The We and the I

And TIFF'12 is well underway!
The first film that I saw this year was The We and the I (trailer here). The synopsis of the movie seemed to be interesting because of the subject matter, but the actual description of way the movie would be presented wasn't that compelling to me. From the synopsis, I wasn't completely sure if it would be a documentary or feature film. Nonetheless, I decided to give the movie a chance. The fact that Michael Gondry was the big name associated to the film didn't really make a difference to me. I didn't see any of his previous films.
The movie basically takes place on a public transit bus departing from a high school on the last day of school before the summer holiday and ends as the last couple of students get off and start their break. During the bus ride, we meet different students who all attend the same school and have been on the same bus line for the entire year. We see their interactions and their stories that seem very much 'high school'.
My review of the film...well, I found it okay, but nothing too special. It seemed like I was just watching real life unfold, but since I can witness real life on a daily basis and have lived through adolescence and see adolescence often in my life, the film didn't seem to enrich anything for me. The 'actors' did seem sort of amateur at times and that didn't help matters. I don't usually notice inconsistencies in films, but the fact that I noticed that the time of day and weather around the bus changed randomly from scene to scene might be an indication that I wasn't completely invested in the story. And although each of the storylines were independently interesting, at times I felt it a little jarring how the filmmaker(s) transitioned between them.
Now here's the thing that wants me give the film the benefit of the doubt. This film spawned from a project between Gondry and the 'actors' as an afterschool program. In fact, the 'actors' are students, and from a final piece in the closing credits, we get a sense that the film is inspired by the students and that Gondry was really invested in these students and made a big impact on their lives. I imagine that the students were asked to share topics that were important to them and they helped developed the screenplay. However, I did notice that in the opening and closing credits, Gondry was credited a lot and the students just (?) seemed to be listed as the actors and there was just (?) a small mention of the project.
I was very disappointed that no one from the film attended the screening. I would have been interested to learn a little bit more about the project and what the main message of the film was. I really left this screening wanting to know a little bit more. It was the first screening of the film at the festival, so I had thought there would be folks from the film in attendance, but it didn't work out that way. There wasn't even a message passed along to the programmers to pass along to us. What a disappointment.
So, not quite a rave review, but I like the idea that this film started from a project with students. I just wish the film could have been a wee bit more, I don't know. Something.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff.net

TIFF is coming!

I was thinking about TIFF today. And thinking about what to include in my survival kit. You know, the basic necessities to keep you going when you've been busy with non-TIFF things all day and then you have to go to two screenings at night and then after a short night's sleep you have to go to more screenings without having a chance to cook and you don't really want to eat cinema food but need to wait in hour-long lines to get a rush ticket or a good seat (as a ticket holder) only to need something to do while sitting in the theatre for 30 minutes waiting for the big show to start and then freezing your bum off because they've cranked the AC? You know, all that kind of good stuff.
Oh man, TIFF is awesome. I can't wait for it to start!

Whoosh!!!

Here. We. Go!
This is going to be a big year. I've felt like I've been on a roller coaster for the past couple of years and this year will be no different.
In student-land, this is THE year.
In teacher-land, although I don't start teaching my classes until next week, this week is jam packed with leading workshops for folks teaching for the first time so the race has started.
Seeing the froshies running around reinforces the fact that it's go-time.
I'm nervous and amped about this year all at the same time.

Empire State of Pen

Empire State of Pen from BigAnimal on Vimeo.

Planning ahead

Next year, if I'm in the city, I'll try to be better prepared for the start of the year so that I can head west on the waterfront and watch the Canadian International Air Show front and center instead of watching it from my balcony.
I watched part of it yesterday as I was going back and forth between my computer and the balcony and the Snowbirds looked like they were having a grand 'ole time out there. It really does look like birds playing in the sky. I'm sure the pilots are very conscientious as they work, but I wonder if they're whooping and hollering just like the spectators are.
Anyway, back to work: it's back-to-school crunch time!

Interesting!

The restaurant we went to last night gave me a black dinner napkin because I was wearing dark clothing. I'm trying to figure out if it was a stylistic decision to continue to use white cotton napkins (and providing an alternative) even though they knew that they were leaving lint on the patrons as opposed to just going with linen napkins. What was it about the cotton napkins that they wanted to keep? And the black napkins weren't cotton so the fabric couldn't have been that important.
Anyway, it was the first time that I'd been to a restaurant with napkin options.

TIFF 2012

I'm trying to figure out my ticket selection for this year's festival. The process is a little different in that we don't have to fill out a booklet and keep our fingers crossed that our 'box' is drawn first. Instead, I was randomly assigned a timeslot to make my selection and it's first come first serve from that point.
I don't remember what my first round of cuts from going through the list of films resulted in, but I've narrowed it down to my final 28 films. I'd usually want to cut it down to about 15-20 before making a spreadsheet of the films to see what overlaps (thereby cutting out some possibilities), but I'm having trouble cutting down from where I am. I usually have a couple films that are on my 'must see' list, but this year, either nothing's blowing me away, or everything on my shortlist sounds awesome.
I will be seeing at least 8 films this year.

High Speed Video of Flipping Cats

Cats are awesome. Well actually, all animals are awesome. I used to do similar 'experiments' with my cat, but I don't have the science knowledge to explain all of the cool things that she could do. I didn't have to have any special knowledge to know that my cat was a princess. An awesome princess.

Huh?

Was I supposed to be flattered when the saleslady asked me if the shoes that I wanted to try on were for my school uniform? Or was it some sort of dig at my taste in footwear?

wallpaper.com and blah

I'm not sure why I didn't have website for Wallpaper* Magazine bookmarked prior to last week. I'm really enjoying what it has to offer.

And vaguely related, why am I posting so much today? Procrastinating on the thesis? Eek. The past two weeks have been good. I'm getting into a groove but my fingers aren't going as fast as I would like them to. Or maybe I should be concerned that's I'm only a third through the themes for my Findings chapter and I'm at about 100 pages. I'm in for a bumpy ride. My thesis is going to be a great doorstopper.

Camping

I've never been camping before. I mean, in the woods. Prior to the age of 22, I don't think I'd slept in a tent. Actually, I might have once when I was a kid. I remember crayons melting in the front pocket of my red backpack from sitting in the sun too long while I was at a day-camp. But I'm not entirely sure if we had a special event where we'd stayed over. Maybe not.
I've been to two cottages in my life. One involved sleeping in a tent in the yard (it was for an initiation), and the other, I slept in a king-sized bed. I think that cottage was nicer than a lot of houses.
The sleepover camps that I've been to (all school-related) involved me sleeping in a bed in cabins. Not terribly rustic.
Growing up, camping just wasn't something that our family did. I don't think that my parents had anything against camping, it just wasn't part of their repertoire of things to do.
I imagined camping to be something where you're in the middle of nowhere, with no electricity nor running water. And you definitely don't have a toilet. Especially not a porcelain kind. I've since learned that there are different types of campgrounds and ways to camp, but I'm not chomping at the bit to go. That's not entirely true, I do want to give it a go, but I just don't know how I feel about having the first time I go be really, I don't know, authentic?
I'm not a total princess. Seriously, I'm not. In fact, I guess I have gone camping before. I slept in a tent (although I did not put it up) in the deserts of Tunisia. And the toilet facilities were "behind that sand dune over there". We did have a roll of toilet paper, but that's it. Actually, I've camped a couple times on my extravagant adventures abroad. I camped in Kenya too.
But camping in Northern Ontario or anywhere else in Canada, I have yet to do. I'd like to!
Oh right, the reason why I wrote this post in the first place - I read this article. I found it amusing, entertaining and brought up some interesting issues about society.

