Tales and Songs from Weddings and Funerals

Two Years Later

2008-08-08T18:33:00.003-07:00

I was going through the archives on my blog and I found something I had posted on July 21, 2006.

The sides are clear, according to the Western World, Hezbollah kiddnapped (captured?) two (count them two) Israeli soilders. They started it.... Israel has the right to defend itself. In theory. However, innocents never have the right to be caught in between espeically when they are just trying to live their life.

I don't know if you all remember of not, but this was what started the bombings that led many deaths including those of United Nations Peace Keepers, and nearly destroyed Beirut.

Well two years later Israel got the bodies back - in exchange for a few prisoners. This world we live in is crazy. I think I agree with the idea that exchanging prisoner for bodies sets a bad president - it doesn't really give the kidnappers much reason to keep people alive. Bodies are much easier and cheaper to look after!

I'm just saying..

I am not going to lie...

2008-04-23T05:41:00.002-07:00

Ugandan men are beautiful - at least most of them are...

They are incredibly fit - here's why:

Most of them walk everywhere they need to go.
All at one time or another have had to dig - basically really intense gardening.
Many of them have jobs that require manual labour - not much in the way of mechanization around here.
Football is popular, so even after the manual labour, the football pitches are full in the evenings.
The diets are low in fat. Every meal is carbo loading for the next day. Like athletes.

Most of the men want to be fat, but they are not. And that is okay with me - eye candy.

Seriously I love Zapiro

2008-03-20T00:44:00.002-07:00

I'm not suggesting anything... I'm sure that Zapiro isn't either... He's just saying....

Power to the People

2008-02-06T05:10:00.000-08:00

To me some ideas don't get old and the idea of the people actually having the power is one of them. I am reading a great book right now called, 'One No, Many Yeses' about the Anti-capitalism/globalization movement. It covers all my favourite activist groups: the Zapatistas struggles in Chiapas, protesters in Genoa and Seattle, and the CultureJammers. Reading it also sparked a great conversation about the importance of women in government and other organizations.

Some great links:
Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping: Even my Ugandan Aunt has heard of him and his anti-consumerism movement.

The Zapatiasta Movement: from the mountains of Chiapas Mexico, to the streets of cities everywhere..

AdBusters Magazine: Based in Vancouver Canada, this magazine is famous for it's spoof ads.

The IndyMedia site: is crucial to see the news that doesn't make the nightly news. Most of the media is from freelancers and community members.

A clipping to Share

2007-11-07T03:48:00.000-08:00

Found this in the New Vision, one of Kampala's Newspapers

"UN Envoy in Burma"
//
Myanmar's military junta greeted visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari with state-sponsored rallies calling for "respect" from the UN as he tried to coax the generals into reforms, officials media reported yesterday. "We Respect the UN, We Respect Gambari, Respect Myanmar," read a slogan at one rally, which people were forced to attend.//

Right because clearly a few hundred people at a forced rally will make the rest of the world forget the junta's brutal crackdown on monks!

Protests in Burma

2007-10-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

The bad news for the monks who have decided their deaths will bring the international community to the rescue of the people of Burma is they are wrong. The UN seems powerless to do anything. Those nations whose administrations have the power to do something won't - either they don't care or they don't want to mess near China's turf. The general population of North America is still trying to figure out where Burma/Myanmar is located. All-in-all the response, the help the people in this country that has been ruled by brutal military suppression for more than 18 years isn't coming.
The international community, once again, has failed a group of people that desperately need their help.
Zapiro, the editorial cartoonist from South Africa's Mail & Guardian gives his opinion:

The woman standing up to the tank is Anug San Suu Kyi - Burma's own Nelson Mandela (she has been under house arrest on-and-off for the last 18 years). After being democratically elected int he 1980's she was over thrown by the military junta that has ruled the country since. Her family was exiled and went back to the UK, she was given the choice to leave, but decided to stay for her people. When her husband was dying of cancer in the late 90's the junta again gave her the opportunity to leave (and never come back), he was not allowed into Burma. She stayed, he died.
Aung San Suu Kyi is an icon to her people, and her freedom is one of the main things the protesters in Burma want.

A free press is Burma is virtually non-existent right now. The internet has been shut down and foreign reporters blocked from entering. Those that sneak into the country have had to maintain a very low profile or risk being shot, as was the Japanese photojournalist. However, some organizations operating with in the country, such as the Free Burma Rangers, have managed to sneak footage of the protests out. Al Jazeera has also managed to gain access to the streets with a video camera. Here are some of their latest clips.

(Backgrounder: Burma's name was changed to Myanmar when the military overthrew the democratically elected government. Many nations (the UK and USA) choose not to give legitimacy to the name and refer to it as Burma, Canada however, refers to the country as Myanmar. Same applies for the capital city Rangoon - it was changed to Yangon. This is why depending on what news you follow the name of the location changes. BBC uses Burma & Rangoon, CTV uses Myanmar & Yangon, and for some weird reason the Globe and Mail uses Myanmar & Rangoon

The Long Way Home

2007-08-22T17:17:00.003-07:00

All too soon we are back in Canada, and while I don’t miss the constant sweat I am wishing it was a little warmer here at home.

Since the last e-mail we travelled overland from Siem Reap back to Bangkok, well actually rattled would be a more accurate descriptions. The road to Poi Pet (on the Cambodian side of the border) is a little rough – and the cars don’t have seat belts. I was being thrown around so badly that it looked like I was seizing. After three hours we were in Thailand and on paved roads.

With Bangkok as the base, we visited the Bridge Over the River Kwai and Hellfire Pass. Previous to this trip I didn’t know much about the impact of World War II in Asia, so this was an eye opener. After riding the Thailand-Burma Railway (Death Railway) from the city of Kanchanaburi, where the bridge is located, to Nam Tok, the current railway terminus, we visited the Konyu cutting. Knoyu was the name given by the Japanese, however it was also called Hellfire pass, because the fires from the bamboo torches required for light as the PoWs worked for 18 hours shifts were said to look like the lights from hell. This pass was the largest – 600m long and 30m deep – cut for the railway; it was also completed in a very short time, only six weeks using picks, shovels, hammers, drill taps and explosives as tools. Thousands of allied Prisoners of War and Asia workers died from Malaria and other diseases as they worked during the monsoon season. The real moment of understanding was when hiking up hundreds of steps to get back to the museum, sweating and having difficulty breathing, the audio guide mentioned that this walk was a small part of what the PoWs walked to-and-from the work site each day. I returned to Bangkok very humbled.

Bangkok provided a place to complete the rest of our travel plans, but we also took in some of the sights. The Royal palace redefined the word gaudy, but the amulet market and Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun) were both interesting. Every Buddhist in Thailand has at least one amulet (usually more), for protection, and they range in price from a few baht to hundreds.

With time quickly running out we boarded a night train from the city south to Surat Thani arriving at 4:30 a.m. After a lot of waiting and some huge mistakes on the part of the travel company, we were headed to Khao Sok National Park. The two nights I spent there taught me something important – I am not a big fan of the jungle – especially in the rain!!
There were leeches … a lot of them, after pulling off three I pulled the plug on further hiking, despite only having travelled a few hundred metres. The next day was better, Cheo Larn Lake. Created by the hydroelectric damn, the lake is both beautiful and destructive – it pushed people from their land, but left a fascinating landscape, where giant karst mountains rise out of the water like islands. We went swimming and Mom – who is far braver than me when it comes to bugs, spiders, and deep water with unknown creatures – went back into the jungle, with a guide.

However, the swimming at Cheo Larn was nothing compared to the water off Koh Tao – our last official stop in Thailand. Known as Turtle Island because of its shape, it is a diving Mecca. In the wonderfully warm (27C) water, among the massive school of brightly coloured fish, I saw coral, sea cucumbers and a turtle. One of the days we even saw Nemo. It was like nowhere I had dived before. Picture sitting in the IMAX theatre watching the National Geographic version of the Living Sea – and that is not even the half of it. Mom even tried snorkeling, overcoming some pretty major fears, and was amazed at the abundance of life she could see while floating in the water. The time above water (and that was not much) was spent walking along Sariee beach’s endless white sand. Leaving was exceptionally difficult, but after having to no luck trying to find someone to take my ticket home, we headed to Koh Saumi (a neighbouring island) for our last night.

The plane out was at 6 a.m., we snuck off the beach like thieves, grateful for darkness so we wouldn’t see what we were leaving behind.

Due to weird ticketing we were left with a one day layover in Singapore – incidentally one needs more than a single day to see the city, but we tried. It started with a two hour walking tour of the Little India district, where I ended up with a henna tattoo and Indian candy, and Mom dragged me out of the Sari shop. Then Singapore Slings at the Raffles hotel, the only place in Singapore you can litter, the peanut shells coat the floor. Then to ride the old cargo ships, called Bumboats, to see the fabled Merlion – indeed part mermaid part lion. The grossly over priced cable cars took us to Sentosa Island – part Amusment Park, part tourist trap – where we say the surprisingly impressive Images of Singapore Museum. The interactive displays explained the history of the country, and the different ethnic groups that make it up: Malays, Indian, Eurasian, and Chinese. By the evening we were starving so we headed to Clake’s Quay, the trendy restaurant area, for the highly recommend, unique chili crab. It was amazing – if I was a crab, this is what I would want to die for. Delicious crab swimming in sweet/spicy chili sauce served with piping hot fried buns to soak up all the flavours. After tea and lychee ice cream, it took all our energy to drag ourselves back to the metro for the trip back to the hostel.

All that was left was the trip home. To those of you whose have made it through these marathon e-mails and I haven’t totally turned off Asia, if you decide to go I definitely recommend Singapore Airlines.

Tales of Asia

2007-08-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

From a lazy boat trip down the Mekong to the crazy streets of Phnom Penh, the last two weeks have just flown past. Currently we are in Siem Reap, the access town for the temples of Angkor. Typical for my luck - many of the temples have scaffolding up - the good news is they are undergoing restoration.!

Getting here has been quite the adventure: the Thai-Laos border crossing involved one night in a hostel where leeches had taken residence in the bathroom; the town at the half-way point had all generator power off at 10 pm, making in really dark; and the touts in Louang Phabang are pretty persistent. However, 15 minutes on the Mekong river makes you forget all the major troubles and minor annoyances as you motor through the beauty and stillness. Only a few speed boats passed us (those that make the run between the border and Louang Phabang in 6 hours instead of 2 days). You have to be pretty brave (or slightly crazy) to get in one of those as they have been known to hit the rocks, just underneath the muddy water, with alarming regularity. The water reminded me of chocolate milk. Our boat took it easy, stopping every once and a while to pick up another person and their belongings: a suitcase, bag of rice, rebar, freshly caught fish, chickens (both alive and dead)... and every time I thought it would be impossible to find room for another person - a scooter would be wheeled on the front.

After two great days on the water, it felt as though the land would be a big disapointment - fortunately Louang Phabang was not! The former French colonial town retained a lot of its charm, french baguettes can be found in nearly every cafe. It was also the home of some of the strangest fusion cuisine I have ever seen - Laos/French ... pate of Mekong fish with a side of Mekong river weed, fried and coated with sesame seeds. Both were actually quite good. The highlight of the city was actually outside the city - a waterfall called Kouang Si. There is swimming in most of the pools of these falls and you can jump in from one level to the next. The surrounding park is home to wildlife sanctuaries, a rescue centre for Asiatic black bears and a tiger who was saved from poachers.

Our final morning we watched monks line up single file to collect alms at 6 am, the line of orange robes stretches for many city blocks. Everyday the people line the main streets to make merit (good for the afterlife) and give food to the monks.

Shortly after, we left Louang Phabang for the capital of Laos, Vientiane, a city alarming like Paris, right down to the mini Arc-de-Triumph (Patouxai) at the end of a mini Champs-de-Elysee. The saving grace was a sunset over the Mekong as viewed from the bar formerly known as 'the end of the earth bar.' The place expats would go when the Laos government was restricting the movements of foreigners - it was as far out of the capital (1 km) they could go without official permission. A great place for a drink.

