Emily in Canada

...on the weekend...

2009-12-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

When I was searching for work in Peterborough, I was offered two jobs practically simultaneously. In my great wisdom, I decided to work both of them, and I have somehow managed to keep things together for the last 3.5 months, but now fear that I am quickly unraveling (just in time for Christmas).

I worked an extra 16 hours at Christmas parties this weekend. I actually felt like I had a hangover today, and seeing as I've only had one glass of wine this week, I know it must just be exhaustion. Either that, or my system is far more sluggish than I have realised.

I thought I would share a snippet of conversation I had last night while cutting bread for a couple of buffets. It went something like this:

I was cutting bread (and I also happened to cut my finger, but that is actually unrelated to my story) and I had to switch the side the bread was being cut on as well as move the knife so that I, a left handed person, could cut the bread. I was muttering under my breath about this and some of the kitchen staff were listening and one of them called over the service line to me, "You're left handed?!"
I called back, sarcastically, (while clearly cutting the bread with my left hand) "No, no I'm not left handed!"
He got it, and then one of the other kitchen staff asked, "Hey what's it called when you can do stuff with both hands.?"
"Ambidexterous," I said.
"That's right," he said. "Ask the one who went to university, she'll know." I smiled, chuckled and nodded.
"What did you go to university for, anyway?" he asked.
I looked up, raised one eyebrow, and said "Education." Clearly this was funny, so everyone laughed.
"Oh, for like what? Like, just general education, or what?"
"No, I'm a teacher. I've taught before." I answered.
"So, like you teach little kids, or like high school?"
"High school"
"But what subjects, like just a little of everything?"
At this point a couple of the other guys were chorusing things in the background like "No, of course not, specific subjects!" and "Subjects! Subjects!" Bless them.
"Well, technically I teach History, and Drama," I replied.
"Ooooh! An actor!" he shouted, brandishing a glazing brush, and everyone cheered. "No! No! An actress! An actress! I'm sorry!"
"Well, actually, with gender equality and neutrality these days, you can use the term 'actor' to refer to women as well. We're moving away from the use of the word 'actress.'"
"Uh, oh."
"So, uh, if you're a teacher, what are you doing working here?"

And that, my friends, is the million dollar question.
*************************************************************************************

Another fun moment (and during a 9 hour shift, there can really be a few), was when I was resetting tables with another banquet staff member. She was talking to a couple, who are members of the Golf Club I work at, about school and the possibility of pursuing graduate studies, and the elderly gentleman she was chatting with remarked, "Surely you're not old enough to be in fourth year!"
"I am, I am!" said the girl I was working with. "If don't think I'd old enough, you'll never guess how old Emily is!" Yes, this is a funny, funny, joke. I never tire of this one.
"Oh, I don't know," mused the man. "About sixteen, maybe?"
I sighed. What else is there to do in that situation, really?
"No, you'll never guess," I said with false gaiety. "This is a fun every time! I'm twenty-eight."
You'll never guess what they said next.
"No! Twenty-eight?! My goodness, dear! You hardly look it! I would never have guessed that" (and I would never have guessed your hair was real, but hey, who's looking?).
"Yes, it's true. I'm actually twenty-eight."
"Well, you'll appreciate it when you're older, Emily," said my co-worker.

Yeah, when I'm ninety and people only think I'm eighty. It'll be grand. Can't wait.

I'm just going to start telling people I'm 23 and buy myself some more time in my 20s to figure out a career, it seems.

I'll get back to you when I'm 30, in about another 7 years.

...it's gonna be...

2009-10-25T19:15:00.001-07:00

Check out the songs on this record:

1. You May See Me Walkin'
2. Crying My Heart Out Over You
3. Lost To A Stranger
4. I Don't Care
5. So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed

Equate these songs to my life. Too easy, right?

Alright, here is some of what you've been waiting for...

Over the summer I made these tumblers out of recycled Perrier bottles. I experimented a lot with beer bottles before I really figured out the technique, but I think I've got the hang now...

I used a glass etching acid to frost the glass - I cut out the stencil shapes myself out of adhesive vinyl paper.

And that's how it's done.

One day soon I'll be wrapping some of these up as gifts. Keep your fingers crossed, one of these may be yours!

Less impressive pictures include stackable bookshelves made out of recycled records. These I have yet to fully perfect, but they're definitely cheap, look somewhat cool (cooler in person, I swear) and are functional.

There are also some spoons... but I don't want to give it all away at once. What will I post next month?

Stay tuned (I can sense your eagerness. Settle down).

... Back, by popular demand...

2009-10-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Alright, well, maybe only two or three people mentioned they wanted me to update my blog...but...I'll take it. And maybe my sister told me I only update my blog when I go through a break up...but I'm going to disregard that comment, true though it may be (ok, but seriously Tash, it's not ALWAYS true. I faithfully updated for A YEAR when I was in Sierra Leone. Yeesh).

Here's the thing, though: I'm currently killing time in Edmonton after a university fair at the University of Alberta and the bar happens to have wireless internet access. So, as I wait for the clock to move forward, there's really no excuse for me not to update the blog. You might have noticed, it's been a while.

I really, really meant to update over the summer. I embarked on a number of artsy projects and you'd think I'd want to post the results here, but, my camera seems to be a bit on the fritz. I think I may need a new battery (which means I need to go to Future Shop...only it's not called 'Future Shop anymore...) and pick something up. I'll work on that. Maybe it'll make my 'to do' list for Friday. No promises.

As some of you may know, I've started a new job at Trent University as the recruiting and liaison officer for the Graduate Studies department. I love it! It might actually be the best of all worlds for me. Not only do I get to use my ridiculously mad skills at organizing (yes, organizing is a thing of beauty) and planning, but I get to travel around the country going to 'fairs' and talking to people. If you know me, you know this sounds like a very good thing. I feel really lucky to have this job, even though it's not a long contract. I've spoken to my supervisors about the possibility of me coming back to the same contract next year, and they seem positive about it ("We could have some continuity; that would be great!") and I'm considering my options now. I'm toying with the idea of doing some 'youth work' part-time in the New Year as there is a position that's come up that could be a possibility. Perhaps 'toying' is too blase a term. I'm thoughtfully considering it (no sarcasm implied here at all. No, really.). It wouldn't involve running a 'youth group' per se, but rather going into area schools and starting some extra-curricular programs as a way of connecting with youth in the community. What do we think? I could partner that with part-time work at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club and then return to the Trent job in August/Sept. It's either this, or flee the country again (in that vein, I'm thinking the UK or New Zealand).

Discuss.

For a visual, here is a random picture I downloaded from the internet when I did a Google images search for 'Edmonton Chateau Lacombe view."

I actually can see this if I crane my neck about 180 degrees. I'm not sure what those point rooves are, but I'm sure it's something important (the fine bar maid here told me it is the 'Muttart Conservatory" - a series of botanical gardens, greenhouse style here in North Edmonton).

Edmonton reminds me of a cross between Peterborough and Toronto. It has the 'green' aspects of Peterborough: a river, many trees, green spaces, but also the 'concrete' aspects of Toronto: big buildings, skyscrapers, old buildings. As I drove into the 'city centre' last night, the aesthetic evoked TO feelings. In the daylight, I see more green. This is my first time West of Ontario, and I can't say I've seen much... but now, at least I can say I've been to 7 out of 10 provinces and 1 out of 3 territories. I'm working on it. Maybe I can make it to Vancouver next year.

I will work on posting the 'crafty' pictures. I did do some crafts involving glass. I gave a vase to my sister for her b-day and have a collection of 'tumblers' in the attic at the moment. A friend of mine was hard-pressed to believe I'd made them myself. I did.

I'm just that good.

...SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP...

2009-07-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

And I will...quite literally.

Well, it's been a whirlwind tour...I feel exhausted from all the travelling, but it's only half over. I still have another week to go in the Big City, family to visit, and doctors to see.

I've spent a couple of days doing some shopping and wandering the city trying to get 're acclimatized' to busy urban life. It's a bit overwhelming..and I grew up here! Obviously I've been away too long. Something else I find difficult is how often Toronto changes - nothing is where it used to be, nor is it where it was the last time I was here. Well, SOME things are...but honestly, I had to ask a waiter yesterday where the nearest movie theatre was at Yonge/Dundas. Because I DIDN'T KNOW! All I remember are the days when the Eaton Centre had its own theatre and you could see movies for $3.50. Where have those days gone??

On a plus note, the Thai place is still there..as is the Winner's on College.

In case you were wondering.

...THIS IS IT!...

2009-06-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

The other day (the other day)
I went up North (I went up North)
The frozen North (The frozen North)
A ways off course (A ways off course)

I looked at it ( I looked at it)
It looked at me (It looked at me)
I sized up it (I sized up it)
It sized up me (It sized up me)

North said to me (North said to me)
Why don't you run? (Why don't you run?)
I see you ain't (I see you ain't)
Got any gun (Got any gun)

And so I ran (and so I ran)
Away from there (away from there)
But right behind (but right behind)
Me was the North! (me was the North!)

Ahead of me (ahead of me)
There were no trees (there were no trees)
No great big trees (no great big trees)
That's bad for me (that's bad for me)

The nearest thing (the nearest thing)
Was the frozen sea (was the open sea)
I'd have to fish (I'd have to fish)
And trust my luck (and trust my luck)

And so I fished (and so I fished)
On the frozen ice (on the frozen ice)
But I caught no char (But I caught no char)
On the floe out far (on the floe out far)

Now don't you fret (now don't you fret!)
Now don't you frown (now don't you frown!)
'Cause I hunted seal ('cause I hunted seal)
Away from town (Away from town)

This is the end (this is the end)
There ain't no more (there ain't no more)
Until I see (until I see)
The North once more (the North once more)!

Ok, well, I never personally hunted seal or fished for char, but I watched them being done; stared intently at a steaming seal carcass out on the land and gutted and filleted quite a few fishes this year. I think I did my part.

School's out for the summer...and it snowed again today.

I hear it's, what, 35 degrees in Ontario?? The transition is going to be SWEATY.

We're supposed to leave Friday morning - 2 more sleeps and hopefully we make it out on time and there isn't too much of a fog issue (which has been a big problem lately).

