Yowza!

Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada just finished. I'm happy with the winner, although I didn't get as emotionally invested with this season as I did with the first or with other seasons of the American version. I wasn't as impressed with the top 20 performers as a whole, but continued to watch the show really only because I was interested to see how far Austin (whom I've danced in the same studio with, so know what he's capable of) and Emanuel (whom I've followed as a figure skater since he was a pre-teen). Once the talent got whittled down to the top four or so, the dancing was fantastic, but for the first little while it was often a snooze fest. I appreciate how Canadians are super nice and stuff, but often the judges were too nice on the competitors that it got very frustrating.
Anyway, Season 6 of the American version just started. It's actually been going on for awhile but my original youtube source for the show disappeared and all of the replacements that I've found don't show the whole episode in a convenient way or haven't been showing the auditions. I know that they are now at the top 20 contestants part of the show and the clips that I just finished watching I think are from that episode. Holy expletive!!! From what I could tell (there's a possibility I didn't get the entire episode) they did a group number (splendid) and then did smaller group numbers based on their discipline of strength. The hip hop group, the tap group, the jazz group, two contemporary groups and a ballroom group. I can't even pick a favorite one because they were all equally impressive. My mouth was hanging open. They already seem so much more talented than the Canadian folks or even dancers from previous season. Sure, I understand that they were performing to their strengths, but still - the power that was there. Yowza! I wish I could have seen the Las Vegas finals show just to see more of their talents and who got cut.
I think I'm going to watch the clips again. I can't even express how good they were. So well choreographed to show off everyone's talents and strengths - but very cohesive at the same time. Amazing. Truly, amazing.

Edit: This was actually a teaser show to the first top-20 competition show. My source has now added the top-20 show on their site, and I'm so tempted to watch it, but I won't tonight. I'm going to bed instead. Albeit, an hour and a half later than I had planned because I watched other clips and shows, but still an hour and a half earlier than my regular bedtime. I need to get back to a decent sleep schedule.

Seriously

There's a guy in one of my classes that looks exactly like Sam the Eagle from The Muppets. Seriously.
Okay, he doesn't have blue feathers and he's not a bird, but the facial features are spot on. It's the brow line and mouth that give them an uncanny resemblance. That downturned grimace...even the shape of his head. The gentleman in my class is also bald which helps the cause. Seriously.

Colour trends

I take a look at a couple colour trends of the season, just to give me an idea what the people in power decide to promote for the season. First of all, I imagine this weirdo meeting amongst a secret fashion mafia who decide what's in for the season. It's too much of a coincidence that many design houses decide to show something so horrible as oversized shoulders, for example. I imagine these people sitting around a big table in a dark room plotting. Plotting weird things. This is better than my original idea that some minimum wage textile makers or fabric dyers just arbitrarily decide what kind of products they want to produce for the season and designers have to use what's made.
The September Issue had a scene where some powerful people sat around the table discussion trends and what they wanted to push for the upcoming season. With my gazillion Indigo gift certificates lying around, I think I'm going to treat myself to the September issue of Vogue in the future. I mean, what else would I buy? Books?!? Ha!
Anyway, a long time ago I had seen the FW'09 colour trends. I haven't been paying attention to whether or not Purple Heart (Pantone 18-3520) has hit it big or not. I'm not sure I really care. I recently noticed trends for FW'10 show up and was immediately intrigued. The palettes are quite nice, and it doesn't hurt that they both have black (no colour code needed!) included. Nice.

Alexander Calder at the AGO

I went to the AGO today, mainly to see the Edward Steichen photography exhibition (I really liked the Vanity Fair exhibition at the ROM and thought this would be a good match), but turns out I enjoyed the Alexander Calder one better.
I should have known better. If I had thought about it a little longer, I probably would have realized that the Edward Steichen stuff isn't really up my alley. I appreciated it for what it was, but I preferred the stuff at the ROM much more. The fashion in the 20s and 30s isn't too interesting for me, and I didn't find the portraiture anything exciting. No matter.
The Alexander Calder stuff was really cool. With a mechanical engineering degree under his belt, he built some really cool contraptions which formed a miniature circus. The circus was complete with trapeze artists, lions, elephants, parades, and the list continues. There were pulley, rope and hinge mechanisms to make everything move and function like they were the real thing. It was pretty cool. Before realizing that I was in the Calder exhibition, I thought I was looking at Miro, and actually a little bit impressed with myself that I could make reference to one of Calder's influences. It was all Calder, and he built interesting sculptures including ones that were made from wire. It was kind of like a three dimensional line drawing. I thought the curators did a wonderful job of shining a light on them so that the sculpture's shadow would be cast on the white wall and turning the 3-D piece into a 2-D piece of art.
The AGO is a great space and I'm glad that I have admission privileges to it - teachers can get in for free with governing body ID. It makes the experience a whole lot nicer knowing that you can come back whenever you want and not feel pressure to take in as much as possible in the day that you visit.

The September Issue

I just got home from a screening of The September Issue, the documentary about American Vogue's preparation for publication of their 2007 September issue. The documentary follows editor-in-chief and business woman, Anna Wintour as well as creative director and fashion visionary, Grace Coddington.
As documentaries generally tell the true tale of the subject, if The September Issue is an exemplary documentary, The Devil Wears Prada is as excellent feature film and very close to the truth. I don't know what kind of research Meryl Streep did in her role based on Anna Wintour, but she was spot on. Harsh, but with an edge of humanity.
The film also features the then almost unknown designer Thakoon Panichgul and the obvious influence that Ms. Wintour and Vogue has on a career. Thakoon definitely has talent and hopefully would have been worn by Michelle Obama without the backing of Vogue, but the support of the magazine probably helped his label come along. Editor-at-large, Andre Leon Talley also makes a couple appearances in the film. What a character.
The documentary is getting wide release in the city this coming weekend. If you enjoy documentaries, character studies and/or fashion I'd recommend this film. I really enjoyed the film. Getting a glimpse into the world of Vogue and what it takes to produce an issue. I was totally gaga over the fashion in the film. I desperately wish that I could live in that world (but not need to fight through it). I don't even get invited to Toronto Fashion Week (coincidence that it's happening now? Well timed, friends)...how could I possible dream to get invited to the couture shows in Paris.
I also have to say that I enjoy DocSoup and their free tickets for students!

