200th Post!

Maybe I'll do something special for 204.



Finally, its all coming together.

Booty Quake

- Thrust - Booty Quake - Thrust

Marie Curie sure is a good dancer!

George Michael - Faith
Uploaded by zocomoro

Did you notice the volume of butt closeups? Man, the 80's sure was a corny time.

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot

This is a kind of shout out to my brother, but he knew this was coming anyway. Pretend, for like 7 seconds (more or less dependent on how fast you read) that it is still November 5th. And I give you this:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Ok, so maybe a little longer than 7 seconds on average. To be honest, the only reason I know anything about Guy Fawkes is because of V for Vendetta which, because of its close kinship to the Matrix, I totally love. There's a certain kind of movie/story that I get really excited about, and I would label that type epic (although I don't know if the literature people, who actually know what they're talking about, would argue with me). But not just epic, epic with hard core action and crazy surreal (surreal? I'll run with it) concepts woven deep into the plot. Anyway, if you haven't seen V for Vendetta or the Matrix, then we can't be friends. Call me when you've caught up on your awesome movies from several years ago. Please note that when I say "The Matrix" I'm refering to the "The Matrix" and not necessarily "The Matrix trilogy". The first one is by far the best, and people have varying opinion on Reloaded and Revolutions, but I don't want to get into that today.

Ok, now for a few more seconds, we'll head back to Tuesday, which was Remeberance Day (au champs d'honneur les coquliqots sont parseme de lot en lot -- really bad spelling, I'm sure). I like to wear a poppy to represent for rememberance, but this year I could not find one anywhere. I didn't see any at the cash counter at any stores, I didn't run into any veterans with the boxes of them on the street, I had no access to the little plastic/velveteen flowers. I usually lose them, too, in years past when I have gotten my hands on the poppies, always before Rememberance Day so I look like a terrible ignoramous who has no respect for the sacrifices of previous generations. But its not true! I try, oh how I try. So this year, on November 10th, I drew myself a cute little paper poppy and pinned it to my coat. From far away (like 27 metres or so) you totally can't tell that its just one that I made. I made the middle part green, b/c they all used to have little green centre parts, but then several years ago they changed it to black for some reason. Is it more botanically acurate? I'm not up on my poppies, at least not my non-opium ones. That was a joke. It is appropriate to chuckle/groan at this point.

So today my back really hurts, I'm not entirely sure what I did, but its difficult to get up and down, pick up things off the floor, not wince and slight, normal movements, etc. My dad told me to get some Robaxacet to de-knotify the muscles, so if I can actually make it to the Pharmaprix or the Jean Coutu then I'll try that out. You know the marionettes for Robaxacet? Apparently this is the original commercial, before they sold out and started doing it CG style.

Wow, school keeps me really busy. Well "school", it more like school/my full-time job. When I cross the border they're like "are you coming here for personal or business reasons?" And I'm like "Business." They're all like "What do you do?" And I say "I'm a PhD student in Linguistics, I'm going to present a paper at a conference." So then they're like "So its really for study, not business." And them I'm all "But my school is my business (and besides, the only options provided were 'personal' and 'business', so I didn't have much choice)."

Did I tell you about how I keep on getting chosen for random survey/searches by the American customs? Back when I was in Ottawa and flying to Santa Barbara for a conference, chich at the metal detector asked "Can I do a random search on you?" And its not like you can really say no, because then its suspicious and you end up getting tazered. So I give an enthusiastic "Sure!" Unfortunately, the customs guy is like 3.7 m from security in the American part of the Ottawa airport, so when I get over to him after getting a hand metal detector grazed over my entire body and having to unpack and repack all my luggage he says "They sure were taking an interest in you over there" implying that I was indeed suspicious and dangers to "Homeland security" (I hate that term, its so brainwash-y). I said "Dude-man, I was just a random search." And then it happened again when I went to Minnesota a few weeks ago. Guy comes over and pegs me for a "survey". I'm not sure what the Americans are looking for, but aparently blonde Canadian grad students are a big concern. Me and my carry on of books on linguistics are very suspicious. Survey-man tries to make small talk with me, which I find very awkward b/c I always feel like I have to be so serious and careful when going through customs. And again he asks me what I do, so I have to say linguistics, and people always think they know what linguistics is and then start explaining it to me. As if I didn't now. So I laugh and smile and try shrug off my threatening german milk-maid persona so that he'll let me board my flight. I wonder if they choose me b/c they know it will be easy, and they just need to fill their quota for random searches.

