Most things don't offend me. I'm not politically correct, I swear like a sailor, and I make fun of awkward ugly people on TV. However, when you insult things that I find important to me with your holier-than-thou ways, I don't take it very lightly.
I'm not the type of person who has any sort of national pride. On paper, I am Italian, Canadian, and a Quebecer, but in all honesty, I feel so disconnected to all of the above that I feel no need to carry any of those flags on me at any time. However, if there's one place I feel connected to, it's Montreal.
Although I live in the suburbs, I consider myself a Montrealer, and I'm really fucking proud of that. I like Montreal because of its diversity of people and cultures. I love the fact that it's a (mainly) bilingual city. I love hearing people speaking half in French and half in English, marrying two languages that have fought for generations. I love the way it looks. I love the fact that it's the second-largest city in Canada. I love riding in the metro. I love how connected things are. I love Montreal as though it were a member of my family. So if you say shit about it, I'm not going to be amused.
I have a friend who feels the need to complain about everything, and by everything, I mean, primarily, things that do not concern him whatsoever, such as how far away I live from everything, how our health care system is flawed, how weak our public transit system can be, etc. He'll often say things like "I can't imagine commuting every day the way you do, the West Island is sooo far away" and drone on and on about this, and other non-issues. Seeing as he lives attached to a metro system, he has no reason (or right) to complain about these sorts of things.
So today, while conversing with some friends, I mentioned about how I hated when Americans expect us to take American money at work, to which this friend responds "Ew, who would want to go to the West Island?" Now, I'm quite aware that I live in boring old suburbia, but this is my home you're insulting. So shut the fuck up. I respond, in my usual way "Why do you even come [to school] here?" I mean, the kid's from Boston, one of the biggest university towns in the world, and instead, he comes here, to MY city where he complains about MY problems that he doesn't ever have to deal with? Then he proceeds to insult ME and MY hometown? Kindly fuck off. After my response, he ran off all angrily out of class. Good. You shit on my city, I shit on you.
When YOU choose to come to a city away from your home to study, you are coming here by your own free will. No one is forcing you to leave your hometown to study in mine. No one is forcing you to stay in this city that you complain about all the time. If all are going to do is compare MY city to yours, saying how much better everything works in your city, or country, or whatever, you should just fucking stay there, where everything is peachy and wonderful.
Leave me and my flawed city alone. We're better off without you anyway.
Oh god. This.
ReplyDeleteFirstly I hate it already when people complain about everything and anything that aren't all that bothersome.
Then when it insults my identity and sense of belonging, it's a fuck you I'll throw at them too.
As a proud francophone, I could choke every single unilingual anglophone (read: mostly americans) who bitch that people in Quebec expect to be spoken in French. HELLO?! You don't like French, go to freaking UofT, not McGill. And get out of my Montreal PLEASE.
I feel this is going to become an entry on my blog tomorrow :P
As a home-grown anglophone, I have my own opinions that have to do with language issues in Quebec. And this is another touchy subject in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI have been told by francophone friends of mine that, because of the fact that I am an anglophone, I am NOT a Quebecer, but a Canadian, which I find somewhat offensive as well. And that if Montreal anglophones can't deal with French, they should move away. That upsets me to no end, simply because I've pretty much been told that because of my mother tongue, I don't really belong in this province. It's not my fault my French is flawed: the education system is so messed up, it's almost designed to fail.
But that's totally for another blog entry altogether. Even though I am an anglophone, I find it extremely ignorant for people to come here and choose not to speak or learn French, or to complain about its presence in Montreal. If you come here by your own free will, you deal with what it has to offer. Don't go into someone's country and tell them how to run it. >__<
BTW I'm totally not a unilingual anglophone... i just make a ton of grammar mistakes, and often feel that, despite the fact that I consider myself fluent in French, I will never be fluent enough to work in a completely French environment. I just sorta wish that everyone was grouped into the same sort of school curriculum, and that schools were not divided into English and French schools. Language segregation only hurts the province, instead of making it stronger. Or at least that's the way I see it...
ReplyDeleteOh sorry, maybe my comment was misinterpreted :/.
ReplyDeleteI of course don't think anglophones are not part of Montreal/Quebec At All. This is plain stupid, your mother tongue shouldn't make you superior or inferior in any way: as much as we're born an grew up here, we belong here.
What I know is that francophones (let's say, me) are always so happy when people speak french even though it's not perfect. Because it means that a) they care; b) they accept Montreal (actually Canada itself) being bilingual; c) respect the fact that French *is* important in Quebec. Or are Montrealers like you.
What I hate is when people don't even bother to understand and just bitch about it, as if French didn't have the right to exist in North America because, well, it's America.
Actually, I think I understood your comment, but was afraid that mine was going to be misunderstood (hence the second comment…). I always see language as such a touchy issue, that sometimes I think the way I explain myself might seem a little too defensive >__<;; But I didn't think that you were grouping me together with your unilingual americans ^^;
ReplyDeleteSorry if I sounded too intense >__<;;
I am happy to hear that my French is appreciated though ^^ And I'm happy that I live in Quebec because I've had the opportunity to learn another language. Most Canadians don't really get that opportunity. They learn French in school, but without practice, it doesn't really do them any good.
That being said, I just hate when I see people limiting themselves because of ignorance >_<; Living in Montreal, people have such a wonderful opportunity to learn two extremely useful, and culturally-rich languages, and some people feel the need to ignore one of the two languages out of what they call pride, and what i call extreme ignorance.
So to wrap up this message: Yay for multilingualism. Boo for ignorance.
AMEN PINKY!!!
ReplyDeletelol
though I got to admit (forgive me) thatI had my share of complaints about Montreal, there are definitely things about it that I love and that are worth appreciating. I mean deep inside, we'll always complain about this and that and here and there, but don't let anyone insult your city! I never felt so at home than in Montreal, to be honest and I also love the multiculturalism, multilinguism, etc!
When I am rich, I will improve the transit system though :P:P
Ahahaha, if I get rich before you, I'll take care of it XD (but then, of course, I'll probably either a) not live int he suburbs anymore, or b) have a car... lol, but still!)
ReplyDeletethere's nothing wrong with complaining about small things, just make sure they actually affect you. >____<;;;
Before you go, you should introduce me to this kid. I'll tell him for you. I'm sick of hearing guys complain about the situations they put themselves in. Especially when THEY KNOW BETTER THAN TO DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. And they say women complain too much...
ReplyDelete