France vs French Canada I 7 First Impressions of Montreal I From a Franco-American!
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
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Salut Canada! :)
We arrived in Montreal about 2 weeks ago now and I got to film my very first Canada video all about my first impressions of Montreal!
I've spent the last 5 years documenting my experience as an American expat living in France for 12 years. I've talked about French culture shocks, living abroad, french culture, what France does best vs what American does best. Anything that has to do with how I see France through the eyes of a foreigner.
My little family and I officially moved to Montreal, Canada from Paris France last week for a new adventure! I can't wait to see how similar and different french speaking canada is to France (my second home) and the USA (my first!) So far we love the metro, the warmth people have with strangers and how bilingual people are in Montreal! We could do with the taxes and tips, but check out the video to get my 7 first impressions of Montreal. The things we love and the things we could do without!
#livingabroadinCanada #frenchspeakingcanada #FrancevsCanada
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Welcome to Montreal!
French-English switching back and forth:
* Most people will only do it if they know every one can follow
* And a lot of immigrants will be switching between 3
* A friend of mine used to get a headache from all the switching, he did get used to it after a while
Why companies translate to French (Joyeux Festins, Les cafés Second Cup)
* It's that or get fined
* French must be predominant, written bigger, etc (there are more fine details but those are the basic rules)
Taxes depending :
* 1 croissant ==> is considered the equivalent of entering a restaurant for just a dessert
* 6 croissant ==> is considered it is used as food staple, not as a restaurant like "luxury"
Same applies to yogurt and a few others
Ice on streets:
* Get "ice cleats"/"shoe spikes" ("crampons" in French) that can be added to your boots (they come in different sizes)
* You'll find them in a pharmacies and shoe cobbler, they usually carry them all winter long
Thanks for all the info! I'm learning more reading all the comments than I am after a week getting lost here :)
Tipping for self service and in businesses that didn't tradtionally ask for tips before Covid: there have been a few articles on the CBC about tipping fatigue in Canada and what I call tip-creep. This is a new post-Covid thing and personally I don't hesitate to choose the no-tip option on the debit machine if I am shopping in a self-service situation. I was a bit taken aback recently to be presented with a tip option at a small clothing business, where I again totally served myself and didn't even see an employee till I went to the cash desk. I've really only noticed this tip creep into non-food service businesses since re-opening after Covid closures. I think you should follow your own gut instinct.
Exactly, it started with Covid as a way to support small businesses and workers in a time of hardship, but it has gotten a bit out of hand. I can confirm that this is not just in Montreal / Canada but all of North America. I lived in Montreal pre-Covid and they never asked you to tip at the food court or bakery, I now live in NYC and am asked to tip to pick up a coffee or pastry to go. I had the chance to go back to Montreal for a week last Spring, and noticed that these types of places now ask for tips. I am surprised you did not notice this in your last few trips to the Midwest.
I agree! In Canada...tipping is completely up to the individual. In tipping situations such as restaurants...depending on the quality of service... anything from 15% - upward. For self service..no tipping is expected.
Ah this makes sense. As she was talking about it, I didn’t remember that in my experience. I was last in Canada before Covid. Literally before everything shut down in Feb of that year. And I didn’t recall that happening.
@@scb25some of the coffee shops have been doing that well before Covid. It’s definitely been in place at Dunkin’ for a while. It’s really bizarre because it’s like, you just poured my coffee which is what you’re supposed to do. You didn’t go above and beyond or do anything significant. No offense to them!
Thanks for the advice!!
As a Midwesterner (Crystal Lake, IL) married to a Québecer for 32 years and living in the US, I am so looking forward to hearing your thoughts and impressions about the people the province and life in general in Québec. Wishing you and your family all the best in your new adventure.
From Illinois!
LOL.. Yes.. the litteral translations are totally a thing we do in Quebec. My French in-laws love when I let one or two of them slip out. I'm guilty of saving "Ça me chauffre le coeur" (for no french speakers- "it warms my heart") LOL
We often speak a form a "Franglais" at home much to my French husbands dismay -I've rubbed off on him :) We usually only do this with bilingual speakers though. There's a meme that circulated a while back and all my Montreal friends looked at it and read it flawlessly and then laughed when they realised it was two languages mixed togther. It read " Ce moment when you start penser en deux langue at the same temps" that kind of sums up Montrealers way of speaking amongst each other. It was the blessing of growing up speaking both interchangably. Most people in Montreal and the surrounding suburbs speak both languages and being a city with a rich history of immigration, many speak a third language as well. Often with parents or grandparents. My Family has Italian roots and many of my friends were 1st genration immigrants growing up and we'd often throwh some Italian into the mix.
Many Québecois associate either as Francophone or Anglophone...depending on this association the accents will vary when speaking in the're native and non native tongue. Montreal's tend to have softer accents in either. Francophone's are easier to pick out as they have stronger accents in english. Either way, the people are très chaleureux and love to chat and connect.
Enjoy la belle province...oh and definately eat some poutine..back in my time there, la Banquise was one of the best but most places in Montreal do it faily well regardless.
Welcome to Canada. Canada is officially a "metric" country, however, we still work in imperial measurements in some areas. Because we live next door to the USA our stoves, cookbooks and scales are mainly Imperial. Hope you and your family continue to enjoy Montreal.
That's generally true but I think most cookbooks in French (whether imported from France or actually written and published in Quebec) use Celsius for oven temperatures. Probably any oven in Canada has some sort of way to switching to metric, but I think the only place metric temperatures are used is in Quebec.