Hotel --> condo = auction

I had wanted to go to the Four Seasons Hotel auction a couple month ago, but I didn't end up having time to check it out. Now, yet another 'famous' hotel in the city is closing to make way for condos and they're going through the same process. The Sutton Place Hotel is auctioning off many of their items for charity and is currently ongoing.
I'm not sure if I would buy anything, but I think it would be interesting to see what kinds of things that a hotel needs to get rid of and the prices that they are going for. Maybe I'll be able to find some time in the next couple of days to take a look.

Just a guess

I'm thinking that the lady that I saw on the bus this morning wearing all-black might work at Burberry. I mean, I was also wearing an all-black outfit (shocker!), but my outfit didn't consist of Burberry wellies, a Burberry blazer, a Burberry purse, and a Burberry coin purse. I mean, I can't be entirely sure because she wasn't carrying a Burberry umbrella and her black sequined scrunchie (that's right, I said scrunchie) most definitely wasn't from Burberry, but the rest of her outfit looked very Burberry boutique salesperson-esque (I wonder what word they use to refer to themselves in Burberry-land).

Olympic 2012 Doodles

The doodles for the 2012 Olympics have been great. I mean, the doodles are always great, but I've enjoyed the interactive ones from these past couple of days. They remind me of the Olympic Decathlon game that my brother and I used to play on the Apple 2E. Classic.

Fruits and veg garden

I'm a city girl. I've visited a couple farms and gardens on field trips, and I've stayed with a couple people who grow fruits/veg in their gardens. I have seen some fruit/veg on my travels in their natural habitat too, but for the most part, my conception of where fruits and veg come from is the (super)market. Obviously, I know that they were grown somewhere first, but I can't imagine how most of them grow.

Recently, my dad's taken up a hobby of growing random fruits and veg in their backyard. I know that my parents grew some things in the first home that I lived in, but I don't have many memories of it. A couple years ago, my dad started growing tomatoes (cherry and heirloom) and it was pretty awesome. Two years ago he added some winter melon to the mix and that was cool because I had never seen a vegetable that grows on a vine go from seedling to harvest.
Last year, my dad went even more intense. There were tomatoes, bitter melon (testing out a new vine veg), snow peas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and grapes. The tomatoes, bitter melon and snow peas were successful. The strawberries less so, but I've heard that they take a little bit more expertise. The other berries and the grapes - nada. But it was an experiment and fun for my dad to tinker around, so it was worth it.

This year, my dad moves some of the plants around, being strategic and hoping that the new placement would help (especially with the strawberries). The tomatoes are starting to do their thing. The snow peas are duds this year but the duds from last year returned from a vengeance! All of the pictures from this post are from this year. The raspberries were small, but there were a good number and the blackberries have really come to life!

It's, again, been really interesting to watch them grow and to hear from my dad about how he's tinkered around with them. I'm looking forward to seeing how the grapes are going to develop because, as you can see from the picture, it looks promising. The new 'melon' of choice is actually cucumbers and zucchini...along with bitter melon again (blech). My dad had planted them pretty late in the season so he wasn't sure if anything would come of them. When I was there snapping pictures, I saw this wee thing (below), but I didn't know what it would become. Now, a couple weeks later, I've found out that they're pickling cucumbers. And just like the winter melon, the prickles on the outside come right off when they're ripe. Plants are awesome, aren't they?
Way to protect themselves from predators! Anyway, I think the zucchini are trying to grow as well, but they probably weren't planted in the best location. They're shaded by the leaves and vines of the cucumbers and bitter melon that are growing up the lattice in front of them. I think my dad assumed that zucchini would grow a similar way. Oops.
But that's the thing, although it's great that my parents can eat the fruit and veg that my dad's growing, it's more
of a fun hobby and learning activity. My dad and his gardens are proof that there is such thing as lifelong learners and that you can always pick and choose something new to learn about.
Also amazing is the fact that my dad has built planters and various structures in their backyard for all of these 'experiments'. And they look incredible! I'm lucky enough to have a custom-made deck and planters at my place too!

10 Videos To Get You Fired Up for the Olympics

I feel like I'm missing the Olympics. I don't have a TV and I've made a conscious decision not to have a live stream going on my computer. I don't even know what happened in the opening ceremonies other than the fact that the Queen made a cameo in a 007 thing and Mr. Bean did something with an orchestra (factoid: Mr. Bean is completely lost on folks who are visually impaired. Think about it, everything he does is physical. He hardly ever talks and for the most part no one does in his sketches. There's a ton a laugh tracks in there, but that's not what the visually impaired need.).
Anyway, I will linger by a TV when I walk by somewhere showing the Olympics, but I do not watch it at work nor at home. I'm hoping that as a result, I'm probably a lot more productive, but I do feel like I'm missing out on some great things.
But I guess you're always missing out on great things in life. I'm just consciously aware of the fact that I'm missing the Olympics.
Ramble over.
Here's a nice series of video related to the Games and/or sports.

Bloody sponsors

I get that without them, the Olympics might not even happen, but it irks me to no end that these companies are letting prime seats go to waste when there are avid fans who pay big bucks for worse seats and/or can't even get tickets. I saw it first hand in Torino. Before than, I really was naive enough to not realize that that's how the world worked. My earlier post from those games and even notes from that post actually showed that I thought that people just didn't buy tickets. Little did I know. Sigh. It was quite upsetting to me and it seems as though things won't be changing anytime soon.

Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?

Sherry Turkle says everything that I've been thinking these past couple of years as technology innovations have become mainstream. Sure, I deeply respect the benefits of these technologies, but the issues that Ms. Turkle shares really concern me. As someone who is actively bucking these technologies, I thought I was alone in my thoughts. And as someone in a field that is really advocating for pushing forward with these advances (although, I would think that most fields engage in these innovations), I feel conflicted. By no means do I think these advances should be banished from our existence, but I'm uneasy about how it will change our society. As an individual who is sentimental and appreciative of our past and certain values and norms, maybe I'm flawed to not just accept an inevitable shift. I know I can be resistant to change, and I can't help but be reminded of the words of educational theorist Paulo Freire, "Change is difficult, but possible", but these words were written to refer to a positive change. Do the benefits of these advances outweigh the drawbacks? I'm not sure.
Having watched the video, my tension with the matter has not been resolved, but I am glad that the debate is out there. I didn't think it was.

