 24€ per year. For that rate, you can borrow a bike (you swipe your personal access smart-card to unlock them from large racks) anytime for up to 30 minutes, without additional charges. If you want to borrow longer (up to two hours), you pay a small amount for the rental. You are not allowed to borrow for more than two hours — the idea of the program is for the bike as a means of point-to-point transport, a supplement to public transit and thus a car replacement. And the pool stays “afloat” in this way. If certain stops are underserved, then there are vehicles which move around rebalancing the load, delivering bikes when they are needed at “empty” stations. They claim to do this very quickly, so if there is ever any waiting, it is minimal. It would be good to hear from folks in Barcelona who’ve tried it, to see just how well it actually works. I imagine there are a few startup glitches, but the basic idea is great.

There are pickup/drop spots all over the city, especially linked with metro stations, bus and tram stops, and so the idea is to grab a bike and go wherever you’re going, then “return” the bike there. Later, you take a different bike to your next destination. You could spend all day hopping from location to location, for free! They currently have “only” 1,500 bikes, and that will double by the end of the year. You can even check bicycle availability in real time on the internet, since the whole thing is automated. I don’t think they offer helmets, though…so bring your own! I wouldn’t want to ride without one in Barcelona, although you may look like a freak because no one seems to wear them there.

These are both great initiatives which, coupled with increasing numbers of bike lanes and better driver awareness(!) will hopefully start to transform our cities. Not only making them more “green”, but making for healthier (and happier, I would hope) citizens. Already 80,000 people have signed on in Barcelona for annual memberships in bicing! Of course, it would be silly to offer year-round memberships in wintry Montreal…our trial program only runs during the summer this year, until September.

Well, the Ojos de Brujo and Son de la Frontera concert was great. S de la F (or as I call them, the “geniuses from Morón” ;-) were much more traditional than I expected. They had two guitarists, two singers and a dancer. It was great flamenco, but with only a few genre-bending twists (I especially liked a number that I would describe as country and western-slash-flamenco). Unfortunately, some annoying people standing behind me on the dancefloor were disrespectfully “imitating” the singing and clapping, something that was obviously new and strange to them. Some people are not very open-minded. We finally had to tell them something in a language they would understand: “Ferme la!”

The concert got better from then on — Raúl Rodríguez, the lead guitarist (well, most of the time he was playing a guitar-like instrument known as the Cuban tres, which has a higher, sharper tone), was really incredible. He also had a very likeable look: he came across as genuine. And with a super-expressive face; so he smiled, frowned and grimaced his way through all the numbers. It was great. They were obviously having a great time, a theme which would be echoed in O de B’s show. Later, when O de B had just finished their two-hour set, I saw Raúl standing alone at one of the club’s bars, so I sneaked over and told him how much I enjoyed the show. I think he was a bit surprised to have a rubio speaking to him in Spanish…

O de B were great, as they were last time at the Spectrum. Even if you’re not into their music it would be hard not to feel their joy of performing. The Metropolis was packed to the rafters, and I found a spot on the dancefloor about 4m back from the stage. The Montreal crowd was very good to them, too. The group seemed surprised and delighted at how much we were enjoying them. (I wonder if they had as good receptions in San Francisco or New York, where they’d been just before.) Much of the crowd (where I was, at least) was Spanish, Spanish-speaking, or local flamenco dancing “chicas” (students). It seemed everyone around me knew how to do palmas.

At one point, someone leapt up on stage and started dancing. It turned ugly (not because anything bad happened; just because those people made fools of themselves!) but the band wasn’t at all freaked out. The security people are usually pretty quick to toss folk off stage, but in this case they hesitated. More and more people took that as their cue to get up on stage. Eventuallly, the head security guy (looking very pissed off at his indecisive underlings) intervened to get the impostors off-stage. It was a bit tense and weird, mainly because it looked like the people up there were there only because they wanted to be seen, not because they were into the music.

During one of the encore numbers, Marina “la Canillas” hauled a girl up on stage. She then started bringing a few more girls from the audience up on stage, and one of the security underlings actually was recruited to help her. They danced, and this time it had a good feel to it (and, no, not just because they were all cute girls!); they obviously knew and loved the music and were singing along. Eventually grumpy security guy very politely helped them off stage again.

Especially impressive — besides the magical stage presence of la Mari — were multi-percussionist Xavi; the “real gypsy” guitarist Ramón; Javi on bass and Maxwell Wright with his high-speed vocal effects. There was also a beautiful flamenco dancer who performed during some numbers, along with the requisite costume changes. This group is all about the music. They love to perform, and they do it brilliantly. They’re also notable for eschewing big-name record labels and instead have made it “their way,” under their own record label. The video projections were also fantastic; not detracting from what was happening onstage, but instead a perfect accompaniment. A great show full of “good karma,” although I believe I should have worn earplugs…today I still can’t really hear in my left ear, which was dangerously close to one of the main loudspeakers.

