The Best Game You Can Name

We all know the song. It's instilled into us from birth (maybe even before). We'll get to that in a minute. But right now, the name of the game is "How Early Will You Line Up?"

We were a little slow to start this morning, but we still got to Robson Square at about 7:30. There was already a line formed in front of the zip line entrance. We found out that the people at the head of the line arrived just before 5:00. While that sounds ridiculous, if you take into account that the zip line doesn't open until 10:00, then they would have been in the line for five hours. Which, actually, is how long Olivia and I waited as well. Except that they waited in the cold, dark rain, whereas we only had to deal with two of the three. It was super long and super moist, but we made the most of it, and chatted it up with our line neighbours. When it was our turn, the legs started to give out, literally. I had been constantly moving my legs in the line, but by the time I climbed the stairs of the tower, I had pretty much lost feeling in them. But that may have only been partially due to the cold. When we were ready to hit it, I looked right at Olivia and jumped. Then, like the idiot I am, I proceeded to press the power button on my camera and turned it off. In a panic, I mashed the button to turn it back on. Once things were sorted out, I was still able to capture this:



As you can see, I didn't quite make it to the platform, but they reeled me in like a fish, so it was all good. Olivia was slightly less successful in her filming, namely because she was spinning like a top all the way across. We had some friends recording the event from the ground, so we'll have it from all angles in the end. When I film things, I have a tendency to concentrate on the filming and not actually on whatever it is that I'm experiencing (for example, concerts or fireworks). The camera fiasco was definitely distracting, but once it was under control, I did look around, and even noticed the people on the street cheering for me. The one thing I can say is that even though it only lasted for about 30 seconds, you don't feel like you're travelling very fast. Which works out well, I think, given the 5 hours of waiting.

We had a record medal haul today, didn't we? Without knowing this, I was finally able to line up to see the Olympic Medals at the Royal Canadian Mint pavilion. Although they said it would be a three-hour wait, I waited anyway. I got another pin for my collection, and they kept yelling out the score for the Canada-Russia hockey game, so I didn't miss anything. I ended up inside the building within an hour, and in the medal room after another 45 minutes. The result?



That's a gold medal my friends! They are huge and heavy, but still fascinating.

Meanwhile, after the hockey win had been confirmed, the streets were just packed and insane. Cheering, screaming, national anthem-singing, and high-fiving occurred frequently. It didn't matter that it started to drizzle again, everyone was still in a great mood.

It's already starting to wind down over here. Tomorrow, if you happen to be watching the finals for men's aerials, and if the weather is fairly crappy, look into the general admission stands and see if you can spot a bright yellow poncho (a.k.a. garbage bag with a hole in it) standing next to a pink jacket. Otherwise, it's a cream-coloured jacket standing next to the pink. Peel the eyes!

"Oh rainy day come round, sometimes I just want it to slow down"

Welcome to the Winter Olympics

I seem to be two for two, for two reasons. Today was women's ski cross, where I watched another great Canadian female athlete bring home a gold medal. I also got soaked again, but for a different reason. If you saw the races, you'll have noticed that it started to snow at Cypress. Then, it started to snow A LOT. By the time the final heat was finished, there was accumulation on the metal staircases, making it somewhat treacherous. The only good thing was that the mountain was no longer mostly brown.

Coming down the mountain, the snow quickly turned into rain, and it looks like it's going to stay that way for the rest of my stay here on the west coast. Regardless, we're going to join the epic line-up for the zip line first thing tomorrow morning, so I'm going to have to cut this short.

P.S. The random meeting has occurred: we spotted our high-school friend Leena in the stands at Cypress. If you're a friend of hers on Facebook, check out her new status.

"And you've already got me coming undone, and I'm thinking two is better than one"

Who's Sitting Beside You?

Since the whole world is here (it seems), it would logically stand to reason that you could be sitting next to someone interesting. Today, I took the train down to the airport to meet my friend Olivia who will be joining me for the duration of the Games. The train was busy as usual in the downtown area, but the crowd dwindled as we travelled further away and then turned toward the airport. An older East Indian lady sat next to me for the last few stops. She noticed the pins on my bag strap and thought that I was a volunteer. I had to explain that I was just a spectator. She had just arrived from San Diego yesterday, and was headed up to Whistler. She told me that she had been to the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary and she was happy to be back. I asked if she had been a spectator back then, and she replied that she was a former Olympian. In fact, she was the first female athlete to represent India in the Winter Olympics. That pretty much blew my mind, until I asked her what event she was in, and she said slalom. I couldn't believe I was sitting next to someone who had made history. I've since Googled her, and she must have been Shailaja Kumar. She came in 28th place, which was essentially last, but at least she had managed to finish, unlike a lot of other skiers, including Karen Percy and Kerrin-Lee Gartner of Canada.

Tonight we were up at Cypress watching the qualification runs for men's aerials. We had some pretty kick-ass seats, directly in front of the landing area. The group sitting next to us had some large homemade signs ready to go. As it turns out, they were the family of Steve Omischl, who along with the other two Canadians in the field were able to qualify for the finals on Thursday. Watch for us on Thursday night, we'll be standing in the general admission pit. Until then, we'll be up at Cypress again tomorrow to watch ladies' ski cross. Should be an exciting race!

"I was sitting, waiting, wishing you believed in superstitions, then maybe you'd see the signs"

The Collective

I guess sci-fi geeks will know what I mean when I talk about "the collective". Everyone has the same thoughts, the same feelings, and acts as one. The way that we have become a collective over the course of the past week is just incredible.

Downtown Vancouver was a mob scene today. Everywhere I went, the lines were hours long. At first, I didn't think I wanted to sit in a public place for 2-3 hours for the hockey game, but after the puck dropped, I started looking for a place to park my butt and it was too late - every bar and restaurant was full up. As I wandered down Robson Street, there was a moment when an enormous cheer came from every doorway, and echoed up and down the street. I didn't have to ask to know what had just happened. I finally found a sports bar that would let me in. All the barstools were taken, but I was able to buy a beer and sit on the dance floor in front of the big screen, deafened by the stereo that was blaring the commentary. Every near miss, every bad call, and every spectacular save resulted in the exact same reaction from every person on the screen and in the establishment. Well, except maybe for the American that was sitting next to me. When it was all over, the mood was initially subdued. But out on the street, it was a different story.

Case in point:





Today, I heard two spontaneous renditions of "O Canada" - once before the game and once after the game. I can only hope that the good humour of the city is being collectively felt through the country.

"Learn from these streets, it can be bleak, accept no defeat, surrender, retreat"

Two Seasons / A Day Removed

Hello avid Pharm Girl followers! Yesterday was pretty busy, so today will be a double header.

It's been really hard to know what to wear here. Every day, I see people who are wearing boots, scarves and mittens, as well as those wearing t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. So far, I've been a little in between, with my new Canada hoodie and a down vest, and pulling out the mittens in the evening when it gets a bit crispy.

Yesterday I was able to hit a number of pavilions with little to no line-ups. The Ontario pavilion is interesting, but the line for the 4D marketing film was discouraging for me. Then again, I don't need to be enticed to go to Ontario. The Maison du Quebec was the most impressive. From the outside, it's a large white cube, but inside, it's a large white open-air cube. It's simple and it looks really cool. After spending the day walking around, I met up with my cousins and aunt and took the free Olympic line to Granville Island. The lines for the House of Switzerland and the Atlantic Canada House were a big deterrent, but the Place de la Francophonie was wide open. After dinner, we walked back along the waterfront to Michael's office, where his staff had organized a little party prior to that evening's fireworks. We had a pretty spectacular view of the fireworks, which were slightly delayed due to the party across the creek at Yaletown going overtime. As we headed home, we passed the sad sight of a Jeep that had been hit by the Olympic line train. It's sad because you know that it had to be the Jeep's fault - the train must be the slowest one I've ever been on. Also sad for the people in Granville who were probably waiting.

Today was a day spent entirely removed from the Olympic scene. We drove inland to Langley to check out a winery, the Domaine de Chaberton Estates. Unfortunately, the restaurant was fully booked, but we were able to pick up a few bottles of wine. The plan was to go see a church in Mission, but a detour was made to White Rock instead. Lunch at a Greek restaurant (very Olympic appropriate) was followed by a walk along the beach and down the pier. All of the houses are built along the side of the steep hills, which totally reminded me of Santorini. Mount Baker could be seen in the distance (fully covered with snow). On the way back, we stopped at a huge Buddhist temple in Richmond. Not quite a church, but probably a lot more ornate. A spiritual experience is a spiritual experience. Then we went to Aberdeen Centre, which hands down puts Pacific Mall to shame. Think Eaton Centre, but completely Asian. Dinner in Richmond is an ordeal, only because it's extremely hard to narrow down the options (we were able to decide on a noodle house).

Calling it a night early (relatively speaking). Going to spend time downtown again tomorrow. I'm sure I know where you'll be at 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. Keep your eyes peeled, maybe you'll see me on the screen afterward.

