sunny spells and scattered showers.

 

Ok. I lied. Montreal is still fabulous. Usually, by day two of visiting I can’t wait to get back home; this time I could have stayed much longer.  I didn’t do anything extravagant, spent some much overdue quality time with my sister and other family members I hadn’t seen in about 3 years and enjoyed the nice weather. It was great to be back in an environment that I know and is very meaningful to me and to do it now as a married woman with my husband by my side.

I love Toronto, but no matter how hard I try to convince myself that it is a fun city it will never be like Montreal. There is nothing wrong with Toronto per se, but it lacks the energy that Montreal has. It is focused on business whereas Montreal prioritizes ‘good living’.  It is beautiful and laid-back and I think as I am getting older that is what I look for more and more. I know I can’t move back there just yet, since my career does not permit it, but some day je reviendrai.

On another note, this week is the Canadian Musicfest (formerly known as CMW). I am excited to see a few bands this year. I haven’t completely made up my mind yet on where I will be each night as the price of the wristbands has gone up considerably and I am not certain that my budget can handle it right now…I know for sure that I will be at The Cadillac Lounge on Saturday for a rockabilly-alt-country-surf-americana filled night. That should be grounds for a great time. As for the rest of my week, I will have to see if any specific venue has more than 2 bands worth seeing so that I can only buy tickets and save a little bit of money.

All in all, I doubt there will be much sleep.

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everybody wants it 9 to 5.

I have been absent in writing this week because I started a new job right after coming back from Cancun and haven’t really had a moment for myself.

I now work for the Government at a pretty quiet but friendly office just north of where I live. I don’t have to take the subway to get there (just a bus for about 40 minutes) so that is a little bit of a relief in the morning. There is no need to be part of the tight, pushy crowds of rush hour on the subway if you don’t have to! The job is an 8:30 to 4:30 deal that needs some getting used to since I am not a morning person.  This week was all about adaptation. To a new workplace, new coworkers, new tasks and responsibilities, new lifestyle, new business clothes… I am proud to say that it all went much better than I apprehended. Even the husband was supportive in his efforts to stick to my new schedule. Call me spoiled, but the only thing I really don’t get is how us, as human beings, can work 5 days a week every week. With my position as a flight attendant I have been used to working only 3 or 4 days a week and that was plenty for me. Granted, flying is really hard on your body and working more than that doesn’t do anyone any good at all.  Working 5 days a week in an office?! That is asking too much of a person. I struggle to make it through the week and the only reason I hang in there is that I know that I only have 8 more weeks of this! On the other hand, coming home early enough to catch some daylight is a whole new experience for me. I am not used to that and it certainly influences your mood. I get home and still feel like I have a little bit of a day left.  So all and all, I made it through my first week in one piece but tired nonetheless and am kind of looking forward to my second week.

Ok. Now, important things: the CMW lineup is out! That makes me really happy because I strongly believe in supporting our own showcases and fellow musicians before going to all the major American festivals.  I took a good look at all the artists that will be coming to the big city in March and I am quite delighted to be living in Toronto for all this. That means I will not have to miss any work or travel very far to see the bands I like and party with some close friends.  Wicked!

Here is a list of my favourites that I can’t wait to see:

Beast, Bloc Party, Crash Parallel, Duchess Says, GrimSkunk, Malajube, Mistress Barbara, Priestess, Rebel Emergency, SNFU and We Are Wolves.

A few bands that I already know but have yet to see live:

Caracol, Hexes and Ohs, Holy Fuck and Inward Eye.

Also, I am very curious to hear these artists that I don’t know but seem very interesting. Come on, impress me:

Everything All the Time, Ladies of The Canyon, Left Spine Down, Les Handclaps, Redeye Empire, Ruby Jean, The Von Drats and Vancougar.

I will buy my wristband very soon and hopefully I get to see at least 5 or 6 bands that I like. The only issue with CMW is that often enough you will show up at an event only to realize that the lineup is huge and that you won’t make it in on time for the performance. Many times, you end up standing in line more than watching shows. The venues are packed and wristbands are not accepted everywhere. So make sure you have a map of your favourite shows and a “plan B” option in order to avoid frustration! Most of all, have fun and don’t miss the after parties! Frequently, they are the best part of this festival.

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