rainy humid fun in chinatown

On this particular day in Montreal, it rained heavily in the morning. I even sat out on the back (covered) porch with my cup of coffee and watched it come down. There's nothing like a good summer rain, by which I mean, when it's been generally warm and sunny, but a day comes along in which it just buckets down. These are moments in which the coziness of winter in briefly recaptured, without the discomfort, when you can slump back and enjoy the shining bricks and dripping railings.

Afterwards it stopped raining but stayed overcast and humid, and I dressed for summertime, and went with my friends to eat really excellent dumpling in Chinatown.








Playsuit (I love this silhouette so so much) by Q's Daydream.

full-blown summer

I love Montreal architecture, Canadian summer fruit, sun-shiney terraces, and old friends who can't wait to show you there hometowns. I was so happy Emilie had time to meet me while I was there (she made herself very available as my personal tour-guide in fact). We met ten years ago in Vancouver, waiting outside a classroom for our first Canadian film seminar, and the conversation went like this: "Hi, I'm Emily." "Oh! Me too!"

I spent a good portion of my time in Montreal wandering, picking out my future home based on how pretty is was, eating poutine, and ogling the fresh produce at the outdoor markets.


poutine


Emilie

home life

Oh, temporary homes. I'm looking forward to having a proper home later this year (if all goes as planned) because things have been so temporary for so long. Where's home? Definitely not my "hometown" Vancouver. My parents have a house in Hamilton, but it's not like I'm from there. Barcelona is my home now but I spent the last several months a bit all over the place in terms of living situation. If home is where the heart is, then mine's in at least four different places right now.

But ANYWAY, if home is where you sleep, then that's currently this cute little third floor flat in Verdun, Montreal. I'm in love with the Montreal residential architecture, all little iron staircases winding up brick buildings to an entrance porch. We also have a little balcony at the front and a slice of fire escape at the back to watch the sunset and the back alleys of my temporary city.

If home is temporary, family is apparently forever. I'm wearing a dress, shoes and amber necklace that are all hand-me-downs from my mom (the dress made by her in the 70s, as I never fail to point out when I wear it).