Lean In

Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg

Fun fact about me: I don't really do well in bookstores. Like, I'm not good at just going in, wandering around, picking up whatever book looks interesting and just start reading it. So, I don't really venture into bookstores to browse like I might go into other types of shops.
Once, though, I was with someone else who does like to go into bookstores, so what else could I do? I wandered around, just looking at different covers and admiring the pictures on the fronts of books...until I felt like I had done as much as I could do before actually picking up a book. I forced myself to grab one and start reading (because what else could I do to take up more time?) and Lean In was the book that I happened to pick up.
I had time to read about the first chapter of the book and I loved it. But then, it was time to leave the shop and I put the book down. I was kind of annoyed actually that I couldn't finish the book. I'm not good at stopping things partway through. Anyway, I think that was at least 3 years ago that I was in that bookstore.
So, continuing on in my summer of reading, I thought I'd seek out this book again and continue to read it. Also, I had a good hunch that this book would be available at my library at work.
I really liked this book. It discusses so many things that are so relevant in my life. It gave me a perspective about some of the workings of contexts that I am a part of (and better familiarizing myself with) and even some insights into myself. I encourages me to "lean in" and be a little bit bolder than my natural inclination. It makes me think a little bit more carefully about interactions and human behaviour. It reassured me to know that so many things that I've been experiencing, thinking about, and puzzling over are not rare occurences.
Similar to Malcolm Gladwell's books, Sandberg clearly put a lot of thought into her book and did her homework. Not only does she pepper her writing with personal anecdotes and experiences, she also links her ideas to research to really drive home her points.
Reading this book felt like I was watching a really long TED talk. I was inspired, able to make lots of connections and wonder how I'm going to apply all of the thoughts that are going through my head into my life.

Anyway, I'm glad that I was able to finish reading this book. I'm happy that I've been able to get through a couple books already this summer and that I've been able to slow my pace down. Today, when I went for a walk to get some errands done, I walked slower. Maybe even at a typical person's pace. I mean, people weren't passing me, nor was I passing others. I just took my time and I think it's been good for my soul to take my time.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell

Inspired by Outliers, I decided to read another one of Malcolm Gladwell's books. I don't know if it's reader's fatigue or something, but I didn't find this book as interesting. The style of the book was very similar, but the content didn't seem quite as compelling.
In The Tipping Point, the author described different traits/components/characteristics/contributors to making an event/person reach a point of taking them over some sort of threshold. For example, describing three types of critical "players": Connectors, mavens, and salesmen. He also describes what he calls, "The stickiness factor" and "The power of context". Gladwell uses different examples and case studies to illustrate his points.
I often wonder what the process is for authors writing books. I guess it would depend on the topic and the style of the author, but until a couple years ago, I never considered that an author would need to do research for his/her book (except for non-fiction, which I assumed would obviously need knowledge of a particular topic). I also had a similar revelation about filmmakers. To come up with a finished product must take a lot of background work and with the types of books that Gladwell writes, I wonder how many people are supporting the process. Would he be researching all of the ideas himself, or would there be an academic/researcher (or someone like a research assistant?) who would help provide evidence of his claims. His books have footnotes/endnotes where he's referencing other people's work so I wonder how he goes back and forth between the narrative text and his references. Would it be very similar to the process that I take when I write, I wonder?
Anyway, I thought this book was just as accessible for a hesitant reader as Outliers was, but not quite as juicy. I would still recommend it because it does give further insight into life and interactions and who doesn't want to try to better understand how the world works?

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Outliers

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

So, I received this book as a gift in December 2008. And I finally read it. I had started reading it quite some time ago, but for some reason, I never got around to finishing it. I'm so happy that I finally got back to it. It's a great book. Kudos to the person who gave it to me, he guessed that I would be interested in the topics described in the book, and he was right.
Not only did I like the topic, but it was an easy read (check off one of my requirements for my summer reading list). There were short chapters (critical for me as I've been reading in short snippets of time...on the bus, to kick start my day, to end my days, waiting for people to show up for coffee/lunch/brunch/whatever...and also because I'm not good at remembering what's going on in the book, so stopping partway through a chapter really confuses me the next time I pick it up).
This is the first book that I've read by Gladwell. I tend not to be an overly critical reader (especially if the writing is well crafted). I think maybe I should be a little bit more critical...or maybe it depends on the subject matter. I have read things that I think are completely ridiculous. Anyway, my point is, I was happy to follow Gladwell's arguments. I guess I could google what others think of his writing (there must be critics out there), but I don't feel like it's a priority.
As the title suggests, this book is about outliers. The things that make people/things get to that place that makes them extraordinary. Gladwell provides lots of examples of this, talking about being in the right time and place, culture, context, and basically, just explaining how things work. As some who likes to analyse and figure out how things work, I found the book very interesting. I learned a little bit more about luck. I learned a little bit about timing. I learned a little bit more about small things making a difference.
I was thinking about my life as I read this book. About what in my life has contributed to who I am today. I mean, the easy answer is that everything contributes, I to try to get a better sense of how they contributed. I read this book with a lot of interest and wonder. And was happy that it was an easy read.
I've recently been thinking about writing a book. It's something that people in my profession often do. I was at a conference a little while ago, getting inspired and thinking about different things that I'd like to investigate further. I came up with some ideas for a book. But the connection to this book is that I think if I write something, I'll definitely want it to be very accessible. An easy read, and something that people can connect with. Like, a "human interest" kind of story. We'll see if that book ever gets written.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Watermelon

Watermelon, by Marian Keyes

Total chick lit. Mindless, frivolous, the easiest read. I have to say though, I didn't like how it ended up. I mean, it went in the right direction, but I needed an extra chapter or something to continue the fluff. Fluff is fun and good and there needed to be more to complete the story. For chick lit, it's got to be the perfect storybook ending, right? Sure, this book has some little twists here and there, but when it comes to the resolution, I want them to go all out and lay it on thick.
So if you need a synopsis, here it is (it's basically the same story as every other chick lit). Girl somehow gets shafted by her man. She goes a little nutty and is serious crisis mode. Then she meets some other guy...rebound of sorts. And then the original guy comes back into the picture. But what happens in the end? You'll have to read it to find out! Ha! Oh, and they're British of course. Why is that? Either it's taking place in Manhattan and everyone is so chic and fabulous, or their in the UK where you read the book and imagine everyone speaking with glorious accents.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