Thank you!!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified people weight is in pounds...oven is F. Weather is in C but pool temp is in F. We measure normal stuff in Cm but people in inches...etc..all messed up lol
@@deetee9272 Speaking for Ontario and Quebec, most things are in the metric system (including outside temperatures), but for the height and weight of people, many still use the old Imperial system. When it comes to stoves etc, yes they all can be switched back and forth from imperial to metric, some people will even switch depending on the recipe. Like the switching in languages, you will find that when a Canadian gives you their own recipe, you are bound to find a mixture of systems (1 cup of this, 200 ml of that, a tea spoon of..., a kilo of..,. etc.). If your measuring cup doesn't have both systems on it then it's useless, replace it.
Just stumbled upon your channel and I found it very refreshing. I’m Québécois ( people don’t say french canadians much anymore), born and raised and yes, people are very friendly here and talk to strangers. You’ll need winter cleats that you can buy at drugstores. You put them on only when it’s icy outside. As for the machines that ask you to chose a tip, they annoyed me at first … but nobody will think you’re cheap if you don’t leave a tip at a food court. They really don’t expect you to. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur dans notre univers qui est si différent de celui des autres. Cheers!😂
I'm planning to visit Québec and Montréal this year for the first time, so this is good info!
Regarding tipping: This has probably changed since you moved to France, but a lot of the electronic payment systems in the US (Square, Toast, Clover, etc.) always ask if you want to tip, regardless of whether tipping is actually expected. I would imagine it's the same in Canada.
Bienvenue à Montréal, au Québec et au Canada ! One thing I think no one else might have mentioned so far is the great amount of slush there is in the spring, when the snow melts, especially in Montreal. Sometimes, there's huge water puddles in the street on the side of the sidewalk, where people cross. So waterproof boots (not only water resistant) can be a good choice. I bought some for my years of cegep/uni in Montreal (I'm from the suburbs and used to commute everyday), and I was glad I did. People get their way around without waterproof boots, but I was tired of getting wet feet when going to school in the spring.
Also, for winter time, watch out for black ice (we call it 'glace noire' too in French), both when driving or walking or going down outside staircases. It's ice so thin that you don't suspect there's ice, when there actually is a very thin layer of ice. Since we don't expect, we're not necessarily careful and it's easier to slip.
Here's a rule of thumb that many Quebeckers use to know how much to tip : add the amounts for both taxes on the receipt (taxes are called 'TPS' and 'TVQ') . As it is roughly 15%, it gives an idea of how much to tip.
For the cold, an option to help keeping warm can be disposable hand/feet/body warmers, or reusable ones (one brand I know of is 'EcoHot'). It could come in handy on colder days or when staying a long time outside for any reason.
Hope it helps!
As a french quebecers born in Montréal, this is very interesting to know your impressions. I hope you will enjoy your life with us :)
I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and finally got winter boots that don't slip on ice! From Marks Work Wearhouse (Wind River Ice FX). Before that I used crapons (ice picks) on my boots. People in Canada switch between metric and imperial all the time. And Canadians are truly friendly, even to strangers!
I love the ice picks idea. I think my next pair will have to have these!
The approachability of strangers in Montreal is a beautiful aspect of the city! It's quintessentially Canadian, sure. However, there's an added sense of familiarity and warmth that comes with Quebecers, so very truly if you ever need help finding your way somewhere, or carrying something, or absolutely whatever, never hesitate to ask someone! Obviously, it's not *everyone* that will respond enthusiastically or help, but that's really uncommon.
And YES.... THE ICE. I'm from the Ottawa-Gatineau area, so we have the ice issue here too, but Montreal has a lot of steep roads that go for ages! Black ice under a thin sheet of snow... danger publique, esti. It's also more humid due to it being an island, so thermal clothing is 100% necessary to keep your body temperature semi-consistent, especially as you're not used to it.
Anyway, that's so fun that you get to discover Montreal as a complete newbie!! I was there for 4 years and miss the city sometimes, especially the public transport. It's not perfect, and you should download the Transit app if you have or want to use the buses, but the fact there are night buses that bring you across the city once the metro shuts for the night is really great 🫠
When cooking we use F degrees because its more precise but for the weather we use Celsius because its more practical.
It takes time to know the underground. There is some sort of attempt at uniform signage (RESO) but since it's mostly all private parts connected together, it gets complicated pretty quickly. The only bit of advice I could give is to look up, as there are sometimes "signs". However, I've been living here for more than 10 years and there are still parts I've never seen, and I'm still sometimes confused.
You'd think knowing it's a giant U would be enough but it branches in some places and sometimes you have to get one level up or down to continue. Like, finding that to go from McGill to PVM, you have to go down the food court in the Eaton Centre, while if you want to cross east-west through all the shopping malls, you have to stay at the metro level.
There are online maps showing street blocks with tunnels in pink on top and those helped me knowing the general shape and what's possible. But again, no map will/can show you everything and... you will get lost. In a way, it's the second tip. Those tunnels are like a maze so if you try enough, you'll end up memorizing the paths you need to take after a few fails.
Re tipping, it's similar in the UK. When you use a card, sometimes it prompts you to tip, when it's not a 'tipping' situation. I think it might just be the way they set their machines, especially at places that have both table service & take-away counter service.
I completely agree with this statement. I think the machines have been set up this way on default. I feel weird tipping at any fastfood joint or place where I did most of the work.
Yep, it's the same in the U.S. now too. I don't think it's specific to Canada or Montreal. I don't tip any more often or any different situations than I would have before (e.g. in her food court example, I wouldn't tip unless there was something special the person did).
OK good to know!
Re the oven: if you search "oven temperature conversion chart" on the web, you should get a nice table covering degrees F and degrees C (with or without the Fan option). My experience of ovens in the UK suggests that you get the temps engraved on the knob, so you are stuck with it. Don't forget the cardinal rule of cooking from a recipe: never mix units (i.e. measure the flower in grams and the water in fl. oz., say -- the translations in recipes are approximate but all the metric values should match, or all the Imperial values should also match. Finally, if they still use pints and quarts, an Imperial pint is 20fl oz, not 16. Enjoy Montreal!
