I felt overly confident on New Years, photographing strangers at a bar. Beforehand, I reconnected with a friend I made on my trip. His name was Gonzalo, and we quickly bonded over our similar backgrounds in Mexico. We originally decided to rendezvous with the idea of photographing Old Montreal. A part of the city that heavily resembles European/French architecture. The roads were made out of cobblestone and decorated with multiple flags, bright red street signs and a healthy dose of tourists.
In the district of Old Montreal, there is a well known crown jewel. A Notre Dame Basilica that can be a marvel to look at. While fairly easy to miss due to the surrounding buildings with similar peaks, the Basilica is one of the best things to see while in Montreal. I personally did not have the time to visit the inside of the temple, but the sea of people anchored at the entrance of the shrine could convey the beauty of the place.
I personally liked the region of the district that is primarily devoted to shops, bars and restaurants. While awe-inspiring to see at day, the city transcends aesthetically once night comes. The gray stone becomes more elaborate with multiple hues and tints due to the golden light of precisely placed light bulbs. At times, the breeze of the winter months would blow speckles of snow – making it more precious.
The influx of people was extremely noticeable. While I do not doubt that the district’s charm would shine in twine via night, I figured that the wealth in people was caused by the date. New year was a few hours away, people were partying with all their might. Lines formed outside of bars and clubs and restaurants were starting to deny entry due to the queue. However, The crowd seemed to gravitate towards the background of the city. A Ferris Wheel that bloomed the same way a star would. The blue tint of the machine was so powerful that people gravitated towards it, the same way a moth would fly towards a light.
I was with a friend, so I kept my photography minimal so as to not ignore him, but I wish I had taken more. Until then, I had never seen an ice ring so full of people. This cornucopia of life had the side effect of showing me small moments among people. Kids were skating and falling, tourists from all over the world were getting a taste of skiing, and I saw couples attempting to impress each other by doing tricks.
Eventually we retreated back into Old Montreal. At this point in the night, it seemed as if more people were either on bars and beginning to head somewhere else to enjoy their night. For us, our adventures lead into a bar. Gonzalo’s parents, Betty and Fernando, invited us to a pub to join them to celebrate their New Year.
St. Paul Pub was busier than what it seemed. Not the busiest bar, but not the quietest either.
Betty and Fernado were great people. They demonstrated something I wish to write about later- Some thoughts and Reflections about friendliness. While Betty was definitely feeling the alcohol, Fernado had some pretty good advice and some interesting stories about his time in Europe. I secretly blushed when he started to commemorate me for traveling in the same manner he did many years ago.
When I look back at them, I wish to be as successful as them without being affected by riches. I lived in and saw the areas both Betty and Fernando came from and it’s extremely humbling to see someone who was able to thrive and bloom like they did. While I am not sure what is their current secret to success, I admire their qualities of adventure, openness and charity. Afterall, Fernando was kind enough to pay for my drinks, even if he technically forced them upon me. I am not made out of gold, but I like to keep my heart as golden as possible. For the drinks I offered them some photos they can take with them.
I am not a drinker, so for me this was definitely an experience. As the night progressed and Gonzalo’s parent’s went back home, the alcohol decided to enhance my mind. I was a bit tipsy, and my mood definitely improved. I was also a bit surprised by these emotions. I am not a drinker at all. Afterall, this was my first time having a Guinness. While a bit inexperienced practically, I was still competent enough to call it a night after two Guinness and a tequila shot.
I am aware of the power of alcohol. This knowledge is created via observations around my college population.In my case, I became extremely hyper focused on my photography. I broke my rule of consideration and I started gaining the courage to photograph strangers at the bar. I started to notice all the little details. I saw a young man try and successfully romance a woman, I saw a patron that seemed a little too young to be at the bar, and I saw people patiently waiting for their friends at a table alone. All kinds of people, all living different realities and unaware of everyone around them. I was able to do this while still keeping a conversation with Gonzalo. Funny how alcohol works.
Before the party had begun, I made a terrible mistake. I never ate, which probably explains the increase of potency of alcohol within me. Luckily, Gonzalo stated that he was hungry hence we started our quest to find nourishment.
The District has gone quieter, people have started to go home or stumble their way into a taxi. I want to discuss a comment I made with Gonzalo while looking for food. There were a lot of women wearing mini skirts and having their legs exposed. While it is not my place to judge these women and I do understand the purpose of their mien, I cannot help but wonder why anyone would allow the cold winter Canadian nights to kiss the skin with the wind. It was -5c, these women are more resilient than me.
Our quest led to a McDonalds – The only place that was open. It was full, I had never seen a McDonalds so full in my life. The order screen was so full, it could not possibly display all the orders at once. To keep it short, we waited for a while before we got our food. The food practically made my alcoholic-troubles go away and we chatted for a while. Which eventually led into our final goodbyes and exchange of information.
The walk back to my hostel was also interesting. I am unaware of the level of safety the city of Montreal is, however, I figured that on new years even it would be pretty safe. I started taking some pictures on my way home. Locations which are usually combusting with people are not dead silent. Perfect for some quiet night photography. I must admit, it was quite impressive seeing a city at night. Some areas had some stragglers but everything seemed so peaceful at times. I witnessed a few police officers and some funny encounters but the city and vibe was quite chill.
Honestly, the way my year started was not what I was expecting. I visualized a lot of fireworks, but I think this represents how I want to see my life forward. Unafraid of new experiences, willing to meet others and share said new experiences next to a friend. To think that a year ago, I would have never traveled via rail to Canada just to celebrate New Years. To think that, I would have never gone to a pub and shared stories and wisdom with strangers whom I barely know. To do and to be more. To be unafraid and show it. To live and love, rather than to simply exist. That’s the kind of life I wish to live. Today is a good step toward a better life. While I don’t expect to become a full on drinker for the sake of experiencing things, I can now say that I experience the joy of a true Montreal night.
This night was so meaningful to me, as the days passed and my thoughts became as clear as glass- I will not shake the feeling this night left within me. I think the first night of the year is one of the most important nights of the year. As it represents how the year is going to be. Via this logic, I am hopeful that my year will be as bright and colorful as that bar.
The more I think about it, the reason why this night was so meaningful to me was due to the idea of change. Not only tonight was a change of setting, but of people, and activities but it showed a clear change in my character. As I said earlier, I was expecting fireworks and a shameful walk home but I did not experience that. I think unconsciously my mind favors this change as a subtle way to improve or as a way for me to acknowledge that.
If there is something my audience would take from my experience would be that in order to seek change, you need to be open to the idea of it- regardless of the consequences. What I am starting to see is that people are often afraid of the idea of being open or afraid of change. We think of consequences rather than the experiences we could achieve and in the thought process, we lose the will. Do not focus on the negatives, but on the positives. As often these thoughts are not real and most likely never will.
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