Speaking of great drinking locations- the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh was a brilliant place to watch the sun go down while getting slowly smashed with friends. We met up with a couple of girls we travelled with in Thailand and - aside from indulging in half-price happy hour sangria - we visited an orphanage. As much as it was good for the kids for one-on-one attention - it was good for us. The kids performed some Aspara (traditional Khmer (Cambodian)) dances between impromptu clapping games and random math questions. Phnom Penh was not all fun and games though, we visited the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields, where once again I was reminded of the horrible things people can do to one another. Toul Sleng, also known as S21, was a school the Khmer Rouge converted into a place to torture those they thought opposed them: intellectuals, doctors, teachers, even people with glasses. Much of the museum has been left they way it was found - classrooms converted into holding cells and torture chambers... Despite the hardships the people endured under that Khmer Rouge Regime, the Khmer people are very welcoming and friendly. Overall Phnom Penh is a dirty, smelly city desperately trying to develop - I love it!

Mom on the other hand had no problem leaving to head to Siem Reap and the temples. Sunrise at Angkor Wat gave the feeling of being in a National Geographic video. Ta Phrom, on the other hand, was brought to current fame as the 'Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider Temple.' Not for that reason, but it was my favourite temple - trees growing out of the parts that haven't yet crumbled. The jungle is slowing reclaiming its turf.

And while on the topic of jungles tomorrow we leave Cambodia (sob) and head back to Bangkok.

Elephants and other Thai Adventures

2007-08-22T17:16:00.001-07:00

Currently, we are in the Thai city of Chiang Mai, home to massage & cooking schools, famous temples, night markets, and thousands of Burmese migrant workers - some legal and some not-so-legal!

Since the last time I wrote we have crossed two time zones, seen the inside of three airports, spent the night in one, and travelled by plane, bus, van, tuk-tuk, songthaews (red pick-up trucks with benches), and scooters.

Before leaving South Korea we visited the DMZ - Demilitarized Zone - a 2 km strip running on either side of the North-south Korea border. Realization about the seriousness of this border dawned when an armed soldier boarded the bus to check our passports. It made airport security as we left Korea seem like a breeze.

We left South Korea on June 22 and spent the night as a layover at the Singapore Airport - possibly the best airport I have ever been in completed with movie theater - before arriving in Bangkok the morning of the 23. As we checked into the hotel their was a huge protest massing right outside the front doors - the thousands of people shut down the street for 30 minutes. It was for democracy and the return of the Prime Minister to power. Although later we heard the organizers may have been paid. Life under the current rule in Thailand is much different as the media and some internet is controlled by the goverment - they even block youtube.

Bangkok is a noisy, dirty city, full of people looking to make a fast dollar off an unsuspecting farang (foreigner), so we were happy to leave the with the tour. The first stop was Sukhothai, where we bicycled in 35C weather to look at temples, then to Lampang, where we had out first Thai massage.

Just outside of Lampang is the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, where there is a genuine effort under way to rehabilitate and look after injured and abandoned elephants. Historically elephants were used in teak logging but since the ban many have been abandoned by their owners because of very costly upkeep. The centre has a hospital where they look after injured and malnourished elephants, including those that have stepped on landmines. The healthy animals preform tasks in tourist shows such as turning on faucets, playing intruments, stacking and moving logs and painting pictures. They also give rides. Let me tell you - you are a lot higher up on an elephant than you are on a horse! Outside of normal fundraising methods the centre has found a unique money maker - paper out of elephant dung. The process is amazing and it is made from raw materials they have lots of.

Another great fundraiser we encountered was in the city of Chiang Rai - in the far north. The restaurant Cabbages and Condoms - whose slogan is 'Our Food is Guaranteed Not to Cause Pregnancy - serves up great food with the money going to educate about HIV/AIDS and family planning and to rural community development. Instead of mints at the end of the meal you are offered a condom as part of the drive to make condoms as available as cabbages.

Chiang Rai was also the base for our visit to the Golden Triangle and Burma (Myanmar). The Golden Triangle - so named for the Opium trade is the place on the Mekong where Laos, Burma, and Thailand meet. After a view of the area we crossed the border into military held Burma for the afternoon.

Chiang Mai was the last stop on the group tour. Mom and I stayed on an extra week. While here we have sampled local specialties including Khoa Soi (a chicken noodle curry dish) and learned we could eat Mango and sticky rice as breakfast, lunch and dessert. Mom toured the area, attended cooking classes and shopped while I volunteered with a media based NGO. Through them I met several Burmese migrant workers who were keeping their presence in Thailand off the radar. The situation for many ethnic groups in Burma is so bad many people would rather risk, dangerous - low paid work in Thailand, and risk running into trouble with the Thai authorities then stay in their home country. The people I met are amazingly resilient and I have learned so much.

It will be very hard to leave Chiang Mai as we both love the city, but today we head for the Laos border to begin a two-day journey by slow boat down the Mekong river.

Hello from Korea

2007-08-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Anyoung haseyo - Hello from Korea

South Korea is the country where spicy food meets fierce nationalism and where, in some places, seafood is still gathered by 60-year-old women free-diving. Foreigners are looked at as a way to practice English and acceptance is based on whether you like Kimchi, the firey hot, pickled cabbage.

Korean food is more than just kimchi though. There has yet to be a meal where we have been able to eat everything that is placed in front of us. Each main course - say a piece of fish - comes with a bowl of rice, soup, and side-dishes ranging from peppery vegetables, to fish, to beef, to soothing green and garlicky spinach. Chopsticks are used to take food from the side dishes into your bowl of rice and much to Mom's relief a large spoon is used to eat the rice from the bowl.

Seoul is a massive city with12 subway lines and hundreds of buses. It never seems to sleep.

After only half-a-day in the capital we flew to Jeju Island, according to the Globe and Mail one for the top 10 under visited islands in the world and had it been a little sunnier I would have agreed. Between rainstorms we saw huge orange and tangerine groves, and rugged coastlines of basalt rock. While we didn't have the opportunity to see them, Jeju Island is the home of the longest lava-flow tunnels in the world.

Jeju is also the home of the haenyeo, a group of women that dive to collect seafood: sea squirts, cucumbers, octopus, abalone, and whatever else they can catch. They do it all without oxygen tanks and some of these women are more than 70 years old. It is a tradition that is dying however, as many of the daughters of these women take to less dangerous jobs.

Gyeongju was the next stop where my friend Kumyoung's friends joined us. The five of us rented a car to see the sights the ancient capital of Korea had to offer. After a few near misses we found where we were staying, a pension in the middle of rice paddies. It was pretty amazing. In Tumuli Park we saw tombs - grass hillocks that are similar in purpose to Egyptian pyramids but are more sedate. Bulguksa, a UNSECO reserve, is a huge temple complex that is popular vacation destination of many tourists both Korean and foreign.

The weather now is amazingly hot - as soon as you get used to sweating it is no problem. In the next few days we will be wrapping up in the south of Korea before heading back to Seoul.

The Name of this blog...

2007-04-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

I was playing around on youtube the other night and found that Goran Bregovic had videos on it. This shouldn't have surprised me - I mean now you can find practically anything on youtube, but it did. So here for your viewing and listening pleasure (although the video quality isn't so great) is Goran Bregovic & his Wedding and Funerals Band playing Mesecina (loose translation - Moonlight).

And what I believe to be the most popular of his songs Kalashnikov (the Russian AK-47).

Both of these songs can be heard on the album Underground and were featured in the Serbian film by the same name... Listen/Watch and you will understand why I love this music enough to name my blog after it!

Today was a pretty good day

2007-03-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today I found out that I won a scholarship that will allow me to travel to Africa. The Ron Robbins travelling scholarship from the University of Regina is for students who present a well researched plan for reporting in a foreign country.

My proposal was for Uganda:

Hospital wards with 60 or more beds, homecare visits, TB and HIV/AIDS clinics, and a new culture; this is the experience of the Friends of Mengo Hospital volunteers when they are in Kampala, Uganda.

“To understand the drama of the AIDS pandemic you have to see it,” said Dr. Jim Sparling, physician and director of Friends of Mengo Hospital.

And that is my goal. I want to begin to understand the AIDS pandemic and the associated health and social problems, so I can report on those who are trying to improve the situation. Once I am immersed, I will be able to write about those Canadians whose attachment to life in Uganda drives them to return.

The Ron Robbins Travelling Scholarship in Journalism will enable me to travel to Kampala with Mengo Hospital volunteers, based out of Victoria, British Columbia. I will have the opportunity to live and work alongside them, and other international teams, documenting their actions.

An on-going clinical study on the effects of selenium on AIDS, research by a University of Victoria professor, is mostly run by volunteers. Students and doctors are also involved in patient care in the hospital; working with HIV/AIDS outreach and home healthcare; caring for children at Sanyu Babies Home, an orphanage; and fundraising with the Mengo Boys Brigade, a cooperative of street children.

While in Kampala there will be many other opportunities for articles, I will look at success stories and struggles. Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief is willing to arrange a journalist visit to their project By Youth For Youth. Here, children use art and the media to bring their communities together. By publications aimed at raising awareness and teaching life-skills, the Uganda-based NGO Straight Talk provides a new way of increasing youth’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

This means - the plans still have to be finalized but I am on my way to the first step of the rest of my life!

And if today wasn't already good enough - this evening I went to yet another Stephen Lewis lecture, he and Dr. Paul Farmer are my idols I truly believe that if I could be one quarter like either one of them I could make such a significant impact in the world!
So, after the lecture I introduced myself to Lewis and told him about my opportunity. He was genuinely interested in what I had to say - and he said he would look forward to reading my articles and wished me luck!
Best part is - this time I didn't stutter! Last time was embarrassing!

Seriously today was a pretty good day!

I was in Cuba....

2007-02-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

From music drifting out of houses and children playing in the street, to billboards of American President George Bush with fangs, Cuba represents a unique situation. Sitting in the Caribbean, the country is only 150 kilometers south of the Florida Keys, but that’s as close as they get.

The US embargo has had lasting and negative impacts on the Cuban people; clothing is expensive and often basic necessities like toilet paper and toothpaste are not available. Aware travelers often bring everything from soap to school supplies with them to leave behind. It is rewarding giving medical supplies to local Red Cross or crayons to the toddler living down the street from the house where you are staying.

Despite the consumer restrictions Cuban people are full of life, they love music, talking with their neighbors, and nearly every guy you meet, from the taxi driver to the security guard, is ready and willing to teach you salsa.

Traveling alone was not a problem, even with catcalls and offers to be my “Cuban boyfriend” I always felt safe.

At first the constant, “Hey linda” (Spanish for beautiful) was flattering, but on days when I was struggling up a hill with my backpack in the 32º, humid heat, sweaty and smelly I knew they were full of it.

In Cuba there are two currencies, which is confusing for the unsuspecting traveler and everyone is willing to lend you a hand, for a couple of the tourist dollars. The preferred cash is the Cuban convertible peso (CUC), but many Cubans will never obtain these because most jobs are paid in the national currency the peso Cubano. However, to buy a shampoo, socks and clothing, outside of the government’s tight rations, a Cuban requires the CUC.

Everything in Cuba is a balance or contradiction; they have some of the best health care in the world, but with a dictator, movements and free speech are restricted. Everyone has food and some form of housing, but many people live in poverty. All education is free so everyone has the opportunity to become a doctor, lawyer or simply to learn English.

So much of Cuban history is present in everyday life: their president led the revolution; the city streets are named after Cuban heroes; soccer fields are built in and around monuments; and the national newspaper is called the Granma, after the boat Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara and Castro used to get to Cuba.

Cubans love Ché and after visiting the museum in his honour and memorial it is easy to see why. He is what the left stands for – equality and dignity for everyone and he never compromised it.

After Ché, Cubans have a love of good rum and quality cigars. In fact, some stores sell Havana Club rum for the same price as bottled water.

From street corners to bars, in cities from Havana all the way down to Santiago de Cuba there is music. The soulful sounds of tova (the ballad), the upbeat rhythms of salsa, or pop songs from the ‘90s can be heard from morning to night. A shower with a window open is often accompanied by Céline Dion or Shania Twain pumped out from a vehicle across the street. And sometimes it seems that nearly every Cuban is musical as most can sing, dance or play a musical instrument.

There is one important thing to note. The real Cuba cannot be found in an all inclusive resort in Varadero or Cayo Coco. Not to mention there are areas in these cities which will not allow Cubans on the beaches, as they are reserved for tourists.

