The Scotsman abroad II

May 05, 2008 10:38

I did something yesterday I haven't done in such a long time, in fact I don't think I have ever done completely of my own volition.

I went to church. It was not due to any change in my religous proclivities, but purely as a political act. You see, last Sunday was Black watch Sunday at the church we went along to, which is the Regimental church of the Black Watch Canada. But wait, what's that you say? I'm neither religous nor particularly militaristic? Hang on, I'm not done yet.

You see, this church has strong ties to the old Scottish community of Montreal, as well as to McGill, Which meant that most of the folks I met on Burns night were in the congregation there. They mentioned at the time that the Black Watch Parade up Sherbrooke to this ceremony was something of an institution, and one that I (and my family) should go along to. Feeling more than a little beholden to my drunken promise to go along (as the lady I met there has called me a couple of times since with helpful details on the Pharma industry in town, and people she knows within it), we did.

The service itself was pretty much as I expected, and indeed very similar to those I went to as a kid (didn't you know I went to Sunday school and the BBs?), and although K expressed surprise at the number of Scots/Brits there, I wasn't too surprised. It was interesting to see that there is such a community still in Montreal, (I'm sure if I worked at McGill, and not UdeM, this would not have been as much of a revelation) that was not Brits in Montreal, or had been devoured in the 1970s by raging francophilia.

So, step two in operation "Infiltrate Scottish Mafia" is complete. Now, if only getting fuller recognition amongst them didn't mean regular church going...

scottish, montreal

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