Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia (April 8th-12th, 2007)

At this point, I'm just happy to get this post up. Hopefully I'll come back and add more, but don't count on it. There are way too many trips that I still haven't written about.

We went to Croatia and called Dubrovnik our home base. It's quickly becoming a tourist hotspot and a place to be seen, so if you get the chance, visit it quick, before it gets out of hand. I can understand why it's booming...it's beautiful there.

Dubrovnik has a great old town that's walled in and is so...it has so much history, character...it's so different from North America, I loved wandering the streets and alleys. It's residential and commercial at the same time. Completely touristy yet authentic.

The bell tower at the center of the old town. If you look really carefully, maybe you can see the bronze sculptures of the two boys hammering away at the bell.













The old town. Look at the ground. Cobblestone, but not enough of a gap between the stones that you would wreck your heels.




The cafes are filled up even late into the night. I love it.




On the island of Lokrum, just off the coast - a 15 minute ferry ride from Dubrovnik. No smoking allowed! You wouldn't want any forest fires, would you? The island is small enough to visit in an afteroon. There's beautiful paths through the forest and great places to have a picnic and to go swimming in the sea. There's even a little tide pool where children can go swimming. Someone's kindly installed a rope for the kids to swing on!










This is the courtyard of a former monastery. Just look at the lush vegetation.


Dubrovnik as viewed from the top of Lorkum. You can imagine what it looked like a long time ago. A-ma-zing.





Now back on the mainland. Lorkum island in the distance, with the beautiful red terracotta roofs of the old town in front.




A side trip to Split. Taking a local commuter bus (think: Greyhound, but Eastern European style) and going through Bosnia (borders are all weird there). Like any European city, there was a historical centre, but I would say that I enjoyed Dubrovnik better. If you want to go shopping, go to Split. If you want a feeling go to Dubrovnik. Either city will get you access to beaches and islands. Bottom line, you need awhile in Croatia to see everything and have a car at your disposal if possible.


The bell tower in Split. We'd taken a commuter bus there (not very pleasant in the hot, hot sun - too many people and not enough air circulation) which did give a nice view of the coast (it drove all along it).




The open forum outside of the tower. You can see that there are cushions on the steps. A cafe was smart enough to use the space for themselves. What a great idea.



At the top of the tower, looking down.











If you go to Split, I would highly recommend walking (so much more interesting than cab or bus) out to the Mestrovic Gallery. While you're out there, hike down the hill to the coast.

Random vibes from Dubrovnik...could potentially be one of my fav trips of Europe.


I really hope that this guy owns a little store and on has hung a sign on the front door that says "gone fishin".







"somewhere beyond the sea
somewhere waiting for me
my lover stands on golden sands
and watches the ships that go sailing..."

Travelling again

I didn't think that I would get to fly again for quite some time...yet, next week, I'm boarding a plane to head out west. First time to Vancouver!
I'm so excited. I've hear such great things about the city, and I will finally be able to say that I've gone west of Ontario. It's pretty embarrassing how little of Canada I've actually seen. I hope the change that sooner rather than later.
Anyway, just like with most of my trips, I'm doing a little research on the net and scouting out touristy things.
I've only started my search, but have realized that it's the Vancouver International Film Festival while I'm out there. Not as big at the Toronto version, but going through the event, I see that there are quite a lot of potentially good movies there. Some of the big shows are already at "Rush" status (Lust, Caution) but surprisingly, some of the other big guns aren't quite there yet (hello...Persepolis?!?). Too bad I can't make the screening times, or else I'd be there in a flash. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to watch movies out there, but it's really really tempting...

Cufflinks

I'm still waiting to find the perfect pair. Some of these are pretty close.

Too late

Darn it. The two events that I would be interested in at Architecture Days are both sold out. "Inside Rosedale and Forest Hill" and "Architects’ and Designers’ Own Homes". I've loved big and different looking houses ever since I was really young, and in my travel and various museum visits, I've come to realize that I love architecture and interior design. I'm not good at doing it for myself, but really appreciate a finished product.
Boo-urns.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to think about how to deal with a Nuit Blanche instead. It'll be super.

The Red Violin

I just finished watching this movie...again. I haven't watched it in a long, long time, but every time I see it, I'm riveted.
Everything about Le Violon Rouge (I guess it's originally French, but the movie is shot in different languages, and I would hope that no one would try to dub it all to just one language) is good. It would be my favorite movie, hands down, except it's too intense, so I can't watch it all the time. Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, on the other hand...
The Red Violin is amazing. I feel like there's something more to the movie...especially the stuff that happens in Montreal. Obviously the score is indescribable. The use of themes, while adding a twist depending on context.
This movie is just so darn good.

- picture courtesy of www.imdb.com

Welcome to the world of figure skating

Sad, but true. Unless you're really really lucky, these days, you've gotta be pretty loaded to get anywhere as a figure skater.
From the equipment, to the ice time, to the coaching fees, to every other associated cost involved...it really adds up.
I went back to my local skate shop to get my new skates tampered with (blister central, first time out!) and there were a lot of private school kids, mixed in with private skating club members and every purse in the store was of a high end label. Prada, Gucci, Longchamp, Dior...and we're not talking fake ones. (FYI, I was sporting my Rugby North America.)
There was a mother buying new skates for her two daughters who were just taking lessons for the first time. She had the option of getting used skates, but wouldn't think of it. Sure, the new skates were a tenth of what I ended up paying for mine (sigh), but her girls are probably going to grow out of the skates before they even break them in and the used skates are cheaper and already broken in (but not too much). On top of that, skate guards (I was so jealous...I want a pair of pretty sparkly ones, but would rather save the money. I've got old crappy ones that I can still use.) skating bags (I remember using whatever was around the house) and helmets (no complains here...safety first!). She didn't get any blade covers (I'm guessing she didn't know that they existed) which, again, cheapy me is trying to learn how to make 'em (better sentimental value).
Next customer up...repeat above for her two grand-daughters. "Bubby" was uber-chic in all black and Gucci sunglasses perched on her head.
I'm not judging or anything, but for some reason during my visit, it just hit me in the face.

Sassafraz back in the running

So, word on the street (I was eavesdropping on a pretty loud conversation) is that Sassafraz is open again.
Context: "Sarah saw Johnny Depp at Sassafraz...what the heck is Sassafraz?"
For being a mid-teen private school girl, I was a little surprised that she didn't know what Sassafraz was. Prada tote-ing Mom quickly brought her into the loop.
I guess cause of the history, Sassafraz will do just fine and celebs will flock back just because they're supposed to, but One at The Hazelton Hotel is going to be tough competition. It was hopping during the TIFF and just looks like a place to be seen. Personally, I like the style a lot better, so if anyone's up for looking chic for the fun of it, let me know and we'll stake our claim on the patio.

