Québec-New York Concert - Molson Center - 09/28/2001

It all began when we knew that Céline had confirmed she was going to be part of the Québec-New York concert, in Montréal, Canada. It was monday night, 4 days before the concert.
I went to the canadian consulate to get the visa, and Tatiana came from Rio, to Sao Paulo at night, because she needed a visa too and here she could get it in the same day.  I got my visa on tuesday. On The next day, wednesday, Tatiana went to the consulate to get hers, we almost felt like she wasn't going to get it because the whole WTC building was closed, interdited, due to a bomb's suspetion (we also have an World Trade Center in Brazil). At this same day (wednesday) Malu decided to join us on the trip, and running against time, she got the passport and the canadian visa on thursday (the day of the trip) and got it all hours before the flight!

All done, we were departing at 8pm, from here to Canada, just to see Céline performing L'amour Existe Encore. Our dream was just starting up....

Inside the airplane, we got really anxious to our arrival in Montréal, we couldn't sleep. After some... 13 hours...lol... we got there, and prepared to the concert... but we still had things to do.... 
Only Tatiana and I had the tickets... so i went to the Molson's front to try to get another one to Malu, from Scalpers, and i got ! WOW. 
We just had to pray for the seats, i mean, to pray for them to be closed to the stage. Unfortunatelly, they were not, only one  was, but not that closed :-(
It was Malu and Tatiana's first Céline's live performance, and my second :-)
We put our favourite Céline's t-shirt and went to Molson, singing The reason,  showing everyone that we were proud of Céline, that we were proud of her goodness. 
All right, After 1 hour the whole show started and we still had to wait for Céline. But when the man said "croissant croisant" .... l'amour existe encore everyone were already cheering wow Céline almost couldn't start singing.
But she finally did, and beautifully. One of the best moments I've had! Her voice fullfilled the whole stadium as if as there was only her inside of it. As if as there was only place to her magical voice.



I don't know what happened, the whole begining of the film have been lost, only the last 13 pics could be seen, so, unfortunatelly, i have no personal souveniers of Céline performing over there :-(
It exists now only in our memories. The only things we still have as souvenirs are the pics above (from the molson's hall) and the tickets

On sunday, we decided to go to Charlemagne. Where Céline was born. Very easy place to go, not that far from Montréal. When we got there, we started to take pics in front of the globe. While we were taking pics, many cars stopped and started to yel: NUMBER 1 NUMBER 1!!! It has just been amazing Wow we got really happy for seeing eye to eye the way céline is loved there in Canada. 
We entered into a drugstore, to buy me a lip's protector, because i couldn't even laught due to the so cold winds... and we told the woman inside that we have traveled from Brazil just for Céline... and she found it amazing (and funny)
After going out of the drugstore, we noticed we haven't seen Céline's house. I mean, we stoped in front of it and haven't noticed... But we went there to take some nice pics and we just met a very nice woman. She came through us asking if we needed info about Céline. We told her our long story and she got thrilled... so thrilled that she gave us a tour around Charlemagne, showing us all the following places. She is soooo cool. She told us some very interesting things about Céline, invited us to visit her home, we had some coke and went back to Montréal. She's really really cool!


Céline's childhood 'maison'


Church where she was baptized

Store with a photo of Céline on the wall, of her last visit
Céline's pic (larger version)

Supermarket in front of Céline's childhood home
Autographed picture this woman gave us (this pic has been signed by Céline and i was a gift from Céline to her)

Céline's childhood friend and us
The school Céline used to study

Her globe in Charlemagne

Our trip was almost on its end.... the tusday was the very last day.. and no more Céline. We walked around downtown, we went to the old Montréal, at the Basilica de Notre Dame, at the Jacques Cartier square etc. 
To have a funny end, we went to the nickel's restaurant. 
We went back to the hotel, called a taxi to take us to the airport and then, while we were taking this taxi, something almost impossible happened. Something that, if one of us (ourselves) listened from someother, we would do the same face you will: and we would doubt at too.. But it's the real truth! We told the driver all our history and suddenly, he toke a paper from his pocket and, on this paper, there was a whole traject to take no other woman, but Céline DIon. Yes! Among an unkown number of taxies over montréal, we toke exactly the taxi Céline was about 30-45 minutes ago.
The driver explained that, sometimes, Céline asks for a taxi, or someone from her staff, and when they need it, they call him, because they trust him! Isn't that amazing? Tatiana was the luckiest one, she was exactly at the same place where Céline was. WOW.


 Sidewalk in Laval, where someone wrote our Diva's name :-)
Our last eating at the Nickels, before saying goodbye to Montréal and Canada :-(

It was not the right time yet, we haven't met Céline yet, but for sure, for sure we will someday
Let's keep the faith and believe, in the power of the DREAM  :-))

Estevam Peric, Malu and Tatiana do Vale
October 3rd 2001