(Summer) reading

I recently started to read. It'd be great if I can get into a routine of reading regularly (alliteration FTW!).
I will typically have a more relaxed schedule over the spring and summer months. Still, I have tried to maintain a good schedule. I tend to wake up around 8-8.30am (yes, I know, most people are about to start their work day at that time, but for me this is quite a feat to regularly wake up at this hour - I'm often working evenings with my position so my schedule shifts a bit). And slowly ease into the day. Sometimes this entails reading a little bit in bed. And even eating breakfast! I think that these are all very good things to have as part of my routine because during the year, I did neither. I've typically been arriving into work around 10.30am.
Anyway, the point is, I've been reading. I've been wanting to read something light to match my summer schedule. I don't own too many books that I haven't read, especially ones that don't have heavy topics. I did have one chick lit book on my shelf and thought that it was a perfect place to start. And then I went back to a book that I had started reading awhile ago and but for some reason, never got around to finishing. I'm on my third book now, and have a couple more that I picked up from my work library that will hopefully work out. I'll happily take suggestions if people have them. Mindless books were kind of my target reading for the summer, but my work library doesn't seem to have them (or at least the titles and authors that I knew of). But that's ok - the titles that I've got on my lineup should be relatively easy reading still, of personal interest, and will encourage some synapses to fire.
It would be great if I could get through a couple books over these next couple of months.
The nice weather will help me in my quest. I type this as I sit on my balcony, taking a break from my current book. It's a beautiful day outside and reading and my general routine this past little while has helped me to slow down my pace a bit (needed). It's been good for my mental health too, I think.

Still here

I know I keep saying that, and I know I keep promising (more frequent) updates and even to go back to ones that I never got around doing. I think most of all, my trip to China in 2013.
But I wonder why I haven't gotten around to maintaining this blog a little bit better (as if I need another thing to ponder and think about it from this angle and that angle). Maybe I'm just living my life and not making it a priority to share it with others?
I mean, I am doing many things that in the moment or shortly thereafter I think, "Oh, I should blog about that." (Or maybe it's just getting at a deeper issue of wishing I could have shared the experience with someone else?). But that life continued on and I don't/didn't blog.
I am still taking pictures here and there, albeit less of them than when I did my last big relocation (to CH...although, maybe moving back to Toronto should have counted as the last big relocation...because the CH adventures were pretty epic and I felt that I needed to document them all via photograph). So I have a bunch of pictures, just sitting on my camera...not even on this blog.

But ok, since I'm typing right now, here are a couple quick things that I'll ramble off of the top of my head as things that I had wanted to blog about:
- Musical swings in Promenade des Artistes
- How EVERYONE floods the city once the weather changes...the vibe of the city is so different!
- Terrase, not patio...and people love them here
- Growing herbs is fun (FYI, I've got basil, rosemary, and cilantro...I also have some lavender which I desperately hope I can get to spread and take over all of my balconies or something)
- Bring on all of the festivals!!!
- St. Viateur has Rosemary and Sea Salt Bagels but Fairmount is just generally better.
- Hmmmm (So, I visit the Toronto Star website every day...but I'm wondering if I should make the switch. It would be a pretty big deal. I mean, I should probably just do both - along with all of the other websites I visit - the one I would instinctively visit first probably says something)
- Grey's Anatomy is done. I wasn't sure when the season final was going to be and after I watch it, I didn't realize is was the final episode. I mean, in terms of the fact that I didn't feel like it was you're typical, "Let's finish off all the story lines" finale or whatever. I mean, I liked it, but it wasn't like, "Boom, we're done." It did leave on a positive note, which I liked. (Two-second-later-edit: Errr, so it's not done. Why did I think it was done? I probably mis-remembered that it's just that Patrick Dempsey was leaving the show.)
- Similarly, I really like the The Mindy Project. Glad to hear that it's going to continue on Canadian TV (and hopefully the network's website).
- Went to Ottawa for a day today for something work related (I'm sitting on a train right now - seems to be a regular blogging time for me)...had a Beavertail (I think it was my first!)...walked along the Canal...saw Ontario license plates...just did my thing...and generally felt pretty great. I wonder if I should consider doing day trips more often?

Silver lining?

So, one reason I like winter and the snow that comes with it is because then I can drop my garbage down to the street from my 3rd floor balcony without worrying about the bag breaking, rather than climb down the rickety and narrow fire escape. Ha ha!

Back on the ice

I went skating for the first time in about 5 years.

Montreal's pretty great in the winter. They flood a bunch of parks and have outdoor rinks for folks to take advantage of. I knew that there were a couple that were close to me, but I had envisioned them being further away then they actually are.
This evening, I stopped making excuses and just walked over to the nearest one, laced up my skates, and skated.
I had mentally prepped myself, thinking that if there were a lot of people there, I would just keep walking and head home. I prefer to skate when there aren't many people, especially in public skating situations. Since skating in circles is minimal, I would rather less people witness my shenanigans. I obviously picked a late night to go, thinking that there would be less people and it wasn't as bloody cold outside tonight so I that helped compel me to go.
I arrived around the same time as a couple other folks and saw them head into an indoor structure. Ah, a nice heated area with seating for folks to put their skates on and take a break as needed. I think there were also events related to the Festival de Casteliers going on there, but I wasn't too sure.
I'm kind of intrigued by the Festival, I see little cat puppets lining the shop windows in my neighbourhood and went on the website to check out the situation, but nothing's really sticking out to me. Maybe I'll give it a try next year?
Anyway, the rink was actually a loop around the structure. With a couple other people on the ice, I took a couple laps and I needed them to get my feet under me anyhow. Skating is like riding a bike, but the balance to do edgework and turns takes a little bit longer to come back. I can't even say that by the time I left the rink I was feeling completely comfortable. After a couple laps and doing so basic edges, I wanted to do a little bit more and focus on really getting my feet back under me. There were still too many people on the ice in the more open part for my liking (I think at most, there were 7 people...that's 7 too many!), so I ducked around to the 'back part' of the loop where people tended not to go (the 3 or 4 people who has been doing loops can stopped and stay on the main part of the rink).
I tried to centre myself by doing some spins. Just upright spins...forwards and backwards. It's a shame that the dizziness comes back. The ice was pretty mucked up. They don't flood, and it's covered with a nice layer of snow and of course it's not perfectly even or anything. And it's practically the middle of the night with just a couple lamps on. So that was a little tough too.
Then I tried some jumps. I even hurled myself into some doubles. Surprisingly, I landed some. I just did double salchows. I didn't want to push my luck. It's funny how muscle memory, well, stays in your muscles (and memory). My bum has enough padding that it didn't completely hurt when I fell, but the ice seemed rather hard (not the springy ice at the Galaxy!) and my elbow seemed my bony than ever.
I did some turns (my balance was horrible!) and wiped out on some double threes.

