Blind Date

It's a show.
It was the first time that I'd been to a show at the Harbourfront Centre and I quite liked it.
The premise for Blind Date is simple. An actress (Rebecca Northam) is going on a blind date set in a cafe in Paris. The date doesn't show up, but she selects a man from the audience to fill in and then who knows what will happen next.
The actress mingled with the audience beforehand, meeting people and basically sizing up the crowd and figuring out potential participants. The seating was intimate with people seated at tables and wine/water/beer/popcorn being sold. I got a major wave of insecurity.
Given everything that I've done in life and experiences I've had, I can't believe how incredibly shy I really am. I entered the room expecting it to be row seating which is completely unintimidating (to me) for someone attending the theatre on their own. When I saw the tables of four with candles and such and pretty much all of the tables already occupied with pairs or triplets of people, I had to take a moment to figure out my next step. One of the ushers (in character) approached me to help me find a seat, and interestingly enough, I was absolutely comfortable talking to him about this and that, laughing as his fake French accent, attempts to compliment me and his apparently astonishment that I was alone (which didn't bother me, even as I said it outloud), but as soon as he suggested that I join another table, I practically started to shake. It's something about meeting new people. Imposing myself. I don't know. I felt like I needed to retreat to the back of the room, which I eventually did and found an empty table to sit at.
Eventually, two pairs of people joined me (which didn't bother me at all, and I was quite happy chatting with them once they'd sat down) and I felt like I was at a pretty special table. We had a blast that night. One pair were ladies who had taken improv classes with Rebecca (one's not a realtor "to make money" and the other one's still in the industry as an editor). The other pair consisted of Rebecca's agent and his friend who was also in the industry as a writer. She said that she's got some kind of animated adult something-or-other coming up on TV.
Anyway, the show was wonderful. It was what exactly how I expected it. Awkward moments where the audience member didn't really know what to do/say. Funny moments where Rebecca put him on the spot. Of course there was a plan of where Rebecca wanted the piece to go, but as we heard in the Q&A session afterwards, there's always room for the piece to go into uncharted territories, which it did that night as well. I was a little surprised at the amount of PDA that happened on stage. I guess the guy loosened up quite a bit!
Even though I had an awkward moment at the beginning of the night, I'm so glad that I went because I laughed and had a great time.
The show is playing until the end of the week and they've just added extra seats to the showings (which are already sold out).

-picture courtesy of www.harbourfrontcentre.com

I feel like I just went through a bad break-up

Boy, my emotions have gone through the wringer this past little while. I'm NOT a crier by nature, but in the past little while I think I've met my tear quota for the year.
I'm slept many many hours which is a sign that my mind has been needing some time to recuperate.
Sometimes decisions in life are hard. I know I've made the right decision (every decision I make turns out to be the right one) but it doesn't mean that it was easy. It also doesn't mean that I know what I want to do in the future. You see, when you love something so much...it's never black and white.
No matter. One day at a time and I'm going to make the most of the next month before I have to make any more major decisions. Perhaps the month will be so wonderful that it'll make the decision for me.
I think I've got a temporary cure (I think the sign said until March 22nd). The rink at the Harbourfront Centre is practically down the street, free and basically empty at night. The ice isn't the best quality at that time, but crappy empty ice is much better than amazing busy ice, any day. I also was wearing jeans and my every day coat, but it was a little bit of an impromptu post-show trip. You can't beat the ambiance. I was in the core of the city I love, seeing the lights of the CN Tower, skyscrapers and the darkness of Lake Ontario. It was wonderful. It was quite dark though, so spins were kept to a minimum, but I managed to eek out a couple jumps. I call pull off a double salchow in my sleep. I wonder how long I'll retain this talent for. I did some axels and double toes as well and that's pretty much my entire arsenal. I suppose I could have tried a couple double loops, but I didn't want to push it. It's weird jumping in civilian clothing. I actually bumped into another skating girl who was leaving as I was arriving. You know, part of me wishes I had a skating compatriot downtown to enjoy the ice with, but part of me enjoys the alone time too (not like I don't get enough of that). I'm looking forward to going almost every night until they close. I'm just worried about how I'll feel afterwards. The timing could prove to be a disaster.
I figure I'm either going to have a phase of absolute depression or a complete honeymoon stage for the next little while. Actually, I think I'm going to flip flop between the two. Yesterday was very upsetting for me. My eyes hurt all day. Today I feel, not quite wonderful, but optimistic.
One day at a time. One day at a time.