"Just like the white winged dove sings a song, sounds like she's singin'"

Because the Dutch Know How to Party

Tried to get an early start today. Early being 9-ish. I also tried my hand at the transit system starting from my cousin's house. I made it down to Lonsdale Quay and looked around before boarding the SeaBus. A Russian tall ship was docked there, and I took a few shots before I continued downtown.

The big news lately was that they had solved the "ugly fence" problem regarding the Olympic cauldron. I hustled over to the IBC and stood in the line for about an hour before getting as many interesting shots as I could. It does make you wonder why they didn't think of this solution in the first place, given that the staircase and platform were already there. But whatever. The flak that VANOC has been getting is maybe partially deserved. As far as I know, nobody has ever put an Olympic cauldron out in public before. They were always lit inside the stadium where almost nobody had access to it for photos, let alone close-up photos with people in the frame. But when you put something on public display, the opportunity for mischief increases, so security is definitely an issue. I just hope they stop griping about it now and move on.

After my brush with the flame, and grabbing a quick lunch, I made my way down to Richmond to check out the O Zone. I had been told a number of times to go to the Holland Heineken House, and since I was armed with my little orange backpack, I figured now was a good time to blend in. Especially in Richmond. I got to the gate at around 2:30, but they weren't letting anyone in until after 3:00. By sheer luck I followed the right people and ended up in line to get into the Heineken House before most people figured out where to go. It was a fun atmosphere inside, albeit all in Dutch. They were commentating the hockey game in Dutch too, but as Canadians we knew what was going on. I got a beer and some fries and sat in the stands to watch the ladies half pipe runs (the venue is usually a hockey arena). The beer garden was getting more and more crowded, and I had explored the whole house, so I decided to go out to see the rest of the O Zone. As I exited, I saw that the line was still huge. It seemed like they weren't letting anyone in until the end of the hockey game.

There was a concert stage, a skating oval, a lot of food tents, and the Richmond Library had been turned into the "International Living Room", where you could go in to sit and watch the events on TV, or use the internet, or just sit and read. I found out that Our Lady Peace was playing later on in the evening, so instead of going to Yaletown, I decided to stick around for the rest of the day.

By the end of the night, the field was packed with people for the concert. I left before the end, around 10:30, and as I walked out of the venue, the Heineken House was full, and even the line to get into the O Zone area was unbelievably massive. I was really glad I got in early.

And now (drumroll...), the moment we've been waiting for...

PHOTOS!


The line-up to see the flame (the end of the line is in the distance, at the top of the hill)


Me and the controversial cauldron


Outside the Heineken House


Inside the Heineken House beer garden (the people are staring at the big screen TV to the right of the frame)


The crowd that had gathered for the Our Lady Peace concert (the screen on the left is showing the men's figure skating medal presentation...the guy from the US had won!)

"Even the angels are losing sleep and the sidewalks are bare"

Sights (With No Evidence)

A beautiful day on the West Coast. After a bit of a late start this morning, I made it downtown at around 1:00 pm. Realizing that I had once again forgotten my camera, I was going to have to dust off the memory bank and put it to work.

I noticed a lot of remarkable things. First, and this is important, there is a zipline going across Robson Square. That has to be the most fun thing ever. Good news is it's free. Bad news is that the wait is about 5 hours. I think I'll save that for later.

There was a woman with nordic walking sticks that passed me on the street. The last time I saw those, I was in Denmark. Speaking of walking, there were at least 3 different people, at different points during the day, walking in front of me with leg casts and crutches. The most impressive was a girl who was in a full clubbing outfit, knee-high stiletto boot on one leg and knee-high cast on the other.

You have to wait in line for pretty much everything. I waited to get into the Live City Vancouver Downtown venue. I was in the Canadian pavillion when they brought out our Holy Grail, the Stanley Cup. I had to settle for a fuzzy cell-phone photo, but that's okay. I have a vague recollection that I took a photo of it once before. You can have your photo taken holding an Olympic torch but there are a few places where you can do that, so I can take the opportunity another time. I watched on the big screen as they awarded the gold medal to Maelle Ricker, and everyone in the venue started singing along with the national anthem. That was another interesting sight: people have been spontaneously singing "O Canada" on the street. Not just one or two lines, but the whole thing. And quite poorly in some cases, but it's the thought that counts.

As I was passing by Alberta House, they were showing the final race for women's 500 m speed skating, and I watched as Marianne St-Gelais won the silver. Nice birthday present.

I called it a night early and took the SeaBus back to North Vancouver. Tomorrow, another day out on the town. The camera is in plain view.

"Wanna leave but I've got to stay, and I'm wondering more everyday, Montreal to Hong Kong, where have all the good people gone?"

Worth the Wet

Here I am in slightly mild, extremely wet Vancouver! The plane ride left something to be desired (note to self: don't sit over the wings). I felt sorry for my seat neighbour, who was trying to sleep as I kept having to dash to the washroom. But he was really nice about it. I was sort of in a daze when I got off the plane, stopping at every TV to watch snippets of the men's 500 m speed skating event. My cousin and her daughter Jessica met me at the baggage claim, and so I was able to go into auto-pilot.

It was an early start today, taking the bus from Capilano University to Cypress Mountain at 7:00 in the morning to watch the ladies snowboard cross. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, but driving up the mountain made me realize that there may not be much to photograph. It was like driving through oblivion, the fog was so thick. When we got off the bus, we walked for what seemed like miles through the clouds before we got to the security gate. Jessica and I were able to sneak in some granola bars, so that already felt like a victory. What took us by surprise was the size of the grandstand area. And the stairs. Holy crap, so many stairs. I'll post a photo next time, it's ridiculous. We found our seats, but due to the poor visibility, they delayed the start of the qualification runs from 10:00 to 11:00. That's when the rain started to get heavier. After a while, we both realized that our snowpants weren't as waterproof as we had hoped. So we headed back down the stairs and looked for somewhere dry. The only place available was the merchandise booth. We lined up to go inside, and then found out that the ponchos were sold out. We had to make do with the raincoats that we had brought. We bought cowbells mostly for the bag that we would later use to sit on. But the cowbells turned out to be very useful too.

Since we didn't want to sit on wet seats again, we hung out around the food/washroom area. Then they announced that the start was delayed again until 12:00. We passed the time by looking at fans from other countries who were dressed in an interesting fashion. First prize went to the Swiss with their umbrella hats emblazoned with the white cross on top. A close second was this impossibly tall Abe Lincoln look-alike, complete with top hat, and a hockey jersey that had "Lincoln" on the back. In terms of celebrity sightings, I noticed the very distinct hair of Shaun White waving a US flag several rows in front of me. I didn't see his face, but I was pretty sure it was him.

The sky cleared a little, and finally the qualification runs began. A number of the competitors fell, including the Canadians, probably because of the conditions. They had to hold the course a few times because the fog kept rolling in and out. Once we got to the quarter and semi finals, the sun started to come out. Maelle Ricker kept winning her heats, which kept everyone excited. During the final, everyone was yelling and ringing their cowbells, which was intense. When she crossed the finish line first, everyone went nuts! It was so amazing!

I'm warm and dry now, at my cousin's house. I think the whole experience is still sinking in. I was just at a Canadian gold-medal event. And, according to my cousin, I was on TV! I'm going to have to watch the re-runs tonight.

An excellent start to the Olympic experience. And I'm so glad I didn't buy the general admission tickets (which at this point have all been cancelled due to unsafe conditions).

"There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it's just rained"

The Weight (and Wait) of Gold

I don't know how much more excitement I can take. And I'm not even there yet.

Yesterday I was really pumped as I watched the women's moguls. But the look on Jennifer Heil's face as she found out that she had won silver just tore my heart out. You could tell how disappointed she was. But a medal is a medal. And we were on our way...

The pressure that's been on Canadian athletes for the past 34 years has been pretty intense. Montreal was before my time, and I don't know if I was really aware of the significance of it when I was 9 years old, watching the Calgary games. But ever since Vancouver/Whistler won the bid for 2010, that was when I felt the collective need of the country for our athletes to win. The "curse" that is constantly mentioned by the media could honestly be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Today, Kristina Groves was ecstatic for her bronze in the 3,000 m long track. Considering this isn't her best event, it's completely understandable. And this could be just one of five medals for her.

And just a few moments ago, Alex Bilodeau took the weight off of everyone's shoulders when he won our first gold in moguls. It was so amazing. I can't imagine how crazy it is in Vancouver right now.

Day 3, and already 3 medals, tied for 3rd place. And on a more personal note, I just found out that my friend gave birth on Thursday to a beautiful baby girl. I am literally dancing around my condo.

One more sleep for me. I have no idea how I'm going to do it.

"I got a little secret for ya, I never sleep when comes the night"

"Why didn't they just come out with the Chinese?"

My friend's girlfriend said those words as we sat in their living room watching the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She was referring mostly to the delegation from Hong Kong. From that point on we basically commented on every delegation, Asian or otherwise, as not being included within the realm of China.