But it was really nice to be back on the ice. I've missed it.

I'm not sure if I'll be back out again soon. I mean, it took me all this time to get out there this one time. We'll see how it goes.

Getting groceries

I was going to go to dance class this morning, but took too long getting ready and decided to abandon that plan. I'm a little annoyed at myself for causing myself to miss class (because it's an awesome class), but the day I've had instead was quite nice.

After realizing that I hadn't been to the market for awhile, I went, and it was lovely (of course). As usual, I took my time looking at everything. I slowed my pace down (I'm realizing that I need to do this more often). I mean, I actively slowed my walking. Slowed my movements and just took my time.

So, it's maple syrup season!
I've decided that the next time I go to the market, I'll get a tire sur neige. I did have a little sample of syrup though. So yummy.
Anyway, lots of people were buying cans of syrup. I don't think I eat pancakes often enough to buy a can. And people were buying multiple cans at a time! Also, cans seem awkward. Do they siphon the syrup into another vessel? I'll need to figure that part of it out.

Some words for you:
Panais - parsnip
Navet - turnip

I got what I needed for lunch and my dinner (which will also be lunch for the week) and headed off to the next grocery stop.

There is an Asian grocery store near the market that I went in once before. When I had gone the last time, it was comforting. Kind of like when I go to Joe Fresh and the Loblaws Superstore nearby. I know it's a little weird, but it's true. There's something reassuring about them. Familiarity, I suppose. (I'll be writing a post about identity and belonging soon.)
I was hoping to find daikon (of course, I would never call it this myself, but I've learned of this name - thanks, Top Chef - and it writes better than my attempt at pin yin) for some soup and figured that this would be my best bet. I could obviously have gone to Chinatown, but it's out of the way for me (in fact, I haven't been since I first arrived, and that was just to walk through it). I've heard that there's an Asian grocery store west of me in a multicultural neighbourhood (that people tend to mention when I talk about things I miss about Toronto - and the comment always seems strange to me), but I haven't gone out there yet either.
Anyway, I'm in the Asian grocery store near the market, taking my time, walking up and down the aisles. I'm looking at the different people, and listening to the different languages. I'm also reading the signs for the different produce...all written in French. I wondered to myself whether or not the writing was correct. In similar shops in Toronto, sometimes the English isn't correct. Spelling mistakes are not uncommon. I wonder if any of the French words in this store as spelled incorrectly. Unfortunately, I am not skilled enough to know.
I found my daikon, and proceeded to check out.

So, when I'm out and about, I try to speak French as often as possible. I appreciate the opportunity to practice it and think it's the right approach to living here. (Again, more about that in a future post.)
Mind you, yesterday when I was shopping, since the salesperson started speaking to me in English and it was a store that when walking around I hear multiple salespeople speaking to each other in English and with a customer base that for the most part may not be Francophone, I responded and conversed in English. I mean, my French isn't horrible, but I'm definitely am not as comfortable and cannot fully express myself and articulate all of my thoughts in French in an eloquent manner. It was nice to just have a 'break' and speak English too. (Seriously, more to come in another post.)
So, I'm in an Asian grocery store. I'm hearing a lot of different Asian languages. I'm not skilled enough to look at someone and guess what part of Asian their from, but when I was at the checkout, I decided to speak Chinese. I mean, it was only a "hello" and "thank you", but the cashier responded in the same language.

It was nice.

Le Noble

My journey through cheese continues.
I'm still going through soft cheeses...super mild ones. Maybe one day I'll be eating stinky cheeses!

Le Noble is a cheese made from lait pasteurise de vache (cow's milk). When I get to the point of eating stinky cheeses, I'll also venture into the goat's cheese section. I'm just not a super-fan of the taste! The cheese comes from the Fromagerie Domaine Feodal
which also made the Cendre des Pres that I'd tried previously.
As written on the label:
Pate molle a croute fleurie. Odeur de champignons, gout subtil d'amande. Texture tres cremeuse. (Translated via google)

Only after I read the label did I maybe pick up on the almond. But yes, it's quite creamy. My lunch today was cheese and baguette and salad. It was quite lovely.
It's a super mild cheese, which hardly any flavour. And I guess I'm starting to get used to the rind part. It's not my favourite part of the cheese, but I can manage it.

Oh yes, and the wine pairing recommendation: Riesling sec, cidre de glace. Hmmm. Well, that's different from some of the previous cheeses that I've had. And the cheeses all seem so similar to me, so I wonder why the wine pairing for this one is different?

Anyway, good cheese...I wonder what my next one will be!

Grey's FTW!

Oh man, Grey's Anatomy is so good. I can't believe that 8 years ago, I was guffawing at the show.
And the fact that the superman pose showed up in last night's episode...interesting. There have now been a couple instances where I've been reminded me of this TED talk.

Cheetos

I love Cheetos. I tend to get these crazy cravings for them every so often. This past weekend, I had a pretty consistent supply of them and it was lovely. Mmmm...cheese flavoured, stain your fingers goodness!

Random fact of the day: "Yum yum" in French is spelt "Miam miam".

Snow stories

Before I moved to Montreal, people told me about how cold and snowy it would be. It actually hasn't been too bad so far...

One things that's impressed me has been Montreal's ability to deal with the snow. I mean, people just deal with it. And the city deals with it too.

During/after a big snowfall, the plows are out and about. At all hours. I hear them doing their thing in the middle of the night. I don't think there's been a big snowfall here that I've had to venture out and something wasn't already taken care of. That's not to say that everything's clearer away, but I've realized that there's a very set procedure with all of it.

First, they clean the sidewalks and roads. This often results in big mounds of snow by the curbs and cars (lots of street parking in the city) getting absolutely boxed in. I've been keen to see how cars dig themselves out. It's interesting and entertaining. So that's what I perceive to be Part 1 to immediately deal with the situation to help pedestrians and vehicles.

Part 2 can make it a little bit more difficult for pedestrians and vehicles. All of that snow that's piled up by the curb get plowed around to make mounds on the side of the roads or at corners of sidewalks or other places that you'd usually want to walk on. But that's just in preparation for Part 3.

Part 3 is my favorite. They have these tag-team trucks/plows/blowers/vehicles that come by to remove everything. A vehicle that's a plow/snowblower hybrid picks up all of the snow in inconvenient piles and snow at the side of the road and by the curb. And blows it into a massive dumptruck-ish vehicle that's drive just beside it. The day prior, there are signs on the street telling cars not to park on the street so that the magic can happen. And magic it is! I'm so curious though to see where they take all of this snow. There must be mountains of it!