I can't wait for the summer! I have a few project ideas planned and I'm hoping (but no promises!) to be a much more frequent blogger in the near future. Also, I will post pictures. Because I love pictures best.

Fingers crossed and see you soon!

,,,this is June...

2009-06-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

JUNE 1st.....and we woke up to a foot of snow outside!

By the end of the day most of the white stuff had the good sense to melt away, but the forecast is threatening more in the next day or two.

It's JUNE.

Well, what can one expect if she chooses to live in the Arctic?

In other news, my laptop died. No fear, a new one is on the way, eventually. It's difficult being disconnected up here (although I've been doing more reading).

3 more weeks of school left! It's hard to imagine it's near the end since there hasn't been any sort of seasonal change. I tend to equate the end of the school year with melted snow, blooming flowers and sunshine. Well, I suppose we do have sunshine in spades. We're practically at 24 hours these days. It makes it difficult to sleep - we have our windows blacked out (on a plus note about the windows: the constant sunshine has melted the thick layer of ice encrusting them so we can now actually open the windows! Fresh air: getting it's now a breeze).

I start a 'Puberty and Sexual Education' unit tomorrow with my students. I picked up a GIANT picture board book about pregnancy from the Health Centre this afternoon. It's pretty awesome and reminds me a bit of one of the books I had when I was a kid (only mine was much smaller and included pop-ups and all that jazz). While I was picking it up, one of the nurses told me to 'emphasis the pain and responsibility of pregnancy.' Check. Pregnancy = Pain. Hence why I only plan to do it once, and maybe in about a decade. I've got to psych myself up.

26 days!

Not too shabby.

...sniffle, snuffle, glub, glub...

2009-04-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I've come down with a terrible cold - I've taken the last three days off work. It's gross. I sound like a man and my nose would be dripping like a faucet if it weren't so clogged. Bleh.

In other news, I've been applying to jobs down South...teaching options are a little bit bleak, but there is some hope! If you're the praying type, or the positive energy channeling type, or the finger-crossing type, please do any or all of the above for me. There are two positions I would like, one is with a private school outside Peterborough and the other is with a private school in Smiths Falls. I feel good about both options, but at the moment am leaning more towards the closer-to-Peterborough option simply because of location.

It's almost May and temperatures are heating up here. We're almost consistently into single digit minus temperatures here! This week it's between -10 and -5. That's practically zero! It snowed on Monday, but hey, what's a light dusting? The sun is out in full force, rising around 3:30am and setting after 9pm. Soon we'll be getting into the 24 hours of sunlight zone. I've blacked out my windows already.

This is the last leg of the race. There are about 7 weeks of school left now, and 59 days in the North. I just need to keep focused on the end goal....just...keep....going.

I can make it.
I swear.

...it's been a while...

2009-03-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't kept up with the posts - the internet is slow and uploading pictures uses a lot of broadband and we tend to run out of it at the end of the month (aka. our internet slows to a crawl...rather frustrating).

At any rate, here are some photos of the boots I made over 'March Break.' We don't actually get the week off; staff have to participate in "professional development" activities. I decided to make these boots. I worked with an elder in the community and it took me ALL week. Everything was sewn by hand. The design was mine and it's not entirely 'traditional' but is more 'Indian' than 'Inuit.' They tell me the boots are more like 'mukluks' than 'kamiks' and that they are more like 'Metis boots.' Still, everyone seems to think they're pretty cool, and a few of my students didn't even believe I'd made them myself! Ha!

I'm pretty proud of them!

If you're wondering when I am coming home, my flight is booked for Friday June 26th....coming to a community in Ontario near you, soon!

Huzzah!

...to update or not to update...

2008-10-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

That is the question....obviously, I have been going with the latter lately. I suppose there hasn't been too much wild and fabulous going on...but there have been a few highlights:

I went to a traditional 'feast' a number of weeks ago. The only food to feast on was raw, a fabulous spread of raw seal (of which there were three, split down the centre, guts pulled out, no longer swimming in sea water but seal blood), raw clams, and raw narwhal (muktuk). Mmm, mmmm, good! I had some narwhal (chewy, a bit like squid) and actually ate a raw clam, so fresh it was still moving and I had to murder it with my bare hands by squishing out its guts (it looked a bit like a disembodied tongue lying on my very own slab of cardboard). I couldn't bring myself to eat any seal, having tasted it cooked already I can't imagine the raw variety being more enjoyable. The image that is imprinted in my memory is of all of the women in the washroom after the feast, their faces and hands smeared and covered with blood, cleaning up after this delicious meal. Did you know that the word "Eskimo" means 'eaters of raw meat?'

One afternoon all of the students from the school took the pier by storm because narwhals were sighted off-shore. All of the hunters were out in their boats and we were able to see the spray from the blow holes of 3 narwhals. We didn't see the narwhals themselves per se, but still it was very exciting to shout at the boat circling around their prey.

I've bought a few knicknacks from some artists who come selling their art door-to-door. Yesterday, Karen and I bought a polar bear and a pair of earings for $45, we did a bit of bartering. The young man we bought from agreed to our price and we exchanged goods and money. Tonight, the same young man came back, demanding more money for us saying that we had agreed to a 'down payment' (which of course was not true). He became more and more aggressive and one of our neighbours finally called us and we asked her to call the RCMP. As soon as he heard that, he took of running and we haven't seen him since. We do have the whole night ahead of us.

Karen and I have started a 'dance club' on Fridays after school. I don't really know what I'm doing, but the kids seem to be having fun, it's a workout, and we're going to choreograph something for the Christmas concert which is going to spring up faster than we imagine.

Only 7.5 weeks 'til Christmas!

...a picture's worth a thousand words...

2008-09-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Water, Earth and Sky: Staff Day trip out on the land

Heading Home: Fishing boats we travelled in on our Staff Day

Ain't it pretty?

Inukshooks on top of the mountain we climbed a few weeks ago. Remember that...I call it: The Mountain Climbing Fiasco.

Today I walked out of the school and had to laugh at the fact that I am, indeed, living in the Arctic. Sometimes I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was living in the tropics...and as I smile at the memories and shake my head in disbelief, I turn and watch a 6-year old boy pop a wheelie on the snow-dusted dirt road and wave at a woman driving by on a 4-wheeler.

Yes, this is Qikiqtarjuaq. And it's started snowing already.

This is the view from the mountain we climbed. The picture I have of this mountain is not very impressive...but trust me, it's a high mountain and currently completely snow-covered. Karen and I hiked this mountain...twice. In one day.

This is the mountain. Trust me, it's more impressive than this in person. I swear.

And in case you're worried I'm not getting my balanced diet of fruits and vegetables...we picked some 'black berries' on our Staff Day as well. Can you say muffins and pancakes?

Who is this devilishly handsome brute? Oh wait, it says. One day, maybe I'll take art classes too, Dad. :)

...really, kids? REALLY?...

2008-09-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a little grumpy (shocking, I know) from a lack of sleep.

As I've mentioned, the children run around like banshees up here. Last night, there was a group of 6 youths lurking around the Co-Op Store and the Hamlet Community Centre (we just happen to live in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in town. It has its own stop sign) and these 6 youths were bludgeoning an empty plastic oil can with a 2X4.

Why?

Who honestly knows.

And do they really have to do it at 1am? FOR 40 MINTUES??

Other things that happen for 40 mintues:

1. Supposedly this is how long I'm supposed to teach each subject in a single period. As if the students actually achieve or accomplish anything in this amount of time. I've already started 'doubling up.'

2. Children incessantly ringing our door bell and knocking on our front door and calling 'Eeeemmiiiilllly" in high pitched, banshee-like voices. Annnooooooying. This is why we bolt the outer porch door. I suspect we appear highly anti-social.

3. Our walk around town last night where we collected rocks to make our own miniature Inukshooks, almost adopted a puppy, and were scared half to death by students careening around town on a 4-wheeler. I don't care if it's the kid's 13th birthday - don't scream at me on a road where I could be attacked by Polar Bears!

If you're reading this blog, you should also check out Karen's (www.karenversluys.blogspot.com) as she has a few more pictures up plus a hilarious story about our mountain climbing adventure last weekend.

Painful.

...i can see clearly now...

2008-09-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

the fog is lifting...for about 30 seconds.

Just a few quick observations:

1. The hot water temperature here is unregulated. It must be regulated in Ontario and other places because here it is scalding. Always. I could practically brew tea with what comes out of the tap but not quite, because the water does need to be boiled and filtered before it's actually drinkable.

2. Non-potable water, empty water tanks, wild dogs, swarms of children, phone delays, and endemic tardiness are just a few of the things about living in the North that remind me of living in Africa.

3. The kids here are like wild banshees. They roam the streets at night until all hours, unsupervised and uncared for. Sometimes, for fun, we watch them throw rocks at each other from one of our upstairs bedroom windows. It's like Lord of the Flies, but instead of a dead pig it's a seal carcass they're fighting over. And in school, it's a circus and I'm the ineffective ringleader.

4. I'm going to need to order more wine. Every day is 'one of those days.'

5. They don't actually pay me enough. Show me the money! (Love you, Tom).

6. Seal meat tastes like a cross between some sort of fish and animal liver. Narwhal tastes like a cross between lobster, and squid/octopus. Let's just say I don't think I'll be making seal meat stew any time soon.

In other news....

If you want to reach me, my mailing address is:

Emily Harrison
PO Box 167
Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut
X0A 0B0

Our phone number is:

(867) 927 8978.

Our phone plan is horrible so please call me because I can't call you that often!

Photos of our staff bondage...I mean bonding day out 'on the land' will follow soon.

Have a great weekend.

I plan to....drink....

(kidding Mum; I don't have a problem...just a solution).

...out and about...

2008-09-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a bit of a foggy, rainy week here... there was one day that was nice, but it happened to be the day we were in school so I didn't get a chance to snap too many pictures. I took these over the weekend.

This is the view from my bedroom. Note the functioning power lines. The icebergs are starting to move into our bay now as well and eventually all of the water will freeze over.

Don't worry, I brought my skates.

It seems to take FOREVER for the pictures to upload here - I feel as though the signal in Qikitarjuaq is worse than that in Freetown. Who would have thought?

As I wait for the next photo to upload, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you that our Sea Lift order of frozen foods has yet to arrive, as does any of my cargo shipment. For the last week I have eaten pasta and pizza almost exclusively. For variety I add the occasional serving of canned peaches or applesauce. Delish.

