Ooh la la! As you know, I was recently in Quebec, and I noticed a few things about this province that had me thinking.
Parlez Vous Français? Just like the British think it is hilarious when I tell them I am wearing my fanny pack (FYI, "fanny" is not a butt in the UK; it is a lady's hoohaw), the Quebecois have some funny differences from the French spoken in France. Here are a few examples:
In France, a danseuse is a classical dancer (danseuse classique); in Quebec, it is a stripper (stripteaseuse).
In France, a gosse is a child (enfant); in Quebec, it is a testicle (testicule). This could be confusing!
Let Your Freak Flag Fly. In most of Canada, the residents have the Canadian flag flying in their yards. But I could barely tell you what the Ontario, BC or Alberta flags look like, as only a few people had them hanging alongside the national flag. However, I can definitely tell you what the Quebec flag looks like, and in many cases, the residents only have the Quebec flag, not the Canada flag. I had heard stories of the provinialism (is that a word?) but was still a bit surprised to see that it really was a thing!
It kind of reminds me of the state of Jefferson flags, which, if you're unfamiliar, are for the part of California that wants to separate from the rest of California and be their own state.
European Feel. Not only is the architecture and the way of life very European, but there are other things like the bike paths and bike culture, which seem very good and different from the culture in some of the other provinces. I really enjoyed riding in Quebec and I honestly can't say that about parts of some of the other provinces.
Baguettes! I love that you can buy a baguette in the grocery store (Maxi) or elsewhere for around $0.90 CAD. There definitely were not cheap baguettes in the parts of Ontario that I was in.
All in all, I loved that being in Quebec felt like being in a different country, even though techincally I was still in the same one. I liked being able to practice my French but have the knowledge that if I forgot the words, the people would probalby understand me in English.
What is the funniest instance of a normal word being construed as bad somewhere else that you know of? In your area, is it common to fly the state or provincal flag?
Quebec is like a different country, there has been a lot of strife over their sovereignty over the years. In fact, I can remember in the 1990s when the Bloc Quebecois was our official opposition party, and I remember very clearly the vote about separation. It was a very tense time in Canada. Things have changed a lot over the years but there was a lot of tension between English and French Quebec, and for a long time it was illegal to have English signs in the province. Tensions have obviously eased now but I really remember those days. It's a beautiful province (La Belle Provence!) and the site of very important Canadian history.
ReplyDeleteWell, Quebec came VERRRYYYY close to separating from Canada in the 90s (there was a referendum and the separatists lost by only a narrow margin), so it really is mostly like they are a different country! Interestingly, for many, many sweepstakes you can't enter if you live in Quebec, but you can if you live in any other Canadian province.
ReplyDeleteNew Brunswick has a very strong French culture, but that French would sound quite different from Québecois French (which is very different from France). And then we have a lot of Acadians in certain parts of Nova Scotia and they primarily speak French but they would sound quite different from NB and Quebec!
Alas, I don't speak French very well which is a regret of mine :( But before switching careers, my sister was a professor of French linguistics.
I don't know a single person who flies a NS flag outside their home!
Huh I thought I was a pretty good British speaker, but I was today years old when I learned that "fanny" means hoohaw. The more you know...
ReplyDeleteI've spent a bit of time contemplating state flags in my travels. My favorite is Indiana's - it's blue with a gold torch and stars. My other favorite flag thing is in some US/CN border areas, they have both flags. The island of Put in Bay between Ohio and Ontario is one example, and I think I saw this somewhere in NY as well.
My biggest Deep Thought about Quebec is that I want to go there ASAP!
I would like to visit Quebec someday! It's like a cheaper trip to France to some extent with a MUCH shorter flight.
ReplyDeleteI don't see many MN state flags flown but the flag was resigned and there is a lot of controversy around this. I didn't follow the arguments because I just don't care about flags but there are people who only want to fly the original and those who feel strongly about the new one. We are a flag-free house. I encounter many STRONG opinions about the state of MN while traveling, though. One FA in Michigan told me that my city was #2 on the list of risks of terrorism (because of the immigrants "we've let into our state"??) and then last week a NJ FA who is a big Vikings fan told me he'd love to come see a game but not until Walz is out of office because he doesn't want to get shot. Um, ok. I live here and feel quite safe, but go ahead and believe all the fake news about how dangerous my city is. Le sigh.
Quebec sounds super interesting! I would struggle with those french words though. I did not realize it was so different to the rest of Canada. I need to do a Canada road trip someday!
ReplyDelete"This was such a fun read! I didn't realize how different the French in Quebec is from France. I definitely would have been confused if I heard someone talk about a 'gosse' there! 😂"
ReplyDeletepulse jet bag filter in delhi
Rotary Air Locks in delhi
"Wow, I didn't know about the provincialism in Quebec! It’s interesting that people fly the Quebec flag instead of the national one. Definitely gives a whole new perspective on regional pride!"
ReplyDeleteDust Collector Manufacturer India
Axial Flow Fans India
"I had no idea the word 'danseuse' had such a different meaning in Quebec! It’s always the small things like this that make travel so fun and eye-opening. Great post!"
ReplyDeleteDust Collector Manufacturer
Air Pollution Control System manufacturer
"Haha, I can totally relate to the confusion around words! It’s funny how something as simple as a 'fanny pack' can mean something totally different in another country."
ReplyDeletepaint booth
checkered sheet dealer in delhi
"I really enjoyed this blog, especially the part about Quebec feeling like a different country. It’s true that the province has such a unique vibe compared to the rest of Canada!"
ReplyDeletepulse jet bag filter manufacturer
structural-steel-tubes in gwalior
What a fantastic read! I love how you’ve provided a detailed blog. Traveling has always been my passion, and I enjoy discovering unique insights like these. If anyone’s looking for more travel tips and updates, I share similar content on Trending Travel Updates. Thanks for sharing such great information!
ReplyDeleteI grew up thinking fanny meant the hooha, so it was always weird when people talked about it until I realized they were talking about butts, lol.
ReplyDeleteThere aren't too many flags around here, but most of them are US flags, which just has a different kind of connotation these days.
The testicle vs child thing is hilarious. As is fanny, but I was aware of that, because I think it is the same way in Ireland. I've never been to Quebec. I was in Montreal briefly for my son's world championship Irish dancing competition. While living in Ireland, they say 'craic' for fun and in the US, we do not mean the same thing when we say, Let's go have some crack. They also call the kitchen cabinets the press, and that was a little confusing.
ReplyDelete