intriguing

I was in line buying my lunch today (I need to start bringing my lunch to school/work/whatever), totally sizing up those around me.
Girl in a burberry coat. Surprisingly no-name la-dee-dah quilted bag with ghetto looking hardware (unless it was a Chanel that I completely overlooked - which could be possible). Big black umbrella (after using one a couple times, makes me think I want one, but they're so bulky when closed).
Dapper looking guy. Preppy look with sport jacket over cardigan. Random assortment of business luggage. Pulls out a black Business American Express to pay for his order which is obviously for more than one. What's his story.
Boy am I superficial.

An artsy day

Note: I have an intense migraine right now. I'm just trying to survive this post and then go back to bed (for the third time today). It's difficult for me to concentrate.


This past Sunday, I had a great day. I did two artsy things.

1. Elegantly Corrupted at Radiant Dark
I went to the artist's talk, which was free and lovely. As I was leaving I felt like I was doing things, getting out there and determined to find more free things to attend. I don't want to go broke by living my fabulous life.
I really enjoyed a lot of the pieces, especially the petri dish rugs ($650 each), bullet vases (large: $100+ - sold, small: $80) and the huge knot of wool (>$500...I forget). The set of tumblers looked cool and I thought they would be perfect for someone more because they looked like slick camera lenses, but they cost way too much ($2250 for a set of 6). The hockey stick lamps were easy on the eye as well (I forget the price). Art is expensive.
Here's a write up by someone else.

2. Come Up To My Room 2009
This even wasn't free. It didn't take long for me to go through it, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I guess that makes it worth the money? This day made me feel like I was entering this crazy trendy scene that I'm not really a part of. A lot of installations were interactive, which was different because I'm used to the no touch policy of museums. I have a lot of favorites from this show, but I don't have the energy to go through it all. I hope the websites show pictures.
Here's a write up by someone else. Here's another write up.

It was a sunny day outside and the temperature was warm. It made me look forward to a Saturday post-March when I will walk the stretch of West Queen West and go into all of the shops and galleries and smile.

more thoughts (non-TTC related)

- Clothes/coats that have vents and stuff often are purchased with the panels sewn together. Just like some pockets are sewn shut at the store. Please snip the seams before you wear the item of clothing. People like me stare at you and think you're weird if you don't.

- There was a man on the streetcar (okay, so that's TTC related) listening to very very loud music. Strange playlist. That song from Night at the Roxbury and then Chinese songs that my parents might listen to.

- It's not like I don't know that there's crappy stuff going on around the world at all times, but when the house of someone you know burns down it's just an extra alarm bell in your head reminding you how amazing your life is.

- I think we're having a warmer winter this year. Or maybe my winter coat is warmer. Or maybe I'm more tolerant to the cold. I usually wear skating tights under my pants to keep warm in the winter, but I haven't done it yet this year. I also haven't worn any of my turtle neck sweaters.

Some TTC related thoughts

- People need to chillax on public transit during rush hour. Just stay calm, get used to being in close proximity to other people and just be polite and respectful.

- I find it weird when people don't bother joining the end of a pre-existing line. Might as well just stand randomly at the front of the platform and bud your way onto the streetcar. If you're elderly/pregnant/disabled/etc, feel free to ignore this comment.

- Sitting in the chair reserved for the elderly/disabled/pregnant is fine...until someone that's elderly/disabled/pregnant/etc gets on. Honestly.

