Kristi's Thrilling Life

Top 10 Things I will NOT miss about Vancouver

2012-02-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

*Warning - this post contains six years of pent up frustration and most likely a high amount of sarcasm. Ranting will be involved. This post is not for the sensitive soul and might offend. Or you might nod and laugh in agreement. I'm hoping it's the latter.

After writing my last post on The Top 10 Things I'll Miss About Vancouver and realizing how much I'm going to miss my beautiful city, my wise sister recommended I should write the next list soon in order to get excited for my travels. So, here it goes. I apologize in advance to any hard-core Vancouver lovers out there, but, as we all know...there will always be things that drive you insane about the city you live in. Thinking about them in the weeks leading up to leaving for a year seems to be a good plan.

1. Crowded buses/sky trains and bad transit habits (and yes, I realize I'll be riding transit in Europe but I'm hoping it's maybe not quite as annoying). Particularly riding the 99 B-line in rush hour. Riding pretty much any crowded bus in Vancouver in rush hour is no fun, but there is just something extra special about the number of students on the 99 who leave their backpacks on, don't care when they smash into you and seriously people....move to the back of the damn bus. Is it really that hard? Also, sitting on the outside seat and making me squeeze past you..not okay. Eating your onion-garlic beef burger on the bus next to me....not okay. Passing your potentially lethal virus on to the whole bus well....thanks for that. At least the hospital is along the 99 route. And seriously twenty year old guy at the front...get up and move your a$$ so that old lady can sit down. We know you can read the signs about it. We see you texting on your iphone. You must be somewhat literate. And I just have to say it one more time..."MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS!" Sorry, a little bus rage came out there.

2. Paying the equivalent of about ten gym memberships a month for groceries. Okay, so I spent three years living in the lovely, but ridiculously expensive neighbourhood of South Granville, but I still could never get over the fact that I would go to buy maybe five items from the grocery store and never spend less than $40. For a city that has so many health conscious people, they sure make it hard to eat healthy, organic, local food and hormone-free meat on a budget.

3. Rain, rain, grey, more rain, some more grey, light drizzle, downpour, hail storm followed by rain. Grey....um...getting the picture? Okay, so I realize that I'm moving to a rainy city in Germany so I might have the same complaint there, but seriously, there are days in Vancouver where I feel I need an IV of sunshine hooked up to my arm 24-7.

4. "No fun city". Yes, there is a reason Vancouver has this glorious title. Ever gone out clubbing on the weekends? Well, if you're lucky you might find a club that stays open until 3am, but guess what...the sky train stopped running at 1:30! So, you can find a 24-hour Tim Horton's (let the good times roll), or dish out about $30 to get home in your cab. So, your night out just cost you another two months of gym membership. Go Vancouver. Also, one of my favourite moments was being charged full cover when I arrived at a club at 8:50pm. Woot! Did I mention all the outdated liquor laws too? Maybe that's another rant.

5. Warning, this might be a sensitive one. In Canada, and especially Vancouver (and the lower mainland) we love to promote ourselves as a multicultural city where everyone gets along and holds hands and has multicultural potlucks every weekend and sings Kumbaya. Truth be told, we do have cultural ghettos, so to speak, right here in Vancouver. We have racism too. We live in a city where lines divide us by language, cultural misunderstandings, geography and ignorance. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all carry grudges against certain cultural groups and vice versa. As an ethnomusicologist I am hard on myself when I feel any such feelings come up, but they do exist. Stereotypes exist for a reason, as they say. The whole cultural landscape of Vancouver is changing at a rapid pace. Values change as certain cultural groups dominate. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next thirty years. I realize that Europe is much worse for cultural division and racism, but it is something that is always on my mind in Vancouver.

6. Congratulations Vancouver you are now the 2nd most expensive place to buy real estate in the WHOLE WORLD!! Somebody buy a cake for this city, cause we should be proud. Alright, I realize there are reasons it's an expensive place...look at those mountains....look at that ocean! But for a 30-something educated, single career gal trying to make it in this city there is no way I could possibly afford to buy even a 1 bedroom condo in Surrey. That is saying something. Some of my favourite moments (heavy sarcasm) are hearing my friends, colleagues, people on the street, say things like "Wow, I found this amazing listing on MLS...a 3 bedroom condo in East Van for only $650,000"! When did over half a million dollars become reasonable for a condo? This housing crisis in Vancouver is not going away anytime soon and it worries me to see what will happen and if foreign investors will end up taking over the city. Only time will tell....and as for us young singles and young families...we may just have to move away or rent forever.

This fixer upper is on the market for a mere 3.95 million.

7. Hockey fans don't hate me, but ....The Vancouver Canucks have to be on my list. Seriously, last year's loss in the long hoped for Stanley Cup trophy was a crushing blow to this entire city. I don't think I saw a Canucks shirt on anyone for a good six months. I only hesitantly started wearing mine again recently. Okay, so losing a hockey series should not be such a big deal, right? But it's pretty depressing when your team has never, ever won the Stanley Cup (under their current name anyway) and yet they keep charging an arm and a leg (and maybe some severed feet...sorry, couldn't help myself) for tickets. And then to follow up with the disgusting riots afterwards? I remember sitting in a pub in Kits after the game was over, seeing the riots on the news and I don't think I could fully believe that this was going on in my city. What a bunch of spoiled, moronic, ignorant, drunken idiots. Yeah, I was upset they lost, but get a life. Seriously. Oh and did winning the Grey Cup make up for the loss some people asked? I want to thwack them with a hockey stick. You know better than that silly football fan (no offense to those who like football, but really...there's no comparison).

8. Yoga pants should NOT ever be worn as actual clothing. Going to or from yoga? Yes, wear your yoga pants. I do! Hanging out at home and doing dishes? Sure, wear them all you want! Going downtown to go shopping with friends? No, do not wear yoga pants and please for heaven's sake burn the Ugg boots. And while you're at it, leave your miniature poodle at home and not in your purse. Better yet, leave your miniature poodle in Antarctica. If we're lucky the penguins will get it. So, I didn't post a photo of the pants...you all know the look. I thought that was kind of me. But here's the dog for good measure.

9. Vancouver men out there, please don't hate me for this one, but it is what it is (and yes, I realize there are some diamonds in the rough). We are all probably familiar now with the article "Do Vancouver men suck?" Having dated in this city for the last six years I can attest to this. Every single guy I've dated here has not actually been from Vancouver, true story. So, if you want to date in Vancouver, sure there are some fantastic men out there, but chances are, they aren't from Vancouver. Do Vancouver men suck? And if so, why? It's a question that my single gal friends and I have been trying to figure out for years. Is it just too laid back here? Is the yoga pant dress code lowering our standards? Is it the no-fun city attitude? The depression that the Canucks cause? I really don't know. All I know is that finding great Vancouver guys to date is kind of like finding cheap and good quality groceries in this city....you know they're out there somewhere, you've heard about friends who found them, but no one seems to know where to go to get them.

10. I had to leave one of the most pressing issues for last and that's of course the homeless problem in Vancouver. It's not just the amount of homelessness, but the amount of mentally unstable homeless people who are not being cared for, are wandering the streets and are a danger to themselves and the people around them. I even had an incident this week with one, involving the police. Although I felt good protecting myself, my heart kind of broke when I saw this mentally unstable, drunk, homeless guy with hand cuffs on. There is something seriously wrong with this picture. We live in one of the richest and best countries in the world. People coming from India and other third world countries must be shocked to see the downtown East Side when they arrive. It's not okay. Things have not improved and they only seem to be getting worse. I remember once when a very drunk homeless First Nations man climbed onto the bike rack of the 99 B-line. The entire bus, including the bus driver just kind of froze. It was like this man was making a stand, but he had no real power other than to stop the bus for a few minutes. If I could change anything about Vancouver it would be this. We need better social services, better rehab programs, more education programs for those on the fringe of society. We call ourselves a first world country....it's time to act like it.

Wow, that was pretty satisfying. I may have to write both of these top 10 lists for Hamburg at the end of my time there. Let me know some of your biggest Vancouver pet peeves in the comments. I'd love to hear them. :) Congrats if you read all the way through!

Top 10 things I'm going to miss about Vancouver

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

As I come closer to leaving Vancouver for a year I can't help thinking about everything I will leave behind (as excited as I am for new adventures and a new place) and so I thought I would do a short post on the top 10 things I will most miss about Vancouver, since you know, it's not the worst place to live ;) Now the question is...should I do a "Top 10 things I'm NOT going to miss about Vancouver list?" ;)

1. Seeing the snow capped mountains everywhere I go on a perfect, clear sunny day.

2. The smell of the ocean as I bike along the beach at Jericho.

3. Tasty, fresh and cheap sushi.

My Italian cousin, Nicola and I sampling some of the best sushi and yes, I am wearing my "You have died of dysentery t-shirt".

4. That perfect clean, crisp BC air. (Not really sure how you portray air in a photo...)
5. Hiking the mountains and the grouse grind (yes I actually will miss the grouse grind!)

The Chief

View from Grouse Mountain

6. Being able to choose from pretty much any ethnic food group when I go out for dinner. (here I am drinking Guaraná at the Brazilian Festival this summer...okay, so it's not food...but hey, it was ethnic and yummy)

7. Watching people love/hate the Canucks/Luongo on a daily basis (including myself).

I hate Luongo.

I love Luongo!

