today is a sad day. about a week ago, a vibrant young girl named emma bailey was killed in a car accident outside of london, england. today is her birthday. it was also her funeral.
while she wasn't a close friend of mine, we went to university together and she was a constant part of my queen's years. i can still hear her laugh loud and clear... it was by far the most contagious laugh i have ever heard. i smile now to think of it. i remember knocking on her door on a walkhome buddy night scavenger hunt, and her letting a total stranger take a tequila shot off her neck. only at queen's. only emma. i peed my pants watching her in players; i followed her adventures in the uk on her blog; and i had no doubt that she would be one of the few aspiring actresses to make it big.
my heart aches deeply for her close friends and family. for kelly who was travelling with her. for everyone who wore pink today to celebrate her favourite colour and a colourful life.
i have been wanting to write something about this for so long. but every time i began, it seemed that i didn't know what to say. i don't understand the world: how can it be that a young, beautiful, independent, adventurous, hilarious girl had to have her life cut short? who decides? why wasn't it me? i just can't find peace thinking of the injustice. one split second and thousands of people's lives are changed forever. young people are just not supposed to die. they are supposed to fall in love and go travelling and change careers and go shopping and go to school. i don't know how to comprehend that something that has been such a constant is no longer.
someone wrote something about emma recently, and i imagine that it is just what she is doing up in heaven: making the angels laugh.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
a tale of ten cities.
whoa. sometimes i don't realize how much i am doing until it is done. then, i take the time to look back, and i can barely believe that i fit so much into two weeks. this trip was more about visiting friends then it was about visiting places. i apologize for the lack of blogs, but i plan on making up for it now with an epic novel of a post. i promise to forgive you if you stop reading now.
paris: i think i last wrote about dieppe, which was my last stop before i went to paris for two leisurely evenings. when i was backpacking last summer, i met andrea in prague (oh, one drunken evening...) and we have stayed in touch ever since. when i was coming through, i couldn't NOT visit her. i LOVE paris. there is something in the air that makes me satisfied with strolling around, sitting in cafes and contemplating life. there are a lot of cities in europe that i love, but i can imagine making paris my home. i am not sure that i would ever get anything accomplished, but i would certainly adopt the parisien mentality without too much trouble. andrea and i are both talkers (yes, it is true) so we chatted in the evenings while i meandered the streets, frequented cafes and did absolutely nothing touristy during the day. ah, c'est la vie.
dijon: picture the most picturesque french town/city, insert my fashionable friend kristin macrae taking a year of french classes and throw in a dash of the most delicious food imagineable, and you will understand why i visited. it wouldn't really have mattered where kristin was, because i would have made the trek... but i am glad it was dijon. it is so perfectly french. the buildings, the mustard, the shopping, the friendliest folks. it is not the same as paris, where people are more reserved and tend to turn their noses up. in dijon, everyone is welcoming and chatty... even with my feeble attempts at speaking french. kristin was a splendid tour guide, exposing me to the culinary delights (not forgetting the kir royal's and wine) of the city. i bought my first designer bag, hit up a townie bar and got to crash in residence. gotta love the extremes!
arras: after reading 'the stone carvers' by jane urquhart, i have always been fascinated by the canadian war memorial to vimy ridge in france. particularly with all of the restoration that happened recently, i knew there would be no better time to experience the monument. while it is considered canadian soil, it is not easy to get to, especially for a backpacker. i took the train to arras (the closest major city), but there were no lockers at the train station to leave my luggage for the day. i was stuck with my bags for the day. at that moment, i regretted going shopping in paris. the monument itself is breathtaking. tall, imposing, chalk white -- it was striking against the stormy french sky. the carvings were done in lifelike detail, looking over the plains below. walter allward said that the memorial came to him in a dream... and i think that it felt like i became a part of that dream as i wandered around, apart of the spirits that live there. afterwards, i wandered down, through the forest, to the underground tunnels, which can still be visited on a guided tour. of course, they have been enlarged for safety reasons, but it is incredible to touch the underground walls, which were dug almost a hundred years ago. thousands of humans waited, the night before the vimy attack, and lived their last hours in these tunnels. i will definitely be voting for the vimy ridge memorial as one of the wonders of canada.
lille: i only went to lille to catch the eurostar train back to london. i found it crowded, dirty and busy compared to the serenity in the french countryside that i had experienced in the previous few hours.
london: for the next week, i used london (and carolynn's flat) as a base. since visiting care was the main purpose of my trip, i wanted to spend a lot of time with her; but since she had essays to write, i did not want to distract her too much! we sampled welsch rarebit, had thoughts of poutine, dealt with abandoning roommates, made huge life decisions, listened to songs of africa, talked to erin on the phone, battled in our sleep, ate copious amounts of cheese, wandered the streets, gourged on lattes, saw harry potter naked, relaxed in parks, met up for picnic lunches, purchased fabulous shoes, drank beer, discovered hidden gardens and desperately tried to be quiet during our gossip sessions so we didn't wake up her light sleeping housemate.