Anyway, I do love Canada, and I love living in Canada, but I think in about 3 or 4 years time I'm going to have to break out of the Canadian bubble and actually live somewhere else. This is part of the transient in me. Sure, I travel and have been different places around the world, but nowhere I've actually lived.

Perhaps I've babbled on long enough. I think I'm going to look up some quasi-relevant pictures and tack them into the post in the hopes of keep you, the readers, interested.

Galatians 5:12

Look it up.

Teehee. 30 rock.

"Sarcasm isn't a quirk. It's a skill." This was me, this summer, in response to my friends' observation of my character. I'm so clever.

"History in the making"

We were watching the election coverage and thought that it would be the perfect environment for a drinking game. Some phrases invoking shots would be "hope", "future", "change", "bless", and the number one inebriation inducing utterance, "history in the making" (and perhaps shortly after the results, "history made"). Its all so very cliche in the reporting, and Peter Mansbridge had quite a few flubs on CBC this evening. He said something to the effect of "and that's another point in Barak's O'column, sorry, Obama's column." I thought it was funny. Also there was this old reporter man in Washington DC saying (paraphrased, except for key phrase) "Students are gathering outside the Whitehouse for a demonstration, they have gotten on the text-messaging machines to inform one another of the event..." We couldn't stop laughing at that one.

Jokes aside, I am so happy that Obama won. Maybe McCain is not the worst guy ever (clearly better than Bush, because to be worse would literally be breaking world records -- the Bush approval rating is now 20%, and they already reported it as a record low when it was 35%), but you want to vote for the BEST man for the job, which was so not McCain. And Palin is scary. And pretty stupid. So now she can go back to Alaska and gaze at Russia through her bay windows and deal will all those people who are suing her.

Now we have to wait for Obama to get the troops out of Iraq and invest in their own country. There was a lot of "America is the best place in the universe" stuff during the acceptance and conceeding (conceedence?) speeches, which is hella annoying, but I think the States will be less and less hated now, and get back to their status in the Clinton years. Whether that's impressive or not doesn't matter, Bush is a mass murderer and really there's nothing worse for a reputation. (and yes, that is honestly what I think of Bush).

A final piece of election reporting, I'd like to give a shout-out to a few "battleground" states. My props to Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Good on ya for not getting duped for 3 elections in a row. Specifically you, Florida. I guess with Jeb having lost his foothold, the cheating has been less rampant.

So I watched the most recent episode of the Office last week (yes, I watch it regularly now), and I couldn't help but notice that they're huge stealer copy cats, specifcally from 30 rock. Dwight walks in wearing a Cornell sweatshirt, which bunches up Andy's underwear who declares that only true Cornell men can wear such sacred sweatshirts. They battle and Andy even pretends to be a beet farmer (something that Dwight is, to my understanding) and things escalate. Now hold up, am I have a weird Matrix glich moment of deja vu? No, no I am not. I saw this last season on 30 rock. Frank comes into the writer's room one day wearing Harvard paraphanalia and Toofer freaks out, as the representative Harvard man. Eventually, Toofer starts dressing up like Frank, i.e. with baseball caps with catch phrases and ill fitting t-shirts and jeans. Thus, escalation. Direct carbon copy. In the same episode of the Office, Holly gets transferred faraway, and so her fledgling relationship with Michael is put in Jeopardy. They make plans to meet geographically between their two locations, but are disappointed to find there is nothing there but a creek. They then break up because the distance is just too hard (*sniff*). Oh wait a second! This already happened, on 30 ROCK! A full 2 episodes before the Harvard incident. Total ripoff.

I want you all to keep an eye out for primetime shows that leech directly off other main stream media and think no one will notice. I know there's a lot more of it out there, and I'm not pointing out anything original, but 30 Rock is sacred in not yet cancelled good tv. You just don't mess with that.

Day of the Dead

Happy DotD everyone.

Guac-tastic

Yesterday was my B-day. Yes, I have now officially entered my mid-20’s at the ripe old age of 24. But seriously, if you ask like a random 15 year old they will tell you that 24 is hella old. Better yet, ask a 6 year old, and you might get a blank stare saying “Is such a thing even possible?!?” It is true, I have reached this tremendous landmark and will never be go back to the good old days of early 20’s. Depressing. Sorry.

