Letter to Myself and Bevel Up: Drugs, Users and Outreach Nursing

Another rush line...another double billing.

Letter to Myself was short and it seems that I don't really like short documentaries. I mean, it was okay, but similarly to Kids&Money I thought that this documentary just skimmed the surface. Both movies had a lot of potential, both failed in my mind. The title and the description of the documentary lend itself to be a great production. It ended up being a short glimpse into the lives of two drug addicts and their attempt at coming clean. Simple insight into the life of an addict and signs that everything is going wrong were explored, but that's about it. The deeper meaning behind the whys and next steps were missed. In the end, this movie ended much earlier than it should have and became a teaser for the documentary to follow.

Bevel Up: Drugs, Users and Outreach Nursing (official site)...now this was GOOD. This documentary was created to be part of a interactive DVD that could be used as a educational tool. Apparently there are no classes about this topic in nursing programs in the country.
The documentary follows the street nurses of Vancouver and some of the people that they watch over.
At first I was a little confused. Why were these nurses providing users with needles and mouthpieces? Weren't they encouraging drug use this way? They were also giving out condoms and conducting blood tests, but providing users with the tools they needed to get high confused me. I suppose it's still a common cause of discussion, but I get it now. I'm still not really sure how I feel about it, but I get it. They were providing a safe and sterile environment to continue their lifestyle. They were educating how to continue their lifestyle in the most healthy manner possible. If the user themself wasn't ready for a lifestyle change, there was nothing that these nurses could do to get them to that position. In the event that they did want to clean up, they would have someone whom they trusted to help them down that pathway. And bottom line, they were providing health-care. Health-care and a safe lifestyle, whatever that may be. In the post-screening Q&A with superstar street nurse Caroline Brunt, she stressed that she had nothing to do with the illegal drugs. One may find it confusing that she encouraged a user to get their next fix, but in the short window of time that the nurses have to deal with users and decide what's best for them, sometimes getting them to be where they're most comfortable gets better results. She did ask the user to exit her van however before shooting up.
The street nurses work together with the police. Apparently they work very well together, although I'm not really sure how the dynamic works. These nurses see illegal things happening, but I guess they turn a blind eye to it? That, I'm not really sure how it works out.
It was interesting to see the different people that the street nurses work with. The mixture of characters. I don't know how it works. What do they do? How does time pass for them? They seem so matter of fact about their lifestyle and are completely aware of the risks and dangers. They seem very open and wiling to take advice from the street nurses (everyone is on a first name basis, phone numbers and contact information is given out...you can imagine the trust level that's been built over time). I'm not really confused about it all, but intrigued.
Lots to think about of course.
As I mentioned before, Caroline Brunt was on hand to answer questions and talk about the DVD. Director, Nettie Wild was also there to chat. They showed us some of the features of the DVD and I agree that instead of creating a 5 hour documentary which could cover all of the important issues, the current documentary which provided a great overview and provided enough insight to get you going for a night of thinking was a sufficient length. The extras on the DVD were an excellent was of providing more background and interviews with experts in the field. They were both very passionate about their work and the audience was eager and engaged in the discussion. It's too bad that we had to get out of the theatre as there was another documentary about to play. I wanted the discussion to go on all night.
I hope to read more about these nurses in Vancouver and their successes. I'm not sure where I stand on some of the issues that arise in their line of work, but I still support them whole-heartedly.
And I feel like I can't do this documentary justice. Especially since I'm exhausted and I can't keep track of my thoughts anymore.

That wasn't so bad

I don't know what made me do it, but I ended up walking home from school/work/life. It took 45minutes. Not bad at all. I could have used an i-pod or something, but the random street noise wasn't bad. It was a good chance to completely clear my head. I have this weird ability to let my mind go completely blank. It's like I black out for awhile because sometimes when I clue back in, I have no recollection of what just happened moments earlier. Is that odd? There's not too much scenery on the walk home - probably because I stare at the same thing on streetcar. I almost stopped to get some food, but didn't see anything that stuck out. So now I'm eating a bagel. Boring. I did notice a Dairy Queen across the street from me - this could be problematic.

Green Porno

I forgot to mention that as a little added bonus, the folks at Hot Docs screened Isabella Rossellini's, Green Porno before All Together Now.
These short little vignettes about bugs were hilarious and educational at the same time. I heard someone comment that maybe the shorts were produced for educational purposes, but I'm not sure if some of the content is appropriate for children. For example, the earthworm short talked about the 69 position. Hmmm. Other than specific terminology, they would be a great way to learn more about insects.
I really liked them. Alight way to gain a better understanding of insects. If someone wants to educate adults about a topic in a way that they'll never forget - this would be a great way to do it.

Nursery University

Nursery University is a documentary about the "battle" in Manhattan to get toddlers into the best nursery schools.
I was a little concerned about how it would play out in the first couple of minutes because of the selection of music and the style of the production, but it toned down and I LOVED it!
The documentary follows a couple kids who's parents are going through the grind of how to get them into the best (or any for that matter) pre-schools. It's perfect documentary characters - different backgrounds...racially, socially, financially, blah blah blah. And the best part is that there are different endings too.
The toddlers were really sweet and the parents...colourful. The directors dealt with a sensational topic in a very thought provoking manner. The main issues and timeline of the application process were outlined but the stars of the show were the characters. The parents and what they brought to the table.
I just can't believe how competitive it is for these parents. I don't think it's the same situation here in Toronto. Maybe there's a little bit of competition to get into the best private schools, but I don't think it's to the extent of what's going on in Manhattan and the rest of the States. I suppose we're lucky that even though certain areas have better schools than others, the tiers aren't as distinct as it is in the States. Good schooling is absolutely important for a child's development, but the part about how the right nursery school can get your kid into Harvard is a little far fetched in my mind. I still don't know where I stand on the whole private vs. public school thing in here in Toronto.
The directors, Marc Simon and Matt Makar were on hand to answer questions which as you all know, I love. Apparently last night, head of the Mandell School, Gabriella Rowe was also on hand for the first screening. Cool.
Another movie - two thumbs up!

All Together Now

So the story goes...George Harrison and Guy Laliberte both rolled in the Formula 1 circle. Schmoozing ensued and LOVE was born.
All Together Now is the documentary (worldwide premiere - yippee Hot Docs!) about the creation of this Cirque du Soleil show.
WATCH THIS FILM.
I don't know much about the Beatles. Seriously, I starting thinking that the documentary was a nice tribute to George Harrison with all the insightful interviews they had with him and then flipping to moments where it was just Olivia Harrison...well, the interviewee was actually Ringo Starr - who is hilarious by the way. Yikes. But I do know a fair number of their songs. And I can appreciate good music.
I love Cirque du Soleil. I'm always on the edge of my seat watching them. I love the drama, the music, the costumes, the talent. There were lots of great shots of rehearsals and the production itself.
The audience had the pleasure of watching the creative process happen. The "tampering" of the Beatles' music and the potential backlash (which turned out to be less of a deal than one would think). The constant tiptoeing with the Apple Corps Ltd. (which also turned out to be less of a deal than one would think).
Only a small part of the documentary followed the path of a performer, and I feel that while it was a nice idea, either they needed to flush it out more or just leave it out completely. There were enough other plotlines to keep the audience entertained.
There was a strong sense of family and relationships in this documentary. Wives, husbands, fathers, sons (Dhani Harrison is a splitting image of his dad) - it was a touching idea.
Each member of the group was well represented. Two by wives (Olivia and Yoko) and two by themselves. It seemed as though the wives really wanted the legacy of the their husbands to ring loud and clear. They had a vested interest in the show and often made their strong opinions known. I don't know if it was the case, but the documentary made it seem like these two voices rang louder and more critically than those of Ringo and Paul. It was very nice to hear the supportive nature of the living members and the happiness etched on their faces throughout the premier of the show. Both Ringo and Paul had very memorable words describing the show and their experiences. You'll have to see it for yourself.
Dominic Champagne had the difficult task to create the show and make everyone happy. He did a wonderful job.
The best part of film festivals is the chance to hear people associated with the film speak. We were all delighted to have the filmmaker, Adrian Wills and Giles Martin (great accent - yum), son of Sir George Martin chat and answer questions.
I hope that the documentary will show up on the TV, but if not, it'll be available on DVD June 24th.

