while on an 8 day road trip through the united states, i have learned many things that i will take with me for the rest of my life. for example....
-america really is a fast food nation. hamborgers, whataburgers, bbq... located approximately every five metres.
-girls sometimes do drive faster than boys.
-best western really is best.
-texas is really big. and texans LOVE texas. did i already tell you dean had a waffle in the shape of texas?
-north america isn't really that big. no excuse not to see more of canada and the us.
-you can fit WAY more than you think into a mazda suv.
-birds are really dumb. two got killed by plowing straight into our car. (one into the front grate, the other into the windshield wiper) you think they would learn from watching their friends die.
-there is no us equivalent to timmy's in taste, price and location.
-there are a lot of creepy motels in the world.
-i don't get bored in the car: choosing music, knitting, reading magazines... i loved every second of doing things i never have time to do!
-it is really hot in southern texas. scorching. my glasses fogged up when i left my hotel this morning.
-americans think you are insanely nuts for driving from canada.
-texans can't believe you would ever want to move to mexico. "good on you for making the move. there aren't a lot of people who would do that" - guy at eddie bauer. and he was being totally serious.
-foreign id's are not accepted everywhere. i got turned down at sac n pac trying to buy a six pack of beers!
-texas is much greener than you would expect.
-there is a dairy queen in every single small town... even when there isn't a hotel!
-it is important to always have a full gas tank... because we are in hurricane season. it is also important not to pick up hitchhikers in southern texas, because there are prisons.
-mexican men gawk a lot. i had kind of forgotten that. i guess i better get used to it.
aside from all these new wisdoms, i have also gained a true appreciation for the united states. almost everyone we have met has been SO friendly. holding doors open, excited about our trip, making jokes... i haven't met any stuck-up americans. i have discovered cute little small towns that i would want to stop in one day for a beer and have a list of cities to return back to. a day in each of them just wasn't enough to get a true sense of their atmosphere. there is so much diversity in the united states -- a few more road trips will definitely have to be planned in order to discover it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
the lonestar state.
texas is HUGE. we have been driving in texas for two days, and we still haven't reached mcallen. to be fair, we have been taking it pretty easy: sleeping in a bit, taking long breaks and SHOPPING! we entered texas in texarkana, slept in sulphur springs (at the best best western we have found!), passed by dallas (it is huge and we would need more than a few hours to explore) and went on to austin.
since austin is known as the 'live music capital of the world', i think i expected to be bowled over more by a music vibe. the city is big, and fairly spread out, and there was no one around! we were there on a sunday, so maybe everyone was at church; or maybe everyone was still hung over from the night before? we went straight to sixth street, which has a reputation for quite a tourist scene. after stopping in for a quick visit to the tourist office, they suggested that we walk across the water and down to a funky area called south congress (or 'soco'). and i am SO glad that we took their suggestion. we found music, colour, funk, and the best retro shopping in the world. one store, called uncommon objects, was literally bursting at the seams with old school junk and kitsch. it was like a museum of objects from lives gone by. tons of vintage clothing stores, boutiques, cafes and (apparently) star sightings. really captured the austin-hippie-music-vibe that i had heard so much about.
we were both getting a bit worn out from the pace of our trip thus far, so after a few beers at a bar on sixth street, we decided to leave austin a bit early to have a relaxing evening at..... SUPER EIGHT MOTEL. we have refused to pay more than 80 bucks for a hotel, so we were stuck with the 'class' (and cloudy swimming pool) at super eight. we played scrabble, watched some tv and generally did nothing. our plan had been to spend the day in san antonio, but since we will have many opportunities to come back to visit, we bypassed it for a full day of san marcos outlet shopping. we slept in -- did you know that housekeeping in texas just comes in in the morning without checking to see if you have checked out? then we proceeded to have an EPIC breakfast at the infamous IHOP (international house of pancakes) which dean had been wanting to check out. your breakfast comes with a 'side' of three buttermilk pancakes. WHAT? what human could eat that much food? we tried. i failed. i discovered bath and body works and the uber-cheap target and then we discovered every shopaholic's (and rich mexican's) dream: outlet shopping heaven. kenneth cole, banana republic, puma, aldo.... everything under the sun! dean and i have proved that we did have room in the car for more stuff, you wouldn't believe me if you had seen how full our car was when we left the cottage. i purchased hot kenneth cole shoes for 29 bucks and a ralph lauren down pillow for the same! great success.
we shared mussels and a margarita at the olive garden (mmmm breadsticks) in celebration of our shopping successes and then drove on to find a place to sleep on the way to mcallen. given our trip so far, we never imagined this would prove to be a problem. however, the map (and our friends) failed to tell us that after san antonio there is literally.... a WASTE land. absolutely NOTHING! no hotels for miles and miles (save the 'kuntry motel'). an hour later then expected we FINALLY found a vacancy at the dodgy days inn in alice, texas. construction, dust, dirty windows... but beds to sleep in!
so. that leads me to today. it is tuesday, and we are less than two hours away from mcallen, and less than five from monterrey. this afternoon we will be meeting up with the others who drove down before getting up early tomorrow morning to cross the border... and into my new life.
since austin is known as the 'live music capital of the world', i think i expected to be bowled over more by a music vibe. the city is big, and fairly spread out, and there was no one around! we were there on a sunday, so maybe everyone was at church; or maybe everyone was still hung over from the night before? we went straight to sixth street, which has a reputation for quite a tourist scene. after stopping in for a quick visit to the tourist office, they suggested that we walk across the water and down to a funky area called south congress (or 'soco'). and i am SO glad that we took their suggestion. we found music, colour, funk, and the best retro shopping in the world. one store, called uncommon objects, was literally bursting at the seams with old school junk and kitsch. it was like a museum of objects from lives gone by. tons of vintage clothing stores, boutiques, cafes and (apparently) star sightings. really captured the austin-hippie-music-vibe that i had heard so much about.
we were both getting a bit worn out from the pace of our trip thus far, so after a few beers at a bar on sixth street, we decided to leave austin a bit early to have a relaxing evening at..... SUPER EIGHT MOTEL. we have refused to pay more than 80 bucks for a hotel, so we were stuck with the 'class' (and cloudy swimming pool) at super eight. we played scrabble, watched some tv and generally did nothing. our plan had been to spend the day in san antonio, but since we will have many opportunities to come back to visit, we bypassed it for a full day of san marcos outlet shopping. we slept in -- did you know that housekeeping in texas just comes in in the morning without checking to see if you have checked out? then we proceeded to have an EPIC breakfast at the infamous IHOP (international house of pancakes) which dean had been wanting to check out. your breakfast comes with a 'side' of three buttermilk pancakes. WHAT? what human could eat that much food? we tried. i failed. i discovered bath and body works and the uber-cheap target and then we discovered every shopaholic's (and rich mexican's) dream: outlet shopping heaven. kenneth cole, banana republic, puma, aldo.... everything under the sun! dean and i have proved that we did have room in the car for more stuff, you wouldn't believe me if you had seen how full our car was when we left the cottage. i purchased hot kenneth cole shoes for 29 bucks and a ralph lauren down pillow for the same! great success.