But, what I really wanted to tell you is how AWESOME my friends are! I got emails, phone calls, cards, chocolate, a picture frame and packages and an awesome, totally fun night at the Mexican restaurant. Complete with guacamole (in a crazy heavy lava rock bowl, like the one in the picture), enchiladas, a strawberry daiquiri and a huge-mongous slice of chocolate cake with a really skinny yellow candle in it. I also got calls from my family, including a little improvised birthday song from my nephew who will be 2 in like a week and a half. SUPER CUTE!

Birthday success, now I get to go back to normal you-ain’t-so-special-today life, except from now on I have to do this as a 24 year old. Keeping in like with last year’s post, my prime factors are now 2 and 3 (2^3*3=24). I’m out of the full on prime numbers until I turn 29. But seriously, we’re not going to talk about that now.

Worth a no-effort post

Prone to Obsession

I am the kind of person who gets ridiculously excited sometimes, like a little kid, freaking out for some reason or another. Apparently not everyone is like this, but I don’t care, its what I’m like, and I’m the one who can see my nose from the other side that YOU will never get to see it from. I feel particularly obsessed with several things at the moment, so I’m going to list these, with a little embellished commentary.

Numba 1: Coldplay
Today I bought tickets to the Coldplay concert in Ottawa on October 20th. I’ve seen them twice in concert before – Toronto 2003 and Montreal 2005. They’re amazing, they’re so freaking good. Even if Coldplay isn’t exactly your favourite band, you’d still like them in concert b/c they put on a good show. The lights, the energy, and let’s be honest, the music can’t hurt. I really love their new album “Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends”, it’s a very happy album, which is unique for Coldplay. Many have pegged their songs as melancholy and depressing, which, let’s face it, is a sure fire way to make good music. And no, I’m not actually being sarcastic with that remark, I LOOOVE depressing music. But now, when I’m walking down the street and “Life in Technicolour” is playing on my iPod, I just feel so happy, so good. Its AMAZING.


Munber 2: Radiohead
Still in the realm of British bands, I love Ropiohead. Like blogged previously, I saw their concert here in Montreal back in August. Incredible, really incredible. There’s something almost indescribable about big live concerts (with good bands, of course), it makes you feel part of something, and you experience the music, you don’t just hear the music. Wow. I am so deep. I hope they never stop making albums, as long as Thom Yorke is avoidant and anti-social, the quality of music will never decline.


Nummer 3: Stephen Colbert

One of the early posts of this blog was dedicated to my love for Stephen Colbert. That love remains, never ending like the motion of the tide. He recently won the Emmy for comedy writing. You’d think that a man who shamelessly plugs not only his own show, but really just himself would become unbearably annoying. But for some reason, we eat up his narcissism. I still think he’s pretty attractive for a forty-something. Love.

If you need a movie suggestion, go get Strangers with Candy. Very R-rated, very strange, very very funny.


Number 4: Brad Pitt

Another forty-year-old. Come on people! He is hott! Hott with two t’s! HE’S HOTT!!! I love Snatch. This is Brad Pitt’s hottest movie ever, where he plays this Irish Gypsy bare knuckled boxer guy, and he’s got his shirt off with the tattoos. If there’s one thing he’s got, its abs. If he was completely stupid and couldn’t act at all (which perhaps is the opinion held by some) he’s still got the best abs ever. Drool. (TIFF pic.)


Bummer 5: Adrien Brody

There’s a new movie coming out next month “The Brother’s Bloom”. Its another Wes Anderson flick, but the real reason I want to see it is Mr. Brody. This man is gorgeous. Yes yes, many have been surprised by my assessment of this lanky man, but look at his face. The dark brown eyes, the crooked nose – gorgeous. And there is no arguing that he can act. I mean he won the Oscar for Best Actor when he was 29, the youngest person to win this. Every time I see a movie that he’s in, my obsession is refreshed and I search imdb again seeing what new projects are coming out. I just can’t get enough (there’s something about you….. Name that lyric!).



Noomber 6: Arrested Development & 30 Rock
In a way, 30 Rock has been the replacement for AD since its been canceled. They share certain features, but remain unique. I think AD will never be equaled, but 30 Rock is its whole own thing too. I can’t wait for the new episodes to come out. I’ve seen every episode of AD at least 5 times, and every released episode of 30 Rock probably 3 times. I’ve mentioned before that it takes a bit for me to get into a new show, thus the tendency to rewatch things I know I like.


