Montréal Planning Thread

May 11, 2009 2:56 PM

We need to pick a date and time between July 17 and July 19 and a location.

It looks like nobody else claimed this one. I'll be in the city all summer, so I'd be willingto do what I can to help. I'm an Anglo, so I'd appreciate if a fluent french speaker wanted to get on board to help.

posted by Phalene to Montréal, QC at 2:56 PM (42 comments total)

It's pretty quiet around here. It would be a good idea to send mefi mail to nearby users.
posted by racingjs at 1:27 PM on May 12, 2009

I am francophone. I'm not sure I'll be around these dates, but if I am, I'll definitely be there. I would propose Dieu du Ciel, or else le cagibi. Sunday would be less packed (these are relatively small places, although le cagibi has an extra room in the back).
posted by ddaavviidd at 2:32 PM on May 12, 2009

I can't make it saturday so friday and sunday are better for me.
I don't know cagibi but Dieu du Ciel is a good choice.
posted by Jode at 4:31 AM on May 13, 2009

Hey guys. I'm moving to Montreal on July 1 and I don't know a soul in the city and don't have to start work/school until August. I'll be there!
posted by nosila at 5:45 AM on May 13, 2009

Oh, yes, and if I can do anything to help, I'd love to. I literally have no obligations for two months (bliss!), so I don't have a time/day preference at all. (I'm an Anglo as well, by the way.)
posted by nosila at 5:47 AM on May 13, 2009

I cannot make it Sunday afternoons.

I don't know Le Cagibi, Dieu de Ciel is nice, but if the weather is nice, it also could be pleasant to meet in some park.
posted by jeather at 7:27 AM on May 13, 2009

I won't be in the city in July, but I would say that Dieu du ciel is an awful choice. The beer is great, the decor too, but it is EXCEPTIONALLY noisy (loud recorded music) and there is no terrasse.

Cagibi is very nice (but again no terrasse). Why not aim for somewhere like Casa del Popolo, which is nice inside and out? And not too loud? (No concerts there for the moment.)
posted by Marquis at 2:48 PM on May 13, 2009

I'm back in montreal from June on, so may be game. I'm game for both Dieu de Ciel and Cagibi, and could also be game for Casa, or... well, anywhere? I live on the mile-end/outremont border, so that neighbourhood is definitely my preference.

(très anglo, for what it's worth)
posted by cmyr at 3:48 PM on May 13, 2009

I don't live in Montréal, but seing as I believe Quebec city probably doesn't have enough Mefites to do a meetup (anyone else than me actually?), I'll join you guys in Montreal.
Don't really have an opinion on date or location.
Francophone if you need someone to talk in French (although in Montréal English shouldn't really be a problem)
posted by domi_p at 6:58 AM on May 16, 2009

So I'll give it a try: casa del popolo on St-Laurent south of St-Joseph (it's true that it quieter than dieu du ciel but still), Sunday night. What do you think?
posted by ddaavviidd at 10:51 AM on May 19, 2009

I'm planning my Northern Wedding Reception (got married in Atlanta in March, and she moved up here to live with me in Sherbrooke) on July 18, so I'm kinda iffy about what shape I'll be in to join anyone, but I may be able to swing it if it's on the 19th. With my wife, natch.

Anglo and bilingual enough to converse in French.
posted by Shepherd at 1:16 PM on May 21, 2009

Comment est-ce qu'on peut continuer de parler de cette réunion en anglais? J'insiste que l'évènement soit établi et conduit en français.
posted by zadcat at 5:39 PM on May 26, 2009

Est-ce qu'on peut s'entendre pour bilingue-avec-emphase-sur-le-français ;)
posted by ddaavviidd at 8:22 PM on May 26, 2009

C'est un peu étrange de réclamer une rencontre en français pour un site exclusivement en anglais, vous trouvez pas? :p


So should we say sunday 19th at casa del popolo then?
posted by domi_p at 1:16 PM on May 27, 2009

*Je regarde le francais*
Aiiiiiie!
*Looks at French*
Aiiiiiie!
posted by Phalene at 2:14 PM on May 27, 2009

C'est une honte. Je n'ai aucun choix que de boycotter ce travesti d'une fête Montréalaise.
posted by zadcat at 12:24 PM on May 29, 2009

zadcat: "C'est une honte. Je n'ai aucun choix que de boycotter ce travesti d'une fête Montréalaise."

T'es pas sérieux j'espère ?
posted by zouhair at 11:44 AM on May 30, 2009

I hope not too. I'm already a little nervous about moving to a place where I don't speak the primary language (though I'm learning and plan to be a nearly-fluent French-speaker before I leave the city), and zadcat's comments here made me a little more nervous.

After checking out her profile/history, though, I'm guessing she's joking? It's hard enough sometimes catching internet sarcasm in my own language, much less one I don't really speak. Ach!
posted by nosila at 2:54 PM on May 30, 2009

Oh, and ddaavviidd's suggestion sounds good to me.
posted by nosila at 2:55 PM on May 30, 2009

Unfortunately, due to provincial law, we can only say things at this meet-up in English if we repeat them again in French twice as loud.

