"Vive la Quebec libre!"

Of all the cities I've ever visited or lived in, Montreal was a city that was most conscious of its own existence. Walking down the streets, whether it be Saint-Laurent, Mont-Royale, or Saint Catharines, the proud vibe resonated vibrantly and consistently. And even though parts of Montreal are considered more Anglophone or Francophone, the dominant language in use - despite it being a Canadian city - was French. Everyone spoke in French and all the signs were in French. If you didn't know the history of Montreal or Quebec or even Canada, you would not know that this was an English-speaking city (which it is).

The language barrier, surprisingly, was intimidating. Surprising, because I feel rarely intimidated by the lack of knowledge of a certain language - I usually end up picking it up within a short period of time. I had previously heard that the French are so notorious for being overtly proud of their language (for good reason?) that they find foreigners' attempts to speak the language to be distasteful. Of course, my friends are different - they'll help me pronounce "Mont-Royale" with the back-throat "R" and compliment me if I'm articulating it close enough. But having been informed of French linguistic pride before, I was scared to even attempt pronouncing anything in French, and boldly stuck with English. This, however, was highly uncomfortable for someone like me who enjoys and also finds importance in conversing in the region's language. Feeling like an alien, I sorely wished that I had French under my belt - and I had scarcely wished so for Spanish in Peru!

While one magazine's claim that "Those who choose not to live in Montreal solely because it is Francophone are pussies" can be violently debatable amongst socio-linguists and cultural theorists, that the city is, for all intents and purposes, French, shouldn't put anyone off to live in it or at least visit. It is unique and vibrant and lively in its proud way and perhaps for this reason, full of character and so much color. For one thing, I enjoyed great coffee and grub, and also a hip music scene that would have been enjoyable if it were not for froshers of McGill bombarding the bars. Like many European cities, some neighborhoods are old old, and others quite new. I can definitely see myself hanging out in Montreal for a tad bit longer - and would have if LSE didn't beckon me.