Saint-Andre

The Saint-Andre cheese is a pasteurized cow milk's cheese from France. As described on the label from the cheese shop:

"Enrichi de creme. Gout de creme fraiche. Riche et fondant. Legerement crayeux au coeur. 1er service. Champagne, cidre. Vin blanc doux et petillant." (Translation, from google).

This cheese was recommended to me after telling the person in the shop that 'd tried a lot of cheeses in the brie section and wondered what else they might recommend. The cheese is really creamy, and spreadable. Lovely with a baguette! It tasted a little bit like cream cheese, but with a slight sour note? It doesn't have too distinct of a flavour, which again, works for me. 

Valbert

Back on the cheese train!
(Also, the market is hopping again! The flowers vendors are out in full force and people are buying plants by the cart full!)
The Valbert is a cow milk cheese from the Fromagerie Lehmann in Lac-Saint-Jean, QC.

As written on the label provided by the cheese shop:
"Fromage fermier a pate ferme pressee et demi-cuite. Croute affinee. Affinage de 6 mois. 2e service. Vin: Blanc fruite et doux." (Translation, by google).

I was telling the person at the cheese shop that I wanted a hard cheese, and that I'd tried a couple of the cheddars that they had, but wanted something different. And this is what was recommended. Well, of course, a couple were recommended, but this is the one that I went with. She described it as having notes of mushrooms, and after tasting it, it seems to sit on my tongue a little nicer than the other one (which I might end up trying in the future). Unsurprisingly, I barely taste mushrooms. And perhaps I only taste them because I know I'm supposed to. It tastes creamy, which I like. And kinda like cheddar. The flavour isn't too strong, just...errr...cheesy?!?

Anyway, it makes for a good snack.

The First Monday in May

I recently went to a screening of The First Monday in May.
It was AWESOME.
The film is a document about the lead up to the 2015 Met Gala, which served as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, and the opening of China: Through the Looking Glass.
I found it fascinating to get a peak into the planning of this massive event and all of the details and moving parts that are associated with it. The preparation and planning of the art exhibit was equally interesting and while I knew that curating an exhibit was a lot of work and very thoughtful, I didn't realize the scope of what mounting an exhibit entails. The amount of planning, research, consultation, marketing, promotion...the different components (e.g., lighting, staging, sound). It was so impressive.
In addition to the leading forces for the Met Ball and the exhibition, Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton, respectively, I appreciated that there was a strong collaborative aspect to both including many talents including Baz Luhrmann and Wong Kar Wai, respectively.
And of course the fashion. The fashion throughout the movie was fantastic. Everything from the day to day clothes that every person on screen was wearing (I had a major "a-ha!" moment when I found out who Andrew Bolton's partner was), to the beautiful pieces in the exhibit, and the pieces worn to the gala. I had some serious clothing/style envy.
From beginning to end, I thought the film was well done. Of course the subject matter appealed to me, but I thought the narrative of the film and cheeky little moments (hint: dragon lady) were spot on.
So yeah, if you can, go watch the film.

- picture courtesy of www.firstmondayinmay.com

OSM

I attended an OSM concert earlier this year for the first time. I've been wanting to go for awhile, but I kind of pick and choose concerts based on the programme. There was a concert earlier with the Rach 2 and Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique - two pieces that I love. The soloist for the Rach 2 was the winner of the Grand Prix du Concours OSM Manuvie 2015, Scott MacIsaac. He did a great job.
I think it would be interesting to attend a youth competition. When I lived in CH, I attended the Prix de Lausanne each year and back in T.O., I attended the Erik Bruhn Prize once as well. Each were equally impressive and inspiring. Here in Montreal, I'm going to thinking about what opportunities are available to see talented youth showing off their talents.
This concert was also the first time that I was in the Maison symphonique de Montreal in Place des Arts - a beautiful concert hall. It reminded me of Roy Thomson Hall with the light wood, choir above and behind the stage, and the organ just above that.
Anyway, it was a lovely night with a nice variety of people in attendance. I hope to go to another concert again soon...maybe even one conducted by Kent Nagano.

