Interesting thread.
I've visited NYC and Chicago, and am in no hurry to go back to New York. It has tons going for it, yes, and there are a million things to do, but that's also its downfall. It's urban overload, just too much of a megalopolis. Boston didn't give that vibe of being lost in a sea of humanity, not even when packed onto the T like sardines.
Toronto, well.... it's "the" big city for Buffalo and was lots of fun back when I had few responsibilities. I have yet to visit Montreal, but would like to someday, even though my French is largely forgotten since high school.
I have yet to visit Montreal, but would like to someday, even though my French is largely forgotten since high school.
Shirfan, just do what i do when visiting another country - practice speaking English with an accent, because that's what people in most countries do nowadays anyway.
If you absolutely need to learn how to say anything in another language, learn how to ask the question "hot enough for you?" or if it's winter, learn "cold enough for you?".
The only other thing to know is how to say "Wash Me" in the native language because if you see a really dirty car, you might want to write that in the dirt of the car with your finger. It is a universal human impulse to do this, regardless of what culture or nationality you are from
Shirfan, Montreal has proudly bastardized both French and English. We speak Frenglish now. Chances are that you will understand most people if you come visit us.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
A city I really ejoyed visiting a few years ago was Portland, Oregon. I think the attitude about their cities greatness or lack thereof would be, "Yeah, whatever."
I'd love to go back.
But seriously though, if there is a dirty car in Montreal, won't someone sooner or later write "lave moi". on it?
I discovered that this is universal human impulse when i saw a picture of a dirty car in Bejing where someone wrote something with their finger in the dirt of the windshield. I asked my friend who was chinese what it said, and he told me it said "wash me" in Mandarin.
But seriously though, if there is a dirty car in Montreal, won't someone sooner or later write "lave moi". on it? I discovered that this is universal human impulse when i saw a picture of a dirty car in Bejing where someone wrote something with their finger in the dirt of the windshield. I asked my friend who was chinese what it said, and he told me it said "wash me" in Mandarin.
LOL... yes, you'll see "Lave moi" everywhere here too. But can't say that dragging my finger in half an inch of dirt is really an implulse of mine... Bejing has a high level of pollution, there must be a lot of "wash me" on windshields... What a waste of water. Stupid dirty cars.