brighton: care and i took an evening field trip to this tacky seaside town but had the BEST time. we got a ride to the coast from one of care's old friends, troy, and were lucky enough to be introduced to his entire party-hardy group of friends. we couldn't find a hotel room, quite literally, so in our typical resourceful manner we found a train that returned to london at 4 AM. that's right, 4 AM! no sleep for the wicked. brighton is certainly a young, crazy, party city. aside from drinking and meeting all sorts of of crazy young folks that have gradually migrated there, we ate fish (hold the chips) on the pier, contemplated sleeping under benches on the beach and judged all the freaky-looking fetishy people we saw all dressed up. the city certainly attracks a lot of wackos! probably why care and i ended up there.
canterbury: four years ago, when i was backpacking in australia, i met a lovely brit named ali. she is now a school teacher living in canterbury, so i went to visit her. it was a perfect day trip from london, and gave care the chance to have a serious library day. ali is as cute and hilarious as i remember her, and canterbury is absolutely brilliant. we caught up over sausages and mash, went on a little river boat tour of some of the quiet parts of the city, and explored the enormous canterbury cathedral. aside from being a little tired from my brighton adventure the night before, it was a perfect day!
bath: i wanted to get a little pampering, so i took a day trip to stonehenge and bath. stonehenge was a quick stop, and to be completely honest, 45 minutes was all that i needed. the rocks were beautiful, but since they are sectioned off, there isn't much of a chance to wander. the bus took us to bath, and dropped us off at the roman bath museum which was AMAZING. since the water was green/brown, washing up wasn't overly appealing, but the insight into roman history was intriguing. if you want a good laugh, check out a video on youtube of a guy jumping in. yuck. another highlight of bath was convincing a priest to let me into the bath abbey even though i had run out of money to pay for the entrance fee. note to self: looking poor and sorrow and donating a handful of pennies works wonders with men of god!
glasgow: i was really excited about venturing up to scotland, because my family names originate from there, and i have always heard how downright friendly everyone is. every scot i have ever met has had an affinity for a good laugh, a good beer and yelling at small children. ahh, scotland the brave. glasgow isn't a city that immediately bowls you over with beauty. it is very industrial-looking, and clearly has a significant working-class history. there was even a shipbuilding holiday while i was there. go figure. but i wasn't there to sightsee, i was there to catch up with old walkhome friends margaret, marcello, kevin and toner. margaret gave me an exquisite culinary tour of the city throughout my stay; marcello and i peeed our pants laughing over a few pints ("your face looks like a ripped out fire place") and i serenaded kevin with my favourite scotland-themed song from my childhood. count yourself lucky that you did not have to hear me sing it... "land of the dirty hanky, land of the wee bikini, land of where the people frolic, scotland the brave!". i can't say that i saw any frolicking or wee bikini's during my short stay, but with scots, you never know!
edinburgh: the architecture in edinburgh is beautiful. i was only there for about eight hours, but i was mesmerized by the buildings, the castle, the alleys - the ancient royal feel to it all. i was on a mission to soak up as much as i could during my day, and i had a stellar tour guide. david toner, of walkhome fame, met me for lunch at the elephant house, a cafe where it is said that jk rowling wrote harry potter! i didn't invent an empire while i was there, but i did have a delicious brie and bacon quiche. yum! toner gave me the scots tour of edinburgh, which included a music store, having paper throwing competitions and having a hair-growing contest. the scots i met know absolutely nothing about scotland! but i was content with made-up facts and lessons on scottish slang. after toner left to make it big as a rock star, i wandered along the royal mile ("how long is the royal mile, you ask?"), explored the nooks and crannies in edinburgh castle and even braved the underground tunnels of an old close (aka alley off of a main street).
i am back home in canada now, severely jet-lagged and missing my europe friends. a huge thank you to everyone who housed me, hung out with me and showed me around while i was visiting over the past two weeks. i will certainly return the favour anytime! everyone else, if you are still reading, you are quite the champ. have a happy day.
paris: i think i last wrote about dieppe, which was my last stop before i went to paris for two leisurely evenings. when i was backpacking last summer, i met andrea in prague (oh, one drunken evening...) and we have stayed in touch ever since. when i was coming through, i couldn't NOT visit her. i LOVE paris. there is something in the air that makes me satisfied with strolling around, sitting in cafes and contemplating life. there are a lot of cities in europe that i love, but i can imagine making paris my home. i am not sure that i would ever get anything accomplished, but i would certainly adopt the parisien mentality without too much trouble. andrea and i are both talkers (yes, it is true) so we chatted in the evenings while i meandered the streets, frequented cafes and did absolutely nothing touristy during the day. ah, c'est la vie.
dijon: picture the most picturesque french town/city, insert my fashionable friend kristin macrae taking a year of french classes and throw in a dash of the most delicious food imagineable, and you will understand why i visited. it wouldn't really have mattered where kristin was, because i would have made the trek... but i am glad it was dijon. it is so perfectly french. the buildings, the mustard, the shopping, the friendliest folks. it is not the same as paris, where people are more reserved and tend to turn their noses up. in dijon, everyone is welcoming and chatty... even with my feeble attempts at speaking french. kristin was a splendid tour guide, exposing me to the culinary delights (not forgetting the kir royal's and wine) of the city. i bought my first designer bag, hit up a townie bar and got to crash in residence. gotta love the extremes!
arras: after reading 'the stone carvers' by jane urquhart, i have always been fascinated by the canadian war memorial to vimy ridge in france. particularly with all of the restoration that happened recently, i knew there would be no better time to experience the monument. while it is considered canadian soil, it is not easy to get to, especially for a backpacker. i took the train to arras (the closest major city), but there were no lockers at the train station to leave my luggage for the day. i was stuck with my bags for the day. at that moment, i regretted going shopping in paris. the monument itself is breathtaking. tall, imposing, chalk white -- it was striking against the stormy french sky. the carvings were done in lifelike detail, looking over the plains below. walter allward said that the memorial came to him in a dream... and i think that it felt like i became a part of that dream as i wandered around, apart of the spirits that live there. afterwards, i wandered down, through the forest, to the underground tunnels, which can still be visited on a guided tour. of course, they have been enlarged for safety reasons, but it is incredible to touch the underground walls, which were dug almost a hundred years ago. thousands of humans waited, the night before the vimy attack, and lived their last hours in these tunnels. i will definitely be voting for the vimy ridge memorial as one of the wonders of canada.
lille: i only went to lille to catch the eurostar train back to london. i found it crowded, dirty and busy compared to the serenity in the french countryside that i had experienced in the previous few hours.
london: for the next week, i used london (and carolynn's flat) as a base. since visiting care was the main purpose of my trip, i wanted to spend a lot of time with her; but since she had essays to write, i did not want to distract her too much! we sampled welsch rarebit, had thoughts of poutine, dealt with abandoning roommates, made huge life decisions, listened to songs of africa, talked to erin on the phone, battled in our sleep, ate copious amounts of cheese, wandered the streets, gourged on lattes, saw harry potter naked, relaxed in parks, met up for picnic lunches, purchased fabulous shoes, drank beer, discovered hidden gardens and desperately tried to be quiet during our gossip sessions so we didn't wake up her light sleeping housemate.
brighton: care and i took an evening field trip to this tacky seaside town but had the BEST time. we got a ride to the coast from one of care's old friends, troy, and were lucky enough to be introduced to his entire party-hardy group of friends. we couldn't find a hotel room, quite literally, so in our typical resourceful manner we found a train that returned to london at 4 AM. that's right, 4 AM! no sleep for the wicked. brighton is certainly a young, crazy, party city. aside from drinking and meeting all sorts of of crazy young folks that have gradually migrated there, we ate fish (hold the chips) on the pier, contemplated sleeping under benches on the beach and judged all the freaky-looking fetishy people we saw all dressed up. the city certainly attracks a lot of wackos! probably why care and i ended up there.
canterbury: four years ago, when i was backpacking in australia, i met a lovely brit named ali. she is now a school teacher living in canterbury, so i went to visit her. it was a perfect day trip from london, and gave care the chance to have a serious library day. ali is as cute and hilarious as i remember her, and canterbury is absolutely brilliant. we caught up over sausages and mash, went on a little river boat tour of some of the quiet parts of the city, and explored the enormous canterbury cathedral. aside from being a little tired from my brighton adventure the night before, it was a perfect day!
bath: i wanted to get a little pampering, so i took a day trip to stonehenge and bath. stonehenge was a quick stop, and to be completely honest, 45 minutes was all that i needed. the rocks were beautiful, but since they are sectioned off, there isn't much of a chance to wander. the bus took us to bath, and dropped us off at the roman bath museum which was AMAZING. since the water was green/brown, washing up wasn't overly appealing, but the insight into roman history was intriguing. if you want a good laugh, check out a video on youtube of a guy jumping in. yuck. another highlight of bath was convincing a priest to let me into the bath abbey even though i had run out of money to pay for the entrance fee. note to self: looking poor and sorrow and donating a handful of pennies works wonders with men of god!
glasgow: i was really excited about venturing up to scotland, because my family names originate from there, and i have always heard how downright friendly everyone is. every scot i have ever met has had an affinity for a good laugh, a good beer and yelling at small children. ahh, scotland the brave. glasgow isn't a city that immediately bowls you over with beauty. it is very industrial-looking, and clearly has a significant working-class history. there was even a shipbuilding holiday while i was there. go figure. but i wasn't there to sightsee, i was there to catch up with old walkhome friends margaret, marcello, kevin and toner. margaret gave me an exquisite culinary tour of the city throughout my stay; marcello and i peeed our pants laughing over a few pints ("your face looks like a ripped out fire place") and i serenaded kevin with my favourite scotland-themed song from my childhood. count yourself lucky that you did not have to hear me sing it... "land of the dirty hanky, land of the wee bikini, land of where the people frolic, scotland the brave!". i can't say that i saw any frolicking or wee bikini's during my short stay, but with scots, you never know!
edinburgh: the architecture in edinburgh is beautiful. i was only there for about eight hours, but i was mesmerized by the buildings, the castle, the alleys - the ancient royal feel to it all. i was on a mission to soak up as much as i could during my day, and i had a stellar tour guide. david toner, of walkhome fame, met me for lunch at the elephant house, a cafe where it is said that jk rowling wrote harry potter! i didn't invent an empire while i was there, but i did have a delicious brie and bacon quiche. yum! toner gave me the scots tour of edinburgh, which included a music store, having paper throwing competitions and having a hair-growing contest. the scots i met know absolutely nothing about scotland! but i was content with made-up facts and lessons on scottish slang. after toner left to make it big as a rock star, i wandered along the royal mile ("how long is the royal mile, you ask?"), explored the nooks and crannies in edinburgh castle and even braved the underground tunnels of an old close (aka alley off of a main street).
i am back home in canada now, severely jet-lagged and missing my europe friends. a huge thank you to everyone who housed me, hung out with me and showed me around while i was visiting over the past two weeks. i will certainly return the favour anytime! everyone else, if you are still reading, you are quite the champ. have a happy day.
Friday, May 18, 2007
top ten.
i have returned from my excursion in france, and am back in cuter-than-words-can-describe notting hill with carolynn. i will post later about my adventures in paris, dijon and vimy ridge... but for now i am going to celebrate the great things about londontown and hanging out with carolynn.
1. carolynn is the queen of baking. apparently her roomate sarah is too. so, there are always beautiful aromas coming from the kitchen! lucky me.
2. the local haunt. carolynn loves lattes almost as much as i do! she doesn't have internet at home so we have been frequenting this little cafe down the street from her flat to steal their internet. we also treat ourselves to a latte. mmm. lattes and e-mail in comfy couches. a perfect start to the day!
3. her HUGE bed. anyone who has spent any time with me knows that i am the messiest sleeper ever. carolynn has graciously let me share her bed and it is SO comfortable! i just sink into it at night. thanks for putting up with me caro. hope i haven't been kicking you too much.
4. shopping, shopping, shopping. there is something about the european shopping experience that differs from north america. it is sexy, high fashion and trendy. i love it! too bad i am rock-bottom-poor. i did, however, window shop along kensington high street... and did eventually succomb to buying a little sundress for the weddings i will be attending this summer. now i guess i will have to find the shoes to match!
5. london pubs. carolynn has been working hard during the days, and i have been off exploring the hidden corners of london on my own. today i found myself at blackfriar's pub for lunch, one of the oldest pubs in london. this hilarious italian couple sat next to me, and by the end of lunch i had an invitation to bologna for my whole family! and, i had also been hired as an english teacher for the man. i practically couldn't get away at the end of lunch! the quaint, intimate atmosphere of english pubs always leads to meeting interesting characters. love it.
6. portobello market. this is the market of all markets. friday mornings are bustling with vendors selling cheese, baked goods, clothes, antiques, fish... everything under the sun.
7. the travel bookshop. no, i haven't run into hugh grant. but yes, there really is a travel bookshop in notting hill! and i am in love with it. seriously - a WHOLE shop full of books about travelling. i could have bought the whole store! my list of future destinations keeps getting longer and longer...
8. hidden gardens. in notting hill, there are several secret gardens that are only accessible through the backyards of people that live on that block. they are large, well-kept green spaces with swings, benches, gardens and even abandoned tennis courts! it is unbelievably romantic and very 18th century.
9. london walks. this original walking tour company is suberb! their walks are inexpensive, the perfect length of time, and bring you to little parts of london that you would never find on your own. i love it because they go beyond the surface and give funny anecdotes and weave in historical connections. i highly recommend trying a london walk if you are ever in london.
10. hanging out with care. you never realize how much you miss someone until you see them again! carolynn is truly one of the loveliest people in my life and it has been so great to spend some quality time with her. now we just need to plan a whole 454 house reunion. erin, katie, you free tomorrow?
1. carolynn is the queen of baking. apparently her roomate sarah is too. so, there are always beautiful aromas coming from the kitchen! lucky me.
2. the local haunt. carolynn loves lattes almost as much as i do! she doesn't have internet at home so we have been frequenting this little cafe down the street from her flat to steal their internet. we also treat ourselves to a latte. mmm. lattes and e-mail in comfy couches. a perfect start to the day!
3. her HUGE bed. anyone who has spent any time with me knows that i am the messiest sleeper ever. carolynn has graciously let me share her bed and it is SO comfortable! i just sink into it at night. thanks for putting up with me caro. hope i haven't been kicking you too much.
4. shopping, shopping, shopping. there is something about the european shopping experience that differs from north america. it is sexy, high fashion and trendy. i love it! too bad i am rock-bottom-poor. i did, however, window shop along kensington high street... and did eventually succomb to buying a little sundress for the weddings i will be attending this summer. now i guess i will have to find the shoes to match!
