Cultural Differences

This trip is finishing quickly! I can't believe how fast time is flying! Last night we pulled into Middlebury, Vermont. It is a quaint college town. Too bad it was raining--it became hard to see all of it. Everything is beautiful and green with tons of flowers and small shops. My roommate likes to eat all three meals at restaurants. I get sick of restaurants all day (our trip has been called Le Voyage Gastronomique), so I had some snacks from the grocery store for dinner.

Thursday night, we had reservations at a restaurant famous for all types of beer in Montreal called Forquet Fourchette. Most of the teachers ordered different varieties of beer and wines. When the waiter got to the Belgian lady next to me, she asked for water. He then came to me and I also asked for water. He got so frustrated and started yelling, "I can't give everybody water!! You guys come in here, taking up 20 seats and order water!!!" I thought it was weird that he had such a tantrum because we were the only people in the whole restaurant. At least we were giving him some business. The Belgian lady and I said we would pay for mineral water. He nodded, still upset and went on to the next person. Needless to say, I've had better service in my life.

The next night, we had reservations at a different Forquet Fourchette restaurant just outside of Montreal. I was not looking forward to it. This time we were going for dinner and not just drinks. The University of Maine was paying for this dinner. I read the menu and was not looking forward to the choices: pheasant wing, pork sausages or another big cut of meat. The lady who manages the restaurant walked by to make sure all was okay. The teacher next to me from Florida said she was vegetarian and would like the salad bar. The manager lady nodded. Then when I said I would also like to order vegetarian, she frowned, "I can't offer the salad bar to the whole group!!!" I think my mistake is being second. Anyway, she finally agreed to make us a vegetarian plate and I was glad I was the squeaky wheel once all the other people were served their hunks of meat. These servers are just like the French servers. You'd think they aren't working for their tip, but in Canada we pay a tip on top of the bill.

Well, now that I am calmed down from those experiences, sadly, we are leaving Vermont today. We got to see the lighthouse dedicated to Samuel de Champlain. He named the Champlain Lake after himself when we came into what is now New York in 1609. He made over 20 trips to New France and back to France again. He never had his picture painted, so it is up to us to guess what he looked like. We don't even know the exact date of his birth. Some people have suggested he could have been several different men because who could survive so many harsh winters and disease and live to be such an old age? Plus, nooon has found his tomb. It is a mystery.

Today we travel back to Canada. We will be in Ottowa until Wednesday morning and then we will go back to Quebec on July 2nd. On the 3rd is the huge party to celebrate the founding of that city 400 years ago!!