Year 2 in review

Hi team,

I'm still here. Just very occupied with life. As I should be, I suppose. Each time I post, I talk about how I want to make blogging more of a priority. And clearly I have not stayed true to my word. But writing this post is progress of some sort, I suppose.

Anyway, I just finished up my second year at this new gig. Gig meaning a new job in a new city, and kind of a new life. And recall that I follow an academic calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar.
It's been interesting. I'm pretty reflective by nature, and the past two years have been an intense journey in self-discovery. Although I have had many different experiences and been fortunate enough to experience many things that most people may not have the opportunity to experience, these past two years have stretched me in many ways and I realize that my sphere has actually been quite limited in certain ways. I guess it's one of those situations where "the more you know, the more you know that you don't know".

In a nutshell, I guess I would describe Year 1 as SHOCK. It was a complete shock to my system. I was so naive commencing on this journey. My self-confidence was really rattled. My understanding of identity was questioned. There were many highs, but quite a few lows. For the first time, my body physically reacted to the change and stress. I'd like to think that I have faced some adversity and pressure in the past, but I guess in retrospect those challenges were nothing. I used to think that I thrive under pressure and while I still think that is true to a certain extent, it turns out that I have some limits. While there were never moments last year that I felt like it was too much, there was clearly something going on because my body signaled as such. By late fall, I was regularly getting hives on my body. At first, I thought that it was some sort of allergic reaction, but based on when the hives would appear and how long they would last that clearly wasn't the case. Luckily, they were localized  in an area that wasn't visible, so I wasn't self-conscious about it. Luckily they weren't painful, and they tended to go away after a couple hours. They were sort of itchy, but that's about it. I had never gotten hives prior to last year, so when they first popped up, I wasn't sure what they were. It kind of freaked me out, but the lovely friend that google is helped me figure things out. I also had two other strange stress reactions last year. It was odd because they both happened in the springtime during times when I wasn't feeling particularly overwhelmed or anything. They also happened randomly, appearing first thing in the morning. And it was darn scary. Nothing dangerous or to really be concerned about, but the fact that it never happened to me in the past and was happening during a time of change and when I was already feeling relatively insecure...well, it was tough. And this had symptoms that I couldn't hide. But, since it was at a time of year that I didn't have to go in to the office (definitely perk of the job), I just hid out at home and relaxed.
The silver lining to all of this, I guess is knowing that I'm not invisible. I mean, that sounds obvious, but I actually think that I'm invisible. I still don't really know what my limits are (and I do like trying to push them), but I'm still more aware of...I don't know. Something. Also, this year, I haven't gotten any hives, so I guess something's better. I did have the other reaction once this year, and I remember that it happened on a day that I was feeling particular stressed. And the reaction didn't seem quite as intense. I also didn't have to go in to work that day, and it seemed to go away quicker than it did last year. And because I'm a little bizarre, it was kind of interesting to experience those reactions. Again, I don't see either of them as particularly worrisome as they didn't have serious side-affects. It was kind of like the stress was lurking in me, and it just kind of came out in this subtle way. A little "poke" from my body to say, "Hey, you're going through so crazy stuff, huh?"I didn't have anything acute. No panic attacks, issues with breathing, nothing like that.
Last year, I learned a lot about what's important to me. I realized that I took some things for granted. I moved to a different environment with a different culture, and quickly figured out that there were some things about where/how I grew up that I really value. So it made me think about these things and just how important they are, whether or not I can compromise in some of these areas, and WHY they are so important to me. I still don't think that I have any definite answers, but I'm more aware of the issues that exist and realistic about the fact that it's a process and journey that I can't just snap my fingers and it will all be sorted out.
And that's kind of one of the big things that I left Year 1 and entered Year 2 with. The fact that I had completely unrealistic expectations about how my new life would unfold. Or at least the speed at which everything would unfold. I still hope to move in the direction that I originally envisioned, but I know that it'll take longer to get there.