5. london pubs. carolynn has been working hard during the days, and i have been off exploring the hidden corners of london on my own. today i found myself at blackfriar's pub for lunch, one of the oldest pubs in london. this hilarious italian couple sat next to me, and by the end of lunch i had an invitation to bologna for my whole family! and, i had also been hired as an english teacher for the man. i practically couldn't get away at the end of lunch! the quaint, intimate atmosphere of english pubs always leads to meeting interesting characters. love it.
6. portobello market. this is the market of all markets. friday mornings are bustling with vendors selling cheese, baked goods, clothes, antiques, fish... everything under the sun.
7. the travel bookshop. no, i haven't run into hugh grant. but yes, there really is a travel bookshop in notting hill! and i am in love with it. seriously - a WHOLE shop full of books about travelling. i could have bought the whole store! my list of future destinations keeps getting longer and longer...
8. hidden gardens. in notting hill, there are several secret gardens that are only accessible through the backyards of people that live on that block. they are large, well-kept green spaces with swings, benches, gardens and even abandoned tennis courts! it is unbelievably romantic and very 18th century.
9. london walks. this original walking tour company is suberb! their walks are inexpensive, the perfect length of time, and bring you to little parts of london that you would never find on your own. i love it because they go beyond the surface and give funny anecdotes and weave in historical connections. i highly recommend trying a london walk if you are ever in london.
10. hanging out with care. you never realize how much you miss someone until you see them again! carolynn is truly one of the loveliest people in my life and it has been so great to spend some quality time with her. now we just need to plan a whole 454 house reunion. erin, katie, you free tomorrow?
Monday, May 14, 2007
operation jubilee.
picture this: you are a canadian soldier, maybe 18, obviously good looking. you have been training for almost two years in britain for participation in world war two, but you have seen absolutely no action. you have malfunctioning equipment, and no guns. you have spent two years bonding with the men in your unit, and you are ready to prove yourself to your country and the allied forces. you are anxious to see battle. you are told that you will attack the port town of dieppe, in the north of france.
at this point in the war, the allied forces were not strong enough to mount a full-scale attack on the continent, so it was decided that they would attach an occupied german port in the north of france. it has been argued by many that the disaster at dieppe taught the allies many lessons which helped them in the future -- in particular for the d-day invasions of normandy in 1944. however, it was still a failure. operation jubilee never held the objective of permanently taking over dieppe from the germans. it was meant to be a major raid, to prepare troops for a major amphibious assault that would be necessary in the future to defeat the germans.
however, the germans had to have anticipated something. they were ready. the canadians were slaughtered. the beach at dieppe is large stones which are difficult to walk on, let alone roll tanks across. a long row of buildings is a veritable blockade between the beach and the city centre. with one look at the city, you can understand why it was a recipe for disaster.
we spent a few hours on sunday exploring the port town, walking along the beach, taking pictures of the cliffs and exploring the AMAZING museum and memorial to the canadian solders. it was fittingly cloudy, heavy and raining -- how i always pictured it would have looked when the soldiers arrived on the beach after crossing the channel. the museum was simple but incredibly informative. included was a collection of present and past pictures and quotes from the canadian veterans who actually participated in the raid. a personal touch that really struck home. looking at the pictures, i realized they were all someone's grandpa, father, son. and these were only the ones who survived.
it was interesting how much the canadians are appreciated and valued in dieppe. kristin offered a canada pin to one of the women who worked at the memorial, and i swear she shed some tears. it was touching. even at the local bar we attended in the evening, we were warmly recieved when we told them we were canadian. while canadians did return later in the war to liberate dieppe, i feel that the appreciation towards us is slightly unjustified. i did not risk my life for them, i do not even know anyone who stormed the beach in 1942. it is interesting to be valued for something intangible, such as citizenship. i guess i was lucky to be born in canada.
more than 4000 of the 6000 men that made it ashore in the dieppe raid were either killed, wounded or caputured. it was a complete disaster. the battle scars are no longer visible in the town, but the emotional scars are far from disappearing.
at this point in the war, the allied forces were not strong enough to mount a full-scale attack on the continent, so it was decided that they would attach an occupied german port in the north of france. it has been argued by many that the disaster at dieppe taught the allies many lessons which helped them in the future -- in particular for the d-day invasions of normandy in 1944. however, it was still a failure. operation jubilee never held the objective of permanently taking over dieppe from the germans. it was meant to be a major raid, to prepare troops for a major amphibious assault that would be necessary in the future to defeat the germans.
however, the germans had to have anticipated something. they were ready. the canadians were slaughtered. the beach at dieppe is large stones which are difficult to walk on, let alone roll tanks across. a long row of buildings is a veritable blockade between the beach and the city centre. with one look at the city, you can understand why it was a recipe for disaster.
we spent a few hours on sunday exploring the port town, walking along the beach, taking pictures of the cliffs and exploring the AMAZING museum and memorial to the canadian solders. it was fittingly cloudy, heavy and raining -- how i always pictured it would have looked when the soldiers arrived on the beach after crossing the channel. the museum was simple but incredibly informative. included was a collection of present and past pictures and quotes from the canadian veterans who actually participated in the raid. a personal touch that really struck home. looking at the pictures, i realized they were all someone's grandpa, father, son. and these were only the ones who survived.
