Wow. So October was one busy month. It was the one I've been looking forward to all year and now it is finally over and little me is sad. It was an amazing time! Let's recap, shall we?
The first big thing to happen in October was the arrival of one of my dearest darlings, Lauren! She flew in from Wisconsin to see me and it was magical! Her flights had been exponentially delayed, so I didn't get to see her until 10pm on October 15, but it was worth the wait! It rained a whole bunch on the way to go get her, so I looked like a drowned sea rat, but again: worth it! I bought her a balloon that said "Bienvenue!" and waited and waited and waited. Suddenly, there she was in all her Lauren-ish glory! It was magical. We hugged a lot. Lauren was nervous about arriving in MTL so late at night, but I am a smooth little thing and got her home with no problems. Aw yiss.
The next day, the 16th, was a big one! Bruno Day! It would be my first time seeing him since I arrived in MTL and Lauren's first time in over two years! Wee! First things first, we headed downtown for some Starbucks and some breakfast, after which she got to see a bit of the downtown campus of Concordia. Since I live in a less-urban area, she was a bit confused, as she was expecting a whole bunch of skyscrapers, which I assured her she would see once we got downtown. Which she did! After that, it was off to Archambault to drool over the francophone music section, as it's full of artists that one never sees in the U.S. This was also magical, and Lauren got far too excited. It was adorable. Then it was off to Le Fameux for lunch (poutine, duh). The big struggle of the day came when we needed to go find a florist to buy some flowers on behalf of Bruno's Russian fans. I had found one nearby to where we were, but we couldn't find it. Anywhere. Eventually, we decided to head back toward my dorm, as there were supposedly a ton of florists on rue Sherbrooke. Sure enough, as soon as we got off the bus, Lauren spotted one! We hurried in, and the man was very nice in helping us pick out some beautiful roses. He arranged the bouquet beautifully and was very touched when we gave him a sizeable tip (which he fully deserved).
We then returned to my dorm with the bouquet to get ready for the concert. Let me just say that riding a very crowded bus (thank you, rush hour) with a large bouquet of roses is not easy. But we managed. We had to do it all over again on the way to the theatre, which was about an hour away via bus and metro. Because we were interviewing Bruno ahead of time for US Bruno Fans, we had been told to get there at seven o'clock. Due to the theatre being farther away from the metro station than I thought, we arrived with about five minutes to spare and, much to my surprise, a line of fans waiting for the doors to be unlocked. We were a bit panicky by this point, wondering how we were supposed to get inside to meet Maurice when the doors were locked and there was a line. Luckily, however, the doors were opened at seven, and we hurried in after everyone else, pulling aside an employee. I had been worried that they would be all skeptical when we said we had an appointment with Maurice, who's Bruno's tour manager, to interview Bruno, but the employee was like, "Okay!" and led us into the theatre itself, which was separated from the lobby by a black curtain.
The theatre was dimly lit, but Bruno was nowhere in sight. Eventually, one of his technicians went to fetch him, and there he was! We greeted him, gave him the flowers from the Russian fans, and he led us over to one of the tables. I decided against being in the frame, so I sat on the opposite side of the table while Lauren sat a little to my left, filming. It was awesome and we both feel so lucky to have been able to do that.
As per usual, the show was absolutely amazing. It was the second time I had seen that particular tour, but it was even better than I remembered. I'm still at a loss as to why Bruno and Guy didn't win the ADISQ award for "Spectacle de l'année" because the show is seriously incredible. And I'm not just being biased.
After the show, it was confirmed that Bruno and Guy would be coming out to meet fans. However, we saw immediately that it was a different sort of set-up from what they normally did. They had a mini photo shoot set up with a professional photographer, which was the main difference. Normally Bruno and Guy sign autographs first and then take pictures, but this time people were ushered quickly to stand between them in front of a white background before hurrying off to the side. It was pretty confusing since it all happened so fast. The Facebook page of the theatre ended up posting everyone's pictures in a collective album in a couple of days, so it worked out fine. But things were so hurried that, all of a sudden, it was Lauren's turn . She had a bunch of stuff in her hands, which she handed to me, but then it was my turn, and I had said stuff. So I scurried forward and deposited the stuff on the floor off to the side (since Lauren seemed to have disappeared), and Bruno kind of chuckled at me as I pirouetted into place between him and Guy. Good thing I'm adorable.
I didn't have anything to get signed, so I waited in line with Lauren and then went off to the side when it was close to her turn so she could get a drawing signed. By that point, everyone was pretty much done and leaving. We lingered for a minute or two more before heading out, this time opting to take a bus to the nearest metro station, rather than walk ten minutes, especially since it was starting to rain. Because of how far east we were, it took a while to get back to my dorm. We left the theatre at about eleven and returned home at about one. However, one of the reasons it took so long was because of waiting for a bus... in the rain... with Lauren's drawing... without an umbrella. That was fun. But hey, we kept it dry.