8. Knowing the arts & culture scene like the back of my hand.

9. The cherry blossoms.

10. Being somewhere where everybody knows my name and they're always glad I came, in other words - ALL my peeps in Van and on Van Island. Especially these two girls in particular.

Me and adorable little girl I will miss #1.

Me and adorable little girl I will miss #2.

My 101 List comes to an end

2012-01-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

A few years back I took up the challenge of creating a list of 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days. It was very fun and exciting at the start, but as I progressed through it I realized that perhaps some of the goals were A)Not fun enough and B) Too ambitious. It was a great motivator to do things that I'd been putting off for a while, but if I were to do it again I would add more wacky and weird things like Dean did (I will never forget his "Make a pie out of whatever ingredients I can find" goal....that was just plain disgusting)! I am brainstorming a new type of fun list of goals for when I'm in Europe which I can blog about. Anyone have any ideas?

My final total of completed goals was 51/101. At least I passed....just barely. ;)

Why travel?

2012-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

"Glorious it is when wandering time has come." -Eskimo song

There's been a question a lot of people have been asking me lately and something I've been thinking about as well and it's this: "Why do you want to leave your job, family, friends and life here and live abroad for a year?" I realize that there are some people who have no desire to travel or live in a foreign place, we all have different paths and desires after all, but that has never been me ;). From as early as I can remember I have wanted to explore. I have had that call to distant lands, that urge to jump out of my comfort zone and be transported to another world. You don't always have to go far to experience this. Just driving across Canada was an eye opening experience for me (and yes, Canada is huge so it is far I realize ;). I've lived abroad twice now, both times in the UK and both were very unique and life changing experiences. This time I wanted to live somewhere where I had to learn a new language. My passions in life are music, culture and languages and I have always wanted to live somewhere where I would be forced to learn a new language.

So what is it about travel, about living in a foreign culture that calls to me so much? My mom gave me a wonderful book a few years back by Phil Cousineau called "The Art of Pilgrimage" and its beautiful words tap deep into the traveler's psyche. As he says, "A pilgrimage is an opportunity to reconnect with your soul" (p. 87). Maybe living for a year in another country is not exactly a pilgrimage, but I'd like to think it is a type of soul journey for me (and sure I could even throw some soul music in for good measure.)

There is something so raw about being thrown away from all you are used to, forced to make a life for yourself somewhere new where, in general, nobody knows you and every day there is a good chance you'll feel awkward and uncomfortable or say something embarrassing (well, I do this at home all the time anyway so that's not too new for me ;). You could say that about living just about anywhere else, but throw in a new culture and country and it brings the challenges and joys to a new height. My friend Janet told me a while back that the thing about living abroad is is that your highs are higher and your lows are lower, but I haven't met a single person who has ever regretted the experience.

It's not an easy thing to leave your loving family (particularly your ridiculously cute nieces) and amazing friends back home, but there is also nothing like the thrill you get from connecting to a foreign land and people. Also, lucky for me I have some wonderful friends and family already in Europe. I will never forget standing on the edge of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and feeling the pull of that stunning scenery or even just walking to and from work when I lived in Winchester, England and being steeped in history. Maybe it has something to do with my European mixed breeding, but I often feel a pull to all my countries of origin - Italy, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, England etc. There is something about being in the place where your ancestors came from that makes you feel even more like you.

I think we've all felt different calls in our life, whether it is for a certain career, education, activity, person...and of course location. It's usually only after we've been there for a while, or even come back home that we truly know why we went. So pretty soon I'll be off and if nothing else, I'll have some good stories to tell. ;)

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

The German consulate - efficiency and an ocean view

2012-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Germany for the win! I have a work visa!

As you may have read in my last blog post on bureaucracy I was about ready to cry after my experience at the Italian consulate. I decided to take a look at what other countries had to offer and since my cousin Greg had been touting all of Germany's many wonderful benefits I decided to look into it. For any Canadians out there from 18-35 years old Germany and Canada now have an agreement called the "Youth Mobility Agreement" which encourages young Canadians to have a cultural work experience in Germany. There are a few different types and the website states that:

Under the YMA, the German Foreign Missions may issue a visa to the following individuals:

-young Canadians interested in work and travel during their stay in Germany
-young Canadians who wish to do an internship
-Canadian post-secondary students
-young professionals

It's free of charge to apply for it and lasts for an entire year. The major requirements other than age are that you have to have full travel and health insurance paid for before you even apply for the visa for an entire year and a one way ticket booked (although they didn't even check for this at the consulate.)

So I really had no idea what to expect when I made my appointment for the consulate. I went it with a binder full of paper work...proof of everything under the sun including a three times revised letter of invitation from my cousin. I was ready for anything.

My appointment at the beautiful German consulate in downtown Vancouver was scheduled for 11:00am. I arrived exactly on time and was out of there in eight minutes flat. The visa officer was warm and friendly, even commenting on my German middle name (my mom's maiden name). She took my application, looked at my health insurance, quickly peeked at my passport and then said, "You can pick up your visa tomorrow morning." I just looked at her for a moment dumbfounded and replied, "I'm sorry? What? That's it? Tomorrow?" She smiled and nodded and said, "Yes, it's our easiest visa." She didn't even look at the flights I had painstakingly booked, my letter of invite, my financial records...nope. I was in. Apparently Germans love Canadians. So far so good anyway. I glanced around the immaculate, peaceful consulate which has stunning views of the mountains and ocean and almost laughed. What a difference from the Italian consulate. Now if I could only import Italian food and language into Germany...hmmm.

About a week later (since I couldn't come in any earlier) I went to the consulate to pick up my passport and visa and once again was out of there in eight minutes flat. Since eight has always been my lucky number (with my birth date of eights) I figure this is a good sign.

So, with passport and visa in hand I can now work legally in Germany as of March 12th, 2012 in any job I can get (which may be slightly limited due to my current lack of German skills...hey at least I can say "I don't understand" and "I bring you new sacrifices" in German...) other than au-pair work (they apparently don't want us English speakers coming in and corrupting German kids with our North American English) and starting my own business.

Anyways, visa and paperwork may not be the most scintillating of topics, but I tell ya, when your life plans are in the hands of some bureaucrat in an office, you suddenly care...a lot.

Eruope....here I come! Are you ready for me? :)

Bureaucracy - as complicated as its spelling.

2011-12-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

Is it just a coincidence that the word "Bureaucracy" kind of translates roughly as "Office-crazy" as in "Office" in French and almost the word "Crazy" in English? I think that about sums it up. As of February 16th, 2012 I will be on a one year leave of absence from my job at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC and will be jetting off to live and work in Europe - mainly Germany and possibly a bit of a stint in Italy as well. My initial dream was of Italy....but then I experienced the world of Italian bureaucracy first hand and finally started to understand why Italians are famous for it.

I wanted to apply for the working holiday visa for 18-35 year old Canadians to work and travel in Italy (I highly recommend it if you are only going for a max. of 6 months). When I realized I would be going for a year I thought there may be a way around this. I decided to take a day off work to go to the Italian consulate since they didn't respond to any of my questions via email and didn't pick up their phones. When I arrived downtown Vancouver at the Italian consulate there were no signs directing you anywhere so I asked a random man where to go and he told me visas were the 7th floor but that I needed an appointment. I just smiled and nodded. Turns out he was working the reception desk there and had the strangest Italian accent I've ever heard. So I ask the woman at the reception desk if I can talk to the visa officer and once again she tells me I need an appointment to which I tell her that it doesn't say that anywhere on the website and no one responded to my inquiries. Finally she sighs and tells me to wait until after these other women are served and then she'll allow me to talk to the visa officer. I could tell she was less than impressed with me so far. After an hour of helping one person I finally get to talk to the visa guy. He told me he remembered getting my email but that the email didn't work when he replied. I just laughed to myself because my whole email address is in Italian...it would be pretty hard for him to mess it up. Anyways, he told me that the visa is only for 6 months for all of Europe and that I'd have to leave Europe immediately after 6 months and have all my return flights booked in advance. Then he proceeded to tell me that the only way to stay longer would be to have an Italian employer offer me work, then I would have to return to Canada, apply for an Italian work permit and only then could I go back. Also upon arriving in Italy I would need to register with a city within the first 8 days and I still haven't been able to figure out if you have to stay in that city or if you are allowed to live elsewhere. The website says a different thing than he did, naturally. I have to say it was quite fascinating watching the various characters come into the consulate and chat about their personal lives in front of everyone (divorces, home ownership in Italy, and lots more). I could understand bits and pieces of it anyway.

Needless to say I realized that this was not a very likely scenario (getting a job offer and returning to Canada to apply for a permit, that is). Senore visa officer (who was actually very nice but not very informative) vaguely answered a few other questions which contradicted most of the information I got from the website again and then I sadly kind of gave up on the Italian visa idea. I still hope to possibly study Italian or work some English immersion summer camps in Italy (which don't require a visa), but we shall see. If nothing else, I will visit and eat good food and see my relatives and hopefully bask for a little while under the lovely Tuscan sun, see the magnificent David again in Firenze and of course enjoy the world's most beautiful language (in my humble opinion :).

The other factor in my decision of course is the state of the Italian economy right now...I think I'm starting to understand why it is the way it is. I decided to look into a visa for Germany (since my wonderful cousin Greg loves it there so much!)....and that will be my next blog post.