Kids & Money and Emoticons

First movie of Hot Docs...rush seats! All three of the showings of this double bill about our youth were rush, and so I pressed my luck (does anyone else remember that TV show and also has this blur of how the show actually worked?) and got lucky!

Kids & Money takes a look at teens and pre-teens living in Los Angeles and their take on fashion, fortune and fitting in. Maybe it's because of my experiences and the line of work that I'm in, but nothing in the movie surprised me. The documentary felt a little short and just scratched the surface of many issues that teens face these days. I wanted to hear so much more about what the kids had to say. What their parents had to say. Watch more of their lives and analyze their every waking hour. While some kids were completely off base with reality, many others were very insightful for their age. Being a kids these days is difficult. And depending on where you live and where you're from, it can be even harder. Mind you, being an adult can provide for many of the same problems - I'm not sure if we're better equipped to deal with the issues and/or if we're more immune to the effects of society. Based on the description of the movie and some of the reviews that I've read, along with the fact that all of the shows were sold out, I was expecting a lot more out of this film. It provided for a lot of laughs (although I'm not sure what was so funny. I get that some of the comments were funny because they seem so off-base, but that doesn't mean that it's not true or isn't prevalent) but It really was just superficial (no pun intended). I really wanted further investigation into the issues and I didn't get that. It was quite limited. I would recommend watching this if it you happened to flip by it on your TV and you want a smidge of insight into the lives of some of our youth, but other than that, it's no big deal. Unfortunately.

Emoticons followed six young ladies and their involvement with the online world. For communication, for comfort, for advice for friendship, the internet is a powerful tool. This Dutch movie (I do like the sound of the Dutch language. It rolls off the tongue.) was not a light hearted romp like the first feature. Many of the girls turned to the internet in difficult times but after awhile, I felt like the movie was starting to drag. Again, it was a great movie and I got the point of the documentary quite quickly, but it was like something was missing. The a-ha moment. The breakthrough. something. It's fascinating how powerful of a tool the internet is, but, I don't know...this movie was also kind of ______. Maybe it's because I"m starting to get tired, and lazy to type, but although each film wasn't bad - it wasn't stellar.

I was hoping that someone from each of the productions would be on hand to give a little speech and provide a little bit more insight into the film, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. Maybe if I had heard them speak more about what they were trying to get out of the film, their experiences working on the production or even to hear some of the questions being asked I would have a better sense of satisfaction, but no such luck.
Anyway, I'm still happy that I went to the film. It did get me thinking about some of the issues that students go through. Even though nothing new came to the surface (at least to me) it was still a chance to think a little bit about the issues and many just having this extra chance to think about them will help me in the future in a couple different facets of my life.
I'm intrigued to read more reviews of the films now that I've seen them for myself.

Oh, I spoke with a member of the press today and was told that Air India 182 is fantastic, but (even better) it will be playing on CBC television towards the end of June.

Hot Docs

The fun has begun!
The documentary version of the TIFF is upon us and I'm looking forward to being a part of Hot Docs.
I've bought a couple tickets already and need to go rush for a couple more. No prob - I'm a seasoned pro with the rush situation. And to end a weirdo day on a high, I got into my first rush movie - review coming up!

And slightly related, I have recently made a conscious decision to get out there more often. Take advantage of what's going on in the city. I think back to everything that I did on my travels, even if I was by myself and it was in a foreign language. Why, all of a sudden, now that I'm back in Toronto do I need to give all of that great stuff up? It seems silly. I had such a great time out there, why would I stop it. And this city has so much to take advantage of too. Anyway, I digress. Bottom line, I'm going to live it up!

It was bound to happen

I've been soaring ever since October-ish. It was a learning experience coming back from Europe and there were a couple really low points, but I thought I was adjusting quite well and a lot of wonderful things happened after I got home that I really embraced being back and enjoying everything that I had going on. Great opportunities arose and I got to do things that I couldn't do while I was away. I got to see and spend time with people that I'd missed so much and I got to move forward with some of the things that I'd put on hold. When I first came home there were a couple things that didn't work out as planned, but everything always happens for a reason, and it quickly became clear what my path for the year would be and it was better than I could have ever imagined. Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction, smooth sailing so to speak and then BAM! There's a wrench in my plans, and I'm not sure what to do. It's thrown me for a loop. I'm going through the stages of mourning/grief. Today I woke up and was a mixture of anger and depression. It was the weirdest thing. I felt stupid. With the great weather and everything else going me way, why was I letting this one little thing get to me? Luckily, my day ended wonderfully, but I've still got this lingering feeling that something's not right. I mean, things aren't going according to my plans. Frig, isn't everything supposed to go according to my plans? Jeez people, work with me here!

Wonderful weather

Goodbye winter, hello...summer?!?
I guess I'd put away my super-winter coat a month or so ago, but was still wearing a wool/cashmere coat up until two days ago. Yesterday I'd switched to my fall/spring (not really sure how to classify it) coat, but still complete with a cashmere scarf (my neck seems to be more sensitive to cold than I remember it) and today, no coat needed at all (but still wore an uber-warm authentic pashmina).
The weather was fantastic. For most of the day I was bare-legged under my skirt (my pale legs were glowing) but super-prepared me, I had leggings for when it started to get colder at night.
I could have used a coat as well, but I was just happy to be out and about. Walking made me warm enough.
I see that Saskatoon (I think that's what I read) is getting 40cm of snow this weekend? That sucks.
I'm hoping that this weather is here to say, although I do have a fair number of coats that I'd like to get some use out of before +30 degree weather or fall.
I really have nothing to complain about. It's wonderful weather and the sun is fantastic. The past couple of days, I've been sitting in my bowl chair in the sun and lazing around cat-napping or standing and staring on my balcony. I even broke open the tub of ice cream I have in my freezer for special occasions.
I even rotated my shelves to put away my winter clothes and bring out my spring/summer attire.

O-M-G

Phew, just got off the streetcar and my head is pounding. From Spadina station to Front Street, the passengers on the streetcar were subject to screaming (worse for me because I was surrounded by them) university students. I was going to guess that they were teenagers based on how they were acting, but they could have been in their early 20s. Nope, I would guess that maybe they just finished first or second year of university. They were talking about Waterloo and Schulich.
I wanted to die.
They were literally screaming. Ironic how they were complaining about how they always seem to lose their voice after a night of clubbing. They really didn't need to talk that loudly. The rest of the passengers were quite subdued and the car was only noisy because of them.
There were about 10 of them altogether. Friends from high school and university. I guess I missed out of that part of my life. I went out while I was in university at Queen's, but never really did the Toronto scene.
My head felt like it was going to explode.
They were dressed to the nines of course. That's what you do. It's a (special) night on the town, so you want to look your best. One particular outfit of mention was the young lady who was wearing a top as a dress. It did not cover her, errr...curves. I think I saw her *ahem*. Yikes. Each member of the group was holding a water/soda bottle filled with a mixture of various substances. One boasted that she had "sparkling cider" - oh, how fabulous, dah-ling.
Oh, but of course I don't judge any of them.
After they got off, you could feel a collective exhale of the passengers remaining on the streetcar. We all looked at each other and laughed out loud. It was kind of nice.