- As much as I love the 510 Spadina streetcar line, it does have its flaws. For example, there should be more than one car going from Spadina Station to Union Station or Queen's Quay (I'm not picky, but only because I can take both) every six streetcars. If I wasn't so cheap, I would have split a cab with those three people to Harbourfront just for kicks.

Colette

I love Colette. These pictures don't even capture the best parts of the boutique. Looks like they've changed around some of the fixtures and have given more attention to the mens collection. The Goyard trunk is probably the cost of a small flat. Don't you love the Lagerfeld Steiff bear?

Swoon for a SIGG

So, in my jaunt through Pacific Mall, this SIGG bottle caught my eye. It's so pretty, but the price tag is brutal. I guess it is a limited edition bottle, and there are Swarovski crystals on it, but still.

- picture courtesy of sigg.com

Pacific Mall pre-Chinese New Year

It's also been awhile since I've been to Pacific Mall, although not as long as it's been since going to Niagara Falls.
In high school, I used to go pretty frequently and although I'm a little older and my taste is a little bit more refined (I hope), I admit that some of those Sanrio products are quite cute. At least I have the self control not to indulge.
Anyway, we were there just before Chinese New Year and so the place was decked out for the occasion.

Niagara Falls

I don't even remember the last time that I went to Niagara Falls. This is the first time that I've gone in the winter time (I think). It's absolutely breaktaking.

The CN Tower

I like the CN Tower. Especially at night when it's lit up. It's usually red and white a la Canada, but on special occasions they change the colours to match the event. Also, on the hour they do funky things with the lights.




And now, a montage of different colours of the CN Tower.

From up top of the CN Tower

I mentioned before that I got to be a tourist last week in my own city. Ever since moving back home, I feel like I'm discovering the city that I grew up in a really finding out just how wonderful it is. These pictures are from an excursion to the top of the CN Tower.

The ice/snow makes it look like it's one whole mass of land as opposed to islands. Sometimes I sit and watch the planes take off from the island airport and I'm reminded that I need to try out Porter Airlines.



They keep a path in the ice for the ferries. I think the ice looks really cool.






I love skyscrapers. I love the skyline. I love this city.







I'm going to go skating here. The view is the best.






Two things:
1. It's pretty high up.
2. I'm still pigeon-toed.






I get pretty much the same view from my condo, except obviously this one is a lot higher.






Yonge-Dundas square is quite impressive. There are lots of lights and a scramble. Maybe this will be the place to be for Earth Hour.




Lookie lookie. It's so pretty. Swoon.

Pictures from a city I love

These people are pros

This is impressive.

Being a tourist

The best thing about hosting an out-of-towner is that it gives you an added push to get out and about in the city.
I love being a tourist.
I still need to organize my photos, but once I do, I will write a little bit about some things that we did.

London (July 6th - 10th, 2007)

My travels to Scotland ended with a couple days in London.
Although I've gone to London a couple times already, there's still a lot of things that I haven't seen in the city and surrounding region.
Here's the brief synopsis of this specific trip...
Of course no trip to London would be complete without trips to the theatre. I'm not sure why I haven't gone to see a show here in Toronto, but hopefully I will be rectifying that soon enough. Anyway, while in London, I ended up seeing Cabaret and Avenue Q. I actually saw both shows in the same day, courtesy of matinees.
I also went to Kew Gardens and continue my love of walking and nature.









...Chinatown, which was quite uninteresting. That's what happens when you grow up in Toronto.

I visited the British Museum for the first time, mainly to see the Rosetta Stone.






While in the museum, I found the other compratriots to the chessmen from Scotland.





The British Museum is beautiful. The architecture and natural lighting really makes the atrium stand out. The displays were nicely done and I think the ROM is heading in that direction. All of the artifacts and specimens in the new galleries at the ROM seem to be floating in the glass cases.


