Love your videos and new impressions of countries are my favourite part of travelling. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, Kate! How exciting that you and your family are starting this new adventure in Montreal! ✨ I want to share a piece of advice my French boyfriend was given when he studied abroad in Toronto: when it’s snowy/icy out, don’t walk with your hands in your pockets. They’ll come in handy (pun intended) should you slip. 😌 Looking forward to seeing more videos from Canada!
Good rule! thanks for the tip :)
Likewise, do not walk too fast. You will develop your own special walk. And how about trying some ice skating?
In much of Canada, in the winter, people walk like a penguin! Quick short steps. Safer! It works for the penguins after all!
This carries the risk of breaking your wrists. Some say it’s better to just brace yourself and try to fall on your side/shoulder.
For a nice dinner out in Montreal, go to Gibby's. Love it!
Yes, people in Montreal are friendly. I live in NY, but Love to visit Montreal, where my ancestors are from. My 8th great grandfather was one of the founders of the city.
Get a plan from the métro station and then READ the signs, usually above your head in the tunnels.
The underground tunnels can be confusing because sometimes you need to go through a metro stop or up escalators to connect with next building.. the easiest way to navigate it is to follow signs for next building.. like Montreal Trust building or Eatons’ centre…or the Bay or Cathedral.. the signs only go to the next building so you have to know your buildings.. Go from one to the next.
A colleague was showing me around and telling me that she knows the underground so well she can picture where she is above ground in the same place.... can't wait until that's my reality too!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified je suis comme ta collègue, mais beaucoup de Montréalais ne connaissent pas la ville souterraine. C'est pourtant bien pratique l'hiver quand les trottoirs sont impraticables.
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Based on the Toronto underground, you get to know your little section of the underground. Otherwise, it's a maze!
It is a Canadian thing in general to have to straddle between metric and imperial. Our ovens are imperial, we reference people's hight/weight in imperial, but we do distances, food, weather temp, etc. in metric.
...winter makes for its own fashion statements; wear layers, mixed and matched: never too hot that can be dangerous, opening and closing layers accordingly.
cheers!
Great impressions! It will be fun to look back on this after a few years have passed!
absolutely!
Bienvenue au Québec! Mais quand même... toute une surprise! Je ne m'y attendais vraiment pas! J'ai aimé, tout en souriant ou pouffant de rire, tes premières impressions! Ce qui m'amène à penser que ce que tu auras à dire de Montréal dans les mois qui viennent sera extrêmement intéressant! Bon voyage! 😊
That is a fairly new thing. I don’t tip at a bakery unless I eat there. You don’t have to tip everywhere.
Montreal always reminds me of a small European city( even though it's big). You must visit Quebec City in the winter!! It is alive with an old world charm..great for children, too...Bonhomme! AMAZING restaurants! Very romantic if you want a short get-away! 💞
Quebec is wonderful with the riverfront and old town and worth the visit.
Old Quebec City is just delightful, especially during Carnival, is the closest thingCanada has to a European experience.
Very excited to see Quebec City it winter! We visited in summer about 5 years but never in winter!
Quebec City is a very northern French (think Normandy) city. It's quite amazing for North America.
I don't know if you like hockey (🏒), but when the Quebec (Quebec City) Nordiques used to play the NHL (the Montréal Canadiens were arguably their biggest rival), the Nordiques were often known as the Northern Men or the Northerners. Les Nordiques moved to Colorado in 1995 (now known as the Avalanche), ending the legendary on-ice battles, but continuing their heated competition.
Oh, this is toooo much fun. You have to do more on French-Canada!
Will do! x
Elle le fera, t'inquiète! Car elle n'est pas vraiment au bout de ses surprises, je t'assure!
So excited to watch these Canadian videos (as I’m a Canadian in Ontario)! So glad you’re noticing how friendly Canadians are, even in the big city! Definitely tip however you feel comfortable, but I never tip unless a server has actually delivered food to my table. I’ve also noticed lately that the minimum tip percentage on the machine is often 18% which I think is calculated after taxes. I never hesitate to change it to 15%. As for ‘les anglicismes’, I learned that France French and Québecois French adopted English words at different times in history, so they won’t be the same, e.g., le weekend vs. la fin de semaine. Also, more recent Québec language laws are pretty strict and endeavour to preserve the French language, so you won’t find a lot of English on signs, etc. In the rest of Canada, though, we have both English and French on signs, product packaging, etc. All of Canada is used to using metric for some things (weather temperature, distance, km/hr) and imperial for other things (cooking, building materials, height/weight). Although we officially switched to metric in the 1970s, we got stuck in the imperial for some things because of our close ties to the U.S.
Everywhere you go in Quebec you can be served in english and french . Not the case out of the province of Quebec .. English only in the rest of Canada except New Brunswick . In quebec All menus at restaurants are in both official languages of Canada.and all public services are in both official languages.. Unfortunately . You may live your life using english only in Quebec from kindergarden to post grad university .... as for products , we have the same packaging across Canada . Montreal is a unique world class city in North america where culture, history, arts , museums , food , night life, festivals , sense of community and identity is strong .. Winter is amazing in Montreal since the city never stops and mountains are about 40 minutes for skiing or you may enjoy winter sports in the city as well .
Congrats on your move! 🎉 sounds like a fun opportunity for your family 😊
Thanks Monica!
For tipping, there is an option for tipping almost everywhere and some people just tip in every situation (and why would businesses say no to more money?), but in reality as a customer, you have to ask yourself the question "am I getting any extra service here?". Like if you go get your own meal at a food court restaurant, you do not have to tip.