(Thanks b, for passing this along.)
A related post.

Oh wow...

"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." 

I came across this saying today.
It just clicked. I kid you not.
Boy am I slow. To give me a little bit of credit, I haven't heard someone say this (or read it somewhere) in years. Decades, even.
Ha ha ha ha ha...I'm so glad that I can laugh at myself. Sometimes I take myself way too seriously. Luckily, this was a LOL moment.
And for that grand breakthrough in understanding, I deserve a weekend. If only I could finish this assignment and those conference proposals...I give myself 2 hours before I call it quits for the week.

Play Me, I'm Yours

I've seen a couple around the city...have you?
What a wonderful idea!

A nice find

I'm a snob. I can admit it.
So, after being spoiled in Europe with yummy crepes (mostly, courtesy of Bach & Buck) I came back to Toronto, not really wanting to 'risk' eating crepes here. I just figure that my standards are so ridiculously high, that nothing here in the city will compare. And I don't want to ruin the awesomeness that I know crepes are.
Today, I needed to grab something quick to eat and the most convenient thing in the area was a crepe place. I thought, well, I can't be a snob forever (or more importantly, starve...I was really hungry), so I gave it a go.
While I was looking at the menu and waiting for the person in front of me to complete his order, I realized that they were speaking French to one another. Real French. Super French, French. I figured this guy must be a regular, or a friend, or a tourist. The menu was in English, the drink menu that was written on the mirror was in English. Every other customer eating and chatting with their friends, seated in the restaurant were speaking in English. I did notice, however, Frenchie items on the shelf as part of the decor (e.g., a macaron box from Laduree, a shopper from Hermes, a canister from Mariage Freres, un petit pot de la Fleur de Sel). I was intrigued. How would the serveuse address me?
"Bonjour!"
"Ah, oui? Vraiment? On parle en Francais?"
"Uh..."
Quickly, I realise that this is the real deal. I am absolutely giddy but try to remain cool (as if our initial exchange didn't blow my cover!). I place my order, and wait, gobsmacked. I think this can be my happy place when I need a little 'home away from home'.
I'm flattered that the serveuse continues to carry on speaking to me in French. Honoured, actually.
I'm already dreaming about coming back to make this place a regular haunt. It's small, and the menu's not that extensive, but I could make it work. I will make it work.
The only problem is...the crepe wasn't that great...

A woman's woes

I'm not really sure how to process these two articles from The Atlantic. Separately, and in relation to one another.

The Mini-Golf Open

As per usual, this is all kind of awesome.

Spoiled Rotten - Why do kids rule the roost?

This article was mentioned in class last week. It raises a lot of issues to ponder and reflect upon our experiences and practices based on our society, culture, and generation.
One idea that I enjoy is that we should set high expectations for our students (I know the article is about children and focusing on parenting behaviours, but actually, you can apply it to almost any context you want). I haven't, however, read anything about when it gets taken too far and too much pressure is put on the student to achieve at a level that may not be realistic. Now, is that because I have an (incorrect) impression that individuals have a pre-determined potential? Or at what point can the teacher say, "Don't worry, you tried your best", without turning into a "spoiling" behaviour?
That's what I love about teaching (and parenting and coaching and mentoring and managing and..). It's so complex.

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

I watch this video a couple times each year and every time I watch it, I feel like I get something that I didn't previously get. It's an awesome talk on so many levels.

Celebrating an anniversary with a flashmob

"On the 130th anniversary of the founding of Banco Sabadell we wanted to pay homage to our city by means of the campaign 'Som Sabadell' (We are Sabadell). This is the flashmob that we arranged as a final culmination with the participation of 100 people from the Vallès Symphony Orchestra, the Lieder, Amics de l'Òpera and Coral Belles Arts choirs."

I love me a flashmob. And Beethoven's 9th, well, you can't go wrong with that. It wouldn't encourage me to open an account at their bank, but it's a nice way to celebrate an occassion...and bring a smile to many people's faces.

Art of Packing

I've been seeing this everywhere on the internet in the last little while. Some interesting little tips and tricks, even if you don't own any LV.

Hmm...

"Many men admire strong women, but they do not love them..."
- Elsa Schiaparelli

Livingstones

I've been eying these for a couple years now. Gimme gimme gimme. I wonder if it's even possible to get them in the city?

These streets will make you feel brand new...Big lights will inspire you

Day one in New York and it's nice to be in a different city for a little while.
Just two things before I get ready to head out into the city once again:
1. ABT FTW! $25 front orchestra level seating for students. I was prepared to pay top dollar for a ticket to tonight's performance, but pleasantly surprised once I arrived to the box office.
2. Lemon slices in the water for doggies that the shops have by their front door for their four legged friends.
It's hot hot hot, here in the city. I feel bad for all of the lads in their long sleeved shirts and jackets. I will save Central Park for another day.

"Researching"

Can you tell I'm preparing for a trip? My list is coming along nicely.

New York (November 17-22, 2011)

