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I've recently found a job there in Montreal and I'm moving in a couple of months. It will be my first time in Canada, although I've been in the American Continent some years ago, when I was a child.
I am a Spanish young guy (26yo) who wants to know more things about this city. I've got quite a good level of english, though my french level is, let's be honest, mediocre. But I hope there will be no problem with it, I can survive speaking both of them (also Spanish, of course ).
And here come some questions.
I won't be paid too much (30k/year), but I'm single and pretend to stay like that for a while. Will I be able to live there with that funds? Including rent and everything.
Is it that cold in winter? You know, I'm from the south of Spain, our lowest temperature here is +10ºC, and we are freezing. I should get used, as I've been living in Norway for a while, but I guess I'll have to buy winter clothes when I get there.
Are people sociable? I don't expect them to be as sociable as in Spain, but I really like to talk to everyone about everything, and wouldn't like to find myself talking to a brick wall. This may sound rude, but many spanish people had gone back to spain from other countries because they couldn't stand being "alone".
Yeah! Another one! Are there many spaniards there? Not hispanics, I know there is an increasing community of hispanic people, and I'm sure I'll meet some of them. But I don't know if there are many european spanish speakers in Montreal.
I'm sure many questions will come up eventually, but I'll be just hanging around this topic and ask them whenever they come into my mind
By the way, glad to find this forum, and I hope you can help me
Are you moving here with permanent residence? If so then take advantage of the French classes the government offer, the price is laughable ($30 per semester) You can survive with just English, but honestly you'd be missing out on so much that it wouldn't be fair. As a fellow native speaker of Spanish, I can tell you that learning French is not that hard.
You can definitely survive on 30k, but don't expect many luxuries. Be smart, find a cheap neighbourhood and you'll do well, rents tend to be cheaper in MTL than in the rest of Canada, so you can find a nice 1 bedroom apartment for $600 or so.
Yes, it's freaking cold in winter, but if you live close to a metro station, it makes it bearable,
People are awesome in Montreal, but again, learn French! I've found it easy to make friends, and people are genuinely more interested about you, rather than what car you drive/how much you make. You'll find tons of similarities with back home, people are livelier and there's this "joie de vivre" that you can just feel.
My first contract will be for just 6 monthrs, although I expect to stay here for even more. I've been reading a lot and seeing many pics about the city and it seems lovely, and I would like to stay there (I don't want to be back in Spain any time soon )
Well, my level in French is not native (it's Spanish) nor proficient (as my English is meant to be), but I think I can handle my first days there until I can get used to it again. And if the government offer some classes I'm sure I'll join them, thanks for the advice!
I'm glad to hear that people are awesome, and that there are tapas! But I'm sure I will get angry with them hehe. Every single city in Spain claims that they invented tapas, and get mad about other cities.
And in the end, something weird. Is there anything that I mustn't do at all? Something consider really awkward there but that a foreigner may not know?
My first contract will be for just 6 monthrs, although I expect to stay here for even more. I've been reading a lot and seeing many pics about the city and it seems lovely, and I would like to stay there (I don't want to be back in Spain any time soon )
Well, my level in French is not native (it's Spanish) nor proficient (as my English is meant to be), but I think I can handle my first days there until I can get used to it again. And if the government offer some classes I'm sure I'll join them, thanks for the advice!
I'm glad to hear that people are awesome, and that there are tapas! But I'm sure I will get angry with them hehe. Every single city in Spain claims that they invented tapas, and get mad about other cities.
And in the end, something weird. Is there anything that I mustn't do at all? Something consider really awkward there but that a foreigner may not know?
Thanks!
When communicating with people (shopping/banks/anything else) outside of the downtown core, make sure you do it in French. Normally west of Boul. Saint-Laurent (The "Main") you'll hear more English; east of it you'll hear more French, I lived on the eastern end of the city for a while, and I couldn't even ask for milk in English at my local convenience store!
My first contract will be for just 6 monthrs, although I expect to stay here for even more. I've been reading a lot and seeing many pics about the city and it seems lovely, and I would like to stay there (I don't want to be back in Spain any time soon )
Well, my level in French is not native (it's Spanish) nor proficient (as my English is meant to be), but I think I can handle my first days there until I can get used to it again. And if the government offer some classes I'm sure I'll join them, thanks for the advice!
I'm glad to hear that people are awesome, and that there are tapas! But I'm sure I will get angry with them hehe. Every single city in Spain claims that they invented tapas, and get mad about other cities.
And in the end, something weird. Is there anything that I mustn't do at all? Something consider really awkward there but that a foreigner may not know?
Thanks!
Try not to get involved with the whole English vs. French language debate in Quebec. It's a very old, complex, and bitter ethnic relationship that can often be very hard for foreigners to understand the many nuances of. It's in a similar class of touchy conversation topics as religion and politics, so if you go there, just keep in mind that you may touch a nerve if you're not careful about it.
As for Spaniards, I've met a few, but for some reason I find I meet many more Portugese people, and of course Hispanics. But you should be able to find a decent sized community of your countrymen in the city. I think you will like it, it is very much a North American city, but also one that is Latin in its habits and attitudes. That's not to say, of course, that the culture will be exactly like in Spain or even France. People in Quebec are much like other Canadians in a way, in that we can be shy, especially in public areas where we aren't expecting to talk to strangers, but we can be very warm once you break the ice and we certainly don't stand on ceremony. I wish you the best of luck on your first trip to Montreal and hope that you enjoy our beautiful city!
Last edited by BIMBAM; 04-23-2012 at 12:47 AM..
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