And seriously, after Part 3, the roads and sidewalks are so clean. I mean, sometimes there's layer of ice on the sidewalks but the temperature has fluctuated enough so that it's not completely treacherous. The streets are so clean. It's crazy cool.

...until the next snowfall.

Fashion...not first.

I can't believe it. I put function before fashion.
I don't really like hoods on coats. I like some of them, with those big fur trims (but it's got to be the right trim, I'm very particular) because it just looks so luxe.
The new winter coat that I bought this year came with a hood. I immediately took it off. But, about a month ago, I put the hood back on. And I pretty much put my hood up every day. It's horrific. Buuuuut, it's warm. I tried to look for a hat (as a hood alternative), but I couldn't find one that I liked (fashionable...and functional). So instead of dishing out some cash for a new (functional, not fashionable) hat, I resorted to attaching my (functional, not fashionable) hood back to my coat.
Sigh.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day...

It's a little crazy how stress manifests.
At the end of last week, I submitted something that I've been working on for the past little while. The thing that made me lock myself in my office (because I needed to bubble), skip meals (because I didn't feel like I had the time to walk down one flight of stairs to the microwave), consider taking a cab home (because it was 2am, and dark, and cold outside), and so much more. But I did it. I pushed myself, and I did it. I mean, who knows what will come of it, but I did it and it's a start.
And last weekend, another big project finished up. Something that again, I wasn't sure if I should take on. That pushed me to the brink. But it's done. And I was able to fly back before the flights started to get delayed and cancelled.
And when I went in to work on Monday morning, I was a different person.
It's crazy what stress does.
I took two days off this week. They were my "weekend" since I'm going to be away this weekend again and won't get time to rest. And it's done wonders. Having a day or two of rest a week is so important.
On my days off, I washed dishes. I went grocery shopping. I went to the mall. I walked outside and breathed.

This journey that I've been on this past little while has been more difficult than I had imagined. It's so cliche to say that I'm learning a lot about myself, but I am. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to adjust (personally and professionally) and sometimes I worry that I won't. I've been thinking a lot about what I want out of life, who I am, and what I value.

And life itself. Mortality. I'm coming to terms with the fact that as time goes on, well, people will not. And it'll be more and more prevalent. I feel like I know of more losses in the past little while than I have before. And I imagine they won't stop.

I've gotten a lot of advice from different people. Some of it has helped, and others have made me fret even more. I know I need to be patient, but on the other hand, I don't want to keep putting things of hold for another year, or three years, or five years. I'm ready to live. Now.

This seems like a somber post, and I apologize. This blog is interesting because it's an outlet. An outlet for random thoughts. An outlet to share my adventures. It's safe (which it probably isn't, because it's the internet). But it's been good at times to get things out. And by that, I mean out of me, not out for consumption. I know that there are a couple people who still read this blog from time to time, and although I think I started writing for others, I think it's benefited me even more. There's a post that I wrote a little while ago that I didn't end up posting. It's still saved, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it in the public domain. Is the act of writing cathartic enough? I'm not good at being vulnerable or showing, what I believe will be perceived as weakness. But I'm learning. I mean, some of these posts are my attempt to let go a little bit more, but it's still nice to keep the facade. The facade has its benefits.

Anyway, the point of this post is to say that I hope my roller coaster is back on an uphill climb. Last weekend, I bumped into a couple people I hadn't seen for awhile and it was great. It was nice to tell someone a little bit removed about how things are going. To get their take on things and for them to share similar experiences.

Today, I received some snail mail. And today, I went shopping - and bought things! And today, I watched Grey's Anatomy and reminisced on the first episode I watched - the one where there' s a bomb in someone's body and Meredith's got her hand on it and if she moves, it'll blow up. I remember sitting with a colleague and bunch of my students, crowded onto a bed in a hotel room in Tunisia, watching the show on a student's laptop. I remember laughing about how ridiculous the show was and my students and colleague shushing me because I was ruining the moment. It was a lovely memory from my lovely life.

The life that I continue to live. And today, I'm feeling good.

Sigh (redux)

I think I've cried more in the past four months than I have in the past four years. #GrowingPains

STM inspectors

Last night, the bus I was on was stopped by the STM inspectors. It was a little intimidating. We were on an accordion bus, and when we got to the stop, there was a pair at each door and everyone that got off was stopped and their tickets/passes checked. And then the pairs got on the bus. One of each pair guarded the door, and the other checked all of our tickets/passes.
No small talk or anything.
I was a little freaked out.
And then they got off the bus and we drove off.

Nice!

Montreal put up fences and hay bales in the park so that folks can toboggan without worry.

Sigh

Have you ever considered just sleeping at work? The thought crossed my mind. No one would even know. I need to rest.

It's been quite the adventure these past two weeks. Friday. I just need to make it to Friday.

I mean, I am enjoying everything, but it's tough. I'm learning a lot about myself and about what I do. I hope I am as least on the right track.

More tales in ice-land

Okay, so a colleague told me that a couple years ago, one of the roads adjacent to work was so icy that firetrucks couldn't drive up it. That's NOT good.

Whoa!

Remember how I talked about the ice yesterday and needing to figure out proper footwear?
Well it was super cold last night and this morning, so everything froze.
It was uber entertaining getting to work this morning. Maybe a little scary, but you've got to laugh at it, right?
I almost wiped out a couple of times and just ended up gliding down some hills. Going up the hill to work was a little less scary than I thought. I bet I'm going to eat my words one day, though.
I've realized that I have to build in extra time into my commute because I'm usually a speed walker and well, with ice you have to inch your way forward or just shuffle along. My mega strides and super fast steps won't work anymore.
So I continued to think about what would be the best footwear for this kind of terrain, and I'm not sure of the answer. And I was also thinking about accessories. I need to invest in a hat with this cold. And a backpack. I think it might be a little safer than a cross-body or shoulder bag. You know, to keep the hands free to maintain good balance.
Ha ha ha.