Different type of "investment" purchase

The big spending continues...nope, not another bag...it's skates!
Yup, as I type, I'm wearing my new Ridell 1500 boots fitted with a Cornation Dance blade. That's right, I paid over $1000 for my skates, but managed to save $300 off the final price because the recommended MK Dance blades were out of stock and were basically backlogged until, well, a long time. It's like I was trying to get a Birkin or something!
Anyway, somewhere in the past 8 years, skate technology has changed and apparently I no longer have to suffer through the break-in process. This is a good thing, although it's really really weirding me out that I have such a great knee and ankle bending ability right from the first time that I put on the skates. I've been assured that it doesn't mean that the stiffness in the boot has been compromised. I love a tough boot. Going to Ridell's a leap of faith as well. From custom-made Knebli's, to having to switch and ending up with SP Teri Deluxes, it's always hard to switch up something that you've used for a long time and have gotten good results with.
Tomorrow, I'm going to try out this whole dance blade thing. I'm scared that I'm going to totally wipe out, off the heel or something. The "top-of-the-line" MK Dance blades would be even worse I think...especially with the lack of toe picks. I'd be backwards from The Cutting Edge problem, falling forwards instead of tripping forwards. I've been told that the adjustment won't be so bad. I sure hope not. To be honest, I could have gotten another "top-of-the-line" dance blade (the Super Dance 99), but again, $300 for, really, how much of a difference? A good skater is a good skater, regardless of the equipment. Yeah, sure it helps, but at this point, I don't think it'll help enough to make it worth the price difference.
Here's hoping for no blisters!!!

Cole Haan

I finally made it into the Cole Haan store just to see what a friend was raving about. Okay, the stuff is beautiful. I'm not going to make any purchases soon (I just spend four-figures on new skates, the last of the credit card bills from Europe are keeping my spending at bay), but I do understand the appeal. Yum.

On a related note (to only a certain few)...word on the street is that Breaker High is going well...

Funny what you miss...

You know, I kinda miss seeing teenagers rushing around here and there with a Red Bull in their hands...
Or at all hours of the day, seeing people of all ages drinking out of tall boy beer cans...
Desperados...

Getting schooled by Gossip Girl

Well, I'm done reading the fourth (Because I'm Worth It) and fifth (I Like it Like That) books from the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Zeigesar.
Nothing of interest to report. The books are quick and easy to read and that's why they're so great for commutes and minutes before bed reading.
Just like with most chic lit, there's a lot of store, label and "it-list" name dropping. I was happy to see a shout out to moon boots! I have to pull mine out sometime
here in Canada. I just have to work up the courage to do it, because I'm not sure if anyone else here wears em. Chances are, no. Anyway, I haven't had any problems with any of the terminology used (even the slang, being surrounded by teens all the time helps) until this one: "potsticker".
HUH?!? The context was that a teenager was eating a "wild mushroom potsticker". Seeing as how there's a lot of drugs in the book, I was confused...'shrooms? Pot?

How embarrased was I when I googled the term and found out that potstickers are really "pot"-"stickers"!!! Yeh yeh yeh: Guotie!!! I guess not everyone speaks Chinese. Wicked wicked wicked.

- pictures courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Unfinished Stories

Wednesday night, after showing up the box office to find out that the extra tickets that were released that morning had sold out and feeling completely bummed, I ended up in the Rush line for Unfinished Stories.

From the TIFF website:
*************
Several quietly powerful works by Iranian directors appear in this year’s Festival. First-time feature filmmaker Pourya Azarbayjani’s Unfinished Stories offers a raw yet stirring study of that nation’s women and – as the work’s open-ended title suggests – its future.

The brilliantly structured film – which Azarbayjani also wrote and co-produced – is composed of three episodes revealing the plight of three young women. Setareh (Setareh Pesyani), Hengameh (Hengameh Ghaziani) and Saiideh (Saiiden Amir Saii) share similar situations: through choice or through fate, they find themselves alone with nowhere to go. Each is forced to spend the night on the streets of Tehran.

Setareh is an independently minded, passionate young girl who has run away from her house and her conservative parents, who oppose her marriage to the boy she loves. She waits for the object of her affection to join her at the bus stop so they can start over together, somewhere new. Hengameh is pregnant. After a quarrel with her husband, who is unwilling to support a baby, she flees her home in search of someone to terminate her pregnancy. Saiideh has just given birth, but with a husband in prison and no money to pay her medical bills she steals away from the hospital and escapes into the night with her fragile newborn.

These three women have three different stories, but together they add up to a moving and surprising portrait of the various obstacles confronted by Iranian women. The pattern of hard decisions and even harder circumstances emerges clearly from this courageous film. Seeking marriage, motherhood or stability, Setareh, Hengameh and Saiideh are each abandoned by their families and obliged to solve their problems on their own. Their strength, resourcefulness and courage are inspiring. The talented leads exude an unexpected power that is simultaneously graceful yet fierce. Azarbayjani, meanwhile, introduces himself as a talent to watch. The original vision manifested by this young writer-director promises more impressive work in the future.

Dimitri Eipides
*************

What seemed to start off as slow, but with some strange things that I felt like I wasn't getting something, and then in the middle too straightforward to the point that I almost became uninterested, to the unpredicted ending (in content and sudden arrival of closing credits)...as soon as I started walking out of the theatre, I grew to like this movie more and more. Definitely a good sign. I was left thinking about the subtleties. The underlying messages. Open interpretations. The insight provided by the Q&A (love them!!!) with Producer, Pourya Azarbayjani.
I love movies that have different stories which are somehow tied together. I was constantly trying to predict how one story would flow into the next, who and what themes would weave in and out from all three. It was so well done. I would have almost liked to get more insight into the secondary characters, but the whole movie, much like the title suggests is vague and open-ended.
I want someone to tell me a story. To tell me about life in Iran. What life is like there.
Obviously the subject matter is very sensitive in its native Iran, it hasn't really been embraced by the cinemas there (yet?!?). This was the North American premiere of the movie. Mr. Azarbayjani gave great answers (through an interpreter) to some great questions...I was so impressed. This guy is my age and see what he's accomplished? Oh, no, I'm not going to go comparing myself to other people out there, it could get too depressing. But really, the insight and strength that he had was really fantastic. I hope he keeps making movies they way he wants, and for what he wants.
For sure...watch this movie.

This was the last movie I saw at TIFF07...and I have to say, I loved the experience. I probably would never see movies like this. Having access to such an international group of films, I felt really really fortunate. Hearing different languages (not just in the movies, but in Toronto - which is a really multicultural city, for sure, but all clumped together on Bloor Street...I don't know how to describe it. It reminded me of living in Europe. Mental note: find some way to speak French soon). Chatting with total strangers (reminded me a little bit of the Olympic spirit that was in Torino). What a great vibe. You know, things like this are great for the city. Tourism, sense of community, enjoyment of the arts. I love this city and the amazing things that it has to offer.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff07.ca