Numma 7: David Tennant

I know I’m a lot of things. You’ve probably tagged me as a nerd, as many of my so-called friends have tagged me. They pull out some logic about me be a grad student, and only nerds would do that, but whatever. Anyway, in 2nd year, which was my first year at U of T, my friend Mich got me to watching Doctor Who – the new season started by the BBC in 2005. I actually really like the show, especially that first new season with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. If you think its just a low budget sci fi show then I cannot help to see past your snobbishness to the core entertainment of the show. Anyway, on to the obsession part, the 2nd through 4th seasons feature David Tennant as the Doctor. Although these seasons don’t really match up with the one that directly preceded them, DT is sexy. Also, even though he fakes the British accent on the show, his natural Scottish accent (I am partial to Scots, for obvious reasons) is really hot.


Enough with the numbering. I get excited about and obsessed with things all the time. One such instance is Tolkien. I read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings when I was a teenager, before the movies came out. When you read a good book, you want to get to the end to find out what happens, but its so sad when it actually ends. The movies are fine, but it’s the books that really do it for me. I had a similar experience before then when reading the Chronicles of Narnia, which is also superb.

I think my excitement and obsession comes from the high you get from feeling a part of something big or exceptional. Although past my formative years, my imagination is still quite impressive and so I can imagine myself in association to these people and things that make one feel a part of something big and famous and exciting. My life is way more exciting than it actually is.

On that note, Samurai Jack:

I'm a little tired right now. I've started TAing an intro linguistics class this semester, and it makes me get up earlier on Thursdays than I do on most of the other days of the week. I'm not convinced that I'm a good teacher as of yet, I don't have the intuition for it. I go over the problem sets thoroughly, try to make sure everyone understands, but I don't get a ton of questions or dissent. That might be more interesting. I'm trying to keep in mind what it was like for me as a student back in the day (i.e. 2 years ago) and the things you always sit there thinking about the TA, like, "why do they always do this?", "Do they realize that they got a chalk line across their butt when they leaned against the board?" and "could she have any worse of a lisp?" Now I don't have a lisp, and have been able to use my fluent English in the class, but I have been talking ridiculously fast. I guess it must be because I'm nervous, and I try to slow myself down, but that only takes me from really fast to slightly less really fast. I'm hoping as time goes on I'll get the hang of this teaching thing. Its not terrible now, the kids aren't mean or rude or anything like that, some of them are kind of sweet at always say "bye" at the end of the conference. But most of them are so little, as little as my little brother. I shouldn't say to much about this, b/c this was me, 6 years ago. I was also 17 when I started university, so they're no younger than I was. But they were born in 1990. Shiver.

Other things, interesting things, some-things..... hmm.

So, things happen, sometimes I witness them. Sometimes I even participate in them. Often I walk to school. After about 25 minutes of this type of walking, I usually arrive at the Linguistics building, get out my keys and enter my office. I check my email fanatically. Seriously, send me something, its like a beautiful, wonderful, otherworldly drug. Other times I read. Articles, computer screen, emails. My eyes, they are dying in the reading. The tiny letters, the big letters, the 100 time photocopied letters, the symbols among the letters, the diagrams and useless ramble within the letters. My eyes, oh gosh my eyes. They are dissolving down into little pools of bluish gray pixie dust. Out over my lids, onto my cheeks, like tears, but not tears. More like pollutant sludge, leaving a vacant, colourless hole where my eyes used to be.
Too much?

Continuation of the Gilmore Girls discussion. I actually like Jess. I know, he doesn't always do right by Rory or Luke, but he's one of those rough exterior-heart of gold types, who is secretly a genius. My major qualm with Jess is that he appears very short on the show. I looked up Milo on imdb and he's listed as 5 foot 9, so I am taller than he is, but only by a little bit. And yes, Paris deserves her recognition. She's crazy insane and intense, but sometimes you feel sorry for her. Her parents don't seem to care about her, so we can't blame her for too much of her lack of socialization. Also I feel the need to defend her since my lovely friends (sarcastic tone inserted) decided that if I were any GG's character, I would be Paris. I'll try to construe it in my mind somehow to make it a compliment, but my hair is curly, and I am waaaay taller than Paris is. Just so you know that we're no so similar.