It was probably wrong of us to provide so much colour commentary (some of which really was inappropriate) during the ceremonies, but it really left us shaking our heads and wondering how this presentation could be perceived as an accurate representation of Canada and Canadians by the rest of the world. During the "cultural" portion, the guys were fascinated by the inclusion of Gandalf in the Arctic, mesmerized by the boy-girl "running" through the wheat field, and baffled by the punk rock fiddlers. There were some really nice moments though. Like when the whales swam across the floor, and when the trees rose up to create an Emily Carr-like backdrop for the dancers, or when Gandalf lit up the Northern Lights. But the cheesiness of some of the performances, the unfortunate faulty hydraulics which sadly ruined Catriona Le May Doan's torch moment, and the strange logistics of the outdoor Olympic cauldron (did anyone else think the security around Wayne Gretzky's pick-up truck was surprisingly non-existent?) left us somewhat disappointed. We had this chance to show the world we could put together a first-class event, and I think we fell short.

Well, despite the glitches, I'm still looking forward to seeing all of this up close when I travel to Vancouver on Monday. Stay tuned for the next two weeks and I'll try to keep up my blog during my Olympic adventure. Especially for the newer members of my audience (hi guys!).

"Moment is fading, one minute's past, but I've got this moment to make it all last"

Farewell to Friends

I hope the new year has found you all safe, healthy, and happy.

My father received news that one of his childhood friends had passed away from cancer on Sunday. It was known for some time that his health was failing, but despite the advance warning it was still shocking and sad for my dad. He forwarded an e-mail to me and my brothers that he had written to Uncle Benny’s family, detailing the story of how he had met Uncle Benny when he was 11, and how the two of them and Uncle Max had grown up together like brothers. Over the years the three of them had moved to different parts of the world but still kept in touch. His only regret was that they weren’t able to meet in person as much as they would have liked. The last time he saw Uncle Benny was when our family travelled to Ottawa, years and years ago. I still remember the visit.

Reading my dad’s story made me think of my own friends. I met my closest friends when I was about 11 or 12. We grew up together and although we went to different universities we kept in touch constantly and gathered together as often as possible. Now, as we navigate our own lives and have spread out a little more, we still try to keep in touch and meet as much as we can. I know that the inevitable will happen, when one day we’ll have to part company for all time, but I hope that won’t happen anytime soon.

"All the right friends in all the right places, so yeah, we're going down"

George Clooney Saved My Life

Three words: Best...festival...ever!

This has been the most eventful, the most exciting, the most interesting, the most successful, the most tiring, and the most celebrity-filled ten days of film I've had so far.

My cunning plan was to do all of my volunteer shifts during the first half of the festival, and then watch films during the second half. I was content with just seeing the second or third run of the film - I didn't need to be at the screening with the stars. But it's funny how things ALWAYS work out. Some changes to the shift schedules this year meant that I could fit in full shifts on a weeknight without having to take time off work. This turned out to be a poor idea, as I ended up working until 12:30 am and having an average of 4 hours of sleep a night for several days in a row. I also ended up making some poor nutritional choices (a tub of popcorn for dinner...it still makes me cringe).

On my first night, I worked the Rush line for "The Trotsky", which was a Canadian film I would liked to have seen if it wasn't playing during my shifts. Jay Baruchel is the star, who most would know from films like "Knocked Up" and "Tropic Thunder" but who I remember most as one of the hosts of "Popular Mechanics for Kids". Of course, the other host was a girl named Elisha Cuthbert. I was part of the human chain that blocked off the sidewalk as the "talent" got out of their SUVs and onto the red carpet. Along with Jay, Colm Feore was there, and Wendy Crewson, and a bunch of other Canadian personalities, including, of all people, Ben Mulroney, who I learned later played himself in the film. As part of the promotion of the film, a bunch of little cars and a motorcycle with a sidecar pulled up, and some people came around handing out flags. The volunteers ended up with the task of getting rid of the flags, but we had some fun with them on the street: directing people, cheerleading for TIFF, pretending to be Wolverine, etc. The Midnight Madness film was "Daybreakers", a vampire movie, and two of the stars, Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe turned up on the carpet. Meanwhile, the stars from another Midnight Madness film, "Bitchslap", showed up and worked the line to promote their film that would showing a couple of days later. The postcards were amusing, and we just kept saying the film title over and over.

Day 2: It was Saturday, and I had agreed to meet some friends for breakfast before my shift. Again, some poor planning on my part. My shift started at 11:00am, and the first film of the day was "Jennifer's Body", which had caused quite the commotion as the opening night Midnight Madness with Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried showing up. I heard they had to close the red carpet to the press, because so many of them were trying to get in. This was a first, and the denied were pissed off, to say the least. Nobody was there that morning, so it was pretty uneventful. However, an "ambulance" showed up, deafened me with the siren, and a bunch of zombies jumped out of the back and started doing an interpretive dance to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab". It was a promo for The Movie Network, which was bizarre at first, and then funny, but after they played the song over and over and over again, I had had enough. The next film was "The Hole", a 3-D film with special glasses that we were told cost $150 a piece, so people weren't allowed to leave the theatre with them, even to go to the washroom. They had to turn them in whenever they left. The curse of Borat was in full force for this film, where it broke at the beginning, and then with 20 minutes left at the end the fire alarm went off, forcing everyone to leave, making it harder to enforce the glasses return policy, and causing the entire audience to be cranky for not knowing how the film ends. The volunteers agreed it may have all been a ploy to get everyone out of the theatre early, because the next film was the biggest event we've ever had at the Ryerson. George Clooney's film "Up in the Air" was screening next. I was originally pegged to be part of the human chain again, but after some much needed thought, the organizers decided to close off the street. I was extremely grateful, there were people who had been waiting there since 10:00 am to see him, and as the time drew near the crowd only got bigger and bigger. So we were delegated to the red carpet, standing in front of the screaming masses and making sure nobody jumped the barricades. A few of the other stars showed up first, like Jason Bateman and Vera Farmiga. Jason came over to sign, and he asked one of the fans if they'd like him to sign "George Clooney". When the real George showed up, it was craziness. Instead of staying on the carpet, he decided to come right up to the barricade. It started to tilt, so I held onto it just in case. As he passed me, I had to let go and move back as far as I could (which wasn't much), so he brushed right past me. Then, he asked the crowd not to lean, because it could tip the barricade and crush someone. It took a few seconds for me to realize that...I'M that someone it could crush! So as idiotic as it sounds, George Clooney saved my life. Whatever I was feeling at the time, I kept it inside, as did the rest of the volunteers. We got some really nice comments later that we looked really professional. Well, I guess compared to the insane hoards we were standing next to, we would have looked a lot more calm. But I know we were all going a little inwardly crazy. After my shift, I met some friends for dinner in the area, so I didn't see any films but we had plenty to talk about.

The next day, I had another morning-afternoon shift, but it was a much more subdued one. To my chagrin, the Movie Network ambulance showed up again in the afternoon. I braced myself. The second GC film, "The Men Who Stare at Goats", screened first but there was no red carpet. The second film was "Valhalla Rising", which stars Mads Mikkelson, who was the creepy bad guy in "Casino Royale". He arrived with no fanfare, no entourage, and when he left he hung out at the back door, took photos, signed autographs, puffed away on his cigarette, and being generally cordial but to me he still looked creepy. According to a friend who was at the screening, it was a very beautiful film, but not enough killing for a film about a one-eyed Viking warrior. The next film surprised me in terms of popularity. It was "The Road", based on the book by Cormac McCarthy. For an extremely depressing post-apocalyptic story, the Rush line was massive! And I was working it all by myself for a while, but thankfully some help arrived closer to showtime. I even knew a few of the people who were waiting! I tried to be helpful and kept everyone's spirits up, despite my doubts that they would get in. It was a little strange because the strangers called me by name to ask questions, which shouldn't be that weird considering I was wearing a nametag. But some of the people were really nice. There were a few here and there who were also waiting for "Whip It", the roller-derby directorial debut of Drew Barrymore. I was secretly hoping the Rush line would stay short, since I was going to Rush it after my shift, along with half of the other volunteers. Once we got the Rush line in (we managed just over 100 people!), my shift was over so I hustled my butt outside into the line. My friend joined me a little while later so I wasn't too bored. One of the volunteers decided to leave but wanted to let her brother know that she was gone, but he was inside and didn't have a cell, so she taped a sign to the post. Everyone who passed the sign laughed. One person even took a photo! We were able to get in, and the film was so cute and the soundtrack was amazing. Drew was even more cute - she was so appreciative of the audience. On our way past the back door, we saw her again, as well as her on-again boyfriend Justin "Hi, I'm a Mac" Long. Michael Cera was there too (cute!). Nice end to the day.

