Sweet Deal

My little cousins who live in the east end of Ottawa made a very enticing offer to me. They said if I went trick-or-treating with them this Tuesday that they would share their candy with me! What a score, and I did not ask them to include me on this venture and share the spoils, it was a spontaneous offer on their part. My elder cousin used to live in Ottawa and go with them, so I was assured that I am simply carrying on the annual tradition.

Also, the costume is optional, so I’m going to opt not to dress up. I don’t think I was ever huge on the costuming; I didn’t like putting the effort into it. Also I only like to move things hundreds of miles if I’m going to have actually a use for them throughout the year. This means I don’t have stuff laying around ready to be costume material, and I also am not crazy about spending money on it.

Maybe as a child I was way more into it, which would make sense especially in the normal sociological perspective. I remember dressing up as a fairy princess – I was super creative. Although in grade 7 (yes, I went trick-or-treating with my friends in grade 7) I went as a bunch of grapes. I tied a whole bunch of purple balloons to a purple knit sweater, it was the best costume I ever had.

Apparently the Chinese Embassy is THE place to go on Halloween here. My roommate was told by his roommate (really reliable information, you see) that they give out techno toys there. One year they allegedly gave out Discmans and other years mp3 players and digital cameras. I’m sure we’re not talking quality here, but still, free electronics is cool. So my roommate will test out this information this year and then I’ll decide whether or not I believe this urban legend.

There, a non-melty non-nostalgic post. Better?

It’s like a bluish purple colour

Going to Chapters is like going home. I walk in and I feel comfortable, consoled, happy. Once inside the door I hear the milk steamer and smell the espresso beans at the in house Starbucks, a little farther in I can smell the Chapters smell. It’s pretty consistent across branches, a kind of new book smell mixed in with the high ceiling/escalator ambience.

Considering the many times I go to Chapters (more so in the past year since Indigo was across the street) I rarely buy anything. It’s the experience of wandering around and browsing that I love. It’s the perfect store, containing thousands of books as well as decent CD and DVD sections. Even though I hate shopping I love getting new books and CDs, they are a semi-exception.

This summer when the T dot was making an attempt at the boiling point of lead I would go to Indigo and sit in the corner reading a comic-strip collection book and indulge in the commercial air conditioning. A/C is guilt free if there’s really nothing you can do to turn it off, so when you’re in the store you might as well embrace it fully.

One time my roommate and I actually got ‘dressed-up’ to go on a roommate date to the bookstore one night. We are wild, I tell you. The self-help section is particularly entertaining if you can get Pyweon to read a book or two out loud in her obnoxious narrator’s voice. It’s the place to go when you don’t know what else to do – everybody loves Chapters.

I remember in high school when getting to a Chapters was a major event since my little bity home town did not have one (I think Starbucks was also a factor in this excitement). It’s like the time we had an international quiz team practice in London – all day we wanted to go to Chapters but never had a chance and it was late when we were heading back so Dr and Mrs A didn’t let us go. However, we did have to stop for gas, which was across the highway from a Chapters. A few/all (can’t remember) of the boys (notice how I was the sensible/boring girl) decided to make a run for it while Dr A was at the pump. That initially didn’t go over very well, although running across the highway might have been exhilarating for them. But when Dr A drove over to collect the delinquents he himself got caught up in the awe of Chapters and began browsing through the books. I think Mrs A was the least impressed out of the group.

Perhaps part of the magic of Chapters, at least for girls my age, is that it reminds us of Belle’s library in Beauty and the Beast. We all want that library, don’t deny that it’s only one of the best movies of your lifetime, you know that it is. But yes, it feels like going home in a wonderful mind expanding way, although the Chapters here hasn’t had a copy of Orwell’s 1984 for a few months.

I miss Toronto

So very, very much. I miss my friends. I miss living downtown, wandering through Yorkville and down Yonge street. I miss using my extensive knowledge of the city core. I miss Springrolls and the incredibly addictive shanghai noodles. I miss ‘Not Just Noodles’ with their reasonably priced and excelelnt bubble tea. I miss ‘Sushi Club’ -- *tear* -- so many, many good times at Sushi Club. I miss 3 am coffee dates at the Timmy Ho-Ho’s around the corner (and desperately trying to win ANYTHING at roll up the rim). I miss convincing Annesley girls that I live there too. I missed the film festival and seeing random stars around. I miss Freedomize, finding a new church really sucks. I miss ice cream runs, and equivalently cookie-dough ice cream. I miss buying clothes on sale from Jacob Conexxion, so many clothes. I miss easily locating south by looking for the CN tower. In fact, I miss the whole exact North-South East-West grid of streets. And I really, really miss the subway, seriously, what kind of city has an entire transit system based on buses?


I don’t miss the construction, and in general I don’t miss the actual U of T. Its not a perfect city, but its my city.

Ottawa is kinda boring maybe b/c of the current friend situation. Living in a residential area is really weird for me, I have never done it before in my life. I grew up in the country, lived in Rez for 2 years then co-op housing at Bay and Bloor for 2 more. There’s nothing really to do on a weeknight, I’m just at home, hating CTV for their crappy programming this fall. Anyway....

Babies Everywhere!

Old, but good.

BABY! I know you're asking me to stay, Say please, please, please, don't go away

I decided to transfer some pictures of Finnan from my brother's online photo account for your viewing ease.

This is a baby in a baby chair.

This is Baby-Momma and baby.

This is my favourite of my brother holding his little son.

I guess he's not even a week old yet so he doesn't have that wide eyed baby look yet. Its funny watching video of him and recognizing the complete lack of sensory-motor skills. All in time. I think at this point he looks more like my sister-in-law's side of family but baby faces change so much so we'll just have to see.

With any luck he'll be a Coldplay fan.