I'll have some groceries, international students, with some poutine on the side

So I have found a cheap grocery store! YAY On Monday I was out with Leah and we went to a place called Maxi & Cie (the & cie part apparently means "& Co"). I went back on Thursday, and got some fantastic savings! Buying generic is key, along with pleanty of fruit. So, thank you Maxi, you kept me in my food budget for August/September.

On Friday morning was the orientation day for the international students. Thinking it would be a day filled with activities, I was rather excited. Unfortunately, this was not the case to any degree. I spent two and a half hours listening to a lecture about the rules of UQAM, and why 95% of the time , international students are the ones breaking the rules. Then, afterwards, they said that it was done. Confused, I get out of my seat with the other non-French, as the French are about 90% of the exchange students at UQAM, thinking that I can perhaps make friends with a few people. Within 10 seconds, the wave of France is coming behind, and being able to make friends becomes impossible. Perhaps it is not my destiny to make friends with other international students at my school, so I will just make Québécois friends instead :)

Friday night was a lovely day, and not too wallet-emptying either. Leah and I went for a walk up Rue St. Denis, over Avenue Mont Royal, then down Papineau, all the time browsing the shops which had expanded onto the street for some sort of end-of-summer sale. I found a pair of shoes that I really wanted, but as the warm temperatures are only going to last a few more weeks, it would have been silly to buy them. After our walk, we met up with some friends from California, and one from Canada too, and went to a Scottish pub. I use the term Scottish losely, as the menu was filled with scotch, they had Scottish flags outside, and the décor implied Scottish, but the music did not. One cider, one spilt beer, and some good conversation later, we headed out and got late night poutine! POUTINE!!!!!!! It is amazing. I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but its fries, covered in brown gravy, with cheese curds on top. Its sounds awful, but trust me, it is delicious. Quick walk home later, and I am in my bed, ready for what turned out to be an 11-hour sleep.