Uninspired.

Bonne année

2009-01-07T12:19:00.005-05:00

New year, new post.

So what's kept me so busy that I've posted only a handful of times in nearly 2 years? Truthfully, I'm not quite sure. However, I felt compelled to post today. When that annual urge strikes, I act! Not that I've really much to say. Hmmm... What to write about?

Perhaps the newest addition to my life? No, not these two cheeky scamps:

But this! Yes, this is very good indeed:

Meet my beautiful new sewing machine, courtesy of one Edward Steel.

Unashamedly stolen from the John Lewis website (please don't sue me), the Janome 7025 Sewing Machine features:

24 stitches and a 1-step buttonhole. Also features free arm, foot pressure adjustment, one hand thread cutter, drop feed dog and space for storing accessories underneath the machine. Exclusive to John Lewis. Hard cover.

They left off the best features. Automatic needle threader, built-in ruler, and the orgasmic *drop-and-load bobbin*. That last one's for you, Rebecca. Come over anytime.

Wilkommen zürück

2008-04-06T08:20:00.003-04:00

I took some time off from blogging. In that time, I moved a few times (France, Germany, England) and here I am in London.

Things are pretty great these days. I finally live with Edward and I have a good job working on a pan-London environmental campaign.

More to come as life develops....

Congratulations, Edd!

2007-06-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

Today Edd wrote the final, final exam of his undergraduate career. Congratulations, [insert graduate's name here]!

For those who may not know yet, Edd has put the rest of us to shame by actually having a sweet career job lined up before graduation! As of this July, he'll be doing top secret computer hacking work for a polyvalent in Guildford. Double congratulations.

Here's to finishing one chapter (and finishing it well), and to the next!

It's that time of year again...

2007-05-22T06:28:00.001-04:00

I've done my best to inform everyone I've spoken with in the past week, but just in case I've missed you, here it is: I witnessed a giant omelette being cooked in the middle of a bustling avenue here in Brussels.

A taste (pun totally and utterly intended) of what took place:

If this is the sort of thing that interest you, click your way to my Giant omelette set on Flickr for full coverage of this event.

Not a shoe.

2007-05-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

I've been rather slack at posting lately. I use the term lately loosely here. I suppose one of the reasons for this is that my life has been rather hectic over the past few weeks and I couldn't be bothered to explain it (now is a good time for you to question why I have a blog in the first place). Not so much the actual day-to-day aspect of my life (which has in fact been very enjoyable, days spent cycling and walking and reading). I mean hectic in terms of my upcoming plans.

In case it needs to be clarified, I finished my internship in France at the end of last month, and am ever grateful to Edd's parents who scooped me out of Commercy and brought me back here, to Brussels. Just before my time ended in France, I was offered a fantastic internship with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability at their European headquarters in Freiburg, Germany. In short, ICLEI's work focuses on training local governments from all over the world to develop initiatives to promote sustainability within their jurisdiction. As this is where my passion in Environmental issues truly lies, I could not be happier.

However, due to scheduling conflicts and complications, my start date has been changed a few times. As it stands, I will be starting in early July. This means that for the next month and a half, I am basically a loafer. Not the shoe, mind. I guess there are worse things than sitting around all day in the sun, drinking Belgian beer and eating frites...

Oh nose...

2007-05-07T05:58:00.000-04:00

... my fears, along with those of 17 million voters in France, have been realised. Say hello to the new president of the French republic.

Les immigrés

2007-03-24T12:13:00.000-04:00

Before I left for France, my mother expressed concerns over the fact I was going to live in a country where some very dramatic and highly-publicised racial uprisings have taken place over the past few years. Thankfully, I have not experienced any racism first-hand, though to be honest, I never expected to either. Perhaps its the naive Canadian in me, who was brought up in a country where the rhetoric of race was on the whole, very positive. Discourse on racism in Canada centres around 'celebrating diversity' as opposed to our neighbour to the south, where assimilation seems to be the prefered approach. However, I am not arguing that Canada is nation free from racial prejudice - in fact, those close to me know that I find it to be profoundly racist in certain aspects. It's just that in Canada, racism takes a clandestine form.

Perhaps this is why I find what happened last week in the 19ieme arrondissement of Paris so shocking. On March 20, 2007, a grandfather performing the loving routine of collecting his grandchild from a local école primaire was brutually assaulted by the genderarmerie. Apparently, a promise made by the French ministère de l’intérieur, one Mr. Sarkozy (sound familiar?) that he would ensure arrests would not occur within 20 metres of 'sensitive settings' such as primary schools was empty. So, what was the crime worthy of physically assaulting a man of Chinese origin in front of shocked parents and children? Not holding a valid titre de sèjour, a permit required by the goverment to legally reside in France. This incident, while deplorable in its own right, is a symptom of a larger problem I'm witnessing with alarming frequency here in France. Xenophobia masquerarding under the guise of 'concerns for national security'. Thanks to a new law passed by Sarkozy himself, violent acts (read: police violence) are no longer permitted to be videotapped and broadcast over the internet. Contravention of this law can lead to a 5-year jail sentence. With Sarkozy as one of the top canadidates in the impending French election, I worry about that this may become the future of France...

I'm a Greek citizen! (And how fitting that this is my 100th post!)

2007-03-09T06:21:00.000-05:00

Well, the title of this post essentially sums up my time in Greece, but allow me to expand somewhat. With only a few glitches along the way (which were resolved by some hearty handshaking at City Hall of Athens - thanks Dad!), my right to citizenship is now officially recognised by the Greek state. I'm giving off the impression that the process was a speedy one. Au contraire! It's taken over three years (incidentally, since Edward and I started dating) to have what the Greek government claim to be an inherent birthright officialised. Nevertheless, the end goal has been achieved and I am now officially a citizen of an EU country. Take that, French government with your xenophobic laws designed to make it as hard as possible for non-Europeans to live here. I can stay here as long as I want, and there's nothing you can do about it... (Ok, maybe there is something they can do...)

I did manage to sneak in some visiting with family during my week as well, which unfortunately, is a rare treat. Many people may not know this, but I'm actually an aunt to a charismatic and loving niece named Mary, and a intellectual ladykiller named Haris. As the passage of time between visits is always most evident with children, I was amazed to see how much they've both grown. Haris is now 20 and is doing exceptionally well. He has just started his studies at a private university in Athens, while Mary , 7-going-on-30 is the most mature and thoughtful girl I've met. She told me she had been worrying about how to communicate with me, as my Greek is rather pathetic these days, and then offered to give me private lessons! I also saw my dad after far too long, which was also wonderful. The trip was an all-around success (photos here) and I look forward to returning as soon as possible!

Europa Tour.

2007-02-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you have noticed my lack of posts. Well, dear reader, consider that as a favour. As the past month has been rather uneventful, I have spared you another post about a trip to the grocery store. See, I belong to the school of blog-thought that argues 'less is more.' If I'm not interested in my own daily foibles, I certainly don't expect anyone else to be either. This certainly does not mean that I don't want to read about your daily foibles, however. Keep writing!

Luckily, I will soon have much more to recount. I've decided to spend my third set of vacances scolaires on a whirlwind mini-tour of Europa. On Saturday, I'm headed north to visit my dear friend Frank in his natural surroundings in Norway, or Norge, if you prefer. I do. I'm not quite sure what to expect of this oft-dreamed about nation, beyond loads of Adonis-like blond men (does this qualify as an oxymoron?) and fish-based products, but I look forward to finding out firsthand. Following this, I'm stopping in England on a rather extended layover to visit Edd and my sister. Works out quite nice that I arrive in London on Valentine's Day, though truth be told, this is more coincidental than anything. Don't tell Edd though. After distracting those two from their academic obligations for a few days, I'm off once more to Greece. Everyone I've told this to has pictured me sunning myself on the beaches of a sun-drenched Greek island. Sadly, it is mid-February and the weather there will definitely not be tropical, as south as we may all believe Greece to be. The purpose of this trip is more business than pleasure as I'm headed to Athens to sort out my Greek citizenship once and for all. If all goes according to plan, I will officially be a citizen of Greece and thus of Europe by the end of my holidays. Wish me luck.

Foibles.

2007-01-13T07:02:00.000-05:00

There are effectively two grocery stores here in Commercy within a reasonable distance (the third being over a bridge and on the far edge of town if are curious). While Match is centrally-located and downhill from the school where I teach, helpful when I realise in the middle of my 11 am lesson that I have no food in my flat and *everything* in town closes for two hours at lunch time (ah, la France profonde), it is a rather unfortunate place to shop. I could probably tolerate the rotting produce as I prefer to buy it from the local fruitivendolo anyway, but I draw the line with the security guard that not-so-clandestinely follows me around the store while I shop. Intitially, I thought there must be something sketchy about my behaviour - I admit that I don't have the most logical method of trolling the aisles, and on top of that, I have a ridiculous bicycle basket for carrying my groceries around in. Although I have since realised that they extend this treatment to anyone who appears to be under the age of 30, I prefer to shop unmolested.

Unfortunately, to get to the good grocery store, which FYI is Intermarche, I have to cycle up a giant (ok, sizable) hill.

I went there the other day specifically to procure a replacement water filter for my Brita water jug as the water had begun to taste like death. I was thrilled to find them at this grocery store, as I'd already exhausted the other potential vendor in town. Bear in mind that this is France and certain environmentally-conscious products are not readily accessible, particularly in a rural town. I cycled home feeling triumphant, thinking perhaps life wasn't all bad.

This lasted for approximately five minutes. Upon my arrival home, as I was pawing the box open with the fury of a moderately-dehydrated person, I realized that I'd bought the wrong kind. I'd even say I was crestfallen, especially since I'd spent the better part of the preceeding week putting slices of lemon in my water to try and mask the awful taste of chlorine and heavy metals when I was too sick to venture into town.

But being familiar with the reality of French refund policies and not wanting to get stuck with this box of useless filters, I immediately trek back up to the hill to the grocery store in hopes that the less time that passes between purchasing and exchanging the filters, the better. After explaining to the woman at customer service in my halting French my error (who has first ignored me for five solid minutes while chatting with a co-worker, greeting the random people who walk past her counter and filing her nails), she takes pity on me, and allows me to exchange the filters, for which I am elated. As I go to pay the price difference between the filters, (the ones I actually need invariably being more expensive, although I did know this when I left my house)...

I realize I left my wallet on the counter at home! 'Oh for the love of God', I think to myself. I turn to her, feeling like a putz and explain 'I've forgotten my wallet, I'm afraid', and realise that my erratic behaviour is beginning to look like a clever scam to I've devised to score some filters on the cheap. I assure you there was nothing clever about my unfortunate situation.

Anyway, feeling that perhaps it's not my day, I am about to ask the kindly lady to refund my money so that I can come back and try this all another time, when I'm a bit more together and instead she says 'I'll hold onto these for you while you go get your wallet. N'y a pas de souci.' And I realize it's too much trouble to explain en francais that I'd rather return another time, so I get *back* on my bike

Cycle home *again*.

March upstairs to my flat. (All of this requiring me to shut and lock every door behind me around my building so as not to upset my disagreeable neighbour, which is indeed the last thing I feel like doing when I'm in a rush.)

Get my wallet.

And cycle back up the hill which now feels like Mt. Everest on my third ascent.

I return to the customer service counter where the woman assured me she would be waiting when I fled, and naturally she isn't there. So I take up my usual position of standing there, hoping that no one else will try to help me while I wait for phantom lady to return. The one time I actually want to be ignored... but no, this is the day an eager employee rushes to help me. So I have to explain the entire situation en francais once more to another lady who eyes me wearily. "I bought the wrong filters for my Brita, and then I came back to return them but I realized I'd forgotten my wallet so then I had to leave again. Receipt? Oh, the receipt is with the boxes" (which are clearly not visible on the counter where I left them)...

In the end, it all got sussed out. I got the filters, and I got some well-needed exercise, and I am no longer drinking water that is likely to poison me. But it makes me wonder, how do tasks that should be simple turn into *that*?

Bonne annee 2007!

2007-01-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year.

Over the past month, I've galvanted in Paris with Hayden, a friend I only get to see on an annual basis, each time in a different major city (NYC, London, Paris... where next?); gluwein-ed it up in Bonn at the fantastic Christmas Market; cycled-en-masse around Brussels at nighttime admiring the architecture and the gorgeous displays all over the city; spent a jovial Christmas with Edd and his lovely family, the festiveness then being relocated for a subsequent week in Meribel (the Alps). It was hands-down one of the best months I've had in quite some time, and yes, I do know just how fortunate I am to have such opportunities presented to me....

... However, the diversions of the past month have made resuming my life here in Commercy all the more difficult. I know the 'January blahs' are ubiquitous and that I am certainly not alone in feeling a sense of disappointment that the holidays are over. Still, this brings minimal comfort as one of the characteristics of self-pity is to focus solely on one's own situation while choosing to ignore the trials of others who indeed may share the same feelings. Selfish at that is, it's how I feel at the moment. Everyone tells me how lucky I am to have the opportunity to live in France, and despite my current state of melancholy, I still see the merit in my being here. But I've been back four days and I've probably spent 3 hours of that maximum with other human beings. It's quite a shock after being with people 24 hours a day. Granted, I have the flu and it's for the best I'm not with other people so as not to infect them, but this is temporary and when I've recovered, I will still be alone...

Nancy vs. Feyernoord

2006-12-01T07:20:00.000-05:00

Call me Canadian, but I'm not quite accustomed to yobbish sporting event behaviour. By and large, the most excitement that ever happens at a hockey game is a couple of drunkards punching each other. Pretty tame.