So I started Year 2 optimistic and with a fresh attitude of trying to stay in the moment. To stop and smell the roses and just soak up everything that was happening and not think too far ahead. I mean, I do enjoy the day to day (another lovely take home from Year 1, as tough as it was, is that I love what I do and I'm so happy that I'm doing it. That I've worked so hard to get to this point, and now that I'm here...well, it's as awesome as I thought it would be) but I'm really good at not dwelling on the things that are awesome (because they're already awesome, so why 'waste' your time on them? ...yes, I know this sounds a little ridiculous) and focus my efforts/energy on things that I want to be better. I definitely acknowledge awesomeness, but like to make everything awesome and enjoy the challenge of making things awesome, so it often seems like I'm focusing on the negative more than the positive. But it's not as though I'm living in doom and gloom all the time.
This journey seems to be following the stages of grief. Now, I'm not sure if it's five or seven stages that I'm going through, and if I'm going through them in the right order, but Year 2 had some moments of anger. Since Year 1 was a lot of discovery and learning about my new context, Year 2 was kind of like a, "Now I know what the reality is, and I don't necessarily like it or can easily change it, so I'm just angry about it all". Ha. So there were moments of frustration this year...feeling stuck. Wondering why things were the way that they were, why I can't change them, or being annoyed that the change process took longer than I believe it should take. (Did I mention that I'm also impatient? ...which is kind of weird because other people have said that they belief me to be a very patient person. They also see me as very calm, cool under pressure, bubbly, extroverted...so what's going on there? I do have moments of each, but I wouldn't think that they are my hallmark traits.)

Through this two year process, I am reminded of the importance of "people". Friends, confidants, mentors. A support system. I'm very good at thinking through things on my own and think that I'm pretty good at covering all angled, but it's still nice to have a sounding board or someone who's been through it provide support. Since embarking on this journey, I've had a couple people suggest that I speak to someone about some of the issues that I'm thinking about. A therapist or counselor of some sort. It's been interesting receiving these suggestions, because it's never been suggested to me prior. I had to sort though my own misconceptions and biases about this, and even that process of thinking about that and speaking with different people who have/continue to work with therapist has been a great learning experience and chance to broaden my thinking. I'm at a place where I feel quite content with the situation and how I'm handling things, but like with most things, it's nice to know about different options. That being said, I want to reiterate how much I've valued speaking with trusted advisors about some of the questions and issues that I'm trying to sort though. To be reassured that the things that I'm thinking about are reasonable and to be reminded to celebrate the successes...no matter how small they may seem.

So my life is still kind of, ummm, interesting. I'm still trying to figure things out. I mean, I still don't feel settled into my life. I'm not fully comfortable in the city that I live in. I like it, but I don't love it. And it's different from what I'm used to. The job is good, but causes me anxiety. BUT, one of my "A-ha" moment a couple weeks ago brought me to the stage of acceptance. One of my challenges has been figuring out a work-life balance. It's kind of a thing in my profession (I imagine it's also a thing in many other professions, but some not as much). I really value work-life balance and have a certain idea of what they entailed. I'm not sure if what I imagine is completely unattainable (partly, because part of what I imagine is something for the future), but it's something that I'm still working towards. The eureka moment came when I realized that I don't have a 9-5 job where I only work when I'm at work. That I don't have a job that I show up to work every day and know exactly what I need to do, because what I need to do is the same day in and day out. That I don't have a job that's consistent. That it's Monday to Friday, 12 months of the year (with 2 weeks of vacation somewhere). My job doesn't graph as a horizontal line.
I have a job with significant peaks and significant troughs. I recently had a couple days where I worked until 4am (Year 2 revelation - my regular bus route has a night bus! So I didn't have to leave work in time to catch what I thought was the last bus of the night! ...yes, I have also just taken a taxi home too, but when I leave work at embarrassingly late hours like that, I'm usually skipping out of the building feeling really fulfilled and loving the fresh air and walk to the bus stop.). But I also have the luxury of working from home pretty much whenever I want. And taking vacation pretty much whenever I want. I have a job that's super stimulating, but also entails rejection on a regular basis. And I accept that. I accept that my my work graph is bumpy. But for me, it's figuring out how to keep the range of that graph at a minimum.