Wow

I just realized that Ivanka Trump is my age. Actually, she's a couple months younger than me. Wow. I know she had a whole different upbringing and a whole bunch of things working in her favour (probably some things against her too) but I'm so impressed with her. Seems to have a level head. Highly successful. Does her rounds as a young philanthropist. Not one of those loony heiresses.

Ottawa, Canada (August 10th-12th, 2007)

So it's not going to be detailed, but here's a couple snapshots from my trip way back when.
I'd only been to Ottawa once before (how embarrassing) an hardly remember it. This was a nice way to return to Canada, continue my travels and be a proud Canadian.



Yeah, Parliament building. We were lucky to have great weather on the trip, makes for lot of walking outdoors and soaking up the harmful UV rays.






The changing of the guard was just about as fun as watching any other changing of the guard. A band playing music, RCMP marching all over the place. Random yelling and posing for some significant reason that most people in the crowd don't understand (myself included) and of course a huge crowd. The nightly sound and light show is also what you'd expect, but still fun nonetheless.




The house of commons. I remember two classmates being pages at Queen's Park in Grade 7. The tour guides at the Parliament were also students.I think it would be a great experience to represent your country. I've already talked about the opportunities abroad at the Juno Beach Centre and I know that there are similar opportunities at other Canadian war memorials in Europe. Unfortunately I have no interest in politics but even with that, I still think it would be a great experience working on Parliament Hill.




This is the library in the building. So grand. Even though I don't love reading (so embarrassing), I find old libraries addictive. They are beautiful. Flashback to the library in Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.




We visited a lot of the museums in the city. I was blown away at the size and depth of the galleries. It really put the dinky little ones in Toronto to shame. The Canadian War Museum had a special exhibit on Afghanistan which was fantastic (it's there until the end of April!). The regular collection was well displayed and suitable for all ages. Lots of touchables and visual items. It was a little shocking to see the tanks up close. Any form of a gun scares me. You'd think after seeing the Swiss military boys around all the time, I would get used to seeing guns, but I still cringe when I see one. I don't care if it's not loaded or if I know that there's no way that it could ever be fired (like the in the museum) they still give me the chills.










The Musuem of Civilizationwas wonderful as well. My favorite was the First People's gallery. Their collection of crest and totem poles along with all of the other objects on display...I love the colours. I love the strength.

The National Gallery of Canada provided a good mixture of pieces. I loved the contemporary art (as usual) and seeing work by the Group of Seven. I wanted to see works by Emily Carr, but apparently they were touring around somewhere. Darn. I also wanted to see the wedding dress made out of honeycombs by Governor General's Award in Visual Arts recipient Aganetha Dyck, but that had gone off display a little while earlier. Double darn.

I think Ottawa is a beautiful city. With the caliber of the museums and the various monuments and other fancy looking buildings, I guess you can tell that it's not just your average city. Apparently it's pretty dreary in the winter, but I can tell you it's pretty nice in August. I only really explored the downtown/tourist area, so I don't have a good sense of what the city is really like. I liked what I saw though. One day, we rented bikes and biked along the Rideau Canal. Obviously I was dreaming about how much I would love the skate on it in the winter time. I know I'll go back, so there's not really any rush, but I have to go back. I think it'll be a blast. Skating to work. Skating for fun. Skate, skate, skate! Good times for sure. Oh yeah, the farmer's market was another highlight of the trip. And I noticed that there were a lot of bilingual people int he city. I heard French being spoken quite a bit while walking around.

We stayed a the Chateau Laurier. Don't think this is my standard for hotel staying - this was just a one off, special circumstance. Anyway, it was beautiful. I guess you're paying for that kind of service and atmosphere. One day there were a whole bunch of police guarding the front door. Occasionally stopping people who were entering and asking them questions. I didn't get stopped - I must have looked like I belonged in such swanky surroundings - HA! I forget who was there, but it was something to do with George Bush - that's all I remember.

Uh, yeah. That's all I have to say about Ottawa.

A look

Sometimes I amaze myself at the random looks I can throw together.
It's not the style that I tend to gravitate to, but I ended up creating a look by wearing a creme chunky/cropped boho cotton knit cardigan (Massimo Dutti) on top of a a black viscose turtle neck (Zara) with a black nylon knee length bubble skirt (Joe Fresh), black wool opaque tights (H&M) and black calfskin knee high heeled boots (Michael Kors). I had to swap the boots with eggplant sparkle black leather ballet flats (Repetto) every so often to give my feet a rest as I was just breaking in the boots.
I didn't really put much effort into the hair (messy bun) and of course I'm hopeless in the make-up department. I could have done a simple silver bracelet, but I decided to go accessory free.
Apparently I was channeling Miuccia Prada that day. I was unsure about the bubble skirt, but it's growing on me.
I'll have to keep experimenting.

Earth Hour

Did you take part in the Earth Hour? I did. Well, it was pretty easy, because I wasn't home, so I had no lights to turn off/on.
I was at the free concert at Nathan Phillips square where Nelly Furtado, Fefe Dobson and The Philosopher Kings played. I'm not the most up to date with pop music, so the fact that I recognized a lot of the songs made me think that they were playing old songs that were very popular, but I guess appealed to the demographic of the audience. There was a pretty good turnout for the concert which is always nice to see. I like events like this.
The countdown to 8pm was pretty cute. I guess most of us were expecting everything to go completely dark. That there would be a marked difference in lighting. NOPE. I guess you kind of forget about the lights that will stay on regardless of the situation. Street lights. Car headlights. Hotels didn't seem to partake as much. Shops as well probably didn't participate as much because they closed earlier and many stores leave their lights on overnight to create a look and let potential clients see the best of the store even on the off hours. And of course the stores closed hours earlier and the managers probably wouldn't stay around for an hour just to turn the lights off.
While standing in Nathan Phillips Square, the crowd naturally turned to the building with the most lights on prior to 8pm to see if the lights would all go off at the right time. The BMO building to our south was the one. A big boo rose from the crowd when the lights didn't go off after the crowd's countdown. I glanced at the big tower clock of the old parliament building and apparently we were four minutes early. I forget when it happened, but all of a sudden most of the lights in the BMO building did get switched off to the cheers of the crowd. There were still a lot of lights on in buildings...boooooooooo and you know what? That one hour passed really quickly. I guess lights off for one hour is better than nothing, but seriously, why don't big office buildings turn their lights off at night and/or on weekends? I guess there are a couple workaholics that need light, but there's got to be a way to conserve energy.
Oh, and I saw stars. I'm sure that you can see starts in Toronto on a regular basis, but I just remember seeing a whole bunch and being happy that I did.
Anyway, it was a great way to raise awareness and bring some communities together. Hopefully kids will urge their parents to turn off the lights more often - even on non-organized days. It's funny what triggers kids to get obsessed with little ideas. I'm hoping adults keep it in mind as well and try to conserve energy where possible, but I guess it's just the nature of my profession - being optimistic and looking for the best in our youth!

Copy cats!

I did a double take walking on Bloor St. yesterday. Sitting in the window of Cole Haan (I need to try their Nike Air shoes - if there exists comfy soled heels, I want to wear them) was my bag. Okay, it wasn't my bag, but the Aerin Shoulder Tote looks a lot like my Longchamp Rodeo bag. A LOT.

What do you think?












I like mine better!

