Saturday, March 15, 2008

I'll Tumble 4 Ya

(Snow falling. Again.)

There I was, just a person.

But I knew it was gonna happen, though I'd been extra careful everywhere I traversed. Coming out of the shopping complex at Avenue du Parc and Prince Arthur, I took a hard left after the exit walkway, and, the process began, in far less time than it takes you to read this.

I felt my body leaning to the left, weighed down by groceries, and I leaned back, to no avail. With no purchase from the ground, my shoes went backward. I pitched forward, coming down on my hands and left knee. A loaf of bread rolled out of my Metro bag. No one hurt, no property damage. My iPod played on, of course, and I don't think anyone saw me fall. I didn't look around to check, just picked up the bread, dusted the snow off, and walked back home, chuckling to myself. "You thought you were so cool here, didn't you, Crackerjack?"

Yes I did.

I have actually learned a few things, quickly, about winter walking. ONE: WATCH where you're walking. That's the thing, gentle readers. Plant your feet and look down when you can. That dark shiny spot? Yeah, um, you don't want to walk there.

But you need to hear this from me, like I need to hear your recipe for Carne Asada, or your opinion of American Idol. (Someone told me the other day, "Dude, do not even be joking about the snow, ha ha ha, to Montrealers. They won't think it's all that funny.")

I recognize, as do you, that I'm not from around here, in a million little ways every day. Like not being able to count in French yet. That's embarrassing in the market, but the trick is, hold out the biggest bill to the merchant. I mean, I know what everything costs, but when the sales clerk says something that sounds like, ""Qui est des dollars de thirty-nine et de vingt-six cents," I just stammer and look at the cash register screen. And invariably, as I leave with my farewells en Francais, they smile and say, "Yeah, so long, cowboy." I fool nobody.

But I was telling someone today, I still love it here; the snow, the French, the culture mix, the Canadian Way, the Poutine....you get the idea.

Just watch where you walk, ça va?

8 comments:

John Smith said...

Dear Eddie,

I found your blog « par hasard » and I just love it! I am a French Montrealer and it's always fun to read what an outsider thinks of us and our city! You are now in my flux RSS, so I won't miss a post!

P.S. By the way, it's not: C'est va? But Ça va ;-)

Edward Rivera said...

Oh merci merci! My non-existent French never impresses anyone, just embarrasses me. :-)

Thanks again!

E

Blue said...

You might want to take the iPod off while attempting to navigate the streets. Although it should have no impact on your motor skills, it def does.

Anyway, no worries, it'll melt by... by... probably by the time your back in LA, haha!

Blue said...

You might want to take the iPod off while attempting to navigate the streets. Although it should have no impact on your motor skills, it def does.

Anyway, no worries, it'll melt by... by... probably by the time your back in LA, haha!

Blue said...

You might want to take the iPod off while attempting to navigate the streets. Although it should have no impact on your motor skills, it def does.

Anyway, no worries, it'll melt by... by... probably by the time your back in LA, haha!

lauren said...

Oh E...my knee hurt for you! : ) I thought of you while I was doing my PT today. : 0 I know the shiny spot. Gawd...remember when the only spot any of us ever referred to or avoided was the wet spot in da bed and who got stuck sleeping on it? ahahahaha! Well...in snow country...we all be on da lookout for the shiny spot dude! Like wah! Big time! At least: I do I do I do. I so so so so so wish I didn't. And here's another tip just in: Just look out for the shiny spots in the shade. They be da most evil and hard to spot! Dat's the one got me! Wet spots in da sheets? Those is fer wussies.... GAW! ahahahahahaha!

Noodle Monkey with an ace bandage on her knee! ps--is this kind of ridic comment too risque for yer blog? I couldn't find anything on wet or shiny spots in Miss Manners! Go fig, huh? : 0

La Chouette said...

I enjoyed reading your post. You seem to have a rather positive and curious attitude towards winter. Locals are simply fed up with it at this point(hope it's OK to use the term fed up). My trick to survive winter sidewalks is to walk with very small steps. Of course, this technique will make you look ridiculous but will spare you a few bruises. :) Enjoy!

Edward Rivera said...

Its true. I have an attitude towards Winter that only someone who generally lives without Winter can have. I do that small step thing sometimes, too, but you're right--one tends to look feeble doing it. ;-)

E