Here we go again

On the eve of a new semester...
To follow up from a previous post, I didn't end up going back in to work this week. It was probably good for me that I didn't, but I wonder if my productivity suffered at all. It doesn't really matter though because everything always gets done. It always works out. I did do some work from home but definitely at a more relaxed pace.
 I'm a little nervous to start back up at work again.
For the past two weeks, I've been following a non-work schedule and keeping some hours that I don't think will work out so well once things get going again. I'll have to force myself to go to bed at a certain hour tonight. And it's not just the hours that I'm worried about, it's the mindset. I find it hard to ramp back up into work pace after a break. I think that's part of the reason why I'm so hesitant to take a break - you know, for fear that it will take so long for me to get back into the swing of things that I'll really fall behind.
I wonder it's that a sign.
Does that mean that my typical work pace is actually not appropriate? Maybe other people's work pace to "break" pace ration is a little bit more balanced as compared to mine. Balance is something that I will need to figure out in the next little while.
Today, I headed outdoors to pick up some things from the grocery store. I was going to go yesterday, but when I looked outside, it looked pretty miserable and it was snowing. The weather report didn't look so good, so I thought I'd wait until today to do my errands. And today, well, the weather was different. Instead of snow, it was rain. Freezing rain. But it wasn't too cold, and it was nice to breathe some fresh air. The ground was slippery, icy, snowy, slushy, and everything in between. I had recently thought that maybe I would forgo buying new winter boots for this year. I thought that maybe I would take this year to suss out the situation and find out what my needs really were. I figured the footwear that I already have would hold me over for another year. Now I'm not entirely sure. My little Camper booties errr, well, the soles are wearing out. And they don't seem to be watertight. I'm not sure if the two issues are related and whether the boots weren't meant to be worn through puddles from the get go, but my feet were pretty wet by the end of my adventures for the day. And of course there's no tread on the soles so if the roads stay icy, that wouldn't be too good...especially when I have to climb those hills. Again, I was hoping to figure out my routines and needs for the year before investing in good boots. What to do?
 Getting out and about today was great. I final returned to St-Viateur Bagels. I like their rosemary bagels. In case you're wondering, these bagels don't exist at Fairmount Bagel. But Fairmount has chocolate chip, so...
There was a lot to look at on my walk. The streets were so pretty with all of the ice hanging off the the trees and the branches bending and straining with the weight. The trees have actually have been braced near the bottom of their trunks...at least I'm guessing that's what those planks surrounding the trees are for. Anyway, earlier today, I could hear branches from trees behind my house breaking. I had never heard something like that before. It was pretty crazy and slightly scary thinking about the peril. I also liked seeing the ice-encased vehicles lining the streets. There aren't a lot of garages in my neighbourhood, so when it snows, it's amusing to see the affects on the cars. It's easy to determine just how much snowfall there was, and while I feel bad as I watch the drivers try to dig their cars out I can't help but giggle as well. Especially after the snowplows basically create a wall of snow around the cars. Pauvre autos.
Anyway, the holidays are over. I think the next two months will be tough. Or at the very least, this month. I have a big deadline that I'm hoping to make at the end of the month and I'm sure I'll be working on it right up until the last moment. And I'll be doing a lot of traveling on the weekends too. I think it'll be every other weekend until the end of February. And that's me pulling back and not over committing. So yes, there will be stress and it will be exhausting, but as usual, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm doing what I love and that's that.

New York (August 4 - 9, 2013)

I'm having a little bit of New York withdrawl. Since moving back to Canada, New York has become my Paris of Europe. When I lived in Europe, I would go to Paris a couple times each year...just because it's awesome. I'm having serious Paris-withdrawl, but maybe it's just Europe-withdrawl in general. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back for a visit soon...we'll see. Until then, New York usually works in a pinch but it's been over a year since I've been. Wow - that's even longer than I had originally thought! (Also, gosh, I live such a fortunate and awesome life.)

Anyway, here are some memories from my last trip there...
 

There's something about New York that just re-energizes me. It's not like I take a trip there and do nothing and it's relaxing by any means, but I happily fill my days. I had actually planned this trip because I there was a conference that I wanted to attend and I met with a colleague in the city to discuss a possible collaboration/project. I was feeling guilty about my trips to New York and not really being able to justify these frivolous trips (even if they were an actual much needed repose from a busy schedule), so combining 'work' and a vacation made it a lot easier to book.
Anyway, a trip to the Shake Shack to sit until the lights and enjoy a burger, fries, and frozen custard was definitely on the agenda.

I thought it might be nice to catch a movie under the stars, and of course New York had a couple options. the one that worked with my schedule and interests was Norma Rae, screened in Bryant Park. I didn't stay for the entire film, but enjoyed sitting out on the lovely evening, being among the masses and watching Sally Field do her thing. Naturally, many folks brought bevvies and snacks or packed a picnic dinner and I thought that it was nice that there was a the option of sitting on the grass or on the chairs. There were so many people there! And there were also people hanging out in the surrounding area just enjoying the evening. New York is such a lovely place. I'd be interested to know the ratio of tourists to locals in the area that night. How many tourists would be as zany as me and look up events like this to take in on their vacations? I mean, I'm sure there were people who just stumbled upon the event, but those who planned it into their evening, I wonder.
The next day, I walked by Bryant Park again and noticed that the field was cordoned off. Good on the NY parks folks to know that the grass would need a little bit of TLC and time to breathe after an eventful night.

Another event that was on my schedule was to attend a taping of America's Got Talent. I have to admit, I don't watch the show (and never have), but in my pre-trip research I was looking into tapings of TV shows that I could attend and given the time of year of my trip, the options were limited.
I figured it didn't really matter if I didn't follow the show regularly, because I was essentially attending a talent show and I would probably enjoy a talent show of any kind. I thought there would be some interesting banter from the judges and I'd be interested to know how my judgement of the acts compared to them. Also, the taping was at Radio City Music Hall, which is such a beautiful venue. And of course, it was fun to see the 'production' part of it all. To see how they tried to get the crowd going, taped bonus 'audience cheering and clapping' scenes, did strategic placement of specific audience members and handed out signs for audience members to hold so that they would be caught on camera.

Of course, I also attended a couple broadway shows. Taking a look at the most recent Tony winners, I decided that I would attend Kinky Boots and Pippin. Since it was pretty soon after the Tonys were handed out, I had the pleasure of watching those winners and nominees perform. Both shows were fantastic. Billy Porter and Andrea Martin, I have no idea how they compared to their fellow nominees and if there's some sort of criteria assessed to be given the award, but based on my own criteria, they definitely deserved the Tony. They were sooooooo awesome.

Shakespeare in the park

On this super freezing night, I'm clearly trying to catch up on my blogging (I wonder if I will ever post about my trip to Stockholm), and thinking about warmer days. I was thinking about the summer and outings to High Park to watch Shakespeare. This past summer, I watched As You Like It, a Canadian Stage production, of course. This was the first time that I saw actors warming up on stage before the show. Some were practicing their combat scenes, while others seemed to be doing yoga. It was a lovely outing and show, of course all the more better with good company and a picnic dinner!
With Into the Woods having just come out, I flashed back to The Public Theatre's production of the show in Central Park. I misrecalled that it was Anna Kendrick in The Public Theatre's production (when it was Amy Adams) and thought that maybe because of how well-received the show was, that they made it a movie. A good story in my mind. And I still regret not having tried to get a ticket for the show. I had opted to take the day to do other things on my list, as I probably would have had to forfeit an entire day sitting in line and not even being sure that I could get a ticket. Maybe next time?
I did a quick search to see if there are similar summertime outdoor theatre here in Montreal, and came up with Repercussion Theatre. Maybe I'll check them out!

Fashion Art Toronto (April 23, 2014)

I've always wanted to attend a fashion show and this past year, I had the opportunity to attend Fashion Art Toronto. I didn't really know what to expect other than what you see through media outlets. I knew that FAT was more the 'alternative' fashion week, but what that really meant, I wasn't sure. I figured I probably wouldn't have heard of any of the designers, but that didn't really matter too much to me. Sure, I think it would be cool to attend a show for a fashion house/label that was more established or in the mainstream, but that would have to wait for another day.
I attended the show entitled Grit/Glamour (line-up here) which of course I also had no idea what that would entail. Looking back, I guess the designers showing that night did fall into one of the two descriptors, but I could argue that many (if not all) of them could have also shown at the other nights. But what do I know.
I had such a fun time. It was exactly what I expected. Cool music, interesting outfits, models strutting their stuff. Lots of flashes, phones, and people dressing to impress. It was a spectacle both on and off the runway.
I loved the bright lights, white catwalk, upbeat music. I loved seeing the hoard of photographers at the end. I was intrigued at how many people in the audience were taking notes, and of course multitasked watching the runway and watching their phones. I know that people were snapping pictures (myself included, but I did it old school with a camera), live-tweeting, messaging, and/or blogging.
Most of the fashion on the runway didn't appeal to me. I would say my favourite of the night was Zoff, by Michael Zoffranieri. His collection (and show) seemed more polished compared to the rest.
I was a little surprised by the models. Many of the shows didn't have the traditional, super-skinny model. I learned that this was more of a FAT thing, using models who were of course beautiful, but not just fitting one body type and appearance. A second point that I noticed was that many of the models didn't seem to have that traditional, stomperella, catwalk-walk. In fact, there were quite a few models who walked quite awkwardly. I'm not sure if it was a lack of experience, uncomfortable footwear, or perhaps some weird intentional sauntering...but whatever it was, I wasn't feeling it.
I spent a lot of the night people-watching. It was so amusing. I quickly realized that many people in the audience were in fact there to be watched. People were there to attract press/publicity. There were models hoping to get their names further out there, folks hoping to appear on street-style blogs, and social-scenesters who needed to make an appearance for whatever reason. I was happily and naively seated in the front row, loving my unobstructed view but at first, not fully realizing just how great of a seat I had. That not only my row placement, but the seat placement in said row was an indicator of status or something like that. Oh, to be a +1 of someone important. It was interesting watching people get shuffled around in their seats between shows depending who was showing, who left partway through the night, or who arrived late. It was so fun learning about the who's who in the 'scene'.
It was "Absolutely Fabulous" (get it?) and I hope I get to attend another show in the future!

It's a sign

Work is closed for a couple of weeks, but I still have access to the building. I came in to work today because, well, I have work to do.
So they turned the heating off. Even my bonus sweater and woollen socks that I keep at the office aren't doing anything for me. My fingers and toes are so cold that they hurt. And I think I'm getting a headache from the cold too.
I was planning to come in all this week. I'm not sure what I should do - pack a blanket, and wear my Moon Boots and parka?
Of course the logical thing would be to stay home and if I really need to work, do it at home, but I've tried really hard to separate the two. And work needs to be done.

Brise des vignerons

It's been a busy month or so, and only just this weekend was I able to head back to my cheese shop to make my next purchase. FYI, the 'outdoor' part of the market has been transformed to a Christmas tree, wreath and other lovely holidays-decor-items market.

Anyway, back to cheese. I told the young man who offered to help me out of my two previous purchases. I guess it means that I'm going through the store's bries first. In fact, I was thinking about how I might be able to transition into a different type of cheese, and when I will make that transition. For now, I'll still go with the, "This is what I had last time, and I liked it, so tell me what else I might like."

I ended trying two cheese and the second one was the definite winner. As written on the label, La brise des vignerons is a cheese made of lait pasteurise de vache. Coming from the Fromagerie des Cantons (Farnham, QC), it's a:"Fromage a pate molle et croute fleurie type coulommier. Affinage de 30-45 jours. Penicillium Camemberti. 1er service." (Translated by Google for those who need it.) And wine recommendations are: blanc ou rouge jeune et fruite.

My completely uneducated review? Nice and creamy...spreads well on bread. It's kind of like I'm eating butter on my bread. I'm still not completely sold on the taste of the rind of these cheeses though. The cheese guy said that this cheese was a little bit more acide, and I think I can kind of taste that. The funny thing about living your life in multiple languages (and maybe especially if you're not able to seamlessly transition between the two - I'd be interested to read more about it) is that now that I'm thinking and writing in English, I'm not sure that I'm able to capture was we discussed in the shop (which was in French). I did understand everything was going on at the time, but my fragile understanding gets lost if I need to recount later on. But I digress.

Just having a pre-bedtime snack right now. Cheese and baguette. Ah, the life. A good end to a relaxing day. It's been exactly one month since I've spent a day in Montreal without going in to work. But I've logged lots of hours, and earned a lot of air miles, and I probably wouldn't change a thing. Although, being able to not set an alarm clock and to sleep in my own bed sure was nice.

St. Hubert

I spent the day in St. Hubert. And for lunch, I had St. Hubert! I was excited about that. And then, someone told me that it's this St. Hubert. Oh.

So it begins

I guess this would count as the first big snowstorm of the season. It snowed a couple times before, but not too much. This one seems significant. It started snowing yesterday afternoon, and it's still snowing now. I need to get a pair of boots. And a hat too. I also need to find time to purchase said things.

Phew

I finally have internet installed at home. Back to living in the 21st century. I really hope this will lessen the hours that I spend at work.
Oh, I also have a land line again. Back to living in the 20th century. Actually, that's not entirely true, I went for VOIP (I know, I'm so "now").

Kurios

About a month ago, I watched Kurios, the newest production by Cirque du Soleil. It was AWESOME. There weren't any acts that I didn't enjoy.
I think my favourite act was the Acro Net. I'm a sucker for flips, tricks and light hearted acts. I really appreciated the comedic touches in it too!
The Rola Bola reminded me of my time in Switzerland when the team I was skating with did off-ice training with these things. I remember falling off a couple times!
The clown act(s) in Cirque shows is/are always good. This one did not disappoint.
The opening act got the audience into the mood of the show. The costumes, music...amazing. The first part of this opening with the percussive piece reminded me of the Irish hand dancing video that went viral a couple years ago. I have no idea if that was the inspiration, but that's all I could think about. In fact, speaking of inspirations, the show seemed like it was inspired by Micmacs. The colours, the costumes, the music.