My Kid Could Paint That

This past Monday night, I got to see my first TIFF movie.
I was downtown anyway, so I thought that I'd walk by the theatre to check out the "rush ticket" situation for this movie that was already sold out. The line was short at 10 people, so after chatting with some volunteers, being a in a pretty good mood and having something to do to pass the time, I thought, you know what? Why not, I'm already here and it's something that I've said that I've wanted to be a part of, so nothing to lose right? An hour of my time really isn't too big of a deal. I'd be at home getting ready for bed anyway. Carpe diem.
My Kid Could Paint That seems to be a documentary about Marla Olmstead and her art. I say seems, because that would be the logical subject matter for the movie.
Marla Olmstead and her family (parents and younger brother) live in Binghamton, New York where at the age of three...pretty much four, she lauded as being a master of modern art. Her art work gets displayed in a gallery and gets sold for thousands of dollars. Worldwide media eats up the story...and the downward spiral begins. There's an "expose" on 60minutes which discredits Marla's abilities and also points a finger to her father as tampering with her individual creative processes.
As I'm watching the movie, I'm torn regarding Producer, Amir Bar-Lev's intentions in this film. Where does he stand in the matter of the authenticity of Marla's work? Who is to "blame" for the hype?
I quickly start to detest certain people. Lose trust in others. Sympathize with others.
For me, Marla's younger brother, Zane seems to be a tell-tale in how this all works. From being ignored, from acting out, from having your loving older sister try to get you praise. You have to see it for yourself.
There's big discussion about Marla's talents. There was a comparison between some of her "early" works (during the buzz) and her "later" works (during the scandal) and to me (untrained artist), the style is completely different. But I have a theory (cause I'm still rooting for the kid). The early stuff, done at age three, early fours don't seem to have set focal points. Lots to colours, smeared (sounds kind of vulgar for something so, ummm, special) in different ways, swirled, mixed. Just like in the picture above. This is the "period" of Marla's work that I really enjoy. The later stuff is more thematic, has motifs of shapes, ideas. I'm wondering is there's something in a child's development when children go from "scribbling" (again, a vulgar term, but it's how I equate it to the style of art of a non-genius child) to things that have form? From experimenting with colours to experimenting with shapes?
And anyway, if you like the art, who cares who created it (and how old they are). Aren't you paying big bucks for what you seen on the canvas? Oh, if only it were that simple.
At the end of the screening, Amir Bar-Lev did a Q&A with the audience. I had so many questions to ask, but was too shy to do so. Lots of other people put up their hands. We could have kept going forever, but was cut off. This is why I think it's worth the $20 to see movies at the Film Festival. Not only do you get to see movies that you may not get to see in a mainstream theatre setting, but you get a chance to see and hear from people associated to the movie. I was three for three for Q&A's. I don't know if I was just lucky, or if that's completely normal. It made the movie more personal and more insight could be gained as well.
By the end of the movie, while some things are still unclear (in the Q&A, it seemed as though Mr. Bar-Lev was still unclear about a couple things as well), but what it clear is that this documentary shows that it is not Marla that we focus on (even though she's super-duper cute and completely unfazed by any of this, afterall, she's just having fun and playing and most of the time the social engagements are this confusing chore to her), it's the adults in her lives. Their interactions. Their involvement.
Here's the movie's official website.
I would recommend this film...for sure. And then let's have a discussion!

- picture courtesy of www.tiff07.ca

Lessons learned from my first TIFF

- Don't wait until last minute to think about the Toronto International Film Festival. If you do, then chances are, you've already missed the boat.
- Check the website and/or sign-up for the newsletter for volunteer and staffing announcements. Working with the Toronto International Film Festival Group seems like a really fun experience and you get to interact with lots of neat people!
- Never trust the ticketing section of the TIFF website. Here's hoping that they do something about that for next year!
- There are more than 10 movies that are good (if you watch movies alone, and if you don't you definitely won't have any problems), so for sure get a 10-pack. Best deal EVER. That is, unless you've got a lot of stamina and time to go full tilt and get a full-out pass of some sort.

If you did leave it until last minute...
- Usually a good chance that there's a couple more tickets available the day of the show. But, getting to the box office early is key. First come first serve...you know how it is...
- Same day tickets at theatre box offices are cheaper than at the Manulife Centre box office. The trade-off is that theatre box-offices usually open later...so you're taking a risk that tickets may disappear between 7am and theatre opening times. The price difference is minimal...$1
- Student/Senior pricing available for same-day tickets. Save money where you can!
- Rush tickets are a total possibility. Line up about 1h15m before the show starts and you're practically guaranteed to get in. You'll be surprised how fast the time goes if you're prepared (with some reading and/or music to listen to) and/or have company (familiar and new-found...seriously, everyone's so nice!). Anywhere less is a crap shoot, well, technically anything is a crap shoot, but from what I've seen it's been pretty good. I never tried to Rush a Gala though.
- Getting lucky is also a possibility too...waiting in Rush, lots of people who's friends couldn't make it, or are just too pooped to attend the screening are trying to get rid of their tickets. Feel free to bargain with them (depending on how desperate the parties involved are). Usually, the timing's perfect that you pick up a ticket, go and grab a coffee and come back feeling superior or that you just head right into the theatre to wait in the "Ticket Holder's" line. Yes, some ticket holders line up 1h15m in advance as well.

It was such a great experience - can't wait for next year!

I eat my words

Awhile back, I scoffed at Forever 21 moving into the city.
A couple days ago, I willed myself to go in, and realised that I was most likely thinking of a different store that I'd visited in the States. Either that, or it's undergone a major upheaval in the past two years.
The store had lots of selection on items that ranged from down right blah and trashy to not so bad. I found two items in the entire store that I would have wanted to try on, but couldn't be bothered because the queues for the fitting rooms were too long and/or they didn't come in...well, black. The prices weren't too bad.
I'd say that this store could be the American equivalent to H&M. And I enjoy H&M. Not all of their lines, but I can usually find something that I like.
Anyway, I don't hate Forever 21 anymore. The next time I walk by, if it's a weekday morning (tidy store with not many people), I'll go in. I'm willing to give it a chance.

Great idea

I like this.

Getting groceries in Yorkville

I guess I'd always vaguely wondered...where do the Yorkville residents go to buy their produce? Last night, I ventured into two such places: Pusateri's and Whole Foods Market.

I'd vaguely heard of Pusateri's, but obviously not enough, as I thought it was a trendy eatery that celebs enjoyed. They friggin have valet parking. Whoa snob central. I was kinda hoping for a Harrods Food Halls type of experience, but upon entry, I quickly realised that there was no room for such a place. It's a tiny little shop, but it contains, as you would expect in such an area, gourmet goods. The hot foods counter smelled amazing and the fresh seafood counter was incredible. I've never seen shrimp or scallops so huge in my entire life! There wasn't much selection, but I'm sure that these specific brands and goods were hand picked off a very upity list. It was obvious that Fiji water is still trendy, but I was happy to see that they had Voss (only still, come to think of it, I haven't had bubbly water since I've come home. I used to live on that stuff!) available as well. The best part of the store was the pastry counter for sure. The cakes were created with presentation in mind, but I'm sure the taste is just as good. They seemed decently priced as well. Of course everything in the store was overpriced, but I wouldn't expect anything less. I would love to get something baked from there, but other than that, I don't see myself going into the store ever again. The store was too small and didn't have enough choice for my liking. If I'm going to spend that much money on food, I want to have a variety of gourmet items to pick from...like Whole Foods.

Five years or so ago, I walked by this Whole Foods store, realising that it was in Yorkville, but was told it was just your average health nut market. I never thought to go in since then. In London, I walked into the Whole Foods, and was flabbergasted. It was big, shiny and new. I was impressed. It had all that healthy, organic, environmentally conscious stuff, but I could tell it was partly fashionable as well. I never made the connection that there was this exact store sitting in trendy-land Toronto. So, last night, when I went in, it clicked. Sure, I'm sure it's all fine and good, but it's located in the right area as well. Having just come from Pusateri's I really enjoyed the largeness of the store. The long aisles (well labeled, just like your average grocery store) and lotsa brand selection. The water aisle (I'm a little bit of a fanatic) had both still and sparkling Voss, along with your staples, Fiji (of course), and even some Hildon. I sampled their handmade pizza (soooo tasty), and was tempted to get a fig and almond thing. I forget what it was called, but it was like a compressed packet of sweet and sticky goodness. Watching the customers, it was the appropriate mix of trendy students and people living in the area. I found that some of the customers were very inconsiderate of others. Like, the whole, I'm so entitled thing. The customers at Pusateri's were so much more glam, but seemed so much more friendly. Maybe I would go to Pusateri's again...the experience is so important when shopping. And the pastries too...

Press noticed Colin Farrell too

I wonder if this homeless guy is the same as this homeless guy?
It doesn't really matter. I'm impressed on so many levels.

UPDATE: It's totally the same guy. Wicked.

The changing face of Toronto's shopping venues

My theory is this: Torontonians are starting to enjoy big sprawling strip malls as opposed to tall, contained shopping malls.
Sure, malls like Yorkdale and the Eaton's Centre are still very popular, but Vaughan Mills and RioCan type of situations are popping up all over the place.
Is this because it's cheaper for the builder/tenant? Or that shoppers enjoy this type of experience better?
Perfect bizzaro example: Morningside Mall, situated at Lawrence and Kingston Rds. Self contained mall, in not necessarily the most thriving area, but it had a food court, bank, grocery store, public library and Walmart among other things. Some of these staple tenants left, leaving the mall pretty useless. Instead of getting new tenants, or even tearing down the mall itself, I've noticed that at the perimeter of the expansive parking lot, little sections of buildings are going up with retail spaces...including Starbucks. If a Starbucks is there, it means that they haven't completely given up hope. I just find it so confusing. It's like a donut of potential commercial energy around a black hole of abandoned stuff.

Loyalty

I find that I viciously loyal to certain things. Restaurants, stores, brands, whatever. Once I decide on a base, I find it really hard to venture toward a competitor with an open mind. Especially when it has a sotry behind it.
Take m0851 for example. Rudsak is much more affordable, and has coats to die for, but I can't do it.
Or Second Cup. Starbucks is a big no-no for me.

Such a nerd

Okay, I don't think you have to be a nerd to find this activity supremely cool.

It may be hard to describe, but I'll give it a go.

Step 1: Take a strip of paper and create a loop with it. Overlap the ends a bit and tape together so the loop won't come apart.

Step 2: Repeat with a second equally sized strip of paper. (The loops don't have to be very big.) So now to have two separate, but identical loops.

Step 3: Stack the two loops on top of each other in such a way that it looks like you have a number 8. Rotate the top loop 90degrees so that you've still got an 8, but one circle is facing you, and other is facing the side. If you look down on the top of the 8, you see: +. Tape the loops together so that your shape doesn't come apart.

Step 4: Take a pair of scissors and cut one of the loops in half in such a way that you will create two equal sized (skinnier) loops. (You will go all the way through the middle where the two loops are connected.)

Step 5: Repeat with the other loop.

(Keep in mind, if I were leading this activity, I'd probably be asking all kinds of leading questions and stuff to get you thinking and hypothesizing...)

OMG!!!

It's (slightly) loosing it's appeal

I think for the rest of the TIFF, I'm going to think it's super cool to spot celebs, but not be over zealous and take their pics. In a bunch of year, when I go through my pics...will I really have any use for them? I mean, I can find lots of better pics of them through many resources.
Come to think of it...how substantial are any of the pics that I have? Or objects that I've aquired?

Oh yeah...saw Leelee Sobieski and maybe Tricia Helfer arriving to their screening of Walk All Over Me. Leelee for sure, cause someone said so (after the fact) and Tricia maybe cause I compared pictures on the net to my memory. My memory's bad enough, but I was gawking more at her unfortunate fashion statement of a dress than spending time looking at her face. Leelee also stood out with her bad fashion sense (which clued me into the fact that she was someone important - cause she was dressed up fancy), but no one was paying attention to her for some reason. I didn't have a cue from the crowd to cycle through the famous people named "Leelee" in my head, so I just kept staring for awhile. I thought she looked sorta like Helen Hunt, but I would have thought more people who've recognized her. That and she dress much better.

Blind

I'm going out of order, but this one will be short, so I'm writing it quickly. I just got home from the theatre. Darn the commute.

This movie was AMAZING. It was the first screening of it...period. I felt so special. At least I think it was. Maybe first screening in North America. The movie was introduced by the director, Tamar van den Dop and the lead actor, Joren Seldeslachts. The producer, Petra Goedings sent along a letter (SO well written, I couldn't believe it) as she was in the Netherlands, due to go into labour at any time.

To save you time on clicking, I'll give you the description of Blind from the TIFF website:
**************
Remarkably beautiful to look at and listen to, Blind is a fable come vividly to life. It also exerts a formidable pull on the heartstrings throughout all its plot twists, keeping viewers tightly pinned to their seats.

Ruben (Joren Seldeslachts) is a young man who, along with his mother and assorted household staff, inhabits a large estate in the country sometime in the late nineteenth century. Ruben cannot see, and he is also rapaciously bloody-minded, ruling the household through fierce tantrums and intimidation. This frustrating state of affairs comes to a head upon the arrival of Marie (Halina Reijn), a pale-as-snow, slightly odd-looking older woman who is just as strong-willed as Ruben. She refuses to become embroiled in his power struggles, as she has been hired to read to him and she loves books more than anything else.

It is the perfect job for Marie. Emotionally scarred by a childhood trauma, she believes herself to be grotesque, so a blind employer relieves her of self-consciousness. Ruben doesn’t love anyone or anything until Marie’s quiet insight into his soul provokes an affection for her stronger than anything he has ever felt before. In the bleak winter months, the two misunderstood outsiders find each other.

Into their unlikely idyll swoops a doctor who insists that Ruben’s eyesight can be restored through a new surgical procedure. Ruben wants the operation to be able to finally see his true love and the world around her, but Marie panics, convinced that Ruben will discover she is ugly and her only love will be destroyed. The remarkable and unexpected turns that follow are reminiscent of both O. Henry and Aesop.

Sound has a prominent place in Blind; the attention-grabbing aural barrage of the opening, for example, soon gives way to more melodic textures and temperatures. This auditory richness, combined with impeccable period production design by Hubert Pouille, makes the film a sensual as well as emotional experience. Confidently directed by first-time feature filmmaker Tamar van den Dop, with memorable performances by both Seldeslachts and Reijn, Blind exquisitely explores that age-old question: is true love really blind?

-Jane Schoettle
**************

It was beautifully shot. The colours. The sounds. The ending was great. I wasn't sure how it was going to end, and I'm very happy with how it did. I don't like movies very often, so the fact that I like this one makes me think that it's special. Or at least it's my type of movie. This movie is intense. That's for sure. I don't want to say too much more. I don't want to give anything away. It was so good.

There was a Q&A afterwards (that's two for two!) and I have to say that I didn't really have any questions. The first movie I watched was a documentary with many issues and "controversy", so lots to discuss, but this was just a beautiful story. It's there, no confusion. I think the audience may have felt that was as well. In the other movie, we had to be cut off. In this one, I think to a certain extent, people were grasping at straws so they didn't seem uninterested. And the venue for this movie was much bigger, so more people to pool from.

All I can say is that I hope there's hype about the film somewhere down the line. It deserves it. Or should I say, all parties involved deserve it.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff07.ca

Things are a changing

Paramount Theatre ---> Scotiabank Theatre

Hummingbird Centre (or O'Keefe Centre for the cool kids) ---> Sony Centre

Stop the madness!

Yeh yeh yeh!!!

I went to a TIFF movie last night and will go to another tonight! I'll write more soon... Yeh yeh yeh!!!!

Getting caught up in the TIFF frenzy

Love the frenzy. Well, maybe not really, but I'm on Bloor Street a lot lately, so something was bound to happen at some point.

Fact: The person with the celeb with the huge day planner and is constantly checking their cell phone is the publicist.

Fact: People wait around the entrance of the Hotel InterContinental all the time, waiting for "someone famous" to walk out They don't know who's coming out and when, but they still wait.

