Misnomered

2010-03-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

So my dream of avocados being 66¢ is pennies away from coming true.

On my way home yesterday I stopped a small local grocery store and saw that they had avocados for 69¢ each. In another grocery store a few weeks ago they were selling them 3 for $1.60-something.

Maybe dreams can come true.

2010-02-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

I wish I'd written this down earlier because my memory has faded a bit...

My boyfriend is a musician. For New Year's Eve he and other local musicians played a night of covers. It was really fun,and between sets he would come see me, but for much of the evening I ended up just dancing with myself.

After our kiss at midnight he had to rush back to the stage to play the first song of the new year, a slow song. I was left standing there rather awkwardly as couples around me paired off. Into the song, he gestured for me to meet him just off stage left. He proceeded to kiss me while continuing to play the song. He later admitted it was actually really difficult. It's the sweetest thing he's ever done for me!

When that song ended, the finale was a cover of the Beatles' Hey Jude, which he pulled me on stage to sing along with the band.

2010-01-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

With my impending graduation this May, I've been singing this song to myself the past few days. While I haven't been thinking of the rest of my life so much in the sense of settling down and getting married, I wonder what I'll do in terms of work/a career after I finish university.

I started thinkin’ bout
The rest of my life
I found my selfish looking out for
Trouble and strife
Someone with whom I’ll spend
The rest of my days
But if I ever said I wasn’t
Set in my ways
Then I guess you caught me
Lying to myself

What kind of fool
Doesn’t think about it?
What kind of fool
Doesn’t think about it?
You’d have to be a fool
Not to think about it

Am I gonna settle down
Am I gonna be
Someone who has to take
The rest of my life
To settle down?
Then I guess you caught me
Lying to myself

Who’ll make a man out of me?

One thing I know about
The rest of my life
I know that I’ll be
Living it in Canada
I know I said I’ll share
The rest of my days
But I was only
Going through a phase

Am I gonna settle down
Am I gonna be
Someone who has to take
The rest of my life
To settle down?
Then I guess you caught me
Lying to myself

What kind of fool
Doesn’t think about it?
What kind of fool
Doesn’t think about it?
You’d have to be a fool
Not to think about it?

Am I gonna settle down
Am I gonna be
Someone who has to take
The rest of my life

Am I gonna settle down
Am I gonna be
Someone who has to take
The rest of my life
To settle down?
Then I guess you caught me
Lying to myself

Am I gonna settle down
Am I gonna be
Someone who has to take
The rest of my life
To settle down?
Then I guess you caught me
Lying to myself

--Sloan, The Rest of My Life

2010-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

I've blogged about missed connections before. I came across this one and thought it was cute.

I never check the missed connections on Craigslist so if someone was trying to get a hold of me it wouldn't work. I guess you take a chance when you post on missed connections. I wonder how often connections are made. Do you check missed connections?

2009-12-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

2009 Polaris Music Prize winners Fucked Up have released a version of Do They Know It's Christmas?

Along with a portion of their $20,000 prize winnings, the band will donate the proceeds from this song to Canadian charities supporting women from Vancouver's Downtown East Side and Aboriginal women.

Give the song a listen here then buy the song for 99¢ from iTunes.

2009-11-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

I made yogurt this past weekend. It was surprisingly easy!

I read around on the internet about how to make yogurt without a yogurt maker. I found this Epicurious article to be a helpful guide.

There are two ways to make yogurt, either with a bacteria starter or with a few spoonfuls of yogurt you already have so long as it has "active cultures." I decided to go the former route. I bought this Yogourmet yogurt bacteria starter at a health food store but have since seen at grocery stores.

The only other ingredient necessary is a litre of milk. Although I don't drink 2% milk, I used it for yogurt because I like my yogurt thicker. I got a good consistency with 2% milk.

The first sterilized a two glass jars and their lids I had by boiling them in a big pot for 15 mintues and then set them aside. Next I brought my milk to a boil, stirring occasionally so it didn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The milk needs to reach 180°F (a thermometre is helpful for this) to kill any bacteria that might be in it. As I don't have a microwave (like Megan does) and hadn't been using my oven that day, I turned it on low to heat it up while I was waiting for the milk to reach 180°F. After the milk has reached 180°F it needs to cool down to about 110°F.

Once the milk has cooled to 110°F ladle a small amount into one of the sterilized jars and dissolve the yogurt starter bacteria in it. The milk mustn't be to hot when the starter bacteria is added or else it will kill them. For this reason, after my oven was warm I turned the oven off. Stir the dissolved bacteria into the larger pot of milk. Once the bacteria has been well stirred in the larger pot the only thing left to do is to ladle it into the sterilized jars and incubate the jars.

To incubate the yogurt I place the jars in a casserole dish, wrapped them with dish towels and placed them in the oven with the light on. The Yogourmet package says that your yogurt can be ready in as little as 4.5 hours, but the longer you incubate the yogurt the thicker it will be. I left it incubating over night and went to see Ohbijou play.

The next morning I checked the consistency of my yogurt. Deciding it was amply thick I put it in the fridge for a little over an hour to set the yogurt and had it as part of my breakfast later that morning. It was delicious!

I tend to go through yogurt really fast. Next time I'm going to try making it using a few spoonfuls of this batch as a starter.

A friend of mine who can buy farm-fresh organic yogurt for $5.25/900mL asked me about the cost. The food thermometre I bought was $6.71 but it's reusable again and again. The Yogourmet starter bacteria was $4.28 for six 5mL packages that can make 1L of yogurt each, which works out to 71¢ per packet. Therefore the cost of 1L of yogurt (not counting the thermometre, electricity, time etc.) is equal to the cost of the starter (which would be a one-time cost if you then used yogurt as a starter), 71¢, plus the cost of milk you buy for a total cost of about $2.50-$4.00/1L depending on the milk you buy.

