life, we were supposed to have so girl talk ov
er a pitcher of Sangrila at the Saint-Sulpice, the haven of all UQAM students.
We then proceeded to walk around and check out the acts. Here's a few for you guys :
Left, is an info stand. These guys are payed to hand out flyers and make joke at the innocent bystanders.
Right, is a moving statue. This girl was really graceful. The concept of the moving statue is that you can only move if the spectators put some change in the pot. I've seen some acts where there was barely anyone. They probably had cramps by the end of the day.
These guys here at the left were doing some funky theater in the street. I didn't have time to stick around and see but I though there was lot of effort in the costumes. 
The four chicks on the right were doing a surreal act about the race to beauty, make-up, fashion, and plastic surgery.
These were my favorite act: Michel for the Netherlands and Zora from Denmark. Their physical prowess was very impressive. One of their acts actually involves Zora getting inside of a balloon ! That was really something.
Another cool attraction was a public karaoke : it involved a restricted selection of uncool (dare I say out?) songs and the brave (crazy) members of the public could go up there and sing (not recommended for sensitive ears).
Well, that's it for today !
ON ON !
The Beaver
seen in North America. It has become a hugely popular Montreal summer tradition for roughly 70 000 festival-goers to spend three weeks being amazed by sensational celluloid from Japan, Spain, South Korea, Italy, Hong Kong, Germany, Thailand, Denmark, France, Russia, India, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Australia, Holland, Scotland, Belgium, Sweden, Great Britain, the US and of course, Quebec and Canada. As fellow film fanatics, we pride ourselves on getting the works that we love in front of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience. We also do everything possible to bring these films to the attention of potential distributors and the international media."
"Carcassonne die Stadt (Carcassonne: The Town) is a deluxe edition of the Carcassonne-series, that comes in a wooden box with quality components. In this new standalone game, players build up the old town together by placing tiles. While the town area grows, the town walls grow around it, starting from a wooden tower. The wall is comprised of delicately carved wooden parts, that create a beautiful rendition of the medieval town at the end of the game.Next to the slightly modified tile-laying rules, players have the possibility to place their followers as guards on the walls, offering them a wide view of the town. This brings the players extra points. Each player also receives three twisted wooden towers, giving the town walls an added aesthetic effect. (from www.spielbox.de)"
t was a lot of fun, but Dave had a hard time : being color-blind, he has trouble seeing the detail of the game-tiles. it was the first time that I witnessed his color-blindness really affecting an activity. And I've know him for 12 years. Kinda makes you think, doesn't it ? I guess I should be more aware and helpful...ON ON !
The Beaver
Some observations on :
Random stuff :
ON ON !
The event involved driving for 1 1/2 hours, which I don't mind, since I like driving. It allowed me to see some fields, cows, and more fields.
This fun family event involved a bar-b-cue and some volleyball. So for the first time in 10 years, I was back up at the net, making an idiot of myself, running barefeet in jeans under the unforgiving summer sun. But it was cool to hang out with the youngsters !
Here's a pic of the local Countryside, in Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon. What a change from yellow Senegal, huh ?
Sorry about this relatively short post ! Promise to write more next time !
So I mentionned in my last post that I would write about the Great Library, and I will.
In the basement, you'll find the Kid section. Includes comics, child novels, child movies to be borrowed or viewed on site, and CDs for children. The collection is mainly francophone but there is a multilingual section with books in pretty much any written language. The whole space is conceived with children in mind, so bright colors and low seats are in order.
The lobby provides access to about 150 newspapers, with open access to the latest issues and more than 1,600 print journals and magazines from QC and everywhere. This includes specialized publications such as "Anthropology News" and "Environmental Law Review". Wonderful comfy spaces to sit and read everywhere. That's also where you borrow docs (self-serve with digital scanning) and return them (just drop them on the little moving carpet). I love technology !
The 1st to 3rd floors include the art and litterature section (this is where you get novels, but also pretty much anything artsy or philosophical). Again, the 
international aspect is there. Also, this is where the Comic section is. Ah... I love comics ! History, social sciences and maps (that's more serious, I don't go there often). Also where you get law documentation (though it would not be my primary source, the courthouse is still more exhaustive). Also where they keep the encyclopedias. I'm not sure but I think the language learning centers and job search areas are on the 2nd floor, and that's also where the National collection is kept : a record of every book that was published/written in Quebec.
4th floor is the music collection. It probabl
y is the most popular place, because it allows you to listen to and borrow CDs without having to pay. (And we all know how expensive CDs are !) It's also possible to borrow movies (and they have a good range) or to view them onsite. This is an amazing service, espescially if you're broke ! Also, they have an amazing collection of music parts, so musicians no longer have to spend on paper music ! Did you notice the state of the art computer equipment ?
So the creation of the GL is pretty amazing because anyone who lives in Quebec is allowed to use the service for free, including borrowing a cumulative total of 15 documents for 3 weeks, which can be renewed 3 times. So I can borrow 15 docs for approximately 3 months. Talk about making knowledge accessible !
As you can tell, I'm very enthusiastic about this ressource. Of course, nobody has any excuse not to read anymore in Montreal. Now, the question is : is this going to reduce business for bookstores, musicstores and videostores ?