After a long day at work the next day, I got downtown to do my final shift. The audience for "Soul Kitchen" has just gone in, so we hung out for a while. For the next film, "Leaves of Grass", I was on the ticketholders line, which I've decided I don't like very much. Especially when people bud into the line as they're going in. I was on lockdown for the back door after the film. I saw one of the Rushies from The Road, a woman from Austin, Texas who worked at Aintitcoolnews. Every time someone came in or went out the door, the crowd would cheer and applaud. One of the girls I was working with decided just to go to the door and be gratified. It was hilarious. The best was when one of the staff guys came out, waved to the adoring crowd, then ran into one of the concrete posts that was just about the height of his pelvis. It was so incredibly embarrassing but I couldn't help laughing. He ran away pretty quickly. When the film let out, I blocked off the sidewalk as Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman came out (they're so small!!), then Keri Russell came out and signed some autographs. Edward Norton came out, and the woman behind me got him to sign her ticket just as he was about to get into the car, so I reaped some of the benefits of that. The director and co-star, Tim Blake Nelson, was so funny. Every time someone asked for a photo or autograph, he would look around, as if he were looking for permission, and then agreed. My last job was to be a clicker for "Bitchslap". Another late night, and it was fun but bittersweet, as I learned while on shift that Patrick Swayze had passed away.

I took a couple of much needed days off after that. It was pretty strategic, since there weren't any films I really wanted to see on those two days, I needed the break, and I wanted to avoid going downtown when there was a U2 concert of over 60,000 people and a free Leafs game happening at the same time.

On the Thursday, I went down after work to Rush the documentary "Cleanflix", which was about Mormons in Utah who took it upon themselves to edit or "clean" Hollywood films of all the sex, profanity, and violence and rent or sell it to the public. Hilarious.

I took Friday off work and spent the whole day downtown. I saw "Cooking with Stella", a Canadian film set in India and starring Don McKellar and Lisa Ray, who looked great even as she's battling cancer. While I waited for my next film, I wandered around downtown, eating truck food, feeding the leftovers to the pigeons, walking the Trinity labyrinth while listening to the new Imogen Heap album, surfing the net on my iPod at a Starbucks, and sitting in the Peace Garden at Nathan Phillips. It was really surreal. I Rushed "The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights" at the Elgin. It was chilly, but the people in the line were interesting. I ended up getting a free ticket from someone who had an extra. The seat I chose turned out to be where Jack and Meg would walk right past on their way to their seats. It was a great film, and the Q&A included Jack doing a version of Kanye's now-infamous speech interruption.

The last day of the festival, I exercised poor planning again (which I find really unusual for me), as I had to run to three films in a row, several blocks from each other, with less than 30 minutes in between each. I Rushed "Mao's Last Dancer" at Scotiabank, which was fantastic and turned out to be the runner-up for the People's Choice award. Then I motored over to Ryerson to see "Mr. Nobody", a mind-blowing film that I think is about existentialism and starred Jared Leto and Sarah Polley, among others. Then I ran over to the Elgin to Rush the final film, "The Young Victoria", where the line looked long but the majority of the people were waiting for tickets to see the People's Choice free screening of "Precious", so I got in. I even got to see part of the intro, and Emily Blunt was there. A very interesting and nicely-shot film. The guy who plays Albert is kind of cute too.

The volunteer party on Sunday was interesting because it was in a new location (This is London) but it was a little crowded as the night went on, and they only had pizza to snack on. But I got to stand next to Piers in the group shot, so it was okay. And the ladies' washroom was the entire third floor and a woman was there to squirt soap in my hands. Unreal.

I recommend all of the films I saw this year. I was originally on the fence about the People's Choice because of the subject matter, and how intense it is, and how it could have been Oprah-biased, but I think it's also worth seeing. It'll be huge at the Oscars this year for sure. Another great film fest, and I came out of it relatively unscathed by the rabid fans, messed up eating habits and late nights in the downtown core. One more word: AWESOME.

"I'm gonna fight em off, a seven nation army couldn't hold me back"

The Ups and Downs of Condo Living

The storm from last week did a number on my building. It seems that a number of lockers on the lowest parking level were flooded. Most notably, two of the four elevators are no longer operational. That makes getting up to and down from my unit a bit of a challenge. That challenge was compounded when I found out first hand that the two operational elevators are now possessed.

Waiting for the elevators on the ground floor is the most advantageous because you can see where they are and if they're going to arrive soon. If you're on any other floor, you'd have to guess by the noises. I was standing there with a neighbour, anticipating that an elevator would pass the ground floor on its way up from P3. When it completely skipped us, we were both rather confused. Instead, the elevator that was way up at 26 came down and picked us up, along with a few other people who had joined us. There was a little shudder as we passed the fifth floor, and when we reached the tenth floor, nothing happened. The door didn't open, and we didn't continue upwards. We all looked at each other and feared the worst. One of the passengers pressed a button and then the elevator continued up, completely skipping the requested floor. At the next stop, the same thing happened. The passenger tried another button, and thankfully the door opened. On her way out, she said, "You have to press the 'door open' button." All of the passengers groaned slightly, as it appeared that the elevator was now manual. At the third stop, the person tried the button and it worked again. By the time, we reached my floor, I gave it the benefit of the doubt, and it did open on its own. The rejected passenger pressed "10" again as I exited. I hope she made it back to her floor. As I heard from other neighbours later, it seems that the day before, people had been trapped on the elevator for a while. However, they weren't at a standstill...the elevator just kept going up and down without stopping or opening the doors. The thought of it just boggles my mind.

"First train home, I've got to get on it"

We're Not In Kansas

A few hours ago, I was sitting on my couch, listening to my iPod, watching my candles burning, waiting for the power to come back. I was thinking about how ironic it was that the power in my unit had gone out the day after tornadoes touched down in Southern Ontario.

The weather on Thursday seemed just as crazy as it has been on several occasions this summer. What I didn't realize was just how severe it really was. I watched as water blanketed the city outside my window and the wind whipped the rain against the neighbouring buildings. The power flickered on and off as I was preparing dinner, but it never reset any of my electronic devices. The footage that was shown on the news later on was unbelievable. Roofs and second storeys torn off, trees uprooted, cars tossed about, horses flying through the air...it reminded me more of the Midwestern US than it did of the GTA.

Today, the weather was great, which was fortunate for those affected the most. It didn't rain a drop. When my power went off this evening, I thought, "Crap, what now??" What unnerved me even more was that as my condo went black, I could hear the very distinct sound of a power drill. My next thought was, "If someone has just severed my electricity with a drill, I'm going to be extremely pissed." My fears were compounded when I saw that the lights in the hallway were still on and there were sounds coming from the elevators, indicating they were still operational. I was ready to call the property manager when an announcement was made over the security PA, saying that the power was out (really?) and to standby for further announcements. Fair enough. I sat around for a while, listening to my iPod and talking to a friend on my cell phone, when another announcement was made, saying that someone from the electric company was coming and the problem would be fixed shortly. Yeah right. I broke out the matches and hoped that I didn't need to use the bathroom for a while.

It was 3 hours later when I was jostled from my nap by the sound of my refrigerator starting up. I breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like I'll be able to take a shower tonight after all.

"I woke up with the power out, nothing something to shout about"

The Number One Item

What do you think is the number one item that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, needs to ensure that they have before they even begin to consider moving to a new home?

Go on, guess...

A can opener.

Go figure.

There have been a number of instances where all food preparation came to an abrupt halt due to the lack of a can opener. However, sometimes it's too late to turn back. I came to that realization as I was cooking some ground chicken in a pan and turned to grab a can of pasta sauce. I groaned inwardly as I had absolutely no way of opening the can. Luckily, I had a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette. It was definitely an exercise in creative cookery, but I managed to make a palatable meal of it. Let's just say I made a trip to the store the next day.

"I wake up every evening with a big smile on my face, it never feels out of place, and you're probably still working at a 9 to 5 pace, I wonder how bad that tastes..."

Finally Installed

This is it friends.  I've finally done it.  I'm living on my own in my condo.

I'm sure by now everyone knows what transpired between the time that I purchased this place over 3 years ago until last Wednesday, when I decided I had run out of reasons to delay moving in.  From unit repairs to the painting process to the manual labour of furniture assembly.  Who knew particle board could be so heavy?  It's sawdust and glue, for crying out loud.  Once the bed was constructed, I decided that was all I really needed to get started.  Granted, the process continues, which includes the arduous task of cleaning my former dwelling (I have SO MUCH CRAP) and the never-ending sea of plywood that has engulfed my living room and den.

Although it's taken some time to get used to sleeping in a new place (I feel like I'm in a hotel), I seem to have taken to single living really fast.  For example, in less than a week, I have already developed a habit of mooching food from others.  Friends, family, and even almost complete strangers.  I'd almost say that I'm proud of myself if I weren't so completely embarrassed.

So, it's been a really long time coming, but phase two is finally complete.  Sometimes it seemed like it would never happen.  Now...onwards and upwards to phase three...

"Don't stop believin'..."

"Write A Song About California, He Said..."

(If you haven't already heard of the band Hey Ocean!, you should definitely check them out.)

So it seems like I'm spending a lot of time on the West Coast these days.  First Vancouver-Whistler, now San Francisco.  It's been about 15 years since I was there, which is definitely too long of a hiatus.  My brother, my cousin and I headed over there last month to visit my little cousin and her husband in Berkeley.  When we were growing up together, we used to see each other once a week.  Now we'll be lucky to see each other once a month, and even less now that my cousin traipsed to the other side of the continent, got married, and has been held hostage whilst going through the green card process (US immigration is weird).  So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to gather together and hang out for the first time without the parents.  Unfortunately, my youngest brother couldn't come along, but it actually would have been a little snug in the apartment, so it all worked out for the best.