A Blooming Business

The Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival is not a film festival that I know much about. I only read about it from another blog that talked about the film, A Blooming Business (official site), which caught my eye. I enjoy flowers. I'm not a fan of gardening, myself, but I really appreciate other people's gardens. I also like fresh-cut flowers. A lot. If I'm invited to someone's place and there is a lady of the house, I will usually bring her some flowers. I want to spread the flower love.
Anyway, I'm tempted to see the film, but also worried that it will ruin flowers for me. I mean, that may not be a bad thing if the places I buy my flowers from gets them from horrible places...it's similar to movies which turn you off of fast food, animal products, meat, clothing brands, etc. Yes, it's important to be educated about these kinds of things, but sometimes the people behind things like this become preachy and very biased and I'm not into that. It raises awareness, and being more educated is always a good thing. Whether or not I do anything about it, well, we'll see.
I remember doing a project about apples in elementary school and after reading about the pesticides that were used I stopped eating apples for awhile. I like to think I've grown a little since then.
I'm sure sure if I'll get a chance to see the film, but maybe this is a festival that I should keep on my radar.

Vanity Fair Portraits at the ROM

The Vanity Fair Portraits exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum is wonderful. Not that I'm saying that the more highly advertised Dead Sea Scrolls (Ten Commandments - ONLY 80 HOURS!!!) aren't impressive, but the exhibition has its flaws (crowds, timed entry, dim lights, too much text, echoing, cavernous rooms).
I really enjoyed seeing the photographs. I like portraits. The exhibition is solid. Well done. I'd recommend the complimenting Canadian Content exhibition as well. The only drag is that it's on a different floor in the hallway (ahem, I mean, gallery space) that I will always think of as the typewriter room.
I'll be going to the Art Gallery of Ontario to check out their Edward Steichen exhibition in the near future I'm sure. Well coordinated my museum friends, well done.

Speaking of great museum things, there's a lot of great exhibitions coming to the city. King Tut is going to be at the AGO and Body Worlds has returned to the Ontario Science Centre.

Insider scoop: The ROM is definitely going to get a bunch of Terracotta Warriors (and some horses too!) and will be getting the Water exhibition that just finished up at the Field Museum in Chicago (although some of us are bummed that we didn't get the pirates exhibit instead...aargh).

Caught my attention

Ram posted this link on his website. Click on napstered to see the full article written by the mother of one of the teenaged shooters from the Columbine Massacre.
As soon as I started to read the article, everything else that I was doing (multi-tasking) started to get blurry. I'm not a big reader, but this read was absolutely compelling.
Oh boy, the issues that this raises. I mean, the actual massacre (and the information that was uncovered soon after) raised them all, but for me, they've faded from my radar over time.
I don't want to point fingers in this case, because I don't think I know enough about the situation and I don't think pointing fingers will do anything anyway. But boy, my mind is racing.
Not being a metafilter regular, I don't know if this is normal, but stopped reading the comments pretty early on. Forgive me for being judgmental, but some of those comments are pretty useless. For such a thought provoking article, I was highly disappointed with the quality of some of the comments. I shouldn't be too surprised, I don't bother reading comments on a lot of other information portals anymore for the same reason. Shame on me, I should be more welcoming to all viewpoints, especially given what I do.

The Amazing Race

Yeah, that's right, I watch The Amazing Race. One of my favorite teams (maybe my favorite, but I don't pay enough attention to the show to know for sure...you know me and TV as background noise) got eliminated in the most recent episode. Stupid rules. I mean, playing the game is enough stress - why can't the show just keep track of their travel documents for them?
Boo-urns.

Battle of the Blades

I haven't been following this show (I know, surprise), but I did manage to watch tonight's results episode.
For those who don't know, Battle of the Blades is a Canadian TV show that pairs a figure skater and hockey player together (think The Cutting Edge) in a Skating with Celebrities show format. Tickets for tapings cost money (as opposed to a lot of TV show tapings), but it seems like everything about this program is for charity - so it's all good.
As it was a results show, I only got to see two of the couples skate, and I have to admit I was kinda surprised at how good they were. Skating with Celebrities flopped (although it is quite popular in its other incarnations around the world) partly because celebrities don't necessarily know how to skate. Having pro hockey skaters on the show makes it an easier transition, although after watching the two couple skate, it's clear that there is still a deficit. What can I say, figure skating is hard. I applaud the figure skaters for trusting their men to put them up into lifts, death spirals and even head bangers. From what I gather, it's a cute show and I hope that it raises lots of money for charity as well as raise popularity for the sport.
The real reason I wanted to write about the show, is because tonight, I saw Kurt Browning skate an exhibition in hockey skates. The man did a friggin double salchow...in hockey skates. He did intricate footwork...in hockey skates. Did you hear me? HOCKEY SKATES!!! That man is something else.

Poetic Social Mission

Has anyone else watched this? I wasn't able to watch it live (by the time I logged on, the credits were rolling), but it was sorta on my radar leading up to the event. I didn't do a lot of digging to find out exactly what the deal was but nonetheless, I'm watching it right now.

Oh dear

I think someone is stuck in the elevator in my building. The concierge knows, but says that there's nothing he can do. And he's saying it with a voice of disdain. I don't think concierges are supposed to be speaking that way. I hope he's already called a technician and that the person/people in the elevator knows that someone knows that they're in there.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Walking home from dance class this morning, I saw an inordinate number of cars lining up to get on the Gardiner. Now, normally the onramp from Spadina Ave to the Gardiner west is ridiculous. People have to cut in at the last moment, and it's just a crazy scene, but today was worse than usual.
After walking closer to the scene, turns out that the Gardiner is actually closed. So cars are waiting at this closed gate. A lot of cars. And it's bumper to bumper, so cars can't even try and bail if they wanted to. And I wasn't really sure why cars would be waiting anyway.
After a little bit of search, the Garner was closed until Noon, but obviously they're at least an hour in re-opening.
I wonder how the people in the cars are feeling right now.
I was surprised that no one flagged me down to ask what was going on. I would think after being in the back of this crazy long line for an onramp that, albeit usually has a long line, people would be wondering why it's not moving. Of course, there's the chance that everyone in the line knows exactly what's going on and is just waiting for the gates to bet opened. Call me cynical, but I don't think that Toronto drivers are just that good. It's this bizarro gridlock that really put a smile on my face because it seemed so weird. Although, I guess people (myself included) stand in long lines to enter museums, buy tickets to a show, etc. So what's wrong with cars lining up to get on the highway?

