thoughts from an empty mind

Be careful playing with balls

2007-07-23T21:09:00.001-05:00

Oh no....how sad.

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2945798

Better keep an eye on the ball during the games...I always thought it was a bit sketch running up the first base line without a helmet while the shortstop is whipping the ball towards your head. Be careful!

By the way, on a lighter note, I made a catch on Sunday night using my....body. I ran for the ball but over ran it and then it bounced of my boobs and trapped it between my leg. Let's say...lots of jokes were had by all. he he, i caught the ball and made the double play at first when the guy couldn't get back to the base on time. yeah, ultimate girl power!

Let the countdown begin...5 weeks from today!

2007-07-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

OMG, I can't believe it, my flight is less than 5 weeks away. I just checked on the website to see if the trip is full and there's only 1 spot left on my tour, so excited. The weather in the region is now in the high 20s/low 30s, just perfect, water temperature is warm. Oh, I better re-read my guide book. Oh, I also have to get my camera cleaned, finally. Oh, I've called Black's and they're having their film sale starting on the week of July 30th. Oh, excited, I don't have to fly through Heathrow this time, it's a new airline (Austrian) and new airport (Vienna). Yeah! Other things to do before departure: buy fabric to make a sleep sheet cause I keep losing them and I'm sick of wasting money, buy water shoes for the rocky shores/beaches, buy more durable travel toiletries bottles cause the ones I have now are cracked/leaks. Hmmm...what else?

Would you like to pray with me?

2007-07-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

That's what I used to ask my friend when I first came to Canada, I got "R" and "L" mixed up, a common problem with ESL speakers coming from Asia.

I got an email the other day from my friend with this subject line: "I haven't touched you for long time, sorry."

Oh, how English as a second language can be so much fun!

2007-07-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

Tourist Falls to Death into an Active Volcano in
DRC while Trying to Take Photos

Check out this story - quick recap: Hong Kong tourist falls into an active volcano crater while trying to take a photo of the volcano's laval lake. She feel 100m+ and actually survived the fall but she couldn't be rescued in time. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=axSgCVGmDYfA&refer=asia)

Hmmm...this news story hits a little close to home. Not that anything like this has happened to anyone I know but the circumstances are very familiar....I know I've definately done things that weren't the 'smartest' in an effort to get a better photo. But I've never ignored caution signs, barriers, or warnings from others. I feel bad for this person's family - she was travelling on her own, as a part of a tour.

Can you see how rough the water is? This was on the Great Barrier Reef - we were supposed to snorkel in these conditions, a task that should be simple for most people. Unless you cannot swim very well...so why would someone who can't swim well go into the Pacific Ocean when it's rough to snorkel and swim to the sand bar? Because so she can take pictures of the fish.... and so when I made it onto the sand bar, I can take a silly picture like this?!?!

The direction of the sun is not great for taking pictures of the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan (a nomineed for the new 7 wonders of the world, by the way) so I had to find a place where the angle would be better. So, I found a spot with a partially obstructed view and to get there, I had to bypass a fence, climb on a rock and lie on my stomach, while pushing aside a fe branches, so I could get this framed shot. Naturally occuring, this photo would not exist - there would've been a few tree branches in the way. Not necessarily dangerous...but a lot of hassle to get it.

You know how you should only hike on marked trails? I realized that my cell phone had no coverage so if lost or injured, there would be no one to help me and I'd be stuck. During the 4 hours that I hiked here, I did not see a single person, which is rare for a hiking trail on a weekend in Japan. But I saw a view of Mt. Fuji and I could see that if I went up, I could get much better views...so I went up. But it had been raining a lot and there was this one part that was on the edge of the mountain side and it was really muddy. It was steep so there was no traction so when I tried to go out, I kept slipping back down. And I would lose my footing, I had to grab onto weeds but obviously, they offered no resistance. So I was slipping down a muddle slope right next to the edge of the mountain....so when I failed the first, of course, cause I'm such a genius, I tried again. My hands and clothes got all muddy and after 2 tries, I had to abandon my hike to the top. Luckily, I sitll got great shots. This picture is not where I slipped but just gives you an idea of how steep the mountain was.

2007-07-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

The New 7 Wonders of the World

The new 7 wonders of the world have been announced, as voted by people around the world - and they are: (http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=633&L=0)

- Statute of Christ Redeemer
- Great Wall of China
- Colloseum, Rome
- Taj Mahal
- Petra
- Chichen Itza
- Macchu Picchu

+ Honourary Candidate, Great Pyramids of Giza.

I am sooo glad Egypt reacted the way they did - how can you compare the pyramids of Giza to the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera or the Statute of Liberty? (see announcement, http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=391) I think it's an insult just to mention them in the same breath. The fact that we still can really figure out how the pyramids were even built due to the size and weight of each of the stones and with their limited machinery...I am proud that Egypt reacted the way it did. I know that's how I certainately felt when I saw the final nominations list.

I am quite happy with the list - 5 of 7 of mine made the list. When I voted, the pyramids of Giza were still an option so really, one of my votes were wasted! Rip off...So instead of Statue of Christ Redeemer and Chichen Itza, I voted for Great Pyramids of Giza and Angkor.

The only ones I disagree with....the Statute of Christ Redeemer. I suppose it's more the location and the presence of the statute, rather than the actual statute itself.

The NEW 7 Wonders of the World

2006-11-19T10:32:00.000-05:00

Be a part of history and make the vote!
I haven't been able to narrow the list of 21 finalists down to 7 yet...but here's my shortlist of 12 for now... choose the links below or visit their site www.new7wonders.com

**And not to influence your vote because this should be your choice...but I have no freakin idea how the Statue of Liberty made it as a finalist...and if it is chosen as one of the winner, I will quit my job and disappear from civilization because that is unimaginable and incomprehensible to me. It would make me want to throw up and withdraw from the world. **

The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07.

Camels and Scorpions and Snakes, oh my!

2006-05-18T22:56:00.000-05:00

IMPORTANT MESSAGE!

2006-05-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

If this sounds mean and certain people who do this feel offended, too bad. Get over it. It's not personal.

People: you've got to stop using 'reply all'.

First of all, we don't care what you have to say, we really don't. Usually, people email to a group out of convenience rather than emailing individually. But what is the 'reply all' offender's reason? It's not laziness or convenience, cause it's the same amount of effort to press reply and reply-all, buttons which are usually next to each other. If the email could be equally expressed by sending to an individual, then the reply should be to the original sender(s) only. If you think there is someone else on the group of recipients who might be interested in seeing your response, then add them separately to your address line as well. But otherwise, just press reply.

On a related note, you can't use the excuse that you pressed the wrong button by accident. If you're that stupid, you shouldn't be emailing...you probably can't compose a decent or even comprehensible message to begin with worth reading. So don't bother.

Secondly, it's just plain rude...to not care that people are being copied in unnecessarily. It's just inconsiderate of my time and resources. Do people who reply-all really think that their response is so wise and important that we all have to hear about it? Do I not have better things to do with my time than to read your two-cents and have to delete each of your useless emails to avoid clogging up my inbox? What if people's inboxes are at work? What if the inbox is limited in space or near capacity? Of course, there are exceptions but I find it's very rare where the exceptions do apply. Hence, they are exceptions because if they were more common, it would be the majority. Just rudeness. That's all it is.

But to be fair, there has to be some responsibility on the part of the sender. There has to be a sense of responsibility when sending and using email in general. For allowing people to reply all in the first place, you're just inviting trouble. Especially if you know people on your list of recipients a) aren't especially considerate, are selfish or usually immature b) lack email etiquette or life etiquette c) are just insecure losers who crave attention by having others see their worthless opinions/comments. Just don't give them the opportunity. Email responsibly. You wouldn't have sex or drive recklessly (most people at least), so why would you openly email to a group of people? Here's a trick....just like condoms and seatbelts, try B.C.C. In case you don't know what that means, it's an acronym for "blind carbon copy". Not an overly technical or complicated term but I'll explain it to you anyway, just in case. It means recipients in this address field cannot be seen. AH HA! A perfect and easy solution to tempting people with reply-all syndrome. And an extra bonus, the bcc field is located just two lines below the "To:" address field, so actually closer to the message text and therefore more convenient with less mouse movement required. Also, bcc also aids in the fight against spam as it reduces email addresses stored in your cache or address book. If they cannot see who is on the recipient list, hence they cannot reply-all. Wow, what will they think of next.

So, in summary:
1) Do not reply-all recklessly.
2) Use bcc when sending to a group.
3) The above rules are not absolute but when in doubt, just follow them.

Japanese to-ran-su-re-ta, kudasai

2006-05-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

Sitting here on a cool Saturday evening with my buddy Char, dressed in our finest, we were telling stories and I came across a reference in my story to a Japanese hostess. As we are both former teachers in Nippon, I wanted to use the official Japanese word for hostess. Which naturally led to the question, "What IS the Japanese word for hostess?" I couldn't remember and Char couldn't remember. So what do two inquisitive and resourceful girls like oursevles do? Call everyone who is Japanese or has taught in Nippon within Ka-na-da. Why wasn't everybody home, why would they go out on a Saturday evening? Darn it. We connected with a few people. The first thought hostess was simply translated as hostess-su but we were convinced there had to be a more unique Japanese translation. So somehow in tandem, we convinced her that simply could not be. So the next phone call yielded the same response. But this time around, he was more confident in his answer and our confidence was slightly worn as it was the second time we were facing this answer. He assured us it was "hostess-su". He asked us to google, but duh...we had already tried doing that but to no avail. All the sites we found were either stories about hostesses or literal tranlations (aka hostess to a group of people at your dinner party). So it seems the answer is "hostess-su". I can't speak for Char but that left me very unsatisfied and I will need to inquire some more. I will escalate the situation to level 2 and call some contacts in the land of the rising sun.

On the record...

2006-04-16T22:43:00.000-05:00

Not to dwell on Greece but how I do love to relive good memories. Anyways, I came across this a while ago and how true it tis:

Mykonos (Cyclades Islands)
So, perhaps not the place to fall in love but perfect for a holiday fling! Take all day to share a frappe (two straws, of course) with the waves of “Little Venice” lapping at your feet. Even the garlic from that gyros at breakfast can’t turn you off.

Mail Order Husband?

2006-03-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

This is proof that all old-school grandmas from the village are all the same. Whether it's an Italian village, Indian village, or Chinese village...Here's another grandma-ism for you:

I was insisting that I pay for dinner tonight and she wanted to know how much dinner cost. I told her I could handle it and she shouldn't worry about me because I'm working, the new job is part of my career plan, etc. She advised me that money isn't so important as long as you're a good person. She then quickly segway-ed into the topic of finding a suitable 'friend'. "He doesn't have to have a lot of money, as long as he has good character," she explained. "Are there any young men at your new workplace?" she inquired. "How old are you?" she asked. "Twenty-five," I replied, hesitantly. "You know, I had kids by the time I was your age," she said, with a twinge of sarcasm mixed with seriousness. Crap. No pressure, grandma. Thanks!

Precious moments...

2006-02-27T21:06:00.000-05:00

OK, here's another grandma-ism for your enjoyment:

I called grandma on Saturday and told her I waas taking her out to dinner that night. She seemed pleased. I proudly stated I would treat her so she shouldn't eat too many snacks in the afternoon. I reminded her to save her appetite and be ready for a big meal, courteosy of me. She asked what the occasion was.

I told her I had been busy looking for a new job and finally, I was successful. Her usually sweet and innocent tone suddently turned serious and full of concern.

"What?", she exclaimed, "You didn't have a job? What happened? You don't have to take me out, save your money!"

"No, grandma. I have a job, I was just looking for another one. A better one," I explained. She seemed relieved.

"Oh," she responded. She paused, pondered, then reflected. "Well, in that case, I will eat more. I'm hungry. I'd like to order steamed oysters."

Do you talk English?

2006-02-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

Grandma is learning her ABCs and 123s...literally. She's very proud to show us how she counts to ten:

"wun, do, tee, woh, why, seh, seben, ay, ny, den"

She asked how to continue with her counting to eleven, twelve, thirtenn, and so on...we told her it was too difficult.

She asked if the next number was "den wun"!