- pictures courtesy of www.colehaan.com and www.longchamp.com

Max Brenner

Sunday morning turned out to be a lazy morning. We slept in and ended up having a brunch late in the morning.
Just nearby where we were staying, was Max Brenner. I was assured this would be a great place to eat, because, well - I do love chocolate!
It was hard to decide what to get - there were just too many options. Most of the things that I wanted to eat were more suitable for dessert. There were a couple waffle plates on the menu which were so tempting, but they came with ice cream and I didn't want to deal with the hassle of that, because it was the whole package that sounded really good.
I ended up getting more of a breakfast kind of waffle. Your generic waffle with fruit on top. There was a cute little side of caramel bananas (yummy!) and there was an option of maple syrup or...chocolate sauce. Bring on the chocolate! You may be able to see from the picture that the chocolate sauce came in an Erlenmeyer flask! How fun!
I was told that I needed to take a look at the kid's menu. It gave a wonderful fairy-tale that kids and adults alike would enjoy and then the menu itself was just as good as the adults, with a couple fun twists. My favorite was the syringe of chocolate. Yup - that's the whole thing. I want to see
a kid squirt this into their mouth. It sounds like a fun thing, but a syringe? What kind of weird message is that sending? In this picture, you can also see the "hug mug". My hot chocolate (which was a bit bland) came in this sweet looking mug which was specifically designed to perfectly wrap your hands around. It's a nice idea, but I've never really had problems wrapping my hands around regular mugs and I was concerned about drinking out of the "spout". It really wasn't too big of a deal.
It was too early in the day, and the waffles were tasty and filling but I knew I wanted to return to get the chocolate fondue. OMG, it sounded so good. I think you can go through their website and see their menus. Hopefully it'll make you drool. Yummy.
My friend got this drink. It's described as the espresso of chocolate. It sounded really good in theory and I'm sure it tasted good, but it was a whole production and took a lot of effort to get going and to the perfect consistency. It reminded me of the traditional Argentinian drink that my Swiss family gave me to drink. Creating the concoction by putting in milk and chocolate shavings (you have a choice of dark, milk or white) into the small dish above the tealight (you decide the ratio of milk to chocolate) and then using the mixing device/spoon to drink. The built in straw. Kind of neat.
The restaurant has great presentation. The actually restaurant had a great decor. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory feel. Seeing as how that story inspired Max Brenner it made complete sense. There were giant chocolate bars lining the restaurant. Vats of chocolate by the door. Chocolate was on tap too. Dark, milk and white. I would love to be a "bartender" there. I have no idea if the taps actually worked, but they looked really really cool.
Bascially, the moral of the story is that I had a great time, I wish I still had a bottomless pit stomach (darn the slowing metabolism!) because there's just so many things that I want to try. The wait staff were so friendly and fun and the restaurant itself has a light-hearted vibe. Prices seemed decent as well.
If you love sweets, you should probably check this place out!

A Chorus Line

Might as well see a classic...so I went to see the revival of A Chorus Line.
I wanted to sing along to all the songs, but restrained myself.
The theatre was not completely sold out (as opposed to the other two shows which were PACKED!) but I still had high hopes.
Unfortunately, the show didn't completely meet my expectations.
The singing was great and the character portrayals were dead on, however I found that the ensemble was lacking in the dance department. I couldn't figure out if they were all actually well-trained dancers that were just pretending to have horrible dancing skills or if they weren't true triple-threats. Little things like flat footed turns, sickled feet or unpointed toes - there was no refinement. In the first "audition" number
I thought they were just playing their part in being wannabe stars, but I just got a weird vibe from it and don't think that was the case. Potentially the fact that there were a handful of understudies performing had something to do with the lackluster performance. Or maybe it was just a stylistic difference. A dancing style true to the original staging of the show. I was mainly disappointed with Kimberly Dawn Neumann's portrayal of Cassie. My favorite was Jessica Lee Goldyn's performance as Val. Natalie Cortez and Katherine Tokarz did commendable jobs as Diana and Kristine respectively. Understudy, Emily Fletcher stayed true to the statuesque character of Sheila. That sounds like a lot of praise - and I guess the production as a whole wasn't too bad. Lots of great moments, I was mainly disappointed in the dancing.
I would still recommend the show - another fun, feel good show. Great songs and lots to laugh at - just don't expect high calibre dancing. Boo hoo.

- picture courtesy of www.achorusline.com

Spring Awakening

Another day, another musical!
I picked this one only because it won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Musical. I wanted to see what the big fuss was about and get a feel for what the Tony's reward.
Spring Awakening is a musical based on the play by Frank Wedekind. A play so controversial at the time that it was banned from being performed. Set in a provincial German town in the 1890s, the musical shows the lives of a group of adolescents who, as the time dictates, live a sheltered life. As one individual takes it upon himself to learn more about life and the world around them issues that youth face no matter the time and place. I don't want to tell you too much more about the struggles that they have or else I'd be giving it all away.
Even though it wasn't your typical feel-good musical, I really enjoyed it. It dealt with serious issues, but the musical numbers were fantastic. The cast was incredible. Whoever did the casting did a great job. It was so fun to see the characters really come alive - the musical numbers really helped in that regard. The staging, the lighting, the set - everything was so appropriate to the type of show that it was. You wouldn't think that tube fluorescent lights would be effective, but it really was amazing. I was sitting at the front of the balcony - really really good seats, but due to the intimate nature of the show, I would recommend that you get orchestra seats to this show - unless they're at the very back or something, than maybe balcony would be better. There are also seats onstage as well, which put you right in the middle of the action. Speaking of action (bad segway), if you're uncomfortable with nudity and PDA, then maybe this isn't the best show for you. Again, really serious issues, so don't expect to go home feeling good about life. Maybe you will, because the show was so well done, but it makes you think.
I think I read somewhere that they're putting on a production in Toronto, although I forget where I read that so I could be completely making this fact up. I don't know if it'll be as good as the Broadway version, so if you can, get out to NY to see the show. The Tony Awards did a good job.

- picture courtesy of www.springawakening.com

Curtains

I love musicals. LOVE them. So, of course while I was in New York, I wanted to take in all that Broadway had to offer. I ended up seeing three different shows, the first being Curtains.
I hardly knew anything about this show other than it was staring David Hyde Pierce and that it had gotten rave reviews. Rave reviews and fun times...I'm there!
Curtains is about a new musical which unfortunately has a horrible leading lady. Luckily the leading lady is mysteriously murdered and the cast reels from shock and relief. David Hyde Pierce plays a detective investigating the murder with a not-so-secret obsession with all thing musical. As the investigation continues the cast of the new musical rework their numbers to create an even bigger and better production for their next showing. More murders and hilarity ensues...
The theatre was packed and I have to admit that I sort of wished there were little tubs of ice cream at intermission like in London, but I had a great time. I laughed a lot that night, and you know what, I needed it. I've had so much going on and all good things and stuff that I love, but I have been running myself ragged.
Anyway, back to the musical - if you want a funny, feel good show Curtains may be the one for you. Only thing you'll have to go before the end of June because Curtains is closing!

- picture courtesy of www.curtainsthemusical.com

I guess we're at that time in our lives

So another one of my friends got engaged.
Sigh.
No, I'm not one of those people obsessed with settling down and freaking out because "time is ticking", so I'm fine.
It's just funny that everyone's getting engaged.
Engagement stories are the best though. I don't think I've heard one that doesn't make me laugh out loud. There's always some sort of twist that threatens to ruin big plans.
Congratulations to everyone who's got a fiance!

Pictures are a go!

Thanks to two Mac-loving men, I have figured out how to transfer the pictures on my digital camera to my Macbook!
Turns out my super-huge memory card was holding onto pictures all the way back to September 10th, 2007 - that's a lot of exciting stuff!

It still tastes good

I had this grand idea that I was going to make a ginger-carrot soup. I'm not a cookbook person, so I just kind of put a bunch of ingredients into a pot hoping for the best. The only problem is that I don't have a blender. I thought that this mixing device I was given for Christmas would be strong enough, but I didn't think about the fact that it just mixes and doesn't blend. Oops. So basically, I've got mushed up ingredients in a pot. But it does taste very very good. Not quite smooth enough to be a gourmet soup, but still quite tasty. I like the sweetness of the carrots and the ginger, well, because I love ginger.