2009-10-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

It's always interesting when you get to the point where you can't tell if what you're writing is genius or just the sleep-deprived drivel.

2009-09-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Scene: Walking back from breakfast Sunday morning.

Vanessa: "So there's this rhinoceros I really want to buy..."

Hayley: "What are you? An eccentric billionaire?"

Vanessa: "No! It's this porcelain rhinoceros I saw at Front that I really want."

And I've found him on the internet!

But at $38 I think I would like him better if I found him at a thrift store. If I did spring for it and buy him I would give him a good home on my bedroom ledge and use him as one half of a bookend or display him prominently in my home some other way.

2009-09-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

So along with probably every other woman in North America and the blogosphere, I saw Julie & Julia.

I really enjoyed everything about the experience of seeing Julie & Julia. I saw it with my best friend Hayley a few days after it came out in theatres. It was really funny to walk up to the box office just shortly before the movie time and see a long line of women with a few husbands and boyfriends in tow. There were women (and men) from all age brackets in attendance, which really enhanced the experience as the older ladies would laugh at Meryl Streep's re-enactments of Julia Child's cooking show; for them there was an added layer to laugh at because many of them had likely seen Julia Child's cooking show. Meryl Streep did such a phenomenal job as Julia Child, I'm sure she'll at least get a nod for Best Actress.

It was hard to leave Julie & Julia not feeling excited about cooking. Cooking has become a greater interest of mine in the last year or so. I really enjoy cooking well for myself and others. A few culinary projects of mine that I've been meaning to get to are:

- learn to roast vegetables properly (last winter I tried to roast yam but I burnt it/dried it out instead and it didn't really taste cooked);

- cook fennel. I've been coming across this vegetable at the grocery store and at markets so I want to learn how to cook it.

Julie & Julia also had me thinking about my dream kitchen. Julia Child's kitchens were so spacious. I would love to have a kitchen large enough for me to have a work table like the one pictured above. I would also love for that table to be able to double as a harvest kitchen table, but I would also want to have a dining room as an option too.

I love my place. The kitchen, however, has very little counter space. I have two small counters. The main counter space is about 2 feet wide by 3 feet deep and is where most of the chopping and food preparation happens. It can really get cluttered if dishes are not done right after a meal. The other counter is maybe only 1.5 feet wide and holds a dish rack, a block of knives, paper towel (which I use sparingly) and dish soap. My room mate has a chest of wicker baskets which holds kitchen things, the top of which gives us another surface.

We didn't have a kitchen table for nearly two weeks when we moved in (I wasn't bothered, I was on vacation for a week). We decided that to maximize our living space (our kitchen and living room are one big open concept room) a drop-leaf table was ideal. On Craigslist I found the perfect vintage arborite drop-leaf table--the pattern of the arborite even matched that of my grandmaman's kitchen tables. The nice thing about the drop-leaf table is how compact it is when the leaves are down. We now have enough surface space to cook and I will continue dreaming of my future kitchen when watching Julie & Julia when it comes out on DVD.

2009-09-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

The boy and I left early Sunday morning and made it across the United States border in record time.

Although American culture inundates Canada so much so that it's nearly impossible to avoid, I anticipated culture shock. The first instance of culture shock came less than half an hour into the trip. We stopped to fuel at the first gas station we passed. We also decided to pick up some apples and bananas to eat in the car during the drive. I'd seen a self-checkout before, but only one at the Home Depot or Canadian Tire, not a dozen at once. It was strange. We didn't use it and instead let the lonely cashier ring our order.

We stopped for lunch in the Seattle neighbourhood of Fremont, where we'd gone to see the Lenin Statue. We ate a a funky diner that reminded me a lot of Sophie's and indulged in a weekend tradition I love, that of all-day breakfast. I had Eggs Benny and was mildly disappointed when I got hashbrowns instead of home fries--I prefer my breakfast potatoes cubed rather than slawed.

We walked around Fremont a bit after lunch and passed through a Sunday street market. I would like to have been able to check Pike Place Market, but we had to hit the road because or destination for the day was Portland. I saw the Space Needle from the car--I think it was my first time seeing it in person.

To be continued...

2009-09-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty much settled after my latest move August 1st. In a city with a less than 1 percent vacancy rate, I find moving quite a stressful ordeal. This move, however, was rather serendipitous.

As I knew of many people who did not find places for September 1 last year, I began my search early. Initially I was looking for a bachelor or one bedroom, but this would have stretched my finances. In June I found a room mate, a girl I've taken four classes with at university. I wasn't going to start looking for places until she returned from her trip to Africa in mid-July but it so happened that I decided to browse Craiglist out of curiosity a few days before July 1. I came across a great sounding listing: a two bedroom suite in my preferred neighbourhood, which happens to be a transit hub, with on-site laundry, utilities, internet (and basic cable) included. As my boyfriend and room mate were out of town, I called up a friend who used to live in the neighbourhood and asked her to come see it. As luck would have it, this was her old place (she lived here in 2007/08). The landlady recognized her immediately and I got the place!

Apparently I have a penchant for travelling on the heels of momentous events. My boy and I moved my stuff August 1st and left the next day on a road trip down the Oregon Coast to San Francisco--a trip I've wanted to take for four or five years.

To be continued...

