The calm before the storm

I am sitting in an internet cafe in uber-trendy Plateau de Montreal. It is more difficult than one might think to write without apostrophes. If only this were a vanity thing, like that novel in English written without the letter a (or was it e? Anybody know?). Le Plateau is a francophone neighborhood; alors, the keyboard is in french mode, and I cannot remember how to type apostrophes. Ça est la vie (it must be possible, given the grammatical incorrectness of that statement. Damn!)

The thing that struck me over and over as I wandered around after I got off the train seems really stupid: people jaywalk. In Toronto nobody jaywalks for a very good reason: you are very likely to be hit by a car. Every city has its own style of driving. Boston has crazy and reckless, but tempered by crazy & reckless bike messengers; in Montreal everyone starts going when the light turns green (like, the whole column of cars at once, so that the inexperienced are liable to be rear-ended); in Toronto people just never took Drivers Ed, I think.

But now I am here for the weekend, with my ipod all loaded up with all the Beethoven symphonies (a so-called Drop the Needle listening exam monday), and not much to do except fill out some wedding paperwork. I am looking forward to the next couple of days.