Anyway, so that's kind of where I'm at right now. Things are good. There are still lots that I'm not super happy with, but in the grand scheme of things, everything is a-ok.

I'm on a summer schedule now, which includes an experiment - not going in to the office one weekday a week (in Year 1, I sometimes went in to the office on weekends, in Year 2, I didn't at all, so that was some nice progress). Whether than means working from home or only working 4 days a week (I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with emails in an efficient and non-all-emcompassing manner), I'm not sure, but I think it'll be a good routine to get into for this next little bit while the weather is nice (I have grand plans for my balconies - I have three...well, one I'm not going to worry about, but the other two are going to be super - one already is with different planters boxes filled with lovely flowers and such...but I also hear that it might snow this week...sigh.).

Hopefully with this one post, it'll get me back into the groove of blogging. I should start small and do some restaurant reviews or mentions of different events/outings that I've had. I haven't done a ton of traveling, so that's one less thing to worry about.

*L*

Fine dining

I enjoy trying new restaurants. I like the experience. I mean, I just can't do it too often because, well, it wouldn't be good for my diet (when I eat out, I kind of just get whatever sounds good and don't think about quantity, health, and cost).
The first SUPER fine dining experience I had was at Les Ambassadeurs in Paris. That was soon followed up by Philippe Rochat's restaurant in Crissier, Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville that I wrote up about here.
I had eaten at a couple nice-ish places in Toronto before that, but definitely not in the realm of three Michelin Stars.
While Toronto doesn't have anything quite to the level of that, there are quite a lot of good restaurants. I enjoy all aspects of dining. The food, the service, the ambiance. It's all important to me. One of the restaurants in Toronto that I think it quite good in all three areas is Splendido. I've been there a couple times and have been impressed each time.
Tonight was no exception.
Splendido is closing its doors at the end of the month. Chef Victor Barry is moving on to other adventures. It is the end of an era.

Let it go

So I'm supposed to be totally into this team, right? I really want to go to a game at some point - I hear the energy is amazing!
Anyway, the video is entertaining.
Also, it's December 11th, and it's 11 degrees outside. Super warm. Last year, I posted about warm weather and then it started to snow. Let's see what (environmental) response this post will get.

Bubkas

I have recently discovered the awesomeness of bubkas. Cheskie's is a Jewish bakery near me that I've heard people talking about since I moved here. I really have intended to go prior to this year, but one lame excuse is that I would usually have time or think about going on a Saturday. And well, they're closed on that day.
Anyway, now that my routine has changed up a bit and I'm regularly walking by the place when it's open, I really have no excuse. But it's very risky. Their bubkas are soooo good. I'm been assured that everything in their shop is good, but I almost don't want to find out for myself.

Welcome to F.L.

Two great things about Toronto: the Toronto International Film Festival and HotDocs.
I've missed attending both festival.

But, the nice thing is that Montreal has its own share of film festivals as well. I think the equivalent festivals to those mentioned above would be the Montreal Film Festival and the Montreal International Documentary Festival.

The Montreal Film Festival has been on my radar ever since I moved here, but I did have a chance to watch any films at the festival this year or the last. I found the synopses of the films not quite as inspired as those written up on the TIFF website, so it was difficult for me to be motivated to go to a screening. In the end, I didn't seem to make the festival a priority, but hopefully I will change my mindset in the future.
And there are some films that actually screen at festivals in both cities (including the one that this post is technically about).
The documentary film festival, on the other hand, seemed to sort of work out. I had bookmarked quite a number of films, but due to various commitments (mainly, out of town visitors - whee!), I wasn't able to attend many screenings. To be specific, I only attended one.
I had actually tried to attend another screening, but it was sold out and I didn't get there early enough to get in via the rush line. I think they cut off the line about 10 people in front of me. Phooey.

