OZD Agent of the Month

Article by Kayana

The Agent of the Month for the month of September, is yes, myself. If you're wondering how on earth I got myself into this let's just say that all things are possible in the Matrix and in this case it is perfectly natural and alright for me to interview myself. And, yes, somehow, Iain's involved in this. :D Iain!

Well a bit about me, I'm a mostly normal female living in Montreal, Quebec up north in Canada. I'm not originally from Montreal but I've called Montreal my home for the past 5 years.

It's a great city, full of attitude (not always a pleasant one) and it's a wonderful place to be if you're looking for a city that has a lot to say and is more than happy to share it with you.

Winter gets pretty cold (-30 to -40 Celsius) but Montrealers love it in a slightly sado-masochistic way. Each night the temperature drop is forecasted with great relish and every Montrealer has a story to tell about The Great Ice Storm. (The Great Ice Storm was a massive freak ice storm that came in, blew out the power for a week and caused havoc in an otherwise modern city and of course, everyone remembers it.) Winter isn't all cold and gloomy though, there are lots of fun stuff to do during winter. Montrealers love winter (as I mentioned, often in that S&M way) and there are a million things that go on during the 7 months of winter. Fresh maple syrup wrapped round a popsicle stick and eaten like a gooey treat in the snow is popular and there are many outdoor skating rinks that dot the city.

In Ottawa, an hour and half's drive, the Ottawa Canal freezes over and people often skate to work on it. Two hours drive out of Montreal you can see the Northern Lights, and every February there is a massive winter festival in Quebec City which is world famous. Sculptors from all over come up to Quebec to compete in an ice-carving/snow scuplture contests, there are snow slides and sledding and most prominently, a hotel made completely out of ice blocks! And of course lots of warm foods and drinks- mulled wine, hot chocolate, bear paws (fried dough coverend in cinnamon and sugar), smoked meat, pretty much everything...Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Well, I could go on and on about Montreal but I think I'll just end here with a picture of me snow-shoeing outside my home in winter. And yes, someone I think made a snow sculpture of Quebec's premier.. :D

Ooo, and a really cute picture of a couple cross-country skiing with their baby in a specially designed ski cart...

It's a gorgeous day for a walk: