Just a couple more days!

Olympics start on Friday! I'll be watching the opening ceremonies (hopefully I won't fall asleep in the mniddle of them - I'll take a nap during the athelete's parade probably) on the telly in convenient European time. (North Americans, are they showing it live in the middle of the day?)
Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for me sitting in the stands in total happiness during the figure skating events (you can ask me personally which ones specifically - you never know who's reading this). I'll be in section 210. No idea what that means, but I'm hoping that row 1 might mean that I'm right beside the boards! Too bad I don't have some extravagantly coloured coat to help me stand out, but I'm planning on wearing my red scarf instead of my black one to add some colour. I'm not planning to do any flag or sign waving to attract attention, but let me know if I make an appearance on international TV anyway!

Ha ha ha ha ha...

I am now the proud owner of big, bad, marshmallowy, shiny, black Moon Boots. I'm such a dork!
They have a story behind them of course. I wouldn't go out and buy such a thing without one! (Remind me to tell it to you in person...it's much more enjoyable!)

Prix de Lausanne and Zermatt trip 2006

Just like last year, I took a trip to Zermatt and tacked onto the beginning of it was the Prix de Lausanne.

The Prix was great (of course) and we had a Canadian make the finals which was nice. She had done really really well in the qualifying rounds and even did quite well in the Semis and I think she didn't do too badly in the finals, just that some of the other dancers really stepped it up and took advantage of their last opportunities to shine under the spotlight.
We didn't have any Canadians on the jury this year, but during the finals, I was sitting in the row just behind the section where all the "distinguished guests" were seated. So Karen Kain (jury member from last year) was there, along with a whole bunch of other really great dancers that I'm sure I would recognize their names, but unfortunately I couldn't not recognize their aged faces and fully clothed bodies.
One of my favorite parts of the Prix is the class on stage just before the finals. You really see the dancer's technique even in the simplest things. Amazing turnout, extension and arches galore!
I was a little disappointed that this year they got rid of the free variation and incorporated a second classical variation. It was neat to see the variety of pieces that the dancers brought to the competition, even though I can understand that it would be very difficult to judge.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the competition once again. It was a weekend to feel fat (only because I was surrounded by extremely thin dancers), old (lots of young dancers) and incredibly pigeon toed. Oh well. Can't win them all.

On to Zermatt. This week is fantastic. You can't go wrong when you're given the opportunity to go skiing in the alps. This time, I rented short skis for the week (no poles) and can a blast with them! They're lighter, you don't have to worry about carrying poles around and they're so much more fun! It really does make a difference...not skiing, but when you have to carry them while traveling 1h30m to get to the top of the mountain!
I went skiing in Italy twice (better food...cheaper too!) and stayed in Switzerland the rest of the time. I was pretty sore the second day, but continued to stretch well (and take really hot showers) and lasted the whole week without needing to take a break. I was pretty impressed with myself!
I finally found the spots where they take pics of you with the St. Bernard dogs and the Matterhorn in the background. Of course I got my picture taken, and of course I spent the rip-off price to buy them. They're cheesy and I love it!

So this is the town of Zermatt itself. Taken from the slopes...it really shows you how high up we went! This sure isn't Mount St. Louis Moonstone!


There was one day that we were skating on an outdoor rink. It was such an incredible feeling, doing something that I love, enjoying the moment and watching the sun set behind the matterhorn. I really wanted to take a picture of it to capture the moment, but couldn't bring myself to get of the ice and get my camera. I hope my memory will "last a lifetime". We kept skating until the moon came out and watched it travel across the night sky from one side of the matterhorn to the other. I didn't try any double loops or combinations, but in the altitude, wind, darkness (my eyesight's really going) and rutty ice, I landed everything else. I didn't want it to end. I was so happy.
On the last day, wanting to do something different (last year, I went paragliding), I decided to go ice climbing. The picture says it all. You're scaling a frozen waterfall. It was my first time trying it, and I've only ever rock climbed once before, so I was relying on my arms more than I should have. My muscles are still a little sore. But it's a good sore. I don't like going to the gym, but I love feeling sore after a good workout. I would highly recommend ice climbing to anyone who has a chance to try it. I still don't understand why people were surprised I wasn't scared about it though.

It was a great series of events that I would only even be able to do right here and now. It's incredible what I've been able to see and do recently, that's for sure. It was a great week to stand with perfect posture and push my body to feel some pain that it hasn't felt before.

Lindt Peach Apricot Milk Chocolate

Recently, I tried a Lindt chocolate bar, described on the wrapper as "milk chocolate with a peach apricot yoghurt filling".
It wasn't bad. I think a creamy fruit filling lends itself to a fresh, summertime bar, but if you enjoy chocolate and peach and the combination of the two, you might enjoy this chocolate bar at any time of year.
It was a little sweet, but most cream filled bars are.
If you're looking for a chocolate bar that's just a little different, this one could be a good pick!

Countdown to Torino

This past weekend, I went to Italy to prepare myself for the Olympic Games. Due to the travelling that going to the games will entail (for my specific situation), I thought it would be best if I visited the city first to get an idea of what the town was like, how to get to various places and in general, familiarize myself with what would be happening in 18 (!!!!!!!!!!!) days.
I had my first couchette experience. I didn't really know what to expect out of it, but as I walked beside the train toward my car, I saw youngish people laying on beds, drinking booze and making lots of noise. That creeped me out. When I entered the car, it looked like any other Italian more-sketchy-than-Switzerland 6 person car, except near the top of the car there were two beds. I said hello to the three gentlemen who were already chatting up a storm in the same car as me and skeptically sat down, unsure how the night would unfold...and how four more beds would magically appear. A would soon find out that the bench seats (2 total, three people on each, each set facing each other) were two beds and that their back rests would fold up and rest on latches to create two more. I was to wedge myself into the middle bed on one side. They were close enough that I could not sit up on my bed. There was a ladder if it was needed and sheets, a blanket, pillow and fizzy water were also provided. We all settled into our beds and since I wasn't the last stop on the ride, I was a little concerned about falling asleep and not waking up in time. The conductor also had my ticket and passport, so I would be able to leave without seeing him again. I ended up taking little naps throughout the night. I woke up every time the train came to a stop and would look at my watch to see where we were on the itinerary. I also woke up to a lot of loud snoring. Half an hour before my scheduled stop, we arrived at an unknown location (I couldn't see any signs) and left again 15 minutes later. I lay back down, keeping my eyes open waiting guessing that the next stop would be mine. The next time I opened my eyes, it was 15 minutes after my scheduled stop, and I was ready to freak out. I paced around the car, unsure what to do (knowing full well that there was nothing I could do if I had missed my stop), but almost sure that I didn't sleep through any other stops and knowing that a train wouldn't leave a station early. Finally, after sufficient freaking out and running into a passenger who could speak English (multiple language skills shut down when one is extremely tired) we found a conductor who told us that we were running late (it was pretty snowy outside). An hour and fifteen minutes late to be exact. I should have known as much - I'm too used to the perfect Swiss train system...nothing against the Italians, but you know... - so I ended up staying awake the rest of the time, getting a boxed breakfast (also included) and preparing myself to miss my next train. I get off in Verona at some ridiculous hour and luckily don't have to wait very long for another train. My final destination that morning is Milan.
Yes, Milan. Yes, the Olympics are in Torino. Let me explain.
I decided that I needed a little "break" from it all and decided that I wanted to spend a morning shopping in Milan. Isn't this crazy? I decided to "go shopping in Milan", just cause. My life is ridiculous.
So I wandered Milan (sadly, no purchases) and then after grilling Trentitalia with questions regarding their fares and schedules I proceeded to train to Torino. It was now the middle of the day and my tiredness hit. I planned it well. Might as well be tired while sitting on a train for an hour and a half.
Upon arrival to Torino Porta Susa, I am faced with huge sculptures of Neve and Gliz and a bunch of construction. I would soon realize that the city is still undergoing a lot of construction to prepare itself for the games. Most of the construction is just setting up little things, but there are some other things that don't look like it would be finished in time. Who knows though? I guess I'll find out in a little while.
I would say that all of the sporting venues are under construction (just little things on the outside) as are housing and hosting areas and presentation/large public events areas.
One construction site was for the Live NBC Today Show stage. I don't understand Italian, but all the people who were standing near me reading the sign sounded like they didn't know what it was. It'll be neat to see though.
I can't even imagine what the place will be like once the games begin. Even before that. The hotel I stayed at said that they were fully booked even a week leading into the games. The city and its people were definitely excited for what would be happening soon.
I'm really excited for it. Every young athlete dreams of going to the Olympics, and while that idea disappeared from my mind quite soon after it arrived (at least as an athlete - I'm still working on other ways to get there, not including as a spectator) I'm so excited to go and experience it for myself. I hope everything is as fantastic (if not better) than I imagine it to be. I hope everything works out the way I see it, because if you know anything about me, I definitely have had a master plan for quite some time now.
Whatever. Eitherway, it'll be (another) once in a lifetime experience (although, I won't rule out the fact that I won't get to the Olympics again) which I'm sure I will learn a lot from.

WHEEEEEEE!!!

--picture courtesy of www.torino2006.org

WAHOOO!!!!!

Only about 15 minutes ago did I give my signature to a deliver man (with a British accent - interesting) in exchange for...my OLYMPIC TICKETS!!!!

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

22 days left before they start!!!

I'll be going to watch figure skating (obviously), but I'm not at liberty to say which events (for those of you in the know, the stress levels are still high, but it's being dealt with). Oh and I'll be watching some hockey game (Canada vs. Switzerland) too...but of course that's not too important.

************

Segue...
Last night, at the rink, I re-realised that I need to be really patient on the take-off of double loops for them to work out. This would explain why this is the only jump in my arsenal that never became consistent. Patience is for suckers.

Fruitisms

So, moving to Switzerland HAS changed me. I now eat kiwi like apples (bite into them, including the skin - but only if they're really ripe) and peel and eat grapefruit like oranges. It's not because I saw Swiss people doing it, I just decided to start. Strange, I know.

Nice and Monaco

November 9th, I headed to Nice for a little vacation. Good ‘ole easyJet provided for some cheap flights (we’d booked for this trip a long time ago). I’d never been to Nice before, and although it wasn’t the summer (you know, the French Riviera, the beaches and such), I was excited to visit this place that I’d had a vision in my head about. We knew that we were also going to take a day trip to Monaco, and I was really excited about that too.
As our plane was landing, I looked out the window and saw that we were flying low above the water and the lights (it was pretty late at night) from the city made the place look so magical (remember my weakness for lights). We were driven to the hotel and we could see palm trees and more lights. We hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so we headed out into town to look for a restaurant to go to. I didn’t really think about the fact that we were right on the water, but that night, I started my fabulous string of seafood meals. Sure, it was 11:30pm, but I was hungry and I was going to eat a full meal. Especially when it was a seafood tagliatelle…delicious. I was stuffed, and then I went to bed. Yes, not the best thing for your body, but still...it was yummy.