Nuit Blanche 2009

Nuit Blanche was a dreadful disappointment, but probably in large part due to the fact that I was exhausted and didn't get a chance to really make the rounds and give the event a chance. We decided to go out to Queen Street West in Zone C, to try to avoid the crowds. Fail. I think I've come to the conclusion, that now in its fourth year, Nuit Blanche is big enough that there will be crowds everywhere. In our walk from the Drake Hotel to Spadina Avenue, there were only a couple installations of note:
1) Nite Lite, a big Lite Brite made out of water bottles. It was fun to play with, but with so many people playing at the same time, it doesn't really give you much creative license. It turns into something that you do just to say you've done it.
2) City Sonic: The Cameron House in Motion, giant white ants getting installed on the wall of the building with some random music being played and other images and text being projected as well. The best part, seeing the guy using ropes and pulleys to haul himself and the giant ant, up the side of the building. I suppose it would be cooler to see the installation after its completion.
3) The Sight of Sound, had three of Steve Mann's Hydraulophone. I gave it a go, and quite enjoyed the experience. I would have liked to find out exactly what tones would be played with the device. Apparently, the Hydraulophone was part of the first edition of Nuit Blanche (which I wasn't around for) and a big, big hit. I was surprised as how much pressure you needed to put on each "key" to get a tone. Experimentation led water being squirted all over, including in my eye. Nice that they used warm water.
Queen Street West has many art galleries, so a lot of them were open, but I wasn't really interested in that stuff. Coupe Bizarre had a nude model which you could sketch, and I don't know if they were plants or just naturally talented people, but I was thoroughly impressed. The formal, non-art gallery-esque installations were spread out along Queen St. West, making for a night with a lot of walking, but not much viewing.
Oh well. I was so tired, that I didn't mind much.
Based on pictures that I've seen, next year, I want to stick to the core with all of the major buildings because that's where a lot of the major installations are. I presume that will mean fighting crowds, but I don't mind. The problem is, the Nuit Blanche website is dreadful, though it may not be avoidable. It's just getting too big, and there's no way that I want to go through the whole website to see what all of the different exhibitions are.
Fingers crossed that I'll be more well rested and can see more stuff at next year's event.

Getting in the grovve

Now that the year's started again (academic, of course), I'm trying to sort through my schedule and get into a groove. I've already figured out my food groove.
St. Lawrence market for veggies and fun stuff.
Chinatown for fruit and bargains.
Loblaws for mundo meats and basics.
Sunday is my day to cook, cook, cook.
I think I'm fully stocked for a couple weeks to come.

TIFF09 roundup

So, the festival is over. I mean, there could be an after-party or two still going on as I type this, but the main events are all over.

I ended up seeing ten films in total. In the order that I watched them:
1. Cracks
2. City of Life and Death
3. Frederick Wiseman Presents La Danse – Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris La Danse – The Paris Opera Ballet
4. Accident
5. Same Same but Different
6. Vengeance
7. Castaway on the Moon
8. Micmacs à tire-larigot
9. A Brand New Life
10. Melody for a Street Organ

I've spotted the least amount of stars this year. Other than the ones attending the screenings that I attended, I've only seen one: Colin Firth, and I wouldn't have realized it, unless someone hadn't pointed him out to me. He did look pretty ho-hum, although before knowing who he was, I did appreciate his jacket. It was structured and well-fitting. Good classic style, but trendy at the same time. I approve. Anyway, I digress. I didn't see any stars, but I don't think that I went out of my way to look for them. I'm definitely past that part of the festival. I didn't even go out of my way to join crowds in front of hotels or other events. I guess I'm over it.
I had a very mixed bag of movies this year. Sadly, none of my picks won at of the festival's awards. I'm bummed that Micmacs only got second runner-up for People's Choice. I can't complain much - I didn't vote.
I had a great time at this festival. Although I didn't have any marathon days with four screenings like last year (I learned my lesson), by the end of the week, my eyes were exhausted and before the intros began, I would try to catch a couple zzzzs in my seat. I spaced out my movies pretty well, but my schedule was a lot fuller this year with non-TIFF commitments.
Just like every other year, I've been impressed at how the festival is run, everyone's enthusiasm and how the city opens its arms to the world for ten days.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of the movies that I didn't get a chance to see at the festival in wide-release or special screenings and will be ready to purchase my TIFF10 ticket package upon their release!

Melody for a Street Organ

After a little bit of whiff-waffling, I ended up buying a ticket to the final film that I would see in this year's TIFF, Melody for a Street Organ.
The write-up did sound pretty good, and I'd originally wanted to select this movie as part of my ticket package, but the screenings conflicted with other commitments do I'd penciled it into my book just in case. This morning, although exhausted and needing more sleep, I hauled myself out of bed, bailed on my other commitment and went to the screening.
I guess I'm happy I did?
It was a weird movie. A very long one, and a little bit odd. I'm pretty sure that something was lost in translation as there were others who were laughing hysterically in parts that I really couldn't comprehend why they would be so funny. There is also a strong possibility that it just went over my head, as I often think that's the case when I don't "get" a film.
From the write-up, I knew that there wouldn't be a happy ending, it just kind of sucked to see the vignettes weave together in a way where there were so many opportunities for happy endings, just to be pulled away and crappy stuff happening to characters instead. I don't know if it was a piece to say, "yeah, sometimes life just sucks", or if it's supposed to be some kind of twisted humour. I don't know. There wasn't a Q&A or anything (mental note - for future festivals, pick all the ones that I really want to have Q&As for at the beginning of the festival, because most screening towards the end get the shaft).
Now, I don't know if this movie is typical of Russian movies, as I've never seen a Russian film before, but like I said, it was weird. There were many moments, where I understood how they fit into the storyline, but I just didn't understand why it was happening. Why was it important to tell those particular vignettes?
I was also surprised at the number of people who left in the middle of the screening. I don't think I've ever attended another film with this many people bailing part of the way through. Hmm, that can't be good.
Would I recommend this movie, sure. Not with the highest praise, but it was kinda interesting to watch.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