This photo is taken on the way to school (it's a short walk down an unpaved road...as are all the roads here). In the distance you can see a hill with an Inukshook on it. Karen and Tara (one of the other new teachers here) went for a walk up the hill but I didn't join them. Along the way a wild husky dog jumped out at them and Tara's dog, Mavic, and tried to take a bite out of Mavic's hind quarters. Needless to say, I won't be walking alone here.

We had a long weekend this weekend only there were no docks, barbeques, or sunset beers involved... Today, Monday, most of the teachers were at school planning for the rest of the week's classes. On Thursday the staff are supposed to be going to the national park here, weather permitting.

Can I just mention again how SLOW it is to upload pictures? Oiy.

Eventually...when it finally loads, you'll see a picture of the outside of the school - Inuksuit School. The school is fairly well equipped and I'm not worried about supplies or anything like that. We even have a coffee fund. It's wild.

My classroom is pretty typical - a bit bigger than the one in Sierra Leone and I have a view of something more inspiring than just a stone wall growing moss. Super!

And now, to end this update, a warning to you all... make sure that when you enter the computer lab you abide by the sign on the door:

And I mean it.

...At the top of the world...

2008-08-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well, after a frantic run around at the Toronto Airport Karen and I managed to catch the flight from TO to Ottawa in one piece. But no joke, we both just barely managed to get on the plane in time. There was running involved. So much for 'meeting up' at the airport beforehand. Otherwise the travel portions of our trip were smooth. There was some chaos with the small size of the Iqaluit airport and the extreme number of excess baggage articles that everyone on the plane had...but it eventually was all sorted out. Karen's bags weighed a ton. Almost literally. Together we had 13 pieces. Good times were had in the transportation of all of our stuff from the Iqaluit airport to our hotel room on Sunday night and then back to the airport at 6am the next morning. In fact, things were so rough when we first arrived in Iqaluit that the military jumped in to help us. No, it wasn't planed. I guess we just looked pathetic standing outside the airport and wondering why the hotel shuttle doesn't run on the weekends. At any rate, it was immensely helpful that these three military men loaded all of our suitcases into the back of their truck, drove us to the hotel and then unloaded everything for us again. They kept exclaiming about the amount of stuff we had and couldn't believe there were only 2 of us. Imagine their continued shock when we told them we were only staying for 2 weeks. "Um...well, we're only up for 2 weeks but we just couldn't decide what to wear!" Yeah...good times. :)

We were met in Qikiqtarjuaq (Kick-ick-tar-jew-ack) by the principal and dropped with our two 'priority suitcases' at our newly renovated house. It's a lot nicer and larger than we expected. It has 2.5 floors, tons of storage space and lots of living space. We'll be happy there. Photos will follow of course just as soon as all of our other suitcases arrive, not to mention our cargo shipment. As it stands, no flights came into Qiki today because of the high winds and fog but we're hopeful that the other 9 pieces of our baggage will arrive at the end of the week.

Luckily, part of our Food Sea Lift order had arrived! It's a good thing, because there was no where to buy dinner in the town. We made pasta with tomato sauce and cheese. I even had grapefruit juice and canned peaches for dessert. It's not so bad. In fact, I think food options will be fairly decent. Of course, I think we're eating pasta again tonight so it might loose its appeal sooner rather than later.

Our school has wireless internet which is nice, although it's been a bit difficult to set up phone and internet service for our house. We basically have to sell our lives away to set up phone service. I let Karen do that. Because I'm just that nice.

I puttered around my classroom this morning/afternoon. The students start school on Thursday so I have to come up with some 'back to school activities' for the rest of this week and then get down to some serious lesson planning over the weekend which is a long one since there is a holiday on Monday. The other teachers from the South that I've met have seemed really nice. Karen and I live next door to a young couple who have been teaching in Korea for the last couple of years and have a wrinkle dog...you know, the kind from 'Pound Puppies.' I used to have a wrinkle dog toy when I was a child. The real thing is even cutter!

Alas, I haven't taken any photos yet as I haven't been in a particularly 'snappy' mood. I will take some soon and upload them and let you into the aesthetics of my new world. Qiki has some mountains so there is visual appeal and at the moment most things are brown, yellowy-brown, or greeny-brown. There is no snow, but today is overcast, foggy and very windy which makes it a lot colder.

I'm heading home now to fix myself some pasta. Sweet.

Gotta love those carbs.

...and now for something completely different...

2008-06-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

I saw the SATC movie. There was a quote in it that I wanted to use, but of course, after seeing it I promptly forgot the quote. I once answered the question "I remember things now just as well as I used to" with the answer 'true.' Clearly, I was mistaken.

Now, as per usual, I have received the nice and nagging requests to update my blog. I had plans to do it weeks ago, but all of a sudden things because really, really busy. Mostly because I was offered and accept a job to teach in Nunavut in the space of a week. Ok, if you actually consider the time it took for me to be interviewed for the job and then offered the job...it's only one day. And then if you also include the time between when I was offered the job and when I had to submit an online order for all of the food I want for next year, it's also one day. So basically, I was interviewed for the Nunavut job, offered the job, and then told to order my food for the rest of my life in the space of three days.

On top of that, I have been back and forth to Toronto ad nauseum and am now ready for a break, but it doesn't look like those trips will be letting up immediately. But I can't complain, I love Toronto in the summer. Actually, I like Toronto at most times of year.

So, now that I've accepted this job in Nunavut, I have to set about 'gearing up' for the arctic. That means I have to invest in a heavy-duty parka (Canada Goose, only, they tell me), a pair of 'Baffin Boots' not to mention long underwear, mitts, snowpants, toques, and other winter paraphernalia. I know, you're dying for pictures of me in a down parka. Don't worry, we'll get there. Anticipation will make it that much sweeter. Also, you will want to see the pictures of me making out with polar bears. I may have to photoshop those, but I'm not above that.

Now, I'm sure you're thinking "Nunavut? The Arctic? Is she crazy?" The answer may actually be 'yes,' however, it seemed like the best and most convenient option at the time. Usually amazing opportunities seem to fall into my lap (is it wrong to say that? Should I knock on a log now or something?) but they do. The way the Nunavut opportunity worked out, it seemed to be fate. Not only am I going to have a great opportunity teaching in a unique setting (which I always love), saving a good chunk of chage, but I will also be living and teaching with a good friend of mine, Karen who I met while at Dalhousie.

Let me introduce you to Karen:

Karen Versluys is funny. Not just funny looking. Karen grew up in Port Perry, but I don't hold that against her. It wasn't her choice. Karen used to work on the GM line, where she encouraged other workers to join in her rousing performances of Disney musical numbers. Karen paid her way through her Master's by slinging brewskies, most conveniently at the infamous Grad House Club. I totally got Karen that job, so she owes me. Our boss told me that Karen was great, but 'not at all what he expected.' I'm not sure what that means. I have to live with her now. I'm a little afraid, but I know that if the going gets tough, we can always break out into a chorus of "Part of Your World," complete with choreographed actions. Karen completed her BA at Queen's, which I also don't hold against her. Much. After her MA at Dalhousie, Karen headed back to Kingston to take her B.Ed. I know exactly what she went through. I also needed to move many provinces away after my B.Ed at Queen's. Karen did her alternative practical in Tanzania and has the tan to prove it. I helped Karen acquire the same lucrative travel grant I did when I was in teacher's college. Like I said, she owes me. Karen got me this job in Nunavut. I think we're even. But, if anything goes wrong, you now know who to blame.

As for me....well, you should know all about me, but just in case you've forgotten:

Emily Harrison never stays in one place for very long. Some people have said she likes extremes, and she doesn't think this is a bad thing. Emily spent 4 years learning how to hug trees and thinking so abstractly she stopped making sense to people outside of the Cultural Studies program at Trent University. Emily completed her B.Ed at Queen's. She lived on Emily Street while she was there. It was the one redeeming quality of her time in Kingston. Well, that and she could see the lake from her house. After her B.Ed, Emily thought it was wise to try her hand at an MA in Halifax. She is now thinking she should have thought that through more thoroughly. After a year of classes and coursework, Emily was on the move again, teaching for a year in Sierra Leone. After her return, she pretended to write her thesis while living in an attic in Peterborough. In order to avoid turning into a cat lady, Emily decided to apply for a teaching position in Nunavut and is now going to replace cats with polar bears. Or seal pups. She's still undecided.

"head out on the highway, looking for adventure?"

2008-05-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

You know, or whatever comes my way. And, incidentally, I can now drive on the highway whenever I want, since I now have a full 'G' license. At 26. I can do anything.

So here's a run-down on what's been going on and some of the decisions I've been making lately.

First of all, I finally applied to that internship with CAUSE Canada that I've been talking about for...well...years. This year the internship would have been working with women and promoting adult women's literacy. Unfortunately, I'm over-qualified. Ok, maybe not over-qualified, but the fact that I have had paid, overseas experience 'in my field' (as if anyone really knows what 'my field' is...puh-lease...I barely know what my own field is), but the fact that I have been paid to teach overseas disqualifies me. Tough love. So basically, now I'm not qualified enough to teach at other international schools, but I'm too qualified to be able to do an internship. And clearly, we all know I'm much too broke to volunteer. So woop-de-doo. Yeah. I said 'woop-de-doo.' So, it looks like the CAUSE internship door has been closed. Perhaps I can find another internship, but I fear the criteria would be similar - this was also a CIDA internship, so no, I can't really go that route. But, at least I have a very clear door shut. In my face. *sigh* (I bet it was a red door. I should have painted it black years ago, Mick).

I did also fill out a general application to CAUSE - maybe they will be able to find me a different position within their organization. But I'm not holding my breath. Because I'm partial to oxygen.

I've been offered a job (a bit undefined at the moment) at the American Academy in Casablanca, Morocco. I believe the position would be to teach music (although some art and drama would be involved) and I could take a grade 4/5 classroom teacher position if I wanted. While at first this might sound exciting, I'm resistant because of a few details. One, I believe the contract is 2-years. I don't want 2 years at this point. Two, the school is not yet accredited with the USA, although they may get accreditation in the spring. An unaccredited school doesn't look as good. Even AISF was accredited. And three, am I that into North Africa? Not really, although it would give me a broader perspective on Africa as a continent as my father suggested. But is it really where I want to be? And is it really doing what I want to do? I'm not sure that the answer is a resounding 'yes' to either of those questions.