Besides the fact that we’ve passed the solstice…? Well, in Montreal, we’ve had a few days of sweltering hot and humid weather (humidex into the low 40s), which is always a good clue. The Jazz Festival has started, and so has the International Fireworks Competition.

Last night, the fireworks were big and boomy, but for pure “lighting up the sky value,” I’d have to give the prize to Mother Nature, who added brilliant flashes of lightning as her contribution to the competition. (Including one blast that literally left my dishes rattling in the cupboards.) At least it didn’t start to rain until about a half-hour after the show finished, although it wouldn’t have mattered — these competitions go on: “rain, snow or shine.” Of course, even in midsummer, “shine” would be unusual at 10pm in Montreal…

I’m off to see Ojos de Brujo (from Barcelona) and Son de la Frontera (from the strangely-named town of “Morón de la Frontera” in Andalucía) on Friday at Metropolis, part of the Jazz Fest. As usual, none of my friends was interested, but it’s sure to be a great show. I saw O de B here two years ago and was blown away. They’re the kind of band you may need to see live to get hooked on. I wasn’t really keen on their CDs until I saw them perform…now I love the albums too! So much energy. Am curious to hear S de la F, too — have heard OF them but not FROM them yet.

Meanwhile, I sit and wait…my life may be undergoing drastic changes soon. As of Tuesday, I am officially waiting for a residence visa for Spain (because Tuesday is when I finally got all my “ducks in a row” and dropped off the pile of application paperwork). The information they give you indicates it can take up to four months. On the other hand, the person at the Consulate told me to call back for status in two weeks(!). We’ll see. There is so much unknown and uncertainty about this whole process (each case is unique, and their decisions seem to be subjective, not objective…there is no precise list of things to “do” to be guaranteed to get it). I’ll just be glad when it’s over — at which point (assuming and hoping I get it) I will move to Spain and begin the much longer and more complex of “settling” there. Of course, I won’t be alone — I’m well supported by my “chocolatina”, waiting for me on the other end.

Even though it’s possible to visit Spain for up to three months at a time without a visa, you do need the 90-day residence visa (applied for in your home country) in order to apply for a one-year residence permit (applied for in Spain). Once there, you also need to get your NIE (foreigner’s id number) and ID card, you need to apply for the empadronamiento, you need to figure out how to get a driver’s licence (which will surely involve a full written and driving test). All of which are bound to be an adventure. But first things first…and now I’m just waiting for the visa.

Then there’s the matter of figuring out what to do with my place and all my stuff. I have decided I want to “live lightly”, not moving much with me, and so have been (slowly) unloading things on EBay and through personal connections. But there is still a LOT. How do we accumulate so much? And some of it (photos, letters, tax info) you can’t just decide to get rid of. Well, I suppose you could but I don’t want to. Once the visa is granted (fingers crossed) I will need to move quite quickly on all this…selling my place, etc.

Yes, it’s going to be a hot summer, but not long: I have a feeling it’s going to fly by.

Those of us fortunate enough to live in Montreal have, for years, been able to enjoy St. Denis’ Chu Chai, where you get delicious Thai dishes prepared using “fake” meat. (The same dishes are available with real meat at Chao Phraya on Laurier.) Chu Chai has, for example, chicken in peanut sauce with crispy spinach, red curry duck with pineapple, and tons of other favourites. The only “catch” is that the chicken, duck and all other meats are…artificial. Six-million-dollar-man-style, someone must have said: “We can build a better chicken.” (Would this be the other, other white meat?)

These vegetarian imitations are surprisingly delicious (speaking as one who has never quite been convinced of the pleasures of tofu’s quivering white flesh). Eating the Chu Chai duck, you’d never guess this was phony fowl — it even has crunchy “skin” like the real thing (real or otherwise, if you ask me this is the best part!).

Anyhow, I never would have even thought to search for such a thing, but a happy coincidence yesterday landed me at a place not far from my house (to be precise, at 279 Duluth E.) which sells those very meat-esque products, made of soya protein and gluten (seitan). This may sound like some weird food fetish, and committed carnivores everywhere may well ask: “What’s the point?” But let me tell you, it’s delicious and healthy…and while I’m no PETA-phile, it just so happens that the only things that died making these edible imposters were some soya beans or wheat stalks. (Phony fowl, edible imposters… How many more of these clever combos can I come up with?)

The place is called Tiende Santé & Végétarien, and used to be located in Chinatown. Tiende reportedly means “virtue of Heaven,” and also seems to be a religion. The little grocery store was a joyful discovery for me, and I promptly bought some sham shrimp with which to make a real curry. I also picked up some pre-seasoned “ribs” which I have yet to try, though many of the happy hippies shopping there promised me they were to die for. Granted, there may be some differences between what a hippie would die for and what I would die for, so I’ll reserve my judgement until I’ve tried them. The shrimp had nice taste and texture, though, and looked beautiful in my curry (see photo).