6. Go back to Hawaii or somewhere tropical or "Top 10 reason I love Hawaii"

2011-09-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Aloha! Well, as my 101 list comes to an end this month I thought I should catch up with a few things that I actually did manage to do recently. One of which was to go back to Hawaii this past winter with my friend Michelle! I know that everyone who has been to Hawaii says they love Hawaii and it seems like such a typical tropical destination but here's the secret - it really is the most amazingly awesome place. I have only been to the island of Oahu, but I do plan on visiting other islands next time, but still I feel like I can speak for the general qualities that make this one of my favourite places.

Here is my top 10 list of reason I love this place -

1. People actually greet each other with Aloha and mean it.
2. People will give you the hang loose sign and mean it.
3. Despite the constant inundation of tourists year long locals remain friendly and welcoming to tourists (well at least all the ones that I encountered.)
4. The temperature fluctuates between perfectly warm and slightly warmer all year round.
5. The water is amazing and you can stay in it for hours.
6. There is a constant smell of flowers and other lush things in the air.
7. There are so many types of tropical fruit fresh and ready to be eaten all year round.
8. You can't help but be laid back, relaxed and just completely chill when you're there. It's practically the law.
9. You can wear whatever you want and no one will blink an eye (for example men actually wear Hawaiin shirts there as office clothing.)
10. You are guaranteed to always get "leid". (couldn't help myself ;)

Next stop....Maui! :)

Shooting with my new Canon Powershot G12

2011-08-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

After a few years of being frustrated with the slow shutter speed of my camera I finally got a new one and I'm loving it so far! It's the Canon Powershot G12 with 10 Megapixel resolution, a 5 x zoom and all sorts of cool gadgets including high definition video shooting. I've been having tons of fun with it lately and here are some of the shots I've taken so far. I think my buried photography passion is rising to the surface again! :)

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Anniversary

2011-02-12T11:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Olympic Anniversary! Was it really a year ago today that the torch was lit and the rockin' street party in Vancouver began? What a wonderful month it was in this city. The constant sea of red and white on the streets, the incredible Canadian spirit, finally winning so many gold medals in our own contry, the incredible athletes, the free live music everywhere in the city and of course the final Gold medal hockey game. It was the highlight of 2010 for me and I feel proud to have been living in the host city. There were ups and downs, from the death of the Georgian luger to the embarrassing incident in the opening ceremonies where the arm of the cauldron wouldn't rise, to my own experience with hypothermia up at Cypress, but overall it was an amazing event. Here are a few photos from those incredible weeks.

87. Try 12 New Recipes a Year

2011-01-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

I originally set a goal to try 12 new recipes a year, but in 2009 I more than doubled that and in 2010 I tried 36 new recipes. I guess you could say I have discovered a passion for the culinary arts! Here is the list of new recipes that I tried with my star rating (5 stars being the best). Many of these recipes I adapted in my own way so I may do more posts on individual recipes, but for now here is the full list.

1. "Livin' on the Vedge": Roasted Veggies with Lemon Couscous from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry***
2. Lemon-blueberry Muffins (used chocolate chips instead of blueberries) from Cooking Light.***
3. One Bowl Brownies from allrecipes.com. I made these for my co-worker's birthday and they were so delicious that she told me I should go into catering. I think she was just high on the chocolate and sugar. I added chocolate chips as well in order to make them triple chocolate. :) *****
4. Rasta Pasta from allrecipes.com. ****
5. Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins from allrecipes.com. ***
6. Garlic Potato Wedges from allrecipes.com. ***
7. Peruvian Chicken Braise from Chatelaine.****
8. Roast Chicken - a variety of recipes including allrecipes.com and lots of tips from friends. I'll do a separate post about this one!****
9. Baked Salmon Fillet - recipe from Genevieve! May do another post about this one too.****
10. Three Bean Veggie Chili from Chatelaine Magazine. **
11. Sweet and Sour Indian Veggie Stew from Chatelaine. ***
12. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins from allrecipes.com. ***
13. Key Lime Pie VII from allrecipes.com. Did not turn out! Must try to make kep lime pie again! *
14. Mediterranean Quinoa from allrecipes.com. ** Was a bit too watery!
15. Spicy Chicken Fried Rice from Chatelaine Magazine. Yummy! ****
16. Red Thai Curry - combination of Holly's recipe, package instructions and my own inventions.****
17. Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting from Smitten Kitchen. Can you say the most amazing cake ever? Here it is! *****
18. Classic Banana Bread from Cooking Light. ***
19. Roasted-potato, Red Pepper and Chorizo Hash from Chatelaine. My favourite hash browns ever! ***** The sausage is optional.
20. Tuna Noodle Casserole from Cooking Light. I adapted this a bit, but overall it's a great recipe. The perfect comfort meal! ****
21. Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint from Smitten Kitchen. First time using harissa...scrumptious! ****
22. Bruschetta I from allrecipes.com. ****
23. Congo Bars from bakerella.com. Basically the cake version of chocolate chip cookies. ***
24. Lemon Loaf Cake from allrecipes.com. ***
25. Holly's Banana Bars from Holly...not sure where she got the recipe but it is AMAZING! May have to blog about this one too! *****
26. Classic Cheesecake from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. ***
27. Apple-Blackberry Pie - combination of allrecipes.com and my Dad's pie crust.***
28. Peach Crisp from Chatelaine.***
29. Chicken Cacciatore from allrecipes.com. ***
30. Peanut Butter Banana Bread from Chatelaine Magazine.
31. Parmesan Chicken from allrecipes.com. **1/2
32. Melt in Your Mouth Afghan Cookies from Afghan Cooking Unveiled. The baking temperature was far too high (should be more like 325) so I burned some of them, but they still were delicious! ****
33. Dark Chocolate Orange Cake from myrecipes.com. This is a tricky recipe...it was yummy, but didn't turn out quite right. ***
34. Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting from allrecipes.com. ****
35. Chew Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies from Chatelaine. This recipe was also a bit tricky and many of the cookies burned, but they were still delicious. ***
36. Black and White Striped Cheesecake from Tomato Fresh Food Cafe's Cookbook "As Fresh as it Gets"

Eastern Autumn

2010-10-16T07:52:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I flew to Ottawa to visit Munir for thanksgiving and got to experience a little bit of that Eastern autumn that people rave about. I remember how pretty it was in New Brunswick in the fall, but I've heard that Ontario is even better. The days were sunny and crisp and the leaves were slowly changing to golden. We went for a day trip to Montreal and then on our last day ventured into Gatineau Park over the bridge in Quebec. Apparently we weren't the only ones with this idea! We did manage to find a gorgeous little spot in the sun hidden from people where we soaked up the sunshine, played cards and enjoyed the golden forest. Any other time of the year I would rather be on the West Coast for the most part, but it's hard to beat those gorgeous fall days out East.

30 Things I know at 30

2010-08-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Just recently I celebrated the big 3-0. I was a bit freaked out the week before, but as I got closer to the birthday I realized that hey, I've done a lot, I've learned a lot and it's been a blast. I thought I'd share some of my little tidbits of wisdom (or something like it) for your enjoyment. And 12 years later, I still stick to this Mark Twain quote, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

1. Travel is addictive and wonderful and throws you out of your comfort zone. Do it.

2. Being an aunt rocks. I've been lucky enough to be the one and only aunt (well, by blood anyway!) to a most amazing niece for the past 3 years. It's even better than puppies and chocolate. Really.

3. You really do get better looking with age. Compare and contrast.

4. I love school. And yes, I am a bit of a nerd.

5. I can travel all by myself. And not get lost. Who knew?

6. Frolicking is always a good idea.

7. Learn how to say no, and learn to be okay with it.

8. Sometimes you just need a good cry.

9. I love to cook. I love to bake. I love to cook and bake for people.

10. Every adult is really a kid at heart.

11. I have an amazing family. We can laugh together. We not only love each other, but like each other.

12. I am competitive. Sports, biking, card playing...you name it. I like to win and I don't like to lose.

13. Everyone should have to work in customer service at some point.

14. Sticking your hand up a dead chicken's butt is gross. But the end result is good.

15. I will never get tired of watching Friends re-runs.

16. Sometimes you should have dreams like "I want to be a tennis player and have a pink racket and pink shoes".

17. Wearing a sombrero is often a good idea.

18. If you need to feel good (and there are no nieces around), hold a puppy.

19. Drumming is great stress relief. And so is making music in general. And so is hitting people with clarinets.

20. There are jobs in music other than teaching and performing.

21. Speeding down a huge hill on your bike never gets old.

22. Love truly is grand.

23. Life is much better when you have good friends to share it with.

24. Paying the equivalent of a dinner out for a 6 minute helicopter ride is worth the money.

25. Feat is not a musician. But apparently Little Feat is.

26. I am, and always will be an Olympic Super Fan.

27. People really do say Aloha in Hawaii and wear Hawaiin shirts.

28. British Cadbury's Chocolate is better than Canadian Cabury's Chocolate.

29. A beached whale is really stinky.

30. There is nothing like the high you get from climbing a mountain.

95. Make a Cheesecake

2010-08-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

Although I have baked many things in my life, for some reason cheesecake was not one of them until recently. Thank goodness that has now changed. I just never realized how simple it is. I adapted a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens for Cheesecake Supreme because it had the shortest chilling time and Holly, Dean, Sophie and I really wanted to eat cheesecake that evening. But, I would recommend chilling cheescake overnight...it's even better the next day. I did wimp out a bit and buy a graham crust, but next time I will make that from scratch too. I then made a chocolate peanut butter glaze that I stole from the most amazing chocolate peanut butter cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen. It turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself.