we shared mussels and a margarita at the olive garden (mmmm breadsticks) in celebration of our shopping successes and then drove on to find a place to sleep on the way to mcallen. given our trip so far, we never imagined this would prove to be a problem. however, the map (and our friends) failed to tell us that after san antonio there is literally.... a WASTE land. absolutely NOTHING! no hotels for miles and miles (save the 'kuntry motel'). an hour later then expected we FINALLY found a vacancy at the dodgy days inn in alice, texas. construction, dust, dirty windows... but beds to sleep in!
so. that leads me to today. it is tuesday, and we are less than two hours away from mcallen, and less than five from monterrey. this afternoon we will be meeting up with the others who drove down before getting up early tomorrow morning to cross the border... and into my new life.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
arc and saw.
greetings from texas, where everything is bigger! we reached texas city limits after driving through FIVE dry counties in arkansas. FIVE! i didn't even know that dry counties still existed.
the drive from corner to corner of arkansas was done easily in a day. known as the natural state, due to its hot springs (which we skipped, i'll have to remember it for next time!) and beautiful lush outdoors. i convinced dean to take a crazy risk and stop for a few hours in the state capital, little rock, even though we knew nothing about it. what a hidden gem!
little rock was cute and approachable, almost feeling like a small town... but there was certainly not a shortage of things to do. the primary reason that little rock has been put on the map, is that it was the hometown of president bill clinton. apparently, before him, no one had any reason to drop in for a visit. testament to how much the folks of little rock love their ex-president, they built a HUGE modern-looking glass museum on the banks of of the arkansas river that is dedicated solely to clinton's tenure as president. videos, audio tours, schedules, letters written to the clintons... everything under the sun was included. while it was certainly a celebration of clinton's successes (note: there was no mention of his infidelity, of course), it was impressively informative and unpretentious. just a town that is proud of their main man.
afterwards, we wandered along the river, checked out the local farmer's market and wandered along president clinton avenue. the cafes were unique and cute - in fact they reminded me a lot of similar ones in the glebe or westboro. after a sandwich and delicious chocolate silk PIE (to die for) fromt he local bakery, we were off.
the rest of arkansas consisted of stops at a burnt down truck stop, a drive through hope (where clinton was actually born) and most notably, the town texarkana on the border between - you guessed it - arkansas and texas.
we have come quite far, but yet in many ways, the journey has not felt incredibly long. the drives between the major towns are easily done in under six or seven hours, and there have been lots of interesting little detours along the way. i am enjoying both the driving time and the passenger time. we have listened to dozens of cd's, learned some spanish, read the paper and i have even done a few lines of knitting. we haven't even arrived yet, but already, i can't wait to drive across the country again!
the next three days will be in texas. and i can already tell the motto is true: you don't mess with texas.
the drive from corner to corner of arkansas was done easily in a day. known as the natural state, due to its hot springs (which we skipped, i'll have to remember it for next time!) and beautiful lush outdoors. i convinced dean to take a crazy risk and stop for a few hours in the state capital, little rock, even though we knew nothing about it. what a hidden gem!
little rock was cute and approachable, almost feeling like a small town... but there was certainly not a shortage of things to do. the primary reason that little rock has been put on the map, is that it was the hometown of president bill clinton. apparently, before him, no one had any reason to drop in for a visit. testament to how much the folks of little rock love their ex-president, they built a HUGE modern-looking glass museum on the banks of of the arkansas river that is dedicated solely to clinton's tenure as president. videos, audio tours, schedules, letters written to the clintons... everything under the sun was included. while it was certainly a celebration of clinton's successes (note: there was no mention of his infidelity, of course), it was impressively informative and unpretentious. just a town that is proud of their main man.
afterwards, we wandered along the river, checked out the local farmer's market and wandered along president clinton avenue. the cafes were unique and cute - in fact they reminded me a lot of similar ones in the glebe or westboro. after a sandwich and delicious chocolate silk PIE (to die for) fromt he local bakery, we were off.
the rest of arkansas consisted of stops at a burnt down truck stop, a drive through hope (where clinton was actually born) and most notably, the town texarkana on the border between - you guessed it - arkansas and texas.
we have come quite far, but yet in many ways, the journey has not felt incredibly long. the drives between the major towns are easily done in under six or seven hours, and there have been lots of interesting little detours along the way. i am enjoying both the driving time and the passenger time. we have listened to dozens of cd's, learned some spanish, read the paper and i have even done a few lines of knitting. we haven't even arrived yet, but already, i can't wait to drive across the country again!
the next three days will be in texas. and i can already tell the motto is true: you don't mess with texas.
walking in memphis.
Nashville severely kicked my butt. We left this morning (late morning) still reeling from the effects of the pint-sized shot of Jack Daniels I was served last night. I danced hard, drank hard, and paid for it HARD this morning. In fact, one of my shoes had fallen off in Marcus’ car, and I had to go and pick it up at the security stand outside of his office/factory on the way out of town – talk about embarrassing – picking up one shoe from a random dude... how do you explain that?! We had intended to set off a bit earlier, but it took both Dean and I a bit to get up and at ‘em this morning.
We drove the three hours to Memphis and headed directly to Dean’s number one destination, Graceland. My Dad has considered disowning me for visiting, but I was really excited to see this iconic place. The Graceland mansion itself was unexpectedly modest, considering what I was expecting from the King. The property was massive and sprawling, but the rooms in the house were of average size. The décor was certainly unique (purple velour, jungle themed, mirrored hallways) but it felt like a home. However, the Elvis theme park that has emerged surrounding the mansion is tacky, overdone and excessive. We both decided that we would commit suicide if we had to work there every day with non-stop Elvis music, throngs of tourists and 5,000 gift shops.
After three hours of Graceland, Dean and I had had reached our quota of Elvis, for, huh, our lives. We headed downtown for a quick look at the Lorraine Hotel (where Martin Luther King was assassinated) and some traditional Memphis ribs on Beale Street. My impression of Memphis was two-fold: in many parts of town, it was in shambles, deserted and dirty; while on Beale Street it was lively, loud, and full of personality. Compared to Nashville (which had a distinctive country feel), Memphis was full of jazz and blues. It had more of a southern feel, Beale Street feeling similar to a smaller version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. People were talkative, friendly, singing in the streets… really loving their life. Unfortunately, we had to leave after a quick look at the mighty Mississippi in order to get a head start on the journey through Arkansas. Never enough time!
I can feel the air getting more humid and the weather feeling warmer. We’re getting closer to Mexico!
We drove the three hours to Memphis and headed directly to Dean’s number one destination, Graceland. My Dad has considered disowning me for visiting, but I was really excited to see this iconic place. The Graceland mansion itself was unexpectedly modest, considering what I was expecting from the King. The property was massive and sprawling, but the rooms in the house were of average size. The décor was certainly unique (purple velour, jungle themed, mirrored hallways) but it felt like a home. However, the Elvis theme park that has emerged surrounding the mansion is tacky, overdone and excessive. We both decided that we would commit suicide if we had to work there every day with non-stop Elvis music, throngs of tourists and 5,000 gift shops.
