Down, But Not Out ... page 3

OFF THE ICE

JG.com: What are your greatest strengths as a person off the ice?

Jonathan: I would say that I am a very perseverant person and I am very patient off the ice, too.

JG.com: What is your greatest achievement off the ice?

Jonathan: It is linked with skating, the recovery from my femur fracture. Everybody thought I would never come back the way I was before my injury. And they were right, I came back stronger. ;o)

JG.com: What hidden talents do you have (singing, juggling, riding a unicycle, etc.)?

Jonathan: I am a very good cook. I would love to have a restaurant after skating. That's just a dream right now, we'll see how it's going to evolve.

JG.com: What is the worst book you've ever read?

Jonathan: I don't remember bad books. But I think it was a book that our teacher forced us to read in high school.

JG.com: What's the worst movie you've ever seen?

Jonathan: I don't tend to remember bad movies, either. I discard them from my memory. But I can say that I thought that "XXX" with Vin Diesel was very bad. ;o)

JG.com: What kind of music do you like?

Jonathan: A lot of ambient music, like House, electronic jazz, etc. also, some Techno and Trance.

JG.com: Who are your favorite singers and/or groups?

Jonathan: Right now I listen a lot to a group named Café del Mar. All of their albums are great. It's like I am on vacation on the beach when I listen to them.

JG.com: How many brothers and sisters do you have? What are their names and ages?

Jonathan: I have 1 sister, her name is Nathalie and she is 29 years old.

JG.com: When will the puppy (that you purchased in advance of its birth last year) be born?

Jonathan: It was born last week. There is a boy and a girl and we don't know which one to choose, yet.

MONTRÉAL/QUÉBEC

JG.com: And how about your hometown of Montréal. What are the city and culture like there?

Jonathan: It's a great city. I have gone to a lot of places around the world, but I have to say that Montréal is one of the best, by far. It's so rich in culture. It's so different from other Canadian cities because there is a big European influence here. It's a fusion of American and European. A good mix. I've never seen a city with so many restaurants and from all kinds of countries. You name it, we have it. For example, there's even an Ethiopian and a Tibetan restaurant, and these are very unique experiences. There are also a lot of nightclubs. It's crazy the amount of them downtown. It's hard to choose where to go. There is the Old Montréal part that is great, too. It's the European side of Montréal architecture.

JG.com: Which is your favorite restaurant in Montréal?

Jonathan: It's hard to pick one (there are so many great ones for sushi). I would say that Sushi Kaizen is my favorite. And believe me, there must be over 25 sushi bars in Montréal (I have not tried them all).

For originality and concept I would say the Spirite Lounge. Like the name says, it's kind of a mix between a restaurant and a lounge. It's very relaxed and their food is organic. I think the concept is very good. There is no menu to choose from. They make 1 appetizer and 1 main course each night (but its different every night). If you do not finish your plate, they charge you $2 extra on your bill (and that goes to a charity at the end of the year). If you finish your plate then you can have dessert. And if you do not finish your dessert, you cannot come back to the restaurant ever. You're on the blacklist. But don't worry, its not hard to finish your plate. They also have very good wines there to go with the food.

JG.com: Which landmark in Montréal is your favorite?

Jonathan: I would have to say Old Montréal. It is my dream to have an apartment there. It's quite expensive.

JG.com: Which landmark is your favorite in all of Québec?

Jonathan: My favorite part of Québec province is called Estrie or Canton de l'est. It's very beautiful. I go there during summer training to do some bike riding and running. It's good to go out of the city to get some fresh air once a week. ;o)

Photo by: Darumawansa

A serene path and park near Lake Memphremagog in Canton de l'est, Québec

JG.com: And it's been good for us to get such great answers to so many questions! Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with everyone via interview.

(Fans, if you did not see your question answered here, please note that Jonathan did not have time to answer all questions sent, due to time constraints. Thank you for your questions. Any questions not answered will be resubmitted again in the Winter 2004 Interview with Jonathan.)

Stay tuned for interviews with family, friends, coaches and teammates, all coming soon!

Interview conducted via email on 05.10.04 by Lori J. Bayne.

This interview was posted on JonathanGuilmette.com with written permission from Jonathan Guilmette. Any quotes from this interview or use of its contents in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without express, written consent.