Last night I went to a qualifying UEFA match in Nancy (known here as match a poules which directly translates as hen match ) against Feyernoord Rotterdam. While the match itself was good, the main event was definitely the riotous behaviour of the Rotterdamers who were none to pleased by the direction of the game and subsequenlty communicated their frustration by destroying the stadium. Hilsborough it was not, but the game was stopped after 78 minutes out of fear for the safety of the Nancy fans (us) who were thus forced to evacuate the stadium while the riot squad kept the Dutch fans locked in. In the end, the match was finished after an extended delay, but the only people left in the stadium were the cloistered Rotterdamers who had to watch us win 3-0. Suckers. That's what you get for being stupid.

Le Foot.

2006-11-28T15:45:00.000-05:00

Some of my younger students took part in an annual football event this afternoon. Irritatingly, football is known simply as 'foot' here in France - the 'ball' part apparently being superflous. Still, in the spirit of bastardising the English language, I dubbed today's event Club Foot because it's the right thing to do. Also because the double-entendre amuses me to no end.

Moving right along, thanks to the beautiful and unseasonably warm weather here in La Meuse, we all profited from the hours spent in the sunshine. (Sara, that was for you!) Voici quelques photos que j'ai pris:

This was taken right after Kerem, the boy in the foreground of the photo, informed me that in Canada there are restaurants where women do 'Sexy dance'. I'm not sure what exactly that means, but as you can see, the girl in pink is demonstrating her own interpretation.

One of the stars of Club Foot. Ronan went far above and beyond the call of duty. What a legend.

And finally, a lovely group shot. Just another hard day here in France for me....

Convocation Medicale

2006-11-22T07:04:00.000-05:00

So I finally got my crisis resolved with Banque Postale. Thank goodness. At my final appointment with the bank, the lady who had been 'assisting' me throughout this debacle informed me she'd called her daughter who is currently in the US to ensure she wasn't experiencing banking problems such as I had. I'm not certain as to why her telling me this was so bothersome - perhaps it's because she was the one largely accountable for the problems I'd experienced and was inadvertantly telling me that I had indeed been jerked around. Moving right along, I have finally been paid so there's no need to worry about me perishing here in France.

Now I'd like to tell you about a queer little procedure all foreigners living in France must be subjected to called the 'Convocation Medicale'. In order to ensure that we, as foreigners, are not vectors of Tuberculosis to the good people of France, it is necessary to have an x-ray at a state hospital. The fact that I'd already had a rather intensive medical exam back in Canada in order to participate in this program is moot. So is the fact that I've already been working in close proximity to my children at school and would have certainly transmitted TB to them by now. Nevertheless, I went to this all-day examination in Nancy where I had to trek out to the largest and most depressed-looking hospital I'd ever seen (thus leading me to the conclusion that all hospitals constructed in the 1970s should be torn down and replaced by more cheerful buildings). Upon checking into my appointment in the bowels of this monstrous building, the nurse instructed me to go into the cabine and take of all clothes above my torso. This is where I will admit that I am a product of a prudish country. There are very, very few times in a Canadian adult's life where they must disrobe to the point of nudity beyond the bedroom, including medical visits. Luckily I'd been forewarned by another assistant that I would need to do this, so I'd spent the ~~preceeding week~~ morning gearing myself up for it. My French colleagues found it hysterical when I told them I was nervous about taking my clothes of for my impending medical visit and asked if we kept our coats on in Canada for the procedure. Cheeky.

The procedure itself was pretty painless. I waltzed into the x-ray room topless, pretending I hadn't a care in the world and about 45 seconds later I was back in the cabine getting dressed. All that worrying for nothing. And the best part is that I got to keep the x-rays for myself.

Oh, and that I don't have TB, of course.

I hate you, Banque Postale.

2006-11-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

I'm reluctant to post about my current woes here in France, but I think if I repress it anymore, I may explode.

Following the well-intended advice on the Wikibook for Assistants in France, I decided to open an account at La Banque Postale. The initial meeting went smoothly enough, bearing in mind I was opening an account as foreigner (non-EU) in a small town that isn't accustomed to dealing with internationals. I wasn't surprised during those following two weeks when I received a phone call every other day at 13h30 telling me "On a besoin une autre formulaire avant 15h00 aujourd'hui" which would have me running around like a madwoman to try and get whatever obscure paper they needed in on very short notice. I figured that this was probably the case for many other assistants so I didn't let it bother me (much). I was thrilled to get a RIB, the requisite document from the bank in time to apply for the October salary advance after some 'minor' problems. I didn't complain all that much when the bank asked me to give the last money I had to support myself as an initial deposit in order to open the account, which would then be held for 'about a week', according to Madame Bank Lady. I figured I could live those 7 days without that money if I was very frugal...

Well, imagine my lack of surprise when I receive another phone call requesting me to come in with another piece of paper, a full three weeks after the initial meeting. I figured we'd sorted everything out but I cycled over as optimistically as I could, paper in bag. I walked in to the bank, preparing to give la Madame said paper when she bluntly told me there has been a problem with my account. I need my Carte de sejour before the head honchos at the bank will even consider opening my account a document which won't arrive until at least the end of December.

So the outfall of her telling me was this: it being October 22nd at the time, my salary had already been released by the Rectorat. Even if I did open another account elsewhere (which I did asap, believe me), I had to wait first for the salary advance to be sent to my inactive account at Banque Postale where it was required to sit for 15 business days before it was returned to the Rectorat who would then direct it to my new, functional account at another bank. A huge problem in its own right, this situation got worse when she told me that they couldn't return the money that they forced me to give them until 3 weeks later... leaving me with no money to live on to this day.

I hope no one ever has to deal with Banque Postale in their lives. It's just not worth it.

Kinderen voor Kinderen song - Two Fathers

2006-11-07T17:06:00.000-05:00

If there's one thing I love, it's people expressing our need to embrace our differences as a single humanity. This sentiment is increased ten-fold when I see children propogating such a message, as they truly serve as a litmus test to collective societal attitude. This video features a Dutch boy praising his fathers through song and really is worth viewing. (Thank you to my lovely friend Frank who sent this to me, and who will one day make a most fantastic father himself.)

My kudos to Dutch television for broadcasting a very positive piece on same-sex parents from the perspective of a child, especially on a children's program! This is a huge step towards teaching children from a young age we should celebrate our differences by teaching through such a positive manner (I can only imagine what would happen if this was aired on American tv....)

Sadly, this climate of acceptance isn't universal. I'm reposting something Becca wrote about the institutionalisation of homophobia by the Polish government on a blog she contributes regularly to:

I was going to write a post about the upcoming local elections. They fall on my birthday, and as I’m an EU citizen registered to vote in Warsaw, I’m going to have to take time out of my partying and present opening to go and vote, but I don’t know who to vote for. I was going to ask for your help in choosing. First though, I need your help for something so much more important.

I came to Warsaw originally to take part in a European Voluntary Service project. This has now finished, and I’m running a second follow-up project, but a few days ago I received an email from a current EVS volunteer. She’s working with the Campaign Against Homophobia organisation, here in Warsaw, and the Ministry of Education seems to have decided to wage war on them.

I’d better give you a bit of background, or it’s not going to be clear how the ministry could have such an impact on a section of civil society. EU funds for EVS are managed by National Agencies for the Youth Programme in member countries. The Polish National Agency is governed by the Foundation of Educational Development, which was established by the Ministry of Education.

EVS projects have to be submitted to and approved by a committee in the National Agency. This brings us back round to the Campaign Against Homophobia, whose latest project was rejected on the following grounds:

[The] “majority of members of the Selection Committee stated that [the] project of [the] Campaign is against the policy of raising children and youth, which is implemented by the Ministry. The policy of [the] Ministry does not support actions that aim to propogate homosexual behaviour and such attitude[s] among young people. Also, the role of [the] Ministry is not to support cooperation of homosexual organisations.”

When I first read that my brain hissed and fizzed and then my head exploded. Oh sure, we all know this country’s administration is homophobic, but to have such a blatantly discriminatory statement from the Director of the Youth programme in Poland (a programme whose aims include giving young people “a better understanding of cultural diversity and the fight against any form of racism and xenophobia or discrimination”) is just very simply wrong.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski knows how to sweet talk the Brussels lot. “I ask you not to believe in the myth of Poland as an anti-semitic, homophobic and xenophobic country… People with such preferences have full rights in Poland, there is no tradition in Poland of persecuting such people.” You can ask me not to believe what you like Jarek, but when a ministry is persecuting organisations that are working against discrimination, I’m just not going to believe you.

The Ministry of Education is spitting out homophobic statements left right and centre, with absolutely no shame nor the slightest inkling that what it’s doing is wrong. A different LGBT project that was funded by the Youth Programme last year was considered a “depravation of young people” and it was said that “as this project was financially supported under the Ministry of Education, we seriously need to review the criteria of supported projects. […] The rules and priorities of the programme under which such projects get money, need to be changed in order to prevent such projects getting money in the future.”

These attitudes get me foaming at the mouth with rage, and when I hear Giertych and his cronies have got their way so far, and have managed to block projects that deal with homophobia from getting EU funding, even accusing organisations of fraud, when the project documents prove otherwise, I want to scream.
I’ve had enough and I hope you have too.

If you do one good deed this week, hell, this year, let it be this: write to someone.

The European Comission has a responsibility to stand up to member states that propogate such poisonous attitudes. Write to:
- Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
- Vladimir Spidla, Commissioner of Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
- Anyone you like at the Directorate General for Education and Culture

Your Member of the European Parliament has a responsibility to target discrimination, wherever it rears its ugly head and get the issue into the public sphere. Write to:
- your MEP

The National Agency has a responsibility to distribute EU funds according to the principles stated in the Youth Programme and the founding treaties of the EU. Education ministry bigots cannot be allowed to retain the power to pick and choose projects according to personal preferences. There are clear guidelines for EVS projects. If the requirements are met, they should be funded. Write to:
- the National Agency

We all have a responsibility not to sit back and watch as Poland sinks in a bog of ignorance and discrimination. Those of us who went on the equality parade have already showed solidarity with those people fighting discrimination. Don’t stop there, do more.

Then you can tell me which of the Warsaw candidates is the least homophobic, so I can go out and vote on Sunday.

More information here.

Hello from sunny Warwickshire.

2006-10-28T04:21:00.000-04:00

I'm currently in England for the Vacances de la Toussaint (All-Saints Day). We get a week and a half off for Toussaint, which is pretty great since I only started my job a mere 3 weeks ago. I love France.

My journey from Commercy to London was relatively uneventful, spare two noteworthy situations that occured. One was the sounding of the 'International Incident Alarm' which went off right as I was about to make it past baggage claim in London. Instead, I found myself being ushered onto the tarmac while we waited out the alarm. This is the second time the very same thing has happened to me at a London airport upon arrival.

As for the second incident, I learned of it in retrospect. Now, I wouldn't classify myself as being the paranoid type, having travelled solo quite extensively. But taking the RER from Paris to the airport Wednesday afternoon, I couldn't help but feel like a bit of a target with my huge pack. Any hopes of looking like a local student en route home for the week were dashed by the conspicous Canadian flag patch affixed to my bag. I initially chalked my feelings of uneasiness down to me being overly self-conscious. However, reading the newspaper yesterday, I learned that this weekend marks the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Bouna Traore and Zyed Benna, which catalyzed the Race Riots in suburban Paris and later of all France.

According to this story on BBC News, on Thursday afternoon,

"Two armed men forced passengers from a bus in the northern Parisian suburb of Blanc Mesnil, before burning it."

Comforting news, as I actually passed through Blanc Mesnil on transit the day earlier. Maybe I'm not so paranoid after all....

My flat.

2006-10-13T13:39:00.000-04:00

A lot of people have been asking me lately about where I live. Basically, because the French education system is super organized (no! I really mean that in this case!), they have staff-loging in nearly every town which is particularly useful when you live in a very small one and have limited accomodation options (i.e. camping in a tent). As you may have guessed, I live in a building for staff of the town lycee (high school, for the uninformed), but I teach at the primary level. They threw me into the mix just to keep things lively, I suppose. As the town lycee is the only one within a 40 km radius, many students whose homes are too far away to commute daily live at an internat (boarding quarters) which is directly adjacent to our building. This means that due to proximity, I am privy to the late-night sordid affairs of the hormonal 16-year-olds who hang out below my window, keeping me up with their late-night flirting. Hot.

Anyway, enough small talk. Here are the pictures I'm sure you're all itching to see:

My sweet (single) bed and chaise. After having a queen-sized bed in Toronto, this is quite a change. I've basically almost fallen out of it every night I've been here so far.

My 'kitchen'. Yes, it really is as small as it looks. I can proudly say that I have the smallest 'kitchen' my friend Laura has ever seen. It's better if you simply don't ask questions.

My sweet shower. Surprisingly not as bad as you may imagine. I can usually manage to wash for a solid 8 minutes before the basin at the bottom of the shower becomes threateningly close to spilling onto the floor.

And lastly, my unphenomenal view. I can actually see the town steeple-mit-clock from my window, but I didn't capture that here. Tant pis.

Commercy

2006-10-07T05:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay, folks. Anyway, to translate an expression from French, I am now 'installed' in the charmingly provincial town of Commercy where I will be living for the next several months. Consisting of a mere 7000 inhabitants, Commercy's claim to fame extends far beyond the ~~confines~~ err, limits, of this modest country town. For this very town is credited with the creation of a biscuit of (inter)national notoriety, the 'Madeleine'.

Voici une boite des Madeleines de Commercy:

The story behind the biscuit is rather inconsequential, but should you be truly interested, you can watch a hilarious Flash presentation explaining its rise to fame here. Though completely irrelevant to the story itself, I enjoy how the artist decided to enhance the heroine's 'assets'.