I don’t think the place makes buckets of money, so if you live in the area, stop in and give them some business so they don’t disappear. They sell other asian and vegetarian/vegan products, teas and even can serve you a quick hot meal in the store. I know that I, for one, will be back. And don’t even bother asking: no, they don’t accept knockoff twenties.

Or should I say: “Expo…say friend!”

Today, 40 years ago (that would be 1967, for those not so quick on the math), Montreal’s World Exposition had its opening ceremonies, and it opened to the public on April 28th, which was a Friday that year. Canada turned 100 years old that year, and Expo was our centennial party. I’m sure there will be more in the news about this later today and tomorrow, but CBC has published a slideshow on their site here.

More fun is to be had in their archives. They feature more media…like clips from CBC TV and radio back in the day. Check the archives out here.

“Montreal is generally known for its attractive women…”
Listen to the stammering reporter trying to interview the pavillion hostesses:
“I really feel that I should put on a sign that says: ‘Please talk to me, I’m lonely.’”
“It’s quite interesting to see how the Canadian lives…”

Our metro (subway) was created and opened in the six months leading up to Expo, too. It was a time of massive change and development in Montreal. And, interestingly, tomorrow, besides being the 40th anniversary of Expo, they’re opening new stations in one of the biggest metro extensions in ages. The metro now runs to Laval. And rides are free on the entire network this weekend… This will “no doubt generate strong interest and even greater pride,” says the STM. Frankly, I don’t know if I can handle any more pride.

Back on the subject of Expo, there is a range of activities planned to commemorate the anniversary. More here (en français).

Still more archival material can be found here. Si tu préfères regarder et écouter en français, essaye-donc icitte…

…dumps of snow, that is. After my last post, well — that was nothing! Yesterday and today we got hit with a “doozy” of a storm, and more snow and rain than we had way back in the old days (er, I mean: three days earlier). And the wind was crazy. At one point I looked out this morning and the rain was being picked up off the railing of my terrace and shooting upward into the air! There are still more than 100,000 without power…the very heavy wet snow and strong winds took down a lot of trees and power lines.

Still, we got it easy compared to what they had in the States. In New York City they had 200mm of precipitation — the previous record for that day was 50mm, a record set 101 years before. On Sunday we also set a record, though with a “measly” 30mm of precipitation,which probably included about 20cm of snow.

For any “out-of-countriers” from non-Northern nations think me ridiculous for me to say we had 30mm of precip. which included 20cm of snow… Well, a general approximation is that you can convert mm to cm when you’re talking about snow as opposed to rain. That is, if you had a snowfall of 20cm and “melted it down”, it would be equivalent to about 20mm of rain (or 2cm). The rain yesterday was very heavy and wet, so maybe the factor was less than 10, but it’s a rough rule.

The previous record in Montreal for the most snow on the ground on April 15 was set in 1971, when there was still 5cm on the ground at the end of the day. Of course, that year it was still the “winter snow” (it was an incredibly snowy winter). They didn’t get rid of the last of it until around April 20. This year wasn’t particularly snowy, and we’d already gotten rid of what we had by the end of March… but with these recent storms we still set a record with our 7cm still on the ground yesterday.

What’s with all this weather news? Well, I am Canadian after all, and it’s our favourite subject. I’m surprised I don’t have a “Weather” category in my blog… I just “calls ‘em as I sees ‘em” — and what I “sees” outside my window these days is miserable and worthy of discussion!

In other news, did you know that National Fair Trade Week(s) is (are) coming up (May 1-15…)? I am already getting into the swing of things — a new grocery store opened up near me, one which only stocks bio, organic, fair trade foods. So you can spend a bit more (well, a lot more, in some cases) and get a euphoric buzz from the incredible lightness of your wallet. Or maybe it’s from the hemp-seed oil you used in that stir-fry.

Seriously, though, why does it have to be two weeks? Many other important causes only get a single day to toot their horn! Plus, it sounds like you’ve made a mistake (”Excuse me, did you say week-s? Plural?”). On the other hand, if we have “International Year of the …”, then why not: “National Fortnight of the…”?

Hope you’ve enjoyed: “Local Quarter-Hour of the Blog” (hopefully less, unless you’re a slow reader).

Surprise, surprise (sigh, no, not really) — I just got back to Montreal in time for…a big dump of snow. I returned to a generally snow-free city, looking like maybe spring was, if not in the air, at least on its way. After all, it’s mid-April and all…

But no. Today, just for fun, we had a record-breaking snowfall. Something like 12cm [UPDATE: the official amount was actually 14cm!], which generally speaking isn’t much for us, but it is a fair bit for April 12! Likely it will all melt on…Friday the 13th.

Anyhow, it was quite beautiful. After being in Spain I was almost feeling nostalgic for snow. Almost. And at least it’s not really cold (around the freezing point).