Putting my trust in Canada Post

I just sent away the best passport in the world. I hope it comes back to me.

Dreams

My dreams seem pretty vivid. Many lucid ones too.
If I wake up immediately afterwards, I remember a lot about them and there's always some kind of emotion attached to it.
But then, later in the day or even later in the morning when I wake up for real, I don't remember any details about my dreams, which is too bad, because most of the time I like my dreams. They're interesting.
I know there's a whole lot of literature out there about why people don't remember their dreams, but I'm sure that my brain is so selective, it just knows that what happened in my dreams aren't important in the grand scheme of things and my brain is saving room for all the other more important things in my life. I tend to be really good at forgetting things that aren't relevant - even if it just happened a minute ago. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not.
Anyway, I just remembered a dream I had. I think it was last night, but I can't be sure.
I was in Paris and got my hair cut. It was a bob with really really short angular bangs. I freaked out.
I also know that what you dream about is often related to events during the previous day or thoughts that may be running through your head just before falling asleep. This one links pretty well. Someone asked me if I had gotten a haircut that day. I have been thinking about getting my hair cut for awhile. I noticed recently that my hair has grown out to a length that I usually like. For the past three years I got my hair cut in Paris. I am making plans to return to Paris soon. It's all related.

Ugh

I have a bazillion (slight exaggeration) pictures sitting on my digital camera. I finally hooked it up to my Macbook, only to find that the program that came with my camera is not compatible with Macs and that my computer doesn't register that a camera is connected to it. That sucks.
I still have an ancient Dell laptop at my disposal - I actually use it to print things because my printer is very old school and I'd have to buy a new cable to hook it up to the Macbook (the cable is not USB - it's the nice old with a bunch of holes and screws in each side to secure it). The printer still works, so why bother changing it? Yes, I could have gotten a free printer with purchase of my Macbook and I actually did take it, but then I returned it because I was too lazy to deal with the mail-in rebate and too lazy to look into where I could donate the extra printer. Actually, I vaguely looked online to some places that I wanted to donate it to, but their websites weren't very helpful and I didn't take the initiative to call them.
Anyway, that still leaves me with a bunch of photos on my camera. Ugh. How annoying.

Sex and the City moments

I'm slowly going to write about my trip to NY city. Well, Manhattan really. With a smidge of Brooklyn too.
Anyway, this one's going to be short.
I'm not a Sex and the City fanatic, but I do enjoy watching an episode here and there. It's fun, it's mindless and of course there's the fashion involved. I guess back in the day when I watched the show, my fashion eye wasn't as fine tuned and it didn't really make much of an impact on me.
So, while in New York, I happened to experience a couple Sex and the City moments, not counting all of the shopping experiences - I feel like that's a whole post in itself.
One night, we dined at Sea Restaurant in Brooklyn. After nights of jumping from restaurant to restaurant to avoid waiting in lines (Manhattanites seem to eat out all the time and I think waiting in line is something that they just assume to happen. It doesn't seem to faze them even if it's really cold outside and the line is snaked around the block and they are completely inappropriately dressed for the elements), we should have just made reservations, but our unscheduled days of crazy activities made it easier for us to just show up whenever we got hungry or had time to eat. We thought by arriving at 7pm, we'd be on the early part of the dinner rush, so we wouldn't have to wait around as long - and we still didn't get seated for 2 hours.
The wait went by rather quickly. The waiting area was packed and people were waiting outside as well. After a little walk around the neighbourhood, we headed back to the restaurant and were lucky enough to find seats (tired feet from a full day of walking!). The DJ kept everyone's toes tapping - I felt like I was in my stereotype of a trendy New York nightclub/eatery. Given the number of people waiting for tables, I guess that makes sense. Fashionable wait staff came around to take drink orders and it was kind of nice to have a long block of time just to chat. When our number was finally displayed on the convenient LCD screen, we were taken to a table on the edge of the pond in the middle of the restaurant. A large Buddha stared down as us. Very chic. The lighting was as it should be and there was quite a lot of seating in the restaurant. I think five "Happy Birthday" songs were sung while we were there and on our way out, there were still crowds waiting inside and out. The food itself was decent. It specializes in Thai cuisine, but it found my pad thai to be quite generic. Not too much flavour, but not necessarily bland. Very similar to any one of the generic Asian fusion or whatever you call it places in Toronto. For such a trendy place, I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were. They were cheap. Soups and appetizers for $4 to $6. Mains from $9 to 14. I was very impressed. If this restaurant existed in Toronto they would have jacked up the prices just because of the name and the trendy factor. Oh the Sex and the City link - it was featured as the trendy vegan restaurant "Raw" in the final season.
401 Bleecker Street was the location of the next Sex and the City moment. Magnolia Bakery also had a long line snaking out of the door which consisted of tourists and locals alike. The line moved very quickly and the bakery itself is a well oiled machine. Pretty pastel butter cream iced vanilla and chocolate cupcakes are put out just before the previous batch has
run out. Those waiting in line peer through the window to see which cupcakes have been snatched up praying that their favorite colour will still be left when they get to the front of the line. The cupcakes are so good. I think I got a cavity with my first bite. Yummy. I like when things taste as good as they look.

Start spreading the news...

I'm going to New York tomorrow! Can't wait!

Improv everywhere

I love everything about this group.

A great time at the ballet

Went to the ballet again. Did I mention the DanceBreak program last time? If not, it's fantastic. Unless there's a big group of people going (or you're too old to participate) it's great deal because there are usually some good seats available. Today's show of 24 Preludes, Soldiers' Mass and Rooster was no exception. It actually had really good availability. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's not a famous, classical, full-length ballet, so the crowd who usually orders tickets in advance aren't as keen.
They lost out. The programme was AMAZING.
Every year, the National Ballet does a set of shorter pieces in the winter season and this was this year's version.
24 Preludes is a piece created by a Canadian choreographer and set to Chopin's 24 Prelude. Chopin is one of my composers. I love those preludes. As I sat there, listening to the solo piano playing, I was taken back to undergrad and the best course that I ever took. It was a music course dedicated to Chopin's piano works. Dr. John Burges would sit at the grand piano in from of his 8 students (I was the only non-music major) and each week he'd pick a different set to play. One week, nocturnes. Another, waltzes. Then, etudes (LOVED THIS ONE!!). Concerti, preludes, polonaises, mazurkas...everything. He would play everything from memory/by ear. Sometimes he'd start in the wrong key, but those without perfect pitch would have no idea because he'd just play the whole piece transposed. We only knew, because he told us he'd forgotten which key the piece was in. It was IN-credible. I have an urge to find his e-mail address and the contact info for my piano teacher in undergrad and tell them how much of a difference they made in my life. People like to hear those things right? Back to the ballet. So this piece, or set of smaller pieces I should say were the most incredible interpretations of the music that I can imagine. Creating characters, ideas...the concept, the feeling of the preludes. I just couldn't believe it. I can't even say how much I loved this ballet.
Soldiers' Mass was somber. A chorus serenaded us as the group of male dancers interpreted the piece. It was well done as well, but I wasn't as touched by it. The beginning and ending were great, but I thought the middle lagged a bit. Jiri Kylian choreographed the piece...since everything's all about about linking, he choreographed the contemporary pieces at the Prix de Lausanne when I was there.
The third and final piece of the show was Rooster. A collection of shorter pieces set to music by the Rolling Stones - another fantastic piece. Aleksandar Antonikevic as the Rooster Man...OMG, spectacular. Those men pulled off the rooster walk so effectively, I couldn't believe it. I guess the fun fitted jackets, tailored shirts and ties helped the cause too. Yum. So, so SO much fun. Just like the Preludes, each song was interpreted differently, creating different moods and themes. Sigh. Love it.