So the film I actually did get to see is called Welcome to F.L. (official website here). The filmmaker returned back to her secondary school to film and interview students (mainly those in the graduating class). The students talked about life in high school, their experiences, their hopes and dreams. It was a natural fit for my interests.
My review? Ummm, well, it was a good chance to practice my French. I guess I'm glad that I watched the film? I don't think that there was something lost in translation, but I wasn't really blown away by it. There were some little memorable moments, but I couldn't see the big picture. I wasn't sure what exactly the filmmaker was trying to do. There wasn't a story that was particularly compelling.
The Q&A with the filmmaker didn't really help much. Perhaps after watching an entire film in French (although there were English subtitles), my brain was getting a little fatigued as I started tuning out during the Q&A. But I also think that the questions and how the filmmaker responded didn't really help the situation.

Anyway, my big takeaway from attending the screening was that I really do need to take advantage of the wonderful film festivals that the city had to offer. I'll have to put them into my schedule and make them a priority.

Picture courtesy of http://bienvenueafl.com/

A difference of 70 years

This website was recently forwarded to me. It instantly brought me back to my visit to Normandy. Especially the third and last picture.
You learn about different events in history class. You read books, watch movies...they bring the events to life as much as possible. Yet, imagination is required (for me) to fully comprehend it all.
Nothing can compare to a lived experience. I feel so fortunate to live where I do and to have the life that I have. I will hopefully never have to live through many of the things that others (have) endure(d).
Lest we forget.

How to Age Gracefully

This is a really sweet video.



(Sorry for being MIA on this blog. Lots of awesome things going on that I should be sharing or at least would like to, but I haven't been able to actually get my act together and force myself to sit down and blog. Apologies.)

Fall harvest

Just getting home from a lovely trip to the market.
I really do think that going to the market makes me feel like I'm a tourist (of sorts) in this city somehow. I think, in my mind, because I associate going to markets as something to be done in Europe (where, although I lived there for a couple years, I knew that it was temporary). I wonder how long it takes for notions such as those to be re-programmed.
Anyway, I went to the market and it was so lovely. Although the temperature was chilly, the sun was shining and there were many people there bringing life and warmth to the place. It was a feast for the senses. There were buskers playing live music for us to hear, delicious foods being prepared for us to smell, samples of produce for us to taste, interesting courges for us to touch, and endless stalls and displays of hues and patterns to see.
I wish I could share a picture with you, but I decided to go free of any devices. I usually bring a book to read on the metro, but this time, I was even more basic. Just my sunnies, a $20-bill and my Caban (I still miss that store) market bag.
My goal for today was to pick up items for a roast. I got a capon from the grocery store (I also now know what a capon is), and I'm going to make my place smell lovely (and it won't hurt that it'll warm up the place too) as I prep my meals for the week.

Today's been a lovely, quiet, but fulfilling day. A little bit of a lie-in, and then I re-potted some of the plants on my balconies into smaller pots to sit on my windowsill. My geraniums share a sill with my lavender, and I have another sill with a pot of basil, another of spearmint, and a third with rosemary...which I will need to snip off a sprig to go into my roast.

So, off I go to prep my roast, now to decide on a movie to have playing in the background.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Inuit throat singing

Yesterday, I was at an event that included Inuit throat singing. I think it was the first time that I had heard through singing before. I would describe it as a mixture of humming and beat boxing.
The singers told us that traditionally, throat singing was a competition. That two women would sing together and the first person who missed a beat or started laughing was the loser. The women would be competing for clothes and/or other objects. They even said that a long time ago, the signers would also compete for hunters. Does that mean that women ruled the roost?
The singers were wearing traditional Inuit attire, which was beautiful. Features of the coats/tops include: long fabric that covered their bums (practical when sitting in the snow - and also, as one of the singers joked, good to cover up a big bootie!), a front piece decorated with coins (to protect them from evil spirits) and other special objects (e.g., beads), wide sleeves (practical so that mittens would fit under them), and a big hood (which could function as a baby carrying pouch).
So, when the two women sing, they are facing each other, holding each others arms (around the elbows, sort of) and standing actually quite close to one another. They kind of rock back and forth, presumably to help them keep time. Some of the songs seemed to maintain the same beat, whereas others seemed to speed up in parts. Most of the songs that they sang seemed to be set songs that they both knew. Some of the songs even represented different things - one song made the sound of a saw, and another was the sound of Canada Geese.
It was interesting to see - I think it would be neat to attend a competition at some point. For most of the songs that I heard, I found it difficult to tell who "lost" (although, maybe at this performance, it wasn't about who stopped first) because the singer whom I could see her face looked like she was half smiling and half laughing the entire time.