After three hours of Graceland, Dean and I had had reached our quota of Elvis, for, huh, our lives. We headed downtown for a quick look at the Lorraine Hotel (where Martin Luther King was assassinated) and some traditional Memphis ribs on Beale Street. My impression of Memphis was two-fold: in many parts of town, it was in shambles, deserted and dirty; while on Beale Street it was lively, loud, and full of personality. Compared to Nashville (which had a distinctive country feel), Memphis was full of jazz and blues. It had more of a southern feel, Beale Street feeling similar to a smaller version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. People were talkative, friendly, singing in the streets… really loving their life. Unfortunately, we had to leave after a quick look at the mighty Mississippi in order to get a head start on the journey through Arkansas. Never enough time!
I can feel the air getting more humid and the weather feeling warmer. We’re getting closer to Mexico!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
the windy city and the music city.
we have come quite far since my last post. on tuesday, we woke up early in kalamazoo, made the drive to chicago and spent a busy and full day exploring as much of the city as we could fit in.
the highlights:
-making a list of trip goals which included finding harpo studios, getting a meal for free and faking our ages.
-getting sent in four different directions en route to finding a restaurant.
-finding out we were an hour early. and in a different time zone. oops.
-the delicious food at an immensely popular mexican restaurant. there is a lineup to get in even for lunch!
-meeting a nice lady for lunch who was apparently a guru on everything in chicago.
-going to her ritzy apartment building... we found out later oprah lives there. could be a lie, but i believed it.
-stumbling upon a photo shoot for a commercial.
-renting a bicycle in a skirt. then falling off said bicycle when i tried to bike on the sand. really cool.
-biking along navy pier. one of the most visited attractions in all of the united states.
-looking at the view of the chicago skyline.
-visiting a free zoo. with lions that looked like they could jump out. and visiting the snakes even though dean was a scaredy cat.
-listening to live jazz over a pint.
-trying to find a hotel in downtown chicago... and discovering we are cheap bastards.
-eating deep dish pizza. WOW. definitely worth the wait.
-taking pictures of millennium park at night. trying to learn to use the night settings on my camera. i was mildly successful.
-trying to find a hotel. being foiled by a little league competition that decided to take over every hotel on the interstate leaving chicago. me convincing dean to stay at the creepy sunset inn. he was hesitant, but i think the fact there were beds won over.
next stop was nashville. we booted it for about six and a half hours to dixon, tennessee, about thirty minutes from nashville to stay with my good friend marcus from university. he is a big shot down in tennessee, but was nice enough to open up his beautiful home AND tour us around the city. the music city was a HUGE highlight for me, and my quick point form will not to the experience justice. i highly recommend you check it out for yourself!
the greatest moments:
-seeing the amount of chain restaurants, money lending agencies and cheque cashing stores in dixon. i learned a lot about small town living!
-going running around the little lake near marcus' house.
-trying on cowboy hats on the main drag. seeing three for one sales on cowboy boots!
-visiting the country hall of fame. including a visit to studio b, where many of the greats recorded. i got to play a piano that elvis recorded with!
-seeing my old friend jason play live at a seedy/cool bar with his new band.
-visiting the full scale model of the greek parthenon. why nashville? good question.
-drinking copious amounts of alcohol, dancing to incredible LIVE country music and finding my favourite bar in the world, tootsies. basically getting the full broadway street experience. meeting marcus' dad the next morning, feeling and looking great, i'm sure. also realizing i had lost my shoe. classsss, i tell you.
-getting a backstage tour of the ryman auditorium, which used to house the grand old opry radio show.
-getting the music lowdown from marcus. he is my music go to guy.
-getting to stay TWO nights in the same house! what a treat.
-learning to drive a driving lawnmower! in flats. wearing a cowboy hat. now that's nashville.
the highlights:
-making a list of trip goals which included finding harpo studios, getting a meal for free and faking our ages.
-getting sent in four different directions en route to finding a restaurant.
-finding out we were an hour early. and in a different time zone. oops.
-the delicious food at an immensely popular mexican restaurant. there is a lineup to get in even for lunch!
-meeting a nice lady for lunch who was apparently a guru on everything in chicago.
-going to her ritzy apartment building... we found out later oprah lives there. could be a lie, but i believed it.
-stumbling upon a photo shoot for a commercial.
-renting a bicycle in a skirt. then falling off said bicycle when i tried to bike on the sand. really cool.
-biking along navy pier. one of the most visited attractions in all of the united states.
-looking at the view of the chicago skyline.
-visiting a free zoo. with lions that looked like they could jump out. and visiting the snakes even though dean was a scaredy cat.
-listening to live jazz over a pint.
-trying to find a hotel in downtown chicago... and discovering we are cheap bastards.
-eating deep dish pizza. WOW. definitely worth the wait.
-taking pictures of millennium park at night. trying to learn to use the night settings on my camera. i was mildly successful.
-trying to find a hotel. being foiled by a little league competition that decided to take over every hotel on the interstate leaving chicago. me convincing dean to stay at the creepy sunset inn. he was hesitant, but i think the fact there were beds won over.
next stop was nashville. we booted it for about six and a half hours to dixon, tennessee, about thirty minutes from nashville to stay with my good friend marcus from university. he is a big shot down in tennessee, but was nice enough to open up his beautiful home AND tour us around the city. the music city was a HUGE highlight for me, and my quick point form will not to the experience justice. i highly recommend you check it out for yourself!
the greatest moments:
-seeing the amount of chain restaurants, money lending agencies and cheque cashing stores in dixon. i learned a lot about small town living!
-going running around the little lake near marcus' house.
-trying on cowboy hats on the main drag. seeing three for one sales on cowboy boots!
-visiting the country hall of fame. including a visit to studio b, where many of the greats recorded. i got to play a piano that elvis recorded with!
-seeing my old friend jason play live at a seedy/cool bar with his new band.
-visiting the full scale model of the greek parthenon. why nashville? good question.
-drinking copious amounts of alcohol, dancing to incredible LIVE country music and finding my favourite bar in the world, tootsies. basically getting the full broadway street experience. meeting marcus' dad the next morning, feeling and looking great, i'm sure. also realizing i had lost my shoe. classsss, i tell you.
-getting a backstage tour of the ryman auditorium, which used to house the grand old opry radio show.
-getting the music lowdown from marcus. he is my music go to guy.
-getting to stay TWO nights in the same house! what a treat.
-learning to drive a driving lawnmower! in flats. wearing a cowboy hat. now that's nashville.