Fact: TIFF revellers are a friendly bunch. This is from my interactions with staffers (my fav is the Trivial Pursuit in the Rush line...candy prizes!), volunteers, attendees, star-struck fans...

Fact: I lied. Not everyone is friendly. Hard-core paparazzi are pushy and grumpy (there are more casual ones who are just happy to show off the lucky shots they got and tell you fun stories about the encounters they've had). I've also met the breed who have glossy photos (headshots, screen shots, movie posters) and sharpies ready to go. They obviously have inside info to know which glossy to have on hand (literally, the others that they don't need are in their fancy envelopes). They are rude and just want to make money off of the situation. Bah.

Sightings: Who knows? I'm sure I've walked right by a bunch of famous people, but I'm the worst at spotting them.

**pic to be posted**Sighting: I lied. Colin Farrell was pretty obvious. I'd joined the crowd in front of the Intercontinental for kicks, and when he came out and the mob started going crazy, it was a cue for my mind started cycling through the options. It didn't take long.

**pic to be posted**Sighting: Lisa Ray? That's what someone told me. I'd never heard of her.

**pic to be posted**Sighting: _______. People took pictures and asked for autographs. I figure he's somewhat important.

Story: Guy beside me in the frenzy say "Hi" to Colin Farrell. Colin turns around, says "Hi ____. Nice to see you again." (I'm bad with names.) And gives him a hug. Colin take a good look at him, asks how he's been and stuff and then invites him to go with him to the hotel for lunch. They get into the towncar and drive off. Mucho jealous.

Story: Last year, Colin Farrell befriended a homeless guy in Toronto and at some point, gave him $2000. I stood beside him in the frenzy. (Either the really down to earth paparazzi was trying to spread a rumour, or else Colin Farrell is a pretty cool guy.)

Hair problems

Ever since I've come back to Canada, I've noticed that my hair is greasier. Does weather have to do anything with it? My diet is different, I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Difference in the water? I'm using the same shampoo, so that's not the problem. Some weird chemical change in my genetic make-up? It's really weird, and really annoying.
There were some people in Neuch who said that after they moved there, their hair was greasier, so that's backwards to what I'm getting. I didn't notice a change when I went though. I did notice that my eczema had died down a bit. The water is really hard, and leaves your skin really dry...
I have no idea what's causing my greasy hair, but I hope it goes back to normal soon. It's bizarro.

Refining my palette

I still remember the first time I had sushi. It must have been in grade 8 or 9, on a Saturday night. I remember that I had skating the next morning. I always had skating Sunday morning and hated it. I'm not a morning person, so waking up for practice was torture. I remember trying to shave off my "getting-ready" time to maximize my sleeping time by going to sleep with my contacts on. Those couple of seconds would make a huge difference. I stopped rather quickly however, because, well, sleeping with your contacts on really really sucks. And the time that it take for you to get them feeling back to normal again, it pretty just as long (if not longer) as it would take to put them in in the first place.
Anyway, my cousin and his (at the time) girlfriend (now, wife) took my brother and I out for sushi. The real stuff. Raw ingredients included. I was totally freaked out, but did try a little bit. I hated it. I remember being pretty grumpy about it as well. I guess I just felt like there was nothing that I could eat. I'd had seaweed before, so that part of the rolls didn't creep me out...so by default, it was the raw fish. My brother seemed ok with the stuff, if I remember correctly.
Up until a year or two ago, I was still scared to try the stuff. I didn't mind California Rolls and other rolls that had tempura or other cooked seafood items in it, but the raw stuff was no good. And I wouldn't even think about sashimi. One day however, I decided to give it another go. I was eating with a group of people and the plate included a variety of different things (cooked and non-cooked) so if I was completely repulsed by the raw stuff, I would still have food to eat.
Funny how your palette changes with age. I remember hating the taste and texture of the stuff, but now, I like it. I quite enjoy it.
There's a couple other things that over time, I've just all of a sudden realised that I don't mind eating. Things that I remember detesting when I was a child, but now, I enjoy. Black licorice...eggplants, for example.
One thing that I have not developed the taste for is alcohol. I don't know what it is. I actually think my aversion to alcohol is getting worse. Even smelling the person beside me, or at the table drinking the stuff is enough to make me noxious. I really wish it didn't.

All I Want Is Everything: A Gossip Girl Novel

All I Want Is Everything: A Gossip Girl Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The third installment of the Gossip Girl series, this one was exactly as you'd expect it to be. The plotline was similar, the characters were similar, the lifestyles were similar...no big surprises here!
Each book seems to take place over the span of a month or two...not very long in the grand scheme of the literary world. In the first book, the main group was heading into their senior year of high school. Book two was around Thanksgiving. This book around Christmas. I haven't looked into what the future books revolve around, but (just like Laguna Beach) I'm sure it's going to climax at the end of the year graduation. I'm not sure how many book it'll take to get there, and whether or not the series will continue into university.
This book also had a pretty unfinished ending. One that made it obvious that it was part of a series and that hopefully in the next book, you got to see how certain plotlines would be developed.
Sigh, gotta love mindless reading.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel

You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar

I'm done the second book of the Gossip Girl series. Very similar to the first...but not as good.
Feel free to jump into the series with any book. They give a good synopsis of the background of each character and the events leading up to the book in question.
I'm going to start the third now...might as well read it since I have it. Going to keep up this whole reading thing as long as I can. Don't really care what it is that I'm reading, just want to read and to start like reading. I get the feeling I'm going to have to do a lot of reading soon. Actually I've already got a couple things to start. At least they're not big textbooks. I hate those. And hopefully I'll enjoy these because it's about what I love.

Gossip Girl - A Novel

Gossip Girl - A Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar

I'd seen my students reading it. I'd seen commercials for the upcoming TV show. When a friend was talking about how she needed to get the latest installment of the series, I thought, maybe there's something about this whole "Gossip Girl" thing.
This series is aimed at high school students, but I think it's the tweens who'll really love the book. I do believe, however, that those older maybe be a little bit more appropriate for some of the content and language used. Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't think that teenagers should have easy access to some of the topics in the book.
Pretty much a chick-lit book for teenagers, Gossip Girl is Laguna Beach in book form. It follows the daily lives of upper-class high school students in New York. Students who attend the best private schools in the city, are preparing for their AP exams and looking to get into the top colleges because their too-busy and never-there parents expect nothing less. There is a webpage, gossipgirl.net created by "gg" herself which outlines the escapades of the main "group" in the school. The cool kids, as it were. Like I said before, it's Laguna Beach.
Anyway, it's an extremely read. Perfect for TTC commutes into town. Small little novels with short chapters, really easy to put your bookmark in and move on with your real life. And light! Perfect to stick in a bag without weighing it down (I tend to put too much stuff in my bags).
I miss the days of The Babysitter's Club. Fun little series, innocent in the content, but still fun. Sure, times change and priorities and "hot topics" change, but I just don't think that a book that involves a bulimic main character (and no mention of the negative effects of it), lots of free-flowing alcohol (some parents in real-life may not approve, I say real-life, because the parents in the book encourage the behavior), drugs and sex is the best thing for kids.
Just my opinion. Then why am I ready to read the second book in the series? Well, just like Laguna Beach, it's addictive. A little part of you wishes you grew up like them, but at the same time is completely happy not to have some of their problems.
Come to think of it, I guess there are some good issues that one could take out of the book (although they're not discussed in-depth). Things like, why the kids are drinking, smoking and doing drugs. The different pressures that arise from their social standing. The effect that their parents have on them. That stuff is kind of neat to think about. I don't really think that raising these issues is a main focus of this book, but I guess, as an educator, and one who's been exposed to some of these issues...well, I guess I'm grasping at straws here.
I would personally not recommend this book to all children, but for others out there, sure, read it. It's flaky enough, if that's what you're looking for in a book. The guilty pleasure kind of thing.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Miffed because of TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival is in town. You know, I'm not even sure why I linked to the website - it's horrible!

