operonscript.com

Yesterday we had a fire. It wasn’t serious, nobody was hurt, and most importantly, it wasn’t our fault …

We went out to get groceries after supper at about 6:30 and when we returned, the power to our building was off and an alarm was ringing. We assumed that the building’s power was overloaded due to heavy aircon use (it was 31C yesterday and is hotter today). We were in our apartment when we heard a strange electrical ripping/farting sound (sorry, that’s how it sounded to me, gross as it is) and then a whole bunch of red/brown smoke appeared. I went outside but could not tell where it was coming from due to the tree that grows in front of our apartment. After some confusion I realised the transformer on a power pole outside our apartment had caught fire and was still burning. The fire department came, but for about an hour they did nothing aside from looking at the burning electrical mess. In fact, they did not come into our building or ask us to leave, although the fire was slowly burning the whole time. Finally, a Hydro Quebec truck (the guys who supply the electricity) arrived and did something which finally allowed the firemen to put out the fire. I was expecting some state-of-the art anti-electrical fire technology, but in the end, they used the garden hose on our building. A few minutes later, the power was back on. The burned out bits have not been replaced yet, so I do not understand how it is that we have power right now. It was one of the more strange things to happen to me, although not as strange as the time the transformer by my mom’s apartment was hit by lighting - well, that’s another story. Needless to say, I am glad they restored the power so quickly.

Its summer. That means it is hot and humid. It also means it is festival time.

The Fireworks festival is on now but we have not been yet. Last night we went to Joseph and Claudia’s studio in old Montreal for a “junk night”. Essentially we all brought stuff that we did not want anymore and swapped it with the junk other people brought. We brought a piano book and some kitchen stuff we didn’t want anymore and got a few fiction books, a french grammar book, a french vegetarian cookbook and some clothes. Not bad! The fireworks were just ending when we left and Dan got some ash on his forehead!

At the junk night we also wanted a movie “The Gelaners and I” which was a documentary about gleaning, the practice of (traditionally) going throug the fields after harvesting to collect the bits of wheat that were missed. The movie explored modern equivalents of gleaning in France, including people who gleaned potatoes, grapes, and fruit from various farms and vinyards there. They also showed street people who “gleaned” from the fruit and vegetables left from markets in Paris as well as grocery store leftovers and garbage left on the street for the garbage collector. It was very interesting movie and provokes one to think about ways to reduce garbage in your life.

I am revising my cookbook and adding some recipes that my parents made that I want to have copies of. I have a recipe from my mom for fruitcake that is very good but looks a bit daunting. I have to start now if I want it to be ready by Christmas.

I took this picture on our walk through downtown satuday two weeks ago. An old building was being demolished and the one beside it (still standing when I took the picture but not for long) happened to have one of those old ads for food products painted on its side. I thought it was a photo-worthy moment and Dan happened to have our camera with him.

Last night we went to the free screening of Carmen which was put on by the Montreal Opera. We were trying to decide whether to go or not for several days and finally our friend Edith called and asked us so we finally decided to go. It was a very hot day (30 C) so it was nice to get out of our apartment and by 8 there was a nice cool breeze coming off the river. We arrived just as it was starting at 8 PM and there was a massive crowd already there. Even more people than the film festival last year!! L’esplanade was packed full of people and there was a massive screen set up on the edge of St. Catherine st. We ended up sitting in the (empty) fountain by the contemporary arts museum on what Edith joked were the “balcony seats” since we sat on the ledge of it just above the information tent. Edith dropped something on the tent after the first act, but was able to get it off the tent roof with some help from the people working there! We watched the first two acts and after realizing that each act was about 1 hour long, decided we couldn’t stay to the end of the 4th act (around midnight). So we left at about 10 and got home by 11.

The opera was very good and I was impressed by the singers. It is one thing to sing well and another thing to act well, but to do both well is quite a feat. Sometimes they were singing while they were dancing, fighting or embracing (well, Carmen is about seduction after all!).

I was interested to notice that many of the people outside dressed up as if they were going to the opera – dresses, shawls, and suits! There was a cute couple next to us who had even brought champagne glasses and mineral water in a bucket of ice. Also, they had English and French subtitles displayed on smaller screens which was really handy. Since the opera was written and sung in French, it was good practice to read the French e-liberetta.

I hope the opera does it again next year – definitely a lot of fun. Although I hope they have it a bit earlier so it is easier to get home (considering the metro stops running after midnight and the opera ended at midnight!)