The town has more to offer than delicious butter-infused biscuits alone. Last Sunday, I took advantage of the sunshine and went on a bike ride around the town and environs. Here is a photo of la Meuse, the region's namesake and the very river responsible for floods in neighbouring towns which trapped residents in their homes last week. It looks so peaceful, doesn't it? Deceiving...

And here's one of my beautiful bicycle, purchased on last week's visit to Bonn. Let it be known that finding an adult bicycle for someone around my height is no easy feat, particularly in Deutschland, where everyone is at least 6 feet tall.

Until the next time I can scam free wireless internet from some poor unsuspecting soul...

The road ahead...

2006-09-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

I leave for France in just over a week. I can't remember the last time I've been this excited to go somewhere. Perhaps it's the opportunity to resume my life as an independent and semi-mature adult, or possibly, the appeal of moving to an unknown place and adding a new chapter in my life is the reason. While both of these are solid justifications, I think what's most exciting of all is the feeling that I don't have a set path ahead of me, but I know I'll have the best partner, no matter where I find myself. I love you, Edward.

Sacre bleu!

2006-08-29T22:13:00.000-04:00

.... I'm moving to France!

Oh, and I lost everything on my MacBook due to a Hard Drive failure (manufacturer's defect - put that in your highly-produced commercials, Apple). Anyway, if you have been a supporting actor in the theatrical presentation otherwise known as my life over the past few years, and have any photos I may be interested in having once again, please let me know.

Happy Vancouver Pride Week 2006!

2006-08-06T23:51:00.000-04:00

I'd never been to a single Pride event in my hometown (though I've been to several in other cities) until today when I attended the parade in Vancouver's West End with my mother and her friend, Manolis. I couldn't have asked for better weather or a more stunning setting to form the backdrop of the parade. You can see the creme de la creme of photos here. Bear in mind I'm short and I can only hold the camera so high.

In other news, I have procured a short-term job at the Head Office of a national company. I won't name them outright, but here's a hint if you are curious: the company I'm working for is a major sponsor of the 2010 Whistler Olympics. Any fantasies I've ever had regarding working a '9-5 job' have fully been realized with my appointment to the glamorous position of Mailroom Clerk. Seriously. I friggin' love the structure and micro-scale organization required to keep things in line, it's like an OC (obsessive compulsive) person's dream come true.

Happy (belated) Birthday!

2006-07-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

Whose birthday, you ask? Well, it was my birthday this past Saturday and I had a fantastic day. It started with the indulgent breakfast at IHOP (International House of Pancakes for the uninitiated) with my friends Shannon and Sarah, where the convulsive laughing made it difficult to eat at times, and continued onto the waterslides, where I'd decided I most wanted to spend my day given the very hot weather we've been having. The waterpark was awesome, except for the nagging fear we all had that we'd get athlete's foot from walking around barefoot. To quote Sarah, "I want to pressure wash everything in this place". Quand meme, it was fun.

In the evening, my mom and I saw Measure for Measure at Bard on the Beach, a marvelous Shakespeare festival situated on the beach in Vanier Park, Vancouver. Perhaps the most captivating part of the entire Bard production (besides the excellent quality of acting) is the setting. The Mainstage tent is completely open behind the stage, so that the sunset over the Pacific ocean and Coast mountains forms the backdrop of the performance. I am one lucky girl to be able to call Vancouver home.

Having a summer birthday, I am privileged to have celebrated my birthday in various settings and even continents over the years. In fact, I don't think I've ever done the same thing two years in a row. While as a young child I lamented the timing of my birthday, one thing I *truly* realized this birthday is that it's not about how many people you spend the day with, how intoxicated you get, or where you are. What really matters most is who you share the day with. I think that's why this birthday was one of my happiest in memory. My only regrets are that I couldn't share with all the people I would have liked, but you were there in spirit.

P.S. When did I get this corny?

Weddings

2006-07-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

I've put some photos from the final few days in Toronto up here if you are interested. They're from a bunch of different days so if you notice a lack of cohesive narrative in the series of pictures, that's because there isn't one. The jumbledness kind of reflects my state of mind during those final days. In other news, I am back 'home' in Vancouver. I put the word home in quotations because although I grew up here and my mother lives here, it doesn't quite feel like home after having lived on my own in a different province and even a different country for 5 years. I guess the saying 'You can never go home' becomes true once you've lived it. Nevertheless, I am having a great time being here. There are many wonderful things I forgot about here, including the mild climate. I do not envy those of you in Toronto and Western Europe who are subjected to temperatures in the mid 30s. Thank you proximity to the ocean!

Besides the weather, there are other things going on here, such as this month's theme: weddings. To begin, I went wedding dress shopping with Cassandra, my lifelong friend this past weekend. It was a successful day, as she found her dress! She looked beautiful; her tiny little waist lends itself very well to dresses. That aside, I really can't get over how opulent some of these wedding stores are... Personally, I find it to be overkill. To be fair, I have no personal investment in the spectacle of weddings as I am not getting married, but even so, I think anyone with any social conscience realizes they're rather ridiculous. Some of the dresses I saw cost over $5000, and I know that's pocket change compared to some of the higher end garments. Christ.

The weekend prior, I had the honour of attending a wedding for my friend Melanie. We both lived in Dunedin, NZ in 2003-2004, and she ended up meeting a fellow Canadian during our summer holidays up in the North Island. Long story short, she and Chris got married at a golf course at the foot of Burnaby Mountain. It may sound surprising to some to meet and fall inlove with someone of the same nationality while overseas, but it's actually fairly common given the mobility of young'uns these days. Then again, it's just as likely to meet someone of a different nationality while travelling and fall in love (i.e. my case), but I digress. Anyway, the wedding was great. Keeping with the New Zealand theme, they played the Lord of the Rings Soundtrack in the background before the wedding. The wedding favours were Douglas Fir saplings, which suited the couple who are outdoor enthusiasts perfectly. Here are a couple not-so-great photos from the wedding due to my poor camera skillZ:

And rounding out the wedding speak, my close friends Shannon and Greig , who have been dating for almost 10 years and are my age, are finally getting married. In their defense, we've been banking on them getting married for about 9 years, so they've done remarkably well in waiting so many years. While nothing is for certain, it looks like it may be a Destintion Wedding, with the destination being Jamaica! Bring it on, Ochos Rio, I want to meet Bob Marley's mom.

THANK YOU!

2006-07-04T11:49:00.000-04:00

As of 9 pm EST last Thursday, I am finished university. There are no words to express my enthusiasm....

I want to send a huge thank-you to all the people who have supported me over the past 5 years and given me endless support, particularly my mother and my sister who have helped me to keep things in perspective, even when things seemed overwhelmingly difficult. Thank you to all the wonderful friends I've made over the years in Toronto, you will never, ever be forgotten. Thank you to the friends I've made on my exchange in New Zealand, my journey to the other side of the planet would not have been as joyous without you. And thank you to my friends here in Vancouver, who despite having seen me sporadically at best over the past few years, have welcomed be right back into their lives. And finally, an extra special gracias to Edward whose unfaltering love and support over the years has helped me to excel...

I also want to say merci bien to all those who came to visit me over the years in Toronto: Laura and Hamish (from New Zealand) Frank (from Norway), my mom, Leonard (from Va ncouver), Edward (from the homogenous nation of Europe), Muck (from England), Kat (from New Zealand) and Sara (from Vancouver), Becca and Marek (from Poland), and Penny and Gareth (from Belgium). My experiences in Toronto would not have been nearly as fun and memorable without your presence.

Once more, thank you!

New MacBook

2006-06-16T16:29:00.000-04:00

I think the purchase of my new MacBook is summed up nicely in this photo taken with iSight:

Jealous? I think so.

The day after the worst week ever.

2006-06-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

Now that I've found a pocket of time, I will briefly review what I've had to do this past week:

- Write two mid-terms for accelerated summer school courses

- MOVE! (No small feat)

- Work at my Legislative job
- Work at my Statistics Canada job
- And by no means an awful obligation, but Edd's parents arrived this week for their Canadian holiday as well...

Now, I'm the first to admit that I generally enjoy having a full schedule, though it certainly does have its drawbacks. I often joke that I may be a workaholic in training, but deep down I love the bragging rights working nearly full-time and attending school full-time affords me. But this week was simply overkill. Moving is in itself, a huge job. Now, factor in two mid-terms on the day before and the day after moving day (which of course, as anyone whose ever moved knows, turns into 'moving week'), on top of juggling my work situation... Oh, did I mention it was nearly 40 degrees Celsius the entire time we were moving, and then the moment we finished, it dropped to 25? Blah.

Thankfully, it's all over. Now it's just a matter of damage control, tidying this disaster of a room here in the old Anglican residence and trying to relax. Easier said than done....

Demenager

2006-05-29T18:19:00.000-04:00

I won't bore you with the details of what I've been up to, as I don't have enough time to post it all today. Our lease in our current flat expires at the end of the month, and accordingly, I shall be residing in the only place that had any room left: an Anglican theology residence. Sweet. I'll try not to be blasphemous. Anyway, it will be for the full month of June, until I return to BC. Here is a viritual tour if you are so inclined.

Gah, Two mid-terms this week... Can you believe how accelerated summer school is?!

Bienvenue a Canada

2006-05-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

Bonjuerno. Exams are finished and I am now waiting for final marks to roll in for all of my courses. I got one back, a personal best... but I fear it's too late for these types of grades to really impact my mediocre GPA... So much for post-graduate options.

On a less pesimistic note, Edd's sister Becca and her boyfriend Marek have been in town for the past week and a half. It has been so much fun to have them visiting, and it's made me appreciate Toronto from a different perspective, trying to remember how I felt the first time I visited this city. I'm certain Becca will post photos once she returns home so you can peep at them then should you wish.

We also had a very productive weekend. As Becca and Marek are currently trapezing around South-Western Ontario, Edd and I resigned ourselves to the umpteen tasks requiring our attention before our lease expires in 2.5 weeks. Realizing that there's no sense in shipping loads of unnecessary stuff back to BC at the end of the month, I blitzed through all of my clothing to decide what to get rid of (and I mean REALLY letting go of stuff I still really like but don't use often). I am quite proud of my discipline in parting with so much stuff since it's not an easy task, but even Edward the Frugal was inspirational in saying that I could always go shopping to replace the old stuff if I needed to (and so the cycle continues)...

Summer school starts tomorrow. I know some of you are thinking I've been in school forever and will I *ever* finish? The answer is you're right, it has been for.ev.er, but rest assured, I will be done at the end of June...

Cambridge-bound.

2006-04-28T13:52:00.000-04:00

It's official. Rena was accepted into Cambridge for her PhD in Archealogy! Way to go, smartso! Since she is too modest to brag, I will gladly do it for her.... The family is rather proud of this one.

Saw Tristram Shandy with Edd last night, on the advice of Michelle. I didn't fully comprehend what I'd seen until I read a synopsis of the novel on which the film 'refers' to, but I fully enjoyed it nonetheless. Steve Coogan is now my newest crush, though I admit I am but a lowly North American unfamiliar with Alan Partridge and all that he represents to the Brits (although Edd would gladly tell me about it for hours given the opportunity). Here is a gratuitous photo of Steve Coogan:

And another, for good measure:

Dreamboat indeed!

And to make up for the poor Edd-mocking... Arrrrrrrrrrrsenallllllllllll!

Three guineas per week.

2006-04-21T10:02:00.000-04:00

In true Murphy's Law style, just when you think things can't go worse, they do. Tuesday morning, as I was furiously attempting to complete an essay and prepare for an interview uptown, all before my 9-hour shift at work, the worst possible thing happened. I spilled an entire pint of water on the keyboard of my laptop. The good news is that the computer is still functional. But the bad news is that there are still some pretty signfiicant players on the keyboard, guys and girls like 'e', 'r', 's', 't', and sometimes 'y', who just don't seem to want to recover.

As a temporary solution, I have bought an external keyboard. It looks ridiculous attached to a laptop, but at least I can type! If things don't improve with the keys over time, I am going to have to bite the bullet and invest in a new computer. This isn't as tragic as it sounds, I've been wanting a new one for awhile as my current one is showing her age. My next 'puter will be an Apple, most likely an iBook. Being on a modest income of three guineas per week, I am waiting for the release of the iBooks with Intel, so I can profiteer by purchasing one of the old ones at a discount. The first person to see that they've started selling the new Intel iBooks and informs me by way of email will have my eternal gratitude.

In other news, it's exam season. First one isn't until the 27th, so it's been an effort to start studying early. Summer school begins mid-May and I will be taking one last course (ok, 2) to fulfill my requirements: Gender Issues in Religion (or as Amy called it "a course about how women are treated like crap"), and Children's Literature. I'm hoping the reading list for the latter is all stuff I've already read like Swift (one of my favorite authours of all time) and Munsch (not going to happen, but would be sweet).

Blah.

Arctic Contamination.

2006-03-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

First off, I want to send my sister a huge congratulations for her acceptance into Oxford university! Rena, you make me proud to be your sister. More importantly, you've dispelled some of the rumours about 'Surrey girls', and for that feat, you deserve a medal. She/we are stil waiting to hear back from Cambridge before she makes any decisions. I will update you on this issue as it develops.

Right. Well, the past few weeks sans paid work have been a lovely respite. I beat Super Mario Bros. 2 for NES, which was a labour of love. Those 20 hours were well spent. I also squeaked out a bit of work and got several assignments. For some wacky reason, my grades this term have been rather good despite the lack of energy/planning that has gone into them. Sweet.

