Dickson's Blogathon

I arrived yesterday in Montreal in preparation for my week long training with CN. I've never been to Montreal and although I'm still in Canada, I do feel very foreign among the French speaking crowd.

After my 20 minute cab ride to the hotel during which I watched my cab driver literally pour himself a drink while driving on the highway, I spent most of the time exploring the area around my hotel. There aren't a lot of popular restaurant chains nearby nor are there any grocery stores but there are a lot of family-operated restaurants and retail outlets. My first meal in Montreal landed me in Reuben's Restaurant, well-known for their deli meats. Normally I would not have taken pictures but out of habit from eating with a certain friend, I felt obligated to document their creations.  

I ordered the Millionaire's Club, a sandwich with shaved roast beef on thick white, served with fries. The portions are very generous and I wasn't able to finish my plate even though I was eating for two meals. I don't think I have eaten a better roast beef sandwich but then again, I haven't eaten many in my life either. The fries tasted exactly as if they were fresh from McDonalds and had there been a one nearby, I would have suspected culinary outsourcing. My plate wasn't as fancy as some of their other dishes so I may have to go back later this week to try them out.

What I like about this city is that there's a lot of festivals happening year-round. In fact, I managed to stumble into a beer festival just beside my hotel. There were over 100 companies showcasing their product with eager patrons all bringing their own beer mug (and marijuana). I've identified a few musical/theatrical showings of interest and the upcoming Grand Prix will definitely be a bonus during my stay.

Now I'm off to my first day of training with CN! I clearly woke up way too early if I was able to blog but thats the advantage when the company is directly across the street!

NOTE: I wasn't able to publish the post till now as internet was down.