What a smart lady :)

"Dick Cheney misses bird, hits fellow hunter"

2006-02-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

You've got to read this story...with the 24hr Olympic coverage, I haven't watched the news this weekend but I saw this story on cbc.ca
This should be an NRA campaign of why guns ownership rights should be protected...including those who use it for non-violent purposes such as hunting...

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/02/12/cheney-hunt.html

Which one are you?

2006-02-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favourite travel articles ever "When in Home: Travel Snobbery" by Lucy Corne. I happened on it when searching for 'budget independent' travel resources...ironically which is part of the behaviour of a travel snob, I suppose. It was posted on InsideOut Magazine
(http://www.insideoutmag.com/0105/when0105.htm) and I had to post it on this blog.

I love this article because I am a strong Type 4 and mild Type 1 cross-breed with slightly diminishing Type 2 and Type 3 tendencies due to my new permanent employment status and recent encounters with insect bites and motion sickness.

I am PROUD to admit I'm a full travel snob. There's no other type of snob I'd rather be.

I don't quite agree with Type 5's description or inclusion because I find a great sense of adventure is more relevant to this article rather than the level of dependence on guidebooks or tourist resourcs. On the other hand, reliance on 'independent travel guides' such as LP, Let's Go, or Rough Guide would be much more acceptable to a travel snob like myself rather than anything with too many shiny glossy pages where the average dinner listed costs $20+ CAD or includes accomodations beyond hostels, pensions, campsites and the like.

Besides the misdirection of identifying Type 5, I agree fully agree with this article. As I was on my last trip, I repeatedly found myself apologetic for being only on 'vacation' for 10 days rather than traveling for longer.

-------------------------------------------
WHEN IN HOME: TRAVEL SNOBBERY
Don’t You Have Anything Less Comfortable?
by Lucy Corne

“Ah, I remember when I first went backpacking, and I didn’t know how to travel,” David the hostel owner mused nostalgically. I was puzzled. Whatever could he mean by that? How can you not know how to travel? Surely you just pack a bag, buy a ticket and jump on something with wheels or wings. I wasn’t aware there was much more of a technique to it than that.

He eyed my badly packed rucksack with disdain. “Yeah, I had this huge 85-litre bag, full to bursting with all those unnecessary things that first time travellers pack, like sleeping bag liners, rucksack liners, rucksack covers, liners for your rucksack covers…” Suddenly, I found myself making excuses for my excessive luggage and feeling like an inferior traveler. Then, it dawned on me that I’d just been on the receiving end of a new epidemic sweeping the backpacker community—travel snobbery.

The initial strain of the virus was a basic aversion to package holidays—a feeling that going alone was a superior way of traveling, a way of getting to know the local culture and injecting something into the local economy. "There is nothing unhealthy in that," I hear you mutter, and I’m sure more than a handful of you suffer from this light form of travel snobbery. I know I was diagnosed with it years ago.

However, the virus has mutated within the backpacker community, creating a number of subspecies amongst us. Now don’t be thinking that we’re talking about a third party here—I bet you’ll spot a piece of yourself in at least one of the five breeds of travel snobs. You’ve already met the “Luggage Snob,” so here’s a rundown of his most common counterparts.

TYPE ONE: The Popular Destination Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: Obscure passport stamps from countries of which you’ve never even heard

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "I’ve just booked a trip to Burkina Faso."

You’ll see derision all over his face when you announce your purchase of a six-stop around-the-world ticket, taking in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

He might not say as much, but he is inwardly sneering at your choice of destination, wondering why anyone would want to join the masses on Khao San Road or Bondi Beach when they could be camping in Kazakhstan or exploring uncharted Albania.

He feels he’s a cut above the rest because he gets way off the beaten track, snubbing any destination he's likely to find in a "places-to-visit-before-you-die" list. There is usually a reason why a place becomes exceptionally popular.

As a recovering sufferer of this strain of travel snobbery, I could tell you stories of dull experiences in grotty, uninspiring towns in a bid to avoid the crowds and be original. I soon came to realize that people are drawn to certain places because destinations have something special to offer. It’s all very well to want to get away from the masses, but if that means visiting sewage plants and the local tax office, then perhaps following the crowd isn’t such a bad thing.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Traveling is all about new experiences, and as globalization takes hold, some of the more popular places are losing their identities. Heading somewhere new might give you a real taste of another culture, rather than a second rate clone of what you left behind.

TYPE TWO: The Spending Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: His professional attitude toward bartering, which he employs in hotels, restaurants, shops, bus stations, public toilets and even with beggars.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "I got it much cheaper than that."

This strain of travel snobbery makes the sufferer believe that spending less makes him a superior traveler. He haggles for everything and likes the world to know that he paid less.

Okay, so many people like to travel on a budget and don’t mind doing without a few of their comforts of home in order to save a few dollars, but never spending any money isn’t really playing fairly. What “Type Two” doesn’t seem to realize is that another point of independent travel is to inject cash into the local economy. Cutting back on spending is one thing, but bartering people out of their livelihoods is something totally different. He is likely to miss out on some great excursions if he’s not willing to put his hand in his pocket now and again and treat himself.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: The less you spend per day, the longer you can travel and the more you’ll get to see of the world. Although it is nice to splurge occasionally, both for the locals and for the traveler.

TYPE THREE: The Comfort Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: A haunted look, fleas and a perpetual backache.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "Don’t you have anything less comfortable?"

There are some people in the world who seem to thrive on discomfort and “Type Three” belongs to this breed. He always stays in the scummiest hole of a hostel he can find and travels third class when he isn’t hitchhiking. He scoffs at anyone who favors deluxe buses or the odd three-star hotel room, insisting that doing without comfort makes the experience more "real."

I say that it turns traveling into a chore that’s only fun in retrospect. It’s alright to slum it now and then, when nothing else is available or a significant saving is to be made, but surely there’s a limit to the number of rat-infested dungeons anyone can stay in without losing it.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Admittedly, the best stories tend to come from hardships, so
“Type Three” will always have some gripping travel tales to tell.

TYPE FOUR: The Short-trip Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: A worn look from being on the road for so long.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "Oh, are you only here for two weeks?"
She seems to have unlimited time to devote to traveling. She would rather not visit a country at all than visit for just a week or two. "How does she manage it?" I’ve often wondered as I return from my all-too-short trips.

"Does she have a bottomless bank account? Or perhaps she slaves away for years without a break so that eventually she can plan a mammoth voyage?" Countless times, I’ve caught myself making excuses for the brevity of my trips, but then I tend to choose short but frequent trips, rather than save up for years to enjoy an in-depth break.

SHE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Obviously the longer you stay somewhere, the more you’ll see, the more you’ll learn and the more you’ll get involved in the local culture. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford six months in every country we visit and “Type Four” should understand that all of our bank balances and bosses won’t permit it.

TYPE FIVE: The Guidebook Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: The lack of a Lonely Planet tucked under his arm.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "I think guidebooks are ruining independent travel."

A rare breed, this one, and one that usually shows symptoms of other strains of travel snobbery. He sneers at you and your fellow travelers as you wander around clutching your "Bible." Most of us enjoy reading up on our chosen destination before we set off and value the opinions of our chosen guide.

“Type Five” maintains that travel books spoil travel by drawing all travelers to previously unknown spots, which ruins the spontaneity. I think he has lost the plot. Traveling without a guidebook is great if you have unlimited time and funds and a command of the local language, but anyone who has ever turned up somewhere unknown without a book knows what stressful business it is. You would miss some of the finest spots as you wander around blindly, relying entirely on the help of strangers and a healthy dose of luck.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Traveling without a guidebook really gets back to the roots of travel—the original pioneers and explorers. Alas, it’s not really a practical option for most of us 21st-century backpackers.

So there you have it, the most common types of travel snobbery. You may have diagnosed yourself, and that’s the first step to recovery. To complete the healing process, get back on the road, start chatting to your fellow travelers and respect them, whether they travel in luxury with a hugely over-packed bag or wander around for years, hardly spending any money and sleeping in shop doorways.

If you come across someone suffering from acute travel snobbery, remind him or her that travel is supposed to be fun. As long as people enjoy themselves without harming others, leave them to it!

Lucy Corne is a freelance writer in the Canary Islands and has just written a Bradt guidebook on the islands. She has traveled extensively in South America and South Africa and has visited Mexico, Mongolia and China.

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

2006-01-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR

YEAR OF THE DOG

Wishing everyone great prosperity, good health and much happiness!

The Dignified and Democratic Canadian Voting Process

2006-01-22T23:31:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce that my 85-year old grandma will be exercising her right to vote tomorrow. And I couldn't be more proud of that!

The fact she wants to vote is incredible because although she came to this country late in her life and her affairs are all taken care of by her family, she still has an interest. The fact that she CAN vote is a great honour for her because Communist Chinese didn't exactly allow for that when she was younger back in the village.

Now that we have her desire to participate in the democratic process taken care of, the logistics of her vote is the next issue at hand.

1) Can she make an informed decision about who to vote for? She does watch Fairchild TV several hours a day and aside from the Chinese operas and dramas, there is the occasional news program. I don't know how informed her vote is for but she announced at dinner on Saturday that she will be voting for "the one with the Chinese wife". Struck with bewilderment, we clarified that she hadn't made that choice due to cultural assimilation but rather by their political platform. OK, I'm glad to hear that...though I'm not exactly sure what type of influence the volunteers and staff at her Geriatric Care facility had when explaining the voting process at their Elections seminar last week. After my grandma made her declaration, we started a mini-debate between my dad, uncle and myself. My uncle responded, "Don't vote for him, he won't give you any money. Vote for Martin, he'll give you money."
"Don't list to him," my dad retorted, "they're not going to give you that much money. We pay for your things anyway." So with the prospect of getting more money, my grandma changed her mind and said she was going to vote for 'Ma-tin'.
"No, Grandma, you can't do that," I exclaimed, "If you vote for 'Ma-tin', my children won't have any money left, nor will my grandchildren."
That did the trick. She looked at me with a look that only a grandmother can give and as she patted my arm, said, "OK, OK, I want your grandchildren to have a good life too. I won't vote for 'Ma-tin." I WIN!!!

2) Next problem, and this is a big one. How will she know which circle to mark her 'X' in? There's no colour coding, to avoid subconscious colour bias and unfair discrimination against the colourless independents, so we can't couch her by colour differentiation. Surely even with her weakening eyesight, she could have distinguished red from blue from orange. So, I decided to look up all the candidates in her riding and coach her on the order in which the list of candidates will appear on her ballot. I'm glad she only needs to mark an 'X' because otherwise, literacy would definitely be a problem. Luckily, she does know how to sign her name in English and that does appear on her photo ID.

3) So how is she going to actually get out and vote? I guess one of us could take her but we don't need to cause the staff/volunteers at her home have made arrangements. I'm not exactly sure if they are going to be transported to their local polling station or if something will come to them. But if they are going to their polling station, that would suck for all of those people in line behind them as 200+ senior citizens slowly, very slowly, follow the voting process.

But however slow or complicated the accommodation or explanation necessary, I think it's awesome that it's happening at all. Some people, not only young, just don't care and are complacent. Well, part of the honour of becoming a Canadian citizen is the right to vote. I am so proud that my grandma wants to vote.

Grandma, we ain't in Communist China no more!

My Dancing Shoes

2006-01-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

This season, my new hobby is going to be dancing. I signed up for Ballroom and Latin Dance classes (2 separate classes) starting this Sunday evening. I've never taken dance lessons before and have no clue what I'm getting myself into. I'm generally not too coordinated but I'm up for a challenge. It fits fairly well with my weekly schedule and at the end of it, I'll learn something new!

But you know what was the first thing I thought of after registering for the classes?

WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?

Not so much about the clothing but about shoes?!?! The class says to wear 'hard-soled shoes, heels optional'. Most of my hard-soled shoes are heels and although some may be more comfortable than others, not to stand and dance in for two hours! Well, there is this one red pair but then again, they're not hard-soled but rather lined with rubber hence their added comfort factor. I've got relatively comfy ones but they're point with a skinny heel, and I can fully seem myself trying on their pointiness. Oh, I do have these mary-jane style shoes so the strap can add stability but they are older and the padding may be worn hence less comfortable. Whatever will I do?