How much do you tip? The norm is around 15% (although some would argue that since COVID, the norm is now more closer to 18% in order to stimulate the economy) and an easy way to get the right amount is to add both taxes and to give that (round up) as a tip. The federal tax (GST or TPS in french) is 7% and the provincial tax (QST or TVQ in french) is 8%. Check your bill, do the math and voilà!
Tipping at the self-service type places is a new thing post-pandemic. Don't worry, we're all getting used to it! I'm in ATL, not Canada, but my advice is to do what feels comfortable to you and your budget. I'm an over-tipper in general, so I tend to almost always tip a min of 22-25%, whereas my husband tips a min of 15-18%.
I guess we just need to get used to it and then do what we are comfortable with. It's surprising how something so small needs to "get used to"!
Ok I just commented about this too before seeing your comment…I wasn’t sure if it correlated with anything but I noticed this request for tipping increase in the last couple years..but why did the pandemic do this?!
@@jenurban I remember seeing it occasionally pre-pandemic, but I think post-pandemic, and especially during the pandemic, it became a way to thank the people who were showing up to work. Here in the US, I never see it at a fast food place (like McDo, etc.) and I only actually do it at smaller places, like food trucks, locally owned bars & restaurants, etc. I've established relationships with most of those servers, or they remind me of the ones at home, so I like to help them out.
It’s the default setting with the machines/systems (example: Square). During the pandemic many businesses were refusing cash, so in general our habits changed and we’re noticing it more.
As a Frenchified American, you notice things that we simply take for granted in Quebec. I would say that we do not go back and forth between the "French way" and the "American way"-like the outside temperature expressed in Celsius while the oven is in Fahrenheit (never thought of that!), it's just the way things are in Quebec, neither French nor American, but simply Quebecois! - And THANK YOU for speaking about the culture so respectfully and not comparing it to France; it's not France nor an extension of France. Good luck and have fun!
YES! I felt the same thing; it was refreshing not to have the usual thing when European people judge Canadian cities on how similar/different they are to Europe; as in Paris to Montreal or London to Toronto. It is best to accept cities for what they are, and not what they are not. Being American I think she instinctively understood this and it was a pleasure to hear her ideas. 😉
@@bobbbxxx 100 percent!
@@PascalDupont-ft7hd nous disons québécois" et non pas, ou plus "Canadien français"; ça c'est vous qui le dites.
@@PascalDupont-ft7hd lisez les commentaires des autres ici et consultez les publications, les medias au Québec et vous comprendrez. De toute façon, qu'est-ce que cela peut bien vous faire à vous? En quoi est-ce que le Québec, les québécois ou la culture québécoise vous regardent ou vous concernent même?
@@PascalDupont-ft7hd ah bon, on se connait? Je suis née au Quebec et j'y ai vécu toute ma vie. Je travaille maintenant aux Etats-Unis et je retourne toujours chez moi (au Quebec) pour y revoir ma famille. Vous avez du cran pour me dire qui je suis, de commenter ou de juger mon identité et mes origines. C'est vous qui n'êtes pas quebecois.
Canadian here, don’t tip for counter service, only tip where you used to tip in the states such as restaurants and hair salons.
In Canada, people get paid better than in the US. People don't usually tip at food courts. Most Canadians only tip at restaurants and for certain services like haircuts. 10 to 20% is a common range for tips.
I’m so sorry about the ice! I’ve been in Nova Scotia for 9 years now and last April I fell on the ice in our last storm and broke my arm. There are pull on ice cleats that you can pick up for very little expense. Wishing you all the best on your Montreal adventure!
Om gosh. This is gonna be so fun to watch! As a West coast gal I've teased my family about these underground tunnels and called them mole people living there.
The constant switch from metric to imperial is more because of being neighbours [notice the u in spelling neighbours?] to th US. So when in the 1980s when both Canada and the US were gonna switch to metric and then the USA just didn't??? So Canadians kinda got used to using imperial as so much of our stuff [food, appliances, tv] comes from the US but officially/governmentally we use metric. So switching back and forth is just a constant approximation of either systems. I drive my car according to kilometers per hour but im old enough that i still say 10 miles away. 1 cup in approx250ml and 1 kilo is about 2.2lbs. A ruler is both 30cm and 12 inches. It's a funny funny life being a US neighbour yet with LOTS of French and British influences.
It's even more confusing in the UK. You buy gas (petrol) by the litre, but road signs and speed limits are in miles and miles/hour. In the UK like in Canada, people are far more likely to refer to their height as, say, 6 feet, not 1.83 metres. In Montreal there is a similar use of sometimes Imperial and sometimes metric as in the rest of Canada. But when it comes to temperatures, other than an oven or a themostat, it is always Celsius in Canada. A sign on a business door in Montreal will often use the 24 hour clock, but people don't often use that in casual speech.
Woah, you moved to Montreal! Québécoise here, who left Montreal for Paris last summer after 10+ years of living there (I was raised in Quebec city). Can't wait to hear your thoughts and impressions about the city and its people (and its temperature, obvi! )
PPS (and I'll leave after): if you have the chance to leave nearby a market (like Jean-Talon or Atwater), do it! After 13 years of French fresh food and French ways of eating, you may feel a bit lost with the big banners and the cost of things. (I used to leave in the Jean-Talon Market area, it's probably my fave spot in Mtl)
Oh, and make sure to buy your wine at the SAQ (supermarket wines are super expensive and honestly disgusting). You can't buy spirits anywhere else. But beer is fine, and delicious, espaceially the ones from microbrasseries (we have like thousands of them in Quebec). And you can't buy alcohol after 11 PM. (Though the alcohol rules tend to change a bit since Covid, I feel like there are getting less strict, lending towards a more European legislation about alcohol consumption...)
