Day 5 In Montreal - Going Home

So today is the last day in Montréal. This morning minna and I decided to shop and later we would meet ms.sorchan and mr.mcgerr later. We went back to st. Laurent just in time when the stores opened. We were starving during the whole shopping but got great deals! Lets just say in the end I only had 20$ left…hahaha. Later we all met back to the hotel making sure we got everything packed. We left the hotel dropping our luggage at the luggage room (where they keep it till you want it). We walked around Old Montreal once more trying to find a place to have dinner. We found this restaurant underground, well it was actually a café but still filled our purpose for eating. I had this sort of Quiche / bread pudding of sorts really good. After eating we took a long way back to hotel, getting to see some places we haven’t yet. Going back to the hotel we got our luggage back from the lady and too the taxi to the air port. Luckily we where there 3 hours early so minna and I had to find out ways to keep ourselves occupied. We ran around playing in the air port, then found a spot where we could use our laptops to go on the internet. As we got on the plain it felt like it was all just a dream, the days went so fast but I cant wait to get back home!

Day 4 In Montreal - Home Stretch

Today we did a lot of work on how to present the slides. The presenters talked about accuracy with your information and how to answer question from the audience. To be honest I was exhausted and didn’t really pay attention like I did the past 2 days. I dosed off in and out but I did understand what the presenters were talking about. We had the usual breaks every few hours and the lunch but at the last break (guessing because it was our last day) that we got free Hagendaz with an assortment of deserts and pastries. This day everyone had different seats that the day before and I got to sit with the smallest environmentalist in the world Corrina. Each group was supposedly supposed to have similarities buy neither did minas and my group had any relation. I got some more great networking done today, people form Halifax, Toronto, Calgary, the Yukon and many more. The last presenter woke me up the most. A biologist by the name of jean lemire talked to us about these adventures in the Antarctic and how he saw eye to eye how global warming effected the environment. It was amazing. The video clips really helped see what he saw. It was really nice to see all the animal life and the effect on how there wasn’t enough ice made for the mating process to begin. The closing remarks were really encouraging, giving people comfort and advice. We got to see all the mentors up on the stage from numerous parts of the province. Many of the questions related to everyone, and I got a lot out of it. It was sad that we had to finish this great experience and I couldn’t wait to get presenting. I said my goodbyes and after minna and I went back up to the room to get ready for the night. All of us walked around St. Laurent looking for a restaurant to have dinner. Minna and I found a lot of stores but where closed, so we planned to go the next day before the flight. Finally we found a Japanese restaurant up St. Laurent the food was really good. It was my first time to try soft shell crab… yummy! I latter asked the waitress to do something for minna because it was her birth day. After paying for the food I let a signal and the lady came in with a scoop of green tea ice-cream and a candle. We started singing and minna was very surprised. We walked back home but after a while we got too cold so we took a taxi the rest of the way. Tomorrow will be our last day… can’t wait to start buying!