I've decided not to re-audition for the Peterborough Singers for next year's season. This year was a good experience and I enjoyed getting back into singing in a choir and meeting some new people, but I don't think the Singers are quite the right fit for me. I don't enjoy the huge, religiously-based choral works we tend to do (although I have nothing against either religion or choral works, in fact I times I quite like both) but together and all the time they just don't provide enough variety for me. Plus, I've just started leading music at St. John's so I'd like to pour myself into that more - it's what I prefer to do. And I'm good at it.

I can't remember if I've mentioned a few of the other options I have on the go, but they look like the ones that might pan out more realistically over the next 6mos-to-a-year. Right now what I'm hoping for is to get the job I applied for that would have me working with the "Amigos" program in KPRDSB schools as a facilitator. I think it would be a good fit considering some of my background in special needs work - and also I'd be in and out of schools in the board and making some connections. Plus, being in Peterborough would allow me to FINALLY finish my thesis. (oh God, oh God...let's not talk about it), and also be closer to my family and some of my friends. Also, if I ever need to take a job in Toronto or Ottawa, I'm in a good position to move to either of those places eventually.

I also applied to be 'Assistant Head of House' at Lakefield College School - but I'm not sure what's going to happen there, and I'm not convinced I want to live out there either...although 'private apartment' does sounds nice...

I figure, if it all goes to hell-in-a-handbasket I'm going to take a job in Asia for 6 months and earn some money. That is my last-resort plan.

Ugh. So just a lot of things to think about right now.

What do you think?

...finding that place...

2008-04-25T06:32:00.001-07:00

I think I'm getting there.

I have a sort of bubbling in my stomach and a fluttering in my heart, an excitement if you will. I can see connections and parallels and draw conclusions. I can make charts and more charts, analyse results, and write 1000 words in one breath (ok, fine. 2 breaths. And it's really on 869 words, but who's counting...you know, other than me?).

I'm up early today and within a couple of hours of waking I've managed to have my coffee, check my email, and finish writing the final report for my ethics review committee. I don't have any idea if it's actually what they want, but it's what I've written and it's within the length limit, and it looks specifically at 3 questions central to my research so it can't be that far off-base, can it?

Plus, it made me feel giddy.

Something that also made me feel giddy: searching for 2 book titles on Topcat and seeing "reserved for someone" in their 'status' section. Uh huh. That 'someone' is me. It's always good to be a somebody.

And then, another thing that's exciting, is when searching on Amazon.com for "Conflict and Collusion" (a book title, fascinating) finding that the hardcover copy is on sale for less than 50 bucks, and then, noticing at the bottom of the page where Amazon suggests 5 books you might also be interested in, that you actually already own 3 of them.

Yes, I'm just that elitist. And yes, that makes me excited.

Ok, really, what it comes down to is an affirmation of sorts (albeit through Amazon, so a teaspoon of salt is necessary here, rather than just a grain), an affirmation that I am on the right track at the moment, and that all my thoughts and requests for reading material are not for naught (ooooh, tricky homophone there, dang!).

So while I may be discouraged about the fact that 70% of junior teachers are being 'surplused' in Ontario, there is a hiring freeze in most Boards of Education, and my job prospects have been slim-to-none, I may be actually getting somewhere on my thesis which could do a lot for my self-esteem.

A good write-on always lifts my spirits!

...times, they are a changin'...

2008-04-05T05:06:00.001-07:00

Well then.

As most of you would have known, I was planned and ready to move out to Halifax at the beginning of May for who knows how long. All that changed in a blink of an eye, two days before Warren was supposed to move out there to find a job. He was offered a full-time position working with his brother's company (it's rather a long story, but don't worry it's not a conspiracy to keep Warren in Ontario), which means he'll also be getting a full-time pay cheque. Excellent news, really. After the initial shock (because we all know how much I love plans changing at the last minute), I am able to see the silver lining in staying in Peterborough. While I am disappointed not to be 'summering' in Halifax (it's just so beautiful there!) I am glad to be in Ontario this summer since, as per usual, I have no less than 3 weddings to attend, plus also a baby birth first! If I were living in Halifax I would most assuredly miss all but perhaps one of those events. Also, I do have a job here and now so does Warren so it would allow both of us to save some money. Additionally, moving around has its perks, but also its drawbacks when trying to get a 'real' job (I keep trying to explain to people that I've already had a 'real' job for year, but they keep not believing me. Apparently teaching in Africa is not as real as teaching in Canada. Hurumph. How Euro-centric. That is, if we lived in Europe....). At any rate, the long and the short of it is that I'm staying put for a little while longer.

Talking about Africa, it seems as though the continent doesn't want anything to do with me presently since all of my attempts to win gainful employment (or even not so gainful employment, I'm not so picky) have failed. I have one last hope left that I can apply for in April/May, so fingers crossed for that. Otherwise, I really have no idea what's next. While God is closing doors he hasn't yet started opening windows. Take that Julie Andrews. I guess this heavy snow fall and late spring is taking its tolls on more than just water levels.

Over Easter I had the pleasure of having Amy and Greg join me and some others for a Good Friday service and dinner chez moi. It was a well themed meal, complete with Lamb of God roast and Passion of the Christ passion fruit martinis. After the meal we played a hybrid version of Monopoly and Cranium, where it took me about 2 hours to get around the playing board once. As if Monopoly needed to be made any more drawn out.

Warren, Jen and Amy playing our extended-version. I think it's possible it could have played out for a week.

Amy and Greg. Cute little couple. You just want to squish their cheeks, dammnit!

If that's an update, I've done it.

Stay tuned for more news about whether or not I get to occupy the attic through the summer...if so, I smell a backyard party in the works!

...never a dull moment in the 'big smoke'...

2008-03-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

Recently, I haven't blogged much, and when I have, it has been about the seemingly sad, and slightly stationary state of affairs in Peterborough.

Not so in Toronto, my friends. Not so. They don't call it 'The Big City' for nothing.

I had a dentist appointment in Toronto (please, don't even get me started about the state of medical treatment in Peterborough) on Friday and caught the bus down in the morning. As we were driving along the 401, there was a car completely engulfed in flames on the other side of the road. When I say engulfed, I really mean it. I was in a permanent state of 'flinch' as the bus lumbered by the flaming inferno as I completely expected the car to explode as we passed. Upon further retrospection, I've realised I did absolutely nothing about the flaming car, save talk about how unbelievable it was with some fellow passengers. Picking up my cellphone and calling '911' didn't even occur to me. Not only is this a testament to the 'mob' theory or whatever it is called (you know the one...they say that the bigger the city, the more people around, the less likely an individual is to respond to a call for help or a crisis because they believe that there is someone else who will do it?), but it is also a further illustration of my lack of crisis-response skills. Please see this previous blog, also involving fire, but much more funny:

http://emilyinsalone.blogspot.com/2007/02/just-another-night.html

This is not the actual flaming car I saw. What, you think I had the wherewithall to use my camera?

After the flaming car, the dentist appointment was rather anticlimactic, although, the dental hygienist did say that my teeth and gums were in excellent condition (good news, since I haven't been to the dentist in 4 years!) The excitement picked up again in the evening when my parents and I went out for dinner. My usual favourite sushi restaurant was crammed to capacity, so we tried a new place, just for kicks. Apart from the fact that I was never actually given a menu, and they completely forgot about my father's meal, the food was still tasty. Although, I ordered salmon maki, and then was served something the waitress called 'tuna maki' and which looked like tuna maki...but then when I asked her about it, she said she just made a mistake when she served me. No, she didn't really get much of a tip.

Restaurant and food mix-ups aside, OUTside the restaurant there was a sword and fire eater performing for our amusement. I have been out for dinner a lot in Peterborough. I have never seen a fire or sword eater! One time I saw an 'hot dog eater' but that is not really in the same vein. Plus, he had mustard on his coat and hadn't even had the decency to enhance his act by dressing in costume. I mean, anyone can walk and eat a hot dog at the same time. Pfft.

On the walk home I ran into my old piano teacher! I haven't seen her since I stopped taking piano lessons around grade 11 or 12 (I think I'd reached grade 8 piano by then...minus the official exams). It was so good to see Jennifer! She look just the same as I remembered her, even though she is at least a decade older. That must be one of the additional bonuses to not having children of your own. We talked for ages about what we, and all the other students she had taught who were also my friends, were up to. This conversation was made much easier through the advent of Facebook, I might add. Then, out of the blue, the parents of one of the girls we had been discussing passed by, and all the catching up and story telling had to happen all over again. Thank goodness Toronto is protected by that 'urban heat island' effect (this I learned about when I taught grade 8 geography last year. At least someone learned something), or our half-hour chit-chat on Bloor Street could have left me with hypothermia. Instead, it left me with Jennifer's new business card and a promise to keep in touch.

I actually took this picture of my keyboard keys when I was in Sierra Leone. Then I stretched it out. Now it looks like this.

On Saturday, I had to make an adventurous trip out to Aurora where I was meeting Warren and his family for his father's surprise birthday party. I packed my bags, 3 in all, and dressed in my finest 'meet the family' threads, I managed to traverse the dark tunnels of the TTC from Spadina Station to Finch without calamity. I even successfully purchased and boarded the VIVA bus that would take me on a 45 minute drive from Finch station to Aurora, not a speck on me, or my a-little-too-long dress pants. In fact, even when I disembarked from the bus, and wandered the streets of Aurora for 20 mins. while I waited for Warren to meet me, I managed to stay clean and dry. I was with Warren for less than 5 mins. (FIVE MINUTES!) when this all went to hell in a hand-basket.

I followed Warren through a 'short-cut' (folly on my end, since I have a more naturally occurring sense of direction) that led us out onto the right street, but through a snowbank and then across what I think were quite possibly, the five Great Lakes. I was a little irritated to be walking in snow and greyish slush up to my ankles, and was bending down to tuck my dress pants into my boots when, lo and behold, a van sped by me, splattering slushy water all over me, and drenching my black coat and hair. I stood, bent over, my leather purse straps well placed in my mouth for biting, as the rage and frustration washed over me (not unlike the wave of water that just soaked me). After a minute, I was able to stand upright, but I'm afraid that's when the obscenities began. Luckily I had a chance to wipe off my coat (with my pyjamas) and change my shoes (but not my socks because I didn't have any other black ones) before meeting nearly all of Warren's extended family...oh, and posing for professional family portraits.