A Brand New Life

Sadly, competing for the worst movie that I've seen this festival, I had high hopes for A Brand New Life. The write-up looked great, but the film didn't live up to it and the teaser clip. I mean, it's a really great premise, but the problem was that after a great start, the movie kind of plodded along, skimmed over some very important themes that could have and should have been further explored and ended before any good bits took place. This film could have brought so much more to the table, but didn't.
As you've probably realized, I'm usually pretty enthusiastic about films. Even if I don't love them, I try to find something positive, or at least don't focus on the negative. This one had some great young actresses and as I said before, had the makings of a great film, but didn't follow through. At part of the film, where I felt like great insight, or deeper emotions would be looked at, the moment passed and sigh, a disappointment.
This screening was the North American premiere (it has screened at Cannes) and although it was a small theatre, the show was sold out and they admitted as many rushers as they could (the line was obviously long), so I guess there was good interest in the film. I wonder what everyone else thought of the film. Director, Ounie Lecomte was on hand to introduce the film and perhaps due to a language barrier, her intro eluded to her wanting to chat with us after the fact to further discuss her film. That she wanted the film to speak for itself first before she did. The movie ended, many people still stayed in their seat (so I think I wasn't the only one who'd gotten that vibe), and no one appeared. I know I left the theatre disappointed. I don't think I've ever had such an instant indifference to a movie before. It really makes me wonder if I missed something.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Micmacs à tire-larigot

Hands down my favorite film of the festival, I can't believe that Micmacs almost didn't make my list. I don't know what I was thinking.
This movie had two screenings, one at Roy Thomson Hall and the other, which I attended, at Ryerson. I should have known that it's a big-billed film and why the heck wouldn't I want to see it?
Oh my gosh, this movie was amazing.
I find it hard to pick a favorite anything in life. Colour, artist, singer, actor, piece of music, type of food, etc. Out of all of the films that I've ever seen, I can confidently say that Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain is my favorite. That's how stand-out good it was. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet made both.
I love his whimsical style, his jokes, his attention to detail, his choice of music...everything. I love the actors and actresses that he reuses in his films (duh!, Dominique Pinon - among others), I love it all!
The film stars Dany Boon as Bazil (although, I would have loved to see the originally cast, Jamel Debbouze in the role, but M. Boon was truly excellent) whose father is killed by a landmine and he, himself gets shot by a stray bullet from a local arms manufacturer. Flashfoward to the present where he finds a new family in a form of a very motley crew, each with their own story and talents. Throw in a little Mission Impossible (M. Jeunet said so!) to Bazil's plan at revenge and voila, a hit movie.
At one point in the film, I actually thought that this was a film with a serious political message and although M. Jeunet (on-hand for a Q&A - wahoo!) admitted, that obviously, one could see a grand message, it's a ridiculous message to harp as it's clearly common sense, this film is a comedy. M. Jeunet made it sound like he'd whipped this film together in a short amount of time and had just pieced it together from notes of things that he wanted to put in movies and things that he enjoyed, and I suppose I can kind of see that as this movie just seems so much like, well, exactly what he likes to do in his movies. M. Jeunet told us that he had been creating a movie adaptation of Yann Martel's award winning book, Life of Pi, but his ideas required a ridiculous budget and so he turned his attention away from that proposed film and seemingly threw this film together.
This is the first screening that I've attended that gave a standing ovation to the director and of course it was well-deserved.
So, it's clear that I loved the movie. I really need to watch Delicatessen. Obviously, I would highly recommend this film and I hope it wins some kind of recognition. If not, I hope that at least one gazillion people watch it. And if they don't laugh out loud, there's something wrong with them. Bonus part for me, I got to practice my French comprehension again. See, there's nothing bad about this film!

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Castaway on the Moon

One of my favorite films of the festival that I've seen, Castaway on the Moon is a Korean film that it quite well-written up here.
The film was reminiscent of Cast Away even down to a Wilson moment. The story on the island was heart-warming, funny and examined some very insightful themes.
The difference from Cast Away and this film was the element of the girl on the mainland. It was not one of those feature film love stories by any means, but a chance to watch the personal journey of two tortured individuals.
I'm not entirely happy with the ending of the movie, but I don't know how it could have been improved. I think I would have liked there to be another 15 minutes to see what happens next. I'm not the type who likes to guess the futures of fictional characters. Filmmakers, you've taken me this far - why leave me dangling? Everything was spot on, but it stopped too early. That's what I've decided.
Sadly, there was no one on hand to represent the film and so there was no further insight into the film.
Can you tell it's near the end of the festival? My reviews are getting shorter and shorter. It's been a wonderful experience, but the combination of watching all of these films and living my life - I'm exhausted.
I would highly recommend this film. It was grrrrrrreat!

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Vengeance

Vengeance is a Hong Kong action flick with Triad members chasing each other and crazy shooting scenes.
The movie stars Johnny Hallyday, who is perfect for the role. That steely glare and hardened face made him so believable as a father seeking vengeance for his daughter whose family was brutally attacked by the Triad. Hallyday's character journeys from Paris (I enjoyed having the chance to keep my French skills sharp) out to HK where he is surrounded by a foreign world. Seeking out the help of a group of Triad members, we watch the story of Vengeance unfold. You should probably read TIFF's write-up here.
I've never seen any movies by director, Johnnie To, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I really liked this movie. Some of the fighting scenes were overly graphic, but I thought it really worked with the movie. And the fight scenes weren't just about guns and guts, they were quite artistic and like a well choreographed dance.
Not only Hallyday was cast well. The group of Triad members that he hired were great. I've seen a couple HK movies back in the day, and they always included a funny, fat guy. This movie was no exception.
The Q&A with To was great, and not just because To had great answers. Moderator, Colin Geddes did an outstanding job at adding in great anecdotes about the HK film industry, To and his crew and getting everyone in the theatre in the spirit of the movie. I'm told that he's the guru of Midnight Madness movies, which I've never attended (because I'd probably fall asleep during one), but I'm re-thinking it, because I've never been so pumped to see a movie from the intro. Also, every time I've seen a movie at the Ryerson theatre, I always get a good vibe. This is probably because they tend to screen movies with buzz here.
Anyway, I liked this movie a lot. Two thumbs up!