2009-07-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

Although I had read Nineteen Eighty-Four in high school, I did not consider George Orwell a favourite author of mine until I had read his essay Politics and the English Language. I liked the essay so much that I've decided that if I ever find myself in a teaching position, I'll will assign it as mandatory reading. As I recall, my mentor had lent me her copy of the volume of The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letter of George Orwell (judging from volumes three and four that she lent me, this is an excellent series that I must acquire myself) containing the essay because in third year a prof had returned a paper of mine bleeding with edits (I've been told several times thus far throughout my academic career that I write well). This was probably a year and a half ago and as I am in the midst of packing to move, I've come across these tomes again.

Before returning them, however, I peaked inside and rediscovered my appreciation for Orwell's clear, frank writing style. I read the essay Books v. Cigarettes, which was originally published in the Tribune February 8, 1946. The premise of the article is to debunk the notion that books are too expensive a hobby for the average person. His argument intrigued me as I was told, growing up, that books were expensive and it was better to borrow them from a library. I don't often buy new books for myself, but I have given books as gifts. The idea that it is better to borrow than buy books is so ingrained in me that last month during my last book purchase I actually debated whether or not to buy the book or just request it at the library and wait x months to get it. However, similar to Orwell, I concluded there were a lot worse things that I could spend $13 than a paperback.

To determine the cost of owning and reading books, Orwell estimates the cost of his own collection. To approximate how much he's spent on books, Orwell first determines how he appropriated his books. His categories are: "Bought (mostly second-hand); Given to me or bought with book tokens; Review copies and complimentary copies; Borrowed and not returned; Temporarily on loan." Orwell is very insightful in his discussion of how he acquired his books -- methods that are applicable to all and summarised into one of my favourite sentences of the essay: "This is because book-giving, book-borrowing and book-stealing more or less even out." I like this sentence because it reminds me that I've obtained certain of the books on my shelves by prolonged borrowing or book-stealing (and, come to think of it, that I'm exonerated for doing so). The first that comes to mind is a book I borrowed two years ago and have thus far kept and hope to keep. The second is my copy of Albert Camus' L'étranger, which I got from a friend who still had his copy from high school. To be fair, I've given back into the system, by way of forgetting my paperback copy of The Da Vinci Code I had bought for the flight to Britain under the bed at a friend of a friend's house in Eastbourne -- fortunately I'd finished it the night before.

Amusingly, Orwell concludes that reading, whether one purchases new, second-hand, or borrows books is a cheaper pass-time, although perhaps less exciting, than the more widespread hobbies of smoking and drinking.

2009-07-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend caught The Daredevil Christopher Wright at NXNE, where they played three shows. Apparently they hadn't brought (enough) merch and so they called their mom and she drove up from Wisconsin with more -- how sweet! Anyways, my boy gave raved about these guys and their musicianship as he played their record for me. He even went so far as to say they "sing like angels." Check it out! I especially recommend giving the song A Conversation About Cancer a listen.

2009-07-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

I came across this Jamie Oliver recipe for minted pea yogourt dip via Frolic. I made it for lunch today with mint leaves from my own potted garden. It is yummy and the perfect dish on a hot summer day.

2009-07-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

My invitation arrived in the mail yesterday morning. It was a good start to the day, primarily because I'd already seen the design, absolutely loved it, and couldn't wait to get it in the mail!

The bride's sister-in-law-to-be, a graphic design student, designed the invitations.

The wedding is taking place the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, so the tree with autumn leaves fits perfectly.

I love how the leaves carry throughout the invitation as though the wind is blowing them. I really like the choice of a shimmery brown envelope for the RSVP, it ties in nicely with the brown tree trunk.

As not everyone who will be invited to the ceremony will be invited to the reception, I think the separate little "and the celebration continues..." card with the reception information is an ingenious idea! The bride and groom met at a swing dancing club, so they will be having swing dancing at the reception and are providing a dance lesson before dinner -- an excellent idea!

Only three more month until the wedding; I'm really looking forward to it!

2009-06-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

I came across this blog, Missed Connections via Frolic. Brooklyn-based Sophie Blackall finds inspiration in New York's Craigslist Missed Connection postings and creates these lovely illustrations.

I was reminded of a sort of missed connection experience of my own. When I was about 16 I was heading to work at the movie theatre one winter evening on the bus. After I had returned home, I dumped out my messenger bag and found a little note folded in half written on the torn off corner of a piece of white paper. "Read me," one of the folded sides said. Inside the note it said something like "E-mail me [and then whatever his e-mail address was] from the cute boy sitting behind you on the bus." He had somehow managed to slip the note into my purse. I wasn't interested, but out of curiosity I added the guy to MSN messenger. He ended up being goth type guy (judging by his profile picture) about ten years older me. I didn't find him cute, nor a "boy." He was very embarrassed about the age difference and apologetic about the note. After that brief chat we never talked again. I think I blocked and deleted him as a contact.

2009-06-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Public transit is one of those environments that lends itself to interaction with strangers. Sometimes it's a conversation about the weather, other times the interaction is non-verbal. The latter is often more interesting.

Returning home after dinner with a friend earlier this evening, I noticed a rainbow in the sky just as the bus was pulling out of uptown. I naturally put my book down to admire it.

The rainbow formed a perfect arc in the sky. I wondered if the handsome guy sitting in the row in front of me, who had been courteous enough to ask me if reclining his seat would disturb me, could see the rainbow. It was then that the handsome guy sitting in the row in front of me started photographing the rainbow with his camera phone. I myself had been thinking of doing the same thing. Encouraged, I pulled out my camera and snapped a few shots.