This is not one of the portraits. I like to call this photo 'naturally photogenic couple.' Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

The surprise party for Warren's dad was very fun; the people were friendly, the food was delicious, and I enjoyed myself. I was happy to get home to my little attic though...which has now been described as 'hippy-ish.'

You bet. Always.

Peace.

...old playgrounds, new people...

2008-03-04T12:45:00.001-08:00

Today was one of those days where things just seem a little bit off.

It might have been the fact that I participated in some productive work towards my thesis that threw me off, as that has been quite the anomaly around these parts recently. I did everything I was taught, even starting the day out right with a balanced breakfast of low-fat, high-protein options (just overlook the croissant), and I was even out the door by 9am. I walked to the public library, disappointed to find out it doesn't open until 10am, but decided to head to the Trent Library since I had a small, Green Book to photocopy and return. I had to return the book today, because tomorrow I have a training course from 10am-3pm...or so I thought.

It's always strange returning to the Trent Campus firstly, because I've been away from it for so long, and secondly because well, I'm not actually a student there anymore. Also, who knew the library and campus were so quiet at 9:30am on a weekday? I certainly didn't when I was a student. Waiting for the Trent Express bus inside the double sliding doors of Champlain College, I remembered how loyal and paternalistic one can feel towards a university; I remembered I did. Passing Traill College, I marveled at how so much at the university could change, yet Wallis Hall still has those ugly blue curtains on the windows that I'm fairly certain adorned the windows of the first college residents at the end of the 1960s. On second thought, those blue curtains probably made their debut in the 1980s. I'd imagine the curtains of the 60s and 70s were much more retro and geometric.

Yeah. Just like that.

The student population at Trent has doubled since I first attended in 2000. But, 8 years later, the blue curtains remain. It's good to see that some things are a priority. Or an oversight. Whatever.

So I left library 'A' and moved to library 'B,' a more central choice, complete with homey 'cafe' serving homemade sandwiches and coffee. I still have my Peterborough Public Library card. I'm a trooper. I bought my first cup of 'tea. Earl Grey. Hot.' from the homey cafe and settled into my alcove for the afternoon. I pulled out my agenda, just to take a look at my week ahead and see if there was anything I needed to add in...and realised I was supposed to be at the "Person-Centred Support" training session today, not tomorrow. Aww, crap.

I called my program manager to admit my mistake, but she was unavailable and I left a message on her machine. I was worried that I'd be viewed as irresponsible and that perhaps this particular training session was important. My program manager hasn't called me back yet...so it couldn't have been that imperative. I did receive a call from our team leader, and I thought it may have been concerning my absence...not so. He just wanted to give me another shift. I wrote the new shift down in my agenda, but hey, no promises I'll actually make it in that day.

This is only the first half of my day.

The second half, the public library portion, is beyond amusing. As some of you will know, I talk to myself a bit, but generally, I'll only talk to myself if I'm standing in front of a mirror. It's a family trait. I blame genetics. Ok, well, me talking to myself doesn't even compare to the weird behaviour I encountered at the library.

Things were fairly normal for the first hour or so. Occasionally I'd make the loud huffing sighing noise I make while reading something 'academic', interspersed with an odd 'huh' if I find something particularly interesting. After one of my grunts, the girl sitting across from me looked up and said 'finally found something interesting, eh?" to which I intelligently replied "uh, yeah. Something like that." And then back to my article on Sierra Leone's lumpenproletariat revolution. I didn't even make the word up. I swear. Following that comment, the flood gates of conversation were opened, and all the crazies started talking. I have no idea about half of what one guy was talking about, but he definitely went on and on about cell phones for a good 10 mins after the girl across from me had a conversation with her mother on speaker phone, since she couldn't actually figure out how to work her cell phone. About another hour later, the girl across from me asked me what I was working on...I mumbled through something about civil wars, Sierra Leone and a thesis. She asked me if it was for college or university. "Uh, for university. For my Master's." She raised her eyebrows.

"Want to read a love letter to my former boss?"

I'm not even kidding, she said that out loud. And then she gave me two sheets of green paper full of (very nice) handwriting to read through. The love letter wasn't that bad, as a matter of fact. She did assure me when she handed it over that it was 'totally fine. No sex, or anything." Phew. I was worried. Actually, I suppose it wasn't bad as far as love letters to former bosses go. She was also applying to a new job (which is part of what the phone conversation to her mother was about) and had an interview later that week. I asked her if this former boss was one of her references. She said yes. I suggested it might be better to hand the letter to him after she got the reference.

She gave me a weird look for working on my Master's thesis. She was writing a love letter to her boss. Which one of us is stranger?

Alright, so that was really the height of the weirdness. The strange guy a few tables over started talking again after love letter girl left, and after he left, another strange man replaced him. This one struck up conversation asking me if I was a student but didn't give me a strange look for saying I was working on my Master's. He gave me a strange look for saying I attend Dalhousie University. Well, we can't have it all, can we? He then told me he was just trying to get his grade 12 and then was planning on returning to B.C to attend Simon Fraser University. Here are some of the other things I learned about this man:

His father is a law professor at the University of Victoria
His parents are from England - in fact he was born in England. People from England like to live in B.C because the climate is similar. It rains a lot.
He doesn't find Physics very difficult
He wants to be an Engineering Physicist.
Housing in B.C is really expensive. He owns a condo there that's he's renting now. Thank goodness he bought before the housing market skyrocketed. You can't get a house for under $500K now.
His girlfriend in B.C was cheating on him, so his Aunt suggested he move out to Ontario and finish his GED. No, she doesn't live in Peterborough, she lives in Welland.
He might go to Queen's, actually. He's just not sure. They have a good physics program.
Peterborough doesn't have an adult education program. He has to drive to Oshawa for his classes.
He thinks I should move out west to Alberta because they are just 'crying' for teachers there.

At this point, it was 3pm, and I gave up. I came home and decided to write it all down. Now it's 4:30pm and I think I need a nap.

Living other people's lives is exhausting. But hey! Look at how much I can learn about other people without saying more than a few sentences. And I remembered it all.

With these skills, I should be a spy.

...life in Canada...

2008-01-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

Is decidedly boring...

... thus my absence from regular blogging. There really isn't anything exciting going on...not compared to the lives I've lived elsewhere, that is. I suppose I should really change gears and start filling this blog with amusing anecdotes (like for instance, once, when I was younger and less astute, I was filling out a comment/feedback card evaluating the morning service and the leadership at my church in Toronto, and I said that sermons should include more personal 'antidotes.' I'm not really sure what I meant there...was I hoping that the minister would find a remedy for putting me to sleep in the mornings? Some sort of biblical booster I could just shoot in the arm?) At any rate...I suppose I should start filling this blog with amusing anecdotes (rather than antidotes, which are something completely different) but I find myself at a loss.

Sometimes, there is the occasional amusing story from work - I now work with adults with developmental disabilities, who live together in community houses with 6 or so individuals in each home. My house is fairly high-needs, most of our residents are non-verbal. One woman has a somewhat limited vocabulary which includes such gems as 'poop,' 'bum,' 'pee,' and 'tea.' (honestly, does the world really need words beyond those? Plus, the last two rhyme. Bonus.) Another individual doesn't speak at all, but rather growls or drools intermittently at you. I have nicknamed him "Grumpelstiltskin," a reference to the fairytale story of "Rumpelstiltskin," a grouchy elf of sorts with a penchant for stomping his foot, once so hard it went through the floorboards. The man I work with is like this. If he's frustrated, he stamps. If he's angry, he stamps. If he's bored, he stamps. If he's excited, he stamps. Well...you get the picture. Sometimes, when he's not stamping, he kicks. The other day I received a good shot to the knee-cap that could have toppled me (if not for my cat-like balance).

Or, I could tell you about the fact that today I came across a word I didn't know in a book I was reading ("Travels in the White Man's Grave: Stories from West and Central Africa," a book given to me for Christmas by my friend, Jen). The word was "liana," and I could have guessed at its meaning based on context (gaining meaning from context - a skill I taught my students in middle school English lit class last year), but I wanted to be sure of what it meant. Apparently, it's a

"woody climber that starts at ground level, and uses trees to climb up to the canopy where it spreads from tree to tree to get as much light as possible. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous forests and rainforests."

See. Like I said, things here in Canada just aren't as fascinating. Show me a woody climber, will you?

And no, I don't mean the kind found in the gravely playgrounds of primary schools. Besides, those have all been torn down years ago for not fulfilling the more stringent safety codes. Also, you could set them on fire.

...the following blog is graphic in nature...

2007-12-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

And may offend some readers.

The Emily you know and love, (or, for those of you who read this blog and don't actually know me, here's a little sneak peak into my actual personality - that which doesn't always translate itself into my blogs) is not a morning person.

In fact, I'm not a morning person to the extent that one of my friends felt it was necessary and fitting to purchase the pictured pair of panties below for me. (Ewww. I said panties. Ewww. That word should be un-written from the English Dictionary. It simply served my alliterate purposes above. Otherwise, I wouldn't be caught dead saying it. PANTIES??? Ewwww).

The same friend (bless her) also bought me another pair of undies that inform viewers to "Bring Coffee." She gave them to me and apologized that she couldn't find something that said "Bring Tea." I said it not to worry about it and that it was perfectly acceptable and since starting grad school I've given up my tea habit and exchanged it for some of the harder stuff. We all know that tea is just a gateway beverage anyway(so all you green tea drinkers, beware. It's just a matter of time before your state of zen is replaced with something more sinister). At least my new undies don't say "Bring Me A Stiff One." Because then I'd have to go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Or something like that.

I guess I'm to blame for the outrageous undies in the first place. I think it started when I bought my sister a pair for her bachelorette a number of years ago. They were black, and in white writing they declared that my sister was, indeed, a "Flute Player." What? What's so wrong with that? SHE IS. I SWEAR. Check it out: www.natashachapman.com. She is also very attractive. And married.