I have an essay due next week on any topic relating to Canadian Aboriginals and the Environment. I've chosen to focus on the impact of Environmental Contaminants on the health of the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. I actually wanted to write about the implications of Climate Change on the traditional lifestyles of the Inuit, but given the nature of C.C., there is very little empirical material to work with. I guess I sort of took the 'easier' route, but when faced with a 20 page essay and less than a week to do it, wouldn't you?

Anyway, I think what's particularly interesting about the impacts of Environmental Contaminants on the Inuit (and perhaps I'm alone on this) is that these toxic pollutants which have accumulated are *not* in any way the product of careless behaviour of the Indigenous communities who inhabit these Northern areas. They are almost exclusively created in areas of temperate and tropical climates and are transported long-distance via air currents.

In simple terms, these pollutants are generated by people who are fortunate to reap the benefits of the activities that produce these toxins (industrial activity) with the majority of the environmental consequences affecting people 5,000 kms away. This is just another example of how Indigenous people/people of colour are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation. When I was in New Zealand, I read an interesting study about how the most disadvantaged people in a society tend to suffer the highest health impacts stemming from environmnetal issues, as they are often marginialized onto undesirable and thus cheap lands, which are often near landfills, heavy industry etc. I had never really considered this until then, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about these findings since. It's yet another example of how pervasive systemic discrimination is in the Western world....

Les choses

2006-03-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

Voyons donc. Another slew of assignments complete and my Research Project has thankfully come to an end. The L.A. are also on another one of their infamous breaks so I now find myself with more free time than I know what do to with. My goal in the next few weeks is to actually get ahead on upcoming assignments, like normal people usually do. Perhaps my most self-aggravating trait is that I am by all accounts, a last-minute, down-to-the-wire kind of person when it comes to completing tasks which is not only stressful for me, but those in proximity. But to give credit where credit is do, I have not had to pull a single-all or excessively late-nighter this year and my grades aren't terrible (by my standards).

Only a few more weeks left of this term. Sadly, I must do another course in the May/June semester as I ended up dropping a course earlier this year due to my head nearing explosion from stress. My contract at work goes until the same time though, so it works out well. The only problem is the lease on our apartment is up at the end of May, so I have to figure out where to live for June. Any suggestions? Should be warm enough just to join the thousands of homeless people in Toronto and sleep on the street.

But for you B.C. people, I am planning to return around the end of June to disturb your normal routines. As you all know just how much I love Surrey, I'm going to be counting on you to keep my sanity!

London, Ontario

2006-03-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I accompanied Edward to London to visit some of his lovely extended family. Now, I was a wee bit hesitant to agree to go, not because I thought his relatives would be anything less than welcoming, but rather because I have a lot of school/project wrap-up work to tackle. But as soon as we arrived, all these thoughts fled from my head. Everyone was so enthusiastic and friendly, despite the bad weather and prevalence of winter-related aliments. Edd's second cousins, Sam and Matthew provided plenty of entertainment when we stayed at their lovely country home (yes, it's their house rather than their parents). We also went tubing at a nearby hill which was a lot of fun. I really miss interacting with the 'natural' environment; being constantly surrounded by so many human-made structures downtown and so little greenery is starting to really get to me, thus I was thrilled to escape it for a brief 2 days.

Anyway, here is Matthew lounging in a toy chest:

And Sam modeling his ultra-cool car:

Anyway, it's now the following weekend, and Leonard is here visiting so I am going to stop ignoring him now.

Les photos

2006-02-22T10:52:00.000-05:00

I finally caved and got a Flickr Pro Account. Photos from the Festivus party last weekend are up here, as well as some other recent ones.

Today at work there is going to be a vote that will determine if all essential services run by municipalities in the province of Ontario will go on an illegal strike. Good times.

Reading Week

2006-02-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

This was a fun weekend. Not only did it mark the beginning of Reading Week, but it also meant the end of midterms! Borrowing the idea slightly from Mattson, here's a breakdown of what I did over the weekend:

Friday: Edd and I went to Greektown for some truly authentic and rare to find outside of Greece treats. We both had our standard frappes (metrio and glyco, of course) although unlike the usual hot and sunny backdrop that we associate these drinks with, it was -15 with windchill and pitch black outside. Nonetheless, we indulged our imaginations and pretended we were indeed back in the Peliponisos in August. Edward also tried loukomades for the first time, and though they were cold and lacked the usual sesame seeds, they were still pretty damn good. I think we'll be returning to Greektown more frequently as the weather improves.

Saturday: The Colonel and I went on an impromptu jaunt around the city. We ended up having to go the vet's on the spur of the moment so I hauled the poor cat around in his pet carrier in very cold weather. I got lots of curious looks from fellow subwayers, but most people exchanged smiles. It's fun to see animals in transit. It reminds me of Richard Scary's Busy Little World. Anyway, Saturday evening was Edward and Jesse's corporate company party, which was held at a 'swanky' hotel. We were definitely the youngest people at the event, and likely the most subdued. I've never seen so many thirtysomethings 'let their hair down', but it's nice to see people having a good time, at a work function no less. After all, it sounds like Filogix is a crazy company. And I'm sure I made a great impression as Jesse's boss saw me stealing wine off of someone else's table. Discretion is not my forte. There are some photos of the night here (once I manage to upload them).

Sunday: We went to Hero Burger on Queen St. West for arguably the best burgers ever. Their Soul Burger (100% vegan) is the tastiest faux-burger I have ever eaten. I hear their Signature burget is pretty good too. More strolling was done along Queen West, but it was very cold so we retreated into a nearby Chapters and I bought the funniest book on a foreigner's experience living in France: A Year in the Merde. I was literally gasping for air from laughing so hard while reading it last night. All in all, it was a lovely weekend, the kind I hope to have more often once I am free of academic obligations for good!

On a more sombre note, Greig, I'm so happy you're safe! I can't believe how absolutely terrifying and I suppose life-affirming that experience must have been. Hands down, your Valentine's Day was worse than mine.

On a more upbeat note, Leonard is coming to visit in two weeks! Huzzah! It's only been five years of broken promises in this area, Lenny. Seriously though, I am very excited for his visit. It's also going to be Canadian Music Week so we'll probably take in some shows by fledgling bands. Sweet.

Midterms

2006-02-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

The Legislative Assembly came back this week, just as midterms began. Thanks for the good timing, Dalton. There have been some scandals and emotional confessions in the chamber as of late, and I truly find it emotionaly exhasuting. I don't know how the politicos handle the constant bombardement.

Valentine's Day was no better. In fact, it was arguably the worst day I've had in ages, although entirely unrelated to my romantic life. You know those days when you wake up and everything just goes wrong? I wanted to just crawl back into bed and sleep. Thankfully midterms and work are over for the week, and I can focus on obsessivley playing flash games, which is my compulsion du jour.

Reading Week is next week, and beyond working and catching up on school, the options are few. I have been asked to go to London, Ontario next weekend, which I am contemplating although I have a dififcult time reconciling the idea of visting the very place I mock so often for its thieved name. But an opportunity to leave the downtown core is always welcome. As much as I adore my neighbourhood, and realize how very privileged I am to live in such an incredible location, in a top-floor apartment overlooking Yorkville, the university campus and with a prime view of Toronto's only castle, it gets tiring constantly being surrounded by city noise.

Oh, one last Ontario-politics reference... this MPP is the spitting image of my dad. "Daddy, is that you?"

EDIT: Photos are actually up now.

2006-02-07T23:31:00.000-05:00

My fantastic friend Frank (nice alliteration, if I do say so) came to Toronto for a very brief visit this past weekend. That's right, he flew from Norway to spend 4 days in Toronto. It was a blast! For those of you who may not have been keeping up, Frank was one of my closest friends back in Dunedin, NZ. So it's been a long time since we've been able to get togther a wreak havoc.

We took some photos of our escapades, and you can find them here. I recommend looking at the sets, rather than the photostream, which makes no sense at the moment.

Engagements.

2006-01-28T12:11:00.000-05:00

So recently, a slew of people I know became engaged. My sister's friends have long been getting engaged, as they're all about 5 or so years my senior, but I thought I was still too young to be entering the stage in my life where *my* friends were starting to get married (beyond the anomaly that is Laura and Hamish).

But over the holiday break, 3 couples I know got engaged. So congratulations to (in no particular order) Kat and Mike in Auckland, Cassandra and Joe in BC, and Shannon and Greig at home. I am genuinely very thrilled for my friends that have found the people they want to spend a long-term portion of their life with. Go you guys!

However, all this amour has brought my own relationship insecurities to light. Why can't I just be *happy* in a relationship? Why am I so all over the map with what I want out of it all? Is it fair to blame my own parents' for my commitment-phobia, when I see how unhappy their marriage was? Blah. It's not my style to post about my intimate thoughts, but for once I want people to know that I am relationshiply-challenged.

Hip-hop Kitty

2006-01-27T11:16:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we got a new Foster Cat. I present to you, the Colonel, in all his hip-hop badness:

In other news, life continues to be confusing, but also exciting... More perhaps on this later.

Happy New Year.

2006-01-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

So I was on a temporary hiatus from blogging over the past few weeks. Alas, I shall now update you all as to what I did over that time:

I went to New York City with Ben to visit my friend Hayden. Had a fabulous time, staying in Brooklyn in Hayden's flat (thanks, H!) and enjoying the sights and sounds of Bushwick. Seriously, the neighbourhood we were staying in was straight out of the movies. Hasidic Jews walking around, subway tracks overhead with sparks flying onto pedestrians below, sketchy dealings occuring around us. I wanted to take a photo to capture the surreality of it all, but I decided I didn't want to have my camera stolen, as we stuck out enough in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Here is a photo of me taking in the local culture:

We did some of the other requisite activities one does in NYC, but the throngs of tourists who had descended upon the city for the Holiday season combined with our general overall apathy towards American culture meant we weren't too fussed in doing more than eating and wandering the streets. If you wish, you may look at the photos from the trip here.

My mother also came to visit me in Toronto over the holiday. It was actually unexpected until 2 weeks before she was due to arrive, but a welcome surprise. She's the type of woman who never gets sick; I can count the number of times I've seen her sick in my lifetime on one hand. Of course she was sick the entire time she was in Toronto. As a result, we didn't really do much outside of the flat so there's not much to say about this... She is now in Greece for the next two months, visiting friends and family, so I guess better she was sick here than there.

Classes have re-started, and this semester promises to be better than the last one. The classes are more engaging, my schedule is much lighter, and the weather should only improve as we approach the summer season. I am taking a really interesting course called Aboriginals and the Environment, which I have been looking forward to for a long time. My interest in this area of Geography was piqued when I was in NZ and I saw how Maori consultation was required in order for resource consents to be granted under the Resource Management Act. Translation for non-geographers: in order for any structures to be developed or altered signficantly, consultation with local Maori is compulsory. It's about freaking time Canada incorporates indigenous beliefs and practices into its Environmental Management.

And I passed Statistics! By a lot! Hooray for me! I am so relieved that I am not mathematically retarded. This means that I'm on track to finish this summer (can you believe it's only been like... 5 years?)

On a bittersweet note, Nelly, our beloved foster cat of 7 months was finally adopted last Wednesday to a wonderful couple. I know she is going to be happy with them, and that they will give her all the cuddles and treats she deserves (well, maybe fewer treats would benefit her pudgy tummy). And I also know that her story is the entire reason we volunteer with the Annex Cat Rescue: to take cats who are homeless and match them with a loving, permanent home. But it doesn't make saying good-bye to her any easier. Bye-bye, kitty.

However, we have a new foster cat to occupy our time (and distract us from doing any actual work). His name is The Colonel, and he too was once a street cat. He is pretty awesome. His meow is the highest pitch meow I've ever heard, which is funny because he was apparently the tough leader of a group of cats, hence his name. . He is very affectionate, and likes to spoon in bed. But The Colonel's story isn't all good news. He has Feline Leukemia, which not unlike the human strain, is essentially terminal. Unlike human Leukemia, there is a vaccine for FeLv, but unfortunately street cats aren't privy to proper medical treatment in time (i.e. before they contract the illness). Despite his medical condition, he is energetic and entertaining.

A bien tot...

Why I hate Comic Sans Ms.

2005-12-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

So I finished exams yesterday. What a relief. Though every semester is challenging in its own right, this semester may arguably have been the most taxing of all. With the over-employment, volunteering and harder-than-usual courses, I think I managed to maintain my sanity in the end. Thank you to everyone who put up with my whining and irritable moods. I love you all.

Now, some of you may not be aware, but I have a hatred toward the Comic Sans Ms font that has consumed me for some time. Now, my problem really isn't with the font itself, but rather with the gross misuse of it in inappropriate circumstances. Comic Sans was never meant to be used for business or academic works, and I would extend this idea towards the medical and hospitality industry. The use of that font on your sandwich board does not imply that an atmoshphere of fun awaits me, should I choose to enter your establishment.

So imagine how ecstatic I was to find out there was an entire website run by and for people like me, dedicated to ending the misuse of said font - Thank you to Edd for finding it! This is my new favourite site. Here is their explanation of the growing movement toward banning Comic Sans:

"In 1995 Microsoft released the font Comic Sans originally designed for comic book style talk bubbles containing informational help text. Since that time the typeface has been used in countless contexts from restaurant signage to college exams to medical information. These widespread abuses of printed type threaten to erode the very foundations upon which centuries of typographic history are built. While we recognize the font may be appropriate in a few specific instances, our position is that the only effective means of ending this epidemic of abuse is to completely ban Comic Sans."