it was interesting how much the canadians are appreciated and valued in dieppe. kristin offered a canada pin to one of the women who worked at the memorial, and i swear she shed some tears. it was touching. even at the local bar we attended in the evening, we were warmly recieved when we told them we were canadian. while canadians did return later in the war to liberate dieppe, i feel that the appreciation towards us is slightly unjustified. i did not risk my life for them, i do not even know anyone who stormed the beach in 1942. it is interesting to be valued for something intangible, such as citizenship. i guess i was lucky to be born in canada.
more than 4000 of the 6000 men that made it ashore in the dieppe raid were either killed, wounded or caputured. it was a complete disaster. the battle scars are no longer visible in the town, but the emotional scars are far from disappearing.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
the longest day.
'when the ramp goes down
get out fast
go like a bat out of hell
get in close and take cover
shoot at anything moving...
don't stop to help
the wounded even if
he is your buddy, the medics will
take care of them...'
-d-day officer's order of the day
i spent the weekend with a heavy heart.
carolynn, her brother john, kristin and i all met up in dieppe for a lesson in history. kristin came and joined us from dijon, where she is studying this year; john joined us from the queen's castle where he is taking courses for the summer semester; and care took the weekend off of working on her essays. we took a huge ferry to france from the south of england on friday evening, and arrived in dieppe in the wee hours of the morning.
it is difficult to fully grasp the scale of a world war battle when you study it in school. the situations are put before you like a picture story book, the soldiers are simply characters and the consequences last for two minutes while you discuss it in class. it is impossible to picture the d-day beaches beyond what we see in films and bell canada commercials.
we woke up on saturday with the goal of making it to the d-day beaches on the coast of normandy. we all had a strong interest in modern european history, and i have always wanted to explore the war sights to put a real-life context to the 'stories'. john, our resident stick driver, managed to manipulate our newly rented miniature 'cah' all the way, only stalling once! we passed through beautiful french countryside, stopped in a little french town for cafe creme and drove across the famous (and impressive) normandy bridge.
our major stop for the day was juno beach, where many of the canadian troops landed on d-day. (canadian troops also landed on gold and sword beaches) juno is 8 kilometres long and is in a small french city called courselles-sur-mer. as you approach the beach, it is framed by a ridge covered in long grass that seems to hold the memories. we had a classic french picnic (cheese, baguette, sausage and fruit) while looking out to the ocean. the tide was out so the beach was long, empty and deserted. rocks and sticks were strewn about littering the beach emphasizing the death and destruction that occured there so long ago. my mood became contemplative as we walked around, soaking up the intensity of the experience.
the juno beach centre is the only canadian museum on the d-day beaches, and is run privately to educate visitors and honour the contribution of the canadian soldiers. they hire canadian students to work for the summer, offer tours and run the museum. we took a walking tour of the beach, got to explore old german bunkers used for defence and visited the museum. most striking was the commemorative statue, showing five soldiers, in a sort of wave, displaying the various emotions the soldiers would have felt as they landed.
on d-day, 135,000 soldiers landed on all the beaches. the canadiens played a decisive role, and their experience at juno was deemed a success when they successfully liberated courselles-sur-mer. they had learned from many of their mistakes at dieppe. however, juno was the end for many young men: some soldiers got dropped in water that was too deep, and drowned before they even made it to the beach. others turned to help a friend, and became an easy target for the germans.
we continued our drive along the coast of normandy, stopping again at omaha beach, one of the beaches where the americans landed. unlike juno, which was mostly flat, omaha was situated below a high ridge, which allowed the germans a full picture of what was going on below them. it was terrifying to climb the ridge and view the beach from the same perspective that the germans would have had.
there is no textbook or history lesson that can accurately encapsulate the feelings i felt when we visited the normandy d-day beaches. young men, younger then me, sent into the unknown, to fight an enemy of strangers. while d-day marked the beginning of the end for the germans, there is nothing that we can do to repay the men who lost their lives for a success they never got to witness.
i was/and am really proud to be a canadian - paying my respects to those who lived and died on the longest day.
get out fast
go like a bat out of hell
get in close and take cover
shoot at anything moving...
don't stop to help
the wounded even if
he is your buddy, the medics will
take care of them...'