I also went to the opera. Rigoletto. It was fabulous and of course I splurged on good seats.







I toured Kensington Palace and all of these years later, Princess Diana's death still seem to effect people.



So a couple days - a bunch of tourist stops. Doing the usual rounds as well. Shopping on all the regular streets. Marks & Spencer. Primark. Lusting over stuff in Burberry. Thinking professional at Thomas Pink. Going to Harrods and Selfridges. Taking the underground here, there and everywhere.
This is a great city.
I think that might have been the fastest trip recap that I've done on this blog.

Slumdog Millionaire

I finally got to see Slumdog Millionaire. It was wonderful.
I've never seen a Bollywood movie, so I don't know if this movie goes under that genre - I suppose the only thing that stuck out to me as being typically Bollywood (from my limited knowledge) is the little song and dance number during the end credits.
Anyway, so this movie is based on a book called "Q&A" about a man who grew up in the slums of India and ended up winning the grand prize on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". The police and show bigwigs believe he somehow cheated to win the money.
The movie is in Hindi and English, but I'm wondering why there was so much English. I know the director was a British guy, but I always find it a little weird when a movie isn't in the the language that you think it would be in. It wasn't too distracting, however.
The music is nice. There was one piece of music that I'd heard a lot with a crowd that I wouldn't think to see this movie, so it was hard to have the two worlds collide in my head. But as I said, the music was well done.
I think I liked this movie because all of the parts were cast quite well. The youngest actors/actresses are quite adorable and effective at their parts. I also liked the story itself. Whether it be flashbacks, explaining events, stories that intertwine...it's all good in my books.

Finally, I'd forgotten about this until the end credits, so I need to watch the movie again to try to spot him. He actually sent me a screen capture of the film with him in the background. I remember reading his post about being in the movie, but every single thing he does is eventful, so I didn't really think much of it. He's an amazing person with an amazing heart, it seems fitting that he ended up in an award-winning movie to have yet another crazy experience to add to his collection!

Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie and I'm glad that I finally saw it.

- picture courtesy of www.foxsearchlight.com

Personalizing

I just spent some time adding stuff to my page to make it more interesting/personal. And then proceeded to delete all the stuff that I added. I don't really feel like sharing the various webpages and blogs that I peruse on a regular basis for various reasons.

Moleskines

Ooooh, I'm excited. I've just been looking into my options and I don't know which type I should get. I need to go to a shop which has a wide range of their stuff so I can compare.
Maybe I could get a couple of the city books and start lists for each city.
Maybe I should just stick with one of the basics.
I think I'm going to go shopping tomorrow!

Gotta look into this

I've got a ton of stuff to give to charity and every so often I've got time to add to the pile.
What I'm wondering though, is whether or not the places that I'm donating to will be reselling the items or giving them to those who need them and will use them themselves.
What's the best thing to do with the stuff that I've received in non-personal Secret Santa or similar type situations?

List making

It's no secret that I make lists. I attribute this to needing to be in control, needing to maintain a certain level of organization, being goal oriented, liking the feeling of success and having a memory like an old lady.
I shall be buying a Moleskine in the near future, which is the first step to making my "living my amazing life in the city" list. I do have a couple other very special lists on the go in other special books. I've had these lists for years and should revisit them soon. And of course there are the generico lists that I make every so often when needed.
I'm contemplating what kind of writing device I shall use.

Eating issues

So it seems I have this habit of eating everything on my plate.
My friends still marvel at how I managed to finish this plate of french toast at Atelier Thuet awhile back. This place popped up on my radar since reading about it here. They even mentioned the french toast. To my defense, it was really good.
Luckily, it hasn't affected me significantly in my life so far, but it is something that I'm now conscious of.
So, if you happen to serve me any food, please don't overload the plate.