Anyway - if you ever have a chance to see the show, you HAVE to go.

- picture courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Barber of Seville

Last night, I attend the extra night of the Opera de Montreal's production of the Barber of Seville.

It was the first opera buffa that I've seen. And that made a big difference. You see, operas are supposed to end in tragedy. If the curtain doesn't close on a body sprawled on the floor (or imaginarily off-stage in a lake or something) it's not quite right. This whole comedic thing is not what I'm used to.

I mean, it was...different. Sure, it was nice to laugh, but because I have never seen a staging of an opera buffa (or even a video of one), I wasn't sure how over the top they're typically supposed to be.

Three things that I spent more time questioning rather than just enjoying the production:
1. Basilio - Too flamboyant of an interpretation? I was distracted by him!
2. Figaro - Owns a battery powered flashlight?
3. Characters wearing black unitards and oversized balloons attached to their heads - HUH?!?!?! This was to be some sort of staging choice during Basilio's aria. Imagine dark lighting, smoke machines, and 10-20 of these 'characters' crawling around the stage. So confused.

That being said, it was fun. I thought Figaro (Etienne Dupuis) and Rosina (Carol Garcia) were fantastic. And the star of the show (for me, at least) was Bartolo (Carlo Lepore). Lots of funny moments, nice character details and interpretations, and of course great singing.

A nice touch, the production was sponsored by Movember. And fun mustaches made their appearances in the production as well.

Not that I would say that it wasn't deserved, but the show ended in a standing ovation. So, is this just a cultural norm or in fact a brilliant performance?

It was a nice night out. My first time in the Place des Arts which is a lovely, well, place for the arts. The main theatre was really large (I wanted to make my way up to the top balcony to see what the view is like up there, but I kid you not, the escalators - I couldn't actually find the stairs - were only going up pre-show and down at the beginning of the intermission and post-show) but more modern instead of the red velvet and gold gilding of old-school theatres. I walked by some nice restaurants that I'll have to try out at some point and interesting galleries that I'll need to visit. There was a photo exhibition of Dancers Among Us (which was lovely, of course). I'm looking forward to getting out more often and enjoying everything that this city has to offer!

- picture courtesy of Opera de Montreal

Les Étoiles du Métro

On my way to the opera last night (post to come), I stumbled across the auditions for Les Etoiles du Metro. It such a wonderful idea, and there was a small crowd gathered to listen to the musicians. The musicians that you see/hear in the metro they're not just 'whoever'. There are many talent artists who add to your soundtrack of your commute.

A city that loves its sports teams

Now, I'm not saying that Toronto doesn't love its sports teams, but when you are new to a city, you tend to notice things. And this is what I notice about Montreal.
The buses are cheering on the local teams, the bus drivers are listening to the games.
There are people tailgating outside of the stadium today before the football game starts. Cops line the streets to direct traffic and pedestrians. Buses have been commissioned to act as shuttles. People are not only wearing Alouette's paraphernalia, but they're also well prepared for the reality of the elements and stadium seating. Parkas, snowpants, an assortment of bum pads and cushions, and blankets to keep warm.I haven't ventured downtown for when a Canadiens play, but I'm sure it's just as crazy (if not crazier).

Karma?

It's snowing.

Holding out

For the past couple of years, I would wait until (at least) December 1st to switch to my sorta winter coat. And then wait until (at least) January 1st to switch to my actual winter coat.
I'm wondering if I'll have to make the switch a little earlier this year. So far so good. I mean, there's no snow on the ground (which is kinda nice seeing as how I know lots of other people in different cities and provinces who already have had to deal with snow this year) sauf a random day here and there we're hovering around 0 degrees.
I've been going back and forth between two fall coats that I own, always ensuring that I have a mega warm scarf. The scarf makes all the difference. I probably should pull out my mittens (I need to buy a new pair of leather gloves...freak accident last year where something leaked in my bag and I'm not sure if I can revive my gloves) because my hands are always in my pockets.
Some nights I am feeling a little chilly, but I just walk faster and think of the warmth that's waiting for me at home. Do I dare switch to a different coat. We'll see.
Oh, and for some warm thoughts, the picture is from the first weekend after I moved into my place. I was having a snack on my front balcony (I have a side and rear one as well!), writing some cards, and being serenaded by Rush or Bowie (I forget) and the many folks who were out and about and hanging out across the street in/by
the pool (which was the last weekend it was open).

Le parfum de Montreal

So for a couple of days (at least since I've been here) the city smells. Maybe not the entire city, but near where I work. And even gets into the ducts and my office stinks. Like manure.
The first time it happened I got really self conscious. I wasn't sure what was going on and I have to admit that I did a self-check to make sure I didn't step in something or have some sort of accident that I wasn't aware of. I mean, the smell was bad and very apparent.
I finally asked a colleague the most recent time that I smelled it if he noticed anything and he let me know that across the river, the farms are taking care of their fields and it just wafts into the city.
So I'm not going crazy!

Marche Jean-Talon

As you know, I've been making Jean-Talon my market of choice when I have time to go. It's close to where I live and it's awesome. Most recently when I went, I noticed that they winterfied it.
In nice weather there are so many outdoor stalls in the market, but with the colder weather approaching (or here, depending on how you look at it) they've erected gazebo/tent/covered areas so that the 'outdoor' vendors are in fact 'indoors'. I'm not sure if this will mean that there are less vendors in the cold weather seasons than in the warm-weather seasons (I'm suspecting so)but it's still a nice place to pick up produce and grab a snack.

One of the times that I was at the market, I decided to have a snack of sausages on a stick. I didn't have the list of sausage types with me as I was snacking so I'm not able to remember which type I preferred (I can definitely say it wasn't the lamb, though!) but it was neat to try the variety that was available. It's the "Super 8" that I got, bien sur!
Each time I'm there, I see people ordering different things off of the menu and I can't help but giggle when I see people gnawing at the meat off the bone. I should nab a picture of it the next time I'm there.

"Welcome to Quebec!"

I had a lovely phone conversation with a gentleman about exchanging my Driver's License. After figuring out the logistics of what I need to bring with me to my appointment (booking one-month in advance!) to get my new driver's license, he told me about how much it cost to keep said license. Turns out QC folks have to renew their license every year on their birthday. And pay a nice little sum of money to boot. "What a horrible birthday present!" I said to my fellow Quebecker. I told him about the differences in Ontario and we had a good laugh. To which he said, well, you can probably guess!
I'm kind of sad to be turning over my Ontario card. I like it. And it'll be an reminder of this big change in my life...and my identity. One that I'm still grappling with.