I bought new equipment for my camera for photography class. I bought new cleats for softball cause my old ones were all worn. Can I buy new shoes for dance class? MUST RESIST THE TEMPTATION.

Darn it, I am going to Eaton Centre after work...must avoid the shoe stores. I've bought so many darn pairs of shoes in the past 12 months, it's freakin ridiculous! I guess I could always be fair to my body and my wallet by trying out a week with one pair, and the the next week with the other. See how I feel and then decide...that would be the only responsible thing to do, right?

WHEN DID I BECOME A SHOE PERSON?

Feeding on my Obsession and Neuroticism...

2006-01-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

I'm a giant loser cause I went out and spent full price at HMV for the soundtrack to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (see previous blog). I knew it was good from the movie and although could've been cheaper if bought online, I just couldn't wait. I paid cash and threw away the receipt at the nearest trash receptacle to eliminate any opportunity for a refund or second guessing. I've been listening to it non-stop ever since - at work on my PC and in the car on the way to and from work. Am I sick of the 12 tracks yet? NO. 10 tracks are in the actual move and 2 are bonus tracks...probably inspired by the movie, but they do seem to fit right in so they very well could've been inspired.

But seriously, the pants are magical. They are working on me. I was doing some negative self-talk in the car today regarding my future job prospects and pending decision making and felt very deflated. So I put on track 2 - Natasha Beddingfield, Unwritten - and repeated it 5 times. I mean, the song was a good one before but now, it flat out inspires me. I listened to the lyrics, sang along in the 10 minute car ride up the street and by the end of my journey, felt like I could conquer the world and felt there was so much excitement ahead of me, as uncertain as it may be, it is mine to take and mine to experience and mine to enjoy. The future is unwritten and I can help write darn right exciting chapters in my life and the song reminded me of the confidence that I do have inside myself but had temporarily lost under a pile of dirty clothes to kick ass in this world. I am S.M.R.T. I can do it. I want to be in the sisterhood...it's not just for 16yr old girls. There is coming-of-age at all stages in life and I'm going through one now. We all need those pants.

And besides, wanting to fit into the pants, although magically conforming, will also motivate me to continue exercising and challenging my body to get every last endorphin it can. It's not about losing weight. It's about pushing my body and mind to see what it can do, and being healthy enough to kick ass in the world. If my legs are weak, I won't be able to kick down any doors or stubborn jerks...So bring on the lunges and squats!

Wow, that was a rant.

Things that make me go ummm.....

2006-01-01T23:52:00.000-05:00

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I haven't read the book, but I plan to. But in the meantime, if you haven't already, rent the movie. It's a full week rental at Blockbuster but with their no late fee policy, the length of the rental is irrelevant cause it's still the same price as their 2-day rentals. Anyway, or do what I did - buy it on previously viewed for $12 so you can watch it endlessly.

It's a lovely story about friendship and life. The actresses are fabulous. Touching moments with a silly premise but it works. For anyone who has a friend in their life who can liven the saddest day, lift the lowest spirits, humour the ordinary and simply understand, you will understand the movie and fall in love with it as I did.

There are four main storylines that follow the summers of four best 16-year old friends but the lessons are applicable to all ages.

It's also one of those movies with quite a female-led soundtrack so I shall be listening to these tunes in my car feeling oh so empowered.

Oh, and did I mention that one of the stories is set on Santorini and involves a hot Greek boy?!?! Perhaps.... that connected me to the movie too!

This is the view of the caldera that Lena's room opens up to. One of these homes probably was used as the setting for the grandparent's home...

By the way, that isn't me on the donkey, in case you were confused :) The donkey was probably wandering through the same laneways I wandered, walking up the same steps I explored.

This is a faraway view of the harbour where the fishy action took place, the old port of Fira. If you look really closely, you'll see some of the same building in those scenes down by the harbour.

I do gasp and giggle with excitement when I see the familiar scenery of Santorini on the screen, that's just part of the appeal of the movie. Plus the story is romantic...what can I say, it strikes a soft spot in my heart.

Note to self: I should have spent more time down by the harbour and less time at the cafe and bar...

What a Week!!!

2005-12-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

This has been the happiest week ever!

Last Friday, my mommy joined me after work for some shopping and then I took her out to a trendy restaurant and then we took the train home. That entire night, I felt so happy have such a sincere, fun, and mature conversation with my mom. And what made it the most special was that she seemed to really enjoy herself :)

Last Saturday, my mommy joined me again for some shopping in the afternoon cause I was at work in the morning at the Children's Christmas Party. We continued our lovely times together and then headed off to a wonderful family birthday dinner. We went to my favourite Chinese restuaurant and I was joined by both sides of my family and everyone got along fabulously. We don't get a chance to get everyone together too often and everyone was chatting, laughing, reminiscing, sharing...really lovely time. Things are good with my family when my uncles pulls out a photo of me when I was 4yrs old...the infamous picture that every relative has but he still keeps it in his wallet to this day. There are 3 people in this world who cherish that picture: my uncle, my mom and my dad. I just couldn't stop smiling and on the car ride home, I just kept talking and talking cause I was on such a high. Sometimes I feel like I don't get enough quality family time and although I try hard to push my family together, it doesn't always work. But for that one perfect night, it did and I loved every moment of it. It helped that my grandma was by my side and she kept turning to me thanking me for how much she was enjoying the evening :)

Last Monday, I wrote my final exam for my Managerial Accounting class and it went swimmingly well. I was so hyper after the exam - cause I was relieved it was over - but also cause I was wired from caffeine and my great weekend...I called everyone I knew within the area and wanted to see if someone would go out on a Monday night. Party poopers...

Last Tuesday, the parents joined me for dinner after work at my favourite restaurant in Toronto at the moment. As they were running late stuck in traffic, I just sat by the fireplace, sipped my wine, and just took everything in. The Mediterrean music and ambience added to my tranquility...couldn't have asked for a better birthday. And throughout the day, I was lucky to get birthday well wishes and I was just smiling. That night, as we drove home, we forgot to pick up my car at the train station (AGAIN) so after pulling into the driveway, we had to drive back to the train station. Oops...gotta stop forgetting about my car. And to end the night off, there was a message on the phone from LISA!!! I knew she wouldn't forget but I was still really excited to get her message, she's the BEST!

Last Thursday, I went out to dinner yet again with my parents and one of my dad's business clients and his wife. We had a really nice meal and the company was even better. Just a lovely evening....how many lovely evenings can a girl have within a 7 day period?

Yesterday, I had a nice dim sum lunch with my mom and grandma - it was my treat for them. I love my grandma so much because she is the one person in this entire world that smiles everytime she sees me. She is genuinely happy to see me and makes a point to show that and tell me how much she loves me. I honestly think she's my best friend! One problem though - as she was telling me how happy she is and how proud of me she is...she once again mentioned for me to hurry up and get married cause she's getting old and may not have too much longer. No pressure...

Finally, last night, I celebrated my Birthday in a big way! I had a room at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, we were going to dinner and then a club. At the hotel, Sheila & I went swimming and hot tubbing, lounged on the comfy beds as we ate bon bons and watched Dirty Dancing as we got ready and prettied ourselves. As my guests arrived at dinner, I was super excited. I haven't had one group of friends since highschool so I've never had the luxury of having my friends in one place. Last night was the first time, and my parents came to dinner too! It was a lovely time, I got to reflect on the wonderful people I have met and how good life is right now. After dinner, we went to a club and it was fun cause we had a booth and our own table of alcohol. It was a bit of a challenge to finish everything and I didn't want any of it to go to waste, cause afterall, there are so many starving children around the world. It was a struggle though, I tell you, but I managed. Surprisingly, didn't feel like crap last night or this morning. I'm quite proud of the fact that I managed to not kill myself on the walk from the club to the car cause slush + heels + too much alcohol = penguin walk. Thank goodness for Rob's arm. When Sheila & I got back to the hotel, I was as giddy as a gaggle of school girls...and then something inside me decided to switch everything off and collapse on my pillow. It was probably the best sleep I've had in weeks.

What a lovely week!

Oh, FYI: And now, with the birthday celebrations having concluded, the festiva season can officially begin. The holidays do not begin with the first fall of snow, the end of American Thanksgiving, nor when retailers start their holiday marketing campaign. It begins when my party is done. And now it is. The decorations whall be going up starting tomorrow. You are forgiven if you started early...we all feel the peer pressure from the media from time to time. I still love you though...Just don't do it again!

Greece Photo Collection

2005-11-20T14:48:00.000-05:00

Best of....
http://www.sogloriaso.myphotoalbum.com/

Recap of Vaca - Part 4

2005-10-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

Continued...

Day 9: Friday 10/7/05

En route
Before I get into the sordid details of my time in Mykonos, I want to gross you out with tales from my journey from Paros to Mykonos. That morning, I took a smaller boat - more like a speed boat style. The speed should've been a nice thing but that day, the sea was rough, very rough. I was onboard for 5 minutes and I knew I was in trouble. It was too late to take gravol cause it was only a 40 minute journey and by the time the drugs would start working, I'd be there. I tried all the tricks: looking at the horizon, falling asleep, deep breathing, etc. Nothing worked and finallly, 35 minutes into the trip, I lost it. I left all of my luggage unattended (not a good thing) and darted to the bathroom. The attendant looked at me and fully knew what I was going to do. Amazingly, once all out of my system, I felt much better...for the remaining 5 minutes of the trip. I was thrilled to arrive in Mykonos port and had the luxury of knowing that no one in Mykonos will know what just happened. But it would also be a good story to tell, an appetizing conversation starter! ha ha

Mykonos, Greece
When I think of Mykonos, I think of: luxury yachts, wealth, style, alcohol, partying, sex - general hedonism, everything our mothers warned us about. At least my mother...especially cause she knows how I am. Luckily (I think) it was the end of the summer season and there were no yachts in sight. The narrow winding streets were manageable, the cafes were not overcrowded, nor were the hotel and restaurant prices at a premium. I stayed at Paradise Beach Resort because I wanted a bit of R&R for the end of my trip, or at least the easy access to R&R. Normally, through the summer, Paradise beach would've been home to raucous parties, spring-break style beach partying, and tons of 'young people'. When I was there, it was more of a quiet resort in full preparation to wind down for the year. I dropped my stuff off in my room (for which I splurged for, a full room with my own shower!) and off into town I went. The port area of Hora/Mykonos town is nice, full of shops in full Greek Island style. But the streets there were particularly narrow and winding, and there were more of them so I could get lost for longer periods of time. Apparently, they were designed like that in an attempt to deter pirates from coming ashore by confusing them with the maze-like streets.

There are trademark windmills at one corner, a unique church in another, a row of shops/cafes/bars right on the edge of the water on the side, and the port on the other. So as much wandering as I could manage, I never got that lost, at least not in the day time. Perhaps it was the fact that I knew it was my last island and I knew where I stood with my budget, or just the shops in Mykonos were particularly enticing...but the shopping was AMAZING! There was so much variety, including the high-end designer labels, but more interesting to me were the funky boutique shops with things that I hadn't seen on the other islands. After taking my standard photo tour, I finally did my girly souvenir shopping. I found these two particularly beautiful hand-made necklaces at a shop so unique that I can't even describe it. I bought one for myself, and one for my mommy...with the full intent to borrow my mom's gift so I made sure it would look good on me as well. After feeling very satisfied with my shopping, I settled in at a cafe in Little Venice.