If you want to find a family to stay with, someone who will dance salsa, beautiful scenery, music and new experiences, they’re in the backstreets of Havana, and the cities of Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara and Trinidad.

Well, they had excellent response time...

2006-11-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

While calling out today I dialed 9 to get out, then 1 for the areacode.

Then I stopped to check the number then I contiuned diailing 1 -306 ...

But then it started ringing - figuring I dialed an internal number I hung up and tried again.

Made my call, completed it, and got back to work.

About 5 minuteslater there are 4 (yes 4) blue-clad, very good looking policemen at mydoor.

"Have you been in your office all day?" the one asked.
"Yes," I replied concerned.
"Is that the only phone?"
"No, there is one on the other desk."
"Has it been in use today?"
"Not as far as I know..."
"Well someone called 9-11 then hung up."
"I didn't call 9-11," I said suddenly realizing why the phone had rung before I completed dialing the number eariler.

So to make a long story short I accidentally called Saskatoon's finest then hung up.

I was so embarassed - until they told me about the call I had no idea what was going on.

After they left I noticed my voicemail light flashing. I check my voicemail and it is the 911 dispatch calling me back and asking me to return the call if everything was okay - if not there were police on the way.

Thank goodness it was near lunch and most people were out of theoffice - those who were here will be laughing at me for a long time.

Are we there yet?

2006-11-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

This morning for the first time in a long time I felt like I was taking my life into my hands by riding public transit. Is it right to be asking myself questions like: he will stop before we hit that pedestrian right? Or find myself going 'yahooo' as we careen around corners.

Our bus driver was obviously in a hurry - he was almost 5 minutes early and hardly stopped long enough for everybody to get on the bus before peeling away from the curb. He raced up the street trying to get past the rest of the stops before anybody made it to them. Upon seeing a lineup at the lights he makes a hard right turn on the a side street to get around the traffic.

He wasn't the only one with this idea. After getting though an even longer line of traffic our driver was not about to let the black SVU cut him off. He came to a stop inches away from the side panel of the vehicle. The SVU driver must have had brass balls because he continued to push his way in front of the bus.

Approaching the yield, the bus driver noticed the light turning yellow, meaning he would have to yield if it turned red as traffic would start flowing on the street he was aiming to drive on. He picked up speed crossing three lanes as he moved onto the street in front of the University. Then there were cars in his lane. He switched back to the centre lane and realizing the reason those cars were stopped was there were pedestrians in the cross walk he slams on the breaks.

Past the cross walk, he speeds up again making it in front of the line of cars and into the left turn lane. He flew up to the final stop. I found myself thinking at least slow to 30 before asking us to get off. Pulls up opens the door Â we all pile off the bus.

And he is gone again.

I'm awake now - I promise.

Ah Yes, Medical School: Shande

2006-11-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Ah Yes, Medical School: Shande

I have never heard seen a better description for the failures of the American Health Care system. You will find in Canada there are also many health care practictioners that are embarrassed they are not able to do more for the people they see. With out the funding though - what can be done?

Creative Cakes by Angela

2006-11-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

Creative Cakes by Angela

We may share the same name by this girl has more talent in her baby finger than I have in my whole body. She has created some of the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen... I like the ones were each tier of the cake looks crooked and like it will slide off at any minute.

You have to take a look!

NICU MOMS

2006-10-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

The NICU is the only place in the world where tragedy and joy blend so seamlessly. Neonatal intensive care unit is where babies go when there is something wrong; most of the children in there now are preemies.

The parents are some of the most amazing people I have met. Some families are only in a few days before they can take their new baby home, others for weeks that stretch into months.

The families all keep an eye on each other, share in successes, fears, concerns and sorrow. As one baby begins to get better and closer to the time his parents can take them home, the mom’s will chat about new fears and advice for staying strong.

They will chat about each other’s child’s procedures and will look up and learn about different conditions, even the ones their own children don’t have.

The mom’s of these sick children really rely on each other, because they truly understand what the other is going trough. What it is like to see your child born too early, not being able to hold them while they are in the incubator, having to use breast pumps because they cannot nurse. This is something only the mother of a sick baby can understand.

Bus Riding

2006-10-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Transit, bus, LRT, sky train, subway, the loser crusier.... In the last 6 months I have ridden public tranist in 6 major Canadian cities and it is always interesting to watch the people who take public tranist with you.

… I firmly believe riding transit is a wonderful experience. Maybe not when it is -10c or when you watch the bus pull up and you are still a block away from the stop.

But most of the time it is not to be missed – especially during mornings on work days.

Not as much where I live now in Saskatoon, but definitely in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary or Toronto riding public transit is like watching a miniature society.

There are the well-dressed power business people, the ones carrying briefcases, newspapers and computers. Most often seen first thing in the morning and usually they are balancing an exotic Starbucks drink: a half caf, low foam, sugar free, extra hot, caramel macchiato with no whip. They are also the ones clustered together as far away from those who bus ridding is a necessity. You see these commuters have shiny black BMWs, Humvees, and Lincoln Navigators – bus riding to them is a choice. Save money on parking – buy another Starbucks.

The people the business commuters are trying to avoid are the ones dressed in black, with big spiky silver jewelry, piercing and blue hair. Their look says I “don’t give a fuck” as they read their book or magazine and listen to heavy metal (or grunge) on their ipods. What they don’t want you to know is the book is probably a sappy romance novel, or at least that’s what the girl in front of me was reading. They are the ones traveling across the city because they’ve been tossed out of the high-schools close to where they live. They will have their feet-up on the seat in front of them and will glare at anyone who suggests they move them.

University students are always easy to spot. They are listening to ipods, backpacks stuffed full on their laps and are staring listlessly out the windows. They are usually on the bus before you get on, and will keep riding it after you get off – they are usually commuting for long distances from wherever they could find cheap housing. They are usually more polite than high-school students, generally are dressed for the weather and will likely offer their seats to the elderly or people with small children.

There are also the people who don’t have cars, or those that can no longer drive. You see grandparents on their way to get groceries and single moms toting small children off to school or a doctor’s appointment. The elderly will probably make a day off it – meet friends for coffee at Tim Horton’s, get their hair done at the mall, and find a new outfit before taking the bus back. The single parents dropping of children often wear a frazzled look on their faces. They will be riding the bus more today than any other group: dropping the kids at daycare, going to work, picking up groceries, back to the daycare and back home. Insert small note here about the importance of low cost bus passes and frequent service.

And depending on the route and what city you are in will depend on the nationality you will see most frequently. The Number one (Forrest Lawn/Bowness) in Calgary is usually full of Sudanese immigrants (and me on my way to work). In Vancouver the 414 runs through Richmond, thus it has a large Asian component. The Toronto metro is full of white people at the Union Station and black people towards Jane & Finch.
It’s beautiful and I love it! So take public transit, you’ll end up walking more for good exercise, polluting the environment less and learning lots about your community.

Celebrities vs. Unsung Heroes

2006-09-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world and it has made me stop and think. I bet I could ask 500 people who Dr. Farmer was and I bet 1 in 50 may know (if I am lucky). However, if I asked those same people who I don’t know Lindsay Lohan was – I bet my odds would be more like 1 in 3 would know who she is. But why do we know her instead of him?

Why are stunts and arrogance more important than real life?

Is it because the work of Dr. Farmer makes us feel bad – one man hell bent on making sure patients are treated equally from the more poor to the rich. He is determined to stop what he considers preventable disease and has dedicated his life to working with the poor – the really poor, the Haitian poor (among others). Well if that is the case we must like Ms. Lohan because she makes us feel much better about ourselves, we could never be that ditzy or stupid.
If this fact is true, then as a society we are in trouble. We should look at the Quest of Dr. Farmer, open our minds, hearts and wallets and do what we can. Instead we wait until our favourite actor or actress becomes involved then we can feel a little better. One per cent of the money on their next movie will go to give food to some county that person can’t pronounce let along point to on a map.
I shouldn’t be so cynical at least some of those performers are trying to make a difference. Angelina Jolie, in my opinion, has brought the attention of North America to the plight of Refugees; well, at least a few more people know what a refugee is.
The ones that really bother me are the ones that can’t seem to remember where they need to be for a movie primer or where they left that video of them *making it* with their boyfriend? Fling? Guy from the bar?
Although it must be frustrating too for those people who toil for those in need, around the world, when some actress shows up with a photographer and feeds a child before leaving to their air conditioned resort. Then have the issues they have been fighting long and hard for make the front page the next day. Although if you ask those aid workers they will simply tell you at least now the issue is getting attention.
So I ask you all to familiarize yourselves with Non-Governmental Organizations, aid & relief groups and really try to understand what they are fighting for, then tell your friend.
At least find one “real” world story for every 10 celebrity breakups you can recount in perfect detail. Please.

Validation

2006-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the situation: wandering around killing time waiting for a person to call who hasn't, then that moment of decision, "I've been stood up," and the following feeling of depression.
Why did he/she/they bail, no call nothing. Then you find out you have the wrong day and it suddenly gets better. It makes me wonder. Why do we always look outside ourselves for vaildation? and

Can we ever get around this feeling?

Why can't I just say whatever, they didn't call their loss. Well, I guess I can say it but I don't ever feel it. It seems to me that despite how controlled people are, how professional they come across, how good they look, somewhere deep inside they want aceptance. I may be making a generalization here but it is true for me and all the friends I have talked to about it.

When you go out for drinks with people the first time there is an inherent nervousness - butterfiles in your stomach - you don't know what they expect of you and if you don't know what they expect how should you act.

In a perfect world it would be socially acceptable to handout questionaires during meetings, dates, gathers of any sort. The questions would read like this. What were you expecting from this event? Why did you want to meet with me in a social setting? Have I met your expectaions for how you thought I would behave? IF not please give suggestions on where to improve.

But, until that does become socially acceptable I guess I am left psychoanalyzing other people's behaviour, reading and rereading e-mail, and feeling nervous.

Roadmap to Peace

2006-08-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

In theory peace, however unstable, has been obtained in the Middle East - thank god. The exact details of what has happened I am not entirely postitive of as I am up to my eyeballs in HIV/AIDS right now. I am at the AIDS 2006 conference in Toronto.
However, my suggestion at how to obtain peace would have been this - STOP! I don't care who started it, I don't care who is defending what, just stopping shooting at each other - NOW!
Whether they used this or not... I have no idea.

Whose side are you on anyway?

2006-07-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

The sides are clear, according to the Western World, Hezbollah kiddnapped (captured?) two (count them two) Israeli soilders. They started it.... Israel has the right to defend itself. In theory. However, innocents never have the right to be caught in between espeically when they are just trying to live their life. Why must defense be so offensive. Who will stop first? Why is there still fighting, all over the world?

Can there ever be peace if people refuse to let go of the past?

My guess is no. So the question really then is... How to let go? They may not want to, but they have to - because if they don't we are all in real trouble.

(next post: Angela's Roadmap to Peace in the Middle East)

Stampede Week in Calgary

2006-07-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

A week in pictures

(please be advised these photos are copyright to me... ask permission please)

Sex in the City - Calgary style

2006-07-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

My roommate and I were talking today about men and the constant problem they create. It followed up on a conversation I had with another friend last night, who told me about a wild evening she had had with a couple of her music friends. All of us have the same problem; the line between friends and something more. And how to balance on that dental floss thin tightrope.

Can two people who are attracted to each other only ever be friends?

What makes them friends to begin with? If it is the male-female attraction do they ignore it, having that feeling drive them crazy for as long as they know each other.
Or act on it, yet whatever the act may be inevitably when over the feeling is gone. Then what are they left with? Are they still friends? Is the friendship still the same? Or in that 1 in a million chance do they act on that feeling and in the end the feeling is still there. Does that one in a million chance lead to true love? I would say no - true love is a misnomer. The only Mr. (or Mrs.) Right, should always give you that feeling of Mr. Right now... That chemistry should always be there. But, if you ask around it never seems to last.
Which really gets you no closer to getting to the answer of what do you do with that one person you just can't get over. That friend whom there is an undeniable attraction to that despite best intentions simply won't die.
One last thought: a friend of mine once said, "Men and women can't be friends unless the man thinks he has a "chance"." Whether he is right or not, it up to you to decide.

The story of my life...