-d-day officer's order of the day
i spent the weekend with a heavy heart.
carolynn, her brother john, kristin and i all met up in dieppe for a lesson in history. kristin came and joined us from dijon, where she is studying this year; john joined us from the queen's castle where he is taking courses for the summer semester; and care took the weekend off of working on her essays. we took a huge ferry to france from the south of england on friday evening, and arrived in dieppe in the wee hours of the morning.
it is difficult to fully grasp the scale of a world war battle when you study it in school. the situations are put before you like a picture story book, the soldiers are simply characters and the consequences last for two minutes while you discuss it in class. it is impossible to picture the d-day beaches beyond what we see in films and bell canada commercials.
we woke up on saturday with the goal of making it to the d-day beaches on the coast of normandy. we all had a strong interest in modern european history, and i have always wanted to explore the war sights to put a real-life context to the 'stories'. john, our resident stick driver, managed to manipulate our newly rented miniature 'cah' all the way, only stalling once! we passed through beautiful french countryside, stopped in a little french town for cafe creme and drove across the famous (and impressive) normandy bridge.
our major stop for the day was juno beach, where many of the canadian troops landed on d-day. (canadian troops also landed on gold and sword beaches) juno is 8 kilometres long and is in a small french city called courselles-sur-mer. as you approach the beach, it is framed by a ridge covered in long grass that seems to hold the memories. we had a classic french picnic (cheese, baguette, sausage and fruit) while looking out to the ocean. the tide was out so the beach was long, empty and deserted. rocks and sticks were strewn about littering the beach emphasizing the death and destruction that occured there so long ago. my mood became contemplative as we walked around, soaking up the intensity of the experience.
the juno beach centre is the only canadian museum on the d-day beaches, and is run privately to educate visitors and honour the contribution of the canadian soldiers. they hire canadian students to work for the summer, offer tours and run the museum. we took a walking tour of the beach, got to explore old german bunkers used for defence and visited the museum. most striking was the commemorative statue, showing five soldiers, in a sort of wave, displaying the various emotions the soldiers would have felt as they landed.
on d-day, 135,000 soldiers landed on all the beaches. the canadiens played a decisive role, and their experience at juno was deemed a success when they successfully liberated courselles-sur-mer. they had learned from many of their mistakes at dieppe. however, juno was the end for many young men: some soldiers got dropped in water that was too deep, and drowned before they even made it to the beach. others turned to help a friend, and became an easy target for the germans.
we continued our drive along the coast of normandy, stopping again at omaha beach, one of the beaches where the americans landed. unlike juno, which was mostly flat, omaha was situated below a high ridge, which allowed the germans a full picture of what was going on below them. it was terrifying to climb the ridge and view the beach from the same perspective that the germans would have had.
there is no textbook or history lesson that can accurately encapsulate the feelings i felt when we visited the normandy d-day beaches. young men, younger then me, sent into the unknown, to fight an enemy of strangers. while d-day marked the beginning of the end for the germans, there is nothing that we can do to repay the men who lost their lives for a success they never got to witness.
i was/and am really proud to be a canadian - paying my respects to those who lived and died on the longest day.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
its raining, its pouring.
"that 3/4 of an inch between upright and reclined is the difference between agony and ecstasy." -a comment on airplane seats.
i couldn't agree more. it is the small things that make squishing into a metal capsule and rocketing around the world a pleasurable experience. my zoom airlines flight left toronto, and i was excited to have been assigned a window seat. however, when i got there, a lovely nice old man had accidentally stolen 24J. as i began to tell him that he was in the wrong seat -- i realized he was half deaf and so cute -- and i just couldn't bear to ask him to move. so. that is how i ended up in an aisle seat, that did not recline, listening to a movie that i could only hear out of one ear. needless to say, i slept for a sum total of 10 minutes and have arrived in londontown feeling as if i just got hit by a truck.
you would think, from the above description, that my flight was a less than enjoyable experience. yet, it was just the opposite: the flight attendants were funny and friendsly; the older gentleman and i ended up causing a raucus by stealing extra bags of snacks of the cart and getting caught; and everything was remarkably on time. i was able to meet carolynn at our meeting point almost exactly when we had planned! most inspiring of all, i discovered that my gentleman seatmate was quite the adventurer back in the day -- he had a walking stick with all of his climbs carved into it -- everything from everest to kilimanjaro. a 70 year old man make me feel like a wuss.
apparently, london has been experiencing some 'amazing' weather lately (that's what carolynn says, i remain suspicious). because, the minute i stepped out of victoria station, it began to pour rain. and it hasn't stopped since. care is now in classes, so i have invaded her flat, contemplated taking a shower and a nap, and wandered the adorable streets of notting hill.
no matter how many times i see london, my first impression remains the same: it is like a miniature toy city. while the city itself is HUGE, the streets, the cars, the stoplights, the buildings, they all feel as if they have been strategically placed to make visitors feel as if they have entered a live version of toy story. i feel like a character in 'honey, i shrunk the kids' or something. it doesn't feel fake, it just feels miniature. fitting that i feel like a big kid when i am here.
i couldn't agree more. it is the small things that make squishing into a metal capsule and rocketing around the world a pleasurable experience. my zoom airlines flight left toronto, and i was excited to have been assigned a window seat. however, when i got there, a lovely nice old man had accidentally stolen 24J. as i began to tell him that he was in the wrong seat -- i realized he was half deaf and so cute -- and i just couldn't bear to ask him to move. so. that is how i ended up in an aisle seat, that did not recline, listening to a movie that i could only hear out of one ear. needless to say, i slept for a sum total of 10 minutes and have arrived in londontown feeling as if i just got hit by a truck.