Amelie

I watched one of my favorite films (if not THE favorite) again last night for the first time in a couple of years. It was perfect.
There's so much about that film that resonates with me, and with how things have been going for me recently (emotionally and otherwise), I'm glad I watched the film again.

Scorched

I recently attended a performance of Scorched by the graduating class of the National Theatre School (NTS).

It was incredible. But brace yourself.

I didn't have a chance to do any research or look into the premise of the play. Of course there are pros and cons to this strategy for seeing productions, but for me, at the end of the play, I was in a little bit of shock. I just wasn't sure how to process what I had watched, and wasn't able to go beyond the surface of what happened.

Content aside, the production was awesome. The acting seemed really good (although, I wonder if I would be able to tell if the acting wasn't good?), but I was most impressed with the staging of the production (which, students of the NTS took care of as well). It was a "theatre in the round" set up, and there was clearly a lot of care that went into the staging and choreography of it all. I liked the use of props in the production. The lighting and special effects were also great.

Well, the run of the production is over, so it's not like you can go out and see it for yourself. I guess the take away is that the National Theatre School has some great productions that I will continue to look into (and you can/should too) and that Scorched is a great play. I've only clued in, after the fact, that it's Incendies which I remember reading about when it made the rounds (during TIFF and otherwise).

Cendre des Pres

I went back to the cheese shop yesterday. I told them about the cheese that we'd gotten the last time and that I wanted to get something similar. I told the salesperson that I liked the creaminess. She asked is there was assez de gout, and yes, the taste was strong enough for me. I'm still a little shy when it comes to pungent cheese.
She offered me a couple cheeses to try. One left too much of a plastic and rubbery taste in my mouth and the other was too salty.

In the end, I decided to go for the Cendre des Pres from the Fromagerie Domaine Feodal.
A description: "Pâte molle à croûte fleurie cendrée au centre comme le morbier. Tres cremeux et leger. 1er service." (Translated by Google for those who need it)
I like that the label from the cheese shop also comes with recommendations for the type of wine that pairs best. It's not specific enough to suggest a specific wine, but to say blanc ou rouge fruite.

I have to admit, the ash throws me off. I think I like everything around the ash the best...which probably defeats the whole point of the cheese. (I'm a work in progress, ok?) But it's not like I'm eating around it. I'm a big girl and eating the whole thing and it's quite good. I like the creaminess of it and (again) the mild flavour. I think I like the Saint-Honore better, but it's good to try different things.

I'm wondering if I should keep trying similar types of cheese or go with something completely different next time. Or maybe try out a different cheese shop too? There seem to be many to choose from here. All of the grocery stores have a better selection than what I'm used to. But I think the specialty shops would be better for me as they will be able to help me select cheeses and I can try them out before committing to a purchase.

Saint-Honore

My first (!!!) experience buying cheese was great. I was intimidated to go into the shop similar to people I know are intimidated to go into the boutiques that I've come to realize aren't that scary (even if you have no intention of buying anything).

While walking around Jean-Talon Market, we had decided that a perfect lunch would be cheese and a baguette, so of course we had to find somewhere to buy the cheese (I already knew of plenty places to get a great baguette). We walked into Qui lait cru and were helped by a friendly and eager young man. I had no idea what was going on and what to buy, but it was decided that we should get a sharp cheddar (I forget the name of it, but we opted for a 10-year old cheddar with salt in the rind rather than a 15 year old one) and a brie.

We a tasted a couple different brie's, but in the end, we went the Saint-Honore. It was really good. It melted in your mouth and didn't have a strong flavour (ideal for a cheese neophyte like myself). It was so soft that we were basically able to spread it on the baguette, so I think I partially enjoyed it for its creaminess like I was eating a good butter on bread (without the actual butter taste though).

I still get a little confused by the rind and what to do with it, but I'm sure I'll get over that pretty quickly. Anyway, this cheese was clearly yummy enough to get me inspired to try to eat more cheese in the future.

An important goal

When I lived in Europe, I conquered mustard. I also tried to conquer olives, but that didn't seem to fly.

Here, I think I'm going to try to conquer cheese. I think conquer is the wrong word. Ultimately, I'd like to get to know more about cheese and expand my cheese repertoire.

This past weekend, I went to a cheese shop in the market. Encouraged by my cheese-loving friend, we chatted with one of the folks and the shop and narrowed our purchases down to a 5-year old sharp cheddar (instead of a 10-year old one) and a brie that didn't have a strong taste (we'd sampled a couple that we didn't enjoy as much) but absolutely melted in your mouth.

Coupled with a baguette and some tomatoes (I've also recently learned of the awesomeness that is salt on tomatoes), it lent itself to an awesome meal (or two) and our goal of having a faux-Paris weekend.

"To justice and all!"

I've had an awesome day, and this video contributed to that awesomeness.
Great choice of background music too!

Lovely weekend

Having weekends to relax is key. Whoever decided that there should be a five day work week really thought things through.
Yesterday, I finally made it down to a street that I wanted to explore and while the weather wasn't great, it was still nice to just be in the fresh air and walk around and take my time. I followed that up with a trip to the market. Lovely, of course. I was able to tidy up my place a little bit and try to reduce the number of boxes that are still scattered around. A quiet evening at home was exactly what I needed.
Today, after a lazy start to the day, I headed out in search of doughnuts. They have three different flavours: sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate and since they're quite small I got one of each to try. By the time I got the the grocery store just a block away, I had finished them all. I'd recommend the sugar and cinnamon ones over the chocolate. Actually, no, try them all for yourself so that you can decide. The place was very busy with a line almost out the door. As I waited, I admired the original art on the wall and felt very, err, square. I was in hipster haven. It was in the Mile End, so I guess it makes sense, but it still throws me off to be smack dab in the middle of the scene. Hipsters have a very unique look.
Anyway, done with my doughnuts, I picked up some items at the grocery store and people were buying leeks like crazy! They were on sale, but some people were buying multiple bunches. Is there something going on that I don't know about? I wonder what they were going to do with all of them?
Heading back to my place, I realized that some cultures go to school on Sundays. Not only do I live close to hipster-ville, I also live close to a Hasidic Jewish community. It's interesting learning more about different cultures and communities.
So now that I'm back at my place, I've decided to have a quiet rest of the day in. I see more cleaning and organizing on the horizon and I think I'm going to make a big batch of soup. Sunday is usually a big cooking day for me!