I couldn't have said it better myself. They even have a photo gallery documenting instance of Comic Sans misuse, sent in by advocates of the movement. Here is a great example of someone carelessly using Comic Sans on a document that necessitates something more appropriate for its purpose:

I encourage anyone reading this who shares the sentiment to express it in the comments section.

I found another incredible website produced by the Planning Department for the City of Vancouver, showing the revitalization of the False Creek area between 1978 and now. Although it will probably be more impressive to those who have familiarity with the area, it will still be pretty incredible for those who do not.

...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LENNY!

Love,
Krista

Can it be true?

2005-12-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

Somebody pinch me. Earlier this year, I said I would probably struggle all semester-long with Statistics, and I'd be lucky to pass it. For you see, I am not particularly mathematically inclined, although I did end up with an A in Math 11 when forced to retake it. But overall, the trend has been that I, Krista, daughter of an engineering-educated father, was bad at maths and the plethora of number-related subjects that it spawned.

So you can imagine my shock when I unsuspectingly picked up my problem set and saw this:

Wait, look closer:

Yes, it is out of 100. I got 99% on a Statistics Assignment. All by myself. I rule!

Time to gorge myself as a reward.... If you need me, my face'll be buried in a bag of candy.

Snow, snow, go away.

2005-11-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today was the first proper snowfall of the season. Ever since I started my degree in this city with its a-typical Canadian climate, I have been counting down the number of winters I would have to suffer through before I could graduate and move far away, ideally to a tropical climate. Today was no different. Maybe because I didn't grow up in a snowy climate (those of you non-Canucks may not realize, but the West Coast really is milder in comparison to the rest of the country in terms of winter weather), I am really horrible at walking on snow and ice. While I see everyone else walking briskly, heels and all, through the snowy conditions, there I am in the background, skidding and slipping all over the place, even though I am wearing my lovely Ralph Lauren winter boots. Every time I leave my flat, I pray it won't be the day I slip on the sidewalk, fall (face first, of course) and slide directly onto the adjacent road where a passsing car with worn tires and a distracted driver won't quite stop in time. This is the reason I sometimes think I am obsessive compulsive...

At least this means I will be able to go snowboarding soon!

In other non-weather related news, I am on a mini-break from mandatory school assignments until December, which I now realize from looking at the calendar, isn't really the far away after all. Still, I am excited that I will be able to focus on other pressing matters, such as my Research project, sleeping properly, working and of course, knitting warm things for this cruel winter.

I am not going home for Christmas this year. This probably isn't news to those of you who know me; I've only been home for this holiday once in 4 years, and I'm not much of a Christmas person anyway. This being said, I have been presented with a number of lovely prospects for the holiday season: my mother may stop in Toronto en route to Greece to visit her parents, and I may be going to NYC some point over the break to visit my lovely friend Hayden, who also is going to be far away from home for Christmas. We actually spent Christmas 2003 together when we couldn't afford to go home then either, so it would be cute if we repeated it this year. Regardless of what happens, I'm sure I will be happy as a clam to be with someone I love, stuffing my face with treats.

On a sidenote, I have been given a supervisory position for a (single) shift at Parliament, which totally isn't a big deal at all, but I am mildly excited since I'm the only new employee who has been given this opportunity. I think it's probably somewhat related to the factI've clocked some serious hours in the few short months I've been there.

Footprinting.

2005-11-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

Since I last posted, I have uttered the phrase "I have NO time" countless times. As is the way every fall, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of craziness at uni, and it doesn't end until after exams are finished at Christmas. On top of this though, my job at Parliament keeps me long hours (although I am very grateful!), and volunteering for two different organizations occupies a lot of time as well.

However, as if I didn't have enough to deal with at once, I went ahead and got a second job. The title of my position is Ecological Footprint Research Assistant, and I am working under the supervision of the Director of Climate Change at the University of Toronto. My work is focusing on Radical Roots, a not-for-profit, worker-run collective located on campus who have hired me to help them minimize the environmental and social implications, or the 'ecological footprint', of their activities. Here is a brief newspaper article on the project, for those of you who are interested. Note the reference to me as the to-be-hired work-study student.

I am very excited to be involved in this project as not only is a great experience for me simply in terms of ameliorating my research skills, but also because I think it could potentially make a signficant contribution to the organization's efforts. I must also admit, it may give me a minor advantage when it comes to looking for a 'real job' after I graduate. Or at the very least, it won't hinder me.

All the work has left me with very little time to get my assignments done however, and thus my anxiety level is pretty much constantly in the high range.. I know school ~~should be~~ is priority number one, but I have become so apathetic in my last year that my only concern is finshing.

I took a well-earned break this weekend and went down to the Niagara region to look at the leaves, which were purported by the Weather Network to be "absolutely stunning". Perhaps they were, but the gale-force winds ripped all the leaves from the branches by the time we got down there, and I feel somewhat gipped. At least I got to go dino-golfing in Niagara Falls. On the drive back, we stopped at Balls' Falls (what a name) to admire the waterfalls and old buildings on the property. As you can see in the pictures, it was rather eerie when we were there right before sunset.

Throne Speech and Fainting.

2005-10-12T18:07:00.000-04:00

So the Lieutant Governor of Ontario, James K. Bartleman gave his Throne Speech today at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This is a pretty big day for Provincial Politics, as it oulines the government's goals for the upcoming session. As such, there were loads of invited guests in the Chamber today; by far more people than are normally there. Anyway, my job today had me posted at the Member's Gallery West (for the Opposition and NDP's invited guests) and everything was going smoothly for the first couple hours. However, about 75 minutes into the L.G.'s speech, I started to feel nauseous. This was quickly followed by sudden and profuse sweating, particularly my face. All the while I'm wondering what the hell was happening to me. I didn't have much time to think about this, as the speech wrapped up and everyone's attention was then focused on the singer performing O Canada in the Speaker's Gallery directly above my head. Well, naturally this is the time everything started going dark for me, and I knew I was about to pass out. So with over 300 pairs of eyes, and several television cameras cast just metres above my head, I slumped to the floor and had to be taken from my post by a Security Guard to the lobby where I was instructed to drink water and stay put until I felt better.

So the judges are still out on whether I actually fainted or not, but regardless, I managed to create some excitiment on one of the most high profile days in Parliament. Apparently, it is quite common for Ushers and Pages to faint in the Chamber and happens several times each session, due to the heat and all the standing still. I am a bit nervous for the next day I work, as I'd rather not have a repeat of today (although I got to sit, paid no less, for that 10 minutes I was recovering, so that was almost worth it.

In other exciting news at work today, Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara announced his resignation Tuesday evening following an RCMP raid of his family's real estate development company and the revelation that the Liberal politician has been named in a warrant. This should be an interesting session...

Vote for Pedro

2005-10-05T12:43:00.000-04:00

I am sick. Pathetically, horribly, unhappily ill. Fever, sinus congestion, cough, the works. I am pretty miserable about this, particularly since I wanted to get lots of work done during the week, so I would be able to enjoy the upcoming long weekend (Thanksgiving) without having to worrry about schoolwork. There is still a flicker of hope that I can persevere between now and Friday afternoon and get the majority of it out of the way.

But I'll stop whining, as the reason I got sick was totally worthwhile... I met Pedro on Saturday night! It was a completely surreal event, he was spinning at The Drink at the Guvernment. You can watch the evite here. Anyway, we spotted him standing pretty much alone in the corner of the room before he went on, so we decided to go over to him and just introduce ourselves. He was incredibly modest and down-to-earth, and even a bit flirtatious. We took a couple photos on Ben's phone but the group shot didn't turn out, although I have a really wicked one of him spinning which I will hopefully figure out how to upload. But the late night ended up taking its toll on my body, and here I am, a congested little mess. At least the weather is still lovely!

Places I've Been

2005-10-03T17:01:00.000-04:00

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

In keeping with everyone else posting this recently, this is my contribution. It is evident that I need to get travelling again soon.

Fraternities suck.

2005-09-26T17:06:00.000-04:00

It's nice to see my next door neighbours being recognized in the paper. All summer long, I had to listen to the incessant noise and obnoxiousness of the frats clustered around our apartment, especially since there are no less than 3 frats within 50 meters of our place. It makes no difference that we are 14 stories up; we can hear all the noise as the hot weather has necessitated windows being left open. It is beyond me, and pretty much everyone else in the world beside North Americans, as to why students opt to join these associations. I guess creating an exclusive clique is the only way some people feel any sense of self-worth.

(And stop defiling my people's alphabet with your trashy associations, god damn it!)

To every season, turn, turn, turn...

2005-09-21T18:12:00.000-04:00

Holy crap I should start updating more frequently. The past three weeks have been a flurry of activity what with Frosh Week Leadering, classes beginning, my new job starting (which I shall return to shortly) and the whole housing issue, I haven't had the time to sit down and post. I hereby attempt to compensate with a summary of each of these events:

1) Frosh Week: Despite this being my 5th (and last year of university), I have never had the opportunity to be a Frosh Leader until this year. For those of you who have no idea what "Frosh" means, and quite frankly think it is a term for some sort of alcoholic cocktail or skin disorder, it is the "affectionate" term for newly-admitted university students. They could just as easily be called freshers, or froshies, or (can you imagine) new, students. Carrying on, each college at U of T is responsible for organizing some sort of orientation events for the week before school begins so that the kiddies may become more accustomed to the university, and immediately make the (false) association between university and fun which their many, many upcoming years at school will thus disprove. Just kidding. Or am I?

As a Frosh Leader, I was given a group of students to show around the university (and to a lesser extent, the city) and engage with in various 'fun' events, such as foxy boxing, theatre sports and my favourite part, the nighttime boat cruise in Lake Ontario. I had a blast, honestly, because Frosh Week is infinitely better when you are NOT a nervous first year who is desperate to make friends while desperately trying to not look desperate. ..

..I remember my Frosh week, and how nervous I was. As someone who had just flown across the country for school without knowing a single person in the city, let alone the school, I was coming to, I was very anxious about meeting people, which I pulled off as a sort of aloofness, otherwise known as "too-cool-for-school syndrome". Luckily, people saw through this facade and I made a load of friends early on, but not everyone is fortunate to live on campus during their first year. I hope I was able to make some sort of positive impact on my frosh. Lord knows my co-leader didn't have a clue what was happening most of the time. But that's a whole new issue.

2) Beginning o' classes: Indeed, they began yet again. This semester, among other classes, I am taking two 'technical' courses, both Geography-relevant: Introduction to GIS and a Statistics course. I hope to keep on the ball enough that when I do run into trouble with these classes, I have enough time to focus on figuring it out before deadlines. We'll see about this. I will keep you informed of my progress in Stats, bearing in mind that this is the mandatory course I dropped last fall because it sent shivers down my spine. I must successfully complete it this time however, so wish me luck!

3) New job: My position as a Legislative Student Usher at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario began. The job duties aren't exactly rocket science: make sure the rules of the House are enforced in whatever capacity necessary, maintaining acceptable visitor conduct in the galleries, and in general being a servant of the house. This sometimes entails being an abuse-receptacle for the MPPs who think they have transcended humanity and taken on divine form. Hands-down the best part of the job is the cool I.D. badge that only myself, the MPPs and a handful of other support staff have, which grants us access the the chamber floor of Parliament. I have included a photo of it at the beginning of this post. Note the word "Chamber" on my pass, further testament to my awesomness.

4) Housing issues: The most sensitive of the four issues, I would rather not get into the details of this one online. Sufficie it to say that my monthly rent will be much, much higher every month than I ever thought.

City Councilman Unearths Magical Zoning Amulet

2005-09-14T23:25:00.000-04:00

Once again, the Onion has hit paydirt with this article. Given that the profession of 'geographer' does not actually exist, the Onion has constructed a pretty convincing argument for becoming a zoning by-lawist, or 'urban planner' if you will. My favourite part of the article is the pictures. Amulets rule.

Old job. New job.

2005-08-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

So I officially quit my job a couple weeks ago. For those who don't know - and I must state that I did make some effort to keep the name of the company on the downlow - I worked at the Gap. Its redeeming features were its location on Queen St. West, not to mention the surprising coolness of my coworkers (which I attribute wholy to the neighbourhood), and I did put in a good year there. However, the time came to get out of a job that was destroying my soul and sense of self-worth...

...so naturally, I picked the soul-redeeming field of Provincial politics instead. As of September, I will be a peon at Queen's Park! I got the job several months back, and since then I have spent great amounts of time contemplating what, exactly, the duties of my position as a Legislative Assembly Usher entail. I know Queen's Park hosts a program where elementary school children (Grade 7, I think) are ushers for a 6-week period, but I am quite certain my job necessitates a little, although likely not much, more intellect and responsibility than that of a 12 year-old. If anyone can tell me what tasks they think my job will have me doing, I am very enthused to hear about it in the comments area.

Summer school is now officially over. I swear to god, I thought it would never end. This isn't to say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the subject of the class, as World Religions is one of the more captivating fields offered at UofT (it's no neuropsychology!), but taking a condensed course during the summer months when all you really want to do is eat good food, drink cocktails and just wander the city was a real struggle. I just need to keep the steam going for another 8 months and then I'm out. Eye on the prize.

Not to mention there have been some other unexpected developments this summer which I would rather not get into in blog-form. However, suffice it to say it's hard to study when you are in the midst of readjusting your life.

Now it's just hanging out without purpose until I fly home on Monday (where rest assured, I plan to do much more slacking and lounging!). Anyone in reading this from Vancouver, I want to get together while I'm there! E-mail me.

Lists are neat.

2005-08-05T17:03:00.000-04:00

So apparently I don't post enough. This is probably because I don't feel like I ever do anything particularly interesting to write about. But since you asked for it, here is an itemized list of what I have done lately:

- Slept a mere 45 minutes after a long night of dancing, because we had to get up and go dance some more. The second time on a boat.