9. Go 5 places I've never been before

2010-07-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's surprisingly easy to go 5 places you've never been before. I mean, technically I could just walk down a different street one day, or try a new restaurant, but I decided to be a little more adventurous than that. Here are 5 new places I've visited:

1. Los Angeles, California.
This past October I went to an Arts Marketing Conference in LA and was surprised to find that I actually really enjoy the city. We stayed in the financial district, which also happens to be the cultural district where the Walt Disney Hall is situated. This incredible building was designed by Frank Gehry and finished in 2003. On one of my last night's there I was able to find last minute tickets to see the new 28 year old Venezuelan conductor of the LA Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel conduct his inaugral performance in the hall and it was amazing. I didn't even end up going to Hollywood, but other than the pollution and traffic I actually found LA quite friendly and cultural. I would go back for sure!

2. Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver
I had a day off in the spring and Munir and I decided to venture out to Lighthouse Park in lovely West Vancouver. It was a perfect, sunny day and we thoroughly enjoyed our little venture out to the lighthouse, but were disappointed to learn that a fence surrounds the entire lighthouse so you can't actually get near it. Still, the park is worth a visit.

3. Revelstoke National Park, BC
Although I have passed through Revelstoke a number of times, I've never been to Revelstoke National Park and on a trip to the interior recently Munir and I decided to drive the 25 km incredibly windy road up to the top of the mountain. Once there we had a bit of trouble finding the right paths that would take us to the viewpoints, but we eventually did and it was spectacular. We would have stayed longer but the bugs were eating us (well Munir) alive. We also took a 6 minute helicopter ride around the area on our way up there and it was great!

*Addendum: Munir would like me to set the story straight a bit here, so I suppose I'd better. You see, I wasn't exactly thrilled initially by the idea of driving up 25 kms of winding road because I was very very hungry at the time. And anyone who knows me knows I'm not a pretty picture when I'm hungry and have low blood sugar. Also, I was recovering from a sun burn, and my knee hurt and there were bugs. So, at first when we started walking around I was...maybe a little on the grumpy side, but I would like to also say that once I had food and a knee brace I became downright playful and cheerful and very happy that we drove all the way up. So, now I have told the whole truth and nothin' but. I think. :) I've also added this photo of myself skipping, yes skipping down the path after lunch.

4. Okanagan Lake, BC
So, technically I have been to Kelowna before, but I have never been to Okanagan Lake and specifically swam in it before and it was lovely! The water was warm, the temperature was hot, and later we had delicious organic, local food at Wild Apple restaurant right on the lake. I would highly recommend both the lake and the restaurant!

5. Mission Hill Family Estate
We stopped at the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery on the way out of Kelowna and it is spectacular. I felt like I had been transported to Italy, and even the architecture was so European. They also have a lovely al fresca restaurant that is straight out of a guide book for Tuscany. Even for non-wine drinkers this makes a great stop, as long as you don't mind the crowds, that is.

Fun with Photoshop

2010-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Recently I took an intro course in Adobe Photoshop and really enjoyed it and to practice I started to have some fun with photo editing. Dean and I started a friendly competition, trying to one up each other on photos and here are some of the results. :)

63. Go to a White Caps game

2010-05-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

For Munir's birthday this year I gave him a pair of tickets to a White Caps game since he's such a soccer fan and maybe it was also a little selfishly motivated since I did have to check this off my 101 list ;) This past Saturday we were about to head off to the game when we realized that the tickets were back in Surrey, and we were in Vancouver, the game was in Burnaby (at Swanguard Stadium) in 30 minutes. So...we went straight to the game, hoping that they would be kind to us and check my VISA card and let us into the game...but alas, they had no way of tracking our tickets and we were forced to buy another set. So technically we had 4 tickets for Saturday's game!

Anyways, the White Caps played their rivals, the Montreal Impact and the game resulted in a 0-0 draw. Technically the White Caps scored 2 goals that didn't count, but my hopes for any real goals went out the window. It's not quite as exciting when there's no scoring, and I couldn't believe how long the players stay on the field at a time! I guess I'm used to hockey where they switch up every 5-10 seconds it seems :) Anyways, it was a fun night, and I'm looking forward to joining the rest of world who actually follow soccer this June for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Maybe I'll even learn the names of a few players. Maybe.

71. Watch all Oscar nominated Best Picture Movies from one year

2010-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't finished this one, but just thought I'd start the list to show what I have watched so far. I decided to choose this year's nominations since there were so many good movies.

1.~~“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers~~
Beautiful and amazing graphics, captivating scenes, pretty silly characters, and an over the top bad guy.
2.~~“The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers~~
Sandra Bullock deserved her oscar for this. Touching movie, but not in an overly cheesy way. Compelling and even better that it's a true story.
3.“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
4.“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
5.“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier & Greg Shapiro, Producers
6.“~~Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer~~
Quentin Tarantino at his best. Great acting, over the top violence, disturbing story, and the best villain ever.
7.~~“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers~~
This movie makes you feel like you have no right to complain about your life...ever. So heartbreakingly sad and unbelievable, but the acting is powerful.
8.“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
9.~~“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer~~
I cried in the first 10 minutes. Seriously. Best story from an animated movie I've seen. Loved the graphics too.
10.~~“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers~~
A different and thought provoking story, with strong performances and a nice twist at the end.

100. Make Treat for a friend

2010-04-26T11:32:00.001-07:00

For Michelle's birthday this year, I wanted to make her a cake...not just any cake...but a CAKE! So, I decided to make this most amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake from one of my favourite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen. I started the process at about 10:30 in the morning and finished by about 4:30 in the afternoon, but it was worth it. The cake is completely decadent and delicious. It consists of a chocolate sour cream cake triple layer foundation, peanut butter cream cheese icing and then a chocolate peanut butter glaze to top it off. It was most wonderful and I'd make it again for sure, when I have all day to prepare it :)

The mouse saga - installment 2

2010-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

A mouse update for the day. No sign of the mouse in the past couple days, although I'm pretty sure I saw something scurry out from under my bed this morning. But I'm also pretty sure that I'm seeing imaginary mice everywhere these days. The update is more concerning the injury to my finger which I sustained when the mouse trap when off not on the mouse's neck but on my middle finger. This happened about a week ago and the finger has become more and more painful, is now swelling and I can barely type this. Mouse 1, Kristi 0.

The mouse saga - installment 1

2010-04-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night when I first saw the mouse. Okay, maybe it wasn't dark and stormy, but that was my mood when a tiny little mouse scurried out from under a cabinet in front of me and made me scream like a litle girl. This was at least a few months ago and said mouse has now taken up residence in my apartment. He appears to be quite cozy now, sauntering in front of me while I watch TV, sitting back and sipping a mai tai on my couch, checking his facebook account. But seriously...what does it take to get rid of one tiny little mouse? Apparently I need a highly intelligent operative of some sort, maybe the Jack Bauer of the mouse world.

At the moment I have three traps set -

1. The poison trap (the mouse is supposedly attracted to a little black box, creeps inside...sees poisoned food and thinks "woo hoo! Free food!" eats poisoned food and then very nicely goes outside and finds a quiet place to die)
2. Two different neck snapper traps (one with peanut butter and one with cheese)

I have yet to try the sticky trap since I can't quite stomach the idea of a squirming, dying mouse that I somehow have to kill still.

I have moved the trap to a variety of locations around my apartment, he has set the traps off twice, gotten the cheese and I'm sure, with a smirk on his little face, crawled off to have another mai tai (thinking to himself "stupid humans"). He has now demolished a bag of whole wheat flower, leapt out from under the burner and onto Munir's feet while we were cooking, knawed my walls at night, gone through every inch of my apartment, and I have evidence that he even tried to eat my goldfish....seriously.

I have now found one of the holes where he comes from and have set two traps around it, but so far...still no dead mouse. As many of you know, I love animals...they're so cute and loving and huggable. But I want this mouse dead. I have been offered cats by various friends but fear the mess a cat might make by killing the mouse in my apartment.

I included this drawing because this is how I imagine my mouse and his little friends plot to invade my apartment in some secret lair at night.

And so my mouse saga continues. Stay tuned for more updates.

55. Join the Society for Ethnomusicology

2010-04-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started my graduate degree in Ethnomusicology at UBC in 2005 I have been meaning to become a member of the Society for Ethnomusicology, but kept putting it off due to finances, or just plain forgetting. Since I'm no longer in school, but still want to stay connected to the field in case I want to go back in sometime I thought that reading the SEM journal would be a great way to keep my brain active and engaged and academicky (yes, it's a word ;)

Here is SEM's mission: The Society for Ethnomusicology was founded in 1955 to promote the research, study, and performance of music in all historical periods and cultural contexts.

Okay, maybe it's nerdy, but I'm pretty excited to start receiving the journals! :)

Ode to Spring - a haiku

2010-03-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Lush grass scents float up
Infusing my soul with life
Born anew into spring

Top 10 List - What to know for your Olympic event

2010-02-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

After an eventful experience last night at the ladies moguls event at Cypress (including an emergency trip to the first aid tent to be treated for hypothermia and hypoglycemia), I have some words of wisdom to share so that you can fully enjoy your Olympic experience.

1. Vancouver mountains are cold and damp - bring lots of layers of clothes, emergency blankets, toques, mittens, warm scarves, ponchos and hand warmers! Also, wear your whole ski outfit (or the equivalent) if you have one - snow pants and jacket and warm pants underneath as well as real snow boots with a few layers of socks.
2. The first aid tent is manned by a great team of paramedics who are there to help out in a jiffy as I learned the hard way (after collapsing with hypothermia)!
3. Be prepared to stand in lines outside, waiting for your bus for long periods of time.
4. Bring a warm seat to sit on in the bleachers, preferably made of foam, or something that will shield you from the cold.
5. They say don't bring food, but last night at Cypress they ran out of hot food and people were waiting upwards of 2 hours to get food! If you have any conditions like hypoglycemia, diabetes, or you just need food bring granola bars and snacks and don't let security take it away from you. Too many people were in the first aid tent last night because of lack of food.
6. You are allowed to bring up to 2 bottles of sealed water - do it! At the outdoor venues there are no places to fill up empty water bottles and believe me, you don't want to wait in the food line for water!
7. Expect crowds, and some disorganization.
8. Apparently the time on your Olympic bus network ticket is irrelevant so show up earlier than the 30 minutes prior to your bus time that they originally told you - it's a free for all!
9. Bring cowbells and other noisemakers to outdoor events - they'll save your voice! :)
10. Apparently you aren't supposed to take photos with any camera that "looks" professional so be careful if you are bringing your snazzy camera - just don't look like media.

Enjoy the event! It was wonderful to see Jenn Heil win silver and two other Canadian girls ski as well. Bring your flags and your Canadian pride too! :)

Olympic Memories

2010-02-11T21:46:00.001-08:00

On the eve of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games I thought it was the perfect moment to post a few "blast from the past" photos of my experience at the Calgary Olympics in 1988! I still have vivid memories of the Calgary Games - watching the Jamaican bobsled team, cheering the British underdog Eddie the Eagle in the ski jump, getting photos with the mascots, standing outside the skating rink while the Brians fought for gold in men's figure skating and trading Olympic pins. I remember the excitement in the air at those games and I was only 8 years old, so I feel pretty lucky to now be able to experience it in my own city 22 years later. I hope the world will see what an amazing place this is - despite the rain :)

17. Walk to or from UBC one day

2010-02-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to walk home from UBC and imagined it would take about 2 hours, but to my delight I was able to walk the 9km distance in 1.5 hours! I even beat google maps estimate of 1 hour and 48 minutes so I must be a fast walker (or the hill down West 8th makes it a bit faster.) I did get pretty exhausted and hungry by the end (partly because I'm out of shape at the moment) and so ordered sushi when I was 10 minutes from the sushi place, and then proceeded to inhale the sushi the moment I got home. Next time I'll bring snacks and water! :)

Unleashing my inner chef

2010-01-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

Another one of my 101 goals was to try 12 new recipes a year. Little did I know what kind of culinary adventure this would set me on. I started working on that goal towards the fall, and completed 30 recipes by December 2009. It's now January 21st and I have already tried 10 new recipes this month. What this goal has unleashed is a passion for cooking, baking and creating with food that I didn't know existed! Granted, I've always loved baking (particularly the family famous THCs or Toll House Cookies), but I didn't realize that I could also love cooking this much. I'm getting much more adventurous with food, and my family will testify to what a picky eater I have always been! Here are some of the favourite recipes I've tried so far in 2010.

1. Peruvian braised chicken (from Cooking Light)
2. My very first Roast Chicken dinner (see the photos)
3. Baked wild coho salmon (recipe a combo of advice and allrecipes.com)
4. The most delicious one bowl brownies ever (my new title - from allrecipes.com)
5. Three bean veggie chili (tried this one last night with Munir and it was yum! from Cooking Light)
6. Roasted veggies with lemon couscous (from my new cookbook "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry"

I was proud of how they all turned out, but especially of my recent roast chicken dinner at Michelle's house. Sticking my hand up a bird's bum is not really my idea of a good time, but man, this bird tasted great! I used a combination of tips from lots of people (thank you facebook!) combined with tips from allrecipes.com and my own intuition and the chicken was moist and flavourful. I stuffed the bird with apples and onions, and roasted it in chicken broth along with fresh, local potatoes, and then rubbed it with margarine, and stuffed garlic, rosemary and olive oil under the skin. It was a 4lb chicken and I ended up cooking it for about 2 hours. Thanks for those who gave me tips! So, onwards and upwards! If you have great recipes that you think I must try....send them my way :)

93. Buy beeswax candles

2010-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have heard for a while (and often from Holly) about the benefits of beeswax candles as opposed to paraffin candles, and so it was always in the back of my mind to start stocking up my house with them and slowly replace my paraffin candles. I LOVE to burn candles (and yes, maybe that is a token girl thing to do, but I don't care), because of the soft and soothing light they offer. Here are some benefits of beeswax candles that I found from a local BC beeswax candle company, Honey Candles so I give them full credit for this great list.

1. Unlike soy and paraffin waxes, beeswax is used essentially in its native state. There is no bleaching or hydrogenating and does not require large amounts of agricultural land. Beeswax the purest of all waxes (including vegetable waxes such as soy) with the least processing and no additives. (ie. it helps the environment :)

2. Beeswax candles have a beautiful Warm Amber Glow
There is nothing quite like the warm amber glow of a 100% pure beeswax candle. In fact, based on the light spectrum, light emitted from a beeswax candle is the closest to sunlight. Studies have shown that burning beeswax stimulates the pituitary gland, increasing intuition, creativity and heightening dream activity. Some say burning a beeswax candle before bed helps them achieve a more restful sleep. (Amen to that!)

3.Beeswax Candles are Air purifying
Beeswax candles have long been known for their air purifying effects and can greatly reduce dust and other allergens in your home. Burning 100% pure beeswax candles can help improve indoor air quality by producing negative ions which have the same effect as some houseplants. (my plants will thank me!)

4. Long burning
Beeswax naturally burns up to three times longer than paraffin. Many other candle waxes have additives to produce longer burn times. Beeswax candles can cost only pennies an hour to burn. (no more "80" hour promises from Pottery Barn)

5. Clean Burning
Beeswax candles are non-allergenic and recommended by the American Lung Association. Beeswax is best for those with allergies or sensitivities to scents. Recent studies have shown paraffin candles, especially scented ones, can increase indoor air pollution. (eek!)

6. Sweet Honey Aroma
The sweet honey aroma of beeswax candles fills the air without added fragrances or other dangerous toxins. (who doesn't love the smell of honey?)

7. Virtually Dripless
When trimmed correctly, Beeswax candles are virtually dripless when burned in a draft-free environment. (no waxy messes! yay!)

60. Take a Graphic Design Course

2009-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

This fall I took a course called "Visual Design" from UBC continuing education. The goal of the course was to introduce you to basic design principles and concepts and it was the perfect way for me to be introduced into this world. The teacher, Mary Kletchko, has tons of knowledge and experience and was a great resource and I would definitely take courses with her in the future. I learned about typography, colours, what makes a good design, what makes a bad design, how to talk to potential clients, how to design an effective logo and lots more. It really validated so many of my gut instincts that I couldn't quite put into words when I did or didn't like a design. Here's a poster that Holly, Dean and I designed for our choir Christmas concerts, and it was well received in class. I'm looking forward to learning more, and exploring this area of my creativity :)

My Favourite Christmas Albums

2009-11-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas is just around the corner and I'm about to pull out my good old Christmas music (and hopefully add a few new ones to the collection) I thought I'd write a post about my favourite Christmas albums. I've come up with a list of eight of the musts for me each year, but I am hoping that people (like you!) will comment with their favourite Christmas albums so I can add some new classics my collection. Enjoy!

1. Bing Crosby Merry Christmas (1945) - An absolute classic in my house growing up. Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas without a little Bing, and a little Meli kalikimaka.

2. Nat King Cole The Christmas Song (1961) - There is nothing like Nat's tender voice singing the classic, the Christmas Song with one of the most famous opening lines, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." I can smell them now :)

3. Vince Guaraldi Trio A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - Nothing says Christmas like this album, and images of crazy Charlie Brown and co. dancing like maniacs to rockin' jazz.

4. Ella Fitzgerald Ella Wishes you a Swinging Christmas (1960) - Who doesn't love Ella? And who doesn't love Ella singing swinging Christmas songs? 'Nuff said.

5. Mariah Carey Merry Christmas (1994) - Yes, you may laugh at first, but once you've belted All I Want for Christmas is You five times in a row in your living room, then you'll understand.

6. Loreena McKennitt To Drive the Cold Winter Away (1987) - This beautiful album is one of my favourite Loreena releases and makes you feel like you're wandering through a snowy forest with a velvet robe on.

7. Harry Connick Jr. When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993) - Harry's original Christmas album is full of cheesy jazzy Christmasy goodness. Just sit back and let Harry take you on a Sleigh Ride.

8. musica intima nativité (2002) & o nata lux (2008) - A double bill of choral goodness direct from Vancouver. Okay, so I'm a little biased towards this wonderful a cappella ensemble, but these albums are completely stunning. nativité has some of the classic Christmas greats, and o nata lux could almost be played any time of year. You will love them both.

Yes I CAN!

2009-10-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

After many years...months...days of pondering I finally joined the Co-operative Auto Network! I've joined as a deposit-free member so that I can test it out and see how much I use it, and whether I'd like to become a full member eventually. For those who don't know about CAN, it's the perfect way to have the use of a car, but not own one! You just pay hourly fees for when you use the car (at least for deposit-free members) and then you return the car to its spot and no need to worry about a thing!