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Same Same but Different

Same Same but Different was one of the movies that I knew for sure that I wanted to watch. I thought the storyline was sweet and I enjoyed David Kross' performance in The Reader. The movie is based on a true story. Here's the short of it: German boy goes to Cambodia for a party trip and falls in love with a local girl. He returns back to Germany, but stays loyal to his love, sending money and keeping in touch via phone calls and webcams. Lo and behold, the pair find out that the girl is HIV positive and the story of their relationship continues.
The movie didn't disappoint. It was very heartwarming. I thought Kross and lead actress Apinya Sakuljaroensuk were great in their roles. They seemed to fit their characters perfectly. In the Q&A, it was clear how challenging the movie must have been for Sakuljaroensuk as a non-English speaker and starring in the movie with three languages. The director, Detlev Buck, was particularly spunky and the audience was really excited to see the two lead actors.
I wanted this movie to be this year's Slumdog Millionaire, and although I really did enjoy the movie, I'm not sure that it's capable of being the next supernova hit. I feel like it had all the right ingredients, great location, great actors, cute love story, not overtly Hollywood, but something about it didn't leave me as gaga as Slumdog did. I can't quite put my finger on it. When I walked out of the theatre, I think I knew what it was, but let's just say that it's been a whirlwind of a week and as I'm reaching the end of the festival, and trying to reminisce about the movie...well, crap, I don't remember what that thing was. That, and I have a bad memory.
I would highly recommend this movie. I know I'm not really selling it, but I swear, it's a great movie. Boy, I'm exhausted.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Accident

Accident is a movie where a crew of hitmen create their hits to look like accidents. One of their hits goes wrong and throws the boss of the group into a mental tizzy.
The main reason I liked the movie was because I got to see the hits take place and I thought it was cool to see what kind of accidents they created and the little considerations that they made to make sure that they wouldn't be found out. I enjoyed the whole film and the themes and arc of the movie, although I can't say that it was original or anything really mindblowingly amazing. It was a good movie, but not the best movie I've ever seen.
On hand for the Q&A (through an interpreter) was director Soi Cheang, who did a sufficient job of answering questions posed by the audience. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I really like the Q&As, because as a pretty literal audience member, I like to hear the rationale behind different elements to the film and get a better understanding of the film. I'm pretty sure a lot of things that the directors intend in their films go over my head, so it's nice to have a chance to get a eureka moment (albeit, after the fact).
Sure, I'll recommend this film. Nothing crazy original, but a good, clean, HK flick.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Frederick Wiseman Presents La Danse – Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris La Danse – The Paris Opera Ballet

The first Rush for me of the festival, I waited in line to snag a ticket to the only showing of La Danse – Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris. I'm not sure why there was only one showing of this film - I mean, if it's some special film and had a gala screening of it somewhere, fine, but this was just a plain, old documentary.
This documentary was part of the Maverick's series, as the filmmaker, Frederick Wiseman is apparently famous in his circles. Sorry for not being educated about such things.
It was a long documentary. I felt like I was going to nod off for a little bit in the middle, but I survived. My problem with the film is that while it let me watch some great dancing and be a fly in the wall of the company during rehearsals and admin meetings, I didn't get any over-aching message from the film. I'm getting the feeling that Mr. Wiseman's films are kind of like that, but for my personal taste, I would like there to be a little bit continuity behind the different scenes.
The Q&A was an extended section where there was a small interview portion with Mr. Wiseman before the floor was given to different audience members. No revelations here. Someone asked about the clips of the city of Paris which were used to connect the sections about the company, and I understand how it's a nice way to situate yourself in the city where the company lives and give a literal journey between different locations where the company performs, but I don't necessarily think that it was very effective, nor elicited any deeper, thought provoking moments.
Would I highly recommend this documentary? Probably not, unless you love dance and just want to see the goings on in a famous ballet company.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

More TED-talks

I don't know why, but I teared up on this one.
I had actually considered applying to attend the TEDxTO event, but due to various reasons, the application didn't get completed.

Gross

At this very moment, my building is overflowing with trashy, young, drunken fools. Ugh. Maybe I would have a higher tolerance if I didn't have to police it for three years.

City of Life and Death

City of Life and Death is a feature film about the Rape of Nanking. You can read more about the film here.
I'm not able to express how I feel about the film, although I can say that I'm glad that I watched it. It was obviously a very heavy movie, and in simple terms, I suppose it would be similar to a Jewish person watching the Oscar winning film, Schindler's List, however you want to take that statement.
The film seemed to continue and continue, but I think that it was just that one story would be complete, you felt like you had a sufficient picture of the events and then Lu Chuan would begin another story shedding light on another angle to the events of the massacre. This is not to say that he looks at all angles and all with the same amount of depth, but those stories that he decided to tell were carefully selected and other parts which, to me are inherently understood and potentially unbearable to watch more of were treated with care. It was obvious, and as discussed in the film's subsequent Q&A with Lu Chuan that there was a full comprehension to the events that took place. I don't think that there was an attempt to deny certain aspects of the massacre and even decisions such as choosing to film in black and white were made to convey emotions and truths the the events that took place.
The film did extremely well in wide-release in China, although understandably so, with a level of controversy. I was most impressed with Lu Chuan's Q&A and his ability to speak about his film, his intents, meanings and aspirations. He managed to turn some absolutely useless comments/questions into moments of insight and expressed his wishes to further explore humanity. Congratulations.
I would highly recommend this film, although pleading with some to keep an open mind and cautioning others that the subject matter may be too difficult to handle.

*postscript - funkaoshi is more eloquent than I am*

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

Cracks

Behold, my first movie of the Toronto International Film Festival 2009, Cracks.
This movie takes place in 1934 at an all-girls boarding school in the UK. It is a very tightly run ship, where the girls are kept separate from the outside world but go through the motions of learning how to be a proper lady. The girls in the school are divided up into small teams (sort of like houses, a la Harry Potter) and the film focuses on the story of the house led by lead girl, Di Radfield (played by Juno Temple - amazing) and under the tutelage of the fabulous Miss G (played by Eva Green - smoldering, she was a Bond girl, afterall). We watch the development of the girls, their devotion and awe of Miss G and learn about life in their school setting. Add to the mix, a Spanish aristocrat, Fiamma (played by María Valverde - elegant) which uncovers a new understanding to each of the members of the team.
This was the first feature film by Jordan Scott (daughter of Ridley Scott) and I really enjoyed it. Of course there was an immediate interest in the film due to the subject matter, but I found the cinematography, location, script, and ensemble cast to be a wonderful combination which made really love the film.
Jordan Scott was on hand for the a Q&A which was unfortunately, uninspiring due to the types of questions that were asked - there were a lot of useless statements that were made as well. I suppose I cannot complain too much as I didn't attempt to ask a question. Ms. Green, Temple (looking great in a 1920s inspired dress) and Valverde (looking absolutely overwhelmed) were also in attendance and made a brief appearance on stage during the introduction of the film, but refused to come up during the Q&A.
It was an intense film, but I obviously really enjoyed it.
Oh, I must mention the venue. the screening took place at the Winter Garden Theatre, which I had never been to before. It is a wonderfully old theatre and has great character, and quite comfortable seats. A balcony, along with grand boxes to the side and I'm really hoping that I can watch a stage performance in the theatre in the future, say, Billy Elliot with the Tony Award winning cast in tow? One can always dream.
One movie down, and off to a great start!