In return for the Flute Playing undies, a few Christmases ago, I received a pair that declared I was a "Royal Brat,'' (complete with a crown and glittery rhinestones) across the buttocks. I don't have a picture here, because after they started loosing all their rhinestones, it devalued them a lot and I had to throw them away. At that time, I hadn't foreseen this blog. Silly me.

Not only have I been given an amusing underwear collection, but I've also been given a fitting t-shirt collection as well. And they're not just fitting because they're a size small.

I think it all started when I was 14, and the director of an operetta I was in nicknamed me "Crabbypants." He even sent me a first night good-luck gift to my dressing room addressed to Miss Crabbypants. Perhaps this was taking it a bit too far? After all, he was directing Cinderella on off-nights.

At any rate, about 4 Christmases ago I was given the shirt below by a now ex-boyfriend. This might have been his way of saying I needed to chill out a little bit. But I'm not sure. He wasn't always the best communicator. I still wear the shirt, not because I'm still pining away for the guy, but because...it fits.

See. It speaks to me.

For Christmas this year, my lovely sister gave me another t-shirt. I think this one is great, especially considering that during the holidays I can most often be heard mumbling "I hate Christmas" alternately mixed with "Bah humbug."

Natasha said she missed out on getting a t-shirt that said soemthing like "you say I'm sarcastic, I say I'm funny."

If only she could have managed to get that one.
*sigh*

...snow days...

2007-12-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Today is the third snow day in about 3 weeks that the County of Peterborough has issued. THE THIRD!! This must be one of the benefits of not living in a big city and needing to be bused into school every morning. Where I grew up, we had nothing called 'snow days.' They just didn't exist. Even when the army was called in to remove the snow. The TTC kept on running and it wasn't cold enough for the bones in your legs to snap after a 15 minute walk, so the TDSB never saw the merit in declaring a 'snow day.' I did however get days off when the teachers went on strike. And then the caretaking staff. When I made it to university, we eventually had one snow day. Again, I missed out because I didn't even have classes on that day to begin with.

Where's my snow day? That's what I'd like to know.

And when you're a teacher, you still have to show up for class on a snow day. Unless you live on a farm. Or at the top of a very steep hill. (Naturally I've always wanted to do both).

I saw this picture on Facebook. A girl named Haze Long (she's Malaysian) drew this using the graffiti application.

Wow, people. Wow.

Only 22 more days!

...life outside of blogging...

2007-11-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, the reason why I haven't posted recently is because my life has been SO ridiculously crazy (and by 'crazy' I mean, 'like a movie') that it's just not appropriate for my sensitive blogging readers.

Oh sure. Fine. Don't believe me.

But when it's all in my book (coming to a Chapters near you soon), I'll have to direct you back to this post. That is, if I have time what with all the stresses of being so famous that I'll be up against.

What's happened recently is that there has been more snow, I've started working at the Body Shop (have you tried our new Christmas scent yet? Rich Plum - how juicy!...yes..it's sad, I actually say things like this), I've had one Christmas concert to perform in already, it seems I've gained 5 pounds, I've been tobogganing, and have been reading a book titled "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom (it's touching, and a quick read).

I'm dusting out my camera soon and taking some pictures.

Enough with all this plain text!

...on the cusp of a winter wonderland...

2007-11-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening it was snowing. Not the kind that falls heavily and thickly blankets the streets and trees, but the kind that makes you wonder 'is it snow?' until a swath of it is illuminated by the headlights of an oncoming car, and you realise it is, indeed, the white stuff. It was the type of snow that melts before it hits the ground, that meets windshields and pavement as rain, but which, for a brief moment suspended in air, is water in its crystalline form. Yesterday I sat waiting for 30 minutes in the darkness of a bus shelter, watching the fog my warm breath made as I blew it out in puffs in between the pages of a collection of short stories on West Africa written by Canadian author, Joan Baxter.

When I woke up this morning, my world was coated in an icing-sugar frosting of snow.

I'll I've got to say is it's a good thing I ran my winter coat on the de-wrinkle setting of our dryer yesterday.

I can do snow. I think.

...in retrospect...

2007-11-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

So, sometimes, I take a little while to upload the photos I have on my camera. I don't really have a good reason for this, I think it boils down to simple laziness. It's a bit of an effort to disengage the appropriate cords for my camera from the mess of electronic wires under my desk. What I need is one of those things where you can load a bunch of different electronic cords into and then it dispenses each of them neatly for you. I swear I saw something like that once. Or it could have been a dream. Either way, that's what I need.

At any rate, I've finally uploaded my photos from Halifax, specifically my photos of Nate and Kate's wedding. I've been to a lot of weddings in my time (and they don't seem to be slowing down any. There was a small window at around 25 where I only think a handful of people have tied the knot, but before and since then it's just been a steady stream of wedded bliss), and Nate and Kate's wedding was on of my favourites. Let me explain why:

1. Location - Kate and Nate had their wedding ceremony at the King's College Chapel. King's College is a small liberal arts university that is linked to Dalhousie and which used to be a private Anglican College. The school has a beautiful chapel which is not too big, not too small, but just right for a wedding. The chapel is unique in that the pews all face each other, rather than facing forward towards the altar. This provides a sense of intimacy. You can see the reaction of other guests at the wedding and they can see you. And because the chapel was just the right size, the pews were full of guests, and you don't get that airy and distant feel you can sometimes get in larger sanctuaries.

2. Bridesmaids dresses - I just like burgundy. It's my favourite colour. The bridesmaids dresses were burgundy (or wine-red. I like calling it wine-red), but each dress was individualized. Each bridesmaid was allowed to pick her own dress design from a number of different options, thereby choosing something that was flattering to her own figure and tastes, rather than trying to squeeze into some ill-fitting catalogue dress. Originality reigned here. Plus also, they looked very pretty.

3. The ceremony - Arguably this was my favourite part of the entire wedding. After the processional, and the giving away at the front of the church, one of the minister's gave the message and then following the message, Nate and Kate moved from the front of the church to stand and say their vows in the middle of the isle, conveniently standing between the congregation, heightening that sense of intimacy and also actually letting us see them, as opposed to their backs. Kate and Nate wrote their own vows which included a verse from Ruth that I love and want to include in my own vows...were I ever to one day, in the very distant future actually get married. The verse is as follows: "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16). I've only heard this verse at one other wedding and this was a number of years ago - a couple who were friends with my sister and were married at my home church in TO (which is small, but not quite small enough to get that 'intimate' feeling I was talking about earlier). Their ceremony was beautiful. Well done, you two!

4. Reception - The reception took place in another perfectly sized room at a hotel in downtown Halifax. There was no dinner. Kate and Nate had a dessert reception which included some homemade desserts (specifically apple-based baked goods from the apples that they picked the previous Thursday as part of their pre-wedding program for out-of-town guests and friends. Great planning!). Although there was no dinner, there were still tables we were assigned to and there was a complete evening program. The highlight for me was a short film that Kate's sister had put together (Kate's sister being a film-producer/editor out there in Vancouver...) in which she had interviewed the couple about each other, the upcoming wedding, their relationship and the prospect of being married. Then she weaved their responses together into a fantastic film that was entertainingly funny and also quite emotionally moving. It gave the guests a peek into Kate and Nate's life as a couple and was entirely appropriate. They also had the standard 'once upon a time' photo montage of childhood photographs, but in my opinion this paled slightly to the video made by Rachel.

5. The Cake - This couple didn't have your standard wedding cake. Oh no! They had some sort of cone-shaped cake with mousse-filled treats dipped in chocolate attached. Or some sort or similar concoction. I'm not sure, exactly. I didn't get an up-close-and-personal look at it, since at the time that cake was being distributed, I was doing something else 'important' (see #6). But, I don't really like cake, so tiny mousse-filled balls are quite to my liking and again score some big points in originality. Also, they were delicious.

6. A Cooperative and unquestioning Best Man - I don't really pull too many stunts at weddings. But, since we had about 4 hours between ceremony and reception, a small plan was hatched over our dinner (at the Thai place I love) which involved many balloons, a couple of leis, a box of condoms and the newly weds' car. Use your imagination.

And that, my friends, is how you make a memorable wedding! Dont' worry, the other weddings were good too. I just can't have them all be my favourites.

Someone's gotta make the hard choices.

...Funny you should say that...

2007-10-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you, yourself,
have altered."
~ Nelson Mandela ~

Ain't that the truth. Nelson always was good with words, I think it's because he had all that time in solitude on Robben Island to think...

Now, I can't compare myself to Nelson Mandela, no of course not, that would be silly beyond belief, but I can and do identify with the quote he said above. There's nothing quite like returning to a place that largely remains unchanged to recognize the ways that you have changed since last you were there. I experience that every time I move back to a place I've been - Toronto, Halifax, Peterborough. I sometimes experience this surreal, out-of-body type feeling when I step off a plane and walk down the streets of the new city I've been transported to. The sights, sounds, smells and sentations of the place I left behind are still so real to me, that to replace them with a whole new set seems strange. (We call what I just did alliteration. I'm quite proud of it). Sometimes, I can look at a photograph and the scene in it is still alive in my senses and I can't seem to comprehend the fact that I'm actually hundreds of miles away (or sometimes thousands) from where it was taken.

I'm back living in Peterborough now. I haven't lived here for about 3 years or so, and as I walk the streets I'm trying to access a mental map of the city that I created when I was 20 years old. The problem is, the map seems difficult to remember. It's like when you're learning a new language, and before you are able to come up with the word you're looking for in the new language, your mind processes through all of the languages in which you already know how to speak that word: "friend," "ami," "amigo," "padi," until finally you filter through to the right choice. My mental map of Peterborough is like that. It is superimposed on top of all of the other cities I have lived in (unfortunately all which seem to have similar street names...damn those Brits and their ubiquitousness). So, if you see me wondering aimlessly, don't be alarmed. I'm just trying to sort through my map and get a grip on where I'm really going.

No, I don't want to pick a city guide up from the convenience store.
But thanks for the suggestion.

...and this is why I love strangers...

2007-10-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

So my friends Kate and Nate (isn't it cute how their names rhyme? Awwww. Awwww. Blahhh.) are getting married tomorrow which is part of the reason why I'm currently in Halifax. Tonight I was invited to the rehearsal dinner which was thrown for the wedding party and all out of town guests. It was really nice to see Kate and Nate and a few other people I haven't laid eyes on since I left last August. These kinds of things are also great for mingling, and making small talk to strangers and random family-of-the-couple type people.