@@isabeault.perrelle I think you are very french culture now ...meaning arogant and negative
Always buy yourself good boots in Montreal. Or clamps that you can put on your boots. We always go back and forth in measurement. It's just not Quebec, the other parts of Canada are the same. Paint is in gallons, temperature in celcius, gas in litres, you just get used to it.
Bonjour ! Bienvenue au Québec ! Je suis américaine qui viens de l'Arizona et je suis ici dépuis 2019 - oui, les hivers sont quelque chose et vous allez vous habituer après du temps. Vous avez dit que vous avez pas un char, moi je suggère de regarder à Communauto pour vous déplacer parce que c'est très pratique et pour quelq'un.e qui n'a pas un char, c'est parfait !! J'habite à Québec et je trouve ça plus français que Montréal, moins d'anglais for sure et oui il y a des gens qui switch entre les deux. Les québécois sont très sympas, très chaleureux, et très gentils! De toute façon, bonne chance et j'imagine vous allez bien vous installer toute de suite !
Milles mercis!
It was fun to hear you say: "enjoying myself at the APÉRO" nice to switch from English to French
The boots with integrated spikes are the brand Olang they have many models , i have a pair they are great ! I highly recommend the Heattech under layers from Uniqlo to beat the cold, born and bred here but as i’m getting older i have gotten more frileuse and they are lifesavers!
You can normally change your oven to the temperature scale you want.
Welcome to Montreal!! We're very chill here; both temperature-wise and vibe-wise. Get some skis/skates/snowshoes - it's a loooong winter so might as well make it fun :)
Canada adopted the metric system in 1975, and it took awhile for speed signs and weight scales to change after the “official” change date. Many of us grew up using imperial while learning metric. I think it will take another generation or two to make the complete switch. For those who want to travel comfortably in the USA, we still have to understand imperial measures anyway.
It was a great idea to make the switch in my opinion!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Both the US and Canada were supposed to switch at the same time but the Reagan Administration killed the switch in 1981.
Canadians learn to walk on ice. It is important to walk using a flat foot. Do not roll you foot from your heil to your toe; this is a great way to slip and fall on your back. Using a flat foot increases traction.
Definitely be prepared for the cold. My husband and I are American and we visit our friends in Quebec City. We had our first Canadian winter experience just before everything shut down in 2020. We went there around Valentine’s Day and they had an ice festival going on. It was a lot of fun. It was -20F that day (if I remember correctly) so checking the insulation on boots is important. My French isn’t the greatest but I find it difficult to follow along in conversations because they use a lot of slang and pronunciation is different. Our friends are maybe too friendly since they told us a story about picking up hitch hikers late at night one time. 😳 as far as tipping, I thought our friends had said tips were included in the bill like it is in Europe. Tipping at a boulangerie sounds like the same as tipping for a coffee here in the US. They have little tip cups or the machine asks if you want to leave a tip. I can’t see tipping someone for pouring coffee though.
We have had such a warm winter so far that were waiting for it to get freezing but it's been nice to get our bearings when its not -20!
I actually have a friend in Montreal. Born and raised and still living there. Her parents were also born in Montreal and I believe all/most of her grandparents too. She is an English-speaker. And an English-speaker only/mostly. English is her first language. She has learned French in school but she only speaks it an elementary proficiency. I believe about 7% of Montreal are only French speakers and only a bit over 50% speaks both. She is certainly a minority, but she said in her community, this is very normal and everyone around her is mainly or only an English speaker (her schools were also English-speaking).
Sorry this will be long: Wow, I can relate. We went through so much of this when moving from Belgium to Quebec City 14 months ago. Other language things: there is no "salut" or "coucou" here, only "Allô" like on the phone in Europe. Here we have to ask for the Facture like a phone or electric bill and not the Addition at a restaurant. Also the waiters say "Est-ce que tout est à votre goût? "Never heard that in Europe. It's always "ça va bien?" instead of plain "ça va?", and more I'm forgetting. Tipping I'm doing like in the US. The cleats to put on your shoes are called crampons. They are a must-buy. I learned the hard way and fell on the ice outside our temporary apartment and hit my head last February. Not fun. That being said, this winter has not been nearly as bad as last winter. Even the locals said it was awful last year. Same with not knowing what is the European way the ovens and the 12 vs 24h clock. Trial and error. People are definitely much chattier here and not so blatantly closed off to new people which I like. At my dance classes in Belgium for example, nobody ever spoke to me except the teacher. Here we all got to know each other and it's a really nice atmosphere in dance class. Will we ever become real friends and get together outside of class? Probably not. But it's still nice to have these friendly acquaintances, which is rare in Belgium. Also how did you feel about taking your daughter out of public school in FR and putting her back in daycare? Can't wait to hear more about how you're getting settled in Montréal!
For walking on ice try Yaktrax or any of the many varieties. LL Bean has a collection if you search the website for "ice cleats". Not the same as hiking crampons (spikes) which don't work too well unless you're on a deep surface.
I live in Montréal. I started following your channel because I was an assistant in France and I was so surprised when I watched your last video and you said you were living in the same city as me.
How fun!!
the 6th croissant having no tax is probably because that specific store was doing a promotion for a pack of six croisants. Or sometimes it''ll be if you buy 2 you get a 3rd for free. Stores do stuff like this to make you buy more or to to reduce items that they are overstocked on. Though they have to tell you when there is a sale a something because if they dont it qualifies as missadvertising and thats a crime.
I am in America and see more of the requests for tips in various self-service places of business. For instance, Panera Bread. I really never saw this before the pandemic started.
I liove the that you explained our life in frenglish ou franglais.
That's what New England People and towshoppers lives .
I 'M living in Sherbrooke.
Keep going your great jobs
⚜️ Under 40 in Québec =
Ça fait *du* sens
🇫🇷 Under 40 in France =
Ça fait sens
The only people I've ever heard say "ça fait sens" were young people from France, especially true for French UA-camrs. Québécois don't say it like that, what you most likely heard is "ça fait DU sens". Go figure.