At the same event, there were many other Native American peoples in attendance and there was a moment where they all got up to dance. Their outfits were absolutely beautiful. I think the host of the event mentioned that there were 13 nations represented at the event. I definitely wasn't able to tell the difference between the people who were their based on their attire, but I'm sure that someone else who know more about the different cultures would have been able to.
Most of the ladies dancing seemed to do something akin to what I would call the "wedding walk". They moved forward around the space, kind of doing a step-touch movement. The men were a little bit more animated, some also doing a step-touch, but with a lot more zest and spring. The grass dancers were more pronounced in their style with some spins and other lunging movements. And I can't overemphasized how musical, ornate, elegant, and beautiful the outfits were.

Straight Outta Compton

I watched Straight Outta Compton last week. It was really good.
I know hardly anything about NWA. I'd heard of them, and more specifically Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. That's it. So I learned a lot from watching this film.
Gangster rap is definitely a music genre that I know very little about and I haven't not listened to. The lyrics of the songs are shocking, not necessarily for the content, but for the language (I blame my day job - I actually cringe when I hear someone swearing). The content, I find fascinating. I can't imagine growing up in that kind of context. A lot of the issues described in the film have come up in recent conversations and events in my life, so it's really made me think even more about race, culture, and discrimination. These are issues that many people don't like to talk about, and I'm still trying to figure out where I stand, what I think, and how I want to act (and maybe be a role model and/or make a difference). It's complicated.
Because I can't help myself, I started thinking about whether or not the portrayal of various characters and stories in this film were skewed. The widow of Easy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre were directly involved with this film. I started trying to dissect how those particular characters, and those closest to them were portrayed. 
Anyway, I left the film feeling wanting to learn more about various themes/topics/people from the film. I do wish that the film went into a little bit more depth about the characters, where they came from, who they're families are, that sort of thing, but I guess you can only do so much in a feature film. I mean, all of a sudden the characters had significant others...I wanted to know more. I mean, there's been some critique about the portrayal (or lack thereof) of women in the film, but I think the critique has to do more with something else than what I was looking for. I'm interested in people, character development, and how people's experiences/contexts shapes who they are so I'm always looking for that.

Also, I had a moment after the first scene where I got that glowing feeling. The opening scene is great...really amps you up for the rest of the film. And I felt that glow that I get when I'm perfectly happy and content. I haven't gotten that feeling in awhile, I think. But in this moment, I was encouraged to continue to keep at it, continue to live my life and do everything that I'm curious to do and live my awesome life. It was a nice feeling.

- picture courtesy of www.imdb.com

How to make a deaf musical

Deaf West is putting on a production of Spring Awakening. This video gives some insight into how the production was created.
Spring Awakening is a great musical. I saw it in New York a bunch of years ago. I happened to see the original cast which included actors/actresses who most people probably know from the TV show Glee.

On y va!

Bonne rentree a tous!

I enjoyed seeing the froshies running around campus last week. It brought back many memories from what seems like a lifetime ago. I still have a couple days before my jitters come back with a vengeance, but today is still special nonetheless.