The next day was spent wandering Montréal and hanging out with a couple friends of ours. We finished up the evening at a resto/pub for drinks and to watch the Habs vs. Red Wings game. Let me tell you, I had a major dilemma. I was raised as a Red Wings fan, but now I live in hockey-central and I didn't feel like I could root for the Wings. Sorry my dear Wings, but... GO HABS GO! Lauren and I also went to the Basilique Notre-Dame that day, the first time I'd been inside since I first visited in 2009. So that was fun. It's purty in there.
Day three was a little bit more relaxed since we didn't have anywhere specific to go or anyone to meet, so we got lunch at La Banquise, the best poutine place in MTL, and then went to Parc La Fontaine, where the squirrels were obsessed with Lauren and Ashlee was obsessed with ducks. That night, we ordered in for dinner and watched "Dracula" up in the main lounge. Then, while were skyping with our wonderful Kat, the fire alarm went off, at which point we were forced to go stand outside while the firetrucks came. Ah, Lauren was just getting the best college dorm experience!
We went to Québec City the next day and wandered around like we used to. Due to a strike, we were unable to take the ferry to Lévis, so we actually went back to MTL a little earlier than anticipated, but luckily our bus tickets allowed us to do that instead of making us wait hours until the actual time specified.
The next day, unfortunately, was time for Lauren to leave. Her flight was at about eleven, so we had ordered a cab to come pick her up at eight the next morning to ensure that she arrived on time. So we went down to the main lobby at about ten 'til and waited. And waited. And waited. I'm sure some of you remember the absolute fun Lauren and I had trying to leave QC back in 2013. Well. We waited for about fifteen past 'til I called the company and asked what the deal was. They said a cab was on the way. So we waited some more. After about twenty more minutes, I called them again and they said a cab actually wasn't coming. She started to give me another number to call, but I quite abruptly said, "No. I'll find someone myself," and hung up. I was pissed off at this point, as I'm sure you can imagine, since we had taken such care to order the cab the night before and called them to confirm it. So we found another taxi company who assured me that they could come immediately and that they knew exactly where dorm was. I called back to make sure they knew that the dorm was in an odd location. They said they went there all the time and that it wouldn't be a problem. So we waited. Nothing. I called back after another twenty minutes and they said no one was coming. When he started to call another company for me, I told him "no" and hung up. At this point, it was getting so late that we had to take matters into our own hands. We ended up hurrying to the bus stop, taking the bus for twenty minutes, taking the metro for two stops, and taking bus 747 to the airport. She missed her flight, but they were able to put her on another one. Still. GRRRRRR. It was obnoxious.
Then Lauren left and I was sad.
Two weeks later, I took a bus to Ottawa, about two-and-a-half hours away, to see my lovely friend Kate! We had met on deviantART seven years previously around the same time that I met Lauren, but she and I had never met in person. And now we have! We wandered around the mall and even to the Parliament Building, and Kate made me take a selfie in front of it as a way to Canadianize me. It might have worked, I'm not sure. She also accused me of being an American when I got KFC at the mall food court. How dare she. I only stayed for the day, so it was hard to leave that night. But hopefully I'll see her again soon, because is WONDERFUL AS HECK.
Once November arrived, one of the first things I did was, surprisingly, go see Bruno in Lachine. It may not be surprising to you, but it was to me, as I didn't decide to go until the last minute. I went with my friend, Johanne, was kind enough to take me with her via car. I even bought a lovely dress for the occasion. We got dinner with our friend Sylvie before going to the theatre. The show was, as always, incredible, and I was sad to realize that it would be my last time seeing a show from that tour. After the show, we met up with Ling and Danièle and hung out a bit before Bruno and Guy came out. Bruno was all surprised to see me. Teehee. After that, it was time for pictures, and then we said good night and headed out. It was awesome.
A little while later, I was off to see the band, Shyre, for the first time with my friend, Félix. 'Twas fun. Then I dragged him all way way to La Banquise because they have the best poutine in the world, just fyi.
The following weekend, I was lucky enough to see Vanessa Carlton, a singer I've loved for fifteen years. It was my first time ever seeing her perform, and it was MAGICAL. I even got to meet her afterwards and get her autograph. I'm surprised I didn't faint.
This weekend is actually the first in a while that I haven't gone out and seen a live show. But I don't mind. My friend Zoë was kind enough to go downtown with me yesterday to help me find a good coat for the winter, which David and Deb were kind enough to buy for me as my Christmas present. I also got some other goodies (including someone's Christmas gift), so it was quite successful! And now the rest of the weekend is dedicated to homework. Yay.