Académie Française = Ça a du sens
Over 40 in Québec = Ça' du bon sang/ Ça 'a pas de bon sang
So depending on the age of the Québécois speaker, you'll hear both "ça fait DU sens" and "ça a du bon sang".
There’s this “How to Measure Like a Canadian” meme that you should look up, it illustrates in a funny way how schizophrenic our measuring culture is. I was right in the middle of my school years when the switch from imperial to metric happened, so I’m basically illiterate in both systems.
height for a person is mostly in imperial, distances is in km or in "time to travel". Construction is in feet and inches. Outside temperature is in celcius, pool water temperature is in farenheit, oven in farenheit... you get used to it. It becomes second nature.
La forte présence de l'anglais à Montréal est historique et non due à son statut de ville internationale. C'est la proximité entre anglophones et francophones dans la ville qui fait que les deux langues sont fortement empreintes de l'autre langue. Je vous invite à lire un peu sur l'histoire de la ville et de la province. 🙂 Je vous souhaite bonheur et sérénité dans votre nouvelle ville!
You tip in a restaurent or for a delivery. You don't have to tip for over the counter food. You can, but you don't have to. Tipping has been treated as an elastic to encompass places not meant for it.
Four rules in the metro. #1 look at a map #2 spot the station you're in. #3 spot the station you want to go. #4 spot the last station of the line in the direction you need to go. The actual signs on the ceiling are the names of the last station of each line and are the colors of the line. You might have to switch line at a cross station. Have fun.
Welcome to Canada!! Hopefully you can visit us here on the West Coast!
Get those ice grippers to slip on over your shoes. Montreal is known for frozen rain.
Canada uses metric but also imperial. All of Canada does this.
Get Sorel winterboots. They were originally made in Sorel Quebec, manufactured in Asia now probably, but they can make boots that will keep your feet warm.
This is what i got this weekend! My feet are so warm outside though i instantly get hot when i walk in the office but PERFECT
Five Roses. Nice !
Hi! Bonjour! Welcome to Mtl! "Bon matin" et "ça fait sens", called Anglicismes, are typical of the Anglo influence in Québec. This has lead to the creation of Bill 101 or la Loi 101 on the protection of the French language. French speakers represent less than 2% of the North American population so people felt that the language needed to be protected. The other way around is called a Gallicisme, but you probably already knew that!
Not speaking French in Québec will really hold you back professionally. I would say it's mandatory, unless you work for a company that is owned by your immediate family and they'll cut you some slack. As a German immigrant, my father understood it but never spoke it and relied heavily on my Québécois mom to do the talking for him.
As for not speaking English, it can be done. It's not mandatory for many jobs, but employers do consider it a plus if you speak English.
The underground city takes getting used to, but you eventually get the hang of it! Take it in small chunks :-) Oh and by the way, this winter is pretty mild so far. Also, I think they sell little skis you can attach to the wheel of your stroller. Check out Canadian Tire.
As for the metric system, I'm 53 and part of the first batch of kids who were taught in school here. So my height and weight are in inches and lbs, but distances and speeds are in km. Go figure.
Québec has a population of about 8 million with half the people living in the greater Mtl area (Montréal et sa couronne). A lot of people come from small towns but moved to the city to work or study and just brought the small town attitude along with them. To native Montrealers though, any part of Mtl that is not on the actual island is just vaguely referred to as "en région".
Love Mtl very much as I grew up there (east island girl myself) but I now live in Québec City which just so lovely. Plan a trip there when the weather gets better and I'll give you a tour!
'bon matin' is just old French, it is not an Anglicism. Likewise, saying 'bienvenue' after Merci is old French too.
Ich denke genau wie Sie, dass die Frage des Trinkgeldes unwichtig ist und dass dieses hübsche Mädchen wirklich nicht am Ende ihrer Sorgen ist...
For baby carriages, a lot of people will get all-terrain strollers with larger wheels that are able to navigate the snow and ice. As for the cold, be prepared for a REALLY cold snap, which usually happens at the end of January / beginning of February, where it will go to -20C for a week. You'll know it's cold when you step outside and you'll feel your nose hairs freeze. You don't just need a warm coat, but also thermal underwear. One layer of clothes for your legs will NOT cut it.
When you breath in your nose sticks together it is so cold. Get a new stroller but also get a car. In your permanent home in Montreal, a garage is a must for the stroller with huge wheels and car with four wheel drive ;-). Trust me…
Great tips for the strollers! Thanks a mill x
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified When it's 15-20 below wear a good hat that will not let the wind trough. As for your little Eleanor, make sure she has her face and nose covered with a scarf and don't stay out too long with her. Beware of frost burn if you see any part of skin turning pale or white. I have a little girls who's name is Eleanor and she lives on Long Island NY, she's three and she speaks a funny mix of English and French.🤗
Montreal isn't bilingual because of a lot of expats, hahahhahaha, no, it's always been that way since the city started, it was linguistically segregated, not joking, English speakers on one side of town and French speakers on another side for a really long time and it caused a bit of tension, from what I understand most of the English speaking people in Montreal were from higher economic status than the French speaking side. There were English speaking people in Montreal for at least a hundred years but never had any contact with the French side so they never ever learned French, and vice versa. It's quite a bit more integrated today and more truly bilingual, but there are still English speakers born and raised in Montreal that never learned French and French speakers that never learned English.
That’s dead on from what I know as well
@Oxy Cat Well the French lost the war to England so it wasn't exactly a happy change; then the English evicted the French from the maritimes (which is how we got Acadians in Louisiana), so the whole English/French thing in the PQ has been a challenge for years; it's been since the 70s that French has become much more prevalent, I don't know when the official bilingual law was changed, but it's much better for French than it was.