Quiet

Quiet, by Susan Cain

I'm thinking that my summer of reading is over. I still have a couple books on my shelf that I had borrowed from the library during the summer, and maybe I'll try to read them during the year, but I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I will give it a go.
The most recent book that I read was Quiet, by Susan Cain. I'm not sure how I ended up borrowing this book. I had watched her TED talk, and I think this book popped up on my "recommended" list when I looked up Lean In online, and I find it interesting learning more about personality types...anyway, I borrowed it, and I'm sure glad that I did.
Simply put, this book is about introverts. I liked the book because I feel like I better understand myself. Reading a little bit more about my personality, and why I do what I do and why I like what I like and enjoy what I enjoy. To learn a little bit more about culture and culture clashes (first-generation problems!). I found the book reassuring.
Of course, we are all a mixture of personalities. We might lean towards one side of the spectrum than another. I had a moment when I was reading the book where I wondered it everyone reading this book would find part of themselves in it, just like reading the horoscope. On any given day (or day after), I can read the horoscope of any star sign and see myself and events that have happened in the day. So is this book naturally preaching to the choir because everyone will be able to see themselves in it? Or maybe there is a seriously extroverted person who will read this book and be completely surprised by what they read.
I was also thinking about the message of this book with my profession. I'm in a field where the pendulum is swinging many perceive that a cooperative, discussion- and inquiry-based approach is advocated for. While there are many benefits for this approach, how does this support the learning of introverted students? Personally, I advocate for a diverse and balanced approach to teaching. Our students are diverse. Our students learn and thrive in different contexts, and I want all students to have to opportunity to feel success and be successful. At the same time, I want all students to feel challenged and have an opportunity to develop areas of weakness or learn to make the most out of contexts that are not comfortable. Who knows what kind of context they will end up in and/or whether or not they will have the ability to alter their context to one in which they will thrive (because hopefully they will know more about themselves).
I had a eureka moment when I read about Free Trait Theory, or in general, the idea that you can display a completely different personality in different contexts. It helps me to make sense of my 'different personalities'. I have consistently gotten the feedback that I present myself in a certain kind of way. That impression is completely contradictory to the emotions that I'm feeling in those situations. I was always a little bit confused as to why that was the case, what caused it, how I am able to have the strength to give that impression, and how come I can't channel that person more often? I still don't really have the answer, but I liked reading about it.
Anyway, I really liked this book. It was very easy to read and a nice contribution to my current phase of self-discovery.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

La dolce vita

I write this from the floor of my balcony. This past week, I've realized that putting a blanket on its floor, bringing out a pillow, putting a good playlist on my itunes, some light reading, and snacks is awesome.
The weather's been fantastic this past week and why take the time to pack up your things and walk to the park when you can have a lovely picnic on your very own balcony? And then whenever you get tired of it, you doing have to walk home because you're already there.
Win-win situation if you ask me.
Sure, there are certain times of day that the sun hits the balcony and it gets too hot, but when there's shade it's pretty great because I get a nice breeze.
It's pretty fabulous.
So, I've been living it up here on my balcony for the past week. Making the most out of the final days of summer. I'm back to a more regular work routine starting tomorrow.
It's been a nice summer. I was able to slow down my pace and just 'be'. I feel well rested as I begin the year. And that's a good thing.

Phew!

I finally mustered up the courage to read my course evals from last year.
Folks, we take these things seriously. In a class filled with positive comments, even one negative comment can absolutely shatter an instructor's moral. It's terrifying to read these things. Absolutely terrifying. Those nasty comments stick, and no, I don't know who wrote them, so just knowing that someone out there thinks those things about me is crushing.
I came out of this round unscathed, but I'm still shaking. Opening that file takes courage.
Thank you to those students who took the time to give their thoughtful feedback, and even more thanks to those who are respectful in the process.

I love what I do...so much that sometimes it hurts. But it's worth it.

I Could Do That

I think this is a nicely done video. I wonder if they will create a video discussing how it's decided how much art is worth. I have been looking to purchase some art, but am unsure of my pricepoint. I'm also still in the stage where I don't think I've been exposed to enough art to know what I like to own. Sure, I know that there are certain artists' work that I like, but most of those pieces are not one that I will realistically be able to purchase. I haven't seen a piece recently that I've loved so much that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I do see nice things from time to time, but am never sure if I like it enough to purchase it.
I wonder if I'll ever get to the point of making the commitment and buying something?