2006-07-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

Life is such a funny thing…and the thing that makes is so wonderfully unique are people. An airport is a wonderful place to witness it. A flight gets cancelled. I find myself on a four hour layover in Edmonton. You ask yourself how you end up in Edmonton on a direct flight from Calgary to Vancouver at 4:00pm

Well it starts with a broken window. Well, a cracked pilot’s window to be exact. Please don’t get me wrong a broken plane is a very good reason to cancel a flight. But I would hope for slight more organized cancelled flight contingency plans. So it started with a very long wait in the wrong line, then a very long wait in the right line and finally the words, “I can’t get you there tonight.”

Then there is the smallest glimmer of hope as a fellow stranded Calgrary passenger, off to see his girlfriend in Vancouver, suggests he is being routed via Edmonton. Sounds like a great idea. Flight leaves at 4:55pm, the one from Edmonton leaves at 6:55 all and all you should be in Vancouver until not much after 8pm Pacific time.. A little later that initial time but in Vancouver in time for a nice dinner!

But, in a manner that is indicative of airline industries world wide. The first plane is nearly half-an-hour late departing. No problem lots of time to get the connecting flight in Vancouver.

Not that I needed it. The plane arrived 45 minutes late. And there was not enough crew for the trip back.

The 7:00pm rapidly became the 8:00pm flight which melted into the 9:00pm flight.

So much for not eating lunch and only grabbing a snack when I get into Vancouver.

I am famished.

So 10 minutes and a $5 piece of pizza later I contemplate why I ever thought “jet-setting” was vaguely fun or trendy.

But in theory I should get to Vancouver tonight.

….. in theory.

Missing Mountains and Wildlife Photography

2006-06-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

I never realized how much I missed the mountains, when living on the prairies, until I got the change to go hiking in them. It's crazy drive for 1 hour out of Calgary and you reach Banff National park. It's going from a city with thousands of people to being utterly alone except for mountain goats, squirrels, geese with their gosling, elk and bugs. When I went this weekend it was so hot, sunny and wonderful!

I was always so jealous of those people who had the beautiful wildlife pictures they took. Then I realized if you live in Banff and didn't have those photos something was wrong. We were nearly stepped on by the 3 big mountain goats as they crossed the trail... Mind you I missed that picture as I was scrambling to get out of the way.

Roberta Bondar

2006-04-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

So I got to meet one of my most significant "celebrity" role models on Friday night, Roberta Bondar, Canada's first female astronaut.
I, being the intreped reporter that I am, sat and watched her presentatiion, made a few notes for questions, then walked up to conduct my interview...
"Hi, My name is Angela, I am writer with the Carillion and I would like to ask you a few questions..."
I got out about 2 (exactly 41 seconds into the interview), before I found myself seconds away from crying.There was this horrible pause while she waited for the next questions and I scrambled to remember my own name. She asked me if I could read my writing, joking that I wasn't even a doctor.
Then I just sort of bubbled over, I told her I was in girl guides, she was my role model, I went into science...it just kept coming... It was one of the moments when I desperately wished I would shut up!
She gave me the biggest hug and told me we had to get our picture taken. So we did.
I can interview political leaders (Jack Layton, Ralph Goodale), the day before I was in a scrum after the budget was relased - I can get in there elbow to elbow and ask tough questions of nearly everybody and Dr. Bondar reduces me to tears...

*Sigh* At least I was memorable I guess....

Things that suck

2006-03-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Top Five Biggest Rants (in no particular order)

North Americans spend over $18 million a year on pet food, more than that on cosmetics, and mothers in developing countries are passing HIV to their offspring because "certain countries" can't afford $150 to donate in ARV.
Students, who are in all the exact the same classes as I am, complaining about how much work they have. Right, and I don't.
Anderw McNicol, CBC anchor while Heather Hiscox is away, being unable to pronouce Nitnat (as in Nitnat lake), or Vancouver (for that matter).
Professors that do not get along at all - to the point where they do not communicate and use the students to fight their battles. Of course by putting us in the middle marks suffer, do what one person says loose marks from the other - to bad they are suppose to be teaching the course together.
This one is a tie between people in leadership roles that lack the ability to lead and people who piggy back on people who are motivated, driven and like getting things accomplished. Ohhh and jealous people who freak out at nothing, then pretend nothing has happened... *sigh*

Please shoot me if I ever start doing any of those things.

Trip Over

2006-02-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

The rest of the trip just flew by, not to mention we had back to back nights of lousy internet connection...

So after Toronto we flew to Winnipeg to tour the diary farm and interview one of the owners of Hytek, a hog raising company.
On the way to Regina we stopped at a Hutterite Colony. That was a very interesting experience - the most noticeable thing was that the clear gender rolls that were maintained: women in the kitchen and men at work.
The other really great part is that the women of the colony are as interested in you as you are of them. The conversation was great and I got some good pictures!

The children were in school when we toured the school building, and had never been on a bus. So we loaded them up on our ridiculously big one and drove them around the colony... It was one of those moment I won't soon be forgetting!
From there we crossed the border into Saskatchewan and to a cattle farm. I also really like these cattle - we toured their operation in groups of 3 or 4 in their trucks and then had a catered dinner!
The next and final day we went to a meat processing plant which was okay. It was the feed lots and slaughter house, which they were in the process of building that bothered me!
raising the cattle doesn't bother me, loading them on trucks is okay... and watching the carcasses being prepared (cut and packaged) for consumption was all okay. It seems to be the inevitable bit in the middle that I don't like.
I'm still eating meat though - mainly because the animals are treated so well.
The trip as a whole was amazing - I am sad that it is over, but totally exhausted and really don't think I could have learned anymore without exploding!
Thanks FCC!

Chicken coops to downtown to dairy farms

2006-02-22T22:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday there wasn't much in the way of internet access - not to mention I was exhaused and really didn't want much to do with blogging.
Just to sum up though - we went to a mushroom plant and a chicken laying farm. Got really good and smelly then went and explored downtown TO!
Gotta tell you I would never be a chicken farmer....
I would however be a diary farmer - I loved it there. Those cows are so big and docile they are really wonderful and the one we went to was family owned and operated so there was a little girl running around with her cat and the pet dog lying in the bar.
I saw the whole milking procedure and for sure I am still drinking milk and advising everyone to do the same!
I love milk
...and sleep
Will hopefully be more coherent tomorrow (but I doubt it!)

Of canneries and wineries

2006-02-20T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I was in an episode of 'How it's made' or PMK (popular mechanics for kids). The canning factory we went to, just outside of Trenton, has this label machine that is the coolest thing I have ever seen. The cans come along a conveyer-belt right side up then are turned sideways and passed through this machine which places a label on in under 1 second per can. I imagine the novelty wears off for those who work there but I thought it was pretty cool. This provided lots of amusement for the other girls on the trip. There was also a robot car thing - really really neat also. This is the factory were the Presidents Choice Blue Label soups are made and canned. The good news is I will still by buying them!
The wineries were also interesting, but I guess because of my wine tour around Kelowna-Summerland-Penticton etc. they were not as exciting as they could have been. However, they are dealing with some significant issues that the people of BC don't have to worry about because of the differences in liquor control boards. Also because of the weather the wineries of Prince Edward County (also known as loyalist land) use extreme viticultre - tricks to grow grapes in the cold climate!
Tonight I find myself in Oshawa in a Holiday Inn, where 4 floors below me there is a modeling thing. Where parents are dragging their small children, and teens are primping in order to make it big...
Too much to think about - I'll leave you with some pictures then sleep.

Flower Greenhouses and Onion Growers

2006-02-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

A short trip from the airport hotel strip took us to Newmarket and from there the city seemed to disappear as we drove down a few back roads to the Holland Marsh. There have been canals created to drain the marsh and make it into the fertile farming ground it is now. On the trip to the greenhouses we crossed over the canals and more often then not there were small community hockey games occuring. It was so well - parrire-ish. It was someone else on my trip who pointed out that Agriculture really was that an entire sub-culture. It is one that I really would like to understand better.
For example today we stopped at there flower greenhouses that used migrant workers from Mexico. Usually I am fairly opposed to the program the Canadian government has set-up especially when Ag. has special rules that allow people to ignore the 40 hour work week. But, their employees kept coming back - they have had the same employees for 5-6 years. That has to count for something - I must research this more before I comment further.

We also learned that the money always seems to be going somewhere else. Usually the middle man and usually that middle man is the packer. They key now is to look and see where is the product is grown and where it is packed! This means that the farmer who packages their own produce is making more than one who isn't - also there is greater accountability because if they pack those veggies you know you are getting theirs. There are no gaurentees with any of the packing houses.

Travel Day for Ag 101 on Hwy. 1

2006-02-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

Travelled to the big TO today - of course the flight leaving Regina was late...
I got to the airport on time and stood at the back of a really long line up of people - a really long line up - apparently an earlier flight had been cancelled. Fortunately I was at the back of the line with the chaperones of my trip - the bad news was the line was 45 mins long.
The good news was our plane was even in yet
The bad news was it still wasn't in after we reached the front.
The plane was delayed taking off until 12:30, we were suppose to have left at 11:20. But we got here eventually and I was sitting next to Todd Maffin (of the CBC) he was super cool. He gave me his card and the name and number of a photojournalist for the CBC in TO. Shoot that reminds me I have to e-mail him.
Met the other girls I am travelling with - they all seem really nice. All three are more print oriented and they hail from Conordia, Ryerson and Mt. Royal... so we have been comparing program notes.
After a couple bottles of wine and lots of laughs we headed back to the hotel - were assigned our computers. And now I am here and sleepy and have a long week ahead of me so that's it.
Except today I left a pair of red gloves in the taxi - I'm sorry red gloves - you will be missed!
I hate loosing/leaving stuff behind - makes me feel guilty.

I refuse to believe that I am sick

2006-02-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

I refuse to believe that I am sick - except for one small hitch....

A cough, which is the main symptom of acute bronchitis. It may be dry at first and after a few days may bring up mucus from the lungs . The mucus may be clear, yellow or green. Occasionally, small streaks of blood may be present. CHECK
A mild fever, usually less than 38.5°C (101°F). CHECK
A general feeling of tiredness (malaise). CHECK
A sensation of tightness, burning, or dull pain in the chest under the breastbone that usually is worse when breathing deeply or coughing. CHECK
Whistling noises when breathing, especially during physical exertion. CHECK
Feeling short of breath CHECK

Ladies and Gentlemen, what does this get me???
Acute Bronchitis

The Assignment: Spot News..

2006-02-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Another word for spot news for a photographer is Ambulance chaser etc.. I have to find and produce several spot news photos in a month - should be interesting.. Here's where I started... a poor old lady being loaded into an ambulance at a medical clinic....

On the Spot: Episode 2

2006-02-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

The Question: Do you think the commercialism of Valentines Day creates a pressure to be coupled??

The Answers:

Amber Learned
International Languages

“(My boyfriend and I) don’t celebrate it much because we think it has become to commercialized”

Dallin Perrault
Psychology

“I do, you see all the hype and cards and everything…You think why aren’t I with anybody – what’s wrong with me?”

Karolayna Isley
Psychology

“No, because now it’s almost cool to be wallowing in your self pity”

Jerami Pergel

Journalism

“No, I never celebrate Valentine’s Day, never been in a relationship of Valentine’s Day. So, I don’t feel any pressure.”

Busy Week

2006-02-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

You know you have had a busy week:

When on the phone with your boyfriend you start getting angry because he isn't getting points across fast enough - you don't have time to sit and listen
When sitting in class the maximum amount of time you can sit still for is 10 minutes
You constantly check for voice and text messages and you constantly have them
When you try and take five minutes of down time your leg does that repative twitch thing
Car rides see to take hours, even when you are only going for five minutes
Everytime you go to check something off a list as completed it reminds you to add two more things
You get about 4 hours of sleep a night
Your body aches

This last week was brutal...

Four Things

2006-02-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

The girl from Geeks Make me hot was tagged with 4 things.. I liked the idea - here are my four things...

Four jobs that I’ve had
Front Desk Agent
Guest Services
Labratory Assistant
Reporter

Four movies I can watch over and over
Pirates of the Caribbean
Star Wars
Beyond Borders
Hollywood/Bollywood

Four places I have lived
Victoria, B.C.
Sidney, B.C.
Ucluelet, B.C.
Regina, SK

Four TV shows I like to watch
Crossing Jordan
ER
All the CSIs
Passionate Eye

Four foods that I like
Pasta, any type - done anyway
Thai Chicken Salad
Soups
International foods

Four websites I visit daily
Waiter rant
Girl with the one track mind
Overheard in New York
Globe and Mail

Four things I want to do before I die
Live abroad
Be a doctor
Learn other languages
Take photos for National Geographic

On The Spot: Episode 1

2006-01-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

The Question: What do you think of our new Prime Minister?