Super interesting!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified The part that is being left out of the above discussion is that the francophone majority used to be treated like second-class citizens by the anglophone minority. I have friends whose parents were forbidden to speak French among themselves at their jobs in the '60s. The ensuing resentment is what led to the separatist movement. Fortunately, most diehard anglophones fled to Ontario after Quebec almost separated in 1995. The ones that stayed are proudly bilingual.
For Montreal, it all depends on your world ... do you live in the Anglophone or Francophone world? And for some, they may speak French at home but they speak English at work.
The métro right now is very quiet because of remote work. Covid had a HUGE effect for the workers specially downtown. Offices are empty! So there is basically no traffic in the subways during rush hours. Compared to before covid. Although, some company’s are strongly demanding workers to be at the office 2-3 days and 2 days remote. Will see in the nearest future if it comes back like before covid.
Neat observations. The ice is definitely a winter nemesis! Grrrr! You'll find that the 24hr clock is used in Quebec, though not always and only in French, I think. Like on TV, you'll see that something will be airing "à 20h" (in French), but people talking about it would likely say "à 8h00". And after work drinks/socializing is called "un 5 à 7" (from 5 to 7 p.m.) but only in French.
Love the 5 a 7!
Look for the accessory you can buy, that is a band you can wrap around your boots..with spikes. This will give you confidence walking on ice. 😊
Tipping when you have self service, is not required. But having said that.. I will sometimes leave a small one. Another note...
Do not be intimidated by tip suggestions..20% 25% or upward, that are included in your transactions.
You have a choice...and that choice might be a % that isn't shown.
Thanks for the tips! x
I'm just American, but Canadian métros/subways are my favorite, period.
Lived in Vermont and upstate NY... Am ok with the ice and cold.
Ihope you are there long enough to ride the REM which will connect with the metro! Enjoy!
Hey! Most people in MOntreal speak Three languages, it is very common. However, I have had several anglo work colleagues, born here in Montreal, who do not speak French. 😢
You are absolutely need the « crampons » for the ice. It is no joke, And I am super glad you have not fallen and for your baby you may get her some too and a winter onesie that is quite padded to buffer if she falls. I hope not too.
Yes the underground city is a God-send when it’s cold out. You’ll get the hang of it at some point. Do not despair. Bon Courage, ca va aller mieux :)
Most people in Montréal speak THREE languages! Well how about that! Never realized it although I'm 80! Must be the only place on earth, really! Know any other?...
Montréal underground is known for being one of the biggest underground city in the world. But sadly i cant help you there because here in Ottawa we dont have much underground tunnels. Only got our first metro recently.
Although I was born in Montreal, I moved to France in 1972 and the UK in 1975, so my memories are a bit rusty. One thing that amuses me is the red octagonal signs: they used to say "Arrêt / Stop" and now they just say "Arrêt". While similar signs in France say "Stop". Anyhow, it will get warmer and you will learn to love the underground tunnels.
I love those stop signs with "Arret"! It's small, but at the same time a big difference!
Likewise, in Latin America you will only see stop signs with 'Pare'. And in Asia, you will see stop signs in the local language too.
Montréal has lots of underground Tunnels that connect many areas while staying warm
A week later i've made real progress! but mostly thanks to a girl who showed me!
I grew up on the West Island, mainly english but studied french from kindergarten through college.
A lot of my english colleagues at work live on the west island!
oh speaking of ice, watch out for Verglas if you want to know more look up the 1998/1999 Verglas storm it was the worst storm in the history of North America, possibly the world. It caused about 20 billion dollars of damages.
The metro in Montréal is definitely a deam compared to France (Paris). You feel that there is a place for everyone, and before the dors close, you don't have that stressful BEEEEEEEB but a sweet "ta ta taaa" 😊
For underground, you just have to remember under which shopping centre or building you are to give you a quick idea of your location. I find people impassive when you talk to them. It must be bad in Paris.
For the tipping, I’d say if you’re not sitting down and getting food to you table by the waiter, you dont need to tip. I think with paying by card for coffee or the croissant,they try to guilt trip you into tipping but it’s not necessary at all. As for the underground tunnel, don’t worry us Montrealers also get lost in there 😂 I usually end up outside too
I've noticed what you describe re tipping to be happening in the US as well.
@@CathyMiller0711 It's so frustrating. In the U.S. they've gotten rude, and push the tip container over to you! I'm not tipping unless they come to the table.
It's getting better after someone showed me around so at least i can get from my work to my daughters daycare underground now. But don't ask me to go anywhere else!!
for the tipping situation, in rome do like the romans do...
wait for another customer to go through a purchase and see if they tip 😎
haha hopefully they don't think im trying to steal their pin code while i stare at the screen ;)
Check to see if there is a cancellation to stay at the ice hotel in Quebec City late January, or early February. Try to skate the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. Both experiences of a lifetime. very normal for a 2-3-year-old to learn to skate in Canada. 😊
We just got her skates this last weekend!
To integrate you will not only have to learn the local lingo but also Canadian and Quebec politics, as well as Quebec public figures in the arts.
strollers in snow- do you have a jogging stroller? if not they make ones with nice big wheels and they work better in snow
montreal is a place i want to visit soin- so excited to hear your insights ❤
Kate’s great 👍
You too Eugene ;)
Not in Montreal (or Canada) - just down here in America, but when you talk about tipping soemone at a food court - there's a fairly recently new thing here at a lot of fastfood places where you present your credit card to pay, and it gives you the option to leave a tip. I don't know what the social conventions of this are, or even if there are any conventions about it yet - but that's not you being confused, that's a new thing in general.