I have to say, I saw very little of San Francisco itself this time around.  We were there for a couple of days, checking out Ghirardelli Square and the Ferry Marketplace.  We also went out for dinner in Chinatown with some family friends I haven't seen in ages.  The trip consisted mostly of hanging out in Berkeley, which is an absolutely perfect fit for my environmentally conscious cousin, and Napa/Sonoma, where I went wine tasting for the first time ever.  VERY fun.

My brother is considering heading out there next year to take a mechanics course at a well-known training facility in Sonoma, so there will likely be another opportunity for me to head out there.  I guess I almost qualify as being bicoastal now.

"...I think it's something everybody's got to do before they're dead, but I wrote a song about you instead."

A Wild Success

I have officially started my fourth decade.

I'm not sure how I always manage to find a way to make something sound remarkably exaggerated. It's like when my friends and I turned 25 and I kept saying we were now more than halfway to 50. And now here I am at the age of 30, and I'm still doing it.

Yesterday was such an incredible day. After an entire year of thinking, planning, scheming, rearranging, budgeting, panicking, and anticipating, I was able to put together a fairly well-organized and thematically coherent party. An event, I should say. Almost everyone arrived on time (or at all), people were able to mingle, the food was really good, the MC was great (thanks Kevin!), the games were fun, the dancing was at times wild and uncontrolled, and the schedule was followed to the best of our ability, albeit slightly shifted by half an hour or so. But the one thing I wasn't sure about was how much money I would be able to raise for World Wildlife Fund Canada. I know it's difficult these days for people to be able to contribute to a charitable cause.  Add to that the fact that some of my friends had recently purchased really big-ticket items or are trying to save for the future, and there was a very real possibility that I wouldn't reach my goal of $1,000. Well, not only did I reach it but I surpassed it. It was incredible, and I was really thrilled at the generosity of my friends and family.

All in all, a phenomenal success, for both the fundraising and the execution of my first planned event. Be on the lookout for more to come...

"Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past? Donate every dime you had?"

Mother Nature is Bipolar

Last week, it was -20°C and the windchill was crazy. Two days ago, it was 17°C. Yesterday, I attempted to go skiing. I knew it wasn't the best day, but it's been three weeks since I left the Rockies and I was suffering from withdrawal or something. Needless to say, it was like skiing through a slushie. I managed to stay mostly dry, but after a couple of hours the wet started to seep through. The one good thing was that the hill was deserted, and there was plenty of parking available. There were also some pretty awesome moments when the fog suddenly rolled in and we were standing on the hill looking down at it. I felt badly for those who were just arriving for a March Break vacation. It won't be cold again until closer to the end of this week. And wouldn't you know it, I can't go next weekend. I sure hope the snow will hold out until the 21st, our last chance of the season with our pass.

"I've been roaming around, always looking down at all I see"

No More Munchkins

A strange thing is happening that is related to the environment and working in my industry. There is a worldwide shortage of acetonitrile.  This is a chemical that's widely used in quality control test methods for pharmaceutical products.  This chemical isn't specifically produced, it's a by-product from the manufacturing process for industrial resins, plastics, and car parts.  Due to the economic downturn for the automotive industry, they aren't producing a lot of car seats, which in turn doesn't produce a lot of acetonitrile.  Also, there was one factory in Texas that produced this chemical that was affected by Hurricane Ike.  And China decided to shut down a lot of its manufacturing facilities before the Beijing Olympics to improve air quality.  So now the price for this chemical has shot through the roof, and everyone's trying to get their hands on some.  At the laboratory where we test some of our products, we were in some serious trouble at the beginning of the year.  But thanks to a well-connected buyer in my group and our CFO's credit card, we managed to score ourselves a supply.  We joked that it had all the characteristics of a black market deal.  How sad would that be...

In other similar news, here's something really sad to think about: our planet is running out of helium.  Helium is also extensively used in lab testing, specifically gas chromatography.  Since it's just about the most inert element in existence, it's good to use because it won't react with anything.  I think I read that the helium supply in North America will run out by 2035.  The only other places in the world where you can get it are Russia and Algeria.  Synthesizing it would take ridiculous amounts of time and energy.  So unless we can find a way to mine this stuff from the sun, we won't be singing about the Lollypop Guild anymore.

"When are you going to come down? When are you going to land? I should have stayed on the farm, I should have listened to my old man"

Not Enough Time

So the last month has been so ridiculously busy, I haven't had a chance to blog about anything that's happened.

I am now a homeowner.  I picked up my keys on January 28th, and stepped into my new dwelling. Unfortunately, the dwelling isn't quite up to par yet.  I had imagined things that will take a little longer to come to fruition, but I've waited this long already.

I have now skied Whistler.  After a year of planning and organizing, I left for Vancouver on Feb 5th and hit the town on my own for a day before my friends joined me the day after.  Then it was up to Whistler for five days of winterness, falling and hurting myself on the first day (as previously feared), but still hitting the mountains for four straight days before collapsing in a heap on the bus back down to Van City.  There were some unexpected moments, like meeting all kinds of relatives (my own as well as other people's), or spending a day with six cats (not all at once), or having karma treat me unkindly (I returned an extra $5 I received in change only to find out later that I got a counterfeit $10 as part of that change).

If I thought being at the peak of Whistler Mountain was surreal, coming home was even more so.  I'm not entirely looking forward to going to work tomorrow.

"When you say it's gonna happen 'now', well when exactly do you mean? See, I've already waited too long, and all my hope is gone"

New

I'm sure a bazillion people are blogging today. It's one of those moments in a generation that needs to be marked somehow. So I'm doing that here. And all I'm calling it is "New". Because, hopefully, everything is new now.

I, like countless others, snuck away from my desk at noon today and watched the inauguration of the new American President. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for his entire speech, but I knew I'd be able to see it ad nauseam on CNN or any other news outlet for days to come. It wasn't really the words I was looking to experience. It was just the experience I wanted to experience. To be able to say that I saw him take office as it was actually happening. And I'm not sure if it's normal to have ten inaugural balls, but I'm sure it's never received this kind of coverage before. Tonight's all about the celebration of the event. I'm genuinely interested to see what he's going to do tomorrow.

Brand new day.

"I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then, gonna keep on tryin' till I reach the highest ground"

Smaller in Person

For the first time in three years, I stepped across a threshold and into my condo.  Well, the very first time, it was a model unit that wasn't EXACTLY my condo, but the moment I saw it, I knew it was what I wanted to live in.  And yesterday morning, I got to see it.  It was everything I had ever hoped it would be...except that it wasn't finished.  Yes, it was a dusty mess, and there were bits and pieces missing, and naturally the whole point of the visit was to point out all the boo boos. The one thing that struck me while I was walking around was that it was a little bit smaller than I remembered it.  Which, I guess, is to be expected.  These many months of anticipation have probably warped my perception.  Thank goodness I didn't buy any furniture yet.  But the one thing that I had in my mind, that I was hoping for this entire time, was exactly the way I had pictured it.  I looked out the window and saw the Toronto skyline.  It was small, but it was there.  It was fantastic.  On a clear day, I bet I could really see all the condos clustered around the base of the Tower.  Not to mention the lake.  That was all I needed to make it perfect.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but you just can't take the city out of the girl.

The countdown has now dwindled to two weeks.  I was so giddy yesterday I couldn't concentrate on anything at work.  But the stresses from my job, the recent running around to get ready for the interim closing day, and running a household while my parents were away on a really well-timed Caribbean cruise have taken a toll, and I'm too tired to truly focus on this turning point of my life.  I figure I still have plenty of time to be excited later.

"No telling where it'll take ya, just live your life"

Not Quite From Scratch

Today was the first day of my "new" new job.  This was seriously a different kettle of fish than any other start to a new job for me.  I don't think I've ever been more anxious and hesitant.  For every other job, it was brand spanking new, and I didn't know what was going to happen next.  The problem this time around was that I knew EXACTLY what could happen, and how it could all go south.  I knew the people I would be working with, I knew my boss, I knew what my job was going to involve, and I knew how much work I was going to have right from the start.  It's pretty daunting.  There's no grace period, no "I don't know, it's my first day".  Of course, nobody expected me or anyone else to be experts right from the start.  But once again, I'm doing two jobs: trying to figure out my new role while finishing up my old role, and with the added bonus of helping out other people who are either taking on duties that I used to do or were also finishing up their old roles that involved work that I was doing.  So, notice something?  My job has suddenly ballooned into the work of three people.

I need a break already.

"Out of the fire and into the fire again, you make me want to forget and start all over"

Humbuggy

Happy New Year dear friends, I hope 2009 rang in safely for everyone.

The holidays have been both busy and mundane, if that's possible. Today, for example, has been a complete "PJ day". I think, if I were to make any resolutions for the new year, that I would resolve to have more PJ days in the future, other than when I'm feeling sick. Some people might prefer to go out and about as much as they can, but I'm perfectly happy lounging around in my flannel pjs, eating leftovers from last night's party, watching childhood programming on TV (they're running all three "Anne of Green Gables" miniseries this week). It's funny, watching old shows now as an adult, I've found that I understand a lot more of what they were insinuating at back in the day. And certain scenes could have a different context now than they did back then.

