Montreal.
I am not a huuuge fan of the World Cup (well not compared to hockey) but I still enjoy the game. I like the way it brings people together, even if economically, I do think it's a huge waste of money. What's great about the World Cup though is that in Montreal, there are people from so many different communities and thus there is always someone screaming and cheering. When Italy won 4 years ago I don't even wanna imagine how it was in Little Italy. When Korea wins this year (we are allowed to dream), the streets will be filled with Koreans blowing horns and dancing while eating Kimchi. Okay, I am exaggerating, but it's pretty cool to think that no matter who the winner is, Montreal is gonna be cheering.
This whole multiethnicity is what dragged me here in the first place. It's not as lively at night as Seoul and it's not as clean as Hong-Kong, it's not as culturally refined as Paris, Wien or London... but it's definitely one of the most pleasant cities to live in, just because ethnicity takes a whole different meaning here. Our identity is not that of Canadians (except maybe for completely Canadian born Canadians, and I actually know only a few of them, since the Quebecois don't feel they're Canadian either...). We all come from different countries, have different cultural backgrounds, speak different languages... Oh yes, the language thing. How many people in this world can say they speak 2 languages fluently (native level)? Well in Montreal, most people speak at least 3! lol As usual I overgeneralize, but it's true that it's a reality that not many people in the rest of the world gets to experience such richness... In Japan, people live as Japanese, speak Japanese. In France people speak French, are proud of France, eat French food. In here, we all speak French or English or something else, we are proud of many countries at the same time, we eat food from all over the world... For the Earthling that I am, maybe no city is as appropriate as this one. It took me a long time to realize it, but maybe I can finally call this place "home".
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