- Wrote an essay that I should've spent at least a couple weeks on, in a matter of hours. For me, this is quite an accomplishment.

- Went to Welland/Niagara Falls/Niagara-on-the-Lake/Buffalo for the long weekend. Highlights include mocking the poor sod risking his life on a tight rope in Niagara Falls - no one was watching him at all - , and the constant gorgefest Ben and I partook in; the searing indigestion was completely worth it.

- Hosted a Newcastlian. One of Edd's mates, Geordie, has been visiting for a couple weeks from Gateshead so the boys have been touring around. Apparently the Ontario Science Centre sucks.

- Have *not* worked. Nearly every shift I've had for the past 3 weeks has been cut entirely. Although I enjoy not having to spend my time doing mindless tasks for hours on end, I am also devoid of monies. This is going to become increasingly problematic over the next few weeks.

- Booked my flight home to Vancouver. I arrive August 22 and depart September 2. I initially intended to stay longer but I have obligations, such as Frosh Leadering and feeding my cat, which beckon me back here sooner.

I'm sure that there is a lot more trivial stuff I have done as of late, but this, sadly, is la creme de la creme. However, there is hope, as this weekend is the Taste of the Danforth and I plan to get their asap and start ingesting as much tzatziki and pitas as possible in polite company.

Mo-lester's fun and games.

2005-07-26T18:35:00.000-04:00

So it was my 23rd birthday the other day, and we had a bit of a party. I had a great night, and would like to thank everyone who came for making it one of the most memorable birthdays of my young life. A special thank you to the Ontario Police for turning up and threatening an $800 dollar fine for noise violation. And a big thank you to the neighbours for submitting numerous complaints to the building management, and for the subsequent half dozen apology letters I've been asked to write.

Moving swiftly along, there are some photos of the debauchery here.

I have a cat.

2005-07-10T23:47:00.000-04:00

I have a cat. Her name is Nelly (or as I call her, Smelly Retardo) and she is cool. She was going to have kittens until the other day, when she decided that she wasn't pregnant but rather in heat. Awesome-o. Here are some pictures of my cat.

Hecticity encore.

2005-06-22T22:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, there's a lot of news in my life, but I'll post on that another time. For now, I present you a few photos from one of my best nights in Toronto to date (thanks to Kat for visiting and for the photos!!).

This was an all night event held at the Guvernment, where Sasha and Steve Lawler went head to head, both indoors and outside, till being shut down at 10 am on the roof-top bar. What a mad night.

2005-06-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

Me and Kat overexposed inside the Guvernment....

2005-06-22T22:29:00.000-04:00

Ben and Jimmy drumming to the music... Wherever there's a party, drums aren't far behind.

2005-06-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

*The* Sasha, and Steve Lawler (not necessarily in that order) at Sky Bar, approximately 9 am, Sunday morning before they were shut down by the police.

2005-06-22T22:20:00.000-04:00

The fetish performance which provided visual entertainment.

2005-06-22T22:13:00.000-04:00

Kat, Jimmy, and Krista at Sky Bar (on top of the Guv) come morning time...

Another update.

2005-06-08T21:19:00.000-04:00

See? I promised to update! Quiz went much smoother than expected, another case of my scholastic hypochondria getting the better of me beforehand. Now I have a million and one readings to get to, but I think I've earned the break... Plus I have no desk to study at, and sitting on the floor for hours reading is giving me a hump... No jokes about this, Hamish. I know where you would take it ... or do I?

I am thinking of going home for a couple weeks at the end of August for a visit... My sister and her boyfriend, Trevor, will hopefully be out at the same time, thereby equating to an extravaganza of family-ness. I also would like to see friends from high school, including one plump cat that I have recently been informed has gone on a diet.

Other than that, not much has happened since I updated this afternoon...

Post-relocation.

2005-06-08T11:04:00.000-04:00

So moving went well. Heather's mum helped me move; I couldn't have done it without her. So a big thank you to her. However, the place is still very much in boxes, particularly my bedroom, since I have yet to order furniture. That's a long story in itself which I will spare you. I hope that everything will be unpacked and relatively organized by next week because ...

Kat arrives! How very exciting to have a Kiwi in my home! She has been in the New England area helping her brother and sister-in-law with their whippet(s) for the past couple months, and will be coming up to Toronto for a week's visit! Good times. I have to pretend I have a social life and don't sit at home every night in my room while she's here, since NZers seem to be much more social than me.... Poor thing is coming into 35 degree heat too.

I have a quiz tonight for my Religions class so I should get to studying. Will update more soon.

Moving time...

2005-05-26T13:46:00.000-04:00

Moving day is just a few days away, and I am busily trying to sort through all my belongings in an attempt to get rid of/pack stuff. I can't understand how people move entire houses full of their belongings; I'm struggling just packing up a few boxes of clothes. Anyway, I move next Tuesday. While I must admit I'm somewhat sad to leave this 'lively' house, which despite my complaints,has been a lot of fun at times, I'm more than ready to move onto an apartment. Particularly because for the first month, I have the place all to myself! Excellent.

**Cheesy couple moment warning**

Edd has finally booked his flight over for his internship year here in Canada. He arrives Canada Day (July 1), which is symbolic for us. We kind of 'officially' became a couple at 12:01, January 1 2004, in Auckland, NZ and it seems like the 1st of the month has been a reoccuring theme for us ever since. I arrived on July 1 in Germany to visit Edd after 6 months to the day since he left New Zealand. We spent our 1 year anniversary together in Vancouver, New Year's Eve/Day. Now Edd is coming on the 1st of July, which is perfectly fitting. I can't believe we've been waiting a year and a half for us to finally be a 'real-time' couple. It's about freaking time.

** End cheesy couple moment**

I went to Wonderland last weekend with Amy and put my Season's Pass to good use. Unsurprisingly, the line ups were massive as it was the long weekend, but we still managed to enjoy ourselves regardless. We didn't get a chance to go on the Italian Job, which is the newest ride, but that's why I have a pass! To spend all my unemployed free time at an amusement park. Luckily, due to my lax schedule, I can go on a weekday next time and spare myself all that pointless waiting.

Food-poisoning is lame.

2005-05-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

Last night I made a wrong dietary choice. I ate old, unrefrigerated salsa. Gross, but I was desperate for a good taco. It happens. As a result, I spent much of the night and some of today 'sick' and not particularly happy. Thankfully, this didn't actually happen until I'd returned to my own house and Jesse's house was spared from me retching on their floor. "That's hot".

Moving swiftly along, Heather is now in Australia. Now, despite my resentment toward Oz as a New Zealand loyalist and how much I already miss her, I am very happy that she was able to go for the summer. Yes, I'm being sincere. I do expect her to be returned to me in one piece at the end of the summer though. You got that Oz? Don't make me come down there and rough you up, you drunken bastard.

Other than that, most of my days have been spent at work or doing absolutely nothing once I get home. Ahhhh, I love summer break....

On C-, and occasionally, B-list celebutantes.

2005-05-03T01:05:00.000-04:00

Given Toronto's 'booming' film industry, and Queen Street West's reputation for ultra-trendy and consequently expensive shopping, occasionally 'celebrities' find their way to my work place. Accordingly, I've decided to dedicate this post to the various C- and even B-list celebrities who have graced my store with their presence. I must give credit where credit is due: if it wasn't for my co-workers, I'd never know any of the following people who I unknowingly served were actually 'celebrities'.

- Meg Tilly, sister of slightly less obscure actor Jennifer Tilly. While she is known to thirtysomethings as a member of the cast of Big Chill (1983), more importantly to me, she has a child with the Colin Firth, pointed out by Lara, one of my managers.

- the dude from Xmen 2, who I helped out just the other day. I still don't really know or care who he is, but my co-worker Michael sure thought it exciting!

- Some grumpy editorial guy from CityTv. Really not very exciting, but Ashlee would argue quite the contrary

- This very creepy and disturbingly fresh-faced VJ from MuchMusic (ok, I admit I knew who he was!)

Ok. So this is pretty much it. Not particularly exciting people, huh? However, I have made another list of celebrities who according to my co-workers, have allegedly stepped foot into our store:

- Jann Arden, Canadian singer/songwriter (and purveyor of lame music)

- Paris Hilton, circa 2003*

- Alice Cooper. Arguably the only person on this entire list I would actually have been excited to meet! But question: why does Alice Cooper shop at the Gap?

- Tom Cochrane's Daughter, another Canadian singer and songwriter. Since he is a C-list celebrity, by virtue of her dad's standing, his daughter is a D-list celebutante.

Ok, that's all I can remember off the top of my head. It's late and I'm tired. I'll post about my life soon enough. But in the meantime, here's Edd's photos from his recent trip to Toronto.

Summer Schooling

2005-04-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

The past two weeks have been a flurry of activity, if you will. I've been working close to a full-time schedule (despite my current scholastic obligations), trying to finish my last assignments of term, and trying not to be too incredibly boring for Edd, who is here visiting for a couple weeks - theoretically to look for jobs for his upcoming year in Canada. It's noteworthy that everybody who knows about Edd's plan to spend a year here in Toronto thinks that this is the trip where he moves over. It's not. Sadly.

I registered for summer school last week, so I'm officially obliged to spend my summer indoors, while poring over some article or another, or studying for an exam. I'm currently enrolled in 2.0 credits (4 courses over the May-August period), but I will likely drop one course once the time gets closer for classes to start, since I would like some free time after all... And I will still be working for money (not peanuts) over the summer, but hopefully at a much-reduced schedule and ideally anywhere else than where I currently work.

Time to go to work (again).

Penthouse.

2005-04-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

It's official! We got accepted into 485 Huron Street!! This means, as of June 1st, we will be the proud leaseholders of a 'penthouse' suite! This is exciting news. Hopefully it's not an April Fools' joke. While this resolves one really big issue, it brings up several small 'details', including the fact that I have to tell my current landlord that I need to break my lease. I think I'll propose it more like I need to find someone to sublet my room... Wish me luck.

Oh, and this is the view of the building from the outside. Yes, that sweet top floor you see is ours. Well, at least a portion of it.

My Very Own Cyclops!

2005-04-01T12:38:00.000-05:00

Another too cute Edd photo. Yes, I'm sorry to be that kind of girlfriend, but who can blame me?

The preceeding photos were brought you by...

2005-03-31T01:44:00.000-05:00

The letter B, and the number 600, as in the amount this trip went over my budget, in dollars. Anyway, here are a few photos from my recent trip to England and Belgium. I'm afraid they're not particularly well-organized in terms of chronology, but I couldn't be bothered to fix that tonight. Maybe when I'm avoiding another assignment in a couple day's time I'll do it.

2005-03-31T01:39:00.000-05:00

Old Thatch Tavern. Straford-upon-Avon, Midlands.

2005-03-31T01:36:00.000-05:00

Shakespeare's Birthhome. Stratford-upon-Avon, Midlands.

2005-03-31T01:34:00.000-05:00

Movable barricades on the sidewalk due to Bush's 'diplomatic' visit in Brussels, Belgium.

2005-03-31T01:27:00.000-05:00

Edd enjoying a late afternoon waffle. Brussels, Belgium.

2005-03-31T01:13:00.000-05:00

La Grande Place, Brussels, Belgium.

2005-03-31T01:10:00.001-05:00

Why does Edd always look so disconcerted in photos with me? Brussels, Belgium.

2005-03-31T01:10:00.000-05:00

The Faeries outside of the European Commission, where Edd's dad works. Brussels, Belgium.

2005-03-31T01:03:00.000-05:00

Timo and Jen in a private moment. Exploited by me. Brighton.

2005-03-31T01:01:00.000-05:00

The old Victorian pier in Brighton.

Easter Break and Apartments.

2005-03-24T10:23:00.000-05:00

Before I hear anymore comments about how incredibly lucky (and occassionally spoiled) we are (which I acknowledge and agree with), Edward is coming to Canada for a visit in April! His university gives their students five weeks off for Easter Break, unlike our pitiful two days. No matter, Edd has elected to spend a portion of his break here in cold and mundane Toronto, much to my elation. His visit will coincide with the three weeks I have off before exams, so we'll be free more or less to galavant however we wish, unless by some divine intervention I actually decide to study for exams. There is a grad ball on the last night of classes, and though I am not graduating this year, I think it would be fun to go with all my friends who actually are, while enjoying the fabled open bar.

Yesterday, Heather and I had a showing of an apartment which we were looking to occupy for next year. We actually found an amazing apartment, top floor (14th floor), huge balcony for entertaining, view of the CN tower and Lake Ontario, immaculate inside with wooden floors, cats welcome, excellent neighbhourhood, and even cheaper than less awesome buidlings in this area. So now we're scrambling to get all the letters we each need (approximately 5 letters each multiplied by 3 occupants) by Tuesday, bearing in mind both Edd and my letters have to come from a variety of provinces, countries, and even continents. Still, if we get this place, we will be thankful forever... forever.. for.ev.er.

Trends Suck.

2005-03-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

This post has been a long time in coming. Its subject? Two of the biggest trends right now, both which drive me crazy: one concerns fashion, the other music....