The next morning, we decided to spend the day looking around Nice. First stop, Chagall Museum. I don’t really know anything about Chagall, and I’m not really big into museums, but I’m sure glad I went. The paintings (although religious in nature, so I didn’t know what was going on) were beautiful. The vibrant colours that were used on the huge canvases were incredible. The museum itself was nice.
It was like something I would imagine, in a chic place in New York. It was a really small museum with only a couple large canvases, but it was so classic. White walls, large windows with white blinds, a couple black leather benches in the middle of the room. The main part of the museum was just one large room and those painting were definitely the main attraction. It was a beautiful museum.
On the way to and from the museum, we saw a clementine tree. It was so cool! I’d never seen one before! I won’t lie, we took some clementines to eat, even though it was obvious that the tree was on private property. There were also orange trees along the side of the street, but after careful inspection (read: climbing the tree to grab some) we saw that they were rotten.
At the same time last year, I was in Belgium and Karl Lagerfeld’s H&M collection came out. I remember not being very impressed by it. There was this tacky pouffy dress in the collection. This year, Stella McCartney’s H&M collection came out. I think it sold out (well, the clothing items – the keychains and purses were still there) in an hour or so. I guess I can’t say that I saw it on the shelves at opening, so I didn’t touch and see the collection up close, but the items that were on the mannequins in the window weren’t very impressive. And they were (naturally) more pricey than normal H&M wear. Someone else told me (a week or so later) that they thought that the line was actually very reasonably priced. And not even compared to her own line, but to H&M standards. I must have seen the wrong items. So, I think that H&M is taking over the world. They’re everywhere. I wonder who they’re going to get as a guess designer next year. I wonder what country I’ll be in for that. I wonder why they picked this date to open.
Next stop: beach!!! It was so exciting to walk out and all of a sudden see a large body of water in front of you. The sun was shining (it was really warm still), and the water was so blue. Playing in the Mediteranean ensured and soaking up some rays to gain some vitamin D (among other things).
The old town of Nice was very similar to old towns in other European cities. I really liked the small alleyways and curious little boutiques selling some bizarro wears. I found the prices in Nice to be a little higher than I expected. Was it because it was a tourist town perhaps? There were quite a lot of tourists there even though it was the low-season. Lots of British people.
While wandering around, I stumbled upon this confectionary store. I felt like I was stepping into a movie. They have to get more places like this in Toronto or something. It’s places like this that I will miss if/when I leave Europe. There was also an amazing olive oil store that had a similar kind of appeal. It really does make the shopping experience that much more enjoyable.
Obviously being in the south of France and with the reputation that the French Riviera has I wasn’t surprised to see palm tress (I guess sort of like how I should have expected the orange trees), but when I saw them I was surprised nonetheless. The gardens were beautiful (yes, there was some skipping involved – especially through an arched…trellace?!? – is that the right word?) and I could sit there for a long time just daydreaming and soaking up the sun. The flora they had there looked so exotic, but obviously this was only because they were specials that lived in warmer climates than I usually reside in.
We ate lunch outside where we could do some people watching. People are so interesting. What they wear, how they hold themselves, how they react to and interact with people...I could just sit and watch people all day long. That’s something I love about Europe. There’s so many more outdoor café’s where you could sit, not even having to continually pay for services, even by yourself...it’s all good. No one will think twice about the fact that you’re staring at other people. It’s so much more fun to do it behind sunglasses too, because that way you feel all conspicuous and stuff.
If there’s one thing that I always like to see in the different cities that I visit, it’s the opera house. I don’t know why, but I do. It’s not like I’ve ever really seen an opera or anything. Most of the time though, the opera houses are spectacular. The one in Nice was completely white, and looked very much like the Paris opera house.
We walked up to the park on the cliff to get a view of the city, beach and port below. It was just like I imagined in my head. We watched the sunset, the colours in the sky, reflecting on the water below, albatros soaring above.
Dinner was moules and frites. Yummy. It got really cold at night. As soon as the sun went away, the temperature dropped. Even still, we ate outdoors for some reason, and you know those heaters that restaurants and café’s have on their patios and such? In French, they call them "mushrooms". Ha ha. It makes complete sense, because they’re shaped like big mushrooms, but the name is still funny nonetheless.

The next day, we decided to go to Monaco. I really don’t know why this place is so famous and stuff, expect for the fact that I wanted to see some yachts and the casino. Oh, and I thought it would be really funny if there was a place called Club Monaco there.
I can’t believe how close everything on this part of the continent is. Just a short train ride away and we’re in another "country". The train station didn’t look like anything so special, and the walk down to the harbour wasn’t anything particularly exciting, except for the fact that there was a little market on the way down there were these amazingly soft persimmons on sale, and I really wanted to buy a couple, but I didn’t want to eat them at that very moment and they were so soft that I was worried that they would explode and get all squished and stuff…so then I didn’t buy them. Which I was a little bit sad about.
So, Monaco is pretty obsessed with their royalty right? There was a portrait of King Albert (actually, just Prince at the time) in every single storefront window; even in some personal home windows…it was a little bizarre I thought.
At the harbour, yes, I was expecting it, but the yachts really surprised me. They were HUGE!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a boat that big, unless it was supposed to carry over 1000 people. I can’t believe it. I want to know who or what companies own these yachts! I wanted to hop on board one of them just to take a look around to see what the inside of one looked like, but of course every single one had a sign on the gangplank that said "private property", "do not trespass", blah blah blah. Darn. One thing that made me laugh (or maybe just be in even more awe of the situation) was that on shore, in front of the walkway to each boat was a fancy monogrammed mat special to the yacht. And a lot of the yachts had those preppy loafers beside the mats. I guess they don’t want to bring dirt from the street onto their yacht right? The people cleaning the yachts seemed normal enough, but who knows if they are the same people who own them?
So we keep walking around the port and through a tunnel (apparently used in the Grand Prix race – which seems a little scary to me...fast cars in confined areas?!?), through a strangely situated souvenir shop (in the middle of the tunnel) which was beside an elevator up to another part of Monte Carlo (so that’s why the shop was there...). From here, we could see the port down below and the palace on the top of the hill in the distance. This was also the way to get to the Monte Carlo Casino!
It did look pretty impressive from the outside (nothing at all like casinos in Las Vegas of course) but it wouldn’t be open for a couple of hours, so we decided to walk around for a bit (to let me get my fix of window shopping – I fell in love with a hat from Hermes by the way), eat lunch and go to the beach.
For some reason I was really really tired on this day, so I was hoping that a good lunch would make be feel better. Disapointingly, the dish that I wanted to order had run out, and even though it was listed on the menu, they didn’t have any Badoit in stock.
After lunch, we head across the tunnel again and rest at the beach for awhile. They had these really chill patio bars that I wouldn’t have minded staying at longer, or even going to later on that night. Lots of lounge chairs and pillows. Clean lines and cool atmosphere. Interesting people too. We decided to go to the casino, and after paying the 10 euro entrance, we entered the most beautiful and old style glam room I’ve ever seen. See...Versailles is tacky...this was nice. Really nice. (No cameras allowed inside, or else I would have definetely taken a bunch!) The side room had slots (didn’t stay there for long at all), and the main room had roulette, black jack and some other game that I don’t really understand, but it tres European. There were side rooms that could be rented for dining, and of course the special VIP room. I wonder what that place looked like. Being the people watcher that I am, I really enjoyed watching all the action and also looking at the stats of the numbers that would show up on the roulette wheels. I was so tempted so bet on 17, but couldn’t bring myself to do it for some reason. And it (or numbers very close to it – I probably wouldn’t have just bet on 17, but the numbers near it) kept popping up. Like, 5 times in a row! Strange! I didn’t really want to leave, but we needed to figure out what we were going to do for the rest of the night.
We walked around the harbour to see if there was anything interesting happening, and after visiting a couple places and weighing our options, we decided to take the train back to Nice.
In Nice, we found a nice place for dinner, walked around a little bit longer, checked out one place, but after a little bit, we decided that we were too tired to do anything else. Traveling is relaxing, but often exhausting.