On June 24th, I spent the afternoon and evening in Ste-Hyacinth, serving beers to party goers and enjoying the local show of french-canadian music. It was fun to renew with my Quebecer identity and to enjoy the French Canadian way of partying. The whole thing started at 3PM and ended with seemingly cool (well, what I could see from behind the tree) fireworks. No traditionnal bonfire, though, as apparently some Einstein decided to jump in the last bonfire that was made, years ago.
Some may question the existence of a nationalist holiday in a province, but to put all this in perspective, according to a CROP survey, in june, 55% of quebecers would have voted YES to a referendum. Even without ventilation of the indecise, sovereignty would have passed with a meager 52 % based on the 1995 question, which involved a political and economical partership with Canada. Where do I stand ? I don't know. I've been away during most of the events that stand behind such an increase, (the Gomery commission investigating corruption in the federal Liberal party and the student strike contesting modifications to financial aid to students), so I do feel less involved than I might otherwise be. Nevertheless, I am first and foremost a francophone and do feel simpathy for the cause, even if I don't feel that my opinions are strong enough to go along with the new majority.
So anyway, for those who wonder, what is "La Fete Nationale" ? here's a quick wrap-up which also gives you a 101 on French Canadian history. (Thanks, http://www.genealogyforum.rootsweb.com/gfaol/resource/Canada/StJean.htm).
Of European origins...
"While the orgin of the holiday in France was the pagan celebration of the summer soltice; a celebration of light and a symbol of hope. In the reign of the French King Clovis, the annual event was christianized and became a religious celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, who is known as the Precursor of Christ, the light of the world – thus the link with the soltice and the bonfires.
The festival of Jean Baptiste had particular importance for all the Catholics of Europe, especially those of France. The King of France would light the bonfire in the nights of June 23 and 24 in Paris.
...a custom which travelled to Quebec...
Once in America, the French continued to celebrate this event, but it was then a very pious, religious festival with processions in the streets of Quebec City.
St-Jean Baptiste came to be know as the patron saint of French Canadians as a result of centuries of recognition of the influence he had on New France as new colony was developing from the time of early colonization.
It was on 24 June 1615 that the first St-Jean-Baptiste mass was celebrated in New France, though mass had been celebrated since the times of Jacques Cartier. The religious authorities found that the day coincided with the summer soltice and the birthdate of Jean Baptiste, thus the symbolism of the baptism of New France.
From the 150 French residents of New France in 1635, their customs spread with their pursuit of the fur trade. It was quite important, particularly since it coincides with the summer collection of furs and the gathering of employees who had been isolated during the winter. Large bonfires, singing, fiddle music and dancing are all a part of this festive occasion. The conviver (come together) was boisterous with many les santés (toasts) to health and much gunfire and cannon booms. Festivities lasted throughout the night.
French residents in the St. Lawrence River area formed a chain of bonfire lights from village to village. Even in the late 20th Century, more than 15,000 of these fires could be seen on 24 June. Soldiers mustered to fire cannon and muskets as a part of the provincal.
Which survived the British conquest...
After the conquest of New France by the British, the celebration of St-Jean Baptiste lost some of its importance. It was just over two centuries later on 24 June 1834 when Ludger Dunvernay, a newspaper editor, and about 60 people decided during a banquet to turn that day into an event that would unite all French Canadians. The festival grew in size and importance to French Canadians.
A great number of English-Speaking Montrealers took part in the national banquet, which was held in the gardens of a prominent lawyer, John McDonnell. While the enthusiasm for the annual event were put on hold during and after the Patriot’s Rebellion in 1837-38, Celebration of the Fête de la Saint-Jean as it was named, reappeared in Quebec City in 1842 as a religious festival with a great procession. Montreal followed suit in 1843.
... and was declared a statutory holiday...
The annual celebration grew and in 1925 the Quebec legislature declared June 24 as a holiday.
(...) The usual order of activities would open with a mass to commemorate St-Jean Baptiste. A parade would follow the streets of the villages with a band, baton twirlers, people dressed in period costumes and floats. The last float would represent St-Jean Baptiste with a blonde and curly haired child wearing sheep skin, holding a cane. One or more lambs would signify a shepherd and his flock of sheep.
After the parade there was a banquet with entertainment, folkloric dances and the day would end with a great bonfire and fireworks.
...with nationalistic meaning...
The evolution of St-Jean-Baptiste Day from a religious to a nationalist celebration was complete
by 1975. In 1976, the Province of Quebec government passed legislation making it the official national holiday of Quebec and an official paid holiday. The name of the holiday was then changed to la Fete Nationale, though many still refer to it as St-Jean-Baptiste Day.
At the beginning of the 19th century, in towns and villages along the St-Lawrence River, it was customary to take the first swim of the year on the even of St-Jean-Baptiste Day. Even today most swimming pools in Quebec open for the season around that day.
Another tradition was the petits pains benits (blessed loaves of bread). These bread loaves were shaped either as a star (another announcement of the birth of Christ) or heart (For God so loved the world). They were then given to the priest. This is not the same as the Lord’s Supper.
Many other French-speaking villages in other provinces celebrate St-Jean-Baptiste Day and several of them have churches named for the patron saint. And there are villages named for St. Jean Baptiste—one in Manitoba is known as the soup pea capital of Canada. Several are in the Province of Quebec."