The Answers:

Colby Avram:
Fine Arts
“I haven’t really thought about it much…”

Dan Yates
Journalism
“Steven Harper is evil. A lot of people myself included feel like he’s going to take us back 20 years in terms of social programs.”

Gavriel Turcotte:

Political Science
“It’s a Conservative government and I’m not so much for that at all. But it’s a minority government, so it will collapse in two to two and a half years.”

Kathleen Gibney
Human Justice
“I don’t really know enough about him, I guess”

Basketball

2006-01-29T17:05:00.000-08:00

I went to a Cougar's basket ball game tonight, with my non-digital SLR. Turns out 400ASA film wasn't going to cut it. However, a girl from my class was there and she let me borrow her digital rebel... Big Shout out to Jenna for that... but that camera is brilliant! You can adjust the ISO, the shutter speed - all the photos came out clear and fairly well lit! I met someone there who said he would be able t o let me tag along when he shots action photos. I am stoked - I guess if I am not learning stuff in class I have every right to go elsewhere. The one weird part of the night was when some old guy walked pasted me and said "put film in it." what a bitter man - anyway here are some results.

Ice in a glass

2006-01-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today was good - but I think I am becoming more and more a journalist every day. I know that's why I am in school but it alarms me when I am talking with someone and realize their pitfall is great for me, becuase it makes a good story. I justify it saying that I really want to get their story out because I am a storyteller, but when we jokingly say we want her to cry - we suck.
Went for asian food tonight - Vietnamese for dinner and Korean for dessert. The pictures are my ice water.

Ride the Bus

2006-01-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

Everyone should ride the bus not only do you save gas money, but you meet the greatest people and everyone has a story to tell. One the bus to North Central Regina today, I heard three girls that were not much older than 15 talking about sex - in a way that made *me* blush. I honestly heard one girl tell the other she didn't understand why they used birth control - she wanted a baby. I nearly popped something, but it got worse, apparently her boyfriend was cheating on her with someone else - and yet still would never make him wear a condom. Just before I lost all hope I met Chealsey, striking it out on her own, and in the near future wants to go to school to become a chef. Her picture is below.... you find life and a love for it in places you never would expect.

The bad guys won and the world is still standing...

2006-01-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought... although with the amount of work we have I am sure lots of us J-students wished it would...
Today's picture is called: "The two shot: Hard at work in J-school"

GO VOTE

2006-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Please Vote - Gotta tell you I don't even care for who - but if I had my say - it would be NDP. But if you are eligible please exercise your right!

Indian Night in Saskatchewan

2006-01-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

A plug for one of my favourite blogs Hooked on Heat - I tried a recipe posted the other day - Cabbage with Peas. It was brilliant not to mention it turned out kind like the picture too.. infact you can see too.

That is dal with rice on the left and the Cabbage with Peas on the right - for recipes please check out the blog!

Work work work...

2006-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how much work we already have - we have a Feburary work load already in January. Today someone asked me how I manage to get it all done along with everything else that I do. I wordlessly pointed to my 2 Agendas and sticky note list. So for all those who care the best way to stay organized is reward. For example if you have an essay to write: don't write essay on your checklist break it down. Write research, read 1 chapter in text, start rough draft, edit, final copy... You could have 5 or 6 checkmarks as opposed to just one! That makes you feel lots better.
Today's picture: A view from above - people study every where.

Rock Steady

2006-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

Having a bit of a rough go this evening - so as a pick me up - rocky steady by Chris Murray, and a picture of some pretty leaves. Sideways.

don't want to change the world tonight
just tell me if it feels right darling
this moment can never repeat
will you rock steady, steady with me

I don't want to have to say goodnight
not before we see the sunlight darling
tomorrow can never be seen
will you rock steady, steady with me

I don't want to change the world tonight
just tell me if it feels right darling
don't fight it, you're already free
when you rock steady, steady with me

That feel good feeling

2006-01-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

Today my entire class stood up for who we believed in. And I have never, in my entire school career, seen an entire class write letters in support of a teacher. Today that's what we did - voiced our opinions, showed distaste for specific policies, and put our foot down to being pushed around. If we have our say our wonderful department head won't be forced out because of stupid, ageism mandatory retirement policies. Here's hoping.

So tired, must post

2006-01-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

My classmates total comprehension of the topic....

Hard at Work

2006-01-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

In the last ten mintues is has rained and then started snowing so hard - if we are going to have a power outage I am going to have to take after my roommate and get some work done.

Friday the 13th

2006-01-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

I survived another week, got reassigned to two groups, came up with a million different ideas, started 3 projects, conducted countless interviews, wrote 2 stories for the campus paper and took some pictures. Photojournalism has to be the greatest class I have ever enountered - "your homework is go take pictures." I love it!

New Years Resolutions

2006-01-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

I would like very much to say I have decided (once again) to post daily, but if past action has any say in future outcomes we all know that is not the case. So instead I will post whenever I want and usually with a photo. I'm in photojournalism and it only makes sense that I practice taking and posting photos.

A View from above, the University of Regina Campus after a light snow fall

I wanna be a superhero

2005-12-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

You scored as Lara Croft. A thrill-seeking, slightly unscrupulous, tough-as-nails archaeologist, Lara Croft travels the world in search of ancient relics perhaps better left hidden. She packs two Colt .45s and has no fear of jumping off buildings, exploring creepy tombs, or taking on evil meglomaniacs bent on world domination.

Maximus

71%

Lara Croft

71%

James Bond, Agent 007

67%

Captain Jack Sparrow

67%

Indiana Jones

63%

The Amazing Spider-Man

63%

Neo, the "One"

58%

The Terminator

42%

El Zorro

38%

William Wallace

33%

Batman, the Dark Knight

33%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

One of my favourite jokes

2005-11-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison.

The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.....
Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me.
Love Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son.....Dear Dad, Not for nothing, but don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the BODIES.
LoveVinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area, not leaving no stone unturned, without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.....

Dear Dad,Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. Should be easy. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love Vinnie

...then don't run it.

2005-10-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

I work for the Carillon - it is the University of Regina's student newspaper. I have taken it (stupidly) upon myself to alter the tail-spin the paper is in. There are several people who have written several very stupid and inappropriate things in the past - unfortunately for the paper and the university instead of being told to take off they were promoted. Tonight, much to my dismay, I was subjected to a layout night - never again. I was so unimpressed - one girl was reading out something by one of the offense gentlemen and saying "I can't believe how bad this is, he is going to make everybody hate us..."

My theory- don't run it - I'll let you know the outcome.

Useful Tips

2005-10-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

"Avoid police dogs - they are not friendly puppies,"said Heather Russel PR for the RCMP in Saskatchewan,
"They don't differentiate," chimed in PR for Regina Police..

Okay.... Useful tip for us media types - avoid vicious working dogs
Check

Timing is everything

2005-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today instead of our regular class we were to head into the public library for a tour of the archives.
Usually an archive tour isn't my favourite thing - but we didn't have to be there until 9:30 - an hour after class usually starts.
I was planning on taking the bus down - seeing as it would be a 15 minute ride, however a girl in my class offered a ride.
I accepted.
However, she had an interview at 9:00, which she expected to run about 10 minutes.
Fine...
It lasted nearly 30 minutes.
Then there was the 10 minute walk to her car.
The 15 minute drive downtown.
5 minutes to find a place to park.
2 minutes to plug the meter and sprint the library.
We joined our class about 30 seconds before the presentation was over.
"At least we got here in time for the applause" she commented dryly.
Looking around the room at the number of people asleep I could tell we didn't miss much. We signed up for our library cards and did some research we needed and were on our way again.
Timing is everything.

Karma, it's a beautiful thing

2005-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

One of my self proclaimed 'serious studying' roommates has been spending more and more time on the phone with her boyfriend and less and less like a functioning member of society.
Last night I have finally fallen asleep - it was like 1 a.m. before I was finally able to get my over active brain to cut out.
Suddenly there is this *crash*..
It was one of those moments where your heart stopping is what wakes you up. I listen carefully, it sounds like someone is in the kitchen. I look at the clock (2 a.m.) and drag myself out of bed...
I crack the door just enough of be totally blinded by the light that are on in the kitchen and there is Erin* doing the massive pile of dishes that she had used making herself dinner hour earlier.
She is still on the phone, I glare - she doesn't notice me..
I close the door and crawl back to bed...
The alarm at 6 seemed *really* early this morning.
My other roommate and I head to the gym as always and we get back at the same time as normal.
Erin is not in the kitchen yet, seems funny but I figure she was up so late last night so maybe she decided to sleep in a bit.
I finish a project, eat breakfast and shower.. Around 8 I realize I still haven't seen Erin to tell her how much she sucks. I figure she left while I was in the shower. At 8:05 the phone rings - it's Erin's ride.
I suddenly realize she hasn't even gotten up yet. Suppressing a smile at the way the world work I obligingly went and knocked on her door. Erin, I yell through the door.
The door flies open - there she stands hair a mess and still in her pjs.
"Phone's for you" I tell her as innocently as possible
Within 5 minutes she is out the door - hair still standing out all over the place and teeth unbrushed.
I felt a little guilty, but hey the world always gets balance.
Karma, you cannot tell me that it doesn't exist...

Press Gallery Awards

2005-10-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Press Gallery Awards was last night. That event has to be to the only time that the Prime Minister's speech writers will write something that deliberately make him look dumb. Apparently the goal of the policticans is to try and out do each other - each speech more funny than the last.
Paul Martian entertained the crowds present by reading from his "diary"
"May 16th,
Today [someone] told me that Belinda was thinking about crossing over and I was like 'No Way' and he was like 'Way'.
And I was like 'No way'
And he was like 'Way'"

And so it continued...

On a similar note Rick Mercer's 'Monday Report' is now on Tuesdays and is called RickMercer Report. The first episode is Nov. 8th. Program your VCR's now.

Just another day in j-school

2005-10-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

This morning I didn't have class - but for some crazy reason I didn't sleep in.
Instead I got up and went to the gym, mainly so I could watch old re-runs of Third Watch which are on between 6 and 8 Friday mornings..
I had my first interview for my first story of the day at 11:00am
I nearly got lost trying to find the office. I've had better starts..
The intervew went smoothly save the gentleman's phone ringing at a regular interval. This only destroyed two or three of the really great quotes I could have used from my journalism piece.
I walked into the Journalism School just before 11:30. With my list of phone calls for interviews for the rest of the stories I am working on - between 5 classes and the campus paper - that is quite a lot.
I left messages for what seemed like half-of-Regina and then realized the funny noises I was hearing was not a malfuntioning edit suite but my stomach. Sometime with out noticing 2 hours had passed, it was lunch. I grabbed a couple of my classmates and we headed into 'downtown' Regina. I dropped off my film and we tried to make a decision as to where to eat. You think it would be easy. But, I don't eat at McDonalds or KFC; Anne* (name not real) didn't want to take long and Jen* just wanted us to make a decision. Everytime one of us changed our minds it would cause Jen to swerve from one lane to another trying desperately to keep up with where she needed to drive...
After seeing my life flash before my eyes, more than once, we decided on A&W - where we recieved worlds worst service... We knew it was a big mistake when there was only one girl working and by the time our order was finally ready she accidentally handed it to the drive-thru people. Anyway that is entirely not the point.
The point was it was late, we were hungry, and just when I had taken a big bite of my burger, my fingers greasy from the fries, my cell rang.
"Are you kidding me" I grumbled as I desperately tried to wipe my hands and swallow.
It was one of my earlier interviews I let her give me some information on what she had learned, she said she would send me an e-mail and I could call to follow up on any questions that I had.
All in all though she was not very helpful. I closed and put away my phone and returned my attention to my friends and now cold burger... I had just taken my second bite when... My cell started playing "Bizet" agian....
This time it was the President of an organization that was very important to my latest story telling me "no comment". He was nice, enough to give the name of the PR lady; who of course was not in.
By this point the chese on my burger had congealed. I ate it as fast as possible and the 3 of us returned the the school.
Then came the conference call with the PR group for my first story - everytime I asked an important question, there would be 5 full seconds of silence then 3 people would answer at once.
The highlight of that conversation was when someone walked into the room yelling.
"I have rewritten this stupid piece of crap 11 fucking times." They pulled me off speaker phone really fast after that!!
At the end of that interview I was able to make a few more calls before admitting defeat and going with what I had.