I've been watching Project Runway, and I'm a little confused. The whole goal of PR is to get to Bryant Park at the end of show and do the whole official runway show. It was my understanding that the fashion week shenanigans occur in February, or some such wintry month, but this season started in July, and the final show has already happened (although not aired). Maybe its a different, summer/fall fashion week. At first I thought Kenley was cute, but now she's just crazy psycho attitude teenager type. I think Leanne will win.

As a guilty pleasure I've also been watching the new "cycle" of ANTM. I hate this show more and more every second I watch it. Tyra is so ridiculous and retarded. I can't even tell you how much she annoys me. Acts like the freaking guru of all things fashion and worthwhile in life.

Tired still. Peanut butter? No, that was yesterday. I wish I had some smartfood. It think I will forgo these and just get some fruit juice. I do have microwave popcorn. Not the same. Lacks the white cheddar powder. I miss the pesto from Cinque Terre, it was unbelieveably good, no exaggeration, seriousness.

Why I Love/Hate the Gilmore Girls

I started watching the Gilmore Girls (henceforth GG) during the good old days at U of T. Actually, I don’t even think I touched the show until 4^th year when I needed new shows to watch since DC++ allowed all students in the know to watch entire series, in sequence. I had seen all the Smallville episodes, and various other shows I watched (it actually takes a lot for me to get into a show), so next came GG. I had previously trashed talked the brown-haired, blue-eyes, since it is one of those girl shows, but now I’m fairly sure I have seen every episode, possibly only missing a couple from the terrible 7^th and final season.

I thought I’d chronicle some of my feelings about the GG’s. Yes, sometimes I do love them, and enjoy the distraction they provide from my own non-Connecticut life, but so so often I hate hate hate them.

Love – I love how hot and tall Dean is.

Hate – I hate Logan the jag and his half open eyes.

Love – I love that Lorelai and Luke are meant to be together.

Hate – I hate that the show clearly complicates their relationship in ridiculous ways just to let the series continue. I mean, long lost 12 year old love child? I know April is supposed to be a genius, but could she talk through her nose any more forcibly?

(Note: It may be the case that you will only follow this post if you too Love/Hate the Gilmore Girls)

Love – Kirk. What more could you ask for in outlandish comic relief? Naked running night terrors, driving through buildings, plummeting to earth from a plane, recording himself in a practice date, leaving rotting eggs in the town square, and on and on it goes. I wonder what the actor is like as a real guy. There’s no way he’s normal, no one acts that well.

Hate – Taylor. I know he’s some kind of plot-moving-forward character, but he never does anything new. It’s the same annoying crap every time. NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU THINK, TAYLOR. GET A FREAKING LIFE.

Love – Lorelai more than Rory.

Hate – Rory more than Lorelai.

Love – Lane’s blue rainbow shoulder sweater.

Hate – That Lorelai expects everyone to do everything she asks. She torments people until they give in. Its like that “pretty girl” syndrome, where no one ever says no to them, so they think they can do whatever the hell they want.

Love – Rory’s short hair in season….. 3? 4?

Hate – The stupid puffy shoulder, short sleeved jackets that Rory wears in EVERY episode of season 7.

Hate – How bad an actress Emily (grandma G) is. Also those weird, rectangular jackets she wears. She allegedly has impeccable taste, but all I can see is shoulder pads, floral print curtains and poufy hair.

Hate – Pretty much all the rich people portrayed on the show. Even the endearing ones.

I think the thing I hate most about the show is how nothing bad ever happens to Rory, and how everyone around her can’t stop telling her how perfect she is. The worst thing that ever happens is that she steals a yacht and decides to drop out of Yale. This doesn’t even count as “something bad happening to her”, since she does it completely to herself. I’m not going to feel sorry for her because she’s not sure what her identity is anymore. Everything always falls into place – she gets into Chilton, she’s class vice president, valedictorian, gets into Harvard, Princeton and Yale, becomes editor of the Yale Daily News and has various other achievements. The second “worst” thing that happens to her is that she doesn't get the job at the New York Times, oh no! BUT, this misfortune lasts for like an episode until she gets a killer job as a journalist for a magazine following the presidential race. She’s so whiny and selfish, and tramples on many a boy, including Dean who’s nothing but hot. Everyone tells her how pretty she is, how crazy intelligent she is, how nice she is (although its very clear that she’s the worst kind of nice, the nice that isn’t really nice at all but mean and spiteful without realizing it). There’s so many other things I hate about Rory, especially post 4^rd season Rory (when she becomes a homewrecker), but its making me angry just thinking about it so I think I should cut myself off here.

