J'aime Montréal !

I figured it was only appropriate for me to open with my limited French skills. . . did I impress anyone. . . at all?! Believe it or not, they are becoming better, usually with the help of a little alcohol, but I am understanding more and more verbs and nouns and gathering context to figure out grammar and tense and stuff. . . but realistically Montreal is entirely too bilingual for me to become fluent - not the immersion that I definitely need.
Annnnyhow. I have only been here 3 weeks tomorrow, hardly anytime when I think about it, but it seems like I've been here forever! I have joined THE most unbeilevable rugby team in the world (the Montreal Irish!!) and I am playing in both of their divisions, so its keeping me really busy. As you can tell by the picture, we had an extraordinarily mucky game against NFLD, a couple weekends ago - the Irish Jerseyes are actually green and white - not . . . that colour.
I have also joined a couple of the EWB chapters around here, but between the social life I have found, the rugby team and work, I havn't actually been to any meetings yet. I have been training by, get this, running up Mont Royal (gasps just thinking about it) but its really good for me. The goal is to get up this set of steep stairs thats about 350 steps once without dying - thats how hard it is. On the plus side - one of my rugby friends does this with her ex-boyfriend, who just so happens to be Francious Louis Trembly - the double silver medalist in speedskating from the olympics (I got to hold a bloody olympic medal) and I may be joining them to train some. One of these times I'm going to take pictures of my view of the mountain from work and then a picture from the top of the mountain - I'll post it here.

In regards to work, well . . . lets just say, I am not cut out for office work, or at least THIS office work. Its good, and getting better all the time, but intimidating. Despite the fact I feel like I'm dressing up all the time, I had the 'dress appropriately to work talk'. . . I am on the 18th floor of a 28 story skyraise in downtown Montreal, bumming around with all the bankers and investers and God knows what. You guys are definitely going to have some rehippitizing to do with me when I get back. The work they do here is sooooo good - although their mission and focus and vision reminds me of RC. . . its just I don't always feel like I have something to do, which is frustrating. . . I don't know how much I'm learning you know? What am I saying though - I have 9 more weeks to prove myself and learn something.

Anyhow, things are unbelievable. I am just falling in love with this place all the time (Sundays on the mountain theres this totally informal gathering of hundreds and hundreds of people called Tam Tam - people are just jammin away at their jumpais and guitars and dancing with poi and grooving in general - whatta vibe!) I have all kinds of new wonderful friends, who have really taken me in and are showing me a good time. I am living with a woman I work with and she's fabulous, we get a long wonderfully (and she's charging me very reasonable rent which is excellent bc I am paynig rent at 668 George this summer:S) I really miss so many of you guys though, and I love telling random stories about each and every one of you to different people. I hope you guys are all enjoying your summers, and internships as much as me, and I want to hear from you all! Email annnny time! erc.brown@gmail.com, emily.brown@unb.ca, ebrown@mcconnellfoundation.ca any or all of the above!

We'll be talking, I hope soon!

Em