You see, I don't really know much about how the Festival works, I just know that it's getting more and more popular, celebs show up for the event and lotsa good movies are played.

After finally trying to go onto the website and looking into the ticketing procedures, and then trying to sort through all of the different movies to see which ones I was interested in (I have to admit, my starting point was the selections of other reviewers and then narrowing down the field from there) I thought I understood the format well enough to prepare a list of movies that I was interested in seeing.

I was still a little confused about the prices of the tickets ($20 for a movie is pretty steep and then there's a whole "Premium" ticket thing that I didn't really understand) but was excited to see that once the tickets were released to the public, most of the shows still had tickets available (except Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution"...darn it). Hearing that there's an extra surcharge on tickets bought on the net, I decided to head down to the Manulife Centre and pick up tickets in person.

Apparently the line of 20ish people was considered short, but before I could join it, I looked at the "availability" board. And then everything went wrong.

ALL of the movies that I wanted to see were unavailable. On the plus side, I guess that means that I picked good movies. Movies that a lot of other people thought were worth paying money to see too. Sigh.

So why did they show up fine on the internet? A representative said that they were having some technical difficulties with their website. I was told that very rarely would new tickets become available and that they would also become available if anyone decided to return their tickets. I asked about the "Premium" tickets. Apparently, at Gala performances, there are chats with the director or another important person to do with the movie...so this I would understand needing to pay more for. The other type of expensive ticket goes for movies that are being shown at the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre. The theatre is a little nicer than other venues, but the only reason that the representative gave as to why the tickets were so expensive (pretty much twice the price of the already expensive regular priced ticket) was that usually stars went to watch movies at this location. So, pretty much you're paying to sit in the same, albeit dark (so you can't really see them) room as someone famous. Right.

So pretty much, my chance to being part of the TIFF is next to nothing. Boo-urns.

The representative did state that waiting in line for rush seats often turns out well. Now, I don't know how early in advance the queue starts up, but letting in approx 20 people's not bad in my eyes. Maybe I'll do that. I'll just go downtown, and walk by the theatre to see what's up and hopefully snag a seat so that I can say that I was part of TIFF.

FYI, here's a couple of the movies I was hoping to see (in case by some weird stroke of luck, by posting names my measly blog gets people to return their tickets exactly at the moment that I walk into the Manulife):
*Blind*Breakfast with Scot*Buddha Collapsed out of Shame*Chacun son Cinema*My Kid Could Paint That*Secret Sunshine*Unfinished Stories*

I can never spot them, but I still love thinking that I'm hanging out with celebs and doing super cool things like being an amateur film critic. And I'm in Toronto. I said that I wanted to make the most out of everything that It had to offer right?

I wonder how I can start networking so that I can attend a Fashion Week somewhere. Did that comment come out from left field? The segue made complete sense in my mind.

Speaking of celebs, Sassafraz is still not open. The scaffolding is gone, but it's obvious that the hot-spot is nowhere near completion. I guess their goal of being open in time for the festival didn't work out. I gotta get to Lobby somehow. I still remember when it first opened...but I still haven't gone.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff07.ca

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

I'm done!!! It was A-MA-ZING!
Seriously. I thought it was really good.
I can't go into details about why I thought of the plot line, because I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone else who hasn't read it yet.
It's a thick enough book that I couldn't finish it all in one go. It took awhile for me to get going on the book, come to think of it. Which was nice. That from the beginning, I wasn't immediately engrossed in the plot line, so I could put the book down and have a life.
The beginning worried me a bit, because I was completely lost. Stuff was being brought up that I'd completely forgot had happened. For awhile, I'd actually thought that I'd missed reading the second to last book and that I'd skipped a whole installment. That's one thing that I would criticize about the series. The books haven't been published quickly enough for me to remember what had happened previously, which is a little bit of a problem when the author likes to bring up little details which turn out to be really important. Sure, I could have re-read the last book just before I knew this one was coming out again, but I don't think that should be necessary. Especially with the fact that the movies are so far behind, I could see people getting confused between what had just happened in the last book, to what had just happened in the last movie. At least that's what happened to me. A big re-cap isn't necessary, just a little something to get readers back into the zone. Also, it'd be nice for those who are just picking the series up at the last book (I would assume that most people wouldn't do this, but you never know). It'd just made it that much more accessible.
I was really impressed with the author's ability to link up little pieces of info from previous books to the plot in this final installment of the series. I really hate being able to predict what's going to happen in movie, so I guess that's the same kind of thing for books. I don't mind it in the cheesy movies, where it's supposed to be a fairy tale ending, but I rather enjoy it when it's only at the end that everything comes together and a whole bunch of things are explained. Lots of great eureka moments.
Nearing the end of the book, it was getting really good. The chapters ended on cliffhangers making you want to keep reading. For the first time in a couple Harry Potter books, I wasn't confused at the amount of pages left to the book while I was reading. Just like I sometimes look at the time when watching a TV show or a movie to see how much is left of the show/movie to predict how much more the plot can develop, I often take a look at the width of the book still left to go. The pacing of this one seemed alright.
As the plot line was heating up, I had moments where my eyes couldn't keep up to the speed at which my brain was trying to soak up the story. I had to slow myself down to really read the words properly and take in what was happening. At the best parts, the book played out like a movie in my head. I could see and hear the characters...the way that it was written seemed so perfect to be translated onto the big screen.
As I said before, once the story started to build, I really appreciated the pacing. It was non-stop suspense and excitement for awhile and then, I can only explain it as a sigh. Like the "slow part" of a skating program. A nice breather for all the anxiety that had been built up.
Was I surprised by the ending? Yes and no. Before I started reading the book, I had a guess as to what would happen. This did come up in the book, but the ending wasn't exactly as I'd expected. I guess the build up before the book was published made me believe something that wasn't true. As I was nearing the end, and things were falling into place, while I wasn't completely sure how it would end, I had a pretty good idea.
Anyway, it's a good book. I hope Harry Potter fans enjoyed it.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Santé!

FYI, I'm bringing it into Canadian culture. No special occassion required.

Vaduz, Liechtenstein (July 25th, 2007)

The principality of Liechtenstein is its own little thing. It's not Switzerland (although they use the Swiss Franc as currency) and it's not Austrian (although they speak a mutated version of German).
I went there on a day trip. I saw the whole capital city, Vaduz in, errr...1 hour or so. Sure, it took 3.5hours to get there (faster than getting to the Italian part of Switzerland - it's a small country, but those mountains tend to get in the way) but I wanted to see it, and I wanted to max out my GA while I could. The journey wasn't bad. I got to go through Zurich train station one last time (love it!) and the scenery was great. A little nap time and mind wandering, the SBB is where it's at.
So yeah, Liechtenstein. I'll sum it up rather quickly. It's pretty. It's quaint. It looked like the equivalent of a European suburb. Cute, well kept houses, well maintained gardens and a very expensive car in the driveway.
The royal family lives there, so you can't visit the inside. I did walk up the hill to get closer to it (you never know, I could have run into one of the princes...never mind, the youngest one's already married and is kinda old) and get a great view of the town below.
Yes, this is the whole town. To the right of the picture is Austria. To the left is the Swiss alps where Heidi lives. No joke. She's from there.
There really wasn't much to do there. I walked around, even took a little train tour of the town. Wasn't particularly interested in going to the Royal wine cellar (I had to look up that word in the dictionary. I knew the French word, but couldn't remember the English - yikes!) to do a tasting. I did buy stamps though. How typical.
There were quite a lot of tourists there. I was surprised. I guess it's an easy stop on a tour or while driving through Europe. Even though there isn't much to do, it's really pretty, and that I think is worth the visit.