Generally, my conversations all go the same: I explain why I'm an 'out of town guest,' how I know Kate and Nate, why I don't live in Hailfax any more, what I do with my life, how I've been teaching in Sierra Leone for the last year etc., etc. One lovely couple were greatly surprised at home much I'd accomplished for 'one so young.'

"My goodness, dear, that is a lot you've done in your life. You certainly should be proud of your accomplishments for one so young," this couple said.
"Well, yes...it's been good. But I'm 26, so I've had a few years." I reply.
"Oh, my! Oh my goodness! 26 years old you say! Why, we would have said you were much younger than that, wouldn't we have Tom?" says the well-meaning wife.
"Uh, yes. Most certainly, at least 18," says the husband.

Gosh. Doesn't seem as impressive now that I'm 26, huh.

But hey, at least I'm allowed to vote. And I can even drink. If I move to Quebec.

Parlez-vous francais?

...Thanksgiving Weekend...

2007-10-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ah, Autumn has arrived! The leaves are turning their various hues, the chestnuts drop as squirrels scamper along uneven branches, while the air is strewn with the scent of fall foliage. And everywhere, there is a pervasive feeling of despair. Winter is coming. It only gets worse from here.

I know, I really am quite optimistic.

In the spirit of the season, and because we're having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow (ok, more because we're having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow than the spirit of the season) I made two pumpkin pies. I love pumpkin pie! I don't really like pies, but I will make an exception for the pumpkin variety.

And this is how I spent my Saturday.

Did you know that "Emily" actually means "industrious, hard-worker." See, it's not even my fault. Just wait 'til Christmas...and I tell you about my middle name.

...well that was exhausting...

2007-10-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

You know those people who say that physical exercise is good for you? They're lying.
You know how they say 'oh sure, it might be hell while you're doing it, but gosh, you just feel so great when you're done.' They are still lying. Because NEWSFLASH: after physical activity you do not feel great and you continue to not feel great for days afterwards. Ergo, those guys are boldface (like how I made the word 'boldface' in bold type? eh?) lying to you.

First of all, what was I thinking on Friday when I decided that playing on the jungle gym with the kids I was babysitting was a good idea? Why wasn't there someone around to tell me I would regret this and that my muscles would still be angry with me on Monday? Thanks for nothing other parents who were just sitting around watching me play. Thanks for nothing.

Then, who can explain to me why I thought walking around literally all day on Saturday would be fulfilling? I had 2 brief moments of stasis, the first which involved sushi, the second which involved Thai food, but other than that it was walk, walk, walk. Ah! These boots were not made for walking, that is for certain. So on Saturday, I went to the Toronto Island with a friend,it was lovely, but lots of walking. And then in the evening met up with some other friends to have dinner and then participate in the wonderful artsy world of Nuit Blanche, also, too much walking. Needless to say, this morning I have shin splints, blisters, and I swear there's something wrong with my joints, specifically in my knees and hips.

I'm getting old. Oh god. This is what it feels like.

On a positive note, on Friday night I thoroughly enjoyed a bottle of wine appropriately purchased for me:
Cat Pee On a Gooseberry Bush. In my case it should really be more like 'Cat Pee on My Dirty Clothes," but that my friends is a whole other story...

...Facebook, the new obsession...

2007-09-25T08:05:00.001-07:00

Ok, we all know that Facebook is the newest obsession. We waste precious time...I mean, do we really need another excuse to stay inside? (As a newly transformed cat lady, I especially love Facebook for this feature).

I found this video on one of my Facebook friends' pages.

Ironic, really.

But hilarious.

...I am the cat-lady...

2007-09-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's official. I live in an attic and it even comes with it's own cat. How can I not become a certified cat lady? It's inevitable. I mean, why fight it? I'm going to stop going out altogether and only drink tea. I'll cook scones. I had a friend over for lunch and she brought me homemade raspberry jam. See, I'm already on my way - except for the 'friend part.' I'll have to ditch her and make the raspberry jam myself, but do that and I'm well on my way. I'm going to start drinking wine before bed and reading poetry, and Virginia Woolf. And knitting. I'm going to have to take up knitting. Everyone's getting a scarf for Christmas...

Sure, it's funny now. But what if the cat has kittens?

The cat's name is Smudge, due to the smudgy nature of her fur. It's almost as creative as the names I used to give to my pets when I was a kid (Hampstey the Hampster, Goldie the Goldfish, Blackie the Black Guppie Fish...). Smudge loves me. She doesn't particularly love being petted, but she does love to forcefully rub her head against you (of her own accord) and then lick you repeatedly. At first it's a little unnerving. Actually, it stays that way. But I'm beginning to accept Smudge for who she is. She's a bit traumatized after living in the attic for months alone. She's afraid of the new dog and has lived in isolation ever since. She's sweet, but a little psycho. Finally, a cat I can relate to.

I've got an antique trunk. And bamboo. Just wait until I tell you about the bamboo! Boy did I get a deal!

So I was looking for something to help me divide my bedroom area from the rest of the room, and I came across a giant roll of bamboo fence in a home accents store. It was on clearance because it had been used as a display in the store. They told me it was 12 feet in length. They lied. It's waaaay longer than that (note the excess rollin the right-hand side of above photo). So far, I've made 2 dividers, 1 blind...and who knows what else will become bamboo-rifique in a few weeks. Clearly, bargain bamboo is exciting for a newly converted cat-lady.

So if you ignore the mess (which I highly advise) and maybe if you squint a bit, you'll get a view of what the attic could be. Eventually it will be beautiful. And the shag carpet....well, it just makes me feel at home, without actually being there. (seriously, will I ever escape shag carpeting?).

And of course, we have the sink. It's nestled in the corner near the 'tea corner' (the one with the antique trunk...which incidentally also makes me feel at home). Ignore the clutter, ignore the dirt. I haven't cleaned yet. I can't wait for that. No, I'm serious.

So that's it! I'm looking forward to moving in more permanently around October 19th. Between then and now I have to head back to Toronto, transcribe another 6 hours of interviews (I've calculated that it takes me about half an hour to transcribe 10 mins. of interview), fly out to Halifax, attend a wedding, fly back home, and then move out to Peterborough. Oh yes, and celebrate Thanksgiving.

Next stop: Turkeys (Turkies?) Something's just not right...

Happy trails!

...je ne comprend pas...

2007-09-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Alright, so as we know, I am probably not the most observant individual out there, so it took me a while to notice this. But when I did, it scared the crap out of me. Who does this??

In case you're having trouble seeing, the tree has grown a face, complete with mossy eyelids. You know, to make it more believable that the tree in my neighbour's front yard has be come a cognizant being.

I was taking out the trash one night, and I happened to look to my right on the way back to the house, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I noticed the Treeman. I'd probably been home for about 2 weeks and not noticed a thing. Apparently, you only notice on dark, starless nights, where you pee a little bit in your pants upon sighting.

Don't worry, I did laundry.

Special, don't you think?

In other news: Cam says my border thing at the top of the blog is too big. I know, I know, but it's a long story in imperfection, and I'd prefer not to talk about it. I'll see what I can do.

I'm in Peterborough this weekend, scoping out 'the attic.' I can't wait!

...forget the pigs, I'm the real catalyst for 'foot in mouth' disease...

2007-09-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think "why do I even open my big mouth?"
Honestly, verbal diarrhea...and they once called that 'excellent public speaking skills.'
Pfffftt.

Went to a show last night that was great. Here is my shameless promotion of one person I know well and another perfect stranger. Check them both out, it's quite worth it (besides, what else better do you have to do with your time? You are, after all, reading my blog yet again. and I love you for it. Thank you, thank you! )

www.myspace.com/shobhamusic

www.myspace.com/julianscottsounds

Enjoy!

...moving on up, moving on out...

2007-09-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing can stop me.

Can you hear the music?

NO? (You mean to tell me it's all just in my head? Well, at least my world is melodic...)

It's official: I'm moving to Peterborough in October. What is not official is the exact date of the move, but it might be, possibly, there's a good chance it could be around October 17th...or 19th. Who knows.

YAY!

Why am I so excited? Because it means I get to hang out with these people

------->
(aren't they attractive?)

And I get to live in my very own attic! I'll have to take pictures of that and post them soon.

So now I've been applying to the Peterborough Boards, both Public and Catholic and crossing my fingers for some supply teaching gigs in the fall. I'm going back to Ptbo. mid-Sept. to throw down some resumes and sweet talk my way into a job somewhere.

Oh, I'm also now a member of the Peterborough Singers by some sort of miracle. After a disgraceful audition where I realised I'm completely rusty and have absolutely no range left, I'm surprised they let me in. But let me in they did, plus I'm allowed to miss rehearsals for the month of September. That's got to be a miracle. Our first official concert is in December, another in February, something around Easter and then another in the Summer(ish).

La!

...everything's better in Peterborough...

2007-09-05T08:25:00.001-07:00

I'm winding down on my Southern Ontario tour (the screaming fans were tiring, I tell you!) and I'm on my last day here in the good ol' Peterpatch.

The last 2 weeks have been great. I spent a week in Smiths Falls with my sister and brother-in-law and it was lovely. My sister and I didn't even kill each other! This, my friends, is a small miracle which I chalk up to my having been out of the country for a year. Things went so well that my sister even offered to let me move in with them in their new house in Smiths Falls. It was very generous and I thought about it seriously for a bit...but...it might be a bit of a disaster. I can be really annoying. She forgets because I've been out of the country. :) (Love you, Tasha).

I was in Cobourg visiting my friend Titus for the beginning of the long weekend, and then Jen picked me up and drove me to Peterborough where I've been for the last 4 days. I've seen a few people, shared a lot of laughs and photographs, and generally just felt loved. It's been great! On a really positive note, I met with one of the teachers I traveled to Sierra Leone with in 2005 and told her about looking for a place to live, and she offered me her attic in Peterborough! It's got a sink! I love sinks! I still need 100% confirmation on the attic, but let me tell you, it looks good, people.

