Montréal Mini-Immersion Weekend!

Bonjour TLM,

I’m just back from Burning Man 2009 – what an AWESOME event. It truly was completely spectacular.

During my stay in Black Rock City (Burning Man), I had the opportunity to camp with CouchSurfing.org camp. The great thing about being with this camp is that it was so very international and provided fantastic opportunities to use my French on several several occasions. In the end, I came away wanting more and more to master the language at an even higher level. And, in my opinion, the best way to accomplish this (in addition to reading without ceasing) is to spend time immersed in the language and talking with native speakers. This, of course, can be difficult to do when living in the USA where minimal French is spoken.

For the past couple of months I have been rolling around the idea of visiting Montréal once every six weeks or so as a sort of mini-immersion. And, after being in Black Rock City, I’ve gained the fortitude to simply make it happen. So, this is what I’m thinking…

The first mini-immersion will take place from October 8th (Thursday – 7AM) to October 11th (Sunday – 5 PM) and I’m looking for FOUR others who are willing to join me![/i]

The plan is simple. I will rent a car and leave from Kalamazoo on the morning of the 8th. From the time the car hits the highway, I am determined to only speak, hear, etc. in French. Once in Montréal I will *couchsurf with a native French speaker. (I’m choosing couch surfing to find lodging for two reasons: 1. I can find a native French speaker as a host who’s usually willing to spend quality time with visitors and 2. it’s FREE.) In addition my native French speaking host, I’ve found a general tutor/guide willing to spend the weekend with us and show us around the city, all while speaking, living, interacting in French.

Okay, so what does this mean to you? Maybe you’re interested in joining me on one of these mini-excursions in order to improve your French. Or, maybe you’re just interested in visiting Montréal (or Québec). Well, if you are, this may be the best and most economical way to have a mini vacation, see Montréal and improve on your French.

If we can get a group of four or five persons together, we can make our trip to Montréal at a very minimal cost – about $70.00 per person. The $70 covers the Car Rental and Fuel. Then, each person would be responsible for their own Lodging, Tutor Fees, Food and Entertainment. So… how expensive are we talking?

CAR RENTAL:
The total cost for renting a car (cheapest possible) that seats five is $132.00 from Budget Rental. This cost could be eliminated if someone was willing to drive their own vehicle.
The fuel cost for this trip is estimated at $175. This cost is calculated assuming 1,420 miles (round trip to/from Montréal to Kalamazoo), extra 110 miles for around city driving, 27 mpg for the car and $3.00 per gallon for fuel. This cost could flux in either direction.

*Total Car Rental Cost – $132.75
*Total Fuel Cost – $175.00 (1,550 miles @ $3 per gallon – estimating 27 mpg)

LODGING:
Well, if you’re like me and willing to do some *Couch Surfing, then lodging would be FREE. However, even if you’re not like me, you could consider staying in one of Montréal’s Youth Hostels for about $15 per night. And, if you’re still not comfortable, there are several inexpensive hotels throughout the city at about $55 per night. If I wasn’t Couch Surfing, I’d definitely stay in the hostels (I’ve done this on several occasions).

*Not sure what couch surfing is? Visit CouchSurfing.org for more information.

TUTORING:
Well, the tutoring that I’ve lined up is not “academic.” The purpose of the “tutor” here is to facilitate general everyday conversation and to show us around the city. It’s possible to find a native French speaker that will do this for free. However, to make the weekend a success, I’ve opted to “hire” a guide. Here are the session prices.

Tutor Session – $10 CAD per hour (minimum 4 hours) one-on-one session.
Tutor Session – $15 CAD per hour (minimum 4 hours) group session – two persons.
Tutor Session – $20 CAD per hour (minimum 4 hours) group session – three to five persons.

Personally, I’d like to have the tutor with us for at least six full hours a day for two days (12 hours). Hence, if we have four persons, then we’re paying $5 per hour for 12 hours ($60 per person).

FOOD / ENTERTAINMENT:
This cost will be different for each person… Montréal is a FULL city. You can eat on the cheap (at McDonald’s etc.) or you can experience some super fine dinning. The same goes with the Entertainment. However, there are many many free and wonderful things in Montréal to see and do! I plan on hitting all of the free stuff.

So…. All and All, a cheap total price per person might be as follows:

COST PER PERSON:*Assuming four participants

1. For Me
Car Rental / Fuel - $77.00
Lodging – FREE (Couchsurfing)
Tutoring - $60.00
Food / Entertainment - $30.00
TOTAL: $167.00

2. Non-Me, but cheap
Car Rental / Fuel - $77.00
Lodging - $55.00 (Hostels)
Tutoring - $60.00
Food/Entertainment - $100.00
TOTAL: $292.00

CROSSING THE CANADIAN / USA BORDER:
As of June 2009, to cross the Canadian/USA border you must have a US Passport or other Equivalent Travel Document such as the NEXUS Card or Michigan Enhanced Driver’s License (MEDL).

For more information on obtaining a Michigan Enhanced Driver’s License click on the following link. The MEDL costs approximately $45.00 and arrives in about one to two weeks - http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1627_8669_53333-213045--,00.html .

Additionally, to avoid any possible issues, you should be able to pass a criminal history check.

So everyone, there’s the skinny. What do you say? Interested in making a fun trip? Drop me a line!

Avi

Learn more here:
http://french.meetup.com/154/calendar/11352619/