Thought for the day: Vendre Ottre I limiti.... to see beyond the limits.

Have good weekend.

It's been a day

2005-10-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Gifts from Professors

2005-10-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

I have a moral and ethical deliemma for you...
A friend of a friend of mine has run into this.
You are sitting in class one day and a classmate runs in looking furious and discusted.
She plunks herself down in the chair next to you and spills out a story.
"Professor Smith* (*name made up); is giving gifts to certain classmates," she tells you. You stare at her in disbelief. She points to jewlerey on two girls in the room.
She has no idea what to do - and what do you do - talk to professor Smith and risk sounding like you are against it because you didn't get a gift. Or do you talk to the Head of the Department because gift giving towards female students makes you uncomfortable around that professor. You don't want to 'tattle' but can you just stay quiet?

It is a very frusterating situation that needs to be handled carefully - especially in this case, she doesn't want the professor fired - just to stop making learning awkward for the rest of the students.

I'll let you know what she decides to do...

Mad Cow Disease

2005-10-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

One day soon there will be a real post...until then enjoy!

Lucky for Canada we only had one or two cases of "Mad Cow Disease" and it's behind us now thank heavens. The poor Americans on the other hand are stuck with "Mad Cowboy Disease" and his term isn't nearly over yet!!!

A Moral Dilemma

2005-10-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a dilemma for you... With all your honor and dignity what would you do? This test only has one question, but it's a very important one. Please don't answer it without giving it some serious thought. By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally.
The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you will have to make a decision one way or the other. Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous. Please scroll down slowly and consider each line - this is important for the test to work accurately.

You're in Florida...In Miami, to be exact. There is great chaos going on around you, caused by a hurricane and severe floods. There are huge masses of water all over you. You are a CNN photographer and you are in the middle of this great disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot very impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you, disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destructive power and is ripping everything away with it.

Suddenly you see a man in the water, he is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow the man looks familiar.

Suddenly you know who it is -- it's George W. Bush!

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him away, forever. You have two options. You can save him or you can take the best photo of your life. So you can save the life of George W. Bush, or you can shoot a Pulitzer prize winning photo, a unique photo displaying the death of one of the world's most powerful men.

And here's the question (please give an honest answer):
Would you select color film, or rather go with the simplicity of classic black and white?

Another Great Quote!

2005-10-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

Today was a good

2005-10-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

That's right today was a busy day - I became a member of CAJ (Canadian Association of Journalists) and also finally got a job news writing. Not the best job, as I will be writing for the University of Regina Carillon, but I will finally be being paid for my work... There was much rejoicing. Yea!

Robin rings this school bell thing to get our attention.. and all I can think is "throw out your dead". Ahh Monty Python is a great thing.

Quote of the Day

2005-10-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Golddigger: Like a hooker .... just smarter!

Knowledge really is power..

2005-10-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

The j-school went on a field trip on Wednesday - the purpose was "Big stories in Small towns." It was quite amazing what you can learn in a small town. By doing a little leg work and getting members of the comunity to open up I easily gained access to a lot of information that simple research would not provide. This was great. It ment when I had to go for the 'tough' interview I was easily able to back the subject into a corner and force him to admit the truth to a lot of things. I really loved it - it's kind of like a game of cat and mouse.
You walk up to ther person who is shovelling the bull as fast as possible and wait patiently for your turn.
When there is a break you ask your frist show stopping question - keeping your cards close and your poker face straight. (Even though on the inside your heart is going a mile a minute and you want to dance with joy)
Wait for the colour to return to your interviees face - let them formulate a half true answer.
Wait,
Drop another piece of info that you know.
Wait - by now your subject knows that you know more than you are letting on - but they don't know how much more. They will give you a little more correct info.
Drop your last bit of info - and even if you are bluffing about knowing more - they will start to tell the entire truth, thus getting the conformation you need and information the public needs to hear.
It's great. Like poker but with an adrenaline rush...
But journalism has draw backs too - when stuff doesn't work for you, ie a computer program delets your news piece (twice) you realize why many journalists drink.

Well I'm off for the weekend (I'm not sure whether I am celebrating or drowning my sorrows). Have a great Thanksgiving Day everyone.

So tired

2005-10-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Too tired to write anything - I posted on the new site again - a story about Ralph Goodale. Tomorrow there will be more here - I promise!

J-student perspective

2005-10-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

I just started a new blog - that's right brand-spanking new as of tonight... It is where I am going to post news stories that I have written, or photos I have taken... Maybe some of these stories will get to see the light of day afterall.
Check it out http://jstudentperspective.blogspot.com

Better posts after, well, Wednesday. I promise

If it's not overwhelming but, it's definately not underwhelming - Is it just whelming

2005-09-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a very stressful couple of days - I'm not getting enough sleep and I have tons on the go! Apparently I forgot to blog yesterday and don't have time to think of something good today - that's why the title is a take-off on a line from Clueless. So just cause it sums up my feeling right now... here's my resignation.

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple; When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So . . . here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood.

And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause........

......"Tag! You're it."

Work on the File Footage

2005-09-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

I was watching Canada AM this morning and they had a story on ambulances in Alberta, which was great. However, the shots they used for both the ambulance and paramedics were from British Columbia - as it clearly stated on the arm patches of the paramedic's uniform.
Ooops - I wonder if they were in a hurry or simply weren't paying attention.
I had a moment of disappointment today - I had an interview set up to meet a lady for an interview. I enlisted a friend of mine to take the busy to a less desirable area of town with me. I arrived there and waited for an hour. I am still waiting to hear from her. It is very frustrating and so disrespectful of the lady. They story I am working on is to promote (or at least talk about) her non-profit organization... That totally sucks - now I won't have the time to try again.

Forces Recruitment

2005-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today I was a day full of interviews; I had one with the head of security for the University and one with a charming Forces Recruitment Officer. I know it seems strange that any recruitment officer comes off as anything except slimy... I'll never forget my first conversation with an officer all he kept doing was reassuring me that I probably would never have to shoot anyone.
But today's interview went very well - I felt he was honest and while he seemed to be taken back by some of my questions he answered them all as best as he could.
It was great for me though - I approach as the doe-eyed journalism student (making sure to put emphasis on the student bit) then ask questions like:
"What attracts University graduates to the forces?" (Read: what makes a well educated student possibly want to be cannon fodder). The answer to that was money (no big surprise) and excitement/adventure. Who would have thought that war/killing people could be considered an adventure - well to each their own.
My favourite question was:
"With the changing face of politics and the negative public opinion of war and the military are you have a hard time recruiting?" He said no - with all the coverage the Canadian Forces are getting more people are actually approaching them. This was the most surprising to me, but I guess after he told me people joined for adventure, it shouldn't have. I know I should be more supportive because I know that we need to have a presence in SOME places, but it simply reminds me of a t-shirt my friend Stacey has...
"Join the Army, travel to exotic places, meet amazing people....... then kill them"

The End of the Strike

2005-09-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

I found out this morning that the Regina City Workers strike was over. I was in the gym doing sit-up (eww) staring out the window trying to get my mind off the ache that was starting in my gut when I noticed something.
"There's a bus" I looked around me for someone to point it out too but I was alone. I finished my workout sprinted back to my dorm-room and turned on my computer - as of last night they settled and the buses began to run as per normal this morning.
I hope this means the *smell* of strike in the air will be on it's way out and hopefully this means the CBC will be back in soon too! I need to hear more than Classical Music and old Sounds like Canada reruns on Radio One. The rumour (I know someone, who knows someone that might know something) is that the CBC will be back before the Hockey season starts! That's fabulous - mind you I will miss the BBC...

Pictures that change the world

2005-09-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Our professor asked us to think about pictures that have had an effect on us. This made me think about the photos I want to take and photos that change the world. Here are some that I believe have had a major imact on changing outcomes..

Also checkout the world press photo webpage...http://www.worldpressphoto.nl

Use your Imagination

2005-09-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

I have the coolest Broadcast lab instructor in the world...He is amazing to watch talk. He pretends to step off (and on) soapboxes; switches topics from cameras to world traveling in the blink of an eye; mutters like a pirate and has so much advice.
He has a Buddhist monk friend (trust me if you knew him this would not seem strange, in the least) who says "If you have a problem don't look at it as something new that needs to be solved. Remember that you inherently know how to solve it - because you have solved it before."
My one media critique for the day: To the BBC reporter in Texas, the pink polo shirt was not a good style sense and please stop adjusting your shirt and pants during your segment. You are only on camera for 30 seconds - stop fidgeting!
Last thought for the day: By Reading this you have momentarily given me control of your mind. That's the power of the media choose what you read carefully!

Happy Birthday to me!

2005-09-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am another year older - I know this because I received cards from all over the world: from as close as Victoria, to as far away as Toronto, England, and Northern Italy. It was last year at this time I was sitting in the pouring rain in Ucluelet after celebrating with a seaplane flight.
It was a low key day - I went to class where a couple of people wished me Happy Birthday and then came home to pursue a few stories - didn't get anywhere so I made myself a cake.
More than one of my roommates stopped to tell me that it seemed sad to make myself a cake. I'm not sure why - one of the best parts of any celebration is a good cake whether it is you who is celebrating or if you are simply attending. At least that's what I thought - and still think. So after our pizza tonight we had a simple white cake with chocolate bits (made from scratch) and it was lovely.
I made my wish - as always for world peace; for all the people I know and love to get everything they ever wanted and be safe; and of course for good luck in the year to come. I blew out all three candles (shhhh apparently we can't have candles in residence) with our breath (come on I'm not *that* old) and we ate.
The 3 wonderful girls I live with presented card to me on which my eldest roommate wrote "Don't be sad. Age is just a number." When that makes it to your birthday card - you know you are getting old. And yet I feel like I have so much to accomplish.
It's funny each year that passes I get more concerned with what is happening in our world and more aware of how I would like to make an impact on it.
Well, Hello 23 - hopefully my 23rd year of existence will be filled with everything I want - or at least passing grades and even more good roommates!

Sask. Science Centre & University Res

2005-09-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I posted - I have moved again - I now reside in Regina, the South Tower of New Residence at the University. Currently everything is fairly boring - there are two reasons for this:
1. It's the Labour Day Long weekend and thus most things on campus are closed
2. The buses are on strike and therefore it's fairly tough to access the activities that are going on around the city.
Today I decided to make the 3km trek to check out the Saskatchewan Science Centre - it was pretty cool - they had lots of displays with computer games and interactive events. FANGS is the display on snakes which was definitely designed for children - very simple information and games, not many snakes. However, the snakes that they did have were very cool - they had a fake bridge set up over the Plexiglas snake habitats. It created an Indiana Jones type effect. There was also a computer set up with 'Try Science' Computer games which allowed you to compete with people using the program from all over north America - I was being tested on true/false questions in a dolphin games with kinds from Florida! It's hard not to be cynical sometimes though; the farming /microbe display was sponsored by Pfizer and the display on energy by sasktel. The IMAX I say was beautifully shot however it also brought about feelings of cynicism. The Scared Plant talked about how we need to learn from our elders how to treat mother nature with respect - great message, however it was a Walt Disney Film. All I could keep thinking was maybe if you didn't treat your developing country employees so poorly and flatten the earth to make room for more theme parks and pollute we would have a better chance at preserving our environment. The coolest part of the centre was the climbing wall (included with the admission). It runs every hour on the half-hour and they allow people to climb there 60foot wall. It was great fun - I think I was the only person over the age of nine and over 4' but I really enjoyed it. The staff there was great too - Paul who was belaying for the climbing wall was super encouraging to everyone and the front office guy who put with my 101 questions.
The walk from campus was beautiful a trail follows around Wascana Lake, and the lake is absolutely flooded with wildlife. There are so many ducks and geese that I understand why it can be sludgey.
In other news, so far the roommates I have met are nothing like my roommate from hell. There is a possibility that the girl behind door 4 (directly attached to my room) is a barstar - but I have yet to meet her. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Until I get started with classes that's it.