Monday, July 23, 2007
great lakes great times.
i am in kalamazoo, michigan. seriously. it is hard to believe a place with a name like this actually exists, but it does.
we left early this morning from my cottage after a weekend of AMAZING weather, waterskiing, margaritas and trivial pursuit. there were a few tears (surprisingly not shed by me), but i felt good as we pulled out of the driveway. we were both a bit tired as we had had a late night trivial pursuit match, but shared the driving and the day went off without any trouble.
the car is packed full. and i mean full. my biggest fear was that we were going to get stopped at the border and it would have taken us five hours to get everything back in. poor dean had no idea what he was getting himself into when he offered to drive me to mexico! luckily, crossing the border took all of fifteen seconds. we only got asked if we had food or booze. do homemade cookies count, i wondered?
we flew to sarnia, but i was really excited to get into the states, because i felt that would mean my adventure had really begun. however, michigan looks JUST LIKE southern ontario! trees, some rolling hills, some flat parts. apart from some ugly billboards, and signs that say FOOD, GAS, LODGING at every exit you wouldn't even know we were in the US. we were packed in so tightly into the car - i felt bad (again) for dean because all of his leg room is taken up by my handbags full of books, cd's, knitting etc. i'm going to have to work on that for tomorrow. except the lack of any free inch of space could cause a challenge.
we'll spend the evening in kalamazoo, probably just having dinner, watching a movie and getting an early night so that we can get up bright and early to hit the highway for chicago. more tales from the road soon!
we left early this morning from my cottage after a weekend of AMAZING weather, waterskiing, margaritas and trivial pursuit. there were a few tears (surprisingly not shed by me), but i felt good as we pulled out of the driveway. we were both a bit tired as we had had a late night trivial pursuit match, but shared the driving and the day went off without any trouble.
the car is packed full. and i mean full. my biggest fear was that we were going to get stopped at the border and it would have taken us five hours to get everything back in. poor dean had no idea what he was getting himself into when he offered to drive me to mexico! luckily, crossing the border took all of fifteen seconds. we only got asked if we had food or booze. do homemade cookies count, i wondered?
we flew to sarnia, but i was really excited to get into the states, because i felt that would mean my adventure had really begun. however, michigan looks JUST LIKE southern ontario! trees, some rolling hills, some flat parts. apart from some ugly billboards, and signs that say FOOD, GAS, LODGING at every exit you wouldn't even know we were in the US. we were packed in so tightly into the car - i felt bad (again) for dean because all of his leg room is taken up by my handbags full of books, cd's, knitting etc. i'm going to have to work on that for tomorrow. except the lack of any free inch of space could cause a challenge.
we'll spend the evening in kalamazoo, probably just having dinner, watching a movie and getting an early night so that we can get up bright and early to hit the highway for chicago. more tales from the road soon!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
feels like home.
i'm leaving odot tomorrow. not forever, but as i pack up literally all my favourite stuff, sometimes it feels that way. and i was just beginning to LOVE ottawa. growing up, i think i felt really sheltered living my suburban existence. i craved more then bbqhaven, and was convinced i would never, ever settle in ottawa. now i'm not so sure.
after three months back in ottawa, it definitely feels like the kind of city i want to settle in. it is big enough, but not huge; it has culture and great food; it has a history that lives on in the present; it has diversity, language, hiking, and lots of green space. it doesn't have traffic like toronto, it has personality (not so much in the suburbs, but certainly in many neighbourhoods) and it is full of (mostly) friendly people. i wish it had more diversity in employment (so much government!) and was in a more central local, but in beauty, it can't be beat by much (except maybe vancouver and sydney!). i can't stand the winter, but, well, i don't think i'll like it anywhere that i go.
there are so many things that i have gotten used to in ottawa these past few months, and i am really sad to leave them! i'll miss perfect books on elgin, the greatest little indepedent bookstore that i have found. they write little reviews of their favourite books on recipe cards, and make suggestions! i have never disliked any book i have been recommended there. i'll miss my weekly coffee dates at bridgehead, a fair-trade coffee shop located in all my favourite neighbourhoods around town (westboro, the glebe, elgin)... i had almost tried all their teas! i'll miss gatineau park, which i have rediscovered this summer in a hiking revolution. i can't believe i have lived so close to it for years and have barely visited at all. i'll miss weekend trips to merrickville, my favourite little gifty-shop town where they serve tractor beer, SO worth the trip. i'll miss the market, rama lotus yoga, the construction, beers at the fox and the feather, burgers at the works, and the kids that return emma when she goes for a walk without us. i'll even miss the tree-lined streets in the glebe, the HUGE curb at the end of our driveway and our neighbours that scare the crap out of me!
ottawa will always be a home that i feel comfortable returning to. even though i have lived here almost my whole life, i still discover new things every day. for example, ginny and jessie took me to the green door, a lovely vegetarian cooperative restaurant today for lunch. teaching internationally is a great move for me right now, but i hope i return to ottawa in the future for longer than just a visit.
i'm off to the cottage for the weekend, so the next time i write, i will have embarked for mexico! dean and i leave bright and early monday morning, and we'll start with a full day of driving so we can make it as close to chicago as we can.
finally, my adventure is about to begin.
i'll update from the road.
after three months back in ottawa, it definitely feels like the kind of city i want to settle in. it is big enough, but not huge; it has culture and great food; it has a history that lives on in the present; it has diversity, language, hiking, and lots of green space. it doesn't have traffic like toronto, it has personality (not so much in the suburbs, but certainly in many neighbourhoods) and it is full of (mostly) friendly people. i wish it had more diversity in employment (so much government!) and was in a more central local, but in beauty, it can't be beat by much (except maybe vancouver and sydney!). i can't stand the winter, but, well, i don't think i'll like it anywhere that i go.
there are so many things that i have gotten used to in ottawa these past few months, and i am really sad to leave them! i'll miss perfect books on elgin, the greatest little indepedent bookstore that i have found. they write little reviews of their favourite books on recipe cards, and make suggestions! i have never disliked any book i have been recommended there. i'll miss my weekly coffee dates at bridgehead, a fair-trade coffee shop located in all my favourite neighbourhoods around town (westboro, the glebe, elgin)... i had almost tried all their teas! i'll miss gatineau park, which i have rediscovered this summer in a hiking revolution. i can't believe i have lived so close to it for years and have barely visited at all. i'll miss weekend trips to merrickville, my favourite little gifty-shop town where they serve tractor beer, SO worth the trip. i'll miss the market, rama lotus yoga, the construction, beers at the fox and the feather, burgers at the works, and the kids that return emma when she goes for a walk without us. i'll even miss the tree-lined streets in the glebe, the HUGE curb at the end of our driveway and our neighbours that scare the crap out of me!
ottawa will always be a home that i feel comfortable returning to. even though i have lived here almost my whole life, i still discover new things every day. for example, ginny and jessie took me to the green door, a lovely vegetarian cooperative restaurant today for lunch. teaching internationally is a great move for me right now, but i hope i return to ottawa in the future for longer than just a visit.
i'm off to the cottage for the weekend, so the next time i write, i will have embarked for mexico! dean and i leave bright and early monday morning, and we'll start with a full day of driving so we can make it as close to chicago as we can.
finally, my adventure is about to begin.
i'll update from the road.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
all that you can't leave behind.
as my leaving day approaches (up to the cottage on friday, leave for mexico on monday), i have been more observant of the people/places/things that i will miss the most while living abroad. i have moved away from home before; but this is different. not only am i moving houses, but i am also moving countries, lifestyles, languages... the list goes on. i am not worried about missing family and friends, because i know i will be in regular contact over the phone and e-mail. it is the little things that frighten me, that will create voids in me that i am not sure can be filled in mexico.
i will miss...
conversations with sales associates and cab drivers.
being able to sit in chapters for hours and buying english books.
red heads.
cheap, addictive coffee.
my dad bringing me cheap, addctive coffee.
my car. or, perhaps i should say, freedom of movement and transportation.
having my golden retriever greet me at the door. and her little puppy dog eyes that trick me into giving her treats.
reading the paper every morning.
tall people.
a (fairly) efficient and reliable mailing system.
downtown ottawa.
however, i will not miss...
my single bed.
the price of gas.
the winter.
the box stores in barrhaven.