Literally, I could've stepped off the cafe and into the water. And on that day, with the big swells, the water was lapping onto the cafe terrace, so it was a beautiful sight. At the cafe, I met the HOT & friendly waiter there...more on him later. I stayed there until after the sunset, wandered around at dusk, had a nice dinner next to the Pelicans. At dinner, it was inevitable that a waiter would invite me to go dancing after he finished his shift. It had happened every other night I had dinner at a restaurant in Greece so far, why wouldn't it happen in Mykonos too? When I eventually left the restaurant and the persistant waiter's invitations, I went to wander around the dark streets but before I got too far, as I was walking across the square, I heard my name. I know the world is small, but who would know my name in Greece? It was my waiter friend from the cafe (the HOT one, remember?). He too had invited me out earlier but this time, I felt like a bit of fun so I asked him to take me out. So we planned to meet up after his shift and he would take me to a club and we'd go dancing. I don't like to do that on my own, so I was glad to find a buddy to do that with (it helps with that buddy is HOT, by the way). So I waited for him at a cafe, drinking 2 cups of Greek coffee...ummm....Greek Coffee. Not to self: gotta find me some of that stuff in Toronto. Anyway, I did some wandering in the dark and it was a bit scary, not in a dangerous way, but more in an exhilirating way. It was very liberating to be wandering around in near empty streets in a foreign country not knowing anyway and trying to get myself lost, where people were turning left, I turned right, where people walked towards the crowd, I walked away from it...very exhilirating indeed.

Anyway, my Greek friend took me to a bar/lounge right next to the water, ordered some drinks and settled in comfortably on a bench next to the window looking out onto the crashing waves. Danced, drank more, danced more....and then I went home. Enough said about that.

Day 10: 10/08/05

Paradise Beach, Mykonos
It was another beautiful day in the Greek Islands, blue skies with pretty fluffly clouds. Parked myself on the grainy beach and observed all the naked and nearly-naked people around me. Listened to my CDs, read my magazine, observed more naked and nearly-naked people. That basically sums up my day. Oh, also played a little game of 'let's dodge the sketchy older American guy who was attaching himself to me from th e previous day' but later in the afteroon, he found me. I had no problem joining in the crowds in clothing-optional sunbathing but I'd prefer not to have someone sit right next to me while I was doing that...since it was still a new thing for me, I'd prefer to do it in my own privacy. So when creepy guy came up to me, I quickly turned over onto my stomach, he just gave me the creeps! He wanted to meet up for dinner and I had to come up with some quick excuse out of that one. We ended up taking the same bus into town, damn it! So for that evening, I was continuing with my game of 'let's dodge the sketchy guy...'. I went to the cafe and said hi to my Greek friend, who looked absolutely exhausted. Poor guy, he had to work all day and still had another job to go to, while I spent the day on the beach. He said these exact words to me "I want to take you out dancing again but I'm too tired, I'm so sorry"...I was somewhat sadistically satisfied by my role in his hellish day. Hey, it was my way to contribute to the local economy and taste the local culture....yeah. Had a peaceful dinner and had a few more greek coffees and then went to bed. Nothing exciting that night.

Day 11: 10/09/05

Mykonos
Took some pictures of the beautiful beach before my final departure, not only from Mykonos but also the Greek Islands....basically signalling the end of my trip. It was sad :( Placed my luggage into storage by the port so I could do a final wander around town until my ferry was to sail away at 2pm. The angles of some of the pictures were better in the morning, so I was glad I got to photograph the island without the harsh afternoon sun. I spent a few last hours at the cafe with my friend and said our goodbyes. Not quite with the dramatic emotions and intensity like in Before Sunrise (and After Sunset too, I guess) but at least he was hotter than Ethan Hawke. SIde note: if you've never seen Before Sunrise or After Sunset, go rent them if you like the romanticism of a love affair in a foreign land and chance meetings. Anyway, I was expecting a busy but uneventful 5hr journey home but it did have a bit of a twist.

En Route
As the ship was completely sold out (I mean people in the aisles), this Greek man sat across from me and he seemed very nice. We were making small talk when he told me he has a cousin living in Mississauga and we figured out his cousin was just 10 minutes up the street from my house. So, he decided to call his cousin on his cell phone in Mississauga and I got to say hi to his cousin, while in the middle of the Aegean Sea...such a small world indeed! I was seriously running out of money at this time so I wasn't planning on eating much besides the cheese and crackers I had bought at the grocery store (ghetto styles!) but the nice man bought me lunch from Goody's, a fast-food outlet I had seen throughout Greece. I thought it was so sweet of him, so we enjoyed our lunch together onboard.

Athens
Five hours later, we arrived into Piraeus Port in Athens and he was kind enough to show me where the subway station was and we parted our ways. I had 2 things to accomplish on my last night in Athens: eat one more meal of lamb and buy my stereotypical Greek souvenirs for the family. I bought 4 cans of Kalamata olives, 2 bottles of organic olive oil from Crete and 2 jars of olive paste. Uncles, Aunts, grandma, parents brothers and best friend - all taken care of in supermarket. All of the "olive products", as they were later referred to by Canadian customs, weighed almost as much as all of my other luggage combined, hence saved my shopping trip till the last night possible. Scoped out where the bus stop would be for my 5:00am trip to the airport. Then, fully intending to shower and go to bed early, I started talking to the girls in my room and we went for a few beers downstairs and only went to bed when I looked at my watch and realized it was 12:30. Darn, I had to get up in 4 hours. Oh well, that was my last night in Greece.

Day 12: 10/10/05

En Route
The 5am airport express was surprisingly full, I guess the morning airport shift started at 6am, the same time I was aiming for. Damn international flights, they say to be there 2 hours early but it takes all of 10 minutes to get your boarding pass and clear security. I rushed to the gate so I could stake out a nice row of seats and went to sleep. My strategy continued to work in my favour. If I sleep really close to the check-in desk, I can't miss my flight cause either the commotion of the other passengers, the boarding announcements or at last resort, the ground crew's pity, would wake me before my flight. Just in case, I set my alarm clock and put it in my pocket. A cell phone that vibrates works better though.

Heathrow Airport, London (again)
This time, I had five hours to waste in the same terminal as before. It wasn't as exciting anymore because I had already seen all the duty free shops there, plus I had all of my olive products to drag around with me this time around. I ended up buying UK Cosmo and that kept me entertained for a good 90 minutes. I read all 3 chapters of my textbook which I had photocopied. I knew realistically that I wasn't going to read that on the beach or at a cafe, even though I had tried, but it's amazing how when bored in transit at an airport, 3 chapters of Managerial Accounting can be quite interesting. Oh, I also kept amused by trying to figure out where different passengers were going, just by their appearance and language/accent. There were a lot of flights going into Western African cities that I had never heard of and that fascinated and also irritated me. I didn't know where these cities were, so I immediately looked up those city names the first night I got home. I had to know.

En Route
The flight back to Toronto was brutal. How ever did I survive all the trans-pacific flights I had made previously? I must be getting old! Plus, it didn't help that some of the movies in-flight were the same...isn't it standard that inbound and outbound inflight entertainment schedules are different? I would not have otherwise seen Batman Begins but it's amazing how a movie can be much better when stuck on a plane without other alternatives. Ironically, lately at Blockbuster, I can't find any rentals that I want to watch cause I saw them all on the my flights to and from Greece...darn it!

Toronto
I have to write about one thing that happened in Toronto. Knowing my parents, I knew they would know about my flight's delay but I was hoping they would be there welcoming me. I got through customs and the luggage carousel in only 20 minutes and walked out into the terminal and saw everyone else's family. I didn't see mine. Maybe they're just at the curb because they didn't want to pay for parking, I figured. Nope, not there either. I called them and oh, my loving parents were just leaving the house! So, I sat outside on the curb muttering to myself "my parents don't even love me" as I waited for them :) I threatened them when I saw them that I wouldn't give them their olive products! That's all I had left in me, I was too tired.

Recap of Vaca - Part 3

2005-10-17T22:26:00.000-05:00

Continued...

Day 7: Wednesday 10/05/05

At 6am, I was awoken by banging on my door and a Greek man calling out to me outside my door. It was my wake-up call. At the pension, his wife had remember I was taking the early morning ferry so she sent him down to wake me up so I wouldn't miss my bus to the port. How sweet of them! I hustled out and made the bus. I left beautiful Santorini...considered standing on deck to see the view of the old port and sunrise...but then I feel asleep. Off to Paros I went.

Paros, Greece
I knew Paros was going to be different. And it was. I'm going to describe it like this: it was where the real Greek Islanders lived. Although it was a popular port for transfers to and from Athens, it didn't have the glamour of Santorini. There were more working fishing boats in the port, small shipping containers too. No way Santorini would have that in its port because it would ruin the postcard! Spent my first day in Paros wandering the main town of Parikia, and then took the bus up to Naoussa.

I liked Naoussa - very charming fishing village. You could smell the fish in the air. And as Parikia was more spread out, Naoussa had more winding streets and cute shops. I was there during their siesta so most shops were closed, as the tourist season was wrapping up anyway. This was a great place for me to take a million photos of architecture without having many signs and other people in the way. At least I didn't have to wait as long for people to pass, which was the case in Santorini.

Side note: I felt quite depressed in Paros (see previous blog) cause my face had gotten worse. The drugs hadn't quite kicked in yet and my face was pretty swollen. I think it was particularly bad in the mornings and on the ferry to Paros, I had caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror and I freaked. It was awful. That night, as the night was quiter, I got sad. I felt awful about my face, lost total self-confidence and actually...CRIED! I just wanted my mommy but she hadn't emailed, not for the entire trip! So I told her to email me cause I felt sad and I needed her. I told her I wanted to go home because I was sad. That would make her feel guilty and worry about her youngest child....PAY ATTENTION TO ME!

Day 8: Thursday 10/06/05

To continue from my sad story from the previous night, my mommy did respond to my email. She said the reason she hadn't written was because she didn't want to bother me, and she knew I was OK because she had read all of my emails. She had even checked the local weather on all the islands. She cheered me up by asking me to take a picture of my nasty swollen face and send it to her, so we can keep it for our memories and laugh about it. I did not agree with that approach to her parenting...so you will see NO picture of my swollen face.

Golden Beach, Paros
But I did feel better on my second day in Paros because I was going to the beach! Another day of roasting. Santorini's beaches were more volanic, more beautiful in the surrounding scenery rather than actual sand quality. But Paros was known for its long stretches of golden fine sand. Hence, I was going to Golden Beach (I'm sure that's not the official Greek name though). Finally got the nerve to go topless cause heck, there weren't many people around and they were all doing it too! Like I always say: if everyone jumps off the bridge, I should too cause there may be something wrong with the bridge that you don't know about!

Anyway, the water was cool but it was very refreshing. It felt so liberating to be in that water. I didn't feel shy at all. Once I observed the proper protocol, I was good to go. I walked down the beach to visit the cute little church at the end of the bay and took a bunch of pictures (I had my top on for that, fyi). Overall, it was a really lovely day. Much better than my depressing night before. It's amazing what a bit of Vitamin D can do for the mood, no wonder why Canadians all suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder! SAD indeed...

Paros was different from Santorini and I knew it was also going to be different from Mykonos. It seemed more down-to-earth, more real. Partly, it was a self-fulfiling prophecy. I didn't expect a big party, so I didn't go find a party, hence I didn't get a party. Instead, I relaxed and saved some of my budget for the partying about to come. Left the tranquility of Paros for Mykonos...

Recap of Vaca - Part 2

2005-10-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

Continued...

Day 4: Sun 10/02/05

En Route
...luckily, the alarm worked. as did my body's natural alarm...fueled by adrenaline and excitement about going to the islands. Caught the 45 mins flight to Santorini. Ok, now a talk about flying vs. taking the ferry to the islands. Depends on time and money, basically what it comes down to. I had found a flight for 90 euros inclusive for a flight and the ferry would've taken 9hrs (at least the one for that day). that's a whole day of my 10 day vacation i would've wasted. now, the flight is more expensive but i had worked hard to save for my trip, i wasn't going to be cheap in everything, at least not this. the flight was full of 'yuppies' while the ferry would've been locals and backpackers. On this trip, I was a bit of a sell-out I guess cause instead of the usual roughing it, I had some luxuries. But then again, I shouldn't rough it just based on principal....in the past, I was on a tight budget but only based on basic financial survival. Am I growing up? Gasp...oh no! So since it took an hour to get to the airport and i had to be there an hour earlier, total flying travel time was 3 hrs approx. To take the ferry, it would've taken 30mins to get to the port plus the 5-9 hr ferry ride (depending on the schedule). but then of course, with the faster ferries, the cost would've been right up there with the flight cost, so to me, it was definitely worth it. but for sure, if i had like a 2 month trip of Eastern or Mediterrean Europe, I would've taken the ferry. So that's my opinion on ferry vs. flying.

