Accustomed to a high-level standard of living in Bombay I chose my Montreal lodgings fitting for that standard. Being humble I rented the Presidential Suite at the Four Seasons in Montreal on Sherbrooke Street 8 minutes from most of my classes in the Leacock Building. A full staff to support my daily activities could be perceived by self-righteous by Canadians so I left them back home in Bombay to polish silver and maintain the grounds.
I have a spectacular view from my window of Mont Royal and when the fall colours bless Montreal it is a wonder to behold. I’ll take it over the Taj Mahal any day.
I have all the amenities I need. Swimming pool, steam room and a gym. I am up for breakfast each morning at 07:00 I prepare myself as I have a kitchen in my suite. A cup of organic green tea, fruit in season and two slices of whole wheat toast. On Saturday and Sunday mornings I have a big breakfast delivered to my room and read the New York Times and Montreal Gazette happily downing a big pot of tea. The Four Seasons makes a wicked French Toast!
Saturday after drinking my tea and reading my newspapers it is culture time so I may go to the McCord Museum or Musée des Beaux Arts or wherever there is a worthy exhibit. Saturday night it may be an obscure artsy film showing at the McGill Film Society or the Greene Cinema. Occasionally I will go out with fellow students to Thompson House for some beer and peanuts. If there is a good jazz show at Didi Boucel’s Club in Vieux Montreal I might go there. I have seen Stan Getz, Gato Barbieri, Sony Rollins, John Mayall and many others.
Sundays is my mandatory walk up to Beaver Lake on Mont Royal and a stroll clear across to Park Avenue where I usually stop for a late lunch of souvlaki at Arahova Restaurant. If I have any energy left I may walk up and get some bagels at Fairmont Bagel Bakery. Just baked they are one of the 7 wonders of the world.
From Monday to Thursday it is class to class and lots of assignments and papers to work on. I have managed to stack all my classes so Fridays are free. I use this time to volunteer at the United Mutations Office in Park Extension researching specific issues as requested by Willie Montenez a big executive at United Mutations.
I play intramural hockey at McGill. A group of Indian students have created a team the Punjabi Pundits and quite frankly we stink. I am fast as hell and score a lot of goals but I am hell on wheels to watch. I mean in months I learnt how to skate. The United Mutations have a box at the Montreal Forum and occasionally I get to see Nos Glorieux play hockey in the shrine of all shrines for professional hockey.
My life is a peaceful and scholarly one.
It is difficult to make friends here but my slight British accent (rather Welsh from my late Mom) really attracts the ladies so there is no shortage of chatting and drinking 4th rate coffee from a machine at our student lounge. Occasionally I’ll ask one of these charming young ladies to Pam Pam restaurant on Stanley Street for Hungarian pastries, liking so very much the flourless chestnut cream cake and a café au lait. After my Minah incident though I wonder if these Montreal Girls are poison and too much for me to handle.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 