Wow. I was just sorting through my pictures and realized that I'm slacking in the blogging department.
I've been to New York a couple times now, and I think it's my equivalent to Paris or London from 5-8 years ago. It's close enough that it doesn't take too long to get there and it's the big city/shopping getaway that I crave every so often. I still have lots to explore in the city (as I always will in any city that I go to), but it's starting to feel familiar enough that
I do have a couple things that I always like do when I'm there. In Paris, I always have to visit the Tour Eiffel. I take one evening during my trip to just sit there and take a moment. In New York, I tend to do that at Times Square. You'd think that at each of these touristy and crowded areas, I wouldn't be able to take a moment to get a quiet moment for myself, but I always can.
When I lived in Europe, London was my place that I would catch a couple shows. I would line up at the tkts booth in Leicester Square for something playing in the West End. I would splurge on tickets for the Royal Opera. I never seemed to go at a time when I could get tickets to the Royal Ballet. I used to go to London twice a year and pretty much the same time of year each time. Anyway, I try to catch a couple shows in New York each time I go as well. I'm not entirely sure why I don't take advantage of more touring shows that come through Toronto (actually, I do, I have some sort of complex that they might not be as good as if I were to see them in London or New York - which I know is a ridiculous thing to think) but I really should get over myself and take advantage of some of some more of the great things that Toronto has to offer.
Anyway, this past time in New York, I went to an opera at the Met Opera. It was quite lovely. The production was great and of course the venue is spectacular. I really like theatres/concert halls/opera houses. I always try to visit them when I travel, and if there is a tour of the building, I take it. They're so lovely. Lincoln Center is no exception. I mean a place with massive Chagalls on display for people passing by to see...c'mon. Gorgeous during the day. Gorgeous at night. The steps leading up to it even light up and tell you important things.
I usually see a musical on Broadway, and this past trip, I went to see The Book of Mormon. I scored a great seat the day of (this is when there was still a lot of buzz about the show because it did so well at last year's Tony's) after waiting in the standby line for quite some time. It was a show that I laughed through, but I wondered if people would
be offended at it. I could see how it goes over the line, but in my opinion, it's clearly poking fun at things (which may be based on truth - I don't know for sure, but I don't know enough about the things discussed) so I was ready to laugh about it. Mind you, I wonder if others would have a different opinion of the show. Oh well, I enjoyed it. Even if you didn't like the content, you had to appreciate other parts of the show. I'm actually going back to New York this week and I'm still trying to decide which show(s) I want to see. I did take a look at who won what at the Tony's, so that might help me decide. We'll see what happens.
As I've said, I like to visit theatres and during this trip, I finally went to Radio City Music Hall. Wow, that place is amazing. I always like seeing things in person that I've seen on TV (there's that 'wow, it's really real!' factor) but it really is spectacular. I would like to see a Christmas Spectacular at some point. It's such a big production that I would like to see it for myself. And the Rockettes. It would be neat to see them. This week, I do have plans to see something there...I'm stoked about it.
I do have a couple other things that I want to do on this upcoming trip. The High Line is impressive each time I see it, so hopefully there will be some great weather while I'm there and I can enjoy it once again. I also want to enjoy Central Park. For someone who usually beelines for all of the tourist spots the first time I'm in a city, can you believe that I've never actually explored the park? I've zipped into one area to see the Alice in Wonderland statue, but that's it. How depressing. I really hope the weather cooperates this time. I have plans to have a nice lunch and read a book!
There's just so much to do in New York. Each time I go, there's more things that I want to do and things to discover. And there seem to be special events or seasonal
things that pop up too. I loved the ice rink that was in Bryant Park. I was desperate to go skating (I haven't skated in over a year, I think. Maybe two? It's quite upsetting.) but just standing and watching the folks on the ice, having a great time was nice. They'd set up a Christmas Market surrounding it, and I felt like I was back in Europe again. The 'log' huts that they'd put there and the kinds of trinkets they were selling. All that was missing was the stall with the candied nuts and gingerbread. And the glühwein. Oh, to smell that glühwein
Anyway, those were just some of the highlights of my trip to New York last year. I'm excited to be going back again and can't wait to discover more about the city. I was considering bringing work with me to do and I will be trying to get some work done on the way there and back, but I'm not sure if I will get anything done while I'm there.
Part of me thinks that it might be nice for me to get some work done in a different place and space, a fresh way to work on things, but another part of me says, 'take a break'. I probably need one. But who wouldn't be motivated to get some work down if you were sitting in a gorgeous library such as this one? I'm going to start with working on the way there and seeing how much I can accomplish during that amount of time. I'll see how motivated I am to continue working after that beginning on the journey over and then decide. The problem is that there's just so many things that I want to do in the city, that why would I 'waste' my time there working, when I could be enjoying everything else that the city has to offer?
What a great city.

Outdoor movie screenings

Soon, K-12 summer is going to start (you know, versus post-secondary summer and, well, I don't know what non-academic folks call summer) and that means even more events in the city than there are now!

Here's the list of outdoor film series that happen in my area:
Dancing in the Dark @ Younge-Dundas Square
Free Flicks @ Harbourfront Centre
TIFF in the Park @ David Pecaut Square

Last summer, I ended up going to a couple screenings at David Pecaut. The Muppets Movie (during which there was a massive thunderstorm - boo) and Mary Poppins (hence the picture). We'll see what I end up going to see this year!

MapAttack!

This event by Newmindspace for North by Northeast sounds like fun. Shame that I don't have an i-phone nor Android. My accessibility radar is having a field day. It's funny how it's just kind of assumed that most people will have one or the other. Way to phase out those Blackberry users and luddites.
I'm really not THAT annoyed, but it's something I think about every so often.

The Little Black Jacket

Behold, the iconic little black jacket from Chanel. When I attended the traveling 2.55 exhibition that was in the city a couple years ago, I was amazed at the details and craftmanship of the bag. I was also impressed at the care that the company took at putting together the exhibition and the representation that they sent along with it from France. I'm sure The Little Black Jacket exhibition would be just as fun. It would be great if it came to the city. I doubt it would, though. Sigh.

No no no no no!

A very well followed blogger recently did a collaboration with a company whom I've been lusting over their products for quite some time. And I think the company isn't in the mainstream yet (it might never get there because of their price point, but I would argue that Hermes, for example, is in the mainstream even though they are at a price point that isn't attainable to the mainstream market) but because I'm selfish, I want as few people to think that they're the next "it" company, or "cool" brand to own or whatever. I mean, their stuff is gorgeous and of course people will fall in love with the company, but when I eventually own something from there myself (trust me, I've tried...it's been a crazy adventure) I don't want to be "yet another girl with a ____ bag". If I stay in Canada, it'll be a little easier for me as they don't really have any retailers in the country and, well, ummm, Canadians take a lot longer to jump on bandwagons, but the point is, I don't want there to be a bandwagon. I'm a snob! I don't want to be one of the masses!
 I care way too much about these things. Essentially, I'm convinced that their stuff is gorgeous and I will own something from the fashion house in the future, and I will be intrinsically satisfied with what I own, but I believe that many people pass judgement (I'm not being hypocritical here, I know that I do the same!) based on visible things and I don't want this brand to get to the point where people can pass judgement with a different lense. Oh gosh, I really read into these things way too much.

Louis Vuitton - Larger than Life

This is a pretty cute series by the folks at Louis Vuitton.

Skewed view

The first thing I thought when I looked browsed a website that was passed along to me by a friend was, "How can I use this in my teaching?"
Earlier today, I was telling a colleague about how much I love teaching. That it's the best job. That I can't wait to teach for the rest of my life.
Sometimes I have difficulty falling asleep because my mind is racing with ideas for my teaching. Once I'm asleep, I sometimes dream about teaching. I've missed my train/subway/streetcar/bus stop a couple times due to being lost in my thoughts coming up with activities to use in classes.
When I first started writing this post, I thought that maybe it's a bad thing that I see things from this skewed point of view. Or that I can't appreciate things through any other lense. But I don't think that's true. I recently saw things through an equity point of view (something that I felt I was lacking), and well, I think it's awesome that I have found something that I'm so passionate about. If only everyone could be so lucky.

Have to start somewhere. Had to start sometime.

Today was the day. Pen to paper (well, fingers to keyboard). Game on, thesis. Game on.

Doors Open

This is the first year since I've moved back to Canada that I've been in town for Doors Open. I went to a couple different venues today, and enjoyed being a tourist in my own city. Lots of walking, lots of going here and there, picking up maps, following self-guided tours - true *L*-tourist mode. Of course, I wasn't the only one who was enjoying the event. I was so happy to see how many people were out and about. The gorgeous weather helps too! It was an awesome day and I plan to head back out again tomorrow!

Summer's here!