That was a joke.

I think zadcat is joking, but I'm more than comfortable saying that were she serious, I'd be more than happy to have her boycott the event rather than attend. This is an English site, and most everyone at the meet-up will be bilingual and more than willing to accommodate a linguistic preference.

Date/place sound good, but again, I'm in from out of town celebrating my delayed wedding reception, so I'm not sure how free I'll be (with my wife, obvs.) or what kind of condition I'll be in.
posted by Shepherd at 12:42 PM on June 1, 2009

I'm pretty sure we need to speak in French first as well as more loudly.

Presumably most people there will speak in whatever language they are most comfortable in, mixing in some of the other language where appropriate. (This is what usually seems to happen in mixed language company.)

The date and location is fine for me. I can be there around 6. If something comes up at Casa del Popolo, we can always find a new place.
posted by jeather at 3:51 PM on June 1, 2009

Looks like nothing is going on in the capital region, so I can be in for Montreal as well.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:24 AM on June 4, 2009

Works for me as well!
posted by dipping_sauce at 12:02 PM on June 10, 2009

I'm in for something on the Sunday night and I think Casa would be the best choice. Dieu du ciel would be a bad choice, Cagibi less bad but not as good as Casa.

I'll ping Bruno Boutot to see if he's interested in participating here. He's a long time Montreal member of MeFi (not as long a time as me, though!)
posted by mikel at 11:01 AM on June 16, 2009

Yes mikel, I agree on 3 points:

- Casa
- zadcat is joking (she is fluent in Anglo, Franco and Photo).
- you are the Elder Mefite, we. :-)

That said, I am still not sure I'll be in Montreal at these dates. That's why I didn't want to be involved in deciding a day or place. But Sunday at Casa is a great choice and I'll be there if I am in town.

And nosila: some Montrealers speak better a language before drinking and others after having a few. That's why you can be sure you'll be hearing both language all along the party, but maybe not spoken by the same people all the time. That's the Montreal way. So don't worry about it. :-)

Meanwhile I volunteer to help. What can I do? Should we have a beer a Casa first?
posted by bru at 7:10 PM on June 16, 2009

A few words missing; sorry about that.

we... will let you pay us a beer to show our respect. :-)
posted by bru at 7:13 PM on June 16, 2009

Thanks bru!
posted by nosila at 10:16 PM on June 18, 2009

If we're all agreed, shouldn't this be promoted to 'Scheduled'?
posted by dipping_sauce at 9:40 PM on June 22, 2009

I wish you could all come to my gig Sunday night, but it's in Ile-Perrot, too far from downtown. Don't have too much fun without me...
posted by Jode at 6:32 AM on June 27, 2009

What time, guys? I can't put this up until I have an actual hour.

[/returned from week's traveling]
posted by Phalene at 4:54 PM on July 2, 2009

Well, I like 6 pm.
posted by jeather at 9:23 AM on July 3, 2009

Gotcha! 6PM going once... Going twice... Any objections to 6PM?
posted by Phalene at 11:19 AM on July 4, 2009

I didn't notice the map until just now, and obviously I never use google maps to look stuff up here, because it's very difficult to read a map that has St-Laurent going east-west.
posted by jeather at 1:52 PM on July 7, 2009

Been in Montreal a week now, and loving it! Looking forward to meeting some of you.
posted by nosila at 4:47 PM on July 8, 2009

I've been in Montreal a long time and most of the time no one cares if you speak english. Off the island, however, people are a little more uptight. Someone should make a sign so people know where the MeFites are. You might actually be able to claim the backyard patio.
posted by Sully at 10:34 PM on July 9, 2009

Okay ladies, gentlemen, and people who, for one reason or another, are neither, do I need to make reservations or should I just show up with a Mefi sign at the right time?
posted by Phalene at 4:14 PM on July 10, 2009

I might attend too. I even have a MeFi shirt albeit in a slightly wrong blue. Or I wear a MonkeyFilter shirt just to be contrarian. I'll converse with zadcat in French or Cat.
posted by maremare at 12:47 PM on July 11, 2009

hmm, I was somehow convinced that this had already happened, and I'd missed it. apparently not. So, uh, I'll still try to make it.
posted by cmyr at 8:16 AM on July 14, 2009

Alright everybody, see ya tomorrow!
posted by Phalene at 12:01 PM on July 18, 2009

I'm sorry I couldn't make it -- recovery time from my wedding reception the night before took longer than anticipated, and then there were some family obligations before I left town.
posted by Shepherd at 10:05 AM on July 20, 2009

Well, four people made it. We had a lot of fun, and we're thinking another meetup to help the people who missed this one should be a good idea.
posted by Phalene at 8:20 PM on July 20, 2009

Yes. Another meet-up. Count me in.
posted by Jode at 6:34 AM on July 22, 2009