Lorelai in comparison to her daughter is a saint. But she needs to get it together. Once you’re 40 you should be able to solve your problems without throwing temper tantrums and blaming it all on your parents.

What are your thoughts on GG? Maybe you Love/HATE it more than I do.

My butt looks great in these jeans

I love my Silvers. Anyway, that’s not really what I’m going to write about. Wait I forgot what I was going to write about. Its worth it to spend money on jeans, b/c if you’re like me you wear them until they die a slow, horrible, holey death. I may have a bit of a g’donk g’donk, doesn’t mean it can’t look good.

Classes start next week, which is pretty crazy since I’m still not done the work I was supposed to finish this summer. Some of it is done, so I’m not a total slacker.

My new favourite Montréal coffee place is Java U. I didn’t go to it much last year b/c I thought that a place with such a corny name couldn’t be that good. But now I have seen the light, also there’s one close to me in my new neighbourhood. Their coffee is really good, and their lattes are incredible. Much better than Café Depot, even better than Second Cup and Starbucks. I think there will be many an article read at Java U this year.

Party at my house this Saturday. If you live in Montréal you should totally come.

Ok, I forgot everything interesting I could have possibly written.

Europe Pictures

Florence: Accademia, home of the original David. So David here, carved my Michelangelo, is a solid slab of concrete that Mr. Sculptor man found in a church yard or something like that. He's like 12 feet tall or more. I had half a mind to post the PG picture of him I have (waist up), but I'm sure you're art appreciating people. It really is a masterpiece. I couldn't stop staring at it.


Monaco: Left to right its Christian, Meghan, Roz and Ryan. I, of course, am taking the picture. This is just outside the huge, expensive, fancy casino.


Salzburg: This is at the monk brewery, Augustiner, which is supposed to be the best beer in Austria. This shot if of Roz's mug to show that she drank a full half pint! I had to drink 2 pints because Meghan was feeling sick, and isn't that much of a beer person anyway so I drank mine and hers.

Paris: As mentioned in the previous post, these are the pictures of us outside Notre Dame. Fig 1, self portrait. I think its a hilarious photo, all our faces are doing different things.

Fig 2, a nice picture taken by a nice boy.

Where have all the cute boys gone? Long time passing…

I suggest you don't miss the Radiohead post, below.

As promised, here’s some discussion of my time in Europe. I’ve lived in several different places across Canada, each place begging the questions, “Where are all the cute boys?” They seem to be nowhere. They weren’t in Vancouver, they’re all nerds in Toronto, they’re definitely not in Ottawa. This mystery continues from sea to shining sea, and maybe I’ve missed the cute boy deposits in North America, but I don’t think so. Now, I have my answer, and an answer for you, single ladies o the new world, they are in Europe. They’re much cheekier there too.

It all begins in Italy. My friends were convinced that I was getting hit on the most in Rome, I’m not sure what trip they were on. The only incidence I remember pertaining to such a ridiculous conclusion was a waiter calling me “bella” or something generic like that, which absolutely doesn’t count since he was clearly just trying to get us to spend money at the restaurant. I don’t remember what else went on there. In Florence one of my friends got a “Hey, baby face!” which is clearly hilarious, and also a “Ask for me, get a free drink.” We don’t know where we were supposed to ask for “me”, though. Florence also had cute gelato guy, really adorable, and gave us bonus dollops of gelato of a random flavour. Moving up from boys to men, the proprietor/waiter dude at the fancy restaurant we went to for a multi-course lunch was quite saucy and flirty. He asked us about Canada, made these little faces at us, made us giggle sickeningly. Not that we’re complaining.

In Venice there were these 2 Argentinean guys who were eating at the table next to ours, and were obviously drunk. They asked me what nationality of guy was my favourite, I said I didn’t have one, but I was tempted to say “definitely not Argentinean.” Then one of the dudes started talking in a southern American accent and said he could be anyone. So I piped up and said, “Hey, can you be Canadian?” To which I got the reply, “I can if you marry me!” Yeah, real winners there.