2009-06-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

I've taken to cycling after dinner around the town that I grew up to hate and have found a lot to love about it in its architecture. I think next time I'll bring my camera to capture it all.

* * *
After work the Saturday before last, I met one of my best friends and ran a couple of errands on Main, including buying nice stationary so that I would stop procrastinating and get something in the mail to my cousin while she's still teaching English in Korea. We unexpectedly came across a sidewalk sale as we walked down the street to the restaurant where we planned to have dinner. She found a nice skirt, while I admired the geometric patterned umbrellas.

Aside from meeting a friend from drinks, last weekend I was sure to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. One of the best parts was enjoying fresh, local berries.

On Saturday I had some delicious blueberries. I have a very particular memory associated with blueberries. This particular childhood memory consists of visiting my Grandpapa in Québec during the summer. I don't remember what kind of car her had, but it was an older model from the 70s or 80s and had the option of seating three in the front seat. My Grandpapa lived in the Québec countryside. Grandpapa, dad, sisters, cousins and I would pile into the car and drive up a gravel country road to our ancestral lands. I remember it was a bumpy ride and occasionally a small rock would ping the side of the car, as happens when driving on gravel roads. My Grandpapa would then lead the way and show us to where the wild blueberry bushes were and we would pick blueberries. So many blueberries. This is one of my fondest childhood memories and I recall it whenever I eat plain blueberries.

On Sunday, I went to a local farm and picked gorgeous red strawberries. This is something I haven't done in years, but greatly enjoy. I was amused when a mum told her children, who were picking next to me, to leave the small ones and to come with her to find the nice, big red ones. There was a variation in the size of the berries, but overall they were generally smaller and less symmetrical than store bought strawberries imported from California. The added bonus of these local berries was that instead of being white on the inside and bland, they were juicy, red and much better tasting. It reminded me of having discovered a small strawberry plant in the front yard of my sublet last summer. The plant yielded about half a dozen fingernail-sized berries. Despite being puny, the berries were exponentially more flavourful than its imported cousins several times their size.

I don't eat anything near a 100 per cent organic, but it's something I strive for. Generally this was because there was no uniform regulation governing what produce could and could not be labeled as organic in Canada. In a few days, however, eating organic in Canada will become much easier as new regulations governing organic produce will come into force.

2009-06-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been a threat to the arts long before his comments during the last federal election about “rich galas” for artists.

When he announced the axing of [plans for the] the National Portrait Gallery in Ottawa, it prompted the editors at Art Threat to launch a national portrait contest. “Framing Harper” was a call-out to artists and activists across Canada to create a portrait of Stephen Harper that would capture the PM’s “appreciation” of arts and culture in Canada.

My friend submitted the portrait on the left and made it into the top 23 finalists:

I really like the winner's reference. You can check out the rest of the portraits here.

2009-06-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this ring design:

These stacked rose gold rings are by Blanca Monrós Gómez.

2009-05-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends from high school...

...is getting married.
I have the honour of being one of her four bridesmaids, which I am very excited about as I have never been to a wedding before, much less been in a wedding. She is the first among my friends to get married.

We ordered our bridesmaids dresses about a month ago. This is my fabric swatch:

It's an autumn wedding. The other bridesmaids are in citrus, marigold and meadow green.

2008-12-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

The fifth sentence of the fifty-sixth page of the book closest to me reads:

"Il n'y avait pas une lumière aux fenêtres."

2008-10-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Periodically since June I've gone through these phases where I don't feel compelled to feed myself. This may seem surprising as I write about food so often. When I'm in one of these moods I just feel so uninspired as to how to solve the problem of my hunger; I wander the aisles of the grocery store apathetically, often considering just going hungry.

2008-09-21T22:19:00.001-07:00

Is it sad that I enjoyed a dream of grocery store comparison shopping where avocados were only 66 cents?

2008-09-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I was walking down my quiet residential city street when I saw something unusual in the middle of the road up ahead. I am quite myopic so I thought perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. Curious, I walked up to it.

My suspicions were confirmed: it was a squirrel lying on its back with its legs in the air. This was a very dramatic pose, considering you find most dead rodents as squished roadkill. After conducting my own crime scene investigation it would appear that the squirrel attempted a jump from the branches of one tall oak to another but missed. Sometime after its death a bird must have pecked its eyes out because its cranial orifices were quite gory.

Strangely, although it had plummeted about twenty feet, the squirrel's body hadn't splattered. Any motorists who had driven this way had had the good sense to avoid the animal. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to a shovel or other implement to move the squirrel to the side of the road or dispose of it.

Fortunately, the majority of the time I leave my street by walking in the opposite direction so I don't have to pass it.

2008-09-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

I once read that

Plato fielded several myths of the self divided. In the Symposium, he has Aristophanes argues that "each of us bears like a flatfish, the traces of having been cut in two." Aristophanes' myth ascribes human sexuality to an earlier division, which has left each searching for that which would restore a lost wholeness.

-- Anne Norton, 95 Theses on Politics, Culture & Method.

2008-09-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

This evening was the first time I've really "missed" since I moved. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I'm almost certain that I'm priced out of being able to afford the flights necessary for me to spend Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his family. I was so excited yesterday, I had a happy swelling feeling inside of me when I thought I might be able to have a mini-weekend vacation at their lakeside home and spend time with them.

2008-09-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've never been terribly fond of the crusty end slices of a loaf of bread before (except those of a baguette). However, when I came home this afternoon and unwrapped my freshly-baked whole wheat loaf it just smelled so good. I picked the crusty first slice of this supple bread and ate it, dipping it into a cup of milk. Delicious!