- picture courtesy of www.tiff09.ca

TIFF09

It's coming. I can feel it. I can see it.
People from the industry are in town and I start my movie watching on Friday.
I am seeing at least 8 films this year and I can't wait to find out how great my picks turn out to be.
Wheeeeeee!

OVO

Just got home from seeing Cirque du Soleil's most recent show, OVO.
Of course, it was a fantastic show.
We lucked out and got front row tickets. For some, this may not be the
best, as for the high flying acts, you would have to crane your necks back, but for me, I would rather be closer to the stage to be able to see the wonderful costuming and make-up that the company offers.
My favorite acts of the night were the foot juggling/Icarian games, slackwire, diabolos and the aerial trapeze. I was most looking forward to the wall, and although it was really athletic and different from any acts that I've seen before, it didn't quite impress me as much as I would have liked. That's not to say that it wasn't impressive or anything.
The characters were very cute. As I said before, having a front row seat really let us soak up the portrayal of the characters by the different artists. To see their faces and every single movement was unbelievable. I couldn't believe the detail on their costumes.
Cirque always puts on a great show. What I love is how seamlessly the show is run. There wasn't as much narrative tying together this show compared to the other shows that I've seen before, but I did feel like that took away from the production. The acts just seem to start out of thin air, and it's clear that the order of acts is carefully thought out so that it builds towards the intermission and finale of the show. The music is of course wonderful and the musicians are very much part of the show as well. OVO combines the traditional style of Cirque music with a Brazilian twist. One other part of the the production that always amazes me is the smooth changes between acts, especially the set changes, or should I say, apparatuses changes. It's all carefully choreographed and the artists are always in character. Ropes and pulleys are attached, and bars and wires appear out of nowhere. There are always checks for safety, you can see the stagehands efficiently working. It is a very well-oiled machine.
Oh yes, I must mention one other thing that comes with sitting in the front row. The possibility that you get picked out of the audience for something. Tonight, I had my own moment in the spotlight. I wasn't pulled onstage, but I had all eyes on me for a smidge of an act. A little growl, a hip swivel - that is the risk you run by attending a Cirque show.
It was a wonderful evening out - I think my mouth was open for the better part of the show. Cirque never ceases to impress me. Total awe.
Of course, I highly recommend the show. I would highly recommend any Cirque show.

Terry Fox park

Okay, so one pile of dirt that I've been staring at for two years from my place has turned into a park. I wonder what the other pile of dirt is going to be and when.

I want to be a part of it...

New York, New York.
In Manhattan and using the free internet in the Apple Store, Meatpacking District.
Had bite-sized cuppy-cakes for breakfast this morning and hoping to catch a show on Broadway tonight.
Ready to drool over designer goods in the boutiques and showrooms now.
Will post more upon return.

Oh, my inner tween melts

Thanks to the 501 streetcar and a red light, I got an unobstructed view of the Jonas Brothers making an appearance at Much Music. So many screaming tweens. So many.

Today

After three weeks of getting up early-ish in the morning, I can't quite sleep in anymore. This is not a bad thing.
So, this morning, I had a couple extra hours to get odds and ends done before heading out for the day. I even made myself some breakfast. Oatmeal to be exact. I used to just eat two meals a day back when I slept in all the time. It's probably better for my system to be eating three meals a day again.
Went out for waffles at Starving Artist, this new trendy place in the Bloor/Lansdowne area. I'm not really sure why they decided to wafflise their bacon, but it tasted pretty good. I was expecting that my plate would have baconised waffles and then the normal bacon that comes with my order as well, but it turned out that my bacon was wafflised and I still had waffles with my order. It was a little much, but it was still tasty. Especially when doused with maple syrup.
On the way back home, I stopped off in Chinatown to get some groceries. The Toronto Chinatown Festival was going on, so I thought I'd wander around a little bit before loading up my shopping bag. I was really tempted to try the deep fried ice cream, but I was still full from brunch. Darn my slowing metabolism. I'd never seen it before and it looked kind of cool how they were globbing the crunchy ice cream on the marble slab. Oh, how I wanted to try it. Sigh.
After picking up my groceries, I hopped on the streetcar and somehow missed my stop. It was strange. There's always someone that gets off at my stop so I had just assumed that I would follow the crowd and someone else would ring the bell. By the time I realized that no one had rung the bell, it was too late. Ooops. Oh well, I got to watch a plane landing on the island because of it.
Oh, and I have at least 7 different mosquito bites from last night. Gross.

Found

I'm sure it's been claimed by now, but two weeks ago, on a rainy Saturday night, a fish was found. That's right, a fish. A big fish, in fact. Lying on the side of the road. How did it get there? To whom does it belong? Where was it heading?
I mean seriously, it's a fish. A really big fish. Lying on Front St. West.
You can't tell me that this is normal by any means. I mean, look at the size of it.

AGO

Awhile back, I went to the AGO to check out the Surreal Things exhibition. I remembered this exhibition from the V&A Museum a
previous trip to London. At the time, I decided that I want to take advantage of the free admission to London museums so I didn't pay the admission to see the special exhibition. I was pretty happy to find out it was coming to the city, and included in the admission price.
The big Dali painting blew me away. The weirdness of it, the details, it was crazy. I also liked the jeweled lips and teeth.
We didn't really see too much of the rest of the gallery. We'd all seen it
before and none of us were too eager to stay a full day and overload on art. We did hang out in the beautiful open wooden atrium on the north side of the gallery and walked up the enclosed spiral staircase. It's such a great space and the AGO did such a fantastic job with the renovations. It was definitely worth the two year closure, in my mind. Well done.