things are gradually coming together for the trip, and i have been relatively worry free. dean, on the other hand, (the other teacher that i am driving to mexico with) was rear-ended yesterday and spent the day dealing with the logistics of getting his car fixed in time for us to leave. luckily, dean (and his car!) should be in good shape to leave bright and early monday morning. four days left. yowzers.
i will miss...
conversations with sales associates and cab drivers.
being able to sit in chapters for hours and buying english books.
red heads.
cheap, addictive coffee.
my dad bringing me cheap, addctive coffee.
my car. or, perhaps i should say, freedom of movement and transportation.
having my golden retriever greet me at the door. and her little puppy dog eyes that trick me into giving her treats.
reading the paper every morning.
tall people.
a (fairly) efficient and reliable mailing system.
downtown ottawa.
however, i will not miss...
my single bed.
the price of gas.
the winter.
the box stores in barrhaven.
things are gradually coming together for the trip, and i have been relatively worry free. dean, on the other hand, (the other teacher that i am driving to mexico with) was rear-ended yesterday and spent the day dealing with the logistics of getting his car fixed in time for us to leave. luckily, dean (and his car!) should be in good shape to leave bright and early monday morning. four days left. yowzers.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
premium dancing and a rigid pack.
i just watched the movie 'everything is illuminated'. it was a small road movie that had me laughing hysterically for the first half, and pondering deeply for about 15 minutes after the credits had rolled. if you want a thinking movie, you should definitely put up with watching elijah wood for two hours, and i guarantee you'll leave thought-provoked.
it has been a week of errand running and putting off other errands. it has been full to the brim with a road trip to southern ontario, sampling all of the mexican cuisine in greater ottawa area and hitting up bluesfest. last week, i felt like i had TONS of time until i left but now as a i lie in my bed on a sunday night seven days later, i realize that is not really the case! i have been running all the necessary errands slowly, so as not to disrupt my relaxed state. but right now, i am biting my nails, and that is always a bad sign. i have seen almost all the people i wanted to see, and i have had more than enough time to relax and catch up on six years worth of sleep. no more excuses, this week is crunch time!
however, before i move to productive mode, i am going to reflect on the weekend's events.
friday night mom took me out for mexican food on the market. along with incredible food, we were graced by the presnce of a mariachi-style band! then new hundreds upon hundreds of songs and even humoured me by playing my requests of colombian pop stars. erin way would be proud.
elena had a BBQ party that began at 3 saturday afternoon, and i didn't actually get home until 3am on sunday morning! somehow, i got convinced to go downtown (against my better judgement) and the next thing i knew tequila shots were flying, pictures were being snapped, and i was teaching katie how to salsa dance. let me tell you, this morning was ROUGH. wake up, pop two tylenols, chug a waterbottle, go back to bed kind of rough.
i was temporarily productive this afternoon, but it was quickly interrupted with my dad's car breaking down and my second mexican meal of the weekend. elena, ryan and katie took me out for a lovely dinner at feleena's on bank street. while the food was not as delicious as azteca, out waiter/owner charmed us and i would definitely be back. for the next few days i am going to shy away from mexican food because it is what i am going to be stuck with for the next two years... i better take advantage of selection while i still have it!
with that, i am going to hit the pillow and wake up productive and illuminated. let's hope.
it has been a week of errand running and putting off other errands. it has been full to the brim with a road trip to southern ontario, sampling all of the mexican cuisine in greater ottawa area and hitting up bluesfest. last week, i felt like i had TONS of time until i left but now as a i lie in my bed on a sunday night seven days later, i realize that is not really the case! i have been running all the necessary errands slowly, so as not to disrupt my relaxed state. but right now, i am biting my nails, and that is always a bad sign. i have seen almost all the people i wanted to see, and i have had more than enough time to relax and catch up on six years worth of sleep. no more excuses, this week is crunch time!
however, before i move to productive mode, i am going to reflect on the weekend's events.
friday night mom took me out for mexican food on the market. along with incredible food, we were graced by the presnce of a mariachi-style band! then new hundreds upon hundreds of songs and even humoured me by playing my requests of colombian pop stars. erin way would be proud.
elena had a BBQ party that began at 3 saturday afternoon, and i didn't actually get home until 3am on sunday morning! somehow, i got convinced to go downtown (against my better judgement) and the next thing i knew tequila shots were flying, pictures were being snapped, and i was teaching katie how to salsa dance. let me tell you, this morning was ROUGH. wake up, pop two tylenols, chug a waterbottle, go back to bed kind of rough.
i was temporarily productive this afternoon, but it was quickly interrupted with my dad's car breaking down and my second mexican meal of the weekend. elena, ryan and katie took me out for a lovely dinner at feleena's on bank street. while the food was not as delicious as azteca, out waiter/owner charmed us and i would definitely be back. for the next few days i am going to shy away from mexican food because it is what i am going to be stuck with for the next two years... i better take advantage of selection while i still have it!
with that, i am going to hit the pillow and wake up productive and illuminated. let's hope.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
at the cottage.
i am lying awkwardly in my bed following a painfully long drive back from the lake. the drive was actually quite quick, but was overshadowed by the fact that i cannot move my neck. damn those wakeboarding falls. it was an amazing loooong weekend (six days to be exact) full of as much reliving my childhood as i could possibly fit in. more specifically, my time at the cottage consisted of...
2 delicious ice cream cones. one from the cornball store and one from the restaurant in downtown mag.
3 slalom ski runs.
2 wakeboarding runs.
0 slalom ski falls.
5 wakeboarding falls. ouch.
3 people knocked off the tube. (2 of them were 7 years old. oops.)
5 sleep in's out of 6 days.
1 full book read. and 2 magazines!
1 breakfast on the dock in the sun.
4 drinks at the infamous schmeller house in "downtown" magnetawan.
2 hours of dancing at the schmeller house to a live band who had the "best night of their lives" and i believed them.
1 downtown magnetawan t-shirt purchased by friend alex who was visiting. will try and reach total of 2 by the end of the summer.
1 game of yahtzee lost.
1 game of trivial pursuit lost. 3 to 1 and we still lost to my dad!
1 game of cribbage won!
1 new successful slalom skiier: alex stayed up for 20 seconds!
5 kids ages 1 to 7 running around with sparklers singing oh canada.
many hours spent swimming/escaping the water beast, solving 'the secret door' and celebrating opposite day with oldest four kids.
2 sunny days.
4 cloudy/cold days.
10 hours in the car listening to a book on tape.
1 tired puppy. and i'm not talking about emma!
2 delicious ice cream cones. one from the cornball store and one from the restaurant in downtown mag.
3 slalom ski runs.
2 wakeboarding runs.
0 slalom ski falls.
5 wakeboarding falls. ouch.
3 people knocked off the tube. (2 of them were 7 years old. oops.)
5 sleep in's out of 6 days.
1 full book read. and 2 magazines!
1 breakfast on the dock in the sun.
4 drinks at the infamous schmeller house in "downtown" magnetawan.
2 hours of dancing at the schmeller house to a live band who had the "best night of their lives" and i believed them.
1 downtown magnetawan t-shirt purchased by friend alex who was visiting. will try and reach total of 2 by the end of the summer.
1 game of yahtzee lost.