Fira, Santorini
Had a bit of trouble getting from the airport to the pension but I made it, dropped my stuff off and off I went. Wandered through the narrow shop-filled streets for a bit before I made it out to the caldera. BEAUTIFUL. I was amazed. It had been a while since I was that mesmorized by the scenery. White-washed buildling all perched on a steep volanic cliff, high above crystal clear turquoise water. Just like on the postcards. Now I had my own postcard in my memory. Wandered along the caldera for the rest of the afternoon. At one point, I walked down to this purch halfway down the caldera and I looked right, then looked left. Looked up, then looked down. I was in awe.

So, I decided to spend the next 2 hours just sitting on the wall next to that little church and took it all in. It felt so relaxing to be there.

Eventually, I left and found my way to a cafe/bar on the caldera. The view from there was breath-taking so I decided to camp out there for the sunset. A great place for some (a lot) of wine and to read my magazine. Oh, did I mention that the waiter there was super hot and that was part of the breath-taking view? Movie star hot, really stylishly dressed, trendy sunglasses, cute accent....the wine + the cutey waiter made me giddy for the rest of the evening.

Day 5: Monday 10/03/05

Kamari Beach, Santorini
Woke up with my left eye swollen, not itchy but a bit painful. Plus a few other bumps around my face, plus a few other itchy bites fromt he day before. WTF? Asked the pharmacist and she gave me some cream to reduce the swelling (see previous blogs). Anyway, went to Kamari Beach, a black sand beach. It's not the best black-sand beach I've been to but it was the next bus that came along. Spent the day baking, it had been a while since I had been on a beach. Wasn't quite ready for topless suntanning yet cause it was quite an organized beach and there were a few families around. Just wasn't feeling it. But I was working up the nerve....

Oia, Santorini
Took a bus to Oia, a spot famous for its sunset on Santorini. The atmosphere in Oia reminded me of a pilgrimage. But I have to admit that the view from Oia was quite nice. And it was a good chance for me to try some photographic techniques during the sunset. Plus, Oia's streets were quite charming, more so than in Fira. They were more winding and the shops were more subtlely touristy. That night, decided to consume less wine because on the previous night, my walk home was more difficult than I had thought it would be. In my drunken state, I had managed to buy a ferry ticket (which I didn't remember until the next day), bought a gyros which I had dropped on my shirt and left on a big stain, and twisted my ankle slightly on the cobblestone roads. So, I went for a safe night - just one glass of wine.

Day 6: Tuesday 10/04/05

OK, things got serious cause now my right eye was swollen and there was a total of about 10 bumps on my face. Not pretty (see previous blogs). Went to the pharmacist again and seeing how much worse it got, she recommended that I see a dermatologist. So, he was nice enough and prescribed me some antibiotics and more antibiotic cream. I love doctors in foreign countries. Unlike my visit to the emergency room in Japan, this doctor did not cause more pain nor did he laugh at my pain. We actually engaged in quite a delightful conversation about the future of China in the world as a superpower. Anyway, took my drugs and off I went.

Akrotiri, Santorini
NO ONE TOLD US IT WAS CLOSED! A busload of us dumb tourists got off and all walked towards the gate...in a simple English, the sign read "closed". We were all confused. It wasn't until after I returned to work when I found out from a former employee who was dropping off some papers the reason why Akrotiri was closed. He was on a month-long European vacation and he had been at Akrotiri a week before I was there. It seems that in between the time he visited the excavation site and when I went there, there was a fatal accident - a ceiling had collapsed, a tourist was killed and another broke her back. Yikes...it still would have been cool to see the Greek version of Pompei but luckily for me, I had planned to spend only half day there and the other half day at the red sand beach so I had my beach gear. So instead of a day full of ruins, it was a day of people-watching and sunbaking - two days in a row!

I must now talk about food. I must say I was very DISAPPOINTED in the food during my vacation. Of course, I could've just made bad restaurant choices, which is very likely. However, from the menus I saw, compared to the variety of quality Greek food available in Toronto...I was disappointed. I was really looking forward to lots of lamb and fish. Although I do recognize that Toronto has a tremendous Greek community offering some great Greek and Mediterrean cuisine, I was certain that Greek Island tourism would have similar offerings. However, most of the restaurants I saw, whether on the main tourist street or in back alleys, basically offered the same menus - only prices were different. To site down at a restaurant, I could either pay a moderate price for a standard 'popularized' entree selection (i.e. think Jimmy the Greek or Mr. Souvlaki but not in styrofoam) or pay a fortune on more gourmet food items. And I mean fortune even in Toronto standards, not just my cheap standards. So up to this point on my trip, I had opted for a simple meal or just a quite bite fast-food style and spent the time and money on coffee and wine instead.

However, on this particular night, I splurged. I spent the same amount on one meal as I did on all meal up to that night. I had grilled whole black snapper, freshly caught from the sea that day. And I could taste the freshness. The waiter cut off the head and tail and filleted the fish right at my table. Yummy....I was happy. But at the back of my head, I was thinking "chew slower you moron, each bit is costing you a lot of money" and "mom makes this at home and it's just as good but a heck of alot cheaper". I downed my glass of wine to suppress those negative thought. Ummm....then the fist was yummy again. So that's my food story.

Recap of Vaca - Part 1

2005-10-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Itinerary: Greek Islands, 10 days

Day 1: Thu 09/30/05:

Toronto/En Route
Was working my butt off until 4pm...then kinda realized "oh, i should pack up and get ready to go to the Airport". All of my co-workers thought I was crazy! Anyway, said my goodbyes and headed out to the Airport Shuttle bus stop, where I had to wait 45 minutes. Not impressed...I was afraid it was an omen of things to come. And WTF...it was freezing that day. For the Islands, I didn't pack anything that warm plus I was wearing flip flops. Craziness!

Day 2: Fri 09/30/05:

En Route
I don't see many movies at the theatrea anymore so why is it every time I'm on a plane, the in-flight entertainment shows a movie I've seen?

In Transit - Heathrow
Heathrow is an amazing airport, lots of trendy (expensive) shopping. Only bad thing about Heathrow - the departure gate information for the terminal I was in only listed the gates an hour before departure time! I couldn't do my usual camping-out in front of the gate for the entire duration of my layover and be woken up by the ground crew before boarding! Darn it!

Athens, Greece
Arrived in Athens, took the metro to the hostel. Got some great travel tips/ideas from people who had just come from the Islands and were heading out of Greece - got their maps, guides, unused tickets/coupons, etc. Walked around the Plaka and then had my first of many meals of lamb. Then went out drinking with people from the hostel until 2am. A nice start it was.

Day 3: Sat 10/01/05

Athens, Greece
My only full day in Athens, and that was enough to do the tourist circuit. Not a big fan of cities...love living in them but don't like visit them cause they're all the same, pretty much. I can do a few days but that's about it. And with the other wonderful offerings of Greece, one day was plenty in Athens. Did a walking tour of Acropolis, Agora, Monastriaki markets, Syntagma shopping district, Botanical Gardens, Ancient Olympic Stadium, Temple of Zeus...most of it in the rain. Pouring rain, in fact, when it came to the Acropolis. I was cursing at the Greeks, literally...cause I didn't know I couldn't bring my backpack into the site. Now, a purse the same size was permitted...so what's the difference? Are they discriminating against backpacks? I didn't read that anywhere in the guidebooks. So be warned: do not take a backpack, even a small daypack, into the Acropolis. So then, I had to use a plastic bag to hold my wallet and my camera to prevent them from getting wet. Plus, I was stuck behind all the tours that had just arrived from a Princess Cruise ship. I was not happy. They were slow, all held umbrellas, and very 'touristy' which really pissed me off.

And I'm not going to say from which country they were from cause that wouldn't be nice (it's one of our southernly neighbours in North America). So in the afternoon, for a period of 2 hours, it cleared out, at least in patches. So...I snuck back in. I lied, lied and lied...told the lady I must have dropped my ticket. They have a way of tracing whether the Acropolis portion of the ticket had been used already so I thought I was busted...but then luckily, we had to walk to the main office and were stuck behind a bunch of old ladies who were walking really slowly. So with a few well-placed comments and questions such as "is it a long walk" and "what time does the Acropolis close", the lady gave up and let me in. No guilty conscience over it...I felt I deserved it cause of the hellish experience earlier that morning. In fact, they owed me a more pleasant experience...not just of the weather but also the crowd. The pictures were worth it too! Like I
always so...I don't so much follow rules, I just do what I think is right in my mind. My conscience doesn't always agree with the rules or the law...oh well! That night, met some other nice people at the hostel but couldn't go out drinking cause I had to be up really early to catch a flight. And I forgot my TIMEX watch in Toronto which has always acted as my alarm when I travel. So I had bought some shitty Made in China alarm clock and I wasn't 100% confident in it's ability to wake me up at 6am...

I shall name my future children Glaxo, Smith & Kline

2005-10-07T04:56:00.000-05:00

My face has recovered! The swelling is almost gone, even though the bumps are still there. But you can hardly tell, at least I can hardly tell. And that's what matters. It's amazing how my confidence was soooo low...I felt so ugly. But now, I feel pretty, oh so pretty....
Plus, I realized although there are tons of tourists here, they're most European which means not a lot of visible minorities. Perhaps that could have contributed to the stares. Anyway, I'm in Mykonos now, my last island...which means only 2 days left here than one day of travel back to Athens. Oh, the ferry here was brutal...there were huge swells and I had to abandon my luggage to throw up in the bathroom. Not a good thing to do to leave your luggage unattended but hey, a girl has to do what she has to do. So now, I'm reconsidering...since the 'fast' ferry is the small boat that made me hurl...i may want to take the 'huge' boat that takes longer but is a much pleasant ride. yes yes, i think i shall choose option B.
Just in case you don't know, Mykonos is known for major hedonism...i've already seen 5 naked men on the beach and i was just out there for 2 minutes! stay tuned!

Pricless moments in Greece

2005-10-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

A visit to the dermatologist: 50 euros
Antibiotics & cortozone cream: 12.30 euros
Bug spray: 3 euros
A face full of flea bites while on vacation: NOT PRICESSLESS!

Not fr@#&^#ing pricessless at all!

I can't take any pictures with me in it cause I look like a freak. People all look at me funny...at least funnier than usual! If they were at least mosquitoe bites, I could handle them. But these are gross, and they won't go away. I hope the drugs kick in soon. At least I'm spreading these suckers through the Greek Islands...that will show the greeks. And then, I'll bring them through to Heathrow, and then back to Canada. It'll be the new West Nile or SARS....maybe not.

But fleas?!?!? I didn't touch any dogs or cats, why would I, since I'm so darn allergic to them! EWWW...I don't want to be dirty...(no jokes please)

You know what they say about European men...

2005-10-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

Quick summary so far:
- Mythos is a good cheap Greek beer
- Athens does rain in September
- Princess Cruises does their day tours between 10-11am, so don't go to the Acropolis at that time
- Flying to the islands is so posh...but so nice. hey, a girl has to treat herself once in a while, right?
- interestingly, the greek food i've seen in the tourist areas here isn't much different than from the Greek restaurants in Toronto
- White wine is good in Greece...
- ...so is the shopping, especially leather goods and jewellery
- There's such a great mix of people from around the world here, it's awesome!

Japanese technology....di-fi-ca-ru-to!

2005-09-25T18:20:00.000-05:00

Aiko went on a bus tour and the bus driver couldn't remember any of the Japanese names. So, he decided to give them all nicknames...names from Japanese companies! One girl was Sony, another was Panasonic. When things got too complicated, they were grouped together as "Team Japan"! (GAMBATTE!)

Aiko was lucky enough to get a nickname similar to her own name - AIBO. She also looks like Aibo...walks like Aibo... smells like Aibo...but NOT as smart as Aibo unfortunately.

(This is Aibo)

This is Aiko. Don't they look the same?!?!?!

My nickname could be Nike, Gap, or Levis because all their clothes are "Made in China" just like me!

Aiko could also be called kara age (Japanese fried chicken, NOT KFC). People sometimes call her kara age-sama by accident.