2008-08-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

That was fast. It can't be more than two weeks ago that I noticed there was another Starbucks "Coming Soon" to my neighbourhood. In the last thirty hours it has tranformed from a drywall dust bowl to a coffee clone. This makes it the third in the neighborhood.

Not only is it a big cookie cutter purveyor of overpriced unpalatable drip coffee, but the intruder set up shop midway between two awesome independent cafés I frequent. There's no danger of it getting my business unless I get a gift card, in which case the money is already locked in and, being a student, the best price is free..

2008-08-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

I'm apparently turning into a little bit of a foodie. I just have to rave about the meal my boyfriend and I cooked last night!

On Thursday night he and I had jambalaya at pub on Commercial. As our dishes were garnished with two prawns each, it got us talking about how great they are and how we should eat more fish and seafood in general. We decided that we should make prawns the next time we cooked dinner together. Which takes us to last night..

Not only did my boyfriend pick us up two prawns each for dinner, but he also bought sablefish (both from the Quay!) We cooked the sablefish in a skillet with butter, garlic salt, pepper and parsley. For the prawns we just cooked them in butter and minced garlic. We rounded out our meal with two little red potatoes each, carrots and asparagus.

It was a most delicious and sastisfying meal!

2008-07-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

I was reading a piece about food the other day. The author argued that produce bought locally always tastes best and that we should try and eat what is locally grown rather than what is imported from around the world.

Later that day I found myself at a local chain grocery store. When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, I usually try to support small local grocers. However, on my way home from work I do stop here because of its convenience -- it's right next to the sky train sation. I tend to just pick up my staples: a stop at the deli, whole wheat bread and yogurt. Yet, as I walked into the store on Thursday I saw a display of beautiful nectarines. I had picked up some Okanagan nectarines two weeks prior and they had been succulent and delicious. These ones, however, were marked "Product of the USA," and were still hard because they'd been shipped on a semi truck before they were ripe. This disappointed me a little. I'd been excited about these delicious-looking nectarines. I picked a few up anyways, figuring they'd ripe and hope and be just as good.

The next stand I passed was stocked with clamshells of berries. Again, they were marked "Product of the USA," which upset me a little because strawberries are in season here in June and July so we don't need ones shipped from California. I looked in the produce section to see if they had any locally grown strawberries or nectarines. I was saddened to discover that they didn't, and had little to no fresh Canadian produce for sale. I was surprised because I seem to recall this chain store had advertisements not too long ago about how they sell fresh local produce.

The nectarines and strawberries were good. I brought some strawberries for lunch. While I was eating them, I remembered what this author said about locally grown foods. It is true. The Californian strawberries did not taste as good as the local ones -- especially not the six tiny strawberries I found and picked from the flower bed in my front yard!

I'm nowhere near ready to embark on the 100 mile diet, but I will try my best to buy fresh Canadian-grown produce. (Although my economically-minded boyfriend did point out that for reasons of proximity, it can make green sense to buy produce from Washington or Idaho.)

2008-07-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

I got home just in time.

I had met my friend Cynthia for dinner at this great sushi restaurant on Main. Because of the hot weather today, I wore my cute dress I bought in Victoria and didn't bring a cardigan.

We parted ways shortly before ten. Nightfall had crept over the city prematurely; the sky had become overcast. Despite this, it was still very humid. I walked home against the howling wind, an ordeal made more difficult as sand was blowing up from construction sites and I had to navigate closed sidewalks. I could smell the rain coming, and may have felt a drop here or there with five long blocks left. I hoped the clouds wouldn't crack until I had made it back. After connecting the final street lamp dots I made it up my back steps dry.

Subsequently, brushing my teeth I heard a sound. Looking out the bathroom window I saw steady, moderate rain dancing across the roof of the car parked in the driveway.

2008-06-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

This evening as I walked up my steps I noticed a box the patio table. I peeked inside and saw that there were four books in it. Of these, one was a book on career searching and development and one was on palmistry. An ironic pairing?

2008-06-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

Rest for the Weary is perhaps the most beautiful song I've ever heard played live.

[Update June 17, 2008]: Rest for the Weary was the CBC Radio 3 Track of the Day for June 9th.

2008-05-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

I've been in my sublet for almost one month now and started my job at the museum almost two weeks ago.

I've sublet a room in a three bedroom flat from a girl named Venessa. It reminds me of two summers ago. The other day my roommate was noticing the similarities between me and Venessa. Besides our names and both being brunette francophones, we both have similar blankets. She apparently used to have a tiger print blanket and I -- because it's been a rather chilly spring -- have an unfortunate fleece blanket with lion cubs on it over top of my white duvet. The similarities, so far, seem to end there.

I really like my place. It's big. Much better than the closet I looked at in the West End. It has a big turquoise kitchen with a blue formica table. The living room is also big. My room is big too and has hardwood floor.

My roommate(s) are great too. I had three, however, the two Australians moved out about ten days after I'd moved in. He's a geologist and she's a photographer. They went on an exploration trip for his company, after which they are going to travel for a number of months and then return to Australia. That room is currently vacant and I'm not sure who will fill it come June 1st. My other roommate is a francophone so we often speak french together.

Humans aren't the only sentient beings around the house though. There are also a few whimsical animals. One of the neighbours' cat, Sameson, frequently gets into the house. There is also Phyllis the pigeon, who built her nest in the rafters above our back steps. Her baby hatched a few days before I moved in, so when I arrived there were two halves of a hatched egg on the bottom step. The whimsy of having a pigeon roosting above our back steps causing sporadic hazards has worn off though. Until last week there was just Phyllis and her baby. Now there seems to be a daddy pigeon and another baby. I've been waiting patiently for them to move downtown, but they've overstayed their welcome. When the pigeons are out during the day, my roommate's boyfriend, Jeff, is going to nail a board over the ledge they're nesting on.