you would think, from the above description, that my flight was a less than enjoyable experience. yet, it was just the opposite: the flight attendants were funny and friendsly; the older gentleman and i ended up causing a raucus by stealing extra bags of snacks of the cart and getting caught; and everything was remarkably on time. i was able to meet carolynn at our meeting point almost exactly when we had planned! most inspiring of all, i discovered that my gentleman seatmate was quite the adventurer back in the day -- he had a walking stick with all of his climbs carved into it -- everything from everest to kilimanjaro. a 70 year old man make me feel like a wuss.
apparently, london has been experiencing some 'amazing' weather lately (that's what carolynn says, i remain suspicious). because, the minute i stepped out of victoria station, it began to pour rain. and it hasn't stopped since. care is now in classes, so i have invaded her flat, contemplated taking a shower and a nap, and wandered the adorable streets of notting hill.
no matter how many times i see london, my first impression remains the same: it is like a miniature toy city. while the city itself is HUGE, the streets, the cars, the stoplights, the buildings, they all feel as if they have been strategically placed to make visitors feel as if they have entered a live version of toy story. i feel like a character in 'honey, i shrunk the kids' or something. it doesn't feel fake, it just feels miniature. fitting that i feel like a big kid when i am here.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
my favourite mistake.
"insteach of studying for finals, what about just going to the bahamas and catching some rays? maybe you'll flunk, but you might have flunked anyway, that's my point." -jack handy
i have made a lot of mistakes in my life. when i was born, i was over 9 pounds (sorry mom). when i was 8, i tried to run away from home dressed like little bo peep. when i was 10 i stole 20 dollars from my mom's purse and got caught red handed. one year, i searched for my christmas gifts, and found them a week before the holidays - and had to fake surprise on christmas day. in acapulco on our grad trip, i had too much tequila and passed out with my eyes open. and last week, i booked a last minute trip to the uk.
if you are anything like my parents, you are probably flipping out as you read this.
"ANOTHER TRIP?", they exclaimed.
"yes", i answered.
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? DO YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS?"
"err... not realllllly", i responded meekly, "but i'll figure it out".
the options at this point were clear: rob a bank or steal money out of my mom's purse. since i got caught stealing from my mom the first time, i counted that option out. and since robbing a bank is kind of a recipe for a disaster, that got a veto as well. now the opions were really clear: i had just made a really BIG mistake. but a mistake that i am happy to live with - a wonderful, financially unsound, lovely mistake.
i justified the trip to myself in many ways.
-carolynn really needs a visit. and i really need some quality caro and kristin time. and carolynn won't be living in london forever!
-i have many friends around the uk, so i will have loads of couches to crash on. expenses, aside from the plane ticket, will be minimal.
-this is my last large bulk of time off before i start working full-time. i want to make the most of it so i am ready to buckle down and work in august.
but let's be honest. i wasn't really justifying the trip to myself, i was justifying it to my parents. ultimately, i really want to go. i am at my happiest when i am travelling, exploring new places and keeping in touch with my friends. it is what i love most in the world.
i leave next week! but first: a few more days in ottawa catching up with friends and family and five days in toronto for a bachelorette and lots of visits.
back to the game. go ottawa.
i have made a lot of mistakes in my life. when i was born, i was over 9 pounds (sorry mom). when i was 8, i tried to run away from home dressed like little bo peep. when i was 10 i stole 20 dollars from my mom's purse and got caught red handed. one year, i searched for my christmas gifts, and found them a week before the holidays - and had to fake surprise on christmas day. in acapulco on our grad trip, i had too much tequila and passed out with my eyes open. and last week, i booked a last minute trip to the uk.
if you are anything like my parents, you are probably flipping out as you read this.
"ANOTHER TRIP?", they exclaimed.
"yes", i answered.
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? DO YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS?"
"err... not realllllly", i responded meekly, "but i'll figure it out".
the options at this point were clear: rob a bank or steal money out of my mom's purse. since i got caught stealing from my mom the first time, i counted that option out. and since robbing a bank is kind of a recipe for a disaster, that got a veto as well. now the opions were really clear: i had just made a really BIG mistake. but a mistake that i am happy to live with - a wonderful, financially unsound, lovely mistake.
i justified the trip to myself in many ways.
-carolynn really needs a visit. and i really need some quality caro and kristin time. and carolynn won't be living in london forever!
-i have many friends around the uk, so i will have loads of couches to crash on. expenses, aside from the plane ticket, will be minimal.
-this is my last large bulk of time off before i start working full-time. i want to make the most of it so i am ready to buckle down and work in august.
but let's be honest. i wasn't really justifying the trip to myself, i was justifying it to my parents. ultimately, i really want to go. i am at my happiest when i am travelling, exploring new places and keeping in touch with my friends. it is what i love most in the world.
i leave next week! but first: a few more days in ottawa catching up with friends and family and five days in toronto for a bachelorette and lots of visits.
back to the game. go ottawa.
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