My name in Japan was Edamame So. Students called me Edamame-sensei during class. For mo information about edamame, please visit http://www.edamame.com/)

Sorry, we have to turn off the computer now. We are hungry looking at these pictures. We're going to make some edamame and watch a DVD. Bye Bye.

Fashion Advice Please!

2005-08-30T19:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

I was having coffee with a friend today and we were truly stumped. Not about love, or our careers, or life in general. But we were stumped about my new shoes!

I'm not a trendy girl so please bear with me. I know what colour pants I should NOT wear with these shoes but I can't think of what I could wear. What colours can I wear with these shoes?

I love the shoes but I just don't know how to wear them?!?! Please help me before September 24th as there is a limit to when I can return or exchange them.

Thanks very much, really would appreciate the advice.

Sincerely yours,

Gloria

You can't compare watermelons with grapes...

2005-08-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

"This is our tsunami," said Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway.

When I read that headline on CBC, I was appalled. I was disgusted. I was offended. Now, before you think I'm being insensitive and am going on with my usual "I hate USA" speech, let me explain. I think it is absolutely devastating to lose your property, your home, your entire community...I cannot even imagine the sense of destruction people in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are feeling right now. I truly am sympathetic.

HOWEVER...

I don't think it's fair to compare a global catastrophe that directly affected 2 continents, multiple countries including Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand, and altered weather patterns all around the world.

Not to mention permanently changing the landscape of thousands of miles of coastlines.

Oh, and did I also mention that the tsunami killed an estimated 600,000 people, compared to 65 reported deaths so far. Even if this estimate is to increase as it is reported to, it will still not approach the figures seen in the aftermath of the tsunami.

And, perhaps you've heard, there were thousands who were left homeless and other thousands who have died since due to disease.

Plus the fact that the areas affected by the tsunami were among the poorest areas in the world to start with, at least much less affluent and than New Orleans.

Maybe if there wasn't there much to start with, the damage doesn't seem as bad? If the people were already living in poverty, is their loss not as great?

I sincerely hope that the mayor of Biloxi, Mr. Holloway, did not intend any disrespect for those who were affected by the tsunami. In fact, I'm quite certain his comment was just an expression of the shock and despair his city is feeling. But dear Mr. Mayor, you must see that your comparison is disproportionately out of place and severely misguided. I hope Mr. Holloway is a strong leader and will be able to guide the citizens of Biloxi out of despair and work with his neighbours, as well as federal and state governments, to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina.

But Mr. Holloway, please don't' compare watermelons with grapes...

An unexpected weekend!

2005-08-29T19:50:00.000-05:00

WEEKEND IN MONTREAL!
Well, it was more like Saturday afternoon + evening in Montreal surrounded by 6 hours of driving each way combined with a general lack of sleep.

In the past, whenever I had big expectations for some plan, I was always inevitably disappointed due to a combination of factors: unrealistic expectations plus heightened drama and emotions. But to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised with how the weekend went. It didn't end up being a wild crazy drunken weekend but it was really....nice. It was a lovely weekend. Not lame, not boring...just nice.

So, for all of those who think I can't have fun without being drunk...HA! Although I did start my 'weekend' in Montreal with a B-52 coffee at 12:30pm...but hey, it was after a 6hr drive and I had woken up at 5:30am. Wouldn't you want a drink too?

(Do I look like I've had too many drinks? Of course now...the clear liquid was just H20)

Not to complain cause Lis hooked us up with her employee discount but let's just say Quality Inn lacked a big part of its name. It was an Inn...but it wasn't quality. A ghetto hotel room but with great location. But heck, a room with a mirror opposite to its queen bed can't be that bad, can it?

During the day, in Old Montreal, we saw six wedding parties doing their photographs. Funny enough...there was this party where the bridesmaids were wearing the same dress as I wore but in pink. And let me say this: Nicole, our dresses looked WAY hotter cause there's a reason why we didn't go with baby pink :) I'm such a b*tch, I know, I know...

It was Molson Indy weekend and there was a street party on Cresent. Since dance beats and hip hop/R&B doesn't exactly mix with Indy cars...the live bands were playing MY kind of music. The first one we heard played covers of Michael Jackson, Madonna, MJ, Madonna...I think I heard something else from the 80s, but then quickly reverted back to MJ and Madonna. Oh, and they played a little bit of "Hey Baby" which was absolutely fine with me! We were eating dinner during this band but I'm sure we would've had a blast singing and dancing along. Anyway, when the band is playing 3 ACDC songs in a row and you're having flashbacks to frosh week...now that's a party! And it also helped that I was frosh week for McGill so there were tons of screaming 18yr olds running around town doing things their parents would not approve of. Oh, to be frosh again...

Got some freebies, did a lot of people watching, saw some beautiful cars. A certain type of under 30yr old male goes to Indy events...I was very appreciate of the fact it was Indy weekend. I don't think Sheila was so impressed but I was! Oh by the way, Willy has been replaced! Now this is a BIG car...

One advantage of not partying late into the night was the fact that we could wake up early and go shopping at 10am! Very disappointed in the fact that the shops closed at 5pm on Saturday...prime shopping time wasted. But we got some last minute shopping done before making the long trek home. Less than 24hrs in Montreal...NOT what I had expected but exactly what I needed - a weekend away from all the drama this summer. Drama, drama, drama. It wouldn't be a summer without it but it drives me freakin crazy!

円 was here!

2005-08-19T17:01:00.000-05:00

My friend Madoka came to visit me in Toronto. She had been studying English in Halifax for the past six months and is originally from Japan. I had met her in Shizuoka where she took English lessons from me while she was studying at university. But we were not only student & teacher, but we were friends too. It's creepy how many similarities we have, especially with our hobbies. We both love photography and traveling. LOVE, I mean LOVE!
- That's why she's my friend, my dear friend 円.

She only spent a week in Toronto before returning to Japan but she's only staying there for three weeks! After that, she's embarking on a two-month trip across South Eastern and Southern Asia. No wonder how everyone who met her commented that they could understand why we are friends! Have a good trip...Gambatte!
- That's why she's my friend, my dear friend 円.

(Madoka is on the right...the Japanese looking one)

When I went out with Madoka, I switched to English teacher mode...and I was quite strict about it too! I kept asking her to describe things she had seen, explain her impressions of the city. And almost every time I had to speak to someone, I got her to do it for me instead. "Madoka, ask the waiter for a dessert menu", "Madoka, ask for a transfer", "Madoka, ask for the bill", "Madoka, order my food for me"...and it's not like she's not capable of doing everything on her own anyway. While I was slaving away bringing home the bacon, she would wander around the city all by herself. Spending her time in cafes, parks, beaches, markets...But then again, I'd do that too.

- That's why she's my friend, my dear friend 円.

She went to Niagara Falls by herself last Friday in the midst of all those crazy thunderstorms and I put her on the casino tour bus full of old couples but heck, only $20 return. I was expecting her to call around 6:00-6:30 to pick her up but I didn't hear from her. Then 7:00 rolled around...and I started to wonder. I tried the cell phone I had given her but it went straight to voicemail. Perhaps the battery died? Perhaps she's in an area without signal and the bus is stuck in traffic due to the weather? She wouldn't be waiting around for me to pick her up, surely not! Finally, at 7:40, she called! What a relief...I didn't loose her! But she did go on a little adventure. Apparently, she slept past her stop and when she woke up, she told the bus driver she wanted to take the GO Train so she could get back to Mississauga. So, based on that, the bus driver told her to get off at York Mills Subway Station to catch the subway back down to Union and then take the GO Train. However, the bus driver didn't tell her that she had JUST missed her stop and was only in Etobicoke at that point, so she could've gotten off at Islington and just asked me to pick her up! Instead, being the independent girl with a crazy sense of adventure, she didn't want to 'bother' me and tried to make it back all on her own. I would have done that too. So, when she told me this little tale...I asked her all the question a responsible parent would: "Why didn't you call me"? She replied, "It's exciting to be lost". I smiled and laughed. That's what I would have done too.

- That's why she's my friend, my dear friend 円.

This is another example of why I love Madoka so much: while in Halifax, she bought a Djembe, an African drum, which she had first learned to play while in Japan. She's going to bring it with her on her trip throughout Asia, along with her backpack, while her friend who is traveling with her is bringing her guitar! I've never traveled with a drum...but I may. I just may...

- That's why she's my friend, my dear friend 円.

Madoka: I probably won't see you again in Canada or Japan (unless someone gets married but it won't be me), but I know 100% I'll see you again soon somewhere...maybe in riding on a donkey in Patagonia, on a night safari on the Serengeti, or maybe shopping for pottery in Marakesh...See you Madoka!

The Magic of the Australian Skirt

2005-08-14T15:42:00.000-05:00

Some friends and I went to Distrikt Nightclub on Saturday and I wore a skirt that I hadn't worn in something like 2 years. This is a special skirt, it's my Australian skirt. I wore it out all the time to the clubs in Australia and did all of my crazy-dancing-picking up-drinking-stumbling down the street.

I don't intentionally do these things anymore now that I'm back in Toronto (the key word is intentionally...). These things might seem normal to you but the strangest power this skirt had was the ability to attract attention from the male species (yeah for me!). So anyway, this power returned to me last Saturday but unfortunately, in a very unwanted way. Fine if guys want to come up to you and dance with you but is it really necessary to put their hands all over you as if were a piece of fruit at the market. Hmm...I'd like a melon, some peaches, let's see if this watermelon is ripe enough by pressing firmly. Are guys at clubs blind and trying to find their way around by sticking their hands out to try and feel the wall? Anyway, I know what you must be thinking. Yes, I do like the attention. I'm not even going to try and pretend I don't. But I was grabbed way too many times and I must therefore blame it on the skirt. Ha ha, how true when it's attention from someone you like, it's all good. But as a woman in the modern era, I must do my duty and bitch about sleazy guys. It's so fun!

But anyway, here's a recap of the night and for all of you who saw me the next day, this will make sense (Char, you missed it, but you can ask Simon!).

Found out last minute I was going to be designated driver...but whatever, I still had a great time. Danced, got grabbed, dance more, got grabbed more.

Danced with very drunk people, took pictures of those very drunk people. Had the inevitable drama when the drunk people were trying to find other drunk people who were M.I.A.

Then I decided to be dramatic myself and got all bitchy and decided to get pissed off at one of my friends. Cried and got angry in the bathroom, then felt stupid, made up, apologized to the boys, (and what a sweeheart, I got an apology too!), got happy again and continued dancing.

To make up for my diva behaviour, I decided to accept an invitation to go swimming at someone's house and drive my friends there at 2:30am! Stopped for pizza, the boys got stupid and hurt my poor car by making it squeal, gave Sheila a mini driving lesson on front-in parking. Went swimming and played with noodles, finally drove home at 4:30am, dropped everyone off at 5:30am...and then I went home and went to bed like a good girl.

I Love Birthdays...but just not my own!

2005-08-13T17:03:00.000-05:00

I went out to celebrate Robert's Birthday last Saturday. We went to C-Lounge and I was the lucky one to drive that night. But the place was very chill so it didn't really matter as much. There really was no dance floor so the spaces between the couches and tables were our dancefloor.

Here is the sexy birthday boy himself and his intense pose. We were trying to be like models with that very model look...from now on, we're going to pose like model every where we go and leave our legacy! Notice the hand on the chest - that was my idea.

My girl Sheila and I danced in circles but it was more like helping her stand upright and stumble from one person to the next. And somehow, looking back at all the pictures from that night, there were a lot of pictures of body parts...especially my body parts...W.T.F.? So this aerial view is nothing compared to some of the others!

One of the joys of writing my own blog is I can post whatever the heck I want. This picture is for you babe!

One of the reasons why I like going out with Sheila is cause she's the cheapest drunk I know. 2 drinks and a shot of tequila at the beginning of the night (never smell it before you drink it babe, never ever ever...) and she was good to go, minus the stumbling part...

Robert had a group of his friends out for the night and he had a really good time, which is what matters. We tried to make it as fun as possible for him and this picture basically sums up the kind of night it was.

10 Reasons Why I Must be a Slacker for the Rest of My Life...

2005-08-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

10) It keeps me humble....yes, humble...