2008-05-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a weekend away with my boyfriend. We had originally planned to go to Seattle as a belated 21st birthday and our one-year anniversary trip, but we couldn't afford it. Instead we decided to go to Victoria.

I was a little apprehensive about going after being stranded on the (deserted) island last summer after a bomb threat caused all ferries to be cancelled. This time, however, was flawless, fantastic and relaxing. I was able to take a sympathetic view toward the city and enjoy it.

Victoria is sometimes called the land of the "newly wed and nearly dead." The lampost banners of matronly Queen Victoria's aren't really contributing the creation of a youthful atmosphere. I haven't yet seen this summer's Tourism Victoria campaign but last summer I saw some of these ads in the SkyTrain stations.

Stung by misconceptions of the provincial capital as a place where a fun time consists of counting blossoms and feeding the cat, Tourism Victoria launched a campaign to change the city's image.

We went on "off days" and avoided tourist areas thus our visit was fairly tranquil. Victoria is great for used CD, clothing, and vintage shopping. Although I was sad to see that the vintage store where I'd bought my Manchurian silk shirt a few years ago has turned toward selling new and American Apparel-like clothes.

This trip was all about relaxing, eating and drinking. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner where a jazz trio was playing and had one of the most intensely captivating conversations we've ever had. The next morning we met my friend David for breakfast at Mo:Lé and I had one of the most delicious omelettes I've ever had. Before we left, we went to my boyfriend's aunt and uncle's for lunch. They live in home in the countryside which overlooks a winery. We ate on their balcony and I was able to see lambs resting in a pasture.

What I realised on this trip to Victoria is that its small-city atmosphere would be lost if a bridge was built linking it to the mainland.

2008-04-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

I'm finally free and finished third year university. I'm so exhausted. I feel like it's been accumulating since last summer, with the soul-destroying job and shitty weather. I need this summer to be restful.

I think it will be, for the most part. I didn't work last school year. It was my first time being unemployed since I started working five years ago. I knew I wasn't going to work this school year so I set money aside last summer. It was a weird experience seeing it dwindle away, and now I'm broke.

Financial stresses aside, I have a great job lined up this summer. It's along the same lines as the Arts Centre job I had two summers ago. I'm really excited about it.

With hectic moving plans, scheduling and budgeting, I hope it's true that life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

2008-03-27T23:57:00.001-07:00

In 3 minutes I'll be 21 and legal around the world..

2008-03-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

The municipality responded to my crosswalk email quickly! The next day I received a response confirming that they'd received my email and were forwarding it to the appropriate person. This is the extent to which I expected to hear back from them. But when I got home I had a message asking me to call them back. I returned the call the next day and spoke with the Superintendent of Streets.

He explained to me that crosswalk lines are not just painted on. It's actually a special compound and it is too cold at the moment for them to apply it (maybe repaving the crosswalks at the start of winter was a silly idea then). "But isn't there tape?" he asked. I informed him that there were tapped on stop lines for the cars, but nothing for the crosswalks. So he said next time it was nice out he would have his crews tape down the crosswalks.

It was nice out the following day. So on my way to my bus stop mid-morning I noticed that they'd taped the crosswalks. Victory!

But they only taped down two of the four crosswalks at the four-way stop.

Oh well, I suppose. It's something at least and the sense of safety seems to have increased in response, i.e. cars are actually respecting pedestrians trying to cross!

[Update, Tuesday, March 18, 2008:] Monday morning the real crosswalk and stop lines were painted back on, thus ending the crosswalk saga.

2008-03-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

I just sent this letter to the municipal Engineering department, the Mayor and City Council:

In late October or early November I saw city workers repaving the four-way stop intersection of [Avenue] and [Street]. Temporary stop lines were painted but no temporary crosswalk lines were painted. This makes it extremely dangerous for pedestrians to cross the street, as cars seem to be less inclined to stop for people wanting to cross the street. Moreover, drivers seem to adhere less stringently to the four-way stop signs. This is a serious concern to me as I live in the neighbourhood and frequently need to use the crosswalks at this intersection.

It has been nearly six months since the crews have finished repaving this intersection. Would it be possible to paint the crosswalk lines soon? This is a grave matter of pedestrian safety.

Without re-painting the lines the job isn't done and it is unacceptable that it has taken this long to complete this task. A boy that lives nearby was hit by a car at this intersection a few years ago. A month ago I was crossing this intersection going Northwest when an elderly woman blew the stop sign heading Southeast (there are other issues with this).

The crosswalks in this community are dangerous because the drivers are inattentive. Further down this same street at the main intersection with a street lamp I've seen drivers making left-turns and nearly missing mothers pushing baby carriages (I've seen this happen more than once, the pedestrian had the right-of-way because the "walk" sign was illuminated). At this same intersection I've almost been hit by a car wanting to turn right when it was my turn to cross (the woman driving smiled and waved at me when she noticed me on the curb).

Another crosswalk just West of this one has had numerous accidents. There is debate over whether the crosswalk is poorly designed; the crosswalk is not at an intersection and is pedestrian-activated, but instead of a flashing green traffic light that turns red to stop traffic, amber lights simply flash "to increase motorists’ awareness of the presence of a pedestrian by improving their visibility to approaching traffic." However, I find that frequently drivers are in too much of a hurry. Instead of stopping to let the pedestrian cross, they try to save the 45 seconds it would otherwise take by speeding through.