Or, at least, good weather is here! I have my first Greg's for the year. I actually stayed away from Greg's entirely last year. Amazing, I know. But it's as delicious as I remember. I tried a couple different flavours before settling on my choices. Trail Mix is exactly what it should taste like, just in ice cream form, and Bombay Chocolate (or something like that), which is coconut milk, curry, and chocolate, is also exactly what it should taste like. The former = tasty. The latter = unique.
Anyway, I was starting to feel bad that I kept asking for samples, but there were enough flavours that I didn't recognize that it was making my decision difficult. I need to be an informed buyer! Yet, in the end, I still took a leap of faith (because, as I said, I was getting a little embarrassed at taking so long). I got Star Anise (actually, quite tasty, so the risk paid off in the end), and of course, my Greg's go-to and must-have flavour, Roasted Marshmallow.
Now, I guess it had been so long since my last visit that I couldn't recall how I would be able to get two different flavours without getting too much ice cream. In the end, I got a scoop of each (which was too much ice cream, even for me!) and then realized that I probably got a 1/2 scoop of each previously. Now that my memory is jogged, I can move forward from here.
Also, there's a second location of Greg's for even more awesomeness. So if you're in the Distillery District, enjoy!

Hot Docs 2012

I ended up seeing 8 films during this year's edition of Hot Docs. Thanks to Scotiabank, I watched all of them for free.

Here are the films that I saw, in the order that I saw them:
1. The Imposter
2. One Fine Day
3. Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
4. Big Boys Gone Bananas!*
5. The Revisionaries
6. Legend of a Warrior
7. Brooklyn Castle
8. Radioman

I did quite well in the movies that I watched. I had planned to see a couple more on the final day of the festival, but I was exhausted. Shame, because two of the films that I was going to see turned out to be award winners: The World Before Her and The Boxing Girls of Kabul. I'm a little disappointed that my body and brain can't keep up with everything that I want to do, but I'm glad that I (for once) didn't push it. Taking the Sunday off was wonderful.
The film that I enjoyed the most out of the 8 that I saw was definitely the first. Hopefully it's not because I was just too exhausted by the end to really enjoy the films and that it was just really that good. But turns out that others in the industry also liked the film too, as it won the Filmmakers Award.
Actually, I liked all of the films that I saw. I could have gone without the second and maybe the third one, but 6 out of 8 is good. I need to get better at guessing which screenings will have Q&As. At 5 out of 8, I'm not happy with my outcome. Actually, I do think that watching the premiere of a film at the festival would give me a better shot at a Q&A, and although I do take that into consideration when creating my schedule during festivals, the jigsaw of maximizing the number of screenings that I can attend based on my schedule means that I just go to the screenings that I have time to go to.
Most likely, the next festival that I will be attending is TIFF, although I'll try to get some outdoor films in during the summer months. I haven't been to a screening of a blockbuster movie on any old average day in a long time. Actually, I can't remember the last time I went to see a movie like that. I don't even know what movies are out right now. I'm such a snob.

Radioman

Radioman (official website here) was the final film that I saw at this year's Hot Docs. By the end of the week, I was pretty tired from everything that was going on in life that I needed something light. I had actually had planned to see a couple more films the next day (Sunday), but in the end, I took the day off. I needed it.
I had never heard of Radioman before. I must have seen him in different films and/or shows but clearly I never made the connection or I didn't realize that it was more than just a character on the screen.
Radioman is man who lives in New York and is a regular on TV show and movie sets. He loves the industry and has gotten to know some of the people in it. He's gotten cameos, is allowed at Craft Service and has attended the Oscars.
Radioman is quite the individual. His story is interesting, and is personality is entertaining. I laughed out loud during the screening, and A-list celebrities have some nice things to say about him, but in the end, I did have an overwhelming sense of sadness.
Apparently, Radioman attended the first two screenings of the film, but the filmmakers who stayed for the Q&A were able to get him on the phone. His personality shone through even through that little cell phone. The filmmakers talked about how they wanted to make a positive film. To show the personality of Radioman, that they didn't want it to be depressing, but as i said before, I felt sad. I wasn't sure if Radioman is a happy person. Sure we all get sad from time to time, but overall, I think I'm doing pretty well. I wonder if he feels like he's getting let down time and time again. I wonder if he's lonely. I wonder what will happen to him after the fact? I don't judge, I just wonder.
Well, rest assured, I will start to look for Radioman as I watch TV and films in the future.
It's kind of a neat movie to see. Radioman does seem like an interested person. But it wasn't quite as happy-go-lucky of a film as I thought it would be. Not that it should be based on the subject matter, but that's just what I was expecting from the write-up.
Finally, at the screening, I realized that it would be my last time watching a movie at the Cumberland Theatres. They would be closing the theatre after Hot Docs and it would be turned into some sort of fancy retail space. Sigh, it's a great location and cute set of theatres. I wonder how it will be redone on the inside? It's amazing how architects can just gut everything and see it as a blank slate. Or build around features that are already there. Tae the best of both worlds. I wonder if they'll keep anything of the cinemas in tact?

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

Brooklyn Castle

I always want to see more films at a festival than I have time for. My first attempt at deciding what I want to see usually results in a couple films that I definitely want to see. Brooklyn Castle (official website here) was the one film from this year's Hot Docs that was in that category. It was an obvious choice. Education, youth empowerment, underdog story...some people say that I'm a predictable person.
In a nutshell, this film is about a chess team from an inner city public school that keeps producing champions. The government keeps cutting back funds. Students are learning life lessons and understanding their identities. Some students take on leadership roles. Are the students going to win their matches at the big championships? Will they take some steps to change the rest of their lives?
The film was good, but I wanted more. Now, I'm never sure if it's because I'm more invested in this kind of topic, so I have higher expectations for the film, or that it really wasn't as good as it could have been. The suspense was awesome and the outcomes were awesome and the updates on the characters were awesome, but I still wanted more. I think I wanted more about everything. I wanted to know more about all of the stakeholders. Students, families, and educators. I wanted to know more about the school. I wanted to know more about the club. I even wanted to know more about the chess.
There wasn't a Q&A for the screening (boo), but that wasn't the worst thing because it gave me enough time to rush to the final film that I saw at the festival. Brooklyn Castle was screening at The Regent, which is in a completely different area than the rest of the festival. Nice that Hot Docs is trying to go to different parts of the city, but difficult to contend with if you're one of those people who watches multiple screenings a day.
Oh, and a large-scale standardized test in Grade 8 to determine what high school you can get into. Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Although I'm still open to the debate on streaming, and I'm usually quite wishy-washy about my opinions (not because I'm not willing to take a stand, but because I can see both sides), for this situation, I know where I stand.
Anyway, it was a good film. Take a look at the film's website if you want to learn more and even donate to the cause. This was another project partially funded through Kickstarter.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

Legend of a Warrior

I'm clearly way behind on my blogging. Hot Docs has come and gone and I'm still trying to advocate for films that people should have gone to see. Well, I guess people can watch them in other venues if they want. Anyway, this gives me the excuse to be brief, as if I wasn't already going down that route with my other reviews.
So, Legend of a Warrior (click on link to read Hot Doc write-up) is less about fighting and more about family. The filmmaker seeks to get to know his father better, in part because he is now a father himself. There is a cultural gap. A generational gap. Some strains in the family.
Director, Corey Lee, was in attendance and it was a family affair. His father had attended the premiere at the festival and as I had attended the final screening, his dad had come and gone from the festival (although he called in that day to find out how things were going), but Lee's in-laws were all in attendance.
The film itself is quite nice. It's powerful because of the topic and how it gets resolved. Everyone can relate to the story and has an emotional connection to anything about families. If you get a chance to watch the film, you should. I wouldn't put it in the category of 'go out of your way to watch it', but if you have the opportunity to watch it, do it.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

Jige bag

Qui veut une pochette Hermes? Voila!