9) I can read lots of books and become smart, S.M.R.T.

8) It would really piss my parents off...and that is the reason why they had me in the first place! I couldn't do that to do, it would be so selfish of me!

7) I can have more time to work on my tan.

6) My father always says that we must always reach for our goals...so if I achieve all of my goals, then life would have no purpose. We wouldn't want that now, would we?

5) If being inebriated is socially unacceptable and physiologically harmful, then I must maintain the agreed upon rate of alcohol consumption developed in collaboration with my friend, Aiko. 1 drink per 45 minutes (based on our established tolerance levels, ethnicity, height, weight, etc.) will keep us 'happily drunk' and allow us to remain supremely friendly while being keenly observant. This consumption ratio takes a lot of time, time that only a slacker would have.

4) There are so many young Chinese girls whose dream is to become the first female visible minority Prime Minister of Canada...I can't crush their dream and do it myself! THINK OF THE FUTURE PEOPLE...THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

3) Some people may get really jealous of me and I wouldn't want to trigger the ugly side of their personalities...this ugliness revealed might cause some psychological breakdown which could then lead to career stagnation, familial disturbances and overall social disruption.

2) If I earn millions and billions of dollars, shopping wouldn't be as fun because there wouldn't be anything beyond my budget and the fun would be taken out of making irresponsible impulsive purchases. No guilt, no abuse of return policies, or hiding my purchases.

And the #1 reason why I must be a SLACKER for the rest of my life...

1) I can't be constantly mentioned in the media because my last name doesn't add much value to the style and rhythm of journalism. For example, "So said the location is being made possible..." just sounds silly. Check out this article, where this theory is clearly demonstrated, in which my brother was quoted (http://www.thedailytimes.com/sited/story/html/212624) - I'm so proud of my big brother!

The Cottage Life

2005-07-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

Went up to a cottage last weekend and it was everything the cottage should be - crazy partying, good eats, lots of relaxing, driving home in traffic, being eaten alive at dusk... Here's a recap of events and of course, with my personal commentary. Before we get started, a big THANKS to Colin who was kind enough to allow stragglers like myself to visit his beautiful cottage. With that said, ah hem...here we go.

Friday: The drive up

Drove up, nothing too eventful except...I hate driving slow. If car were meant to go 100km/h, then why does the speedometer go up to 220km/h? It's like since we're born with 2 legs, why should we only use one of them and limp around all day like an idiot? I don't mind driving in traffic and going with the flow but...I'm not going to follow someone's car all the way up Hwy 400 for 90mins. Just not going to happen. When Colin offered to have us follow him up, I graciously declined because 1) his instructions seem pretty easy to follow 2) it's a pain to follow someone in steady traffic. However, as I was cruising along, Sheila decided to tell me to slow down cause Colin's car can't go that fast and she was all concerned that we would pass him and get there too early. I would have rather pulled over, eaten some crap to from the side of the road, and then drive again at 140km/h than to slow down! In the end, Colin didn't take his normal car and we were the last car to arrive on Fri night, but they had just beaten us by 15 minutes.

Friday: At the cottage

Couldn't really see the view, met lots of people, starting drinking 5 minutes after arrival...just chillin and excited to be there. Dinner was served to a hungry crowd...at first they all sat down on one side of the table and devoured their grilled chicken like it was an eating competition!

After dinner, had a big music jam with 5 guitars, 2 drums and a tambourine. I should've brought my triangle...would've should've could've! Sat out on the deck, went into the hot tub, stayed up late...perfect start to the weekend. And oh, btw, was drinking the whole time.

Saturday: At the cottage

During the day, had a yummy breakie, tanning, drinking, tanning, drinking, eating lunch, went on the boat and had try at tubing (one of 2 tubing virgins who gave it a valiant try! yeah girl power).

I was obsessed with documenting the sunset withphotos every 5 minutes. I got all artistic and tried to remember everything I learned in photography. What a loser I am!?!?! But I'm proud of my photos, it's one of my 'things'

In the evening, had a sing-along, got attacked by killer mosquitoes, made dinner (very good communal effort), the boys had a giant texas hold'em game (ROBERT WAS THE BIG WINNER, with the most STAMINA to outlast all the other boys). Was a loser and went to bed 'early' cause I was zapped from the sun and drinking all evening. But had a lovely wakeup call at 6am when everyone who hadn't gone to bed piled onto my mattress and we proceeded to have start the night for the second time. Eventually, I got rid of them but not after having some good laughs and then got a few more hours of sleep.

(This is Robert by the way)

Sunday: At the cottage

Everyone was in rough shape...except for those of us loser who went to bed early. Had another yummy breakie, played some cards indoors cause it started to rain, went into the hot tub when it cleared. I had planned to lay low Sunday in order to get out early and head home for softball...but that didn't happen. When will I ever learn! Got too tempted by the hot tub, went in, had a few drinks...which meant I had to wait longer before driving home. Smart move ! Eventually hit the road at at 5pm so we had to be lucky with the traffic to get back in time for softball...which of course didn't happen. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Good times...but don't know if I could spend every weekend at the cottage. I'd like to have the option to do so, but I'd miss the city. I found myself thinking I wanted to go to a Club! AH, soon, I may become a gino...

Weddings are F.U.N.!

2005-07-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

If all weddings are like the one I just went to...YOU ALL BETTER GET MARRIED SOON AND I BETTER BE INVITED!!! The drama... emotions... pretty dresses... nice dinners... champagne... limos... special attention as one of the maids of honour...non-stop partying...

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Wednesday: Errands around town, then the bachelorette in Boston. (Boston + limo + hotel + Prince Willy) x (a crap load of alcohol) - (the fact it was Wed night) = pretty good bachelorette party.

Before: What ladies, having a civilized dinner at a quaint restaurant in the North End of Boston...

Later on: Notice how my eyes aren't focusing straight anymore...

At the end of the night, I had picked myself up a BIG one and didn't have to go to bed alone...

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Thursday: Rehearsal Day, was on my best behaviour. I got dolled up in a non-skanky way and got down to business. Got lost going to Francestown, NH (pop. 50). The Town Meeting Hall where the ceremony was held is so beautiful...very New England.

Later that night, rehearsal dinner was yummy and Nicole gave us girls a great gift!

Later later that night, when most of the wedding party relaxed at the bride's house, the naughty maids of honour went out on the town and didn't act like fair maidens...instead were more like inebriated wenches - at least I was... (sorry Chrissy!)

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Friday: Reception hall set-up morning (a wee bit stressful), manicures, open house BBQ, final preparations, late night run for Smirnoff at the grocery store (Toronto needs that, ASAP), eventual nightcap in the hot tub with a round of drinks and whining, but no cheese though.

***********************************************************************************

Saturday: THE BIG DAY!

Early morning trip to the salon, get dressed, limo ride to the ceremony, the actual ceremony (crying, smiling, sweating, standing up straight - all went perfectly), photos in the heat and humidity, limo ride back to reception...

At the reception, dancing, eating, toasting, drinking...afterall, the wedding party did have a $200 tab which we didn't finish btw...how shameful?!?! I tried my very best...but I didn't have too much help. And I didn't start drinking until after my toast...such self control! Cried when Nicole danced with her mommy...my heart was warm when I saw how happy she was with all her loved ones around her. Surprisingly, my feet didn't hurt, at least not until the very end after 12 hours in my sparkly shoes.

And then they were gone, all was done, they went on happily on their honeymoon. To celebrate a wonderful week, the naughty maids of honour (sorry again Chrissy, but I was) went out with other naughty people and consumed more beverages with some live loud background rock music. Went back to the hotel, passed out...don't remember anything after but I'm pretty sure there wasn't anything to remember...

On a sad note...Sarah had the reluctant honour of being a nanny to Prince Willy and he had been contained in her boot (Australia = boot, US & CAN = car trunk) and with the wedding week over, he had a rough but fitting end. You served us well Prince Willy, I'll miss you. Much love, MWAH!

So.....WHO'S NEXT???

Advice for Living in Canada

2005-07-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

I'm the proud host of 3 friends from Japan...they're not literally living with me but they are here and I feel a certain obligation to ensure they have a good experience, even though they are all in different corners of this country.
Madoka is in Halifax, Aiko is in Saskatoon, and Etsuko is in Edmonton. Now, how much fun can they have out there? Plenty...but I feel I need to give them some tips on living in Canada, with Canadians....etc

Cause during the first week Aiko was here, she wrote me that she was basically bored out of her mind cause there was nothing to do. Granted, she wasn't with a host family or living on campus...she chose to be more independent and rent as a normal student. Very brave of her...partly with my encouragement...but I'm very proud of her. But when she told how bored she was, I nearly crapped my pants with anxiety and guilt! What had I done? I had recommended her to go to Saskatoon to get a real English experience....what did I do?

Luckily, now that her orientation has begun, she's doing better. Poor thing, didn't know how the groceries worked, bought too much food for herself and was forced to eat a whole pack of chicken at once cause they don't use the freezer much in Japan. The concept just didn't occur to her...

So, let's give these gals some advice, OK? And be nice...and helpful please...I'm watching what you write...and keep the language simple, at least for the beginning.

Lonely, I am so Lonely....

2005-07-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I'm admitting this but it needs to be done! I'm such a big baby! What a sucky realization for me...when I thought I was all independent and tough...what BS!

My parents went on vacation last Friday and are returning tomorrow night (1 week total). Before they left, I was all excited, to have the house to myself, to be free of nagging. I knew it would be a bitch to cook and clean for myself, but it was a fair trade off....but I never knew this would happen.

My worst nightmare came true....I felt lonely and I missed them! Not so much over the long weekend, I was too busy having fun and enjoying my days off and making a mess at home. But as work week started up again, it was a pain in the butt to take care of an entire house on my own. I've lived on my own before, I've even lived in foreign countries on my own...and I never felt lonely there. What the F&#K?

As I brush my teeth before going to bed, I found myself wondering why it was so quiet...I woke up in the morning and no one was there buttering my bagel with me...no one was fighting over the newspaper with me...no one was there to nag me to pick up my crap in the hallway....so I picked it up all on my own. It just wasn't the same! To top this all off....I decided to sleep in my mommy's bed on Tues...at least I didn't have the night light on...I swear, I didn't!?!?!?

It's amazing how I've gotten used to living at home...as I whine about living at home and flirt with the idea of moving out....I can't believe I've reacted like this! I've never lived at this house all by myself before....a front yard/back yard, 3 storeys, 5 bedrooms...that's a lot of space for little ol' me.

This week has given me something to think about....reflect...ponder....at least until the nagging, bitching and fighting resumes....then this week's feelings will become a shameful shameful memory for me. I'VE MISSED MY MOMMY!

Feel free to call me and laugh at me. Leave a message if I'm not home.

As Chinese as a Fortune Cookie?

2005-06-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've had a breather since my last rant about 'looking Chinese' so now I will continue. This renewed interest is prompted by my visit to the seamstress at the bridal shop today. (No, by the way, you're not missing something. I'm NOT getting married - just a dress fitting)

Anyway, the seamstress and her assistant were Chinese and in fact, spoke Cantonese so I could understand them, but I'm sure they didn't suspect that I could understand them. When I looked in the mirror, I thought, "Oh my, how different I look from these other ladies?" So then I went through an inventory of physical features in my head and compared and contrasted, just to see how I would rate in 'looking Chinese'. Cause for sure, the seamstress and her assistant wouldn't be mistaken for any other ethnicity so I'm sure they don't face the same curiosity and doubt I do.

This is my laundry list:

Chinese hair = Black.
My hair = formerly black, currently black with my red/brown growing out. My hair used to be black, still is to a certain extent...Ands in case some people haven't heard of the latest breakthrough in the hairstyling industry, there are products called permanent hair colour. These boxes are available at the local drug store for under $10 or for a more professional look, visit your nearest hair salon. And although at first when I dyed my hair, it wasn't that noticeable, ammonia and bleach can surely wear down black hair over time. And it's not like I'm the only freakin Chinese person with coloured hair?!?! Sheesh.....

Chinese eye colour = Black.
My eye colour = black. Woo Hoo! I got one! And unlike some girls I know, I don't wear coloured contacts either!