The next day, we packed up, headed to the airport and jetted off to Paris...

All in all, I really enjoyed Nice. The weather was really pleasant (good escape from dreary Neuch) and the old town was fun to walk around. I would visit it again, but only in the Spring or summer when there are more people and after I’ve crossed every other city that I still need to visit off my list. Ditto for Monaco. There just wasn’t enough going on while we were there, but it was November. Super low season. I would have liked to window shop a little longer (too bad, no extravagant purchase for me) and hung out in the casino longer as well. That place is just too cool. It was still a good trip though. I’m glad I went because I’d really wanted to see what the big kerfluffle about the French Riviera was (would still like to visit Cannes – but now know that I would only go if it’s the summer time), and I would have maybe liked to stay there for one more day, but it wasn’t too bad a length of a trip. Especially since I knew that I’d be traveling to two other major cities within the span of the next week.

Some pictures from Kenya

...hopefully you know to clicky on the pics to enlarge them...



We spent a day in Nairobi before heading up to the ranch, and on the way there, we had to stop and stand with one leg in each hemisphere






Kuki Gallmann's Foundation played host to us for this fabulous experience. The logo with two acacias trees has so much meaning behind it.



While on the ranch, we were under the care of The Laikipia Wilderness Education Centre...







My shelter at LWEC during the stay on the ranch. No electricity, but I was one of the lucky ones with a flushing toilet (baby steps!)


At all times, we were under the watchful eyes of three eskari (guards). They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met. After intensive training they are the ones that keep the animals and humans living together at peace on the ranch. Here, they are listening and smelling the air for the buffalo. The way they use all of their senses blows my mind. The eskari are amazing. The things that they know,
sense, feel...it's incredible. Their first priority is to protect the animals. If the animals and humans get too close to one another, they shoot once into the air to (hopefully) scare the animal away. The second shot is the injure. The third is to kill.

Staying single file on a game walk. Notice the bush coloured clothing, the MEC bag (with a little Canadian pin on it all covered with the rusty coloured dirt that we would come to love) and buffalo tracks on the path (which we were following).




Jeez...






...and it hurt that my friends never stood down wind...






For 400USD per person per night, you too can sit on the throne...(the guest resort on site)





and see this...(sorry, the picture really doesn't give the view justice. There's a little brown patch at the bottom right of the picture where animals will come to lick salt that is put out by the eskari)





For some reason, I just love this picture








Their colours don't lend themselves to camouflage, but they're still pretty good at hiding!