More Toronto

The random growth on the Royal Ontario Museum...a crystal if you will. It's still not done even though they've had lots of parties saying that it is. Oh, have you heard? There's going to be an obelisk. Give money and get your name on it. It lights up. So the sign says...even though, it too isn't done yet and therefore doesn't light up. Those tricksters.


The brand spanking new Varsity Centre. You can see the CN Tower on the left and Robarts Libary on the right, both fighting for screen time.

Toronto

This is the city. It is beautiful. The sun only makes it better.
Big up to the best balcony view. I'm mucho jealous.

[Just want to say that my pics are much better quality than the grainy things that you see here - especially when you enlarge the photos, gross! - for some reason I have to cut the quality to upload 'em.]
UPDATE: maybe not. depending on how the internet's feeling sometimes the uploading's fine. this one should be normal quality now...oh gross. it's still pretty gross.

Leysin (July 14th, 2007)

Exactly 10 years ago I was at the same place at the same time. I wanted to wait until the perfect moment in my Neuch experience to go back. To go back to where it all began. Just a couple weeks before the experience would be ending seemed the most fitting. Closure.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about being there. I wasn't even sure if I knew how to get there. I wasn't sure if it would look the same.




As soon as I got off the train at Aigle to make my connection...I knew. It all...it was just there. The rest of the day was like this bizarre re-awakening. Unbelievable.
The signs...the cog train...the view...the paths through the woods...the Co-op where I
sampled my first chocolate bars and chuckled to myself that the "Swiss Alpina" water that we all hated was actually just the Co-op brand of sparkling water...Chalet Fougeres, and although I don't think they still have the same program, I just wondered who the guests staying there were.
Some things, you just can't put into words.

10th time to Paris

My 10th time to Paris would be my last time for quite awhile. You know, I'll miss taking off to Paris for the weekend. It's a city that has everything that I love. People, culture, food, attitude, shopping, metro, character, museums, foreign language, monuments, lights...you name it.
I timed the trip with les soldes. I remembered from the year before how crazy it was, but I figured that I could make a couple big purchases this time to blow some of my hard earned money on the same continent where I got it. I'd actually wanted to go back to Milan for a day, but it never ended up happening, because I was too busy getting on planes and saying goodbyes.
I kept flirting with the idea of staying at a super swanky hotel to live up my fabulousness, but as always, bailed and stayed at a very budget place. This turned out to be a good thing, because, for some reason, the theme of the weekend was "be as non-*L* like as possible". Ie. copious amounts of money were spent, some without rationalization. Sigh.
I am a very indecisive shopper. Regardless of price point, it takes me awhile to decide on an item. I'm really fast at moving on once I know it's not for me, but if I have any inkling that I might enjoy the item, I can spend hours (no exaggeration) in the shop and even throughout the day weighing pros and cons, colour and sizing options and scenarios for the purchase or lack thereof.

Day1: I arrived the day prior to the start of the sale in order to scope out the merchandise. I knew that they would be putting some of the sale stuff out, and I could chat with the salespeople about how much and what would be be on sale the next day. I figured this was a wise move, not only to slip into Parisian-french mode, but this way I would also have an extra night pre-sale time to rationalize my purchases and to make a game plan for the first day.

Day 2: First day of les soldes!!! Armed and prepared with my order of places to visit (it would be interspersed with non-shop stops to let me take a break from the hectic shopping world) I started the first shopping day at Galeries Lafayettes and Le Printemps. It was mayhem right from the get go. I arrived pretty soon after the doors had been opened, assuming that it would be pretty empty just like last year. I was wrong. There were plenty of people lining up to the little booths and fighting over items. Mayhem. I ignored the crowds and headed towards my key locations.

Purchase #1: A white Celine tote. The classic Boogie. Clean and elegant, ready to be used at my next professional event. Enough on sale for me to make the purchase right off the bat (in retrospect, this should have been a red-flag that I would be ready to pull out the credit card that day a lot easier than normal and that I would have to be on high alert for the rest of the day...it didn't happen). I was almost about to purchase a second bag, a gorgeous eggplant colour with a bronze sheen, but as I was waiting in the already long line to pay, my mind had enough time to revert back to normalness and second-guess the purchase. One salesperson told me that I could return any items if I changed my mind, which kept me in line. Perfect, I could have a couple days to think about the purchase and then bring it bag when I realized how extravagant they were. The cashier said, no, sales were final and that I couldn't even put anything on hold. After begging and pleading and talking to the nicer salesperson, I had the purse put on hold until the end of the day, knowing full well that as soon as I left the store, I probably wouldn't be back to make the purchase. I would have too much time to rationalize the situation. I still think the bag was beautiful, and I would love to have it, but it would be too much. My purchase had a purpose and in the grand scheme of things, a much safer of a bet for the long haul. Oh, and a visit later that day showed that the whole Boogie stock had been depleted. I can't believe how fast this merchandise moves.

After a little bit more of a walk around and starting to get overwhelmed by it all, I headed to the next shop on my list. Repetto. I was a little earlier than I'd planned and the shop was still closed. I had company though. Repetto has a cult following and while some people texted, some read books that they'd brought with them and a couple of us chatted about beautiful shoes. My wannabe flats were admired...I told them to take a trip to London for some good deals.

Purchase #2: Three pairs of ballet flats and a top. I had fully prepared myself for this to be a loooong stop in the day as I knew that the colour options would be a bit of a problem for me. Luckily there weren't as many options as I'd envisioned and after paring down the selection, I spent long enough in the store that the salespeople let me do my own thing in the corner and would only come by every so often to see how I was doing and stop for a little chat and this and that. I was also smart enough to arrive at opening, because 15 minutes in, there was a long line outside the shop complete with red velvet roping and black suit clad security guard. A great addition, as last year, there was no limit on shop capacity. It was horrible.

Purchase #3: I make my way to Longchamp and am miffed by the store set up. They actually have outlet style bins of goods on sale and their shelves have changed from boutique average store. It's cramped. Still, I'm surprised to find a bag I like. A friend had had her eye on a suede Rodeo for a long time, and for some reason the zippers on the black calf-leather version really bothered me. I didn't see any of the Rodeo totes on sale (figures, the good stuff never goes on sale - the staple colours of the Le Pliage bags were also regular price), but I did decide to get the satchel version of the bag. That's bag #2 for the Paris count by the way. And both fell under my pre-made list of basic bags that I needed in my arsenal. You see, I have lots of fun coloured bags and other fashion bags, but I lacked basics. See?!? I'm rationalizing. Still sane.