Day 3 In Montreal - Time to Listen

Today was really crank time. We started off with a breakfast buffet then went straight to work. Everybody still stayed in the same seats as the other day I think to get a little more networking done. It started off with some opening remarks by The Climate Project staff and the Quebec premier Jean Chareset and Quebec environment minister Line Beauchamp. The al Gore comes in, again excitement as the day before. All gore starts off with some bonding with the audience, making jokes having some fun before he starts section 1 of the presentation. After Al Gore finished the first section our group had a talk, it was so interesting listening to these people who obviously knew more than us. I just sort of let the people talk as I listened. Each group had to come up with some question for al Gore about what he was talking about and the top 3 most common would be asked. We had 45 minutes + the 15 minutes of break which had some refreshments and snacks. That’s when I tried to look for Dr. David Suzuki, but he was a bit busy so I just healed it off for lunch. Minna and I went around the underground mall with some other trainees from BC then we split up and meet back later at the lobby. I walked around the mall sort of fast, boring things nothing that really interested me so I ventured off. I went outside remembering the route we took the day before to Old Montreal, and remembered the Chinatown. I ran down the street and found the gate of Chinatown. It was a sunny day, blue clouds and there were many people on the streets. The Chinatowns size was smaller than the china town back in Vancouver. It must have only been 4 blocks or so. Then as I saw the time I had 10 minutes or so to get back to the hotel. I made it on time though so I was just fine. After the break it was back to work with Al Gore starting off with section 2. The process again of making up questions after was done again. And this time I actually talked!!! It was nice… hahaha. After finishing the questions we had dinner, um…. Yum… during dinner I meet a woman named Pat Kinch from Toronto. We meet by eating at the same table and I introducing myself. She asked Minna and I what we wanted to do when we grow up and when she heard I wanted to be a chef she was jumping for joy. She told me about this woman that had the best restaurant in Halifax which was all organic and used locally grown foods. After eating she urgently tried to find her for me so that I could talk to her. There were a number of questions in my mind like, what and how did you think of this idea??? Sadly she said that she couldn’t find her but sort of made it her mission in a way so she said “I’ll get her next break ok ill get you that interview”. She was really nice, helping out a total (well not really) stranger, but she said it was all about networking. We went back in the room with another Q & A with Mr. Gore, sadly none of our groups questions were asked which we thought were more relative. After answering the questions he started part 3 and again another group talk about questions happened again. The next break, Pat found me and we found at the end to help me find the woman. We looked around and she was right in front of us coming back after the break. She was so nice to do that for me I obviously said thank you. The woman that she introduced was named Lil McPherson from Halifax. She told me about her restaurant called The Wooden Monkey, which I remembered I have heard on E news (a Canadian ET not the Canadian ET…). She gave me some advice on how to get a restaurant started and gave me her card and one of her calendars which I was very applicative of. She was as ecstatic as Pat so I must have been doing something right. I couldn’t wait to talk to her more latter. Another Q & A with Al Gore and closing motivational marks with him and David Suzuki, oh yeah I forgot to say I got a picture with DAVID SUZUKI!!! k back on point. We had (or tried) to get a group picture with Al Gore and David Suzuki, I was in the middle but everyone fluttered to the front leaving the picture with my forehead. It wasn’t well organized so it made sense. After everything was done Minna and I had an hour or so to walk around before the comedy show started. So we walked around St. Chatreane, looking around the stores and seeing Paris Hilton in a store advertising her new line of shoes. It was like walking back home, but in a greater scale so many tall buildings and more culture (or repetition of culture). Minna got some sun glasses but I decided to save my money for other stores for the next few days, and besides all the stores were closed by the time we went out. We got back to the hotel and went straight to the Place – des – Arts for the comedy show. It was such a funny show, a great comedy relief and a total opposite of the beginning of the day. Latter we had our last dinner, a great one too but thought it was too late we finished at 10:30. Can’t wait for the next day.

Day 2 In Montreal - The Training Begins

Yesterday our training began. Since it started at 2pm we decided to down to Old Montreal and have some breakfast. It was spectacular, and the buildings were so historic and weather beaten. You could see the history and culture of the city all in one little strip of road. We found this little restaurant that served crepes, fondue and local Montreal favorites. It was delicious. I had a crepe that was stuffed with avocado and bacon with a béchamel sauce that was put in the oven. YUMMMYY!!! After our breakfast we stopped by a local museum showcasing modern art which Minna and I were interested in. Next we passed by the Notre Dame Basilica which was again, beautiful and enriched with the history of Montreal. The inside was so intricate, all the beautiful blue that surrounded the church. The stained glass windows and the many candles around that lit up the church. It was HUGE!!! When you looked up you could see the stained glass that was above and the light which shinned threw. As we got back to the hotel we were rampaged with a light blizzard, there where thick flaks of snow that where really wet and just took a taxi the rest of the way back. After freshening up in our suite we went down and met our mentor and the rest of the trainees from BC. Later we all got together with the rest of the trainees at the room for the conference. Everyone had some connection to global warming and we got some useful networking done for when we get back home. When the training started Dr. David Suzuki gave a talk to us that I thought was very enlightening and inspirational. Then Al Gore came into the room and nothing but cameras turning on and taking a snap of Mr. Gore. Sad that our seat was too far so the pictures that I took were sort of blurry. We had a great Lunch buffet, and when around talking to people about how we got here and what we did back home. It was nice to see everyone’s point of view and what they had to say about global warming. Latter after that we head to the Place – des – Arts for a the live presentation by Mr. Al Gore himself. What an experience that day, I was so exhausted. But I couldn’t wait for the next day.

Day 1 - Arriving to Montréal

We have a rived!!! We are now in Montreal… yay!!! We arrived at 5 pm and dropped off our bags at the hotel. After we ate at a restaurant called Au Pied De Cochon which means “Feet of a Pig” or “Pig Feet”. It was soo sooo sooo gooooood. It was my first time eating Fois Gras it was soo yummy. I was so happy to go to this restaurant because I have heard of it before and was amazed on how rustic and down to earht the restaurant was like. His philosophy should be shared with all chefs around the world. I cant wait for tomorrow.