Exciting News

2005-07-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

I know two posts in the same day - but the topics are so different that it felt funny mashing them together into a single post.
First item of news is one of my best friends from high school is getting married! She is the first one from our group of friends to do so - meaning she is the first one to get involved with something so permanent! I am very excited for her - I only wish she had known the guy a little longer.. It also means I will have to jet in from Regina to attend the wedding!
Second item of news is my Mexico/Kitimat/Vancouver friend Kristine heads out to Cameroon in September to volunteer with a program there! I am so jealous but I definitely wish her the best. She needs to collect school supplies and toys (and funds) so if anyone wants to help out or has school supplies they would like to get rid of please do not hesitate to contact me!
I just got back from Whistler... Mom and I spent 3 nights up there as a girls-out mini-vacation. We participated in an EcoTour with ZipTrek which ment using zip lines to cross the Fiztmonds creek between Whistler and Blackcomb - that part was very exciting. But the eco-tour was interesting too; according to our guide our population is growing at the same rate that we are using our resources. When the lines meet (and cross) we will be facing a critical point - if we don't slow the rate that we use - we could be headed for some serious trouble... It makes some food for thought!

Make Poverty History and Ladysmith Black Mambazo

2005-07-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

On the last day of FolkFest in Victoria I had the privilege of seeing, not only my friends gumboot dance, but Ladysmith Black Mambazo from South Africa. They have been fusing the disparate yet spiritually resonant traditions of Zulu and Christian gospel music and it is a great mixture. Anyway at the beginning of the concert a handful of people threw their Make Poverty History armbands onto the stage. One at a time each member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo reached down and placed the bands are their arms... for the rest of the concert the white bands sat in contrast to their dark skin. I thought that was very cool - making poverty history is something we can all get behind!

Live 8; G8; Be Gr8

2005-07-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Dan Ackroyd and Tom Green - do they even remember the last time they were in Canada?? Yet they were selected to be the MC's of Live 8 Canada in Barrie. Great the face of Canada to bring awareness to poverty is a less than funny comedian and a cone-head. It wouldn't have bothered me so much - the music was great - but the MC's kept interrupting... First they went after Rex Murphy's Opinion piece in the Globe and Mail. They read out the end of it - so it was out of context - got everybody in the audience to boo and they yelled about him being complacent.
Complacent: adj, Contented to a fault; self-satisfied and unconcerned. There are many words that could be used to describe Rex Murphy but complacent isn't one of them. His Career is built of being concerned, his dis-contempt for our government is what keeps him being invited back, his ability to make people think or disagree it what makes good media. Just because he doesn't jump with both feet behind a bunch of concerts whose ability to raise awareness is less than perfect, doesn't make him complacent.
Before Live 8 when was the last time Tom Green thought about poverty? Does he even know what the G8 is? To be fair it's not his fault - all the 'awareness' the Live 8 concert was suppose to raise, still didn't stop a Canadian Woman from asking "who's that guy?" as she stared at the live feed of Nelson Mandela in confusion.
In a way I agree with what Live 8 tries to do. Everyday people - especially young adults don't really pay attention to politics - ask around - most people couldn't name the countries that will be present at the G8 summit. But, people like Hollywood, they like actors, rock stars are more interesting than politicians; if we need to gather famous people together so everyday people realize there's more to the world than SUV's, palm pilots, and reality TV - then lets do it!
I just wish that the artists and speakers, from Madonna to Richard Gere, hadn't been offered their thank you gifts - valued at over $1000.
The awareness has been arisen - go out and do something! Donate money to World Food Program; Write, e-mail or visit your local representative; Volunteer at a shelter to end poverty at home. Live 8 was a start let's take some real steps to make poverty history!!!

Puke and other nasty things

2005-07-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Why do underage kids who find someone to by them alcohol feel the need to drink it all at once? I mean hasn't anybody ever taken the time to explain that a Mickey and a half in a little over an hour is a bad idea. And why do all the kids come out on Canada Day? I was volunteering with my first aid organization on July 1st getting set to see the fireworks and listening to great music. I should have known better - problem 1 - fireworks are at night; night is dark and thus people drink. I missed the fireworks again this year because at approximately the same time the first rocket went up our underage drunk started to puke - and he continued for the duration of the show. I could really have done without seeing all of that rum and coke again!!
Something else I found gross was how much damage fake nails could do. A fight broke out between two girls and before the police could break it up GirlA managed to inflict some serious damage. GirlB had chunks of skin missing from her elbows and hands, and long scrape marks down her neck. Who would have thought that French manicured gel nails would cause so much damage?
To be fair I was impressed with one thing over the night though, the efficiency of the police. I am not suggesting that I agree with them overstepping their boundaries by pulling buses over and pulling the alcohol off the bus, but they are efficient. If a fight broke out and one or two police officers noticed; within 20 seconds there were at least 15 cops present to break it up! That is necessary especially when you have families down for the festivities as well.

Friday

2005-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

So on Friday it came to an end - I gotta tell you I didn't see it coming... I walked into the meeting room and was met by not only the PR manager and my own manager but the head guy too.
"Angela, we don't think you fit here" he said "not wanting to get into the nitty-gritty"
Dear lord the man is a genius I could have told him that since day one - I am not a huge fan of polishing the boots of the rich. However, I pretend well, all the guests are happy and I daily recieve compliments from the other managers (including my own).
Anyway to make a long story short - I was given an option submit to further brain washing or they would have to let me go.. I made sure they door didn't hit me on the way out. I'm pretty sure that surprised them - and I hope they miss me. I am smart and on the ball and if I can't pretend to a 'Poppet' well screw them.
Now I got to go find a new place to drink as I am no longer allowed on the property. Right, I am such a horrible person - one day you have the keys to the kingdom the next. "Please ship your uniforms back - COD"
Great now the last questions is what is the most expensive way to ship my uniform shirts!

I'm thinking I am going to take up bartendening - it is a job where you are required to have a personality!!
Cheers

I don't even want to know why it was sticky

2005-05-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Waiter Rant blog (http://waiterrant.blogspot.com/), which is screamingly funny, and I was thinking about my line of work. Guest Services/Front Desk/Reservations - still a slave to those who have too much money, however with less of a tip.
For example:
The other day I was working housekeeping with Erica and we had been tidying and cleaning up after these people for a better part of a week. Keep in mind to spend a week at the hotel costs a fair chunk of change and to use the spa and eat at the restaurant daily costs a whole lot more! Of course these people were absolute pigs - empty bottles, food crumbs, newspapers, crap everywhere and daily we would return everything to the way it looked when they first walked in.
After all of the money they had spent and all of the work we had done we were expecting a tip, nothing big but something... And we got something alright - a sticky shot glass filled with pennies, nickels and dimes. It amounted to a grand total of $0.38.
"These people make me sick," said Erica as she held the shot glass in her hand and surveyed the mess before us. "What do they think it is... a Super 8?"

It's that time again!

2005-05-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

In less than a week we will have a new primer... at least I hope we will. On May 17th British Columbian's will take to the poles to have their voices heard. I expect a larger voter turn out this time seeing as the Liberals seemed to have pissed off at least one person from every group. Gordan Campbell has teacher, doctors, nurses, students, parents, lawyers and seniors mad at him (to name a few). If by some horrible chance he gets re-elected we can no longer comment on how stupid americans are for re-voting Bush as president.
I'm so damn excited not only do I get to vote but I am also volunteering for the NDP as a scruitener - it's hard to believe that at the last election I had no idea about politics!!

There and Back again

2005-04-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a month almost - and it has been a crazy busy and hectic month.
In the period of 2 weeks I left one job, moved back home, flew to Regina and had an interview there, started a new job and ran a gala dinner; not necessarily in that order.
I miss the people out in Uclulet a little - and I definitely miss how often I went to the ocean. Since getting back here I haven't even had time to unpack - let alone go out and do anything. Such is life I guess..
In Regina I went and saw Born into brothels... That is the very first time that I have cried during a movie in the theatre. It was amazing - I definitely recommend people go and see it!! Rob and I also got a good feel for the city as well: Strip Mall North, Strip Mall East, Strip Mall South (just past the U of R and where we were staying) and to the West is the Airport, and Depo.
The Gala went great - it made money (which is always a plus) and everyone had a fabulous time! Our guest speaker was out of this world - Dr. Dave Hepburn is one of those people who even while he has you doubled over with laughter you think.
Finally I really like my new job - it is strange to have more than one manager (and all of them make time for you), it is great to have a maintenance guy (so when stuff breaks it gets fixed), but the best part is when you have an idea - not only do people listen - but they give you a chance to implement it!! And I am so stoked - I begged for anti-fatigue mats (or else my knees wouldn't survive) and we got them - Darren, our project manager rocks!!! Something I don't understand though is why people are will to spend so much money on a hotel. Don't get me wrong it is an amazing hotel but 900$ for a single night seems a little steep to me.. Not to mention another 250$ to get wrapped in mud at the spa (I could do it for $5 - just hand me a shovel and a hose). I get that it is a treat and nice but couldn't that money be better spent? Mind you if those people weren't spending it I would be out of a job - so who am I to judge..
The last thing I have to say is: How is it that the people of B.C. are thinking about voting for Gordon Campbell - if he gets in again that means we are no better than the Americans for voting Bush in again. VOTE NDP!
Alright I gotta go unpack.....

Too Funny

2005-04-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a place to stay for when I fly out to Regina next week and I found a website for a hotel that uses the same booking system as our new one. Funny thing is that it doesn't seem to be working for them either. Good, I'm glad it wasn't just us that is getting screwed. The really big problem right now is our old (and what most people consider our good) system has been crashing and displaying error messages with alarming frequency. I'm so glad that I am out of here - it's like watching a time bomb tick towards 0. Here it is the perfect recipe for disaster.
1. Hire new girl, she can't type or answer phones (even after 1.5 months)
2. Hire second new girl who has a massive chip on her shoulder - she's got too much attitude.
3. Lose front office manager - don't get a new one.
4. Try running two systems; one that doesn't work and the other that is quickly failing.
and step 5. Slowly but surely have the remaining management make descisions that is driving everyone mad.
There you have it. I guess I can be a little critical, but I really don't understand how some people are not able to pick up our job. 1.5 month girl doesn't even know how to deal with the most basic problems - I could just scream - and if you try to correct her she gets all sorry for herself. I mean even the girl I thought was irritating, but now quite like, has no problem with the job. The funny thing is that it furthers the theory of it's not what you know but who you know. She was hired not because she is even vaguely competent but because she is known by the owner - yeah for blond hair and blue eyes.

Aside from the irritating bits - I am going to miss it here - it is so beautiful and there are some really great people here... mind you I don't work with many of them.....

Sizzle, Snap, Bang, Whine

2005-04-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

The newest of the new girls whines - a lot - over, well pretty much, everything. I get that everyone has tough moments - and look I am now whining about her whining, but it is awful. "How do you do thiiiis?", "Angelaaaa it's not worrrrkking." Ah! Then if you try to help she snaps at you if you have explained something she gets. Man she will get along great with the management around here - maybe not so much with the housekeepers.

Today a computer screen died - it made some horrible snaping sounds then everything dissapeared with a bang and then it made a very irritating high-pitched noise until it was unplugged. So now we are using this massive thing that was pulled out of storage. It's not like we are totally dependant on our computer system or anything. Sure give us crappy printers, bad network and a clunky moniter - it'll be fine.

In other room-mate related news - she was suppose to talk to the boy toy - to convince him out of breaking up with his girlfriend over her. And then he wasn't suppose to sleep over. She sounded so proud of herself for making the right decision. Guess whose shoes I tripped over this morning?? Good news though, my Mom & brother are up to visit - so at least I have some real company for the next few days.

Alright for those keeping count 6.5 shifts remaning and 8 moving days until I am gone!

Staff Meetings among other things

2005-03-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today there was suppose to be a staff meeting - yeah right, who is our manager trying to kid. It turned out to be a handing out of the new uniforms. All I wanted while I worked the *winter* here was a fleece jacket - I asked so many times if we could have jackets instead of vests - it made more sense. Get this - everyone who is staying for the *summer* gets not one jacket - but two!! Perfect I freeze all winter and for the summer everyone gets two fleece jackets.