One day, we went to visit a local Samburu village. They welcomed us to their village with open arms, told us about their history and traditions and danced for (and with) us. They used red ochre to paint on their faces and bodies. The Samburu warriors would dance by jumping as high as they could (you've probably seen the Masai do the same on documentaries...)



A beautiful samburu girl
You can imagine how intrigued all the people we met were when we could automatically show them their pictures on our digital cameras.





Taking some time out from the Samburu festivities...
Notice the sandals made out of tires.





Tee hee...impala bums! Notice the lone stag (look for the big horns) within the group. Impala live in harems, so we'd either see a stag with all his lady friends or random bachelor impala bouncing around. Every so often a bachelor will take on da man, head butt for a bit and hopefully knock him out of the group. The ladies will swoon and he will be hot stuff until the next guy comes around.


Yellow fever acacias are absolutely spectacular








And I thought my legs were short and my bum was too big!







Speechless...I'm sorry...you just have to see it for yourself.







100 points if you can spot the crayfish!





Kalenge taking a break from chomping on sugar cane to opt for greener choices. His mom (wild in the ranch) still comes to visit him every so often.






One doesn't tire of this very easily...








Watching the sun set with an acacia in the foreground...I miss it so much!




Hopefully I'll get my act together and write about it soon! (No promises...)

"Kenya" feel the excitement?!?

Har har har...okay, I have to admit that I didn't come up with the pun myself, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to use it!
Anyway, in 47 minutes, we're heading to the train station to go to Geneva where we're going to stay for the night, and then tomorrow morning we're boarding a plane to Nairobi (via Amsterdam).
OH MY GOSH!!!
So today was the day that it actually hit me that I'm going to Kenya.
I will also have no internet access for two weeks. And very minimal electricity as well.

This also means that I didn't make my goal of being updates for my blog before I leave. I'm still missing posts about:
- Dublin
- Nice and Monaco
- Paris
- Berlin
- Lyon
...and other randoms.
Sorry...

To quote a MUCH younger me: "I'm outie!"

Beginning to falter

So at the rink tonight, I got off to a shaky start, but was determined to land some darn jumps. I felt powerful, but after 8+ 2Lp attempts, I figured it wasn't meant to be. I just couldn't punch out of the landing. I was falling on all of them exactly the same way, but I had no idea how to fix it. I decided to turn my attention to combinations and landed two 2Tf2Ts with ease. Soon to follow...three 2T2Ts!!! I was a machine! I couldn't believe how easy they were and how patient I was on the landings! I decided that I wouldn't worry about the 2Lps, but it still bothers me.
I wonder if I'm becoming more emotionally stable?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Last night I went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was the first of the Harry Potter series that I'd read the book prior to seeing the movie version, and I think that it really made a difference.
I was disappointed for once.
I knew what happened and was going to be happening in the storyline of the book version, but only about a third of such events actually were carried out in the movie. Some of the parts in the book that I was most looking forward to seeing in the movie didn't happen at all, which really really sucked, but I guess I understand that there was a lot in the book that had to be cut out in terms of a time constraint on the movie. Still...I was disappointed.
It was, on the other hand, the first movie that I've seen in a long time (other than Joyeux Noel) that I sat through without looking at my watch to check the time or how much time had elasped.
Anyway, I felt like this movie was very different from the earlier ones in the series. The whole movie seemed very dark in nature and I felt like the actual sets were really different from previous ones. Hogwarts itself looked like a new campus, even the Hogwarts Express looked slightly darker, or more mature. The students were dressed differently, from their uniforms to their casual clothes...ugh, it was so weird.
The young actors and actresses in the movie have definitely hit puberty and are truly looking a little too old for 14 years of age. Even the older student in the school look too old, and there seems to be no lower year students (unless they made everyone in the movie older to convince the audience that all the students are around the same age). Before seeing the movie and hearing about how they weren't sure if the same actors would be in the next movie because they looked too old, I didn't really believe it would have any affect on my as an audience member, because I believe the actors and actresses to be the characters they play in the movie and thought that I would just believe that they are the ages of who they are supposed to play rather than the age that they look...well I guess I was wrong. It really threw me off, but if they have the next movie come out really soon, I'd like them to keep the same people (it threw me off enough when the actor who played Dumbledore changed).
I won't go into detail about the plot of the movie, because I sort of sum up the main ideas of the plot line in my post about the book.
Again, I was really bothered by the fact that the movie left out what I felt (when reading the book) were important parts of the storyline, or things that I thought would look really exciting on the screen. Certain things that happened made sense to me because I read about them in the book, but I felt like they weren't explained very well in the movie and that a person who hadn't read the book may be confused as to how something happened.
I did like the awkwardness of teenagers when interacting with the opposite sex, which brought on a couple laughs, but I felt like the movie was being rushed through (partly, I think, because I felt like it was missing a lot of important elements - again, from the book).
If and when I do go back to Canada, I'm excited to see a movie in English that won't have subtitles in multiple languages at the bottom of the screen. They're really really distracting, cause I find that even though I perfectly understand what's being spoken in English, my eye doesn't want to watch what's happening in the movie, but rather read and follow along with the French subtitles.
It was quite dark and could be extremely scary for kids watching the movie. There was just a really dark tone to the movie. I think it might have had to do with the colouring, because even some of the happier moments felt dark. It really didn't feel like a kid's movie, whereas the first couple definitely did.
I also thought that this movie would be hard to watch if you didn't know about the first three books. The storylines didn't really overlap or anything, but I felt like this one didn't give you enough background about the characters and settings, and instead launched straight into the plotline (again, felt like I wasn't being eased into the movie, like they were really rushing through things). Maybe someone who hasn't followed Harry Potter would think that it was fine, but it really didn't feel fine to me.
Harry and Ron felt like different people to me, whereas Hermione did well. I still don't quite like this version Dumbledore...he's too loud and forceful. Hagrid and Snape are still great as are the Weasley twins. Mad Eye Moody wasn't bad and for some reason, I was expecting more out of Rita Skeeter (I think I read a review somewhere that talked about how she was one of the best parts of the movie). Voldemort was quite good.
All in all, I'm glad I went to watch the movie, but it just didn't seem to flow from the previous ones of the series. I felt like it was a completely different style of movie, catered towards a different kind of audience and took a lot of shortcuts with the storyline. That last part disappointed me the most, and I wouldn't have minded sitting in the theatre for an extra hour so that more could have been included.
But that's just my take on it.

