Wired on Coffee

Ever have too much coffee to enjoy your coffee? My big plan was to drive out to the old neighbourhood, meet up with friends, have a café latte and spend the morning reading the papers. An hour and a half and two café lattes later I was too wired from the coffee to sit and read the paper. When my friends left I had to get going.

It's an eventful day in Montreal. Being Independence Day for our American neighbours there are several 4th of July festivities going on. In the old neighbourhood it's also San Marziale day. Every year, usually in August, a street party and parade are held in the Mile End. The late owner of the coffee shop, set up the festival to honour the patron saint of his home town parish in Italy. the marching band was out in full force. I skipped the street vendors and concerts. The signs indicating that the streets would be closed had "Sam Marziele" written on them. Everybody here speaks two or more languages. Nobody speaks any of them correctly.

I also got to see an evacuation at HEC, a Montreal university specializing in business programs. It seems a suspicious package was found on the campus and a couple hundred people had to be evacuated. There were about ten police cars and plenty of officers. Being a Sunday in July there were not a lot of people on campus today, but there are exams taking place.

Which reminds me, there was a terrorist attack in Trois Rivieres on July 2nd. Trois Rivieres - or Three Rivers - is 140 kms north-east of Montreal. A Canadian Forces Recruitment centre was bombed earlier this week. There were no injuries and so far no arrests. A Quebec based group - I won't mention their name - claimed responsibility. They have an anti-military stance and have criticized Canada's involvement in Afghanistan and the police activity at the G20 summit in Toronto.

Three games left to decide who wins the World Cup? Or as some have suggested it's already been decided with the elimination of the favourites. I'm looking forward to the Cup wrapping up so I can focus my attention on some good old Canadian Football.