Massimo Dutti

There will soon be a Massimo Dutti store in the city! This was my Club Monaco when I lived in Europe. I wonder what the response to the store will be in North America?
For those who don't know much about the Inditex group, it's actually similar to the Gap group. The Gap group has (among others) Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy in a hierarchy of sorts. Inditex has Massimo Dutti, Zara, and a couple others that I would put at the same level as Old Navy. They include Bershka, Stradivarius, and Pull and Bear.
Anyway, because I'm selfish and I sort of want to keep some European things in Europe so that I can go to my 'special' places whenever I go back, I'm not entirely sure if I'm happy that the store will be coming so close to home.
Alas. These are not the things I should be too concerned about.

Cinquecento

Did the Fiat folks finally notice the success of the Beetle and Mini and decide that they wanted to stage a comeback too? Or maybe this is just additional proof that North Americans are really slow at following the trends.
Anyway, the 500 is uber, I mean, molto cute!

The Revisionaries

The Revisionaries (official website here) is about Don McLeroy, who chaired the Texas Board of Education. He, along with some of his colleagues were working on teaching standards for the science and social sciences curriculum and actively tried to introduce anti-evolutionary thinking. Or, ummm, promote a creationist approach.
I don't want to get into a discussion about religion, and although much of the movie seemed shocking to me (and the audience) based on my (our) own ideology/ies (clearly, with the gasps and laughs), what it did make me consider was the effect that policy makes have on so many people. In this case, not just a State, but also on a nation. You see, Texas and California are so big that standards in either of these States will affect the entire country. Textbook companies would rather not make multiple versions of textbooks (for different States), thus whatever goes in Texas and/or California often goes for the rest of the country. Crazy.
I think of myself as a pretty neutral member of society. I don't follow a particular religion. I don't subscribe to a particular political party. And I'm naive about a lot of these things, so it's kind of funny for me to see how 'extreme' things can get. Of course, I realize that certain decisions have huge repercussions, but seeing this particular example on the big screen was particularly shocking. I wonder if things like this happen in Canada? I guess so, but with different specifics.
During the Q&A with Scott Thurman, we learned that Americans react the same way to the film as we Canadians do, although they take it a little bit more personally. Of course, the types of people attending film festivals are probably more on 'one-side' than the other (even he said it) and would see the film from one angle, I guess I was also reminded that everyone looks at the world through their own particular lens. This lens is based on personal experiences and beliefs and skews how we interpret everything that we see and do. Apparently Don McLeroy watched the film and loved it. Clearly he didn't see it in the way that many of the audience members do.
Anyway, lately I've been going through a little bit of a crisis (actually, not a crisis at all, as I tend to blow things out of proportion) and wonder if I should know more about different educational perspectives. There's a group in my field that looks at things through a particular lens that I don't naturally see. Once they explain it to me, I understand what they mean, but I never see it as such myself. But the thing is, I wonder if learning more would actually help me. I'm sure that I will always see the world through a particular (rose coloured) lens no matter how much I know about different lenses. Although, I wonder if I could be convinced to change my stance? I guess it would take a pretty significant event. For now, though, I like how I look at things.
This was the first film that I saw which was partially funded through Kickstarter. I thought that was pretty cool. I have seen a couple different cool projects on Kickstarter so to see a final product was pretty special.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

Big Boys Gone Bananas!*

Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (official website here) is a film about the aftermath of Fredrik Gertten's previous film, Bananas!. In Bananas!, Gertten investigates the lawsuit against Dole by workers in the banana fields. Dole responded in a pretty extreme fashion. This new documentary follows exactly what went down from the first instant that Gertten and team knew that something was up.
This film was another 'predictable' documentary. Chronological, following main characters, showing natural highs and lows that came up along the way and of course bashing corporate America. Or, well, corporations in America and Europe.
This was the one and only screening of the film during HotDocs, but apparently it's (along with Bananas!) coming back for a run at the (newly renovated) Bloor Cinema. The audience seemed to be very receptive to the film and actually gave Gertten a standing ovation. I never look at the world through 'big bad corporations' lens, so although I get what the film was about and I appreciate what's going on, I probably won't be changing my habits, regular practice and opinions about things. Like I said, I can appreciate it, but that's about it. Maybe I'm a disappointment, but it is what it is.
Anyway, I guess it's a good film. I may not give it a glowing review, but that's not because it wasn't good. It's just because it didn't blow me away or surprise me in any way. It was cool to learn about how certain things and big companies work, but it didn't blow my mind. It definitely has a 'we can make a difference' message, and I appreciated that.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

I know nothing about skateboarding. I don't even know how to skateboard (although, I did try once). The only name I recognized from the synopsis is Tony Hawk. The only reason I decided to go to the screening of Bones Brigade: An Autobiography is because the final screening of the film is sold out so I figured other people (in the know?) must think it's worth watching. It also happened to fit into my schedule.
I dozed off in this movie as well. I mean, it was okay, but nothing too interesting. I'm going to hope that's because I'm not an avid follower of the skateboarding culture. Although, one elderly lady who also said she knew nothing about the subject matter praised the film when asked for feedback from director, Stacy Peralta. But maybe she just said that because she was put on the spot. Who knows?
Anyway, let's just analyze the film for what it is. It's a series of interviews with different members of the skateboarding community who were influential or invested in the sport around the 1980. Interspersed between their interviews was skateboarding footage and other footage from the 1980s. It told a story in chronological fashion and ended with little blurbettes with updates on each of the featured characters. It seemed to be a pretty traditional documentary in terms of format. In the post-screening Q&A, Peralta talked about how many of the Bones Brigade had asked him to create this documentary. That they felt that there was a story to tell. A documented story about a group of people who were so influential on skateboarding as we know it today. With that purpose in mind, I think the documentary did a great job. Was it groundbreaking and did it uncover anything shocking, controversial or anything that I'll remember many years down the line? No, but I don't think that was the point. This is a documentary that something wanting to know more about skateboarding culture can and should watch.
One of the questions from the Q&A was about whether Peralta was conducting the interviews when the interviewee talked about Peralta. He said that initial interviews were conducted by him, but after starting to piece together the film and needing to go back to do follow-up interviews, for specific topics, another member of the crew would conduct the interviews and Peralta would not be present. It was a mutual decision by Peralta and the interviewees. Every so often in these Q&As, I'm reminded that making a documentary is very similar to the process that I follow when conducting research. I'm currently involved in a study in which I am conducting interviews with my participants. Of course to a certain extent, the interviewer takes a position of authority, but in this particular case, the relationship that I have developed with these participants even before they joined my study has been one in which I am the person of authority. While I like to think that there is no power dynamic in this study and that there will be no effects on my data as a result, it's hard to know for sure. I usually watch films for enjoyment sake. I like the topics of the film, I like the storyline, I like the music, I like the art direction, I like learning, but I don't naturally analyze the film for the '-ology' behind the creation of the film. I like it when I'm reminded (often during the Q&A) that there's kind of a science or methodology behind making a film. It's another layer that I don't natural associate with the final product, but I like thinking about it and relating it to some of the issues that I deal with in my own work.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

