I was cooking up a pot of makeua oop - a delicious eggplant dish from Northern Thailand during election night while playing Canada's old national pastime of the lovely circular "soveriegnty/federalism" debate with my Francophone roommates. To me it seems the movement largely comes down to a passion vs. logic debate - most Quebecois I've talked to don't seem to have a lot of good reasons why to seperate and often can't elucidate the points very well, but it's a very strongly felt emotional response - one that federalism will have to deal with in some shape or form. I love Quebec, but some of the nationalist rhetoric is prone to hyperbole and doesn't help the argument towards a seperate state. I'm not for seperation, but I'd respect the movement more if it didn't refer to Trudeau's patriation of the Constitution as "the Night of the Long Knives" (a la Krystallnacht during Nazi Germany), had a more concrete plan for what a seperated Quebec would look like, better leadership, and quelled down some of the xenophobic sections of the seperatist right that rears its ugly head from time to time.
My roommates then brought me out to a bar where we watched the results come in on giant televisions - we were in the neighbouring Mercier riding and the victor was a PQ candidate and everyone in the bar (well not me, but mostly everyone else) was thrilled with victory. The candidate later showed up at the same bar and free beer and white roses were dispensed to everyone, including myself. I shook Mr. Turp's hand in a respectful manner. If the PQ wants to buy my vote in the future the beer and roses is certainly a good start. But the PQ placed 3rd, so the victory was bittersweet- despite an impromptu victory stump speech and much drunken chanting of "on veut ... UN PAYS! on veut.. UN PAYS!" (that means we want .. a COUNTRY! for all those not frenchfully inclined)
It's was a very interesting night all told, and a very Canadian one. Definitely helps me better understand the psyche here in Quebec than anything else would. Although we were all kind of sad when Charest unexpectedly kept his riding due to the advanced voting results. C'est la vie.
In other news you can add me on Facebook (lemonkid@gmail.com) if I know you - it's my most recent addiction during spare time at work, or if you love me more than an internet friend should (but I'm okay with that) you could always pick me up something from my birthday wish list..
Otherwise I remain,
Adventurously yours.
My roommates then brought me out to a bar where we watched the results come in on giant televisions - we were in the neighbouring Mercier riding and the victor was a PQ candidate and everyone in the bar (well not me, but mostly everyone else) was thrilled with victory. The candidate later showed up at the same bar and free beer and white roses were dispensed to everyone, including myself. I shook Mr. Turp's hand in a respectful manner. If the PQ wants to buy my vote in the future the beer and roses is certainly a good start. But the PQ placed 3rd, so the victory was bittersweet- despite an impromptu victory stump speech and much drunken chanting of "on veut ... UN PAYS! on veut.. UN PAYS!" (that means we want .. a COUNTRY! for all those not frenchfully inclined)
It's was a very interesting night all told, and a very Canadian one. Definitely helps me better understand the psyche here in Quebec than anything else would. Although we were all kind of sad when Charest unexpectedly kept his riding due to the advanced voting results. C'est la vie.
In other news you can add me on Facebook (lemonkid@gmail.com) if I know you - it's my most recent addiction during spare time at work, or if you love me more than an internet friend should (but I'm okay with that) you could always pick me up something from my birthday wish list..
Otherwise I remain,
Adventurously yours.
VIEW 10 of 10 COMMENTS
malloreigh:
I've always had a treasure trail, Mr. "I don't look at Mal's sets"!
adjunct:
Given the history of anti-Semitism in France, the kristallnacht thing is a little troubling.