Of course the lesson we learn as children to "stop and look both ways before crossing the street" is an important one, but pedestrian caution and awareness is only half of it and is not infallible. I guess I just feel that my odds of getting hit have been heightened.

2008-03-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

I noticed a problem with my previous commenting system which was not allowing people to post comments. I have switched back to Haloscan comments. I didn't want to lose any of the comments people had posted, so I copied and pasted them into the new comment boxes. So feel free to go back and post comments!

2008-01-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

I know capitalism is evil and all, but I felt pretty excited when I recognised this reference to Adam Smith in Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America:

I was so excited in fact, that I marked it in pencil in the library book -- something I don't think I've ever done before -- so that other, less keen readers would know.

It would take a lot of hardwork and pain for me to acquire the math skills necessary to become an economist. Even so, I entertain a fancy of economics. It's a great way to enrich one's analysis of society; it truly is a social science.

2008-01-28T00:28:00.000-08:00

I feel like a little boat
Trying hard to stay afloat.

2008-01-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help but feel a little bit like Chuck Palahniuk earlier today. My mom fell and hurt her left wrist so I took her to emergency to get it checked. Anticipating a lengthy wait, I brought my laptop and other materials I needed to work on a paper due tomorrow. Our worst suspicions were confirmed: its broken.

2008-01-17T22:06:00.001-08:00

As a public transit user I was very interested to hear more about the provincial government's new transit plan announced this week.

The major points of the plan are rapid bus lines (green), the Evergreen Line (#2), and the Millennium Line extension to UBC (#3).

I am in complete support of the Evergreen Line. I've traveled to the areas the it would service and the bus that it would replace is always full. People in that area take the bus and I think they deserve the Evergreen Line.

I am less keen on the extension to UBC. While I am not an economist (I've completed 100-level micro and macroeconomics courses), I am trying to figure out a cost-benefit analysis:

The 99B-line, which the extension would replace, is always full a peak hours. The experience is a bit like being herded into a cattle car. However, as it is an express bus it comes frequently so you never have to wait, and it only makes a few stops so you don't usually have to stand for too long. The trip from the university to Granville Street, where half the bus gets off to make connections, takes twenty minutes tops -- not too long to stand if necessary. I think it'd be rare where you would have to stand the whole way from the university to the last stop at Commercial Drive. The bus is always full because it is an efficient route and it works.

If a SkyTrain line were built, assuming it had the same number of stops West of Granville Street, I don't think the time saved would be that significant. To the end to Commercial Drive the trip is 40 minutes by bus, so SkyTrain would likely cut the trip time in half. However, this particular project is not the most pressing transit need. Moreover, if the motivation for this project is the inability to find a seat on the bus, I would definitely consider it unnecessary. It is my understanding that once the Canada Line is completed the 98B-line will be cancelled. These are the same types of buses as the 99B-line so they could just add buses. Although as Darren Peets argues, it is true that "for the 99 route, we’re going to get to a point when we just can’t add any more buses to Broadway."

My final point of resistance to the project would be a repeat of Cambie Street, as Stephen Rees explains. I would hope that businesses and residents of West Broadway oppose this expansion vociferously. I would hate to see my favourite coffee nook close down; it was closed for a long time after an oven fire last winter so I don't think it could survive the effects of SkyTrain construction.

The one real merit of the UBC extension would be the environmental benefits. As SkyTrain is electric, it is cleaner than buses. However, buses are greener than cars.

Finally, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who noticed that the transit plan ends the need for immediate highway expansion. Besides, didn't Mike Harcourt advise the Minister of Transportation to provide citizens who would otherwise use this new highway with viable transportation options first? Can unnecessary, irreversible highway expansion be stopped?

2008-01-07T19:51:00.001-08:00

I went to bed early last night. I was pretty tired from the day's events. About half an hour after I'd been sleeping my cell phone rang. However, because I was sleeping I didn't really want to talk to anyone so I let it go to voicemail.

I checked the message this morning, and I was absolutely shocked:

Hey sweetie it’s Anna. I’m actually just calling because you know I realise it’s a new term starting and the new year and I just really started to realise all the people I’ve basically just sort of forgotten about and been really bad about not talking to or getting in contact with or hanging out with and you were top of the list. So just give me a call, give me a call back. I want to figure out what your schedule is. I definitely just want to meet up with you and we’ll go for coffee or something and see how things are. So yeah, give me a call sometime. Bye.

It sounded really heartfelt. I was really broken up about our friendship falling apart. We were best friends in high school despite going to different schools. When I started first year university, she took a year off to work in England. I got a job and saved up to fly out to see her. Though we hadn't been able to talk often, when I got to England it was like nothing had changed. It was an amazing trip. When she came back in August we spent a lot of time together again. Shortly after we had a fight. Things were smoothed over, and I saw her a couple times at the start of the academic year, but ultimately we grew apart. I know that things like this happen, but I was pretty torn up nevertheless. Eventually I gave up trying to connect with her because it was too draining. I figured if she came around, I'd still be here willing to have her back.

Last night's call was totally unexpected. I really hope we can go for coffee and try and pick up where we left off, or simply just begin again. What a nice new year's surprise.

2007-12-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

I did what was basically my Boxing Day shopping today. I haven't gone Boxing Day shopping in a few years. I've had to work the past few. But as a shopper, the deals just don't seem to be as good as they once were, and really, malls have pretty much lost any appeal to me.

However, I had a credit note from a former employer that was nearing expiration. Knowing that store policy would allow me to receive a price adjustment up to fourteen days after my purchase, and being a poor university student, I decided to brave the last minute Christmas shopping crowds.