By this point, I'm kinda shopping-outed. Needing a little break, I went window shopping on Rue St. Honore. It's funny to think back to pre-Neuch times where I felt uncomfortable walking around Yorkville and past the boutiques on Bloor because I didn't feel like I belong. Living in Europe has taught me that it's completely fine to window shop (in and outside of the shop) without feeling bad about it. The stores will always get business (not from me), and if they really felt they needed to be choosy about who enters their store, they would make a point of it. For the most part, the salespeople in the stores are very friendly and often more interested in chatting with you because they truly believe in their products and love fashion and just enjoy the opportunity to pass that love along to anyone who will listen. I've learned a lot from visiting these stores, regardless of whether or
not I will acquire any of the items is irrelevant. It's just such a great learning experience. Oh yes, go to Colette. Men and women alike will enjoy it. Downstairs, main floor, upstairs, there's something for everyone. Serious. Colette is fabulous.
I keep walking through expensive-land and after walking to the beginning of the Champs-Elysees and scanning a couple chain stores that I'll be visiting later (they still have plenty of stock, so there's no rush to get there on the first day of the sales) I veer off to Avenue Montaigne and really have fun playing the part of full-fledged fashionista. Usually, this is innocent fun and I get to marvel in the amazing quality of the stuff, but this time around, something goes horribly wrong...

Purchase #4: A Chloe bag. In my fashion-naivety, I got a Paddington, without realizing that it was a Paddington. Yes, I bought it on sale, but it was still a purchase gone horribly wrong. I think the start of the problem is that Avenue Montaigne has well, really expensive stuff. So expensive that afterwards, when I visit the flagship LV store, I found their stuff very reasonably priced, like, cheaper than the stuff that I'd just been looking at. I'd turned down my beloved Loewe Amazona bag (still pining over it), though I finally gave in to putting it on hold because the saleslady, pretty much forced me to (she wanted me to buy to so badly) probably because it was regular price, but Chloe bags were on crazy sale, so I just felt like having a little fun in the store and tried a couple on. A long time later, I walked out of the store, feeling utterly confused about what had just happened in the previous hour (no joke) and if you're really interested, ask me in person about the stress that this purchase has caused (still happening).

After these three crazy splurging events, I needed to stop. You'd think that fact that my credit card got rejected earlier on would've been a sign - nope, no such luck...you see, it's actually happened a couple times before. I really respect the fact that the fraud department of the credit card company keeps tabs on where their customers are spending money. Even though I've told them that I've been living in Switzerland for the past three years and that I do quite a lot of travelling, they still cancel my card every so often, and it's not necessarily on purchases that you'd think that they'd do it on. The lady I spoke with on the phone this time laughed when I precautioned her that I was at les soldes in Paris at the moment and they should be expecting a whole lot of charging on my part. On my way back to the hotel to drop off my stuff and give my feet a little break, I stopped by Costume National on Rue Cambon. This is yet another example of a store that I would never have walked into. Actually, this time was the first time that I walked into the store. I just wasn't intimidated anymore...that, and there was a beautiful gold purse calling out my name. No no, I didn't buy it. By this point in the day, I was starting to rationalized everything, and this purse wasn't on my "list" and the impulse buying was gone. I promise you, it was beautiful...really beautiful. I really wanted to have it.
Anyway, I ended my day by going to watch Cirque du Soleil. I've already written about this experience here.

Day 3: The 2nd day of les soldes means "no expensive items for me". After last night's show, I modelled my new purchases and new I had to stop the madness. I needed to scale back and just enjoy Paris. Now that I'd done the big ticket items, it was time to go on to the basics. Places like: Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti, H&M, Bershka and the clothing/shoe sections of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

Purchase #5 to ka-zillion: I definitely stocked up on some things. And bought gifts for others. Might as well spread the Parisian goodness to those who don't have the means quite yet to be out here with me. And then, was just repelled by the sheer number of people (and shoes) cluttered in the store. I still don't like shopping in cluttered stores. I can't even believe I lasted in some of those stores as long as I did.





After shopping, walking, metro-ing and general Parisian fabulousness (I can't believe how much of Paris I still have yet to discover) I called it a night, but only after going out to the movies. I'd already watched a movie the first night that I'd arrived. It was something to do (I finally got over my fear of going to a movie on my own, when I watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Neuch) and I wanted to make the most out of the cheap prices (compared to Neuch). It was especially great because Paris was in the middle of a summer film festival. 2euro tickets to encourage people to get out and about. What a great idea.





Day 4: The day of "lasts". The last day to see this. The last day to go to that. It was great. I was so happy. Still very tempted by bags, but for the most part, quite content. I tried to soak up everything Parisian. (Oh yes, if you go to Paris, you must go to the Mariage Freres store on rue du Bourg-Tibourg - feel free to go into the Zadig & Voltaire finals store next door - and smell the teas and oogle the teaboys.) What better way to do this than by going to the ballet at the opera house. Finally! Tickets for all shows have been sold out forever, and I lucked out into getting a box seat by lingering long enough and lining up early enough so that I would cross paths with the person that needed to get rid of their ticket.
I got to see La Fille Mal Gardee for the first time. A classic Balanchine ballet, I have to say, it wasn't my favorite. It was a little too fluffy for me. Still, I enjoyed my first time in a box. I felt so special having the door unlocked for me. Having a mirror to check my face and
hair and a place to hand my coat before stepping out where the public could see me sitting. The gentleman beside me had the classic binoculars which I borrowed to get a better glimpse of the dancers. I felt bad for the people at the back of the box who couldn't actually see anything. Don't worry, they knew they wouldn't see anything, but still. I guess that's their own choice. They either wanted to just get into the show period (okay, it wasn't completely sold out,
there were a couple "no sight" seats left) or they were happy enough to hear the music. That ain't me. The opera house is beautiful. Who wouldn't love the rich red velvet fabric? The Chagall on the ceiling? The tall horseshoe shape with the gold gilded boxes? Oh, and I'm pretty sure that I've danced one of the variations back in the day. After a great show and floating down the grand staircase out onto the Place d'Opera, I knew that I needed to finish off my last night in Paris by going to the Champs Elysees one last time.
My plan, to walk up the Champs Elysees toward the Arc de Triomphe, go to La Duree, pick up a sampling of macaroons and sit under the Tour Eiffel and just be. I made it to La Duree, but unfortunately couldn't get to the Tour Effel. I was too stressed out about something else that happened along the way. It was fine and it didn't stop me from having my macaroons. Sooooooo good. Each macaroom tasted
exactly as you would imagine based on the flavour. I still don't consider flowers to be the most appetizing flavour, but you can't blame them, because those ones were right on the money. Seriously, the Cassis-Violette...ridiculous. Even better, rose, no wait...Fleur d'Orangeur. It was mind blowing. Out of all of the ones that night, I'd have to say that I liked the Caramel a la Fleur de Sel the best. A cavity with a hint of saltiness all in one. Amazing.

Last morning in Paris. Last minute shopping. Last minute drooling. A quick walk past by Loewe because it hurt too much. I can't believe it. 10 times. Seems like so many. It wasn't enough. It isn't enough. Can't wait to go back.

Mental note

When I get my own place again and have people over for dinner, I must remember to warm my plates in the oven.
*I know she's never going to read this, but I still wish her all the best for the year*

Price difference

It was only today (sometimes I'm a little slow...) that I realized something. I bought a big loaf of pumpernickel bread a couple days ago. It was $1.99. A similar loaf in Swtizerland would have cost anywhere between 4CHF and 6CHF. That's a pretty big difference. Mind you, I only bought bread from a bakery in Europe. (P.S. I miss bakery goods. 1.80CHF pain au chocolats...sigh.)
I wonder if Toronto bakery prices are comparable to Neuch bakery prices.
Or if Loblaws is comparable to Migros. I'm guessing that maybe it'd be comparable to Co-op and Loblaws would be comparable to a cheaper chain.