Even though I really want to read the next book(s), I'm seriously considering holding off until the movies come out. It made this movie experience not as enjoyable as the first three...so...anyway, I'm not really sure what to think. Pros and cons either way, but so far I'm leaning towards not reading the book. Problem being, I was planning on taking the next one to Kenya.

-picture courtesy of www.harrypotter.warnerbros.com

There's nothing quite like it

Just got back from the rink and it was fantastic. I have found out that now I can skate for about 45 minutes and then after that, my body can't take it anymore (my endurance is non-existant).
I did all the jumps possible, including two 2Lps and since I felt pretty good, I decided to try some 2T2Ts, which I haven't bothered trying in a long time.
I landed two great 2Tf2T and then finally, just as the session was ending, I landed a (small) 2T2T (after falling on two really good attempts). I haven't landed one of those in over a year at least.
I'm telling ya, there's something about being emotional which gets you skating well. There's got to be some kind of hormonal link or something. Or maybe it's that I've brought my abs back from the dead. Or even that 4 months of being back and walking on European terrain is finally taking effect.
Whatever it is, it feels great and really helps me be me.

Taking it all in

When I visit a new city, I get this strange sensation that my body increases its surface area, my pores open up and my pupils dialate or something.
I just feel like all of a sudden I'm able to experience and take in more things than usual. Almost like things around me are going in slow motion and I can observe and absorb more information that is being bombarded at me.

I think I might be an alien.

____ no more

I may have decided on a name for ____. Annie. I'm not sure if it really fits or not, but when I was chatting with him/her (part of the problem I suppose) last night, I thought it might work out. I can't quite tell though if Annie doesn't like French though...cause that would be a problem.

(I'm so clever)

There's definitely a correlation

Strange how when you're really emotional you tend to skate really really well.
Tonight I landed 6 double loops. I don't think I've landed that many in the last 6 years combined!

It just feels so good to skate...

