The Canadian dollar is quite strange and totally different from the American dollar.

Firstly, there are no 1 and 2 cents coins. But there are 5, 10 and 50 cents coins and 1 and 2 dollars coins. Therefore if your bill is not a multiple of 5 it will be rounded to the multiple inferior or superior the closest. For example, if you need to pay 6.38$ in cash it will be rounded to 6.40$. But if you bill is 6.36$ you will pay 6.35$. Obviously if you pay by card the the bill is not rounded. 

Bills exist in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100$. They are beautiful, colorful and have a particularity, they are made in polymer which makes them more resistant, safer and more ecological than the old ones. 

Each bill has a theme and represents a political personality and a building of the parliament. 

The 5$ bill represents Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911. It shows the highest tower of the Parliament: The Mackenzie tower. The theme is Canadarm2 and Dextre (the robotic innovation).

The 10$ bill represents Sir John A. Macdonal, Prime Minister from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The building is the Library of the Parliament and the theme is the expansion of the railway in Canada in the years 1880.

The 20$ bill represents the queen Elizabeth II and the buidling is the Peace tower. The theme is the memorial of Canada at Vimy. 

There is also a commemorative 20$ bill for the Queen which is a little bit different from this one. 

The 50$ bill shows William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister from 1921 to 1930 and from 1935 to 1948. The theme is the CCGS, research icebreaker and the building is center building of the Parliament. 

The 100$ bill represents Sir Robert L. Borden, Prime Minister from 1911 to 1920. It shows the east building of the Parliament and the theme is the medical innovation. 

(Sadly I have never had a 100$ bill...)

Concordia University has been founded in 1974. It is one of the two english-speaking universities in Montreal and one of the largest university in Canada. The university has two campuses: Sir George Williams Campus (where I have my courses) is the main campus and Loyola Campus. 

John Molson School of Business (JMSB) is the business school of Concordia and is ranked within the top ten Canadian business school and within the top 100 worldwide. It offers 48 different programs from six different departments. 

I chose 4 different classes: 

- Marketing management I: this course is an introduction to the key concept in marketing. 

- Operations management: this course is an introduction to contemporary operational issues and techniques in the manufacturing and service sectors.

- Business communication: this course focuses on the techniques of clear, concise and effective written and oral communication, especially as they apply to business.

- Consumer behaviour: In this course we analyze the motivations, roles, and behavour of the consumers, how they are affected by economic, social and cultural influences, and how they influence and are influenced by the market. This course is my hardest course but it is also my favourite because I find it really interesting! 

I was worried I would not understand well in class because people may sometimes speak really fast but I understand really well excepted in Operations management where my teacher is an Indian with a really big accent but I am getting used to his accent so it is more and more easy to understand. 

Just as Montreal, Concordia is really cosmopolitan. There is a lot of exchange and international students.I had some problems with my e-mail adress at the begining of the semester so I did not receive the information concerning the integration. However, and fortunately, I met other international students in my classes! 

Here we are! I arrived some weeks ago in Montreal and I think it is time for me to tell you about my life here.  

I left my home for Paris on the 1st of January after a really short night and I arrived at Montreal on the 2nd of January, exhausted but really excited to start my new life here!  

At the top of the Mont Royal

Montreal is an amazing cosmopolitan city characterized by its multiculturalism. Indeed there is a lot of indian, chinese, english, italian, american, french...and of course canadian people living in Montreal. People often talk as well english as french and in the shop they greet you in both languages "Hello, salut!". Although Montreal is not the capital of Canada or of the province, it is considered as the capital cultural of the Quebec.  

I live on the "plateau" which is considered as the french living quarter. It is situated at the east of the Mont Royal, an hill of 232 meters high in the middle of the city, which is the symbol of Montreal. From up there their is an amazing view of the city all year.  

Plateau Mont Royal

I have two roommates: Lucie, a French girl living in San Francisco and studying engineering in Montreal; and Umang, a Pakistani girl studying biology. They both study in Mc Gill university, which is oldest university of Montreal and one of the most renowned in Canada. 

I am starting to get used to the canadian climate, up there I had temperatures between -25°C (with -35 felt) and 10°C. It is so weird how fast the weather can change, one day it is -20 and the next day it is 5; in one day all the snow can melt and the next morning there is again 30 cm of snow everywhere... Fortunately the underground city allows people to go for a walk even when it is -20°C outside. The underground city is commercial field of 32km long, it is the largest in the world.  

 I study in John Molson School of Business in Concordia university. Concordia is one of the two english-speaking university with Mc Gill, and it is situated in the city center of Montreal. Although Concordia is not as famous as Mc Gill, it is even though considered as a really good university in Canada and JMSB is seen as one of the best business school in Montreal.