Yesterday I took my first drive in a CAN car, a little 2007 Toyota Corolla that is literally a block from my apartment! It was very liberating and I'm excited to be part of the CAN family along with lots of other Co-operative people ;) Here's a photo of me and Soph with my first CAN car...and no, I didn't cause the bump in the fender. :)

83. Make a Pumpkin Pie

2009-09-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I felt the sudden urge to make a pumpkin pie and cross this off my list, so I used Holly and Dean as my guinea pigs, armed myself with Trisha's recipe and directions and off I went! I made the crust and filling from scratch (well, except for the pumpkin which was from a can), and it turned out beautifully! I've never actually tasted fresh from the oven pumpkin pie before and it was melt in your mouth delicious (not to toot my own horn or anything). I can't wait to make it again...it's the perfect fall food :) Oh, and I must mention that no, Holly is not crazed in this photo, but we were given the strict directions from Trisha's recipe to "beat eggs savagely" and thus we did as we were told.

87. Try 12 new recipes each year

2009-09-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't truly accomplished this one since I have to try 12 new recipes a year and it's only year 1, but I was pretty proud to have already reached 12 and it's only September so I count that complete (although I'll keep going next year.) I've had lots of fun getting more into cooking and trying new dishes and have discovered some delicious staples for my diet. Here they are:

1. Cajun Beans and Rice
2. Gumbo Style Chicken Creole
3. Chicken Chow Mein
4. Stifado (Greek stew)
5. Tuscan Chickpea Pasta
6. Lentil Chili
7. Gen's Granola Bars
8. Hungarian Goulash
9. Chicken & Peppers with Balsamic Vinegar
10. Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
11. Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing
12. Stove top Macaroni and Cheese (low fat)

If you want any of the recipes just let me know!

89. Have Holly, Dean and Sophie over for brunch

2009-09-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

So last year Holly and Dean gave me a lovely waffle maker which I have used countless times...just not for their benefit :) So I finally had them over for a yummy waffle brunch this morning complete with fresh strawberries and all the right toppings. After that we had a sunny stroll to Granville Island and I'm sure we walked off the brunch...:) Oh, and the waffles looks exactly like this....I forgot to take a photo but it really did happen!

Create your own novel cover

2009-08-20T14:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a fun little activity that I got from Holly and Dean's blogs!

Hmm....and what is this load? Is it the load we all carry on our shoulders? Or for this young man, is it the load of fridges that he must carry to support his family? Intruiging....

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
The name that appears is your author name.
2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or click http://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml
The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.
3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php
Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.
4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.
5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

Safety first

2009-06-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that safety comes first when reading to children. I always read to Sophie with her big red helmet on...you just never know what could happen ;)

78. Go to a show at the Stanley Theatre - Les Mis

2009-06-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Although the Stanley Theatre is literally about a block from where I live I had yet to see a show there until this past weekend. For Holly's birthday my parents and I treated her to a night out to see the Arts Club Theatre production of the favourite musical, "Les Misérables". Jean Valjean was played by Kieran Martin Murphy and he definitely carried the show. His voice was spectacular in all of its range and his acting was spot on. The singing in general was strong throughout and I was satisfied with the majority of the casting. The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of full orchestra and the overly synthesized sound, which tended to distract me from the great singing and the production overall. In general, though I enjoyed the show and would definitely go to another Arts Club production (and hopefully at the Stanley theatre!) It was also a lovely evening out with Holly which included a yummy post-production dinner on the patio of Earl's and watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup right before going to the Stanley Theatre...coincidence? I think not! Go Penguins and Jean Valjean!

77. Go see a film at the Vancity Theatre

2009-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago I finally saw a film at the cushy (if small) Vancity Theatre during the DOXA Documetary Film Festival. We saw "The One Percent" . As Wikipedia puts it, the film is "a 2006 documentary about the growing wealth gap between America's wealthy elite and the citizenry on the whole. It was created by Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune." The film was really interesting and thought provoking and then afterwards we got to do a Q&A with Jamie Johnson via skype! Definitely a great first experience both with the DOXA festival and the Vancity Theatre.

56. Get a full time job

2009-05-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Well, after almost 2 years of working at both the Chan Centre and for musica intima I have narrowed it down to one full-time job! I'm now working just for the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts as a Marketing & Communications Assistant Coordinator. I've been here since I was a work study student during my graduate degree, but now I'm a "real" employee and it's great! I will miss musica intima, but I'm excited to be able to see projects through all the way now and for all the great shows that I'll be part of here. Plus, I get to cross off another item from my 101 Things to Do List :)

92. frame snow photo of Sophie

2009-05-04T23:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I forgot to update my blog when this happened, but I printed and framed the gorgeous photo of Sophie in the snow that Holly took. What a beautiful shot of my little niece!

An afternoon with Holly and Sophie

2009-04-27T17:47:00.001-07:00

On Friday afternoon the sun was shining so I met up with Holly and Sophie and we had a lovely time! We first went through the Museum of Anthropology and as you can see, had fun making faces together...we are so respectful. Then we headed to the lovely Nitobe Gardens and watched as Sophie tore about like a madwoman...very zen. Holly has more great photo but for the moment I thought I'd post these 2 silly ones of Sophie and I making the faces. We are ridiculously good looking.

35. Write Five Poems

2009-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've started on my goal to writing 5 poems with a little poem about spring.

Spring breezes,
Chilled and warm,
like honey and ice tea,
waiting,
for new blossoms,
light and fluffy,
like a baby chick,
winter's last breath,
melts to green,
puddles in the squishy grass,
waiting,
for the sizzling summer sun.

#80 - Collect photos and frame them for my walls

2009-03-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't entirely finished this one, but I think I've made some pretty huge steps. That is I actually got photos developed, chose some great ones from these, bought some nice frames and then last weekend I hung them myself! That's right....I didn't even use a level and yet I'm pretty sure they are level. It makes me happy to have more decoration up and as Munir says, "It doesn't look like a boy's apartment anymore." It never did look (or smell)like a boy's apartment, but now it definitely is more girlie. I'm now inspired to finish decorating. Let's hope my inspiration leads to action. Perhaps in another 6 months I will be finished.

Change of plans - my big trip: the North or bust

2009-03-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

I promised Holly that every time I changed one of my 101 things in 1001 days I would justify why this was done and how it is an improvement. I have slightly adjusted #8 from: Plan a big trip to : Go on a road trip to the Yukon and Alaska. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Tara and I were thinking of attempting it way back in 2000 but ended up driving down the Oregon and California coast and getting some sunshine....definitely the right choice at the time, but now my Northern adventure has become something that keeps coming back in my mind and won't let go. Today Genevieve and I were talking about it and now it's something I (or rather we)just have to do in the next couple years! I want wilderness, isolation and a totally raw experience. So I think that this is a thoroughly justified change to #8. Holly do you approve?

29. Go to the chiropractor

2009-03-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

After actually crying during a back bend in my yoga class, I decided that I probably should take my yoga teacher's suggestion and try going to a chiropractor. He suggested Robin Armstrong from Qi Integrated Health at Broadway and Macdonald and so far it's been great. I really hate the sound of cracking bones and I was pretty freaked out by the idea of someone doing that to my back, but I also wanted to try and solve my lower back pain and feel flexible again! I've been going for just over a month and it's amazing how much more flexible I've become already. That and I really like and now trust my chiropractor and I'm hoping that this will offer some good solutions. She also uses Active Release Technique and gives me exercises to do that will help me to stay aligned and not have to depend on coming back all the time. I must say, it's also really nice just to have someone help me take care of my body and just be focusing on that whenever I go. Also, the clinic is completely zen and has the coolest sink in the bathroom which imitates a zen garden's fountain. So, I can check #29 off my lists of 101 things! Yay! And hopefully my back gets a lot better too :)

Losing my Commodore virginity with K'naan and Esthero

2009-03-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's true. Before last night I was a Commodore virgin, but now I have finally experienced one of Vancouver's live music hot spots, a place where you never quite know what to expect, or so I hear. Last night I went to see K'naan and Esthero (one of the Cultural Olympiad shows) with some friends. I wasn't that familiar with Esthero, but was told that she was great....maybe only on a CD? From the first moment she was on stage she was unprofessional, rude and kind of offensive and not in a good way. It's not unusual for a singer to have that "I'm so cool, I can swear and say whatever I want" kind of attitude, but every time she spoke I just lost more and more respect for her and couldn't really pay attention to her singing. Her voice is good and she obviously has some talent, but I think she may have been too drunk to really showcase it. My "favourite" moment was when she completely forgot the words to one of her songs and royally screwed it up and stopped the song and started again and told everyone how she'd messed up. Wow, way to win over an audience. Needless to say, I won't be going to any Esthero shows again anytime soon.

The crowd was more than ready for K'naan to get on stage and he lived up to my expectations of him. He was likeable from the get-go, and has the kind of presence where you feel like you want to be his friend and get to know him better. His poetry/rap is so artistic, witty, smart and impressive and he had the audience in the palm of his hand. His natural, easy-going nature was an interesting combination to his politically charged music. He also started his set with one of my favourite songs, "In the Beginning" so that won be over right away :) I only wish the whole night was K'naan and Esthero had passed out drunk and couldn't perform. It would have also been better to have this show on a weekend for poor suckers like me (and others who I was with) who have to work early the next morning! I must be getting old :)

I also bought K'naan's new album, Troubadour, last night and will let you know how I like it. Congrats K'naan on saving the night :) Also, for those who don't know K'naan, he's a Somalian born Canadian hip-hop artist who combines elements of folk, rap and hip-hop into his political and catchy lyrics. As he says, he comes from a "nation of poets" and this is evident in his elegant rhymes. Check out his website.