1. Ugg Boots (and Ugg Boot Knockoffs): Ok, I think I missed when this trend first took hold here in North America as I was in a 'Land Way Down Under'.... But since I've been back from NZ for the past 6 months, I have seen Ugg boots everywhere here on the streets of Toronto. I had to do a mental check with myself to make sure I wasn't still in NZ when I saw girl after girl walking down Queen Street or milling around campus wearing them. For you see, Uggs are 'indigenous' to Australia and NZ, where they make up a small part of the cultural history of said places. This being said, they are only supposed to be worn at home or while shearing sheep, as they were originally designed for.They certainly were not designed for you to wear with your trendy Lululemon pants and puffy pastel pink winter coat. They are not a 'high fashion' garment. What's even more irritating is that I see pair after pair of Ugg boots with salt stains all over them, making them look even more ridiculous than ever. As they are made of suede, in countries where salt isn't used on sidewalks in the wintertime: they are not suitable for trudging through the snow on Bloor St. Ladies, they look ridiculous on you... And don't even get me started on the emerging mukluk trend... I am personally offended on behalf of Aboriginal communities North America-wide for this one....

2. The Killers: I know many of my friends will disagree with me here, but I am standing firm on this; the lead singer can not sing for the life of him. He just shouts out lyrics, nonsensical but rhyming lyrics... Their songs are so poorly written that regardless of how hot the lead singer may be, or how well they dress as a collective, I can not make myself like them. Come on people, I know we can do better than this:

Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential

Case and point.

Chronicles on the 510 Spadina Streetcar.

2005-03-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

Living just off Spadina Street, the only streetcar I ever take is the 510 Spadina. Being the colourful and busy neighbourhood that this is, taking the street car is always an experience, both good and bad. Being that I tend to take it at ungodly hours of the night, these experiences tend to be more sketchy than comforting. That being said, I'd like to relate an experience I had the other day to you.

I got on the streetcar and sat down towards the front, and there was a disabled man with crutches trying to climb the steep stairs onto to it. For those of you who do not know, the stairs on streetcars have quite an intense incline, and are not designed to be accessible for those with mobility issues. It took him a good few minutes to get onto the streetcar and just when he sat down, he said to himself in a slightly defeated tone, "I've had a hard day". I burst into tears;I felt so overcome with emotion watching his struggle. I was pretty much convulsing with tears half of the ride home and then I finally calmed myself down. And then when I was getting off the streetcar, I told him to have a good day because he deserved it, and he held his hand out to touch mine. We held hands for a good second and there was such a meaningful unspoken exchange between us that I got off the streetcar and began sobbing uncontrollably again, this time for different reasons than the first. I though that it was such a beautiful experience that this man felt safe enough with me to reach out his hand, because I am certain he faces adversity in his daily life. Sometimes life can be so intensley beautiful and painful all at the same time.

Home, again.

2005-02-24T08:11:00.000-05:00

I am now back home after my brief visit with Edd in the UK. The remainder of our visit from where I last posted, was spent largely hanging out in Leamington Spa, eating 7 pound Pizza Hut pizza (that is so outrageous), visiting Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, being sick and slightly miserable, playing Neverball compulsively, and generally enjoying the company of Edd and his delightful roomates.

We also went to Bruxelles, Belgium for the weekend (well, Saturday to Tuesday morning) to visit Edd's family. Unbeknowst to us ahead of time, President Bush was commencing his European tour in Bruxelles while we were there. This translated to the city being placed under excessive security: helicopters circling the sky constantly, closed Metro stops, and most shockingly, moveable baracades covered in razor wire on sidewalks of major streets, 'just in case' crowds rioted and needed to be restrained. God forbid someone trip and fall near/on to the barricades and hurt themselves.

We also ate the standard waffles, moules et frites, and copious amounts of Belgian chocolates comme d'habitude. On our last night, Edd and I bought a 21 Euro cake from Pierre Marcolini, who was voted the world's best chocolatier in 2002. It was amazing, but I can't believe we spent the equivalent of 35 Canadian dollars on a cake!

Home now, to routine. I always get mildly depressed returning to my dark room, to my detached life here in Toronto...

En Angleterre.

2005-02-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the sunny Midlands. This is actually true, the sun is shining and it's relatively warm here. And by warm, I mean +5! Tropical, even.

Past few days here have been great. After arriving in London Friday morning, we met up with my mate Hayden for an afternoon of mussels and wandering through shops in Covent Garden. Then it was off to the English seaside for a weekend in Brighton! My sister's childhood friend Jen and her boyfriend Timo live in Brighton, and were very kind to invite us to stay with them. The city was quite stunning over all, particularly Hove, which is the area where they live. The street on which they live was amazing: lined with 19th century whitestone mansions, which were all built continously onto one another, and at the end of it (about 2 minutes downhill) the ocean!

We were fortunate to have mild enough weather for strolling along the waterfront on Saturday. I particularly enjoyed the collapsed Victorian West pier, which is quite surreal juxtaposed against the modern pier with all its kitschy attractions. We also went to a great vegetarian cafe for dinner. And right before we left Sunday morning, Jen and Timo cooked up a proper full English breakfast, which came close to making my stomach explode, though in a rather enjoyable manner.

N.B.: Congratulations are in order to Jen, for receiving funding to host a Sociology conference with her colleagues next fall!

Continuing from Brighton, we travelled up to London where we met up with one of Edd's family friends, Pam. We had a lovely meal with her, although all either Edd or I could manage after that massive breakfast was a salad each. We hopped on another train and arrived in the Midlands around supper time Sunday night. So here I am. I met all of Edd's roomates and went 'round to the local pub for surprisingly tasty food (not to mention 2 for 1!).

(If you're still reading this, then good on you!)

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and what a day indeed. The first portion of the day was spent in Edd's computer science lectures, which I struggled not to fall asleep in out of respect for the lecturers. I got a tour of Warwick uni campus and saw the over-hyped cone. We also went shopping along the Parade here in Leamington Spamington, which included my first ever trip to Tescoes. Grocery prices seems to be about par or slightly cheaper in some ways to Canadian prices which was a pleasant surprise.

We had a late dinner at a very charming restaurant in Stratford-upon-Avon which is normally about a 15-minute drive from here, or 45-minutes via Mike's car. We had a wonderful 5-course meal at Lambs, which is located in a Tudor home alleged to have been owned by Shakespeare at some point during his life. All in all, a much more romantic day than last year's which I can't even remember, less the roses I received.

So now you've all been caught up, day for day. Today's plans are yet to be figured out, but it seems a little veggie lasagna may be in order for tonight, perhaps followed by a little hilarious hijinxs? Only time will tell.

Lame Survey.

2005-02-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, I stole the idea for this from Sarah's site, but I'm super busy with school and need the distraction, without having to put any mental effort into the process.

Last Cigarette: last week? I was inebriated.
Last Kiss: Well, I kiss my girlfriends on the cheek when I see them usually. But my last *real* kiss was with Edd at the airport in Vancouver over a month ago.
Last Cry: A few days ago.
Last Library Book Checked Out: Waste Management by Hans Temamagi.
Last Movie Seen In a Theater: The Take
Last Book Read: Fugitive Pieces. In progress.
Last Cuss Word Uttered: Probably fuck. Probably in reference to school work.
Last Beverage Drank: Five Alive Citrus blend.
Last Food Consumed: Asiago and Artichoke dip with bread.
Last Phone Call: Laura on the phone last night.
Last TV Show Watched: SNL with Paris Hilton (what a let down!).
Last Time Showered: about 7:00 pm last night
Last Shoes Worn: Polo Sport Leather Boots.
Last CD Played: The Stills.
Last Soda Drank: soda? Gingerale two days ago. The wussy soda.
Last Thing Written: Stuff at work.
Last Words Spoken: "Have a good trip. I mean on your way home tonight, not the rest of your time here in Canada. Of course I'll see you again soon." - To the recently arrived Sophie very late last night on the streetcar.
Last Sleep: from 3:00 am - 12:00 pm. I only slept 5 hours the night before in my defense.
Last IM: Yesterday.
Last Ice Cream Eaten: Cookies and Cream.
Last Time Wanting to Die: I can tell you about *not* wanting to die.
Last Show Attended: Jamie Cullum? I've been so busy to go to shows lately.
Last Big Car Ride: Erm, from Thornhill to downtown in a taxi? Car rides are rare for me in this city.
Last Crush: I *guess* that Edward character.
Last Annoyance: All this poorly timed school work.
Last Time Scolded: I can't remember.
Last Shirt Worn: A green long-sleeve with a connect the dots naked woman on it. "Oh yeah!"
Last Web Site Visited: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

NUMBER OF...
:x: piercings = 3
:x: tattoos = 0
:x: height = 5'3.5"
:x: shoe size = 5-5.5
:x: hair color = dark brown
:x: siblings = 2 sisters, 1 brother

LAST...
:x: movie you rented = Viktor Vogel (crazy German film).
:x: movie you bought = I also don't really buy movies... Last movie downloaded and watched was Garden State.
:x: song you listened to = "Of Montreal" by The Stills.
:x: song that was stuck in your head = That robot song on the cd at work.
:x: cd you bought = Nelly Furtado - Folklore.
:x: person you were thinking of = Laura and Hamish.
:x: friend you made = "I have no friends." Probably getting closer with Steff?

DO...
:x: you have a crush on someone = Eduardo.
:x: you wish you could live somewhere else = In a spacious high-rise apartment with a great view overlooking downtown and maximum 2 other people. I'm tired of having so many roomates.
:x: you think about suicide = No.
:x: you believe in online dating = Not for myself. I shouldn't judge others (but I admit I do).
:x: others find you attractive = "My mom says I'm cool."
:x: you want more piercings = Not really. I took my tongue piercing out after 6.5 years and I'm pretty content not to have any more piercings.
:x: you drink = When time permits it.
:x: you do drugs = No.
:x: you smoke = Occasionally. Usually when drunk. To Edward's disgust.
:x: you like cleaning = I enjoy the end product of a clean room.
:x: you like roller coasters = Yes.
:x: you write in cursive or print = Print. Always print.

FOR OR AGAINST...
:x: long distance relationships = God. I'm against them, despite being in one. It's so hard.
:x: using someone = Ha ha. What kind of question is this?
:x: suicide = Ok, this is the third time a question relating to death or suicide has come up. I think the person who set this test needs to seek help.
:x: killing people = This question is ridiculous as well.
:x: age smoking = See above.
:x: doing drugs = People are free to do as they wish. But I have no interest.
:x: driving drunk = Against. Driving drunk is arguably the most selfish thing a driver can do.
:x: gay/lesbian relationships = Power to the people. Do what they want!
:x: soap operas = No. Not now, not ever.

FAVOURITE...
:x: song = Many songs rank highly.
:x: thing to do = Sleep.
:x: thing to talk about = Hmm... depends on who I'm talking to, really.
:x: sports = Snowboarding.
:x: drinks = Bubble tea, water, cranberry juice. Pretty much any alcohol.
:x: clothes = My blue Soviet-style winter coat.
:x: movies = LoTR, About A Boy, lots of documentaries. I don't really like Hollywood films.
:x: singer = Jamie Cullum.
:x: holiday = Summer break.

HAVE YOU...
:x: ever cried over a girl = Probably.
:x: ever cried over a boy = Yes.
:x: ever lied to someone = Minor lies to avoid incrimination. Rarely though.
:x: ever been in a fist fight = No.
:x: ever been arrested = No.

WHAT...
:x: shampoo do you use = Aveda Rosemary and Mint.
:x: shoes do you wear = Polo Sport Boots, Lacoste shoes, Nike sky blue high-tops.
:x: are you scared of = Death. Failing at life.

NUMBER...
:x: of times I have been in love = 3
:x: of times I have had my heart broken = 2.
:x: of hearts I have broken = Hmmm. A few, I'd say.
:x: of girls I have kissed = 4?
:x: of boys I have kissed = Plenty.
:x: of drugs taken illegally = Next question.
:x: of people I would classify as true friends = 9 or 10.
:x: of people I consider my enemies = Niente.
:x: of times my name has appeared in the newspaper = Once that I know of. The Toronto Star.
:x: of scars on my body = One.
:x: of things in my past that I regret = Meh, regret is pointless.

FAVORITE...
:x: disney movie = Little Mermaid.
:x: word = Probono.
:x: nickname = Tron.
:x: eye color = I completely agree with Sarah about dark hair and blue eyes. Something amazing about that combination. But I like everyone's eyes.
:x: flower = Stench blossoms. Any flowers besides carnations.
:x: piercing = Labret on cute people.
:x: actor = Ones that are good.
:x: actress = As above.

Well, that was a productive use of time. Later!

"Oh yeah!"

2005-02-01T19:59:00.000-05:00

One of my favouritest parts of Family Guy ever is the one with Kool-Aid Man. Submitted for your approval: link. You can watch it over and over until it's no longer funny (approximately 7 times, according to Saturday Night Live).

Nerd Score

2005-01-29T23:16:00.000-05:00

Worked all day today, and work again tomorrow morning. There's something very discomforting about having less than 12 hours between end of one shift and start of another, but maybe that's because I'm a lazy student.

In other news,:

Edd's Birthday and other schtuff.

2005-01-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday, Edward! Though technically his birthday was yesterday, I'm posting retroactively. Edward is now legal to drink in America, thereby not making me feel like *as* big a paedophile. I got him a set of Monty Python dvds and a Rough Guide: Toronto. I admit, I have somewhat selfish intentions in the dvd selection.

In other Edd-related news, I am going to England next month to visit! Yes, rather than spend Reading Week freezing to death here in Toronto, I prefer to spend it in the soggy Midlands. I am, after all, a Vancouver girl at heart, and accordingly believe rain to be infinitely better than sub-zero temperatures. I will be arriving in Londres early on the morning of February 11th, and will spend the majority of my time sequestered in the Warwickshire region, so that I may see where Edd goes to uni while not blowing the bank further than the past ... 20 months (basically since I left for NZ) already have. I apologize in advance if you live in the UK and I am unable to visit over my holiday; it's nothing personal but rather that I can't afford frivolous transport expenses. Not that my friendship with anyone is frivolous... I come home on February 22, after a weekend in Belgium visiting Edd's family (and hopefully eating copious amounts of moules et frites again!)... Sweet, sweet moules.