1 game of trivial pursuit lost. 3 to 1 and we still lost to my dad!
1 game of cribbage won!
1 new successful slalom skiier: alex stayed up for 20 seconds!
5 kids ages 1 to 7 running around with sparklers singing oh canada.
many hours spent swimming/escaping the water beast, solving 'the secret door' and celebrating opposite day with oldest four kids.
2 sunny days.
4 cloudy/cold days.
10 hours in the car listening to a book on tape.
1 tired puppy. and i'm not talking about emma!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
counting sheep.
i can't sleep.
this is weird for me. i can ALWAYS sleep. i mean, i am definitely a night owl, but usually when i finally hit the pillow, i am asleep almost instantaneously. the culprit for me is usually that i had a late night latte or that i am really stressed about something that i have little control over. but tonight it is neither.
my mind is just racing like crazy. i have loads of time before i need to be ready to go to mexico, and i am off to the cottage tomorrow for a lazy few days by the lake. i don't think i am overly stressed or anxious about the move (maybe slightly, but nothing all-encompassing), but i think a few things hit me unexpectedly as i lay trying to fall asleep.
i was being fairly nonchalant about some things i have to do before i leave when i was on the phone with my mom today. this particularly flippant attitude achieves many things at the same time: it keeps me grounded and less stressed, and it doesn't worry my mother. however, she got kind of annoyed with me, and then said, "you know, moving to mexico is kind of a big deal". i obviously KNOW it is a big deal, but i have been trying to avoid the thought because i knew it would just stress me out. (hence the nonchalant part)
but now i am a bit worried. i have a long to-do list of errands i have to accomplish before i leave, which had not bothered me, until now. now, all i can picture as i lie here trying to fall asleep is one of those long long long rolls of receipt tape getting filled with an even longer list of thing i have forgotten. the perils of your own brain.
moreover, i had visions of this summer being THE summer where i would finally accomplish all those things that i have wanted to do for years and have never had time. you know what i mean: things like labelling your pictures, writing to great uncle so and so, re-organizing the filing cabinet, re-connecting with old friends, learning to golf and sorting through your sock and underwear drawer. so far, i have gotten a great start on all these projects (still haven't gotten to the sock and underwear drawer), but i am quickly running out of time! and it is bothering me that i only have four weeks before i leave and i won't finish my 'never had time to do' list. sigh. why is it that 'to do' lists are neverending? and who even has a 'never had time to do' list? i'm so weird.
so... having this conflicted attitude about knowing a fairly dramatic change is coming, but trying to remain fairly grounded and relaxed about it AND worrying that i won't have enough time to finish all my 'never had time to do' list are the culprits for keeping me up tonight.
in other news:
it was my parents 31st wedding anniversary today, and to celebrate, i cooked them a mexican fiesta feast. i have always told my parents that i was a decent cook, but they had never actually experienced it in person! with a little help from allrecipes.com, i created a delicious salsa (cut up one avocado, one mango, one small red onion, some peppers... hot if you like, some coriander and mix together with the juice from a lime) for an appetizer (with tostitos) and made my first attempt at enchiladas. great success with the enchiladas! i had absolutely NO idea how they would turn out, but they were a hit. cooking a meal is significantly cheaper than going out for one, and we got to lounge around with wine and eat outside in the backyard. talk about the whole enchilada.
i'll be off to the lake for a week tomorrow morning. no internet access so things here will be relatively quiet! hopefully the fresh air and waterskiing will melt these 'to do' and 'never had time to do' lists from my brain. i just re-read that and sound like such a nerd.
nite.
this is weird for me. i can ALWAYS sleep. i mean, i am definitely a night owl, but usually when i finally hit the pillow, i am asleep almost instantaneously. the culprit for me is usually that i had a late night latte or that i am really stressed about something that i have little control over. but tonight it is neither.
my mind is just racing like crazy. i have loads of time before i need to be ready to go to mexico, and i am off to the cottage tomorrow for a lazy few days by the lake. i don't think i am overly stressed or anxious about the move (maybe slightly, but nothing all-encompassing), but i think a few things hit me unexpectedly as i lay trying to fall asleep.
i was being fairly nonchalant about some things i have to do before i leave when i was on the phone with my mom today. this particularly flippant attitude achieves many things at the same time: it keeps me grounded and less stressed, and it doesn't worry my mother. however, she got kind of annoyed with me, and then said, "you know, moving to mexico is kind of a big deal". i obviously KNOW it is a big deal, but i have been trying to avoid the thought because i knew it would just stress me out. (hence the nonchalant part)
but now i am a bit worried. i have a long to-do list of errands i have to accomplish before i leave, which had not bothered me, until now. now, all i can picture as i lie here trying to fall asleep is one of those long long long rolls of receipt tape getting filled with an even longer list of thing i have forgotten. the perils of your own brain.
moreover, i had visions of this summer being THE summer where i would finally accomplish all those things that i have wanted to do for years and have never had time. you know what i mean: things like labelling your pictures, writing to great uncle so and so, re-organizing the filing cabinet, re-connecting with old friends, learning to golf and sorting through your sock and underwear drawer. so far, i have gotten a great start on all these projects (still haven't gotten to the sock and underwear drawer), but i am quickly running out of time! and it is bothering me that i only have four weeks before i leave and i won't finish my 'never had time to do' list. sigh. why is it that 'to do' lists are neverending? and who even has a 'never had time to do' list? i'm so weird.
so... having this conflicted attitude about knowing a fairly dramatic change is coming, but trying to remain fairly grounded and relaxed about it AND worrying that i won't have enough time to finish all my 'never had time to do' list are the culprits for keeping me up tonight.
in other news:
it was my parents 31st wedding anniversary today, and to celebrate, i cooked them a mexican fiesta feast. i have always told my parents that i was a decent cook, but they had never actually experienced it in person! with a little help from allrecipes.com, i created a delicious salsa (cut up one avocado, one mango, one small red onion, some peppers... hot if you like, some coriander and mix together with the juice from a lime) for an appetizer (with tostitos) and made my first attempt at enchiladas. great success with the enchiladas! i had absolutely NO idea how they would turn out, but they were a hit. cooking a meal is significantly cheaper than going out for one, and we got to lounge around with wine and eat outside in the backyard. talk about the whole enchilada.
i'll be off to the lake for a week tomorrow morning. no internet access so things here will be relatively quiet! hopefully the fresh air and waterskiing will melt these 'to do' and 'never had time to do' lists from my brain. i just re-read that and sound like such a nerd.
nite.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
i can't get enough satisfaction.
for those of you who didn't know, i have decided to take a few weeks off this summer. if you took a look at my bank acount you would probably call me crazy (are you noticing a repeating pattern here?), but i made the executive decision that i needed the time to organize my pack-rat life and get ready for mexico. plus, i wanted to have ample time to spend with my friends and family.
in all this time off, i have been getting a lot of things accomplished that i have wanted to do for awhile and i am absolutely loving the feeling of satisfaction. i'm not talking about feeling joy or happiness, but being purely satisfied. getting satisfaction, for me, is more internal than anything. i can get it from weird things that no one else would even consider. there's the obvious contentment you get when you print off an essay or walk out of an exam, but i have a few other less-common moments to add.
here's my ongoing list of things that give me pure (family-rated, or course) satisfaction:
-reading a magazing cover to cover, particularly in style and national geographic
-walking on a moving sidewalk. each step is so productive!