Chinese eye shape/size = narrower, small or no eye lids...on SOME people. As there are currently over 1 billion people living in the actual country itself, there's bound to be some variations in appearances. Afterall, people from the North should look different from those from the South. That's how __________ (insert your religion's figurehead)/evolution works!
My eye shape/size = more oval, although not as big and round as some people. When I was little, my eyes were bigger but now I'm always tired...that's my excuse.

Chinese Skin = Fair.
My skin = Fair...Naturally. Hello, did you not see the great weather this past weekend? Yes, I love to tan and like other ethnicities, some people can tan while others can't. Fortunately, I can tan quite easily. Historically, only the farmers who toiled away in the fields all day got tanned while the aristocrats of the court sat comfortably in the shade. On the other hand, with the jet-setters taking over the 50s and 60s, having a tan was a status of wealth, representing the ability to travel. My reason for wanting to be tanned? It's very deep...I just like the way I look. Nothing more to it than pure vanity. Were you looking for a deeper answer? Come on, we're talking about a tan! Oh, and by the way, tanning beds are the greatest invention ever...

Chinese body shape/size = stereotypically....petite and slender
My body shape/size = hm......not petite and slender? Enough said. And no comments from any of you dumb asses out there either?!?! I'm a polar bear...everyone loves polar bears - cute and cuddly, but could kill you in a single stroke. Lazes around during the summer months and uses its energy reserves (aka. fat) to cope with the harsh Canadian winters. Survival of the fittest baby!

Chinese breast size = stereotypically....petite, to the point of being conclave
My breast size = hmmm....See comments above from 'My body shape/size'.

Chinese nose = Why are you reading this sentence? There's no such thing as a Chinese nose?!?!

All in all, it just goes to show you that I'm just as Chinese as any other person whose ancestors came from the Republic of China. Yes, somewhere down the line, I may have been related to the giants of Northern China (anyone heard of Yao Ming?) but I may have also been related to the little Chinese couple that runs the corner variety store and does Tai Chi in the park. Damn it peoples...there are over 1billion of us, and that's just on the mainland. If you include all of those who migrated, some of us are bound to look a little different? Perhaps there's no such thing as 'looking Chinese'....it's all in your head. It's a conspiracy and we're out to get you...

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate or marble.

2005-05-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

OK, let me warn you this is a long one. This is a topic near and dear to my heart. So go pee, put on some comfy clothes and settle in….
……

Have you ever been asked that? For this of you who know me, you're probably not surprised. For those of you who have faced this unique question, you'll understand my obsession over this topic. And for those of you who don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about...be warned. You're about to engage into one of the topics that I'm most passionate about.Let me tell you a story...

I went into my local convenience store to pick up a scratch n' win ticket. I was coming from the gym so not looking particularly made up or dressed up. But perhaps that added to the confusion. Because when I got to the cashier, the guy behind the counter asked me,

"What nationality are you?" He just came out with the question, no small talk, no preface...he just bluntly asked."
I'm Chinese," I answered, slightly surprised by his question and not sure what the question was leading to.
"Are you sure?" he replied. What do you mean am I sure? Of course I’m sure. Are you sure you're male? Are you sure you're an idiot? I just smiled and stood there taken aback.

"Are you mixed?" he continued. Now this was getting interesting. He thinks I'm mixed. What does that mean? On a superficial level, I took it as a compliment because I generally think people with mixed ethnicities are beautiful, in an exotic way. But on the other hand...what was he implying about my cultural identity? Was it an insult? A compliment? Or just an ignorant statement?

"No, I'm not mixed. I'm 100% Chinese," I defended. How dare this guy, this complete stranger make ignorant assumptions about my ethnicity and cultural identity! Hmmph.

"Really?" he retorted. OK, honestly, at that point, it was getting funny. Why wouldn't he believe me? Better question would be why would I lie?

“You look like you’re a Spanish mix,” he continued. I grabbed my scratch n’ lose ticket, smiled at the clerk, and went on my way.

Now, that conversation was new territory for me. I’ve been called a Hawaiian, Singaporean, South Pacific Islander, Japanese, Native Canadian, “maybe Thai”, and even “Mediterranean-ish”…but never Spanish-mix.

Even more interesting, my ethnicity apparently changes depending on the part of the world I’m in and who I’m with.

· While in Hawaii, I was considered to be “like Hawaiian”. OK, this I can understand because Hawaiians have the same origins as the Chinese. Along with my tanned skin and my summer beach wear, I can absolutely understand why people made this assumption. They could have left China by boat since the Chinese empire was vast and covered much of the Asian continent, including the South.
· In New Zealand, I reminded someone of a South Pacific Islander. OK, once again, South Pacific Islanders is understandable because in general, they have a larger build and darker skin, characteristics that do apply to me. They too could have left China by boat, same explanation as Hawaiian.
· In Northern Australia, someone thought I looked “kind of Singaporean”. Fair enough, once again, at least we’re still in the Orient. Plus, proximity to Singapore.
· An elderly man I met had lived in Canada and thought I resembled the Native Canadians he had seen on TV. I’m figuring that Native Canadians came over on the ice bridge so once did share origins with the Orient because the Chinese empire did reach up to Mongolia. Native Canadians took the ice bridge while Hawaiians and South Pacific Islanders went by boat. Same difference.
· While in Japan, when mute, people couldn’t tell I was a foreigner. And since I was able to adopt the Japanese accent with the limited Japanese I learned, even if I spoke a simple sentence, people assumed I was Japanese thereafter and would continue an entire conversation with me in Japanese. On a daily basis, I had to interrupt and say “Sumimasen, watashi Kanada-jin desu.” (“Excuse me, I’m Canadian”). OK, although I can tell the difference between Japanese and Chinese, it is easily forgivable how others outside of the culture cannot distinguish the two. It’s like confusing the Spanish and Portuguese – will never make that mistake again! But this is also understandable because long time ago, Japan used to be a part of the Chinese empire (but don’t go around mentioning this point though!)
· Leaving the Orient and Oceania, while on vacation with my girlfriend, who is Spanish and Italian, for some reason, people thought I was “Mediterranean-ish”. Did her ethnicity travel to me through osmosis? Maybe it was my hair, make-up and skin complexion at that moment….but that’s why the convenient store clerk’s comments about being mixed-Spanish was so interesting to me.
· Back to the orient…on my vacation in Phuket, I confused the heck out of the girls at the hostel. Clearly, they knew I wasn’t local. But in combination with my Canadian Passport, my reservation made from Japan, my Chinese last name…they didn’t know what to make of me. They said I looked “maybe Thai” but not quite, but there was something more than just Chinese there.

That’s the general consensus of what I am. I’m something Oriental, perhaps a blend of a few. Maybe there were some torrid affairs among my ancestors generations ago…I’ve even asked my mother if she met some ‘foreigner’ hottie! But no such luck. In the end, there’s no explanation of why people don’t think I look 100% Chinese. Now, as for the question of what a Chinese person looks like? That’ll be my next blog. This one is already too long.

I'd like a rack of 34 Ds with a side of ass please

2005-05-22T01:13:00.000-05:00

UNBELIEVABLE!!!
I went to Republik Nightclub tonight with a girlfriend, just the two of us. A friend told me it was good and she had had a good time there, so I suggested that we check it out. We have issues about the place but that's not the topic of this posting. But the people there...the girls were as skanky as usual. But they were younger dirtier skanks...(is there such a thing as a clean skank?) but they're not even the topic of this posting. Instead, I'm agog at the boys who were there. Yes, I say boys, not men, not even guys. The label of guys is too nice for those who I saw tonight. It was like they had never been to a club where girls dance and dress provocatively...it was like they had never seen a girl before! One example, where a quite skanky girl was dancing on a platform, she was gyrating like she was somewhere between Electric Circus (what happened to that show?) and a strip club. Fine...whatever..., my gf and I giggled and just kept dancing. However, we saw these guys walk right up to them, hold their arms open and reach out and touch the girl. Their eyes were popping out, jaw to the floor, tongue sticking out and another anatomy part standing up and ready to go. He just touched the girl's thigh, like it was a cut of meat at the butcher or a coat at the store. Yeah, cause when I see a hot guy, I go right up to him and touch his abs and examine him! Give me a break! Another example, these 2 girls next to us were grinding with each other. Once again, not an uncommon occurrence and not even particularly skanky in my opinion. However, these 2 guys saw and pounced right on them. Surrounded them, rubbed their hands and looked like they were about to help themselves and dig in. They were reaching out for the girls like kids holding their hands out for toys. When 2 girls grind, is it a self-serve buffet for dirty perverted boys? When I dance with my gfs, is it an openly invitation to all the dirty boys in the club to rub their nasty body all over me cause they like what they see? That must be a party that I wasn't invited to. Is it unreasonable for girls to just dance with each other? Yes yes yes, I know it's a nightclub, and stuff happens. I'm not saint but I had never in my life seen such overt behaviour. Never! Am I missing something? Does this happen everywhere but I'm just oblivious to it?
Maybe I'm just naive...afterall, it is evian spelled backwards. But next time I go out and I see that behaviour, I feel like asking them if they'd like a side order of ass with their order of a rack of 34Ds in a low-cut halter? Cause perhaps in the clubs, boys are entitled to supersize their orders by adding on free side order. Clubs shouldn't be called meat markets, they should be called late night drive-through windows, where boys only can have unlimited refills of anything they see.

A skank by any other name is just as skanky

2005-05-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Whenever I go to the bar or club, it's inevitable that my girlfriends and I comment on the skank factor de jour. So it makes me wonder...what is skanky?

Is revealing clothing? It can't be that alone, but probably a contributing factor.

Is an attitude? If so, can anyone be a skank? Can your 85 year old grandmother adopt a skanky attitude? I hope not!

Is it a personality trait? Some are proud of their skank status, while others try to hide it. Some people can turn it on and off, depending on the setting. So perhaps....

Is it an action? Does being loose and giving it up to anyone anywhere anytime define a skank? Some may use the labels whore, hoe, slut, etc...but I've always seen it this way. A slut is someone who follows through and is goal oriented. While a tease is just inconsiderate, selfish and lacks persistence. So hooray for the sluts out there! Way to get what you want, and help others get what they want too!

Is it a certain look? Does a skank require a certain degree of attractiveness, shape of body or size of chest? It can't be that alone, cause then many people would qualify.

Ah, it's late, and I can't come up with a definite answer. I guess this is one of life's mysteries that will remain unsolved...but invariably will be brought up each time I go to a club. Just wondering...

the new girl

2005-05-14T01:41:00.000-05:00

It's scary being the new girl everywhere. But since I've returned from a year abroad, I decided to start a new life. And I don't mean that I've changed everything about me, but I've consciously adopted a new attitude to life. Trying lots of activities, meeting new people, not being afraid to act like a fool...just ask the people I've met! But why is it so hard to make new friends as an 'adult'? I remember being asked in grade 2, "Do you want to be my friend" and that was the start of a great friendship (in elementary school standards, which meant recess, lunch and birthday parties, until the start of the next grade). But as an adult (or at least that's what I'm labeled by society and the law), there's a social stigma of being a loser if you want to make new friends. It's like people have a quota of friends after the age of 21 and then they're full, no more people are welcome. They may have work friends, or acquaintances, but it's like their friendship building days are over. Well, I don't know about you, but I know I've sure changed a lot since I was 21, and that was just a few years ago! Who the heck stays the same throughout their 20s? Who would want to? So people, if you see me coming your way, watch out, I have a scary proposition for you. I may want to meet you and perhaps...are you ready for this...be your friend! OK, I promise, I'll invite you to my birthday party and I'll give you a cool loot bag with more than just dollar store toys in it. As I used to say when I was learning English as a 6 year old..."Will you p(l)ray with me"? I guess that has a whole new meaning as an adult...maybe I should try that line!

Can I take your picture?

2005-05-13T23:05:00.000-05:00

I love photography & traveling. I'm taking a darkroom 101 course now and slowly getting into the more technical aspects of photography...
But in the end, I just love taking pictures and here they are, my precious...they're not all works of art, but they're my babies.

http://www.sogloriaso.myphotoalbum.com/