I guess it's good

...that I can fall asleep under any circumstance. When you're stuck in a super-loud MRI machine for an hour, my special skill definitely comes in handy. Before I dozed off, I do remember imagining that I was listening to hard-core techno music.

One Fine Day

The second film that I watched in this year's Hot Docs was One Fine Day. It was sort of ho hum. It played out like a paid programming advertisement for some sort of organization. I don't know what the organization would be, but something like a activism, stand up for your rights kind of thing. The deep voiced narrator with a British accent didn't really help matters.
Now, the issues discussed in the documentary are really important, but it just seemed a little bit too forced. Too cliche. The stories and people that were featured were great, but it was still pretty blah. Blah enough that I think I started to fall asleep in one part. Actually, I'm pretty sure that I dozed off. I know that I'm running on fumes right now and I can pretty much fall asleep in any dark room, but still, I would have thought that if the documentary was good, it would keep me awake.
I really don't have too much to say about the film. As I said previously, it was pretty ho hum. There wasn't a Q&A or anything but I didn't feel as though I would have been enlightened by one. The one part of the film that I did enjoy was the beginning and ending. Weaving in that common theme and imagery...that was great. But yeah. That's it.
Wow, the most lackluster review ever.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

The Imposter

Hot Docs is underway! I'm going to milk this 'student' thing as long as I can. The Hot Docs Film Festival is once again offering free tickets to students and seniors for screenings starting before 6pm - it's fantastic! My schedule during the festival is busy enough that I only have 3 weekdays and the closing weekend free to watch films. As per usual, there are more films that I want to see than I have time for. Such is life.
The first film that I saw was The Imposter (official website here). Here is the festival's write-up:

The Imposter is probably the most unusual story in this year’s Festival. In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappears without a trace from San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive, thousands of miles away in a village in southern Spain with a story of kidnap and torture. His family is overjoyed to bring him home. But all is not quite as it seems. The boy bears many of the same distinguishing marks he always had, but why does he now have a strange accent? Why does he look so different? And why doesn’t the family seem to notice these glaring inconsistencies? It’s only when an investigator starts asking questions that this strange tale takes an even stranger turn...

How could you not be intrigued by the synopsis? The film was really slick. The opening credits were really feature film-esque. And the way that the film was put together is typical documentary with interviews with stakeholders, but with slick transitions and details to make it, well, kinda feature film-esque once again.
You know how I can never describe why I like or don't like a film? And that usually I'm left wishing the film was longer or that I want it to be more in-depth? This film gave me a new revelation. It left me wanting more, but in a way that I was willing to google the story and read up about it. I mean, it would have been great if there was another half hour to the film to talk a little bit more about the tail end of the story (the film ended with traditional captions with updates about different characters in the film), so I do feel a sense of finality, but it's still a little unfinished. I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that the story is insane!
Basically, this film was amazing. There were many moments where the audience was in total awe, shock and amazement in what was happening on the screen. Unfortunately, there was no Q&A with the film. That would have been amazing. In googling the film, it seems as though one of the main characters was played by an actor. That just made it even more intriguing and left me superly wanting to hear someone associated with the film talk about it. How they decided to create a film about the topic, how they decided who would be involved (and not), how they weaved the story together...so many questions!
In this case, it wasn't that I was really annoyed at the movie that I still have so many questions, but I thought so highly of the film as a result.
As per usual, I don't seem to be able to eloquently talk about this film, but I assure you that it's a film worth seeing. Partly, I don't want to say too much about the film because I think it's more enjoyable the less you know about it. I saw the final screening of the film at the festival, but maybe you will be able to see it somewhere in the future.
It's quite amazing.

- picture courtesy of www.hotdocs.ca

Canvasco in Canada!

I have been waiting five years, but Canvasco finally has a retailer in Toronto! While on the beloved 510 a couple weeks ago, I spotted what looked like Canvasco messengers in the window of DeSerres, just south of Richmond. It wasn't until last night that I walked by the shop to confirm that they were indeed Canvasco bags! Awesome!
A German company, Canvasco is mostly known for their accessories made out of sails from boats. They also have a line that uses fur and these look so luxurious. I think I've only spotted one or two Canvasco bags on the streets of Toronto since I've moved back from Europe and I definitely haven't seen them anywhere else in North America. I didn't get a chance to take a look at the price point here in the city, but it's not the cheapest bag in the world. I could see folks who like Frietag products maybe being interested in these bags. The material makes it is a little less 'bike messenger', but I think the fact that they have unique patterns will help. Every time I wear mine, I will get a compliment or at least someone asking about it. The mega-wide strap and intense metal buckle get a lot of attention. The designers clearly put a lot of thought into designing the bag. The pocket in the interior of the flap of the messenger is seemingly upside down, but in fact, is absolutely right side up for when you are wearing the bag and to access the pocket you have to pull the flap open so that it's...upside down. Genius.
The fact that it's being sold through an art supply shop could signal their chosen demographic. I'm interested to see if the brand will do well here in the city.
Anyway, it's quite clear that I love their products. It took me a couple years to 'find' my Canvasco. I hope Torontonians will also be able to find their own Canvasco, and although I'm so happy that they've come to the city, part of me is sad that I have to share this fabulous brand with the rest of the world.
When I bought my Canvasco in Europe, there wasn't any packaging or anything, but in the DeSerres window, they seemed to be placed in Freitag-like cardboard drawers. That was slightly disappointing to see, but I guess they're trying to take advantage of the success of their Swiss counterparts.
Anyway, Toronto is always late on the trends, but I'm still pretty stoked to see a familiar name come to town!

Caine's Arcade

I'd noticed links to this quite some time ago, but life got in the way and I never really paid attention to it. Life should never get in the way.



"...push the 'check mark' button and the big number comes out..." Brilliant.