Blowing snow.

2005-01-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the supportive comments both on here, and those which were verbally/textually communicated to me in regards to my last post. I guess I was exaggerating slightly, but I remain firm that this is certainly not my ideal living situation. At least it's economically priced!

Today is perhaps the most intensely "Canadian-winter" type day I've experienced since I've returned to Canada. It's about - 30 with wind chill, and snow hasn't stopped falling since last night. There's also a blowing snow warning, which means for all you unfamiliar with extreme Canadian weather, snow essentially blows directly in your face and therefore blinds you. It's pretty straightforward. Though I have no intentions to go outside unnecessarily today, I am enjoying looking out the window and seeing all the pretty snow.

As of late, I have been working approximately 20 hours a week. Although I know Sarah kicks ass and works that much quite regularly, I am a big wuss and can't handle school full-time and working so much. I'm not sure what's going to give - either I'll have to drop a course, or I'm going to have to drop down to a shift here and there each week. The problem is, people keep offering me their shifts, and I can't refuse, what with my impending trip to Britannia next month. We'll see how the semester progresses.

Other than that, Laura and Hamish are supposed to be arriving in Toronto today!! Guys, if you read this before we talk, contact me so I know you've arrived!

Roomates.

2005-01-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone who has ever lived with flatmates understands that there are times in one's life that they have had moments of serious hatred toward their roomates. Well, unfortunately for me, I've been having plenty of those moments lately. Allow me to explain... I live with 6 people in total, myself included. It's me, my best friend, a (former) friend from residence days, and three siblings (one of whom I also know from residence days). When we first moved in here, Heather and I were thrilled! The location is superb, the rent is low, we both have relatively large rooms and the roomate situation seemed to be ok. Oh, how my romance with this house has worn off. At present, my feelings towards this house are indignant at best. I do not mind the physical structure of the house, which is always a good thing. However, I do have issue with pretty much everyone else in the house, less Heather (God, I hope they never find this)...

Former friend, who shall remain nameless, is probably my least favoured person in this house. Once someone I considered a friend, his erratic and selfish behaviour over the past few years has demonstrated that perhaps he lacks the character I once believed he had. Not only does he continue to say negative things to me despite no provokation (this happened again today at lunch as I was speaking to another roomate about his class; he butt in just to put me down twice and then left), he does so even though he knows how it makes me feel. While I am a lively person, I can count the number of times I've freaked out at anyone not related to me on one hand. However, last fall I had had enough of said roomate's offhand putdowns that I actually screamed at him at the top of my lungs in front of all my other roomates, and stormed off. Realizing that he'd acted hurtfully, he apologized later that day and I accepted it, although I told him he can't talk to me like that. However, it seems we are back at square one, and this time, I refuse to let it bother me. Much.

As for the other roomates, my issues are not as personal. The house we live in was actually purchased by the parents of the siblings who live here as an investment opportunity, though their parents live some 5 hours east of Toronto. Anyway, at first I had no issue with living with siblings. But then it became apparent that both my "roomates-siblings" and their parents acted as though this was their house exclusively, and ignoring us other 3 (while I may resent the aforementioned negative roomate and his putdowns, he is still key in balancing out the sibling/non-sibling status of the house). Now, this isn't a race issue folks, but when you wake up to 5 elderly ladies shrieking in Cantonese in your kitchen when you know that very few elderly ladies actually live in the house, you get agitated pretty damn fast. It's not enough that the "siblings-roomates" parents show up for multi-day visits without a heads up to any of us non-related roomates, but their relatives come over and congregate in our kitchen. To make this situation more akward, the relatives stare at me with mixed fascination/confusion at my presence in the house when I try to sneak down the stairs to my bathroom. Imagine how would you feel to wake up one morning and find strangers sitting in your kitchen, staring at you as though you didn't belong there? Probably as similarly annoyed as me.

Well, guess whose parents have just arrived? Surprise, Krista!

Semester 2

2005-01-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

I am back in Toronto as well as back from my impromptu month-long hiatus from blogging. Holiday break was wonderful; I finally got to see Sarah and Victor after almost three years, and Lenny, Jen and Timo, and my family! It was so relaxing. And to be honest, going home after being away so long really made me miss BC (yes, even though I was in Surrey). I forgot just how stunning and relaxing the West Coast can be, particularly when I go there on my school holidays and I have no obligations whatsoever. I'm pretty undecided about what I'm going to do when I finish university, but I do know that if I stay in Canada, it will definitely be in Vancouver. I can't handle these Central Canadian winters and the lifestlye out there is more conducive to life enjoyment.

To continue, I feel really unsettled right now. I always find coming back after being away a strange experience. I'm sure other people who call multiple cities home know what I'm talking about, or those who have returned home after a trip away. It's like I almost don't remember what I used to do to pass the time here before I left. A feeling which is no doubt further exacerbated by the fact Edd is back on the other side of the ocean and not in the same room as was the case for 3 weeks. I am surprised by this homesickness I am experiencing... hanging out with Sarah and Len and Victor and my family was so great, and made me feel like I had a past, a history, rather than how I often feel in Toronto, which is somewhat like I'm an anonymous individual with minimal ties to this place. My friends here do a great job of making me feel loved, but the truth is that no amount of support from them can change the fact that I'm so far away from my family and lifelong friends, especially when all of them live at most an hour or so from home. I realize it was my choice to come out here, and I don't regret it. I just think I need to get back into the swing of school and work, and take my mind off this stuff.

Exams.

2004-12-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

Hello. Since I last posted, I handed in my last assignment, classes ended, Mark came and went, we hosted our Wine and Cheese extravaganza, and Edd arrived.

I have a final exam in a few hours, but I can't be bothered to study. I've done pretty well on the assignments in the class, and I looked at old copies of the final exam which are so easy... Basic common sense, really. So therefore, motivation is nil. But since Edd shipped himself off to London, Ontario to simultaneously visit relatives and allow me time to study, I should probably use that to my advantage.

BC People: I'll be back on Saturday afternoon, and raring to see you and do fun things.

T.O. People: I'll be back January 5th

Happy end of term, everyone!

World Aids Day.

2004-12-02T01:14:00.000-05:00

First off, a reminder that today is World Aids Day. Though we're only reminded to do so once a year, it's important to remember those who are forced to deal with the reality of HIV/Aids every single day of their lives. So do it, punk.

My wonderful friend Mark, or 'Muck' as he is affectionately referred to, flew into Toronto last night from the Old Country of England. We haven't seen him in over 2 years, so it's been fantastic for him to be incapsulated in our borders once again! He is working busily on his Ph.D. at Nottingham University, so he deserves this break. Hopefully we're able to show him a decent time, what with all the studying I have to do in betweem socializing.

On an academic note, I got some marks back for my Global Warming and Waste Management classes today. I am happy to annouce that some of my hard work this term has paid off, which is comforting, seeing as I spend most of my non-lecture time holed up in this room, studying. I can't believe exams are just a couple weeks away!

And I am still trying to decide whether I should try to change my major in Environment and Resource Management to a Specialist, or if that will only further complicate a complicated 5-year degree. If changing to a Specialist means extra time is need here, then I say forget it, but if not, it would mean I would have an Honours Bachelor with a Specialist and a Double Minor, which is pretty ambitious. We'll see what's on offer for summer school first. I keep 'flip-flopping' on my summer plans. Everytime I think I've made a decision, I change my mind. I have three options:

a) go back to BC for the summer and work full-time
b) stay here and take summer school while working part-time
c) go to Europe and mooch all over again (ok, I can dream)

I guess it's asinine to try to figure this out now, what with it being only December. I just felt like putting it out there though, thereby relieving my stress temporarily. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Ok, ok. Time to hit the books.

Goodbye, Lenin.

2004-11-21T01:49:00.000-05:00

My lack of posting lately is directly correlated to my academic obligations. I had round two of my Global Warming mid-term yesterday, and I was determined to do far better on this one than the last, though I acknowledge half the class failed the first midterm (possibly including myself) as a result of the professor's ludicrously high expectations. And I think I achieved reasonable succes, since I knew the answers to all the essay-style questions and only 2 or 3 out of the 30-odd short answers. It's good to know that 2 weeks of solid studying for this midterm may have actually paid off.

My focus on this course, however, has left me miserably behind in my readings for my other classes. I also have to write an essay for my Major British Writer's class by Friday, though I think I'd rather stick forks into my eyes. I am sorry, but I can not *stand* English as an academic subject anymore. I enjoyed it to a reasonable degree in high school but by the time I hit 3rd year university, I couldn't care less about writing pointless essays that I personally don't feel enhance the English literature experience for either myself or for my professors. Though some people would certainly argue otherwise, and I am a big supporter of art appreciation in its many forms, I do not see how studying Milton will solve the political crisis in the Middle East nor provide access to food or medical attention for those starving masses displaced by civil war in Sudan. I just find that for myself, studying English literature is incredibly irrelevant to anything I care about in my life, i.e. social justice issues. Pah.

Sara and I watched Goodbye Lenin tonight. It was an interesting film which focused on a DDR family trying to adjust to a Re-unified Germany, and though most films portray life in Eastern Germany as horrid and ideologically backwards, this film portrayed it in a much more empathetic manner than I was expecting. Of course the film doesn't deny that there were loads of negative things that came with living in a (let's face it) totalitarian state but it showed how those who people had never known any other kind of life loved it for what it was - familiar, and thereby comforting. Good film.

And I can officially say, Edd arrives from the hinterland in 3 weeks!! Just in time to watch me have a nervous breakdown as final exams begin!

Global Warming and Bubble Tea.

2004-11-13T13:47:00.000-05:00

The end of another school week is upon us. However, rather than spend Friday night in an inebriated state, I spent it reading articles about the effects of increased CO2 emissions on the world's forests, followed by some more articles on the effects of increased GHGs (greenhouse gases) on agriculture. And unsurprisingly, these articles conveyed plenty of bad news. I think one of the most depressing things I read last night was that:

"There is a mismatch between beneficial projected climatic effects and low population growth and conversely, negative climatic effects and high population growth. A major concern is rice production in low latitudes, especially Southeast Asia, where yields are likely to reduce by 5% for each degree of C rise." - Taubes, G

As if people in the developing world don't have it bad enough, even global warming is biased against them. Not to mention that most of the GHG emissions originate from the western world in the first place. Why, oh why did I pick such a depressing field of study? (Probably because I can't help caring about it.)

Yesterday's highlight was going for bubble tea with Billie-Ann and Heather. I am trying so very hard to ween myself off bubble tea, or at the very least, get my addiction under control. Everyone who knows me well, knows that I am slightly obsessed with bubble tea. In my defense, my b.t. supply in New Zealand was very limited, so I nobely went a year without the stuff. Now, I'm trying not to fall into a daily habit with the stuff, which is not easy, seeing that there are no less than 5 shops within 100 metres of my front door. (Christ, I sound like I'm talking about a crystal meth addiction.)

The rest of weekend will also be relatively mundane as well, as I have a paper due and a hardcore mid-term to write at the end of next week, and I *cannot* get anything less than good grades on them...

2004-11-09T01:48:00.000-05:00

My new ridiculous hat. And no, of course it's not real fur. What kind of vegetarian would I be if it were?

2004-11-09T01:47:00.000-05:00

Before going out for Hallowe'en celebratin'!

First Snowflakes of the Season

2004-11-09T01:33:00.000-05:00

At 3:30 pm this afternoon, while we were watching Kids, we witnessed the first snowflakes of the season falling. Heather got very excited, and I got slightly depressed. Though I know this means great things for snowboarding, I really despise snow in the city as someone who walks everywhere. Who wants to have sopping wet pant legs throughout their 4-hour streak of lectures in chilly theatres? Not me. However, despite my resentment toward those little white f**kers, I took a photo standing our 'yard' embracing the snowflakes. Nothing like cursing out snow.

I' m also trying to figure out how to host photos in my blog. So let's see if this works. (And if it does, it's me in my new ridiculous hat!).

Desperate Times.

2004-11-07T20:35:00.000-05:00

I was doing my daily surfing around of various news sites, and I came across this:

Ground Zero Suicide Inspired by Election. You can read the story here.

Heather and I were discussing it, and we agreed that though he did make his point quite explicit, after the news hype has passed, he is ultimately dead, and for what? How will his death improve the political situation? He was a young guy, and Bush's reign is only another 4 years, so it seems pretty drastic to end his life over the election results. I better call my American friends and make sure they're not having such a hard time with the election outcome.

Presidential Election.

2004-11-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

In light of the recent events with the US election, I wanted to post an email I received from my wonderful American friend, Dan. Sadly, Dan lives in Austin, Texas - a liberal city surrounded by an ultra-conversvative and fundamentalist state. Feel sorry for Dan....

Dear everyone I know,

This is mostly for my friends who live outside the United States. I'm
sorry. I'm sorry that my country just said in a clear voice that we
hate homosexuals, that we don't care about global peace, that we want
women to get abortions in back allies with wire hangers, and that global
economic stability is not of real concern. The US is now under
"Christan" control. Soon Justice Jesus will be appointed to the Supreme
Court. I guess that is of less importance to non-Americans than the
further "preemptive" wars we will soon be waging. Just so you know, it
may become harder to communicate with me once Patriot Act 3 forces the
censorship of all communication in to and out of the country. I want
you to know that I have valued our friendship.

Good by for now,
- Dan

I wish Bush luck uniting such a divided country.