2007-12-17T23:07:00.001-08:00

I was quite happy to receive this early Christmas gift from local band Said the Whale, their West Coast Christmas EP available to download for free from their website.

I like dreaming of white Christmases as much as the next person; and when snow flakes start to fall, such as they did last year, I encouraged Mother Nature by playing Dean Martin's Let It Snow on repeat; but ultimately, living on West Coast I don't feel I can relate to most traditional carols about winter-white Christmases. So with lyrics such as "Here comes the rain, must be Christmas again on the West Coast," their song Christmas Under the Clouds excited me. Thus my appreciation for this Said the Whale song.

With less-is-more piano, Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester evoke images of a dreary, grey landscape. The song crescendos to an angsty Christmas wish, but thankfully it stays at just that. Untinged by a Kermit-the-Frog-esque vocal slip, the song then leads into a beautiful rendition of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

Anybody having spent a Christmas on the West Coast will be able to relate to this song. However, don't let the gloomy and drepressing weather get to you: grab a cup of hot chocolate, curl up by the fire and let visions of sugar plums dance in your heads.

2007-12-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a photo of these yummy colourful raviolis we had for dinner Friday. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture before covering them with sauce:

We bought these pink-and-yellow, orange-and-yellow, and red-and-green squash and cheese-stuffed pastas at the Italian delicatessen at the Quay Market. The Quay Market is suprisingly affoardable compared to the Granville Island Public Market. I don't think people realise this, which is probably why it isn't busier than it is.

2007-11-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

I call it Corporate Whore Coffee Co. and endeavour to support smaller independent coffee shops. However, as a poor student I will make use of a free gift certificate, especially in light of the fact that Corporate Whore Coffee Co. is the only establishment offering me respite from the cold while I wait for the bus home from my night class Wednesday evenings.

Yesterday morning the situation that led me to order their mediocre drip coffe was slightly different. Having woken up early to go volunteer, I needed help easing into full consciousness, and decided to use said gift certificate. Drowned in milk, my tall medium roast was more palatable that I remember their dark roast being.

Never really impressed in the first place with the philosophising that adorns the side of their cups, I found this one by Madeleine Albright particularly shocking (forgive the poor quality camera-phone photo):

Upon further inquiry, I see how the decontextualisation of the phrase is what created schock value for me. It also made me reflect on my choice of volunteer organisation..

2007-10-03T00:15:00.000-07:00

"'Cause this call costs a fortune and it's late where you live."

2007-09-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

On my way to class Friday afternoon I saw a man flying a kite in the park. Returning home that evening I saw it tangled in the telephone wires.

Flying a kite seems like such an innocent and care-free passtime, it's desparing to see it on my way to and from the bus stop.

2007-09-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised that celebrity entertainment blog Perez Hilton hit so close to home. I'd never visited the blog before, as I like to stay as out of touch with celebrity gossip as possible, and only found out because I was checking out the details for their show on their myspace. Good for them!

2007-09-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today I was initiated to a staple for anyone in the habit of partaking in the ritual of all-day breakfast. A loud jukebox fills the atmosphere framed by bright yellow walls adorned with movie posters, the only "good one" being for Kill Bill (the others are for movies like Dude Where's My Car?, and Like Mike 2). While waiting to be seated, Boy warned me that the staff were larger-than life, like cartoon characters... such as "The Captain": an older gentleman donning a police officer's costume, who serves the patron's their coffee with a song but is not actually an employee. He is so happy and pleasant, I completely appreciate him! Though I only had one drink last night, I expect that he is a ray of sunshine in many a hungover twenty-something's day.

2007-07-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

Despite the obstacles, Hayley and I supported business along the Canada Line, and saw John Travolta in drag at the Park Theatre. The primary reason we chose the Park was the show time. The added bonus was being able to get admission and a fountain drink for less than the cost of a larger chain theatre's price of admission.

2007-07-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

As a public transit user, I was very impressed with the Underground and Metro when I was in London and Paris last summer. I felt that the expansive Underground and Metro systems were very useful and something to which our system could aspire. When I returned I, like anyone who has just arrived back in town after some time spent in Europe, had some new insights regarding our local system.

Construction of Canada Line has been problematic since before its start. In addition to the hardships borne by the Cambie Street merchants and residents, the Canada Line has been opposed by the communities of South Delta and White Rock who will lose their direct bus service to the city centre so TransLink can meet its 50,000 riders per day quota as part of its agreement to meet requirements for government funding.

Although our counterpart, SkyTrain, need not be as extensive as the Underground's twelve lines, I feel that in spite of all the trouble the Canada Line has incited in its construction, it will ultimately be beneficial to our public transportation system.

2007-07-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

My Friday the Thirteenth was not particularly unlucky. My boyfriend picked me up at work and gave me these:

2007-07-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to see Neville Chamberlain's words used in the context of a reconciliation between Chantal Kreviazuk and Avril Lavigne gracing the head of The Sun's Arts & Life section yesterday. No matter how badly this dispute could have shaken the music industry, I can hardly believe that it would be on par with the Munich Agreement that was supposed to guarantee against war with Hitler. I didn't hold The Sun in high regard before this, so I can only hope this headline was chosen ironically to point out the stupidity of celebrity journalism.

2007-05-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

mis·no·mer n.

1. An error in naming a person or place.
2.

a. Application of a wrong name.

b. A name wrongly or unsuitably applied to a person or an object.

mis·nomered adj.

Rather than make the mistake, I've used it as the title.