My new favourite place

2009-03-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have discovered an oasis at UBC...you could even call it my own little sacred place. Okay, maybe it's not my own since it's open to the public but I love it anyway. It's the Nitobe Gardens at UBC and it's about a 5 minute walk from my office. I've been going there on my lunch break on sunny days and it restores my calm every time. Today I sat in the sun and stared at the pond and felt so peaceful. It's a Japanese garden so I'm getting pretty excited for cherry blossom season when I'm sure it will be even more beautiful. I will be sure to bring my camera during that time and post some photos of all the lovely blossoms. I'm so happy Nitobe and I found each other :)

91. Buy a vacuum

2009-02-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

So, I decided that you don't need to be getting married in order to get household items. In fact, I really think they should have showers for people moving out on their own now since people don't get married as early any more. So today, as I was walking home with my groceries in my backpack I decided to buy myself a vacuum! Yes, it was on my list of 101 things to do and my current one sucks...or rather, doesn't suck ;) So today I walked into London Drugs, grabbed the first vacuum that I found that was on sale and voila....my carpets actually look clean again! I must say, I've had a great bus day...3 really nice bus drivers. Earlier today I had a bus driver stop in the middle of the street to pick me up, then Holly and I had a great one that was joking around with us, and then, after I bought my vacuum my next bus driver was cracking jokes left, right and centre! First he asked me to vacuum the bus and therefore not have to pay my fare, then he was making jokes about things "sucking and not sucking" the rest of the trip. If you ever want some amusement buy large objects and take them on the bus. Anyways, here I am with my new Dirt Devil. My life is truly exciting.

72. Take Sophie to the Aquarium

2009-02-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well, on the spur of the moment on Saturday morning I thought it was the perfect opportunity to cross #72 off my list and have a fun morning with my niece at the Aquarium! The only photo I have from our adventure is leaving Hol and Dean's place but we really did go :) It's kind of hard to take pictures when you've got a 2 year old running around, you're pushing a stroller and opening doors which is why I didn't take any at the time. We successfully navigated the buses together and made it to the entrance. The first thing she said was "put money in!"...I finally figured out that she wanted to put money in the fountain, which we did and I'm sure she made a great 2 year old wish like "may mommy please take me to the library this week and let me wear her shoes."

Some highlights for Sophie were (in her words):
1. "the big....fat....turtle!" (referring to the giant sea turtle)
2. "otters rolling...other otter sleeping."
3. "baby beluga!"
4. "little sharks"
5. "silly monkeys"
6. "balls!" (in the tank with the dolphins)
7. "little sea star...big sea star."

She tried to snatch a stuffed baby beluga in the gift shop in the way out and promptly announced that "Sophie want this" but I convinced her that her mouse and moosey were enough to keep her happy for now.

So it was a fun and lively outing with my niece and I look forward to many more! :)

26. Buy New Running Shoes

2009-02-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Pardon me Roy.....are those your new Adidas running shoes? Yes, after much procrastination I finally bought new running shoes! Hooray! Now I just need to get back into running shape and I'm good to go.

It pays to complain.

2009-02-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

So, calling your phone company, or any other company to complain about something is never fun, but I tell ya....it DOES work if you have the patience! Through a variety of phone conversations, and talking to people just right I have managed to have all my fees and charges waived for my new blackberry from Rogers! After the UPS shamozzle I just didn't feel like it was right that I had to pay them an admin fee after all the hours I spent trying to sort it out so I convinced the retention department of Rogers that they should also waive the admin fee and voila....a free phone! :) Never give up when you're not satisfied! Don't be so Canadian! :)

101 Things to Do in 1001 Days

2009-01-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~Confucius

Drum roll please....the moment you've all been waiting for...or at least a select few....yes, it's my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days. I technically started on the 1st of January, 2009 so my 1001 days are up as of September 29th, 2011. In that time I have the following goals (and more which are not on the list.) Also, having done them once does not mean I will never do them again :)

101 Things to Do in 1001 Days

Finances
1. ~~Earn at least X~~
2. Increase my personal savings to at least X
3. Meet with a financial planner
4. Read a book about investing and finances

Travel
5. ~~Visit Sabrina and Josh in Montreal~~
6. ~~Go back to Hawaii or somewhere tropical~~
7. ~~Visit my friends in the maritimes~~
8. Go on a road trip to the Yukon and Alaska (and possibly NWT)
9. ~~Go 5 places I've never been before~~
10. ~~Visit Grandma again on Salt Spring~~
11. Go to Portland

Health
12. ~~Climb the Grouse Grind~~
13. Reach my goal weight
14. Run to the end of Spanish banks
15. Run a 5 k race
16. Run a 10 k race
17. ~~Walk to or from UBC one day~~
18. ~~Ski at Whistler~~
19. Go to drop in badminton
20. ~~Climb at least one mountain~~
21. ~~Ride in a critical mass~~
22. ~~Go to a naturopath or nutritionist~~
23. Bike to work for an entire week straight
24. ~~Bike the sea wall~~
25. Take a dance class
26. ~~Buy new running shoes~~
27. ~~Go tubing at a Vancouver mountain~~
28. ~~Go ice skating with Munir~~
29. ~~Go to a chiropractor~~
30. ~~Go to a massage therapist~~
31. Do 5 push ups in a row

Creative & Musical
32. Do a water colour painting
33. Do an acrylic painting
34. ~~Start writing my novel~~
35. ~~Write 5 poems~~
36. ~~Buy a full size keyboard~~
37. Write first 60 pages of my novel
38. Find a band to play my sax in
39. Finish writing piece for mom
40. Finish giraffe cross-stitch for Holly
41. Knit a scarf
42. Enter some writing in a contest
43. ~~Start writing group~~
44. learn how to crochet and make a toque
45. ~~Finish my Southwest Trip scrap book~~

Self
46. ~~Buy a hot red dress~~
47. Get my legs waxed
48. ~~Buy black boots~~
49. ~~Finish a cross word puzzle by myself~~
50. ~~Buy a new cell phone~~
51. Buy a bikini once I've reached my goal weight

Church
52. Read the Old testament all the way through
53. Re-read the new testament
54. ~~Go to the Vancouver Temple open house with friends and family~~

Career & Education
55. ~~Join the Society for Ethnomusicology~~
56. ~~Get a full time job~~
57. ~~Update my resume~~
58. Read both marketing books that I own all the way through
59. ~~Take a course at UBC~~
60. ~~Take a graphic design course~~
61. Take the following courses: Indesign, Photoshop & Illustrator
62. Get my thesis bound and printed (a few copies)

Entertainment
63. ~~Go to a White Caps Games~~
64. Go to the Opera again
65. Go to Theatre Under the Stars
66. Read 5 of the books that people have leant to me
67. See a dance performance in town
68. Make a list of 10 movies I want to see and watch them
69. Make a list of 10 books I want to read and read them
70. ~~Go to Medea~~
71. Watch all Oscar nominated Best Picture Movies from one year
72. ~~Take Sophie to the Aquarium~~
73. ~~Have a sister day with Holly~~
74. Go to the Belkin Art Gallery
75. See a show at the Frederick Wood Theatre
76. Go to a Vancouver International Film Festival film
77. ~~See a movie at the VanCity Theatre~~
78. ~~See a show at the Stanley Theatre~~

Home
79. ~~Finish decorating my apartment~~
80. ~~Collect photos and frame them for my walls~~
81. Finish putting together my 72 Hour Kit
82. Start food storage
83. ~~Make a pumpkin pie~~
84. ~~Learn how to use my crockpot and make something with it~~
85. ~~Back up all my files~~
86. ~~make goulash~~
87. ~~Try 12 new recipes each year~~
88. ~~Make dinner for Michelle~~
89. ~~Have Hol and Dean and Soph over for brunch~~
90. Make a loaf of bread from scratch
91. ~~Buy a vacuum~~
92. ~~print and frame snow photo of Sophie~~
93. ~~Buy bees wax candles~~
94. Buy renter's insurance
95. ~~Make a cheesecake~~

Volunteering and/or helping others
96. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift
97. Volunteer at a worthy event
98. ~~Perform at a senior's home~~
99. ~~Donate to or do something more to help the Stephen Lewis Foundation~~
100. ~~Make treat for a friend~~
101. ~~Donate more clothes, scarves etc. to a good cause~~

The joys of public transit

2009-01-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

Like many other people, I ride transit every single day. Like many other people, I have a massive list of transit pet peeves. Don't get me wrong, Vancouver has a great transit system and it allows me to live car-free which is great! But....it can be ...well...interesting at times, to put it mildly.

This morning was one of those days when the whole feeling on the bus was not a positive or happy place to be. I usually listen to my iPod to drown out unwanted noise, loud cell phone conversations, fights in the back seat, drug deals etc. etc. Today I was listening to Madonna "Vogue", and suddenly I noticed a bus jam to my right. As usual, people weren't getting out of the way to let people off or on the bus. I think that there really are people in this world who get a kick out of blocking the bus doors during rush hour because I see them every time I get on the bus. Then they act upset and annoyed when they're in the way. For heaven's sake people..."MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS!!" (I just had to get that out.)