Backing up a bit, Christmas came and went and didn't really feel like Christmas at all. Hence the bah humbuggy feeling that I've been having. I guess having to work on Christmas Eve had something to do with it, and the fact that my brothers and I agreed not to exchange gifts this year.

Boxing Day was probably the most exciting.  A lot of big ticket items this year, including my shiny new TV and my oh, so pretty new computer.  But it still bugs me that they've made it possible to buy stuff for Boxing Day on Christmas Eve.  It's just not right.

It's a little Humbuggy actually.

"There's a list for who's been naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf"

Baited and Switched

As I mentioned a little while back, I was convinced to change my job. It wasn't anything I was looking to do, it just happened. Well, shortly afterwards, we were told that the company was going to experience an organizational overhaul. I know that sounds just like "restructure", but in this case people weren't going to be fired. In fact, it looks like we need to hire more people. We're going to implement "lean" principles like they do in the auto industry. The company will be split into three groups, and each group will focus on a similar set of products. So the idea is to make the company more efficient, which is good. But it means that my little band is going to be split up, which is not so good. Oh, but on other hand, I'm being taken out of QA (where I had been transferred) and in the new year I'm coming back to Validation, but with some bonus features. I will be the proud new owner of the title "Process Engineer". After a small panic attack, I found that I was a tiny bit sad that I was going to be leaving QA so soon. I had just gotten really used to the idea. Then, after I kept thinking about it some more, I realized that this was possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me in my career. It's what I've wanted since I graduated: a chance to be in control of a process from beginning to end. It's almost unbelievable.

So, I'm not really peeved about getting the bait and switch. As always, it all works out in the end. But I've never had so many title changes in six months. And I don't know what I'm going to do with yet another box of business cards.

"You change your mind like a girl changes clothes"

Victory at the Tower

I'm pretty happy with my performance this year climbing the CN Tower for the United Way. Actually, I'm quite pleased with how the whole thing went down, for these reasons:

• It was raining, but it wasn't too cold. This was good because we had to walk outside for about 10 minutes just to get to the base of the tower.
• My youngest brother agreed to do it with me. Although, by that I mean he agreed to be there at the same time, because...
• My brother finished climbing in about half the time that I took. But I'm okay with that because...
• I shaved about 7 minutes off of my time from last year. This is the second year in a row that I went into it with absolutely zero preparation. Not to mention...
• I didn't feel like throwing up when I reached the top. I was sweaty and a little out of breath, but my strategy of stopping for about a minute after every 8 flights was really helpful.
• We went out for breakfast at Fran's afterwards. So tasty...
• And finally, I exceeded my fundraising goal by $10. Sweet! And thanks to everyone who sponsored me!

Something tells me that if I had done any kind of prep, I could have finished it in half an hour. My goal for next year.

"Rushing and racing and running in circles, moving so fast I'm forgetting my purpose"

White All-Nighter

Nuit Blanche has become an event I really look forward to every year. A whole night of walking around downtown, experiencing conceptual art that can be beautiful, staggering, or really weird. This year, I vowed that I would finally make it all the way until dawn. My friend and I would travel the zones, take in as much art as we dared, and then end the night at Fran's for breakfast before heading home.

Everything would have worked out, had it not been for other forces at work. First of all, I was planning on adjusting my sleeping patterns, so I was going to stay up really late on Friday night and sleep in on Saturday. However, I had to get up in the morning to go with my family to the cemetary and out for lunch. So I should have retracted my idea of staying up late and instead I should have gone to bed early in order to be as well rested as possible. Yeah, that would have been a good plan. Next, I decided that since I was going to be downtown anyway, I should also check out the Condo Show. That meant adding an extra 3-4 hours of walking to my day/night. Maybe I should have thought of that too.

The art this year was a little less eclectic than in previous years, but there were still some damn cool and really bizarre pieces. Stereoscope was one of my faves - a light box in every single window of City Hall turned it into pixelated screen. It could also be your personal Tetris game if you called a number on your cell phone. Another favourite was A Dream of Pastures, where a person pedalling a stationary bike could turn into a jockey on a horse. Super cool. On the flip side, one of the most bizarre installations was I Promise It Will Always Be This Way. A large group of people dressed as high school mascots dancing around in Lamport Stadium all night. However, as the night went on, the music was supposed to become slower and slower, mirroring the energy of the mascots, and they would eventually stop dancing and do other things, like getting a snack or taking a nap. All I could say to that was "Wha...??"

In the end, the mind was willing, but the body was not. I was in agony by 6:00, and since the subway was going to stop at 7:00, we decided that neither of us were hungry and we took the subway as far as we could, and took the bus back to our side of town. I ended up walking through my front door at 7, which was my best showing so far.

Until next year, bonne nuit.

"Cause we've only got one night, double your pleasure, double your fun"

Invisible Food Fight

I've had the strangest day involving my poor car. First, I stepped out of my house this morning to find that my car's windshield had been egged. There were eggshell bits all over the place, and given that they were stuck onto the glass, and there was a dried splatter pattern across the surface, it would seem that it happened at least a few hours ago. I picked off as much as I could, but since there were eggshell bits stuck all over the windshield wiper, I didn't want to use the wipers for fear of smearing and scratching. The other mystery was that I couldn't find any evidence of the yolk. There were two possibilities: something came along and ate it during the night, or it ran down the front and under the hood. There was no time to investigate (or to do anything about it even if I found it), so I drove to work a little steamed.

After work, I went straight to a gas station, where I squeegeed as much as I could and picked off the teeny bits of eggshell. I also forgot to look for the yolk, but I figure it's too late now anyway. I made two stops, one at a supermarket and one at a drugstore, before I went home. I parked the car, got out, and found something stuck to my car. On the side, in front of the door, and coincidentally very close to the windshield, there was some kind of food splatter. It looked like some kind of cheese product and diced red peppers, as if someone had thrown a pizza against the car. And I thought to myself, "WHAT THE HELL??" Within an hour of me cleaning off the egg bits, I now had to wipe off the supposed pizza bits off the car too. What could possibly be the odds of something like this happening? Is someone following me with food? Does my car look like it needs to be pelted with produce?

I am so peeved right now.

"You say you don't know, you tell me don't lie, you work at a smile and you go for a ride"

Catching Up

As promised, this will be a mini catch-up blog to cover the little tidbits that I didn't have a chance to talk about in the 3 months that I was off doing whatever. I thought I'd have time in July, but I was sailing every other evening. Then I thought August would be more convenient, but then my parents went off on their cruise. And when the Olympics started, forget it. I was glued to the TV at all hours. Then September started, and I had the film fest occupying my time. So here are a few things I wanted to share with you:

Scenes from the Side of the Road

I mentioned in my film fest blog that I was late for the recruiting session for reasons beyond my control. Well, everything was going just fine that day. After work, I was driving towards downtown, but I heard a strange, repetitive sound coming from my car. I couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from. Like an idiot, I ignored it, and sure enough, just as I was about to transfer from one highway to another.... Luckily, I was already in the left lane, so I pulled straight into the left shoulder. My suspicion was confirmed - the rear passenger side tire was dead. Not just flat, but exploded. What's a girl to do? Call her daddy. What floored me was that when I asked him if I should wave off any tow trucks and tell them that I'm waiting for the CAA, he realized, "Oh yeah, I should renew my membership." Twenty minutes of waiting on the side of a highway during rush hour in the middle of a hot summer day was a little nerve wracking and sweaty. One older gentlemen slowed to ask if I needed help, which was nice. Another guy was waving frantically at my car from the right lane, pulled his car over, but then decided to keep going. Curious, I waited for a gap in the traffic to see if my car had suddenly experience some other kind of calamity, like it had burst into flames and I just didn't see it from my angle. Nope, tire was still busted.

My father eventually showed up, then called CAA. But...I was late to the recruiting session, so the best daddy in the world stood by the side of the road as I took off in the car he came in. I learned later that the comedy of errors continued as the tow truck guy got lost trying to find our car. Then there was no choice but for him to change the tire on the side of the road, with my father waving cars away from the shoulder. For some reason, a taxi thought he was trying to hail him. As for me, the tire episode resulted in me missing out on some good volunteer shifts, as well as being late to meet some friends for dinner by almost an hour. But they all forgave me once I told my tale.

Chinese Charms

As everyone knows, the chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, one animal every year. What you may not know is that, based on your own animal and the animal of the current year, there are certain animal charms that you should carry during the year to bring luck. In my case, I'm supposed to carry a horse, a monkey, and a pig. For some strange reason, my mother decided I should carry them this year. The last time I did it, I was hired for my first job after university. This year, not long after I started carrying the charms in my purse, I was offered a new position at work. It's not a promotion, but it's definitely a chance to try something new and add another line to my resumé. I have to admit, it took me a while to make up my mind. I had no desire to leave my department, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try. Plus, I wasn't going to turn my back on ancient chinese secrets...

