Advertisement
Published: July 24th 2010
Cousin Tina - The Ugly Side of Drink
Is she hugging me or about to clock me with the bottle? Some people just shouldn't drink (others shouldn't make it)Started 24 th October
Return to Montréal - Cousin Tina and other family members
After such a long time on the road the return of our hired motorcycle to the rental base just north of Montréal and a train trip back into the city is tinged with regret that the journey is almost over, but also with relief that we 'made it' without mishap bike wise. Well, a 2000$ (Canadian dollars) is the excess, and a heavy penalty to pay if the bike is damaged.
A conversation with cousin Tina the day before establishes that she will collect us from the railway station on the edge of Montréal. By pure luck we leave the rental, dash across the railway tracks with our dodgy-wheeled suitcases and just catch the next train (at least one hours wait if we didn't). With no time to find the ticket machine - we board the train with the conductor giving us absolution for not having a valid fair. No wonder the Canadian train system is in trouble - no one even bothers to collect our fair once on board. "Don't worry Sir,” the conductor tells us "enjoy your stay in Canada.”
OK, I
At cousin Tinas
A Jewish meal at cousin Tina’s. Robbie gleefully cashes in on the eating whilst the rest of us take photos. Notice food on the serving plate - it's a sin at a Jewish table to end the meal with the serving plate empty. We did our best to embarrass Tina by clearing the lot - but were defeated! will then!
Cousin Tina collects us at the station and immediately swings into action- for the next few days we experience the hospitality that is offered Montreal style - Jewish version .
I should explain that my paternal grandparents emmigrated here from Poland in the 1920's in search of a better life. And not too early either. They were Polish Jews, and if they had stayed in Poland probably would not have survived. It's a sobering thought that probably none of my generation would be here today had my grandfather not had the foresight to move. He was an artisan, a well read man and politically aware. I may be wrong, but I would be surprised if he hadn’t foreseen what was about to happen in Europe. My aunt Pauline who came out of Poland last left behind her two guardian aunts who refused to leave. They were not to survive the coming of the Nazis.
My cousins, as they were brought up in Montréal received a broad culturally based education - living in a French speaking community, going to state schools by day but also learning to speak Yiddish and about Jewish culture through their parents
At cousin Tinas
Grand children are an essential part of daily life and through attending Jewish Schule. My ’British’ side of the family did not - so we are to some extent culturally separated.
Tina seems to spend her time on the mobile whizzing from one place to another taking care of husband Robbie (including helping him run his medical clinic), various grandchildren, an ageing aunt Rosie (sadly passed away since making this trip) and now us - two helpless (apparently) Brit relatives who need the special treatment too. Tina has a unique blend of the soft caring approach (she is a trained nurse, so I suppose it goes with the territory), Jewish hospitality (plenty on your plate is never enough) and the ability to even out-talk me - a skill she learnt from her mother Pauline.
She immediately makes us feel like everything is taken care of - including making sure Carol gets her ice hockey jerseys for family members on the way back from the station. Every minute of the day is accounted for (and rehearsed verbally of course!) as we travel along.
You cannot fail but wonder at her boundless nervous energy, and love her humanity instantly. However, she failed in one respect and one only.
At cousin Tinas
Tina's husband Robbie, a consultant in Ear, Nose and Throat, reviews patients x-rays at home In the middle of tea and biscuits as we begin the catch up on the last few week’s journey she utters “Oh my God. I cannot believe I forgot already” - she forgot to make us homemade cookies - a hallmark of Switzman-Schleiffer hospitality. Of North American hospitality even. I am mortified.
Even my sister Heather who visited the year before got the special treatment.
It provides me with reason to wind Tina up over the next few days, and as guilt is almost part of the Jewish psyche it’s a strong lever
Tina is probably the only member of our family that keeps anything near a Kosher house (apologies to anyone else who does if I am wrong) - and as in any immigrant culture that is a matter of degree and interpretation, as the old customs give way or absorb the new.
So it's an experience to be here and to remember that there are separate plates and drawers of cutlery to keep meat and fish based food away from dairy. With a gentle hint from Tina I give up trying to help put stuff away as one mistake means the whole lot has
Posh houses in west Montreal
None of us ever lived in a place like this! to be washed and restored. This is a culture for creatures of habit and those who enjoy near obsessive attention to detail. Not me then.
However being foodies we enjoy the experience of chicken with raisin and honey sauce
A brief lessonfor you goys in North American/Jewish chat Being North American Tina and some of my other cousins use a mixture of Jewish and North American English expressions to enlarge the range of their vocabulary. Tina is in particular but not exclusively adept at this. So you might hear someone say..
Oh my God I forgot to make the cookies for you. Oy vey (OMG or Oh, woe is me), I feel such a schmuck (a fool) already. You must think I schlepp (drag/slouch) around all day.
Notice how the adverb ‘already’ is positioned at the end of a sentence, instead of the beginning as it would be in UK English (“It’s already late” UK English, “It’s late, already” North American English)
If you have watched much in the way of American TV or films you might well be familiar with some of this language - to see how many of these words are familiar
to you follow
and for the origins of the language
Advertisement
Tot: 0.214s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 11; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0504s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