-throwing something out or giving something away that i am done with
-finishing a box of minute rice, or some other food product that takes ages to use up; and putting the box in recycling
-using a pen until it runs out, particularly inky ones
-when i pack light for a trip
-going a full day without biting my nails!
-and of course, finishing a whole 'to do' list... as rarely as it occurs!
in all this time off, i have been getting a lot of things accomplished that i have wanted to do for awhile and i am absolutely loving the feeling of satisfaction. i'm not talking about feeling joy or happiness, but being purely satisfied. getting satisfaction, for me, is more internal than anything. i can get it from weird things that no one else would even consider. there's the obvious contentment you get when you print off an essay or walk out of an exam, but i have a few other less-common moments to add.
here's my ongoing list of things that give me pure (family-rated, or course) satisfaction:
-reading a magazing cover to cover, particularly in style and national geographic
-walking on a moving sidewalk. each step is so productive!
-throwing something out or giving something away that i am done with
-finishing a box of minute rice, or some other food product that takes ages to use up; and putting the box in recycling
-using a pen until it runs out, particularly inky ones
-when i pack light for a trip
-going a full day without biting my nails!
-and of course, finishing a whole 'to do' list... as rarely as it occurs!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
southern ontario tour 2007.
my friend diane from teacher's college decided to get married in windsor, two weeks ago, so i figured it was worth turning the trip into a full-blown roadtrip. ottawa to windsor (in a shitty old taurus) takes about eight hours, so why not break up the journey and see some friends at the same time?
first leg: i drove from ottawa to woodstock in just over five hours, beating a violent rain storm that hit just as i arrived. i met up with dean, who is a high school teacher that i will be working with in monterrey. we waited out the rain and headed to his cottage on long point for the evening. my first cottage-ing of the summer!
second leg: met up with brooke in woodstock and we carpooled to windsor. we did not leave as much time as we should have, and ended up getting stuck at a railway crossing for over TWENTY minutes waiting for a sssssslow freight train to pass by. poor planning on our part, but we weren't changed and we weren't ready to go! so, we changed in the car at the railway crossing. classy. we arrived at the church in the nick of time and got to watch diane (who looked absolutely radiant) walk down the aisle. the reception was a rockin' party and we all had an amazing time.
the best date ever! brooke and i:
the four of us, together again! jackie, diane, brooke, me:
third leg: drove back to woodstock to get my car, and then navigated to kitchener to visit recently engaged rachel and marc and their sweet little dog indie. even stacey came to join us for a drink! it was SO nice to re-connect with them, and to reminisce about high school. funny enough, all three of us have become teachers! i will definitely have to spend more time staying in touch with them.
fourth leg: drove the 30 seconds to cambridge and stayed the evening with my granny. she has a lovely apartment with an incredible view of the sunset and we had great fun telling stories. she always give me all the low-down. for a woman in her mid-80s, she is still sharp as a tack!
fifth leg: drove to burlington to see the other side of my family, and to drop off some stuff with my brother, who will be living in burlington for the summer. the highlight was definitely visiting haley, rachel and nigel (my cousin's kids)... made me temporarily want to have some kids! not to worry, it passed fairly quickly.
sixth leg: sped (not literally!) through toronto and made it to kingston for my dentist appointment and some errands i needed to run at the university.
seventh leg: home! and time to sleep.
first leg: i drove from ottawa to woodstock in just over five hours, beating a violent rain storm that hit just as i arrived. i met up with dean, who is a high school teacher that i will be working with in monterrey. we waited out the rain and headed to his cottage on long point for the evening. my first cottage-ing of the summer!
second leg: met up with brooke in woodstock and we carpooled to windsor. we did not leave as much time as we should have, and ended up getting stuck at a railway crossing for over TWENTY minutes waiting for a sssssslow freight train to pass by. poor planning on our part, but we weren't changed and we weren't ready to go! so, we changed in the car at the railway crossing. classy. we arrived at the church in the nick of time and got to watch diane (who looked absolutely radiant) walk down the aisle. the reception was a rockin' party and we all had an amazing time.
the best date ever! brooke and i:
the four of us, together again! jackie, diane, brooke, me:
third leg: drove back to woodstock to get my car, and then navigated to kitchener to visit recently engaged rachel and marc and their sweet little dog indie. even stacey came to join us for a drink! it was SO nice to re-connect with them, and to reminisce about high school. funny enough, all three of us have become teachers! i will definitely have to spend more time staying in touch with them.
fourth leg: drove the 30 seconds to cambridge and stayed the evening with my granny. she has a lovely apartment with an incredible view of the sunset and we had great fun telling stories. she always give me all the low-down. for a woman in her mid-80s, she is still sharp as a tack!
fifth leg: drove to burlington to see the other side of my family, and to drop off some stuff with my brother, who will be living in burlington for the summer. the highlight was definitely visiting haley, rachel and nigel (my cousin's kids)... made me temporarily want to have some kids! not to worry, it passed fairly quickly.
sixth leg: sped (not literally!) through toronto and made it to kingston for my dentist appointment and some errands i needed to run at the university.
seventh leg: home! and time to sleep.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
namaste.
this evening, katie and i decided to meet up for a yoga class at a great studio downtown called rama lotus. i haven't been particularly stressed (being on vacation and all...) but i am always up for some serious stretching and bending my body into pretzel-like formations.
it is incredible how unflexible we become as adults. i remember when i took a jazz class as a kid, i won a chocolate bar for holding the splits for over 30 seconds. now i can barely kick my leg above my hip! some of the yoga poses are inhuman. why is it necessary to have our toes touch the floor above our heads? will this help me on my journey to a centred and balanced life?
when we first began, our instructor told us to remove all thoughts from our heads and focus solely on our breathing. go ahead, give it a try right now! it is almost impossible to take away all the thoughts from your consciousness. even thinking about not thinking becomes a thought in itself. however, as hokey as this all sounds, i find a lot of validity to what they are saying. if you think of a yoga pose as a metaphor for life, perhaps opening up our physical selves can lead to opening ourselves up mentally and emotionally. ridding any and all thoughts is an incredibly cleansing experience - one that you don't realize you have succeeded at until the moment has passed. the best part of each yoga class is certainly the last ten minutes, the relaxation session in corpse pose. now, this is a pose that i can hold. in fact, i'm always afraid i'll fall asleep!
they say experts can hold some yoga poses for up to two hours. for a thinker, that is a lot of time not to think.
on the subject of opening up, my dad has been in the media a bit this week on the subject of the anglican church and whether or not they will be blessing same sex unions. this week, national synod is meeting in winnipeg to make a decision on the stance of the anglican church. now; i am not particularly religious, but i do understand that this is a touchy subject for many people. i am so proud of my dad for a) having a particularly liberal opinion and having the guts to share it with his congregation but b) discussing the issue on national tv without preaching his own personal opinion and focusing more on how the church can move forward into the future (in the case of either decision) without having these opposing opinions ruin the community.
way to go, dad.
it is incredible how unflexible we become as adults. i remember when i took a jazz class as a kid, i won a chocolate bar for holding the splits for over 30 seconds. now i can barely kick my leg above my hip! some of the yoga poses are inhuman. why is it necessary to have our toes touch the floor above our heads? will this help me on my journey to a centred and balanced life?