One Step Closer to Piracy

Learning how to sail was the main highlight of the summer. I took an adult class on Tuesday and Thursday evening through the month of July, along with one full day on a Saturday. We learned in a two-person dinghy called a 420. We were taught how to rig the boat, as well as the basic physics of sailing. My geekiness came to the surface at that point, remembering vectors and forces and fluid dynamics. Unfortunately, most nights we were left bobbing around on the lake on perfectly calm evenings, or else scrambling to get back to the dock before the thunderstorm reached us. I capsized three times, twice on purpose. The one time I didn't mean to was during the Saturday lesson. There was a very slight breeze, so we got out into the lake, but then it died, and then it rained, and then the breezed picked up. REALLY picked up. At that moment, I was in the forward section, handling the jib, while my partner, a really nice German lady, was steering. We both freaked out a little when the boat started to take off. Trouble really started when she turned a bit to quickly, and the boat started to tilt. Then she dropped the tiller, and we started to turn around in circles. Then she over-compensated, and we started to turn in the opposite direction. I spent my time throwing my body from left to right, trying to counterbalance the boat so it wouldn't tip over. And, naturally, just before the whole thing started, I was trying to tie my water bottle to one of the lines so I wouldn't lose it. Finally, the wind won, and the boat went sideways. A lot of things happened really fast at this point: in my head, the only thing I wanted to save was my water bottle and our lunches. Plus, I was still hanging on to the side of the boat that was now up in the air. So I jumped into the water, really quickly asked my partner if she was okay, swam like mad around to the centreboard (the board that goes through the bottom of the boat to stabilize it), waited for my partner, counted to three, then we both pushed down hard on the centreboard, and the boat popped back upright. This whole time, I was still holding on to my water bottle, so I pitched it in the boat, swam to the aft, got my partner to shove me in, and then pulled her in too. Strangely enough, everything that was in the boat was still there. One of the instructors came up to us laughing, saying that he saw the whole thing, and my partner had jumped into the water before the boat had totally capsized. On the other hand, he was impressed that we got the boat upright again so quickly. I told him I was highly motivated.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me"

The Stars Only Come Out At Night

This is really quite shameful, I have to admit. Three months since I've last blogged?? Crazy. And it's not as though things were uneventful. I guess since the opposite was true, it led to me being unable to blog consistently. So...what to do? Well, I'm going to post the latest happenings first, and then back it up a bit to catch up on things I think are worth sharing.

Another ten days of frantic film festing have come and gone. This year was different from the previous two. Since I couldn't make it to the first two volunteer recruiting sessions, and circumstances beyond my control resulted in my being a little late to the third (details in the following blog), my choices of shifts became really limited. So I decided to take a couple of shifts at the Ryerson, as well as some REALLY early morning and mid-morning/early-aft shifts at the new box office. This meant using up some valuable vacation days. But hey, if I have them, I might as well use them. I ended up living a sort of double life: one where I was always smiley and looking for people who were in need of help, and the other where I was at my desk, doing the usual validation stuff. It really was kind of challenging, switching gears every few days. But the best part was being downtown for almost a week, walking around the concrete jungle. If I didn't establish myself as a city girl before, I have now. My geekiest moment? Becoming giddy when I was finally able to cross the intersection diagonally during the "Scramble". I know, it's sad.

Okay, down to the business of films. I was able to catch 6.5 films this year. The "half" was "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist", where I was seat-guarding for almost an hour into the film before they pulled me out. From what I saw, it was fantastic, and now I have to catch the rest of it when it opens next month (and so do you!). As for the rest:

Blindness - What happens when everyone suddenly goes blind? Society basically falls apart. The saddest part is that it's most likely true, if it were to happen in real life. One of the bleakest and most disturbing movies I've seen, but it was captured really well. The majority of the cast was there when I saw it, including Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, Don McKellar, Sandra Oh (who's in the film for about five seconds), Gael Garcia Bernal, and others. What really blew my mind later on was that I found out one of the box office supervisors that I worked with was in the film. I quizzed her endlessly on which scenes she was in, where the film was shot (Guelph), what Julianne Moore was like, and other such useless things. If I get to see the film again, I'll be watching like a hawk for the three seconds that they didn't cut her out of, and listening for her one line, off camera.

Religulous - In a word, hilarious. I believe Bill Maher is sincere (occasionally) when he asks people of all faiths his questions about how they can such faith in something that contradicts itself constantly or has no actual proof that it happened. He really does want to know why, because he doesn't know what to believe. He does ridicule some people relentlessly, but sometimes they're just asking for it. Definitely worth seeing, even if you hate his guts. Apparently, people were protesting outside the Ryerson before the screening, walking around in circles with placards. One of the volunteer captains is a friend from high school, and he was hoping that there would be enough Bill Maher fans clogging up the red carpet area so that the protesters couldn't walk around anymore.

$9.99 - A stop motion animated film that's NOT meant for children. A number of short stories are linked together with the premise that a guy who's looking for the meaning of life finds it in a book he orders for $9.99. It's also an Israeli/Australian production, with Geoffrey Rush as one of the voices. He was at the screening, and I couldn't remind my friend of where she'd seen him before until I said "Pirates of the Caribbean". The highlight was getting his autograph on my ticket stub and a really dark cell phone photo with him. If only my pen didn't decide to stop working...

The Brothers Bloom - I think my favourite of the bunch. A good old caper flick with two brothers who grow up to be con men, an eccentric heiress who's the target for one and the romantic interest for the other, a virtually silent Japanese accomplice with an affinity for explosives (the funniest character by far), and the most incredible fashion I've seen in a film that makes it impossible to place it in an era. The majority of the humour takes place in the background, so keep your eyes open. I got a few grainy cell phone shots of backs and foreheads on the red carpet and at the back door, but I can tell you who's in each one. Highly recommended when it comes to theatres.

The Heart of Jenin - An incredible documentary. In 2005, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy was accidentally killed by Israeli soldiers when they thought his toy gun was a real one. Instead of retribution, the boy's father decided to donate his son's organs to children in the area, at the suggestion of a Christian nurse. The recipients included an Orthodox Jewish girl (kidney), a Bedouin boy (kidney), and a Druze girl (heart). They followed the children whose lives were saved, as well as the father, who tries to make a difference in a difficult situation. The hardest part was the struggle the father endured just to travel around to visit the children that his son's organs saved. Really compelling.

The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World - The title pretty much says it all. Certified by Guinness, it shows how a woman came to build a culinary empire. In the middle of a restaurant that can hold 5,000 people, the film examines the lives of the people who eat and work there. The poverty that some of the employees were trying to escape from is stunning: one waitress gave up all of her own scholastic dreams in order to earn money to send her sister to medical school. It's not a complete downer - there are a lot of light hearted moments. And if you're squeemish, look away when they start talking about how to kill a duck.

This year's festival was great not just because of the films I saw, but also because of a lot of the interesting people I met during my shifts. I've noticed over the years that there's always a staggering number of Korean volunteers. I asked one of them, who was here since January to learn English, if it there were advertisements in Korea to be film fest volunteers in Toronto. She said no, she had heard about it by word of mouth, and she honestly thought she was the only one who knew about it. I met a Filipino girl who's studying journalism at Ryerson who spent her life in different countries around the world. Her favourite place? India, where she lived for three years. I ran into even more familiar faces at the volunteer and staff party. It was the first time I didn't feel awkward or bored, and I actually had to force myself to leave early so I wouldn't be dead at my desk the next day.

People ask me why I volunteer at this thing. The people, the stars, and the films add up to this really great experience that lasts for a week and a half each year. And now I have a Korean connection. It has just moved up my travel list.

"When I grow up, I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies"

Karma Police

I knew it even before he stepped out and pointed at me. Heck, I probably would have pulled over either way. The karma police had finally caught up to me, and I got my first speeding ticket.

Here's where the irony just piles on: I was driving within 10 km/h of the speed limit all the way home. I was running out of gas, and I didn't want to stop, so I tried to drive as efficiently as possible. With the moderate traffic on the highway, I maintained it with minimal braking. Then I got off the highway and turned onto the street with the notorious speed trap - four lanes of traffic and 40 km/h. The silly thing is that he's parked in the most obvious way at the top of the hill. I normally take a glance up there after I make the turn, but this time I didn't. And then I got distracted when I was trying to beat the yellow light at the next intersection. As usual, I saw him way too late, but this time he saw me. Everyone in front of me kept braking, and he just waved them along until he got to me. I wasn't just over the limit, I was substantially over the limit (due to my racing the light), but he was nice enough to lower it so I wouldn't lose any points. And I didn't have to dig around for my insurance either. I'm sure he just wanted to write this up quickly so he could catch the next fish.

I'm not too upset about this. First of all, I totally deserved it. Secondly, I've dodged many a bullet over the years, so if you average it out, it really isn't so bad. Finally, she might be a slow and calculating bitch, but karma will get you every time.

"This is what you get when you mess with us"

While I Still Can

No time for chit-chat, we've got a lot to cover here.