I also find that if I eat a lot for a couple of days, I tend to not eat for a couple days afterwards. I'm pretty sure that this isn't healthy, but I just feel so full that I can't bring myself to eat. It's not that the thought of eating makes me sick, I'm just full and I don't tend to eat when I'm full (unless there's something on my plate). I discovered this eating issue when I was in Europe and taking advantage of eating local cuisine while traveling. I would often return to Neuch after eating some great stuff in a new locale and turn into a camel. Well, not really, because for me it's food, not water and also because it's just a myth that camels store water in their humps.

Another thing. I get the shakes if I don't get enough of the right nutrition in me. I may have eaten, but if I've only had stuff with no nutritional value, then I get shaky. Bagels and cereal are examples of non-nutritional foods.

They're not called "ugg" for nothing.

I'm pretty sure I've said this before.
Also, should I really rethink the idea of wearing leggings again? It was such a staple in my wardrobe in grade 7 and 8. I would have been wearing them this whole season if shops actually made good quality stuff instead of flimsy see-through garments. Yup.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone's had a great holiday season and spent time with family, friends and taken time out for themselves!
We're now in 2009 - it's going to be a good one!

Can't quite tell

Mom, does this person look familiar?

Free time is good

I should learn from this.
It's been nice to not have to set my alarm clock and just be.
I love the city and getting out there and being part of it.
I've enjoyed going into shops and seeing what's out there, it's just too bad that buying gifts is constantly in the back of my mind. Next year I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open during the whole year and pick things out as I see them. I hope the last-minuteness of all of this will work out.
And, I've found out that if I was a gazillionaire, I would be in trouble. There's a LOT of nice stuff out there.
And how did all of this snow show up all of a sudden? It's definitely winter and I love it. I think I need to wear more layers though. It's getting a little bit chilly!

What a relief

Yep, the snowstorm has saved the day. Now I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
And ready to wear my Moon Boots!

Wheeeeeee!

The snow storm has already started. I really hope it last ALL day. I'd rather have my schedule cleared, thank you very much.

Ugh

It's 6.52am and I've been awake for awhile now.
I only went to bed at 2am.
I just can't sleep. At all.
This sucks.

The new Art Gallery of Ontario

I approve.
It's beautiful from the outside and beautiful on the inside. Especially the Gallery Italia. Absolutely breathtaking.
I didn't get a chance to see everything, but I will be back soon to finish my visit. The room of Henry Moore sculptures was also effective.
I think I was most blown away by the numerous pieces from from the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson gifted by Ken Thomson. The works are beautiful. Every time I see pieces by them I get flashbacks of grade school. Dreamy and wonderful.
I don't remember exactly what the old gallery looked like, but I do remember thinking that there wasn't much there. I'm happy with what I saw today.
Please, visit the Art Gallery of Ontario.

- picture courtesy of www.ago.net

Two acts

Act 1: I dropped off some items at Toy Mountain today. I wonder how often the bins are emptied. They were VERY empty when I went. I wonder who the recipients are. I wonder what they really want. I wonder how old they are. It was interesting shopping for the gifts - I tried to be practical and think of items that they might need, enjoy and last for more than just a couple moments. Am I being too logical? Should gifts be items that are just super fun and create a moment? I'm thinking of making a repeat performance.

Act 2: After looking into it further, I think this one's a bust. I left it too last minute anyway. But a quick google into what I wanted to do made it seem like it's not really possible to do what I want. Last year, I heard on the radio that Canada Post was sending items to the Canadian Forces stationed abroad for free and I wanted to act on it. I thought it would be nice to send a care package. I don't personally know anyone that's stationed anywhere (actually, I might, but I don't know if he's still there, nor do I think I know him enough to send something specifically to him or how it would be construed to the mutual person that we know), but for some reason I thought I would be able to just send a care package to a group of Canadians who were far from home. So, the website says that they aren't accepting such things. That is, unless I was a corporation wanting to make a donation or if I wanted to donate Tim Hortons gift certificates specifically. Interesting.

So yeah.

I wonder if I will volunteer somewhere in the future. Or will the rest of my life consume me and I never get around to it.