Movenpick Cinnamon & Plum Ice Cream

It's been a long time since I did a review of a chocolate bar, but that's with good reason. I haven't eaten a chocolate bar since then!
I recently tried the Limited Edition Movenpick Cinnamon & Plum ice cream, so I thought I'd share my thought about it.
Movenpick ice cream is good, there's no question about it, but this is definetely a strange combination. I'm not even sure how they came up with this one. I like each of the components, but as a whole, I'm undecided.
It's sort of like the plum part of the ice cream is a "ripple" or a "swirl". You don't really taste it throughout the ice cream. If you get a spoonful of the plum part, it's really tasty, but if not, I feel like the rest of the ice cream is a little too cinnamon-esque. But it wasn't a good kind of cinnamon. It wasn't like a cinnamon heart or Hot Lips kind of cinnamon...just something different. You could tell there was a lot of spice in the ice cream (and I don't mean "hot") but it was like a weird mixture of flavours. Holiday-esque perhaps...it reminded me of that 5-spice stuff my mom puts on turkeys. A melange of spices.
The ice cream (although this is quite often the case with ice creams) leaves a bad aftertaste in your mouth.

I would not order a large bowl of this ice cream, but I would enjoy a scoop of it (if it included a lot of plum "swirl").

-picture courtesy of www.moevenpick-icecream.com

St. Nicolas

As the holiday season is approaching, I wanted to tell you about some traditions over here.
So December 6th (tomorrow!) is a special day. The night of the 5th, children leave shoes/boots outside the doors of their houses in hopes that St. Nicolas will leave presents/goodies by them that night. Santa Claus is also supposed to show up Christmas Eve, so I guess they get double the presents over here.
This past weekend, I went to the town of Fribourg to watch the arrival and address of St. Nicolas to anyone who would listen (which was a LOT of people, apparently). This is an annual tradition that they have on the Saturday closest to the 6th, and it's a pretty big thing for Fribourg.
I hadn't visited Fribourg before, so I decided to make a day of it. I wandered the town, did a little Kenya shopping (I have to train my mind to search out brown, green and khaki coloured clothing - not a natural thing for me!), wandered the markets, saw the cathedral, walked the pedestrian walkway, saw the chateau, crossed the river. You know, the usual!
Is got pretty chilly waiting for the guy to arrive, but it was worth it. The streets were packed with people of all ages, and obviously lots of families with young children.
He arrived with a fanfare. Following a marching band, children holding candles, other holding a rope so that the crowd would not stampede St. Nicolas, some people with their faces painted and dressed up in black and finally, St. Nicolas riding on a donkey. He threw candy to the children and climber the stairs to the balcony of the cathedral.
From there his microphoned voice boomed across the square (sorry, the microphones covered up his face - could get the right angle to take a snap of his face) and he told us (in French and German) about how we should be individuals, not conform and feel pressured to wear t-shirts that say "Brice" on them (ha ha ha...he made reference to Brice de Nice!!!) or to step into the age of not "William Tell", but na-tel (French for cell phone) among other things.
I definitely didn't understand the whole speech (and not just the German parts). I'd like to blame St. Nicolas himself, because he was speaking so slowly and yelling the words, that I had trouble piecing the words together into phrases. So my French isn't where I'd like it to be yet. Darn.
He ended his speech and created this scary moment (which confused me...I thought he was supposed to be non-scary and stuff). He waved at the crowd, descended the stairs and the crowd dispersed and a moment of ooh-ing and ahh-ing and flash photography ensued after a projection of a stain glass window styled image of St. Nicolas appeared on the cathedral facade. It was beautiful.


So St. Nicolas is here to spread the love and there's lots of lights and sparkly things all around, making me a pretty happy girl.

Introducing Mocky and ____

I just wanted to introduce you to my two new German friends that I met in Stuttgart. Surprisingly there isn't a language barrier.





This is Mocky.











This is a super soft donkey without a name.






-pictures courtesy of www.steiff.de

Pi party

Sure, it wasn't March the 14th, but this past Thursday night I had a little pi party which involved eating pie and watching Pi with a bunch of fellow math lovers.
What an interesting movie. In high school I remember watching the first little bit of it and being intrigued and knowing that I wanted to watch the whole thing in the future, but it wasn't until the pi party that I followed through with this.
The movie is about a number theorist who wants to find the patterning in life among other things. It's a very very artsy movie, so I definitely don't understand all of the meaning behind the different things that happened in the movie. It was a little too bizarro for me. Yet, I still liked it. I think that has to do with the fact that there were so many math references in it. It was noticed though that the special number was different every time it came up on the screen. I wonder why the producers didn't make sure that was consistent. Strange.
Anyway, a horrible attempt at a movie review...all you need to know if that if you like bizarro movies with lots of symbolism, watch this one for sure.
And also: Pi Parties are FAB.

-picture courtesy of www.pithemovie.com