Je me souviens

Dear Indigna,

The "motto" of Québec is "Je me souviens." What exactly do they mean by that?

Curious
Toronto, Canada

Dear Curious,

Let me explain by comparing the contents of bathroom vending machines in the U.S. and in Québec. In the vending machines in U.S. ladies' rooms you're likely to find "feminine hygiene" products, temporary tattoos, adhesive beads (i.e., for fake "earrings" or fingernail "jewels"), gum and candy, and toothbrush kits. In contrast, here are the contents of the vending machines in the ladies' rooms of various restaurants, bars, hotels and airports I have visited in Québec: flavored condoms, multi-colored condoms, breath fresheners (sporting the logo of a crossed-out bottle of beer), "tingly" lubricant for women, etc. Obviously, the Québecois must put "je me souviens" on their license plates, monuments, tee-shirts and every other visible surface in hopes of subliminally persuading themselves to remember to remember whatever it is they are supposed to remember the "morning after." Roughly translated into English, the Québec motto is "I do remember, I do I do I do I do remember, I do I do!" At the very least, they will remember that they are supposed to have remembered something. I plan to move to Québec if I remember to.