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