when we first began, our instructor told us to remove all thoughts from our heads and focus solely on our breathing. go ahead, give it a try right now! it is almost impossible to take away all the thoughts from your consciousness. even thinking about not thinking becomes a thought in itself. however, as hokey as this all sounds, i find a lot of validity to what they are saying. if you think of a yoga pose as a metaphor for life, perhaps opening up our physical selves can lead to opening ourselves up mentally and emotionally. ridding any and all thoughts is an incredibly cleansing experience - one that you don't realize you have succeeded at until the moment has passed. the best part of each yoga class is certainly the last ten minutes, the relaxation session in corpse pose. now, this is a pose that i can hold. in fact, i'm always afraid i'll fall asleep!
they say experts can hold some yoga poses for up to two hours. for a thinker, that is a lot of time not to think.
on the subject of opening up, my dad has been in the media a bit this week on the subject of the anglican church and whether or not they will be blessing same sex unions. this week, national synod is meeting in winnipeg to make a decision on the stance of the anglican church. now; i am not particularly religious, but i do understand that this is a touchy subject for many people. i am so proud of my dad for a) having a particularly liberal opinion and having the guts to share it with his congregation but b) discussing the issue on national tv without preaching his own personal opinion and focusing more on how the church can move forward into the future (in the case of either decision) without having these opposing opinions ruin the community.
way to go, dad.
Monday, June 04, 2007
new york minute.
"think of a city and what comes to mind? it's streets. if a city's streets look interesting, the city looks interesting; if they look dull, the city look dull."
-jane jacobs
-jane jacobs
you can describe a city in the same way that you can describe a wine. like a full-bodied red, the cities that i have fallen for have depth, a robust flavour and a unique complexity to them that make them one of a kind. in nyc, its charm lies in its streets and its neighbourhoods. the best way to see the city is certainly by walking. but what strikes me every time in nyc is that in a minute, so much happens. a minute seems longer in new york, more sights are passed, more sounds fill the air, more attacks on my senses. whether i'm touring the tacky lights of times square, the quaint houses in greenwich village or the ritzy stores in soho i fall a little bit more in love with new york every time i go.
i know that my mom loves new york even more than i do, so i knew she would not be a tough sell when i suggested a girls weekend in late may. alyssa titus was also in (especially when we were able to pick the weekend after she finished her first year med school exams!), and we easily convinced her mom, ellen to come along. the four of us get along famously, and we had always wanted to take a trip together to take our female bonding beyond the scope of ahmic lake. the four of us out for dinner in greenwich village:
mom and i flew in bright and early thursday morning and immediately took a cab to our cute hotel in the theatre district. we are both go-go-go in nyc because we both have so much that we want to see, so we did not waste any time getting a move on. we wandered down 42nd street to the united nations, got a guided tour of the building and had an extensive history lesson. our tour guide was this cute little man who spoke as quiet as a mouse, but he answered all of my 'dumb' questions and i left feeling much more aware and curious to learn more. my mom's best lesson was that there are now just a few more than 80 member nations... (192 to be exact!) we continued wandering around the grounds because i wanted to catch all of the sights that were used for one of my favourite movies, the interpreter. a view of the flags, in alphabetical order:
the rest of thursday was filled with lounging in parks, exploring the new york library, stumbling upon the chaos in grand central station and staying off grass that was 'recovering from a major trauma'. we had tickets on our first night to a broadway play called inherit the wind , which was christopher plummer and brian dennehy at their finest. both were clearly veteran actors who effortlessly became the characters they were portraying. the premise of the play surrounds a teacher who has been convicted of breaking the law for teaching darwin's theory of evolution rather than creationism in a small town bible thumping community in the 1920s. the highlight was having the opportunity to switch seats and move to a seat on-stage as a member of the jury! very cool the be able to see christopher plummer spit as he talks and be a part of the action while still being an observer.
alyssa and ellen were meant to arrive on thursday evening but due to some flight cancellations ended up sleeping/resting in the toronto airport and arriving mid-morning on friday. aside from mom being kept up half the night with thoughts of all the the things that could have happened to them (plane crash, kidnapped by aliens and so on), i was slept right through! when they finally did arrive, we power-walked a zillion blocks down to greenwich village for our 'food and culture tour', which was worth every penny! we collected tidbits of celebrity gossip, got delicious samplings from incredible restaurants, shops and bakeries and even got a bit of the history of the neighbourhood. i LOVED it. and now we have a list of restaurants to try out on future visits! alyss and i in one of the courtyards in greenwich village:
we ventured over to a park in greenwich for a little break from all of our snacking before heading down to ground zero and the small chapel that houses a touching memorial. next alyss and i decided we needed some shopping to boost our energy levels and explored the heaven-on-earth that is century 21! holy all designer clothing at discount prices! needless to say, we were feeling much more energized for our dinner back in greenwich. the mom's called it a night, but alyss and i went out to a wine bar recommended by our neighbour. unfortunately the mello atmosphere put alyssa to sleep shortly after ordering a full bottle of wine so we did not tear up the nightlife like we had hoped! we were both happy to see our beds when we crawled in shortly after two am...
saturday was an unfortunate day. somehow i contracted a 24-hour bug and ended up having a vomit-fest all over manhattan. i was devastated! initially, i trucked along, ducking into back alleys to leave my dna when i needed to. but when we arrived in soho and i was completely unable to enjoy the shopping extravaganza, i realized i needed to lie down. conveniently, we could not find a park ANYWHERE. finally (what felt like months) my mom and ellen found a dodgy little park with homeless people sleeping and drug dealers smoking. i was so sick that i didn't even care! i fell asleep on a bench next to my mom in minutes... my mom wanted to avoid my being robbed, so she sat by me as ellen and alyssa ventured off to find katz's deli. after an hour, i decided i was good-to-go for the tenement museum in the lower east side. but it was hot, and i could barely stand up, so they eventually forced me to go back to the hotel. after a few 'there is no way i am going to be able to sleep while you guys are off enjoying nyc', i think i fell asleep in about five seconds flat. when they returned a few hours later, i was a new person! bubbly, energized and no longer wanting to die, i was able to attend our entertainment for the evening, the color purple . being a distinct racial minority in the audience was a refreshing experience, and the music was outstanding. and i didn't even have to leave to continue the vomit tour! the girls in the powder room at the color purple:
sunday was another mom and me day. alyssa and ellen really wanted to go to central park and the museum of modern art, but i really wanted to go back to soho now that i had rejoined the world. in the usual fashion, mom and i dominated our time, shopping our brains out (victoria secret anyone?), having a quick glass of wine over lunch and still having time to make our third (count 'em!) broadway show. this time, we went for a lighthearted fun show with legally blonde ! mostly tweens were in the audience but the songs were fun and kitschy and i caught myself saying omigod in the airport on the way home. (don't tell anyone!)
the weekend was short but stellar. it was some much needed girl's time, retail therapy and city hustle and bustle. i am trying to convince my mom to turn new york weekends into a yearly tradition! unlikely but i'll let you know how it goes....
mom and i in front the un:
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
tickled pink.
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.
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.
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.
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