Nice

It's so pretty outside. But I can hardly see the CN Tower. Maybe tomorrow will be a day for Moon Boots?

Also, this morning I was at Harbourfront as the sun was rising. It was beautiful. I should go more often.

More about Twilight

Remember I said that I hear about Twilight four times a week?
Well, it's still going on.
Anyway, I can participate a bit because I've watched the movie and all.
So I found out that when they made the movie, the books hadn't gone big yet, so it was a crazy low budget movie hiring unknown actors (except for the guy from Harry Potter).
So this fact has sorta redeemed the movie in my mind.
The movie was still ridiculous, but I guess I understand why.
The story line was fine. If you think Harry Potter is fine, then Twilight will be fine too.
I would assume that the next movie installment will be much better, now that they've got a bazillion dollars to spend on it. Maybe the actors in the movie have been taking some lessons in the past little while. Come to think of it, a lot of the kids in the Harry Potter movies had no experience before the first movie. After watching the first Harry Potter movie, I was as revolted as I was for Twilight, but maybe the cool effects covered up their bad acting. And of course a lot of the adult characters were well known. And maybe the young actors and actresses in Harry Potter still suck, but the effects and support characters hold them up - I don't really know. But maybe Twilight just didn't have the effects and other characters to help hold the movie together.
I wonder why I'm trying to give this movie the benefit of the doubt?

Not as great as I hoped

I'm not completely writing off the system that was unveiled today at Spadina station, but why it seems a little odd that they only put "Spadina S" as the destination. Duh. They all go "Spadina S", unless there's a detour or something. It would be more beneficial if they put "King St.", "Spadina & Queens Quay" or "Union Station". I appreciate knowing how long I have to wait for the next streetcar to arrive, but what go is it if I have no idea if I'll be able to get on it until it arrives?

Twilight

I gave in to curiousity. I watched Twilight.
All I knew about this movie was that were going to be vampires. Something about some human girl falling in love with a vampire boy. They're in high school and ridiculousness ensues. The Harry Potter for vampires. But they're a little bit older or something? I'm not sure why I'd enjoy wizards and witches, but not vampires, but honestly, I had no interest in this movie.
So it's a huge thing, all that I hear about four times a week. People around me reading the books, talking about how they've seen the movie multiple times, it's ridiculous.
But, you know, I thought, I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon, but I might as well watch the movie just to see what the fuss is about.
FYI, I still haven't jumped on the bandwagon.
I was that girl in the movie theatre who kept making sarcastic comments and laughed at almost every scene. Luckily I wasn't the only one who had that reaction, but still, it's not very polite of me to do it.
The acting was over the top, the storyline moved too quickly (but not in a, "I don't get it" kind of way), it was ridiculous.
Apparently the movie is quite similar to the book, so it doesn't really make me want to read the series, but I just don't understand what the big deal is. Scratch that - I can see the appeal, I'm just confused why I was ready to embrace a similar thing with Harry Potter, but this one just strikes me as being so ridiculous.
I'm pretty sure that I went into the movie with an open mind. Everyone said it would be good, so I was interested in seeing just how great it was. The ridiculousness was just too much for me to bear. TOO MUCH.
I think it was the choice of how scenes were shot and the acting which really ruined it for me. The plotline was fine. It really was Harry Potter with vampires. I understood the story and I could see where it is going to go with the next movie/book in the series, but the movie itself was ridiculous.
Did I say that it was ridiculous?
I guess that's all I have to say.
And I'm sorry to everyone who was in the movie theatre and annoyed at me and the rest of the posse who weren't being discreet about it.

- picture courtesy of www.twilightthemovie.com/

This is great

I'm excited for this. 510 foreva bay-bee.
Wow - I can't believe I just wrote that. I'm hanging out with youngins way too much.
Anyway, I think all subway stations should have the same sorta thing that Dundas has too.
I'm impatient. I need to know everything. Especially when I'm running late.