You make an interesting point here, although I think you may be indirectly proving mine in the process.

See, the thing about hummus is that the chick peas are an essential ingredient. No chick peas, no hummus. Stuff that’s in hummus *sans* chick peas may amount to something else that could potentially be good, but it ain’t really hummus.

Same thing with Montreal. If Montreal weren’t in (francophone) Quebec, it would be just another northern North American city.

Or, if the francophone element in Montreal was perhaps not completely absent but was diluted to the point of a folkloric afterthought, then Montreal would just be a big Ottawa or a huge Moncton. Not that there’s anything wrong with Ottawa or Moncton. But they’re not Montreal.

Which is about like saying hummus is the urban, multicultural incarnation of modern chickpeas.

The lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt sometimes get together and have a little party of their own because it is and always will be a dish that was conceived primarily to showcase the resilience, cost effectiveness, and mild flavour of the chickpea!

The analogy Montreal vs. (rest of Quebec) = Quebec vs. ROC is totally flawed, because the group that is the crushing majority in the rest of Quebec is nonetheless very present in Montreal, and in fact is by far the largest population group even in the city itself.

The analogy would be accurate if Montreal were 70, 80 or 90% “English-Canadian” or anglophone. But it is not, and it’s not likely to evolve in that direction either.

I have also learned that once my interlocutor makes the switch from French to English, it is not a good idea to try to jump back to French; it is like trying to “tutoyer” after being addressed as “vous.”

I sense that the many anglos who try to use French in Québec are trying their best to “get with the program,” and I also sense that some francos still have a hard time believing that many anglos want to speak French and try to fit in.

The accompanying tone of voice, level of eye contact, and body language generally say more than the actual words.

This is not your case, as you say, but you are paying the price for the inconsiderateness of others.”

Listen up east-of-St-Laurent anglophones: don’t get tricked into playing a game you can’t win. Do the best you can in French, but do it because it streamlines your interactions with the girls in Jean Coutu, your Vidéotron installer, or even the unspeakably rude people of the STM. It’s a French-speaking city and it helps people get their jobs done faster and with less stress. We can all agree that’s a good thing, especially since I have noticed Montrealers are in need of some stress relief.

But don’t speak French because you think it will elevate you from the unfortunate category of “those Plateau anglophones.” AngryFrenchGuy hits the nail on the head when he says “I don’t want to defend this type of attitude” and then goes right on ahead to defend it. Don’t try to befriend your neighbours (you won’t) make friends (you won’t) or feel you have earned the right to any shred of solidarity with the people you see everyday on the sidewalk or in the café (you haven’t earned any and never will).

The thing to do is take it easy, toughen up, enjoy life, and try to avoid food poisoning.

I’ve done this on occasion (especially with tourists), but I admit that it’s not a good idea in Quebec. If people are doing an effort to speak French, encourage them instead of trying to “help” them.

I don’t want to defend this type of attitute, but I know many people in the Plateau and other central neighborhoods are getting tired of Anglophones moving there and NOT making any efforts to speak any French.

This is not your case, as you say, but you are paying the price for the inconsiderateness of others.

Most of the people that i talk to on a regular basis are not quebecois however, they are south americans or portugese. I have a different culture, different music, a different accent, and they totally respect that and we are all good friends.

Many of the pur lain however want nothing to do with me. They get one whiff of my accent and they switch to english and start asking offensive questions like “So why are all the english moving in OUR neighbourhood?” then walk off in disgust.