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!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
...on the cusp of a winter wonderland...
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.
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.
Monday, November 5, 2007
...in retrospect...
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.
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.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
...Funny you should say that...
"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.
Friday, October 12, 2007
...and this is why I love strangers...
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?
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?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
...Thanksgiving Weekend...
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.
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.
Monday, October 1, 2007
...well that was exhausting...
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...
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...
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