So please, do yourself a favour, go see this show. It's only playing until the 16th and c'mon, if you're between 16 and 29, I don't see how you could spend $20 any better.

Another fantastic thing: the assistant conductor with the National Ballet and the Canadian Opera Company is Judith Yan. The accompanist at my ballet school back in the day. WAY back in the day. Congratulations to her!

Refresh your memory

Another trip down memory lane and a chance to boost your science IQ. Fantastic.

My bad

I've neglected this blog, as per usual. Sorry.
What's happened in the last month?
Normal life I suppose. Busy of course, but I love it.

I've been really sick twice this season. REALLY sick. I vaguely thought that I had bronchitis, but never got around to seeing a doctor. The cough was bad. The fatigue was probably worse. They both came out of the blue...I didn't do anything that made me get sick (which usually happens) and I didn't necessarily go through the long process of starting to get sick and feeling all of the different symptoms. All of a sudden I was out. Completely out. I just tried to go through with all of my commitments and at any chance I got, I slept. It just lingered though. I couldn't shake it. The baths (I'm glad I stocked up on L'Occitane) made me feel a little bit better though. It was pretty horrible though. I felt like I was just pushing myself to go from day to day, and couldn't make any efforts to do anything more that school and work. It was tough. Knock on wood that I don't get sick again. I'm wondering if my body is getting used to the N. American germs again. My first year in Europe was similar. I was sick, and a type of sickness that I'd never had before. It kept lingering...it was a persistent cough. I guess after that first bout, every time I get sick now, it follows the same sort of pattern. Mom thinks I've just got a pre-disposition for coughing.

I am living in downtown now. It is a lot more convenient from commuting everyday. The building is new, and I've always liked new things. I guess the space is sort of small, but It really isn't too bad. I think at first it was just an adjustment from a two bedroom apartment that I was used to. I have a wonderful view considering where I'm located. At least I like it. I'm looking out to a big pile of dirt which apparently will be turned into a park at some point. At least it's better than looking into someone else's unit. I also see the highway, which it quite calming for some reason. Watching the cars go by or traffic in rush hour. At night all the lights zooming by. I'm still a sucker for lights. I see the lake peeking out from behind a bunch of buildings, so that's fantastic as well. I also get full sunset sky, which is great. I hope to sit on my balcony when it warms up. Furniture is starting to pile up and I need to take some time for myself to really nest. One afternoon I did clean up my random junk, but I haven't decorated yet. I know it will be even more comfortable when this happens. I need to put aside some time for this.
A friend made a comment that I was still in tourist mode in my own city. It's true, and I'm not ashamed of it. Actually, I hope I will always be in tourist mode. I got home last night and thought a little bit more about the statement and it makes complete sense. Toronto is a huge city with lots of different areas with their own character. Lots is changing and I think for the better. For the past three years, I haven't been in the country. For the five years before that, I didn't live in Toronto either. And that would have been the time to really start to live it up. While I love snowstorms (I find them beautiful), I am looking forward to warmer weather and walking around and soaking in the city. Grad plans for sure - I hope I follow though with them.

I'm still going strong on my (new) Macbook. I have yet to upgrade my RAM, not because I don't feel the need, but I just haven't gotten around to going to the store. A the beginning I had problems with the keyboard freezing up, but apparently that was a common problem and a system update solved that. Or at least, I haven't had a problem since. The only problem that I have had is not touching the right part of the spacebar. It doesn't seem to always register. I guess the keyboard isn't as sensitive as the Dell computers which I have been using in the past. And sometimes my cursor will randomly jump to other parts of the page when I'm typing. That's a little bit annoying. I'm not sure if it's a computer problem or the touchpad being hyper-sensitive. All in all, the switch over wasn't too difficult, however I am using basic applications, so I guess I'm not the best person to say. There are certain things on webpages that I can't seem to do, which can often be annoying, but not enough that I desperately want to make the switch back. What my next computer will be? I'm not sure. Right now, I could go either way. PC, Mac not too big of a deal. I think the one thing that will make a difference will be in a year or two after this computer's gone through its paces. If it starts dying out, then I really don't care what I go with, but if it's still going strong, I may stay with Mac forever.

Speaking of my laptop, I made the trek out to Designer Fabrics to get inspired to make my own laptop cover. I haven't trekked my laptop around much, but the two times I did, I wrapped it in a pashmina. This is obviously not ideal. The basic black laptop sleeves are fine, but I was hoping for something more exciting. I was given a bunch of suggests for alternatives, but none of the ones that I saw grabbed my attention. Then, I figured it would be pretty easy to make a sleeve too. Just an envelope of sorts. Well, Designer Fabrics freaked me out. You really need to know what type of fabric you want going in there, because there's just too much to choose from. I was instantly intimidated. I'm still not sure what my next step is going to be - I definitely need a sleeve because I'm going to toting around my laptop more in the next little while, but the basic black...well, it's just a little too basic (says the girl in black - I guess I am all about the accents and accessories).

That's all I feel like writing right now. I do have to write a literature review afterall.

Happy New Year!

Have a great one!

Tosca

Went to the Canadian Opera Company's production of Tosca and loved it!
As Eszter Zumegi was ill, Yannick-Muriel Noah stepped in and made her debut as Tosca. I'm not an opera expert, but I still think that she did an excellent job. The audience was very supportive and she seemed to be very well received by the group. It must have been such an amazing feeling for her. I'll be happy to follow this young artist and see where her career takes her.
The COC has special tickets available at a lower price for persons under the age of 30, so I decided to give it a try even though I knew that the seating would be limited to certain sections and availability. As I purchased my tickets within the first 5 minutes of this block of tickets being opened up, I thought that I would have a pretty good chance of getting the best seats of the section, so I was surprised when I ended up with one of the middle seats in the very last row of the house on the upper level. I figured this would be a good way to test my opinion of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Well, my seat had an unobstructed view of the orchestra pit and the entire stage, so from that regard, it was completely fine. If you're afraid of heights, this wouldn't be the best place to be, as the seating is quite pitched (as most opera houses are). My only complaint would be not being able to make out facial expressions of the performers, but that's to be expected of such a seat I suppose. The subtitles were projected above the stage, and I'm vaguely blind, so sometimes I couldn't read the text, but I would think that the average person wouldn't have a problem with it.
The Opera for a New Age tickets are a great deal compared to the price of a regular ticket - but again, you need to realize that you don't have access to any of the good seats. As much as I'm attending the show to appreciate the music, I really enjoy seeing the performance, so I personally would dish out the cash to get better seats.
The show was sold out, however I did see some no-shows and others that showed up after the first intermission.
Just like the National Ballet, there is a pre-talk about the production which I would highly recommend. It's always nice to get insight about the production regardless of how much you (think you) know about the piece.
The opera is also a great place to people watch. It's interesting to see the mixture of people that attend the opera, even if it is skewed a little bit from the average population. Being as superficial as I am (there has to be a better word to describe it), it's interesting to see how people interpret opera-appropriate attire. From those who must be season ticket holders, to those on a special date, a night out with friends, a "fancy" outing, a cultural event with the family, to those who believe that opera is accessible to all. I make no judgements about people (okay, maybe I do), I just find it really interesting. I particularly enjoy pocket-squares. Yum.
Intermission is always a chance to people watch, mingle and be seen. I don't know if I ever got around to writing about my experience watching Rigoletto in London but I was so intrigued to see people having meals during the intermission. I wasn't surprised by the champagne, wine and San Pellegrino being served in various rooms, but all of sudden plates of sandwiches, tables of full course meals and dessert settings appeared, each with names attached to them. Obviously pre-ordering is necessary and I would like to go on record to say THAT would be such a lovely evening out. I just never noticed it my first time watching the Royal Opera as I decided to hop across the street to Marks and Spencer and pick up a yummy treat.
Back to Toronto. The FSC is a beautiful location. It's beautiful on the inside and it's beautiful on the outside (looking inside) as well.
The opera itself was wonderful. Again, I know a little bit about operas, but my knowledge is rather limited, so I can't really comment on the quality of the production. I don't know how composers do it, but in every opera that I've studied/heard/seen there's at least one aria which just me all choked up. Even before the singer gets going...the orchestral introductions are already pulling me in.
Today also marked another snowstorm (yes, the last one was actually worthy of people freaking out...it just took awhile to get going) and after the opera, I got that fabulous happy feeling. I wanted to tell everyone around me how happy I was. I was smiling. I was making patterns in the snow with my Camper boots. The snow was so fluffy. I even walked to Nathan Phillips Square and stared and smiled. Anyone want to go skating sometime?
I secretly hope that I don't have to go to work tomorrow because I've got lots of other things that I can do instead. I suppose getting some sleep just in case I need to go in would be helpful.
Anyway, the message you want to take out of this post - opera = fantastic. Even if you're not a fan...try to go. If you're under 30, you've got a cheap seat waiting for you.