On the plus side: the semester is almost over!
After the show, it was confirmed that Bruno and Guy would be coming out to meet fans. However, we saw immediately that it was a different sort of set-up from what they normally did. They had a mini photo shoot set up with a professional photographer, which was the main difference. Normally Bruno and Guy sign autographs first and then take pictures, but this time people were ushered quickly to stand between them in front of a white background before hurrying off to the side. It was pretty confusing since it all happened so fast. The Facebook page of the theatre ended up posting everyone's pictures in a collective album in a couple of days, so it worked out fine. But things were so hurried that, all of a sudden, it was Lauren's turn . She had a bunch of stuff in her hands, which she handed to me, but then it was my turn, and I had said stuff. So I scurried forward and deposited the stuff on the floor off to the side (since Lauren seemed to have disappeared), and Bruno kind of chuckled at me as I pirouetted into place between him and Guy. Good thing I'm adorable.
The next day was spent wandering Montréal and hanging out with a couple friends of ours. We finished up the evening at a resto/pub for drinks and to watch the Habs vs. Red Wings game. Let me tell you, I had a major dilemma. I was raised as a Red Wings fan, but now I live in hockey-central and I didn't feel like I could root for the Wings. Sorry my dear Wings, but... GO HABS GO! Lauren and I also went to the Basilique Notre-Dame that day, the first time I'd been inside since I first visited in 2009. So that was fun. It's purty in there.
Day three was a little bit more relaxed since we didn't have anywhere specific to go or anyone to meet, so we got lunch at La Banquise, the best poutine place in MTL, and then went to Parc La Fontaine, where the squirrels were obsessed with Lauren and Ashlee was obsessed with ducks. That night, we ordered in for dinner and watched "Dracula" up in the main lounge. Then, while were skyping with our wonderful Kat, the fire alarm went off, at which point we were forced to go stand outside while the firetrucks came. Ah, Lauren was just getting the best college dorm experience!
We went to Québec City the next day and wandered around like we used to. Due to a strike, we were unable to take the ferry to Lévis, so we actually went back to MTL a little earlier than anticipated, but luckily our bus tickets allowed us to do that instead of making us wait hours until the actual time specified.
Then Lauren left and I was sad.
Two weeks later, I took a bus to Ottawa, about two-and-a-half hours away, to see my lovely friend Kate! We had met on deviantART seven years previously around the same time that I met Lauren, but she and I had never met in person. And now we have! We wandered around the mall and even to the Parliament Building, and Kate made me take a selfie in front of it as a way to Canadianize me. It might have worked, I'm not sure. She also accused me of being an American when I got KFC at the mall food court. How dare she. I only stayed for the day, so it was hard to leave that night. But hopefully I'll see her again soon, because is WONDERFUL AS HECK.
Later that week, once classes were over, I headed up to Québec City to see Karen and Heather! They had decided to come up for two of Bruno's shows there in the city, which would be their first time seeing him... ever. Originally, due to me having a class on Thursday evening, I was unable to go for the first show, but then that class was rescheduled for Tuesdays, so I was able to go and see them see him for the first time! It was awesome. We had lots of fun giggling and being stupid/silly, and the show, which was played alongside a symphony, was incredible. As was the one the next night. On Saturday, we headed to Montréal, where they stayed the night with me in our dorm, and we went out to the Pub St. André. 'Twas awesome. Unfortunately, they had to leave the next morning, and I was sad.
Once November arrived, one of the first things I did was, surprisingly, go see Bruno in Lachine. It may not be surprising to you, but it was to me, as I didn't decide to go until the last minute. I went with my friend, Johanne, was kind enough to take me with her via car. I even bought a lovely dress for the occasion. We got dinner with our friend Sylvie before going to the theatre. The show was, as always, incredible, and I was sad to realize that it would be my last time seeing a show from that tour. After the show, we met up with Ling and Danièle and hung out a bit before Bruno and Guy came out. Bruno was all surprised to see me. Teehee. After that, it was time for pictures, and then we said good night and headed out. It was awesome.
The following weekend, I was lucky enough to see Vanessa Carlton, a singer I've loved for fifteen years. It was my first time ever seeing her perform, and it was MAGICAL. I even got to meet her afterwards and get her autograph. I'm surprised I didn't faint.
This weekend is actually the first in a while that I haven't gone out and seen a live show. But I don't mind. My friend Zoë was kind enough to go downtown with me yesterday to help me find a good coat for the winter, which David and Deb were kind enough to buy for me as my Christmas present. I also got some other goodies (including someone's Christmas gift), so it was quite successful! And now the rest of the weekend is dedicated to homework. Yay.
On the plus side: the semester is almost over!
