Day 1 & 2: Finally in Canada!
Landed in the beautiful city of Montreal after talking about it for over a year
Hey friends,
After talking about it for over a year thanks to COVID, we finally landed in Montreal, Canada! I am currently writing this newsletter at one in the morning. Am I getting jet-lagged after three days? I hope not!
For the first three nights in Canada, I went to sleep at my usual time, and I woke up slightly earlier than I usually would have. I fell asleep at 7 pm on New Years Day, and now, here I am.
Today’s newsletter is not a reader response to anything. I have been busy exploring the beautiful city of Montreal instead of reading. I thought I would share some quick snapshots to ring in the new year!
Day 1: Flight from Singapore to Montreal
On the day of my flight, a bunch of friends came to send me off. They did not have to, and I did not expect them to do so since my flight was at 2 am. But they did! The flight to Canada was the longest I have ever taken, and I could barely feel my knees and butt by the end of the trip. Thank goodness for unlimited wine and mimosas on the plane. I had nine plane-sized glasses!
Oh, and free wifi was a life savior.
As my first pandemic flight, the fully booked plane was anxiety-inducing. Alarm bells rang in my head when I realized most of the children seated around me were unmasked. I thought children had to don masks, and all the more so since they are mostly unvaccinated. The airline provided us with a protection kit that comprises gloves, a fresh mask, and a tube of hand sanitizer. I guess that alleviates the anxiety a little, but still.
The sight of Montreal as we flew over the snowy city took my breath away. Until four days ago, I had never seen snow in all twenty-three years of my existence. The last time I went up a ski mountain in Victoria, Australia, it was one degree above the melting point, and they used a snow machine to generate ‘snow.’ Can you see why I was so excited at the sight of this view?
The sky was rapidly darkening by the time we got through immigration. On the Uber ride to our Airbnb, I remember thinking how gloomy Montreal appeared. Everything was grey and devoid of color. Winter things, I guess.
Once we got to the Airbnb, we headed out for dinner. I can already feel you guys rolling your eyes even before I say it. We had A&W for dinner, and I tried poutine for the first time! Poutine is a dish with fries and gravy, and ours had blocks of cheese in it. The delicacy tastes way better than it sounds. I did not snap a picture, but I will when I eventually try another serving of poutine!
Day 2: Exploring on foot and registering our vaccines!
Remember how I mentioned the city was a gloomy grey on our arrival? Fortunately, I was proven wrong the next day when the sun was high in the sky again. The pop of color on buildings and the beautiful architecture made me want to walk the streets instead of staying home. Where I come from, we mostly only have modern, high-rise buildings that make streets feel small and claustrophobic. Here feels much more walkable than anywhere else back home, and I am in love!
We explored the neighborhood on foot on our first morning in Montreal. We also tried to dine in at one of the restaurants but were turned away because we still did not have vaccine passports. Far from being a bummer, I feel safer knowing there are proper check-ins for contact tracing.
Or perhaps, I was alright with being turned away because we were getting our vaccines registered after lunch anyway! The staff members at the center were friendly and helpful. They directed us where to go and patiently logged our details. Within less than an hour, we had our VaxiCodes—a QR code to use for check-ins—and were ready to dine out all over Quebec.
These things change all the time, but if you are heading to Quebec, Canada anytime soon, remember to book an appointment with ClicSante to register your vaccines. All you need to bring is your travel document (e.g. passport) and a vaccine certificate detailing when and what brand of vaccines you took.
Little did we know, we were two hours away from the tightening of restrictions and an end to dining out for the next few weeks. What is new?
That evening, we went grocery shopping and prepared what was supposedly carbonara together. The sauce we got from IGA—the supermarket—did not taste remotely like carbonara for sure. One of my friends later suggested Campbell soup as the sauce base instead. I may give it a shot and update either here or on the blog once the grocers reopen after New Year.
Despite the setbacks due to Omicron restrictions, I am thrilled to finally be here! I started planning this trip in August 2020, endured two cancellations, and jumped through numerous administrative obstacles to be here. I can’t wait to share more of my adventures with you guys.
After thinking about it, I decided that my Substack will feature off-the-cuff thoughts and a journal of sorts. In other words, I am using Ming’s Memo as intended.
The blog will remain search engine friendly with posts that are less chronological and more informative. I am thinking about ideas such as top travel apps to get through exchange and what to pack for winter. I may even share all my road-tripping deets on my blog, too!
Alright, that’s it from me. I would love to know what you think about the new direction Ming’s Memo is taking in the comments section. Let’s talk soon, and happy new year!
Sincerely,
Ming
PS: I’m COVID negative on arrival!
PPS: I fell asleep after writing the first draft, and I continued writing at 8 am the next morning. Yay to no jet lag!
Day 1 & 2: Finally in Canada!
Welcome to snowy Canada! I grew up in Ontario but now live on Vancouver Island. It's quite a long way from Quebec but we are on the same continent now! Enjoy your time here