Parlez-vous anglais?

Quick update of some interesting things that have gone down since my last post:

1. Had some EXCELLENT Lebanese food last night. (Merci to my very friendly and capable Lebanese taxi driver from the other night!)

2. Was moderately enraged by 10:30 AM by the numerous snotty and degrading comments over the previous 2+ days about American medicine and Americans in general from self-important Canadian doctors.

3. Was even more enraged by the constant avoiding/snubbing I was treated to by the all-Canadian staff, faculty, and attendees at the conference over the last 2+ days.

4. Was able to learn tons from two presentations given by Colonel Magill, FACP, US Marine Corps, Walter Reed Army Medical Center (some of my colleagues will remember him as the presenter of the excellent audioconference we went to on Leishmaniasis.)

5. Was saved from moderately enraged state by the afternoon arrival of aforementioned Colonel Magill, FACP, USMC, who provided more useful, well-informed, well-researched info in 30 minutes than the Canadians had managed in the previous 3 hours.

6. Talked to (actually he talked to me, mostly) some exceptionally weird guy from Ottawa while having a smoke outside during a break.

7. Talked to another taxi driver from Haiti who was very cool and friendly and even taught me some mediocre French.

Lessons I Learned in Montreal:

1. The French-Canadian dislike Americans as much as the REAL French (well, maybe almost as much.)

2. Cab drivers in big cities (despite not being native to the city) know the best places to go and/or eat at (and in this case are the friendliest people in the city--maybe BECAUSE they're not native??)

3. Americans kick ass. (That's why the Canadians hate us so much.)

4. People from Ottawa are weird.