I assume that tipping is optional and not expected. I'll tip sometimes in that circumstances, but I figure it's really something not expected. I haven't heard anything about the salaries of employees there changing due to tipping, so I guess it's on top of what they normally would get.
I'm reading a lot of comments that its a post pandemic thing and most people aren't tipping in the food court situations. Thanks for the insights!
Canadians are our friendly neighbors to the North.☺
This is so interesting. I have never (embarrassingly) been to Canada and want to go!
You should!!!!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified I know! I am also a travel advisor which makes it a little crazy, although few of my clients choose Canada...most want to go to Europe!
@@jmb1101 With the way things are going in Europe with the war, Brexit, inflation and the wild immigrant problems your clients might enjoy a different experience close by, have the best of both world.
No taxes on groceries but taxes on restaurants/cafes. If you order a half dozen pastries, they’re considered groceries.
Thank you! Super good info to know :)
I should feel at home here then!
Hi, I saw that you receintly moved from France to Canada. A few years ago we visited Trois Riviere and loved it. Could you advise me on which moving company you would recommend? We are moving back to the US from Nice France and are looking for a company to move boxes of household goods not furniture. Thanks very much for any advice. Have a lovely day! Bonnie
'bon matin' is not an Anglicisme, rather it's very old French. Likewise, you will hear 'bienvenue' in Quebec (as a reply to Merci). That was also French in the 18th century. Regarding the Québécois accent, that is said to be the French accent (around the Paris area) from the 18th century -- it did not change in the19th and 20th centuries as most French accents did.
I don't know if "bon matin" is old French or not. What I know is that nobody was saying this in Québec about 30 years ago. It was "bonjour". I never adopted that "bon matin" thingy, and always answer to it with "bonjour."
@@Xerxes2005 Yes, they were saying it more than 30 years ago, just like bienvenue after merci
@@boink800 I'm 48 years old. I can assure you that nobody ever greeted me with "bon matin" before my 20s. It always was "bonjour".
@@Xerxes2005 Good for you.
'bienvenue' a 18th century french ?
I love, love, love Montreal!
And….you must visit la cour maison pepin! My absolute favorite store…❤😊❤
Yeaaa! I hope we feel the same way :)
Montrealer here… You are a quick learner. About tipping: it’s the same etiquette as in the US. In self serve outlets the issue appeared with the new payment terminals where tips are bundled in the UX. You can skip, but I usually add 1 or 2 $ (and not a %) because their pay is lousy. Up to you. About the underground city: this is mostly a gimmick created by the real estate giants when they connected their malls to the metro. It makes no sense if you can’t refer to the various shopping malls interconnections. You will understand this by walking on Ste-Catherine street (or from Place des arts down to the Palais des Congrès for the North-south axis). Finally: Montreal differs from the rest of Quebec because we see more clearly both heritages: French (old Montreal) and UK (pretty much the rest). The western part of the city is actually pretty much Anglo. I live on Maisonneuve Street (not far from L’Oreal Paris BTW) in a tall building and I doubt we are more than three French-Canadians… Update: The tax issue on six croissants and more is meant to avoid competing with restaurants that need to charge tax. You will figure it out.
Thank you for all the tips! I guess the more i walk above ground, the easier it will get below as you said!
I live in Canada. Personally, I don’t tip unless it is a sit down restaurant where the waiter comes to your table to take your order, in a taxi, or spa services. Everyone is making an hourly rate. Granted, not often one that can fully pay for your life because of inflation/corporate greed increasing prices. If you want to check if a worker really needs the tip, look at their sneakers.
Canada, and especially Québec is a mix of European and North American way of doing things.
For the underground city in Montréal you can find maps on the walls easily, and use Google map it works as well.
You're right people are nicer than French people, but even more if you venture outside Montreal downtown.
Don't be afraid to explore the province. I recommend you the Eastern Townships.
Baby yoyo is an awesome stroller but not right for Canadian winters. A lot of people have a summer and winter stroller. Winter stroller may or may not be enclosed but will have all terrain wheels.
The yoyo is going to become our "Travel" stroller and im going to for sure get a winter stroller on facebook marketplace. It's almost not a choice at this point haha
Tipping has become asked in places that truly don't require them generally because the system they uses automates the ask. It is a purposeful design to push tipping even when not needed. Don't tip if someone did nothing.
Thanks for the info!
Get a road map and learn where the major commercial centres are. Many directions underground are given with respect to the roads on the surface or certain buildings.
yes! this is vital
That’s interesting about the metric vs imperial system. All of Canada is like that. My kids were born in pounds, my weight is in pounds, but stores are all metric. My parents use miles and I use km. My dogs weight at vet is in kg and they covert it for me to pounds cuz I don’t understand. We swap it out all the time but my kids are almost all metric and they are university level age.
It sounds like what someone else was saying that it will take a couple of generations, but eventually everyone will be in metric!
Maybe they have trolley with skis instead of wheels that you can interchange !
Yet look for : Polar Stroller Skis
The tipping on the debit machines most Canadians don't like to tip using them either. The smaller restaurants in a food court only started doing that in the past couple of years. Usually, the people working in these small mall outlets are also the owners, so you're tipping the owner. I have found many Canadians don't feel like tipping either because you're serving yourself more or less. Like going to a grocery store and being waited on at the bakery or deli, we don't tip there when we are served our food, so I'm not fan of the tip option at these fast food/food court places. I prefer it in here in France as well, I don't have to worry about a tip.
Canadians in general are tired of tipping, as it's being used to subsidize wages, which is wrong, especially when these multi-million dollar companies are paying such low wages. Enjoy your time in Canada. :)
Now everyone asks for tips but you should only tip for certain jobs like servers in a restaurants, food delivery, taxis (or Uber). Otherwise it's really up to you but I would not tip for other types of services including restaurants where you go get your own food at the counter.