So at the Willow stop (I was on the good old 99 B-line) this very large woman slams her way onto the bus yelling at everyone to get out of the bleeping way. I find that often you get some strange folk at the Willow stop since it's right outside the hospital.... I couldn't really tell what was going on, but she basically threw everyone out of her way and planted her body onto a seat in the front. At the next stop another older gentleman got on and sat in the seat next to her....little did he know what he'd gotten into. People continued to jam up the front of the bus and not move out of the way so the man was encouraging people to take the empty seats. Then the large woman flipped out and started yelling at him, "They'll sit down if they bloody well want to! Leave them alone!" he meekly tried to reply and calm her down, but she just got more riled up and she said, and I quote, "Don't you tell me what to do! I'm not your wife! I'm not your slave!!" Oh boy..it was fun. I practically leapt off the bus at my stop. The bus driver was either oblivious or so used to this kind of behavior that he didn't even care anymore.

This is just one bus ride of a typical commute for me. I've had many more adventures and I'm sure I will continue to have even more. Don't you love public transportation?

Here's some of my other pet peeves. Let me know which ones you agree with.

1. People who don't take off their enormous back packs and carelessly knock you over.
2. People who sit on the outside seat when there's a full bus and refuse to move over.
3. People who take up 3 or 4 seats by sprawling out in the middle of the bus.
4. Door blockers, of course.
5. Loud cell phone talkers.
6. People who don't care about personal space and shove their butts in your face when you're sitting.
7. People who insist on moving half their belongings including a bed and a dresser, and some tables during rush hour.
8. Bus drivers who drive like they are out to win the fastest bus driver award and slam on the brakes at every stop sign or intersection, hence throwing you to and fro in the bus and forcing you to get to know your fellow bus riders a little too intimately.

Out with the old...in with the new.

2009-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

So after long conversations with my more tech-proficient boyfriend I was convinced that I should get with the times and try the new Blackberry flip phone since I was upgrading anyways and I convinced them to give it to me for free. I brought my new phone home last night and thought it was pretty amusing to see my old cell next to the new fancy one. I think my old phone is having serious jealousy issues. I have yet to actually figure out my new phone, but probably in a few months, and after having read the manual a few times I will start to figure it out.

I got my phone...it's a miracle.

2009-01-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

I just had to write a quick post letting you all know that I have actually received my new phone! Somehow my boss was able to sign for it, and when I got to work this morning..there it was! I'm still going to call Rogers and have a nice little chat with them, wondering why they had no record of sending it to me, but in the meantime I'm just glad it's here. What a shamozzle!

My blog is back and UPS will be the death of me.

2009-01-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! Well, after a very long blog pause I'm back in the blogging world. I have a couple of posts that I am dying to do to get started.

First of all, I have to complain. I have decided that UPS and Rogers are both teaming up to drive me to the point of insanity.

It all started with a huge process of convincing Rogers to give me a new phone while standing in front of the Cell phone outlet at Costco with my friend Jenn. That process in itself was hilarious and lenghty and they finally said they'd send me a new phone and only charge me the upgrade fee. But they wouldn't let me take a phone from the outlet...oh no, that would be too easy. They had to ship it to me, of course. And it had to be delivered by UPS for some reason which they didn't tell me, and it had to be signed for. Since I have 2 works places and I'm not home during the day I have no concrete address to give them and they didn't know when they'd come. Also, UPS only operates from Monday to Friday from 10-6 which is really helpful for people who work full time.

First of all, I tried to get them to deliver to Holly and Dean's, but since you don't know when they'll come they of course came when Holly wasn't home. They suggested I pick up the package from UPS which has an office in the middle of nowhere next to the airport and is only accessible by car or helicopter and can only be found with police dogs and metal detectors.

Next, I got them to deliver to my musica intima workplace and rearranged my day so that I was in the office from 9-5 like I had told them. They never came. My annoyance grows even greater. I called UPS and the customer service guy was so angry on my behalf (I think he even swore) and promised that he'd deal with it and was just so mad they didn't process the delivery. He promised they'd call after 6. They never did.

Next step. I called Rogers and their very helpful customer service representative (heavy sarcasm) who maybe spoke 5 words of English said to me, "Yah, I can see you ordered a new phone on Jan. 13th...um, yah, it hasn't been shipped. We have no tracking number." Yes, completely useless. Obviously something had been shipped or maybe UPS is delivering me air?

So I had to wait until this morning to call UPS and after a lengthy conversation I found out that the guy who had been so indignant on my behalf had never recorded a thing in my file. Apparently he was getting his nails done at the time and couldn't type. Hence UPS thought they would try delivering to the same address as yesterday. One slight problem, I only work there 2 days a week, one which happens to NOT be today naturally. So they showed up with the phone and my boss had to kindly tell them to come back the next day and she would sign for it. Slight problem, after the first attempt apparently no one but me can sign for it. Other slight problem, I had arranged for it to be delivered to my other work place on Thursday.

So here I am with still without a phone, with a lot of frusration, 2 useless companies to deal with, and lots of extra day time minutes on my old phone which of course is falling apart. For your amusement I will paste my tracking information from UPS.

Package Progress
Location	Date	Local Time	Description
RICHMOND, BC, CA	21/01/2009	10:23	THE RECEIVER'S LOCATION WAS CLOSED ON THE 2ND DELIVERY ATTEMPT. A 3RD DELIVERY ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE
	21/01/2009	8:29	THE DELIVERY CHANGE REQUEST FOR THIS PACKAGE WAS MODIFIED / DELIVERY TO AN ALTERNATE ADDRESS WAS REQUESTED
	21/01/2009	5:44	IN TRANSIT
RICHMOND, BC, CA	20/01/2009	18:02	DRIVER NEEDS SECURITY ACCESS WHICH MUST BE OBTAINED FROM RESIDENT/CONSIGNEE IN ORDER TO ENTER BUILDING / THE ADDRESS HAS BEEN CORRECTED. THE DELIVERY HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED
RICHMOND, BC, CA	19/01/2009	8:12	A DELIVERY CHANGE REQUEST FOR THIS PACKAGE WILL BE PROCESSED / DELIVERY TO AN ALTERNATE ADDRESS WAS REQUESTED
RICHMOND, BC, CA	16/01/2009	18:33	DRIVER NEEDS SECURITY ACCESS WHICH MUST BE OBTAINED FROM RESIDENT/CONSIGNEE IN ORDER TO ENTER BUILDING / A MESSAGE HAS BEEN LEFT FOR THE RECEIVER TO CALL UPS
	16/01/2009	17:15	A CORRECT COMPANY OR RECEIVER NAME IS NEEDED FOR DELIVERY. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION
	16/01/2009	7:54	OUT FOR DELIVERY
RICHMOND, BC, CA	15/01/2009	22:51	DESTINATION SCAN
	15/01/2009	19:56	ORIGIN SCAN
CA	14/01/2009	23:31	BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

Tracking results provided by UPS: 21/01/2009 14:08 ET

Blog Pause

2007-03-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

This is to inform those of you who have actually looked at my blog up to this point that I am taking a temporary BLOG HIATUS. Yes, I realized after starting this blog that I just can't keep up at the moment, so I will probably start up again in the summer when I am writing my thesis and looking for ways to procrastinate. Don't cry too much. I will be back. For updates on my life check out my friends' blogs. At the moment my brain is too fried to write my own. Here is my brain frying on a pan. Or maybe it's just a pancake shaped like a brain.

Silver Clouds and Heinz 57

2007-03-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a week in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, you say? But I thought it was all Amish people and handmade furniture? Well, have I got news for you. Pennsylvania is also home to the Hershey Chocolate Factory, Heinz 57, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philladelphia Cream Cheese. I know, it's crazy! But why would I go there, you ask? Well, for those of you who don't know, my mom is American and grew up in New York, but now our family is scattered all over various parts of the Eastern States. My grandparents moved to a retirement home in Washington, Pennsylvania a few years ago to be near my aunt and uncle. So last week my parents and I flew out to the snowy, cold eastern states for a week long family trip. Between visits to my grandparents at their home, we found other ways of entertaining ourselves such as visiting the vibrant, but not very scenic city of Pittsburgh. While in town we went to a fascinating gallery called the Mattress Factory which had anything BUT mattresses. It was full of instillation art, and art that somehow manipulates space. We went into a room completely devoid of light in order to feel blindness, and my personal favourite was the mirror room which enabled you to see a reflection of yourself looking at the back of yourself. Let that thought blow your mind :) But I think the highlight of the day was at the Andy Warhol museum in a room entitled "Silver Clouds". This is a photo of my cousin, Melissa and I enjoying the wonder of giant silver helium balloons. The other moment of pure joy was when my dad posed under Andy Warhol's self-portrait. This is what family trips are made of.

Peer pressure really works

2007-03-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my brand new blog! I finally gave in to peer pressure (aka Jacinta) and decided to start this blog as I didn't want to be the only one left who was writing random stories about my life and sharing them with the general public. Random things happen to me all the time so I'm sure that I will be able to amuse, entertain and on occasion, make you cry. These stories will be near and dear to my heart, just like this new blog, and I know they will make you much more in touch with my exciting life her in Vancouver. I'll just give you all a quick low down on my life at the moment. As I mentioned I'm living in the beautiful city of Vancouver in a little basement suite with my fabulous roomate, Tanya. I'm in the second year of my master's at UBC where I'm studying ethnomusicology (the cultural study of music from around the world). I work part time at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts where I give tours and help in the marketing department. Alright, those are the quick facts. More later! Here's a photo of my lovely friend, Michelle and I at my place, just before heading out on the town.