What's wrong with Toronto?

So the "snowstorm" hit. My work called me this morning to let me not to come in which prompted me to sleep for another 5 hours. That was nice. And now the university is closed so I don't have to go in to deal with my other work.
From my vantage point high up about downtown, I don't see what the big deal is.
The storm had better get a lot worse like they say it will or else Torontonians have just turned into big wimps.
I think I'll venture out and go shopping. Hopefully those little stores decided to come into work.

Whistler Blackcomb

Before coming back from Vancouver, I did the drive up to Whistler Blackcomb for a day on the slopes.
I don't know if I'll ever go back to those little bumps around Collingwood.
The drive was beautiful, except getting up so early wasn't really my cup of tea.
It sucked that it was snowing, and windy and cold. No visibility. Grey. I hate these conditions.
Regardless, I still got my short skis (at some point I have to try snowblades) and got a little lecture from a ski instructor in the shop about the necessity of poles. *Scoff*. After a couple runs, I realized that the snow in Whistler definitely requires the use of poles. Well, not really, but it makes it a LOT easier. That snow is dense. I couldn't bop around as easily as I would have liked.
Oh, did you know that 46% of the staff are from Australia? And it was Australia Day that day. They come out in full force and proud of it. There was also some sort of theme day were a lot of the lifties were wearing retro fluorescent onesies. Classic.
Anyway, the runs were nice and long. Similar to Zermatt and all the other non-Collingwood places I've been to. I've never experienced Zermatt in bad weather. Does it happen? I know that some of the gondolas there don't work in windy weather, so maybe I've just never been high enough on those yucky days to experience gross conditions. It's always gross up at the very top before you go over to the Italian side...that's where you just bomb down and get the heck out of there as fast as possible. Seriously, that run is only used to get to Italy...unless you want to be strange and take the super long t-bar. But it's so much higher than Whistler, so I understand why it would be so windy and cold. Or maybe Zermatt's so high that the sun's always out. You're above the clouds and crappiness. And the sun is soooooo warm. No need to bundle up too much.
Yep, Whistler (I don't think was went to Blackcomb that day) was fine. I'm just a little bit of a wimp. Sitting on those chair lifts (without the bubble dome!) were the worst. Someone told me that Whistler's pretty much always like what I experienced. I wouldn't last that long out there. I found it really difficult to read the snow. I had to rely on muscle memory and trust my instincts and reflexes. Sometimes a little scary.
I didn't really get a chance to walk around the town. I did notice the Lululemon however. I should have known. We were off to our next adventure, so couldn't stay for a sit down or walk about. I'll have to go back to soak in the vibe of the town.
Everyone we met were tourists. I guess Whistler is really the dream destination for hardcore skiers from all over the world.
It was super snowy when we left. Not so much fun driving. And there's a lot of construction going on right now leading up to the 2010 Olympics (I'm sooooo excited already!) where they're turning the current 2 lane road between the city and the resort to a four lane highway. Couple that with winding roads, crazy terrain and the fact that it got dark really quickly and those loonies don't put any street lights to guide you (I guess I"m too much of a city driver). It was slow and steady the whole way back to Vancouver.
Still, I had a great time. I'm so glad that I'd experienced Whistler. I would go back again. Heck, I would go skiing again. Maybe I'd just mentally prepare myself for the non-favorable conditions first.

Forecast

They're forecasting a huge snowstorm to hit. Sometime while we're all supposed to be sleeping - I'll go to bed soon, don't worry.
I hope it's a good storm. Good enough to pull out the moon boots.
It'll be soooooo good.
People are freaking out about it though. I know of people who've already cancelled work for tomorrow. Or are stressed out about whether or not they have to show up. RELAX. You live in Toronto. You should be used to snowstorms by now - if you're a spaz about weather, go live in Vancouver or something. *Smirk*
It hasn't started snowing yet - I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't even happen. No offense weather people, but I don't take you guys seriously too often.

Missing the Prix

The Prix de Lausanne is in full swing. I sorta miss it. Karen Kain is back on the jury - woot woot for Canadian presence. Too bad there are no Canadian candidates.
I like this added feature this year. Getting more and more hi-tech. I can't wait to see the vids from the finals.
Sigh.

Juno

Just got home from watching Juno.
See, it's gotten a lot of press recently, and I'm not sure if it's because leading starlet Ellen Page is Canadian or because it's a good movie (that has gotten 4 Academy Award nominations).
I'm a little confused about what I think of the movie. The fact that I didn't hate it means that it couldn't be all too bad because that's usually how I feel about movies, but I didn't love the movie, so well, that's never the best either.
I enjoyed the quick witted banter. That was the best part for me. I felt like the actors did a good job with their respective roles, although I'm not really sure that Ms. Page did an Oscar worthy performance. It was good, but not the best thing I've ever seen. I thought Jennifer Garner was quite convincing in her role.
I was thrown off by the obvious effort at teenaged slang at the beginning of the movie, because I consider myself quite lingo-forward and I thought that it was a little bit too forced and over exaggerated for who the character turned out to be. They seemed to scale back a bit as the movie went on, which I appreciated. Either that, or I just got used to it.
I thought certain sections/plot lines weren't flushed out enough. Or I wanted to read into certain parts of it, hoping that there was more symbolism in objects or sentences, but it was a pretty literal movie, so that didn't work out so well.
I thought each of the characters were well cast and at the same time did a good job portraying their respective roles.
I didn't really know anything about the movie before seeing it. Vague idea of the plot line, but more went to watch it because of the buzz it was getting. About 15 minutes in, I clued into the fact that it had played at TIFF07, but it must not have gotten any serious recognition because it wasn't on my radar. Strange.
Anyway, I'd recommend the movie. It's quite amusing, I'm sure most people will love it, I'm just not sure why I am not head over heels.
Oh, and the soundtrack was splendid. As was the costume and set design. Ensemble cast = splendid.

Notes from Vancouver

I don't think that there are seagulls in Europe. They look really bizarre for some reason. Or maybe I've seen too many pigeons recently because these seagulls seem like giants. This one had a neck which was the same width as its body and it was abnormally long too.

I miss mountains.

Can't wait to go to Whistler on Saturday!

I turned down "Prague" because I felt a loyalty to "Vancouver". Do I regret it? I don't think so, but I'm confused about next year.

The hunt for a winter coat continues. I think that I'll have to wait until next year.

The hunt for boots also continues. There are too many slouchy boots this season, and I found a beautiful pair on super sale, but do I really need a pair of slouchy boots? I don't have any, but how often to I expect to wear leggings? I am NOT going to skinny pants route. I refuse. And they're suede - Toronto has an obsession with salt. This shouldn't be a dilemma, but it is. I want a simple boot. Remember my Hermes incident? The perfect boot. I found another perfect boot. Laboutin. Crap. Ankle version on super sale for $829 (I wish taxes were included - wait, no, that probably wouldn't make any difference). Calf version on super sale for ~$1000 Ugh. Why does this always happen?