Shakespeare in the Park

Last night, I went to Shakespeare in the Park, presented by CanStage. This year, they put on a production of The Tempest, a play that I knew nothing about.
I kind of perused the synopsis, but didn't really seem to take any of it in and put faith in the company's ability to make the plays accessible to people of all ages and people who have no clue how to understand Shakespeare's nonsense. They succeeded once again.
I know that there were a lot of moments that went over my head, but I got the main idea of what was happening and that's all that really matters to me. For the most part, I thought the casting was done quite well. The main characters all had strong actors, but some of the supporting cast seemed a little bit useless.
I always enjoy going to High Park to watch Shakespeare, because it's a nice venue for the show and as I said, a very accessible way to watch something that I really don't have much interest in. I'm trying to expand my horizons, okay? Sure, every year of high school, we studied a work by Shakespeare, but it wasn't until other people in the class or my teacher explained what was going on that I understood what he was talking about.
I also enjoy the fact that it's Pay What You Can experience. Another way to make it accessible. I admit that I don't pay the full suggested amount, but I do pay something each time I go. It can be pricey to see a professional theatre production of any kind, so this is a great idea. It's great to show up early, stake your claim to some grass (it's not assigned seating or anything, just an open grassy amphitheatre) and have a picnic dinner. Last night, there was a lot of take-out cartons, blankets and lawnchairs, as well as swanky basket kits and a communal corkscrew for opening bottles of wine.
It wasn't too busy last night, but I'm willing to bet that's because of the gloomy grey skies that were around all day long. We got a little bit of a shower before the show started, but it cleared up in time for the show.
The one crappy thing about the experience, for me, are the bugs. I did put a little bit of bug repellent on before heading out for the day, but still ended up with one mosquito bite (at least that's all I've discovered so far). How annoying.

Prep, prep, prep

It's been awhile since I taught full day stints. I'm always amazed at the amount of time it takes to prepare lessons. I mean, really prepare lessons. It's exhausting, yet I love it. There's so much room for improvement, but I'm also quite proud with that work that I've created. I don't know how teachers can rest on their laurels. My greatest fear is being caught in front of the class unprepared. I couldn't fall asleep last night. My mind was racing of things that I could do with my students and how I would have the themes being presented flow nicely. I literally had to get up, out of my bed to add to my lesson plans. Multiple times.

Crazy, cool

I think if I were to visit this place as seen here, I would probably be content sitting on the floor and just staring the whole day. I was pretty mesmerized at the Oceanário de Lisboa, so I can just imagine how much more awestruck I'd be.
Amazing.

- via funkaoshi.com

Ooops, but still good!

I got the hankering to make gaspacho. I bought a couple things that I thought would go in the soup, and as it was getting late, I quickly chopped things up an tossed them into a pot. As things were simmering, I decided to take a look on the internet and see what experts put in gaspacho. In everything that I've ever cooked, I never use a recipe. I look at it to know what ingredients to use, but then I experiment with the quantities and just throw it together. I don't think I've ever really made anything that really requires going by the recipe exactly, so it's worked out fine so far, but I'm sure at some point, I'll need to actually read the recipe.
Anyway, so I'm looking online, seeing if the ingredients that I guessed were in the soup were correct or not, and whether there was anything else that I should add. After adjusting my ingredients in the pot a smidge, I continued to read the recipe and every single one that I looked at, I never saw any mention of heat or cooking the ingredients.
Ooops.
I had thought to make a hot chunky soup and then stick it in the fridge to let it cool, but apparently that's not actually what you're supposed to do.
Luckily, my version tastes amazing.

Good start to the day

This morning, I put my sneakers on wand went for a run for the first time since March. I haven't worn sneakers since then. Strange. I wore them almost every day for such a long time and all of sudden, cold turkey. I just had no reason to wear them. Strange.
My string of "free" sneakers is also over. I need new ones, but I'm wondering if I should even get a pair. And if I should invest in nice ones to start the trend over again. We'll see.
Anyway, I ran on the path by the waterfront, and it was a beautiful. One of the reasons I decided to run in the first place was because it was such a nice day outside.
Caribana was getting set up, and since I'm music-less when I run, it was nice to have blaring music to run to. Caribana has such a nice vibe. It was just getting set up, so it wasn't too crazy, but I took advantage of the music and people watched as I jogged by.
There was also a huge crowd of people waiting to get into Ontario Place. That's what happens on a beautiful day.
On the way back, I saw a strapping athletic lad put down his basketball to play ring around the rosy with two small children. It was the sweetest thing.
I didn't make it to the market today, but I don't mind. I've actually got a little bit of a backlog of food in my fridge/freezer so I didn't want to be tempted by the market.
Chatted on the phone with someone whom I miss and went to a condo open house which kind of rejuventated me. It got me thinking, for sure, but I'm still optimistic that everything will work out for the best.
I'm off to the Distillery District to continue this great day. See ya!

How are people this stylish?

I only recognize one of the people in this picture. I don't follow Bryanboy's webpage. I find him a little bit over the top. It's clear that he really enjoys fashion, but I feel like he's trying too hard. Maybe it's just the flamboyance that I'm reading the wrong way.
Still, I think all of the tots are impeccably dressed. How do people so young know how to put themselves together like this?
I'm pretty sure that unless you've got a fashionable relative to look up to, it does take a lot of effort to be an individual. I'm pretty sure that Bryanboy's life revolves around that world. I'm not trying to rag on him, I'm just sayin'.

Finally

So it's sunny today.
We haven't had a stretch of sunny weather for a long, long time. This summer's had the poopie-est weather. Lots of rain. Lots of days wearing jackets and sweaters. Seriously.
I think I'm going to go home and sit on my balcony. I haven't done that in almost a month. That's how bad the weather's been and you know how much I love to sit outside.

Celeb spotting

I'm horrible at spotting celebrities. Well, especially if I don't really follow what they do. Today, I saw a member of the band, Coldplay. I had to google it, and now I know that the person I spotted was Jonny Buckland...I think. See how bad I am?
Anyway, it's not like it's a big deal, but it seemed to be a big deal to the person whom I was talking to. She got all flustered and stuff. I just judged his outfit and admired his accent.