Then Germany. In Munich me, my two friends, plus an extra (German) friend had all gotten ice cream and were sitting under a monument infront of city hall (big square, Glockenspiel, etc.). First of all, this random guy asked if we could take a picture of him and the fancy city hall building, which I did b/c it’s the give and take code among tourists, you see. Then he came back over for like half a second, snapped a picture of the 4 of us, smiled, waved, and ran off. Weird, but harmless. Then, all of a sudden, we found ourselves surrounded by crowd of guys standing around us, asking us why we were sitting on the ground. I don’t see why it was so confusing for them, we needed a place to sit and enjoy our ice cream, the ground was basically the only option since there were no free range chairs around for us. One of the guys was Canadian, with whom we had a pleasant and civil conversation. This dude from Saxony (I really think he was part vampire from Transylvania) kept asking us to go with their group to a beer hole (I think that’s what they’re called) and tried to be “charming” – shoot and a miss. And there was this other loud, random guy who came over every 10 minutes or so and said “Hello, get up, please, and follow me!” We ignored him.

In Paris there were more random acts of flirting in the streets. These things are odd for a North American, the forwardness, the interaction with people passing on the sidewalk… we just don’t do it up like Europeans do. Guy on the street made this really long kissing noise at one of my friends. Oooh, but we did meet a really nice guy at Notre Dame (I think he was American, North American at any rate). He saw us trying to take a picture of ourselves with the church, at which we were unsuccessful, resulting in a hilarious self-photo, and offered to take one for us. We took one for him in return. He said the photographic technique of the one we took was better, but that the one of us was prettier, I think b/c of the subject matter. So he managed to flatter us doubly, and of course we liked him. There were many others, but I can’t remember the anecdotes right now. Meghan has all these things catalogued. There were a lot of up-downs received by my two hott friends.

This brings me back to my encounters with flirtatious males in my own country. You see, I don’t get this kind of attention from guys my age, or ones that might be cute or friendly, or anything not creepy. No no no, I always get the weird, creepy old guys making inappropriate comments in my direction. Like the guy who followed me down Yonge street for like 6 blocks and only started talking to me after about 3 blocks. No, sir, I will not tell you where I’m going or where I live. I’ve seen the last 3 minutes of Care Bears and I know a little better than that! And just yesterday, I’m riding my bike to Canadian Tire and this cab driver, waiting at a light beside me starts yelling, “Sophie! Sophie!” as if it were my name. I ignore him, so he changes it up to “Isabelle!” Who just tries random names? Then it was “Ma belle!” and I covertly shake my head, and he says, “Ok bye!” a few times, until finally the light changes and I gun it out of there. Reminds me of going out clubbing in T dot for one of my friends birthday, and who tries to pick me up? It’s the 45 year old man who just walked in and decides to tell me “You’re absolutely gorgeous.”

These are just a few of the wonderful moments I have collected. And no, I do not feel flattered by these ones, where creepy old guys find me approachable enough to violate my personal space. I’m not sure what it says about me that I don’t get friendly comments from guys my own age, but I shouldn’t say that b/c the random lines by weirdos in the street is not every girls favourite thing, even if dude is age appropriate.

Anyway, I should move to Europe. Do me a solid for vanity.

I love Rope-iohead.

It was a week ago, and I'm very slow on the uptake, but the Radiohead concert was superbly amazing. Really. There wasn't a lot of band/audience interaction, like "Hello Montreal!" type chatter, but what can you say. We love Thom Yorke because he's just plain weird. This was my absolute favourite song of the night, the sound at the concert was ethereal, I felt like I could listen to the sound of it for decades.

Reckoner


It was raining like a mofo when we got to Parc Jean Drapeau, we were soaked, the grounds were really muddy. However, I am a supreme genius, lord over all the intellectuals, and actually brought a garbage bag which allowed me and my friends to sit down. Even miserable rain couldn't ruin a Radiohead concert, it would have to be a hurricane to make me leave.

In Montreal they have these firework competitions, which begin at about 10pm and go until 10:30. It also happens to be the case that the site of the fireworks and that of the concert are right next to each other. So, Faust Arp is a soft, beautiful song off in Rainbows...



Thom Yorke cracks up part way into it b/c of the fireworks, made some comment during the night that fireworks are most appropriate at the end of something. It was a nice moment.