I am definitely a bag person. I need help.

Classics

Sigh - here's a wonderful trip down memory lane.

I feel old

Well turns out Saturday night is when friends of tenants use up the visitor parking in the building because it's free and it's relatively close to the entertainment district.
And the elevator smells like bad cologne.
And girl with hoochie outfits are waiting in the lobby for their friends.
Ugh.

Have you ever wondered..

Or have you ever noticed in subway stations how the floor is usually a smooth tile, but there seems to be a rougher tile which snakes a path around the station?
I re-noticed it today and thought of the train stations in Switzerland with something similar except that the path there has a lot more deeper grooves which run parallel to the direction of the path on it. I never know what they were for (I was pretty sure that they weren't part of the aesthetic design of the station, especially since each station had it and the Swiss are pretty good about making things functional. Anyway, one day, I finally saw what the paths were for. He was almost knocking people over, he was going so fast, but I watched as a blind man used the grooves of the path to guide his white cane along. Moving so fast he obviously trusted where the path would take him and that it wasn't a coincidence that his cane was stuck in one of the grooves. Some of the corners were pretty sharp, so other commuters had to leap out of the way so as to not get hit. Maybe he was late for his train. It was a revelation.
The blind TTC commuters in my memory have not used the path in a similar manner. Perhaps the stations are smaller and they feel comfortable enough not to need to use the pre-designated route (assuming that's what it's for).

Amarula

There are lots of Amarula ads on the TTC streetcars that I take. I forget if they are all over the subway as well. Regardless, while I'm slightly perturbed at the extent of their advertising it amuses me every time I see them because I think of all the drunk and hallucinating elephants wandering around Africa after eating the fruit. While in Kenya, the locals were telling us about the effect of eating the marula fruit and we all laughed.

Ugly Betty

Well, I've found a new show to watch. I'd run out of my regulars and just needed something on in the background that wasn't too intense and wasn't too long (so no movies), and this is the result. I'm at Episode 6 of Season 1 so far. I enjoy it enough to keep going - we'll see if the season finale makes it worth continuing on into Season 2. I guess the one thing about being so behind is that no one's talking about it and so no one's going to ruin the rest of the season for me. At least I hope not. I would be very upset if they did.

Bergo

I just got back from Bergo. I don't believe that I have an ounce of interior design talent in me, but for some reason, I really appreciate it. I love the creativity in the pieces. The lines. The colours. The stuff is so slick. I think it would be really easy for me to accumulate things for the home. I started collecting items before I was earning my own paycheck (and that was a loooong time ago). I remember going through a phase of loving tumblers.
Anyway, I was in the store for a long time. Looking at every single item. Of course there were tons of things there that I would love to have or would love to give away as gifts (might as well spread the fabulousness).
Sentimental me loved seeing products from the design houses that I've come to love including Bodum, Alessi and Pylones. I even saw my Iittala vase which is still sitting in its paper and ribboned box.
What a great store.
You know, I realized that there are more and more of these stores that bring together the best of the best in a particular genre and don't just sell their own "label". As I was walking another store in the area, I was thinking how great it would be to be that person who's sole job is to shop and find the best and most sumptuous items. Yes, I know that this job exists, but I'm not ready to make a complete 360 in my life and go that route.

New favorite

The barosaurus is the coolest thing ever!!! If you don't love the new Dino Gallery at the ROM, you are officially crazy. And Dr. David Evans looks like he's 20 years old.

Insider scoop: Keep your fingers crossed if you want to see Terracotta Warriors. 2010. If it doesn't work out, you'll have to settle for a bunch of gold.

Go figure

I'm looking for a pair of black high-heeled boots that won't look odd if worn under pants (I'm not embracing the skinny jeans fad). An ankle boot is not sufficient for snowy days so those are definitely off of my list of potentials.
I am also searching for a black wool/cashmere coat.
Seeing as how it's end of season, I thought that maybe I'd get lucky and find the best items ever on sale. That, and I never had the chance to go shopping in the past 3 months. Or at least, I didn't make time for it.
Today, I did the Bloor Street circuit. I finally summoned the courage to go into the posh boutiques. Yes, I've talked about how it's completely normal to go into these stores in Europe regardless of what your look like and how much money you have, but Toronto and Torontonians are a little bit different.
Well, it's easy to predict the results. I found what I'm looking for in Hermes. They were beautiful. The boots were over $2000 and the coat was on a mannequin so I don't know how much it cost. I also fell in love with a bag (the fact that I love a bag isn't surprising, the fact that it's from Hermes is) and a beautiful hat as well. I was also pleasantly surprised at how politely I was treated in the store.
Louis Vuitton was a lot colder and I was ignored throughout the duration of my visit there. I was surprised that although blatantly ignored, I was left alone on the second floor with no sales staff or security guard present. There was a nice coat there as well (brown), but I wouldn't think of buying the coat cause, well, it's LV and I've always had a little bit of disliking for the ugly monogrammed items. The visits to the Champs Elysees store quickly made me realize that LV does produce some BEAUTIFUL clothes, but it's not like I'm considering getting them anyway. The coat was $2010 which I predict o be a lot more affordable than the Hermes.
I also ventured into Ports International and enjoyed some of the things I saw there. Actually, I was surprised at some of the designs. For some reason I thought it was more of a classic company.

TCS&CC

I entered the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club today for the first time. I was disappointed that I didn't run into any (skating) celebs, but I did feel like I was in the presence of greatness. The rink was B-U-T-ful. I could skate in there everyday. It made me miss the freeskating. Jumping especially. One day, I'll get the courage to jump in my dance blades. At least my low rent ones have two picks. I'll switch back to FS blades in the future after my skating career is over (for the second time).
It was funny (for me, at least) to see the members walking around in their tennis, cricket and workout gear. Sitting at the bar and having a cold one. What a world.
Whatever. The rink was amazing. So much character. So much history. Sigh, I miss boardless rinks. Ice Galaxy, I'll be back soon.
I still miss my freebie TCS&CC pen that I got in my loot bag from competing in my second Interclub competition (back when getting to that level was a BIG deal) which I lost in high school. It was a generic light blue BIC pen, but it had TCS&CC stamped on it. Best pen ever.

American Gladiators

OMG, it's back. I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved this show in it's original form back in the early-90s. Heck, I loved watching the re-runs that would magically appear every so often. I'm also not ashamed to admit that I watched the full two hour season premiere of the new version. I can't say that I necessarily enjoy Hulk Hogan as the host, but I do like watching goodies like "the gauntlet", "powerball", "joust", "pyramid", "the wall", "assault"..."the eliminator". They've got a couple new events and seem to have lost a couple (remember that one where they're strapped to a bungee cord and have to pull balls down from a velcro covered pole?) The new Gladiators are not as cool looking at the original gang (nor are their outfits), although "Wolf" and "Hellga" (yes - two L's and complete with pigtails and a pleated skirt) are quite amusing.
If you ever watch the show, please stay tuned for the credits. If they have the same credits as the season premiere, I guarantee a couple more moments of extra fun.

Christian Laboutin

I put on my first pair of Laboutin's today. They were a ridiculously high stiletto heeled ankle boot in chocolate brown. I had/have no intention of getting them (even though they were on sale), but I was wearing the right footwear to try stuff on and they had my size on the floor so I slipped it on. Sure, they were so high that I was walking on my toes (no, not the balls of the feet where heels put you, I was pretty much on pointe) and that wasn't the most comfortable, but looking in the mirror, well, it was beautiful. Laboutin's aren't "Laboutin's" for nothing.