Cold Stone Creamery

I've finally tried it.
I went into one of the three Canadian Tim Hortons locations that was testing out the famed frozen treat and immediately became confused.
So many ice creams, so many toppings, what's a girl to do!
I ended up getting cake batter with Butterfinger.
It was quite tasty, but nothing more than a glorified McFlurry or Blizzard. I do admit that there are more options for flavours (which I do appreciate), but in terms of the result, it's just about the same.
It was a little bit of a novelty watching them make my dessert. Scooping the ice cream with two metal paddles, putting it on the frosty marble slab, adding my portion of Butterfinger candy bar on top, cutting/smushing/mixing the Butterfinger with the ice cream and finally smearing the concoction into the cup.
In an attempt to use up my gift cards from Tim Hortons, I'll probably go back and create some other combinations. I mean, I might as well, since there's nothing else that I would regularly get from the company except for chocolate milk.
In a taste-off with other ice creams (Greg's, Greg's, Greg's!!!), Cold Stone Creamery would not win, but that's not to say that I don't enjoy it.

SYTYCD Season 5 finalists

What is America thinking? I have no idea what they're doing and why they vote the way that they do. I guess the good thing is that it really doesn't matter in the end who wins, because all the right people out there know what's up and will give opportunities to the people who deserve them.

Tainan, Taiwan (May 15th - 20th, 2009)

After Taipei, I took the train south to Tainan. It was nice to see a more rural part of the country and getting to know true Taiwanese culture.
I had a great time going back to my roots, learning more about my family and seeing where my relatives grew up. It was great.

Here we go:

A twist on the famous hot pot. We had the option of seafood (which we all decided to go for), but could have meat options as well. The difference with this restaurant was that they gave you this crazy basket of greens. I believe that they grew them on the roof of the restaurant. It was a very healthy meal. The teas were herbal and stuff, even the other things that you could choose to put in your hot pot were healthy options. I was so full from that night. Wait, I was so full from that whole trip. All I did during the trip was eat. I loved it.








More market goodness. Hopefully this doesn't gross anyone reading this out too much. You can see that they really don't waste any parts of the animal. I wonder which inner bits go first. I would love to take a science class to the market. It reminds me of my experience watching a goat getting slaughtered in Kenya. Seriously - it was quite the learning experience.









I'd talked a little bit about the scooters I'd seen in Taipei and here's more evidence of just how many there are. They're literally invading the space of the road. I can't imagine how two cars going in opposing direction could get through this space. It's was also interesting to see people wearing face masks. I was there around the time of the biggest swine flu hype, so this could be part of the reason why I saw people wearing, by I think that I would have seen face masks even if there was no swine flu. This street also shows just how busy the streets are. Many people were out grocery shopping, the shops were quite narrow and you can see how crowded the signage is and stuff.

I visited a couple schools in Tainan, and they are massive compared to Toronto. The schools have ~1000 students, and this is at an elementary
school. It's just crazy to see the difference, and I kind of wish that I could have seen classes in session. I think I would have really liked to compare it to classes that I know. I did watch school children leave for the day at another school and I was in awe at how orderly and pleasant they were. I got a lot of weird looks. I was obviously a tourist, and most tourists probably don't sit and watch school get let out of the day.








Inside one of the temples was a God for students. You can see the number of students who went to pray for good fortune on their final exams.




Look at these stone tablets. I like how they're on top of turtles.





Some pictures of another temple. I enjoyed visiting temples to look at the architecture, colours and learn a little bit more about the culture.
























While in Tainan, we took a side trip to Alishan. All I knew about this area was that there's mountains and there's a song about the ladies there. I just wanted to see more of the country. I'm glad I went.









I liked walking through the forest. I don't think that I've been hiking since living in Switzerland. What a beautiful part of the country.




Look at this old tree stump. Do you see anything?








How about here?







Wow. So tall. I want to see giant sequoias sometime.







Wasaaaaaabi. I don't know what I thought wasabi was. It's definitely a root. A gross tasting root.



An old train. I kind of wish that I took a ride on it, but walking is much better. It was a good hike and great exercise. I kind of miss hikes in the forest. A chance to be closer to nature, getting your heart pumping and letting your mind go completely blank.





More old trees.








Do you see anything here?





One morning, we woke up super early to see the sun rise over the mountains. It was supposed to be this amazing sight ad after standing in a light rain shower and seeing the sky get lighter and watching the vendors set up their tables to lure in us tourists. Anyway, apparently we didn't get to see the sunrise because there were too many clouds. Boo. I think it's during the fall, but there's something else that I'd love the chance to see. They call it the waves of Alishan and it's the clouds blowing over the tops of the mountains and it literally looks like the rolling sea. We saw a video of it, and it looked uber-cool.



We weren't the only ones hoping to see the sunrise. Oh wait, I did take one of the old trains. We took the train up to the top of the mountain.




The tops of the mountains peeking out from the cloud cover. I like being above the clouds. I like being a cloud. This never happens in Toronto.



My last night in Taiwan, I crossed off yet another thing on my list. I drank bubble tea in Taiwan. Amazing. I mean, it wasn't different tasting than in Toronto, but I wanted to try it from the source. I also had the chance to ride a scooter. We took a little tour of the city. It was so much
fun. I even got the chance to try to drive it myself, and while it was not difficult, I didn't do a very good job of driving. I was going super slow, and luckily on an empty, residential street, yet I almost crashed into a car on a turn. I wasn't quite getting the feeling of steering the thing. Maybe I should re-think the idea of having a Vespa. I think I just wasn't used to the idea of accelerating with the hands. I guess sort of like when you first learn how to drive and you're unsure of how hard to press the
gas and brake pedals. And of course, as you can see here, I went to yet another night market. Can you tell I love them? It's crazy to think that this market is here just just a couple hours once or twice a week and at other times during the day it's a different type of market. And other times? Hmmm, I don't really know. Another type of stall at these markets (along with the food, clothing, knick-knack vendors) was an auction stall. They had tons of different objects up for auction and an auctioneer running the show. Most of these stalls were very empty with the auctioneer needing to take items off the block unsold.

Obviously, my trip to Taiwan was a wonderful experience. I saw a lot of things for the first time and learned a lot about, everything. I know I'm repeating myself, but I can't wait to go back again.

If only...

I feel like my condo search would be so much easier if I won the lottery. Just sayin'.
Le sigh.