To add to the greatness of this option (which is 'option #4), I've felt a real peace about moving to Peterborough. I know the town, I can be close to my friends, I'm close enough to Toronto to get back for weekends and when I'm needed, I'm right by Trent and the library which I can have access to with my Alumni card, and i'm also close to a prof who will be helpful while I'm writing my thesis. On top of it, yeseterday when I was out for lunch with my glowingly-pregnant friend Brittany-Ann, we went to a new restaurant (tantalizingly called 'Dancing Blueberries') and they had a 'now hiring' notice in their window. I've always wanted to work at a place where blueberries dance. While we were drinking our coffee and eating our complimentary belgian waffles with chocolate sauce (oh yes, I'm not making this up), in walks the director of the Peterborough Singers who also goes to Britt's church, and all of a sudden I'm going to the first rehearsal of the group tonight...and likely being playing in some kind of band at church. Uh huh. (I dropped the magic word "Canadian Children's Opera Chorus," it works like a charm).

So, all in all, a productive weekend. I think I've found a place to live, I'm joining a choir, and maybe even a church. To top it all off, I was at my friend Jeff's last night and he made a delicious dinner of roasted lamb kebabs, feta-rice, and grilled corn on the cob. It only took him a couple of hours. Starting at 7pm. Sweet! Jokes aside, it was great to spend time with friends.

Thanks guys.

*sniff*

...everything's better in colour...

2007-08-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, so since I'm not home and since there has been so much 'wordiness' going on in my blog thus far, I'm going to post some pictures. No, I didn't take them myself. I thought about it though, so it's almost the same thing.

Right?

Just say right.

So this is The Annex...well, sort of. The first two are, and the first is not far from my house. Note the lovely Victorian architecture. My house looks nothing like that (and you've wondered why I'm such an individual? I can't help it. Even my house is 'different').

The second is, that's right, SNOW. I will see some of that in about 2.5 months. I may die. As it stands now in the middle of August, I'm going outside with long-sleeved shirts and polar fleece jackets. I'm sleeping with a duvet and a blanket. Lord help me when snow arrives.

The final picture isn't really 'the Annex" I suppose. It's Spadina Ave. which runs through the Annex, but it's mainly a picture of Chinatown and Kensington Market. But you can see the CN Tower, and it's sunset-y. So really, who wouldn't want to look at it simply for it's ability to capture the complexity of Toronto culture. Yes, in my high school I was a minority. (I'd say roughly it was about 60% Asian, 25% Portuguese/Italian, and 15% the rest of us).

Oh ethnic diversity, how I love you.

That's one great thing about being back in Toronto.

...uh huh...

2007-08-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

I did a little historical research (uh huh...I talked to my dad) and he told me the following:

Once upon a time, Toronto was smaller than it is today. In fact, back then some of the BIG names in business and politics (Lippincott, Borden, Robert) used to live outside of the city (I think it was then called York, or Hogtown...who knows....probably my Dad). Anyway, these bigwigs didn't want to live outside of the action (I mean really, who does?) so they decided to create an 'annex' to Toronto so they could still live 'in the city' Ergo, "The Annex" was born. Of course, The Annex eventually became part of the downtown core (if you ask me THE downtown core...but that's probably just because I'm from The Annex...la dee da...).

Isn't that fascinating??

I hope no one lost any sleep over that unanswered question.

...kickin' it in the 'hood...

2007-08-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

My neighbourhood is called "The Annex." I'm not exactly sure what it's been annexed from, because it certainly seems like it's located smack-dab in the middle of things...but no one's really been able to tell me. I'm sure it's historical, and being a historian perhaps I should make a more concerted effort to find out. Or, it could be one of those moments where when I do actually find out, I go..."ooooohhhhh, yeah, I knew that already." Unfortunately, for a historian I have an utterly crap memory.

So my neighbourhood, 'The Annex,' is fairly student friendly being located about 5 mins or so from the University of Toronto. It's also a bit 'crunchy granola' if you know what I mean, and slightly artsy. I fit right in. My street is surrounded by the growing and expanding Harbord Street to the south, and the ever-changing, hip-and-happening Bloor Street to the north. Bloor Street seems to be one of those places that if you walk up and down it for a long time, you'll run into just about every person you've ever known, as well as no less than 20 new sushi restaurants. As a bonus, you can take every person you know to a different sushi restaurant.

Today was a funny day around my neighbourhood. I ran up the street to fax something off to my University and then go to the drug store and supermarket. I saw a few people I recognized from high school on my street and then in the supermarket ran into a guy I vaguely knew from OPC - Adam Pounder. Don't worry, I pretended not to know him. He did the same. Maybe now though, people will do a search for his name and my blog page will come up. Then as I was walking home, I saw some more people from school, this time elementary. I swear, no one moves in this neighbourhood. I mean, why would you?

It is, after all, THE Annex.

We're no Austria.

...he's got big hands...

2007-08-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

I was anxious. She was late meeting me. I know we're all running on Afircan time now, but whe you only have an hour to visit with someone you haven't seen for over a year and who you won't see for another 6 months, being half an hour late is a little excessive. But then, she was leaving the country that night and traffic on the QEW is always bad; tardiness is inevitable, really.

I was anxious waiting for Kyla in the Timothy's next to Mountain Equipment Co-Op. A man struck up conversation with me. "Do you work for MEC?" After being gone for a year I had forgotten what opening lines beyond "Hey, white girl!" actually sounded like. Turns out he was South African and couldn't understand why on earth I'd go to Sierra Leone. He asked me if I didn't have any people around me who loved me enough to not let me go. I don't think it really operates like that. I thought, well, I seem to have enought peolpe around who love me enough to let me go even if they don't want to. Isn't that better? When Kyla walked in he said "Why on earth do you let her go to Sierra Leone?" Well, Ky was just in Liberia, so I don't think she'll have an answer for you...

Seeing Kyla again was wonderful, if not very brief. Of course I was emotional again, but managed to keep it (mostly) together. After saying goodbye, I hopped on the streetcar to head up to Spadina and Dundas to catch a Greyhound bust to Orillia where I was going to meet up with Lindsay for her bachelorette. The streetcar driver was particularly chatty, and we talked about the utter failure of self-tanners and the women who abuse them...riveting stuff. But he managed to distract me from my distressed state, so for that I was thankful. Unfortunately, I missed a flock of streetcars at Dundas (why is it that streetcars always travel in packs?) and I had to wait 15 mintues before another one came. The minutes ticked by and I new I was going to miss my bus to Orillia.

The 15 minute wait was not my shining hour and involved much internal cursing as well as a few muttered threats thrown towards the streetcar tracks, as if my open animosity towards them would magically bring a streetcar whizzing towards me. I tried not to worry too much, tried to say the situation was out of my hands and also did a little peading with the good lord to get me to the station on time.

I finally resigned myself to the fact that I was not going to make the 2pm bus and this was confirmed when saw the enormous line up for tickets at the terminal. Thankfully the departures screen floating above my head while I waited to purchase my ticket, seemed to indicate that there was another bus to Orillia leaving at 2:30pm. Perfect. The ticket agent confirmed this to be true and that it was scheduled to arrive in Orillia a mere 20 mins. after the 2pm bus. No harm, no foul. As I was paying for my ticket (VISA: priceless), I turned my head and saw Paul Cox standing at the booth on my right. I did a leadership course with him in 1997 and then worked as staff at the same program 7 years later. Paul was another welcome distraction from my own thoughts and we chatted and caught up on the first half of the bus ride. (Paul is an accomplished artist, and he has a website. Check it out: www.paulcox.ca). Paul lives in the Annex and we got to talking about churches in the area...it was a good chance to see what else is out there and to talk to someone about the possibilities.

Now just think, if I hadn't missed the streetcar and needed to take the later bus I would never have run into Paul, never had distracting and valuable conversation, and instead would have ended up crying out my window all the way to Orillia.

Like I said, God's got big hands.

...Another aeroplane, another sunny place, I'm lucky I know...

2007-08-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

"But I want to go home...let me go home.
And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life,
It's like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right."
~ Michael Buble, 'Home.'

They say that "home is where the heart is" but that can't be true because my heart is in so many different places at once that it's impossible for me to claim any one place as my 'home.' I left part of my heart in Sierra Leone when I boarded the Hoovercraft on August 3rd, part of my heart lies in Halifax with the people at the church I attended there, and at Dalhousie, a piece of my heart is in Peterborough with my friends from university and the 'good old days', and what is left of my pulpy-mess-of-a-heart is here, in Toronto at my childhood home. It's strange to be back. It's a bit like stepping into a time warp...my room still has the red and white stripped IKEA wallpaper with the 'magic mushroom' border (it's a wonder I wasn't a druggie at a young age), my book shelves are filled with "The Real Mother Goose Collection," Trixie Belden mysteries, and the complete Anne of Green Gables series. Throw in a few eclectic Australian chidlren's novels and picture books and you've got my childhood in a nutshell. Oh, and don't forget the Narnia Series. Mustn't forget C.S. Lewis.

I spent today catching up on emails and figuring out some sort of schedule for the next few weeks. I'm hoping to catch up with friends - I've missed them! I rearranged my room and now the chaos has just increased since it's a major undertaking. I'm sitting in what looks like the aftermath of a hurricane. I also washed all of the clothes I currently have with me, most of which are horribly inappropriate for what I can only assume is the fast-approaching fall and winter. I need to get back to Halifax to pick up my stuff from the very kind Braun family who are housing it. Then maybe I'll feel more settled?

In a piece of uplifting and hilarious news, my good friend Ryan and Rebecca Paulsen are going to become my new neighbours!! How exciting is that? Very, let me tell you because they are uber-cool and I haven't seen them for years...mainly because they've been in South Korea and I've been in Africa. Go figure we'd end up living one street away from each other in downtown Toronto. I saw Ryan's new address on Brunswick Street and was thinking "what are the odds they're moving to Toronto?" Seemingly excellent! It's a nice coincidence...incidently, Cam Fraser, you should come down and visit all of us after Sept. first since we're now centrally located! :)

It's time for bed, I think. I'm still jet-lagged and ridiculously grumpy. It's good that I haven't actually seen anyone yet. I actually havve a t-shirt that says "grumpy" on it (from an old boyfriend...was he trying to tell me something??) I think I'll wear it all week. The highlight of my day tomorrow: my first real haircut in a year! Today, I had my first bath in a year.

You've got to appreciate the little things. Like bathing; never underestimate cleanliness.