Already we are suffering the loss of Len, the piles of paper on his desk are growing - I keep suggesting to my co-workers we should really deal with everything we can then make sure the Operations Manager (or PR guy) has the rest. I think they are forgetting that it won't be delt with if it is just tucked onto the desk! Also between new girl A, who's favourite line is "I don't know.... I'm not sure... I really don't know" and new girl B, "yeah, um, uh-hun" I'm pretty sure I'm going to go nuts. The best part everyone is turning to me for everything - or maybe that's the worst. Either way I've got 9 shifts left.

My roommate is at it again - I've got two complaints this time. One: when you forget your keys at another apartment go and get them - don't wake your roommate up in the middle of the night to let you into the house. Two: if you are going to be involved with two guys - please don't make me cover for you with the nice one... Next time he calls I'll be telling him exactly where you are.

I'm getting to the point where I am avoiding my room-mate altogether. I go for walks with Abby and Maggie whenever I can, I go out with girls that won't stand to have her along, and I hang out at Matt & Lisa's or Jen's until I'm sure she's out. I can take it - only 10 days till moving day!

Going Away...

2005-03-29T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last night was Len's going away party - well it was more of a gathering, but it was great none-the-less. Except my roommate was there and she managed to be the most rude that I have seen her lately. I think I have found my line and she just jumped over it with both feet. To make matters better I get home after and there I find her, totally wasted, with a bunch of guys and of course she forget her keys while going to the bar so she wakes me up to let her in at whatever the hell time it was when she got home. That it it!

However, last night I had another thought you never realize how much you care about people until they go. I hate saying goodbye. So Len, Good Luck, Take Care, Keep in Touch and keep in mind you helped make work in this armpit of a town bareable.

Good Lord the next two weeks are going to be tough....

Tired, no exhausted

2005-03-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

I'm tired, actually tired doesn't being to cover it. Does anyone want to know what happens when you have a full hotel, and not enough front desk or housekeeping staff?? You get Len and myself doing both for at least 10 hours a day. That leads to exhaustion. In fact while I sit here I can feel my feet tingling.

So today I got a true understanding for what a housekeeping staff goes through - some people live like animals. I don't think I would have got through it without Len there laughing with me... The first room we walked into has a disaster - and it's not like we have ever cleaned a room before - we spent the first 5 minutes trying to control our laughter. The whole afternoon was like that - stagger into an empty room, laugh, control laughter, clean... repeat. We make a good team. I have one word of advice - you can never have to many pairs of rubber gloves - you never know what you will find.Good times to be had by all

Tomorrow's Len's last day - if my poor body survives until then we will be having a party (which I am pretty sure will be as fun as BINGO night...)

Today is the begining of the end

2005-03-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

Today at work I managed to fix all the areas that everyone for the last few days screwed up. This morning I redid all the paper work from yesterday. This is only Len's day's off - his last shift is Monday - let the adventure begin. I am already sick of "don't worry Angela will fix it" and "Angela will explain it to you." No she won't - I'm not making enough and I already put up with too much.

Today the owner, who I have wanted to introduce myself to (simply because I am one of *15* employees), made an appointment to meet with the new girl. That is it.

I'm Done!!

I'm Free

2005-03-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited - I made it out and into the city. Today I shopped, wore jeans with heels and ate edamame. I love every minute of it - I have no idea how I wound up living in such a small town but I got to get out.

I am a full time babysitter for a 30-year-old. My roomate did it again; in 24 hours she woke me up comming home at 2:15 in the morning when her dog went biserk because she was teasing it. She woke me up at 7:30 the same morning kicking the guy-de-jour out. While I was trying to eat breakfast she was telling my all about the "nasty sex" with the guy-de-jour. And then instead of thanking me when I found her bank card outside she got all defensive about when she lost it. I don't care when she lost it. Apparently I am not the only person who is pissed-off with her though - nearly everyone she knows is as well. Next weekend should be interesting her guy (the one with the kid and girlfriend) will be in town at the same time as her on-again-off-again boyfriend.

Heard the funniest guy being interviewed yesterday, he is a Muslim American and a stand-up comic. The news program showed a clip of one of his shows. It was great, something like this: "I am a Muslim American, meaning I am a devout Muslim but I am also an American, I would die for my country... by blowing myself up in a dunkin' donuts." It's kinda wrong to want to laugh, but he is a funny guy!!

Went and got food after work with Len the other night - we spent some good times "discussing" the problems of the workplace. Both of us are leaving and it is so good to have someone to vent with. It's not that there are any real problems, just a bunch of little ones that add up. The great news is both of us can laugh... and laugh... and laugh.

I know I have been in a small town too long, yes I realize it has been only 6 or so months (but, hey it has lasted longer than my being a vegetarian), because I regularly start sentances with "The other day on the food network" or "The guy from CBC said"...
I gotta go plan my escape!

Oh for the love of..

2005-03-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

Work is going alright – ish, Len is finished in 15 shifts, he’ll be gone March 28th, and we have already begun the downward spiral into Gong Show. Where to begin – how about the new girl, which makes the one I was bitching about look like an employee of the month material. I’ve been training her and while she is really nice and I really like talking with her while we are on shift, she can’t type or answer phones. You think, seeing as our job consists entirely of typing and answering phones, they would have asked her on the interview – apparently not! To make matters better, we finally have the new system in a place where we can use it, *finally*. However it runs off the internet, which out here seems to be always not working. Great system; we just can’t use it.

Home life is going well too. I have come to the conclusion that my room-mate is morally inept. Her current guy has not only a girlfriend, but a child (whose mother is not his girlfriend). My room-mate is neither the girlfriend nor the mother and yet when I come home after work wanting to make dinner and curl up on the couch in front of the TV, I find it is already in use. The displays of affection I would usually find sweet I now find revolting… Maybe I’m the strange on – maybe that is normal; yeah that would also make her telling me that instead of teaching her dog to not eat underwear she stopped wearing it, normal.

My kitchen had been full of a fairly nasty smell lately, and it lingered long after I waded through *her* massive pile of dishes. The last straw for me was the fruit flies – I had already searched through all my cupboards and all the shared food cupboards – I started into her “random thing” cupboard. That’s where I found a bag of potatoes from last Aug. How do you forget potatoes for that long? It’s not like we have a big kitchen.

Good News though, my boyfriend is coming up to visit. I am so stoked. Someone who doesn’t find drinking and driving acceptable; someone who thinks drug usage is stupid; someone who believes sex should be with someone you care about (or at least with someone who is not in a relationship). Between him coming up and my getting to go to the city next weekend I feel like I have been given a Day Pass. I just got to make it to Monday.

Wrote the entrance for one of the J-Schools I applied to. I think I did okay – mind you there were some pretty tough questions: Who are your three favourite journalists and why? First of all how are you supposed to limit yourself to three and secondly how are they going to grade that?

Alright, short of some really great comments I have heard about current events, that is all that has happened to me in the last couple of days (I refuse to even mention my last time drinking at the ‘local dive’.). I would let you know those great comments from Rick Mercer and the rest of the stellar crew at the CBC but I had already typed them out once before my computer crashed... Maybe I will be motivated enough to do it again later.

Wow, Bingo is way harder than I remember...

2005-02-24T15:09:00.000-08:00

I don't know what this says about my time here, but last night was one of the best nights I've had out on the West Coast. The good news is that bingo dabber ink washes off - the even better news is - the blue dot from the centre of my forehead is gone. I have learned a few things about Bingo though: the way it was played in elementary school was a lot easier - 1 line, or an X, here you needed lines and boxes on the same card; there are a lot of really serious Bingo players (God Forbid you yell Bingo and don't have it - we were afraid of being mobbed by an army of bingo dabber carrying seniors); and if you play Bingo with the right mix of people then the 2.5 hours flys by. The first thing we did is make sure we all had dots in the middle of our foreheads and it went down hill from there we had spots on our arms and every spare piece of paper, who would have thought they could be so much fun; although I guess with names like Angel Glo, Oh! Shit, and Star Britte I should have known.
A few comments that made the evening memorable:
"And I thought the statement once you go black you can't go back ment something else entirely" - Abby on why she still has black hair
"When you are asleep I am going to dabber your dink"- One of our many rainbow coloured wars.
"I didn't know you could get burritos in a box"
"The power of positive thinking"

At the end of the night it was our general consensus that from now on the best way to get through Bingo would be to have beverages that had been *spiked*.

Haven't seen my roomate at all today - therefore there is nothing to tell.

The Queen & BINGO

2005-02-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

There was the greates picture on the front cover of the Globe and Mail this morning - it looks like the queen is playing Peak-a-Boo. Acutally this is something you really have to see.

In other news my roommate did it again... I worry that one day I won't have something new and anoying to post - but she never fails to amaze me. Yesterday I was cooking dinner and every 5 minutes she would ask me if it was ready. First of all it's not like she ever cooks dinner and secondly its not like she ever does dishes. So every five minutes for half an hour she asks - and when it is ready to go she's playing a video game and tells me she'll eat later. It's like parenting a five-year-old. I will never need to have children.

Sometimes you have to just laugh. So living with my roommate I laugh constantly. In other news some bigwig is coming into work today and everyone is all stressed out. I'll have to keep my ears open to find out what's going on.

Tonight I get to do something I haven't done since I was a little kid. We are going to play BINGO with BINGO Dabbers and good luck charms and everything!! I'm stoked - maybe this time tomorrow I will be $250 richer ... but I doubt it!

Yummmm Soup

2005-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday while I was in the library they had for sale a 2nd edition Principles of Biochemistry and I almost bought it... Why? to *compare* it to the 5th edition I already have in order to see how much has changed in the world of biochemistry in the past 20 years. Something held me back though - Why the hell do I need *two* copies of the Biochemistry bible - I thought I hated it? Maybe not...

Horrible roomate story: her dog got into my room and ate a pair of my panties - I feel so violated - I walk into my room and there the dog is looking so guilty and one of my favourite pairs of la senza panties were soaked with dog drool and had tiny holes throughout it. I swear to god that dog is going to be the thing that drives me out of the apartment. Or maybe it is the leaning tower of Claire's dishes. OR the garbage she promised to take to the dumpster strewn along the walk because she put it outside and the crows got at it.

Work however, is great - MH is away and Len is hilarious... And now I have two days off I am stoked...

Off to make Hamberger Soup

Excellent

2005-02-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

Someone has created a blog called I hate my flatmate - in which they list one thing per day that their horrible roommate does to piss them off. It's genius. So from now on I will include one stupid work thing or one stupid roommate thing on every post.
Roommate - when one uses baby oil in the bathtub they should really rinse the tub out after to prevent the next person who steps in from slipping and killing themselves.

Roommates and Co-Workers

2005-02-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

Between my selfish roommate and my irrisponsible co-worker I swear to god people are out to get me. My roommate who just returned from time abroad has resettled herself back into our apartment - and drank all the beer in the fridge and didn't go shopping for 6 days, thus effectively consuming all of my food. Usually this won't bother me, but she ate the food that I cooked after I finished the dishes. And last night when I reminded her of the dessert I made (but had not eaten), she helped herself to a massive piece, added ice cream and plopped down on the sofa next to me... and ate. Without even offering to cut me a piece.. 'Whatever when I got up to do dishes I cut myself some... She also gets cranky when her dog is not walked and fed - I get that she works, but really it's not my dog and I work to - she could walk it in the morning and feed it when she gets home but she never does. I actually feel sorry for the dog - it doesn't get outside for longer than a few minutes unless I take it for a walk. I enjoy having company in the small down setting - but I really hate feeling like my kindness is being abused... I swear sometimes it feels like I am babysitting.

Now lets talk about my co-worker, Meghann, who spends her entire shift using MSN and typing up cover-letters to apply for other jobs at other places. She has an on call job so more often than not everyone else's shifts get changed at the last min. to accomodate her - but we are currently so short staffed that our supervisor can't do anything about it. Even better when I come in for my morning shift after she has closed down - I spend the 1st hour reversing her mistakes, and doing the tasks that she didn't bother to do! I hate cleaning up after people, she leaves early, and makes mistakes left-right-and-centre, doesn't bother to do things, and won't take the time to learn what she doesn't know how to do. She just leaves little notes with - Angela, can you take care of XXYZ for me?? ARG.