My 29th was quite the affair. Of course, it didn't go quite as planned, but it went anyway, as these things tend to do. My three-parter, "It's Not Too Late" bash began by having dinner with a fantastic mish-mash of friends from all areas and eras of my life. Iranian cuisine was not only tasty, but provided a great opportunity to wield peer pressure on my male friends to get them to try lamb testicles. It baffled me as to why they were making such a big deal about it...they don't taste like anything. But now not only can they say they've tried it, they'll have a reference to fall back on. Such as, "This tastes like lamb testicles" or "This is nothing compared to lamb testicles". I'm sure they'll thank me for this experience later (much, much later).

Part two turned out to be a bit of a bust, as most people bailed out on going to the night club. It wasn't a bad idea on their part, but it proved to be challenging for me, since I arrived after the designated time when the guest list was in effect. Naively, I thought that being a single girl would allow me easier access, but I would soon find out that I wasn't pretty enough for the bouncer to pay any attention me. Or, as another friend put it, I wasn't "skanky" enough. I had to resort to calling in my "connection", just like everyone else. Inside, it was an impressive space, except that the ceiling was leaking and the music was less than conducive to dancing. Not to mention the multitudes of skanks. At least it satisified my curiousity about the place, and I'll never have to wonder about it again.

The third part was a bit bumpy, since there was a scheduling mishap and we didn't get to do it the day following the dinner and the night club. But, as always, things worked themselves out for the better. It was a beautiful day, a few more people were able to join us at the circus school, and I wasn't dead tired from the night before. It was an incredibly fun time! We were able to try the mini double trampoline, the trampoline, the aerial hoop, the static trapeze, and...the flying trapeze. Unreal. I suppose a lot of people might think that I was crazy to do something like that, but to be honest, I've never felt more safe. Here's my tip: if you're going to do this, and you need corrective eyewear, DON'T wear your contacts. Bring your glasses, and when it's your turn, take your glasses off. Although I was half blind climbing up the ladder, by the time I got to the top I couldn't see the ground, and therefore couldn't tell how high up I was. Consequently, there was absolutely no fear with regards to the height. The only other challenge was hooking my legs up onto the trapeze while I was swinging. It took three and a half tries, but I finally got it. It was exhilarating, and worth the three days of total body soreness afterwards. I can't wait to go back.

Someone asked me, "Are all of your birthdays going to be like this from now on?" Of course not...only the ends and beginnings of each decade. And maybe the halfway points too. So thanks to everyone who participated this time around. Pencil me in for next year, because plans are already in the works...

"No need to worry 'bout everything I've done, live every second like it was my last one"

Which Way to Look

I really don't know which way to look. With so many things going on, I've hardly had time to blog about my trip! And I've been home for two weeks already.

First things first. South America was awesome. Can't believe how much fun it was. The good news is that my brother and I actually do get along. The bad news is that there are so many stories, I can't think of which ones I can tell here. A lot of spectacular nature and wildlife, some interesting characters that we met, plenty of adventures, and a little hindsight when it came to packing. I've decided that I really like cruising. You spend the day somewhere, you get back on the ship, you go to sleep, and the next day you wake up and you're somewhere else. I think we travelled more than 6,000 km in two weeks. There's food everywhere, but if you take the stairs instead of the elevators, you won't balloon too badly. The only slight downside was that it was definitely an older crowd. But we made the most of it, and it all worked out in the end since, as my brother put it, "Old people seem to like me." I think next time, we'll try something closer to our demographic. (My brother is already planning the "next time". Good sign.)

What else? Trying to organize the photos has been keeping me busy. And I didn't stay put for very long. The week after I came back I packed another bag and spent the weekend at my friend's new house in Brantford. We were even able to take part in Earth Hour, which is something we should be doing more often, in my opinion.

Reality set in pretty quickly once I got back to work. It's almost like they were saving the craziness for when I got back (they weren't, but the illusion is there). It's not all work and no play though. We've celebrated two birthdays already, and look at this, mine is coming up. Which is something that is also taking up a lot of my time. This is the first and likely not the last time I've organized my own birthday party. Well, I'm sure I've hosted parties before, way back in the day, but it's been a long time. And it's never been quite so big before either. Definitely a trial by fire, but if it's successful, I'll be looking forward to doing something like this every year. And so can you.

My list of things to do continues to grow ever longer. I'm back to my original problem: which way to look?

"Head underwater, and they tell me to breathe easy for a while"

What, Already?

Wow, not only has February blown past us, but we're even into overtime. Happy Leap Day everyone!

And before I know it, I'm going to be on a plane, bound for South America! That's right friends, the adventure this time is a two-week cruise around the end of South America, starting in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ending in Santiago, Chile. This will be the first time my brother and I travel together on our own. It will be interesting, for sure.

A lot of recurring patterns are starting to crop up as I continue my travels. First, I acquire the region's alcoholic beverage (I'm generating a very diverse collection). Next, I tend to visit a volcano or mountain (I don't know why I have the desire to climb something while on vacation). And finally, I'm either rushing to or from a wedding (if anyone's getting married in July, please let me know).

"All through my wild days, my mad existence, I kept my promise, don't keep your distance"

Where is the Love?

I have some rather exciting news to share: I've started the application process to become a volunteer at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. As can be expected, it's rather lengthy, and will require a screening process, interview, RCMP background check, etc. But to have the chance to see the Olympics from behind the scenes? In a word: AWESOME.

But that leads me into a topic that I've been meaning to talk about. Last year, one of my coworkers was on vacation out in the western provinces, and she told me that she did her best to hide the fact that she was from Toronto. When, on one occasion, her origin was revealed, the attitude of the person (who was a retail employee) changed dramatically. She was no longer smiling or friendly. She simply finished the transaction and gave my coworker her purchase.

It's a fairly well known fact that a lot of people in other parts of this country have a strong dislike of people who are from Toronto. My biggest question is: WHY? The most common answer is that they believe people from Toronto think that "Toronto is the centre of the universe". In my entire lifetime, I've never encountered anyone from Toronto who has ever uttered those words, let alone believed them. Other Canadians think that people from Toronto are rude, full of themselves, and unfriendly. Lately, I've heard that they think Toronto has become too much like an "American city": crime-ridden and polluted.

It breaks my heart to hear this kind of thing, because it's come to the point where Canadians are openly prejudiced against other Canadians. Are we not from the same country? Don't we believe in the same principles and values? Aren't we known, as a people, to be open and unbiased? Don't we condemn people who are intolerant of those who simply come from another part of the world, or believe in different things? So why are we treating each other so poorly? I don't understand it at all.

If I were to go to another city, such as Vancouver, and ask someone from that city if they think Vancouver is the best city in the world, what do you think would be the response? But if I say the same thing about Toronto, I would be considered snobbish and arrogant. Personally, I love Vancouver. And Montreal. I really enjoy travelling around this country, and have already visited six of the ten provinces. I've also been to many parts of the world and I love cities like London and Paris. But to me, Toronto will always be home. I can't imagine living anywhere else. Why is that considered a bad thing?

So on this Valentine's Day, I ask everyone to let a little love in, for people from every part of this country. There's just too much hate as it is. Let's start small, and we can figure out the secret to world peace later.

"Now's the time that we need to share, so send a smile, we're on our way back home"

Mission: Implausible

My brother and I went to the mall last weekend to have lunch, pick up a birthday present for my aunt, and generally browse around. On our way home, we stopped to get gas for his car, which we've dubbed "The Beige Beauty". It's falling apart on all sides, most of the interior electronics are fried, and you can hear it coming from blocks away.

Recently, it started making a "new" noise. One would describe it either as rocks tumbling or a drummer persistently playing the high hat. The new noise started up after we filled up, but then abrupted stopped. I didn't think anything other than it was nice to stop drawing attention to ourselves from pedestrians and motorists who had this look on their faces like we were here to destroy them. But then my brother looked down and said, "Um...the engine temperature is quite high." We both looked and saw the needle climbing slowly and steadily higher. Then, as if on cue, the "Check Gauges" light started to flash. We started to get fairly alarmed. Next thing we knew, the "Check Engine" light started to flash urgently. As a stop-gap measure, we cranked up the heat to try and draw some of it from the engine. All we got was really cold air.

So, what do we do here? We were pretty close to home. Stopping on the side of the road for a few minutes wouldn't really do much to cool the engine down. If we tried to speed up to get home faster, it might only serve to overheat the engine faster and we could blow up in the middle of the road. If we slowed down, we might not heat up as quickly, but then we could still blow up in the middle of the road before we got home. We decided to plow onwards, with me on the edge of my seat saying "Please don't blow up" over and over.

We made it home and my brother turned the car off quickly. We popped the hood and looked around. Strangely, nothing was smoking, and the radiator was ice cold.

In the end, it turned out that the fan belt had fallen off somewhere on the road. Most likely at the point when the rocks stopped tumbling. Oh yes, and the water pump had crapped out. Amazingly, my father got both of them replaced at a shop where they didn't try to get him to fix every other thing that was wrong with the car. And so we've breathed new life back into the Beige Beauty. One thing to be said for the cars in my family: all of them end their lives at the dump.

"Stop and stare, I think I'm moving but I go nowhere"