The official site (with link to support Caine’s Scholarship Fund)

Eagle cam hilarity

My favorite thing about the eagle cam is seeing projectile poop coming out of the eaglets. It is hilarious!

More amazingness from T-Mobile

Today was a little bit of a doozy. I've been watching light-hearted videos and scarfing down sweets to make up for it.

In case you were too lazy to click on the links from this morning's post, here are the two videos:

Way to go T-Mobile

The makers of this classic flashmob do it again.
Albeit, I found it 2 years later. Seriously, why did it take so long for me to see this?

Awesome sauce

Seriously.
And I know that the Rocco is for the younger crowd, but this is beyond.

A Field Guide to the American Male Peacock

Ha ha ha ha ha. Is this an April Fool's joke?

2 out of the 3 eagles have hatched!

The Decorah Eagles are as entertaining as ever! The baby eagles are so cute and fluffy and extremely wobbly. It looks as though the third eaglet is in the process of hatching? So nice of the daddy to bring fresh food for the rest of the family. Although it doesn't look like there's much acknowledgement from the rest of the family when he arrives. At least that I can tell (from my untrained eyes).
I wish I had my own classroom right now. I have so many great ideas of how I would use this!

Macaron Day Toronto 2012

How did I miss this?
(Well, actually, I know how. It's been a particularly trying week. And I think it's going to continue to be a slog for the next month or so.)

- courtesy of www.foodpr0n.com

Things have changed

So he accessorized his Burberry trench with a McQueen skull scarf and used a PS1 as a school bag. Kiddies are really dressing differently for undergrad lectures these days.

The Sleeper Car

Genius, absolute genius.
I've had one experience in a sleeper car. It was quite the adventure. In a nutshell: Italian train system (I could stop right there), not really understanding how to get the bed to appear, snow storm, PANIC CITY!!
And then they combine it with a subway? C'mon, everyone knows I love subways.
I love improv everywhere.

Eagle cam

They're right. This can be quite addictive.
I hope I'm around this weekend to see the three little ones hatch.


Live streaming by Ustream

I can't believe I'm saying this...

Thank goodness I had my cell phone with me. Yesterday morning, the hotel I was staying at had a power outage. After my cell phone's alarm clock went off, I was pretty confused when the bedside lamp wouldn't turn on. Neither would any of the other lights in the room. It was early enough that it was still dark outside. I looked out the window and saw lights in neighbouring buildings still lit. I tried to call the front desk, but that wasn't possible. Jeez, everything relies on power! My cell phone has a light on it, so I was able to get ready in the pitch black. I wandered down the hallway and found the stairwell and found my way to the lobby of the hotel to check out.
I didn't have my cell phone, I would have most definitely slept in. But then again, before I brought my cell phone with me on trips, I would have my little travel, battery-powered alarm clock. So yeah. But I probably wouldn't have been able to get ready quite as well I did with my little cell phone light. Maybe I could have just fumbled around in the dark, but it probably wouldn't have been that effective. I'm not sure how much worse it could have been though, my hair did look pretty atrocious that morning.
Still, I will give credit where it is due. My cell phone did help me out yesterday.

Bye bye jury duty

Once the excitement of my summons wore off, I realized that there was no way that I was able to do jury duty at the assigned time they needed me. I have other commitments that I can't get out of which directly conflicted with jury duty. With a heavy heart (and slightly panicked that I wouldn't be able to get out of jury duty), I submitted a case outlining my hardships in attending jury duty and nervously waited to find out the outcome. Instead of a deferral, I was exempt from serving altogether. This means that my name goes back in the pot and I will have to hope that I'm lucky enough to be selected again in the future.
Oh well. I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time around.

Learning to love the foods I hate

Like most people, there are some foods that I don't really enjoy eating. Unlike most people, I will force myself to eat them...in hopes that I will grow to like them.
This tactic proved to be successful with mustard. My time in Europe forced me to face my anti-mustard stance. Anytime I had a sandwich, mustard was lurking. And now, I love the stuff. I especially like the straight-up-mustard-seeds type.
I desperately tried to grow to love olives as well. They were everywhere in Europe, so I had plenty of opportunity to face my foe. I am disappointed to report that I still have not won this battle. I will keep working on it.
Another food that I have come to enjoy (or at the very least, tolerate) is avocado. I don't think that I had actually been exposed to avocado until I was am adult, so I'm sure that had something to do with the fact that when I did try it for the first time, the unfamiliarity of the texture and taste proved to be a little off putting. Some recent persistence has paid off and I do eat avocados now. While it's not my favorite food, I am capable of eating an entire avocado au naturel.
I'm not ready to conquer papaya quite yet, but maybe in the future.

I keep all of my old clothes for a reason!

You know Gap's current advertising campaign for their brights? It reminds me of when they had all of those bright jeans in the late 90s and turn of the millenium.
What do they say, trends come back every, errr...12 years?
Remember those great adverts? Pastel khakis versus bright jeans? WEST SIDE STORY!!!
You'd think that I could find a good quality version of the ad series on youtube, but I can't (if anyone else wants to do a little digging around, they were on TV in 2000 if that helps). I did manage to find this video about the making of the ads.

GAP / West Side Story TV Spots / Making of from Connor T. McDonald on Vimeo.

Just keep swimming...

Two months after I thought I would be able to finish, I have finally transcribed all of the interviews from my research.
Thank goodness.
Up next, coding.

Moncler Grenoble FW2012

The more I hear/see/read about Moncler, the more I love them! I wonder if the girls got to keep any of the items that they modeled. Or at least, I hope the company gave them a decent chunk of change to appear in the show...knowing how much it costs to be an athlete these days, the support is definitely needed!

I have been summoned

...for jury duty. How exciting!
For those who aren't sure, I'm not being sarcastic here. I think it will be a neat experience to see what this is all about.

I wonder...

If kids these days have a shorter attention span because of the world they live in (youtube, Twitter, TV, SMS, etc.) should teachers be changing their teaching strategies to cater to today's student? Or maybe teachers should just be developing the skills that have become weaker? Are we changing our standards or just adjusting based on our current reality?

Needing/Getting, by OK Go

This is obviously going to go viral:


First seen: 310 views @ 7.10pm on 2012-02-05
Update: 1,810,356 views @ 11.27am on 2012-02-06
Update: 3,254,042 views @ 1.08am on 2012-02-07
Update: 5,747,054 views @ 10.14pm on 2012-02-07

London's NYE fireworks show

Wowza. As if I needed another reason to want to travel. A friend was telling me about how he liked experiencing New Year's in other locations to take in different traditions and such. I like the idea. Although, I imagine (non-Lunar) New Year's in London to be very similar to that in North America, I can say that this fireworks display is probably much more impressive than anything else that I could have witnessed on this continent.

Yogurt woes

Oh, right. Yogurt in North America tastes like water. And this is coming from a girl who drank skim milk (when I used to drink milk, that is). Oh, Swiss yogurt, you have spoiled me for life.