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Thread: This brings back memories

  1. #1
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    This brings back memories

    ...of my Montreal years

    I taught myself to speak French. I did that mostly by watching subscripted movies on the TV and buying two versions of the same news paper everyday and sitting down with both the French version and the English version side by side. I did not become a gifted linguist but I did manage to cope with everyday life and I know that many of the "francophones" appreciated my efforts and responded with some understanding.

    This is extracted from this morning's WSJ:

    By Paul Vieira and Jacquie McNish
    Nov. 22, 2021 3:37 pm ET

    On a cool, wet Saturday afternoon in the outskirts of Montreal, near the city’s main airport, a crowd of about 100 gathered in front of Air Canada’s headquarters demanding the resignation of the airline’s chief executive.

    It had nothing to do with a lackluster stock performance at Canada’s largest airline. Protesters were mad that the CEO, who has lived in Montreal for roughly 14 years, can’t speak French.

    “It’s an affront” to Quebec, said Marie-Anne Alepin, a protest organizer and president of the francophone-advocacy group, Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, “because the official language is French.”

    The chief executive, Michael Rousseau, took over the top job this year.

    “I have been able to live in Montreal without speaking French, and I think that’s a testament to the city of Montreal,” Mr. Rousseau told reporters on Nov. 3 after a speech he delivered in English to a mostly French-speaking crowd. “I would love to be able to speak French.” However, he said his work schedule—which includes steering Air Canada through the pandemic—hasn’t allowed for time.

    The comments reignited a linguistic firestorm, and the growing complexities of doing business in bilingual Canada and French-speaking Quebec. Tension over English and French usage in Quebec is longstanding, but this time the complaints target some of the top business leaders in the province.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  2. #2
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    I've watched several of our Canadian friends get sucked into ProFrench/AntiFrench arguments. It's a real issue for them.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by UTAH View Post
    I've watched several of our Canadian friends get sucked into ProFrench/AntiFrench arguments. It's a real issue for them.

    Hunter
    It was one of life's "development" periods---I learned first hand the burden prejudice can add to your life---and I was lucky! At least for me I was not visually different, I had to open my mouth to "announce" myself. Once I began learning French, that did subside but it was a painful journey to that point. I realized, that had I been born black in this country, I would have been the most militant SOB you ever met
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  4. #4
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    Yeah, in general, I've found Canadians to be friendly and helpful. They excel at political issues and multiple languages. I often struggle to get English right. Canadians are typically joyous when an American can name their PM and provinces.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by UTAH View Post
    Yeah, in general, I've found Canadians to be friendly and helpful. They excel at political issues and multiple languages. I often struggle to get English right. Canadians are typically joyous when an American can name their PM and provinces.

    Hunter
    Thanks for that. One of my triplet grand daughters got a scholarship in England and has met a nice Canadian boy whom she is bringing home at X-mas. I'll have to read up on their government and the names of the big guys. His parents were missionaries so I'm thinking he'll be well traveled also. The list of country's I've travelled to can be counted on one hand.
    This is your mind on drugs!

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