Anyway, I was caked with mud for about 37 hours after that, totally worth it. I wish I went to more concerts, and I guess I could go to smaller more local ones. But there's something about those big events with the really intricate light shows that gives you this feeling you can't get when its just the music that's preforming. I've never seen Ropeiohead before, and I will see them every chance I get after this. I'm not that far behind, I do have all their albums.

Remember the memories

Now that I have about 1000 new photos, I was tempted to scroll through some of the other pics that made it on to this computer. I feel like I've posted these particular pictures before, but I can't confirm that. Anyway, its probably my favourite series of photos of all time.





Oh, LR. I love you guys so much. This is an effective shout out.

Maybe some of you are wondering, "Hey? Didn't chick just go away on a huge trip for which she only posted like 2 times?" Maybe not, maybe you're wondering, "Do they still make those spicy Cheetos?" Either way, I think I'll try and do some posts about Europe, trying to remember all the crazy antics that went on in certain places. I can't really tell you about the whole trip all at once since we went to so many places.

Tada

I have uploaded pictures to my brand new Picasa Web Album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/u5875869987

I tried to use Flickr, but it kept organizing things backwards and had too many restrictions. So google it is, fits with blogger I suppose.

We're number 2!

Best. Fireworks. EVER.

Here we go:

Roma

Pompeii

Firenze (i.e. Florence)

Pisa

Cinque Terre (I can do this… Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterroso)

Nice

Monaco/Monte Carlo

Venezia (i.e. Venice, via Padova)

Innsbruck

Salzburg

Munchen (i.e. Munich)

Paris

Versailles

Amsterdam

London

So these are all the places I went on my trip. I tried to put them up there with their actual names, weird English variations in i.e. parentheses. I cannot for the life of me figure out why we say “Florence” when its “Firenze”.

Right, so I’m back in Montreal, where there’s a whirlwind of things to do, send me good wishes to get it all done. I’m moving today, but my new roommate is very kind and is helping me so it should be fine.

To the post title. When I started formulating this post in my mind, which must have been 2 weeks ago now, it had the title “Worse. Parade. Ever.” On July 14^th, which was Meghan’s birthday (a traveling companion, for those out of the know), but it was also Bastille day and we were in Paris, the best place to celebrate France as a country. The day started very early with us walking downtown to the parade, which we though started at 8:30 but really started at 10:30, and so we were standing in a huge crowd of people until noon. Long time. The problem with the parade was that you’d normally expect marching, but there was this ridiculous “inspecting of the troops” which takes for frickin ever and parts of the “parade” didn’t happen where we were standing, although some things did. And all the marching, once we finally got to it (we weren’t sure if the French got the whole point of marching in a parade, but they do, just much delayed) it was fine, all the different sorts of troops and stuff. The coolest thing was that the aircrafts flew over and the first 3 planes spat out red blue and white cloud and made a French flag in the sky. Also, at the end some paratroopers dropped out of the sky.

Ooh, more importantly, I fell in love at the parade. There was this gendarme who was incredible GORGEOUS, and packing heat. I kept staring at him, I wish I had the nerve to take a picture of him, or whistle at him, or something, but you don’t want to be too daring around a bunch of guys with guns. But seriously, in love.

Anyway, back to the fireworks, we watched the fireworks from the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, and they were the best I have ever seen. Last year I saw the Canada Day fireworks in Ottawa, which are most likely the best for Canada, but in Paris it was way better. It was really long, and the fireworks were set to music, I can’t even describe why they were so amazing. But getting on the metro after that was so insane, people were getting squished and trampled, and I got molested by this guy behind me, but we made it home safely so that’s all that matters.

Many more things to tell, but I have to finish packing my crap now. I’ll get to the pictures soon, I hope.

Mozart Balls

Here are some random pictures, that I´m finally able to upload. I can´t see what they are, so I´m putting up arbitrary ones chosen from my camera´s memory card.

Rome














Venice



Innsbruck


So I´m in Austria, and everyone thinks I speak german, I guess that´s the germanic look about me. And not just people in stores, randos coming up to me on the street start spouting in German, looking directly at me and not at either of my friends. To keep life interesting, I have now almost completely lost my voice. No, I have not been screaming or shoving forks into my vocal chords, its just a cold Meghan was so kind to share with me. We´ve been telling Roz she´s next. It was really hard today in the shops, sometimes I opened my mouth and nothing came out. Sometimes weird, terrible squeaky noises. Not only can I not speak German, I can´t speak anything. Oh well.