Monday, November 9
Sunday, November 8
Ready for winter...sort of.
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, my friend Kat made and then mailed me a wonderful scarf. It's absolutely lovely. The colour is stunning and it is very soft. It's wool, which oftentimes makes me feel itchy. But not this delightful scarf. Just cozy. And bright!
I also bought myself a warm hat. It's a bit silly, but was only about $15. It is incredibly warm and looks great with red lipstick. The only thing is that it is a men's hat and a little big, so it falls over my eyes from time to time. Oh well, that's fashion for ya.
I also bought myself a warm hat. It's a bit silly, but was only about $15. It is incredibly warm and looks great with red lipstick. The only thing is that it is a men's hat and a little big, so it falls over my eyes from time to time. Oh well, that's fashion for ya.
Saturday, November 7
15 Movies - Festen, The Vanishing and Paris Is Burning
Here are the last three movies in my list of "15 Movies" from the Facebook meme I did a couple of months ago. I started this project of blogging about them in earnest, but clearly got distracted by other things like food! and cows! and stationary! So, let's finish things off.
13. The Celebration (Festen)
I think that "The Celebration" was one of the first Danish movies I watched of my own accord. I remember being at my Auntie Linda's house as a pre-teen while my Mom and my aunts watched "Babette's Feast" and thinking it was the most boring, slow-moving movie of all-time. That's my earliest memory of seeing a Danish movie, but I wasn't really watching it as much as I was hoping that they would stop watching it so I could watch TV. My Mom is Danish, so I'm half-Danish (or 51% Danish we like to joke). When I was a teenager it became especially important to me to recognize that part of my family heritage. Maybe it's because Canada has a somewhat non-existent sense of national identity (usually identifying yourself as Canadian begins with, "Well, I'm not American"), but I really globbed on to my Danish roots. Being Danish (or half-Danish as it were) was more tangible to me than being Canadian (although, I'm happy to call myself Canadian, too). There were traditions and food and mischievous elves. So, when the Dogme 95 movement began I took it upon myself to learn about and watch Danish cinema as much as I could. "The Celebration" was my first exposure to Dogme 95 and new Danish cinema. Since then I've seen a number of Danish and Scandinavian movies some much better than others, naturally. What can I say, films from Northern Europe don't tend to be particularly cheerful, but they do make you think.
14. The Vanishing (Spoorloos)
This movie was remade in the US and starred Keifer Sutherland. I haven't seen that version, but I remember reading about it in entertainment magazines in the early 1990's. The version I saw, and that freaked me out, was the original Dutch movie. Sean bought the DVD and we watched it together and it really left an impression, I guess, because it made it onto this here list. It is creepy as all get out. The antagonist is smooth, unsuspecting and a complete psychopath. If you're claustrophobic you should not see this movie.
15. Paris is Burning
In my first semester of university back in 1998 I took a course called "Postmodern Literature" and it changed the way I thought forever. First, it introduced me to the concept of postmodernism, second it set the foundation for how I would approach my university experience from then on. We read and discussed Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut amongst other things. I can't remember exactly how I came up with the topic for my term paper, but I remember it having to do with subcultures and marginalized groups. I wanted to write about drag queens and the professor for the course was incredibly encouraging. He recommended that I watch "Paris Is Burning" before I began my research. I still lived in the suburbs at that point and the only video store that I could find that had a copy of the film was the Rogers Video on Davie Street in downtown Vancouver. I took the bus and Skytrain out there, signed up for a store membership and brought the video back to New Westminster.
I'm lucky. My parents have always been really open about all sorts of things with my sisters and I. They have always, as far as I can remember, had gay friends. It was a non-issue in my house. My Dad, as I've mentioned, is an artist so there were always eccentric and sometimes queer people in our lives. My Dad had (I say "had" because I took it when I moved out, ha!) a book called "As A Woman" full of Australian men in drag, which I used while researching my paper. And I watched "Paris Is Burning" and my life changed. While I had always been fairly involved in equality issues and had been volunteering at the local AIDS Walk for years at that point, I think seeing this movie elevated my commitment to the GLBTQ movement. It's an amazing documentary and it definitely heightened my appreciation and compassion for those living on the fringes of society and it made me want to make these people are a part of my world. I have it on DVD now and I watch it semi-regularly. You should take some time and watch it!
And thus concludes my list of 15 Movies. I hope that you enjoyed it. I'm glad that I managed to finish up these posts...finally.
13. The Celebration (Festen)
I think that "The Celebration" was one of the first Danish movies I watched of my own accord. I remember being at my Auntie Linda's house as a pre-teen while my Mom and my aunts watched "Babette's Feast" and thinking it was the most boring, slow-moving movie of all-time. That's my earliest memory of seeing a Danish movie, but I wasn't really watching it as much as I was hoping that they would stop watching it so I could watch TV. My Mom is Danish, so I'm half-Danish (or 51% Danish we like to joke). When I was a teenager it became especially important to me to recognize that part of my family heritage. Maybe it's because Canada has a somewhat non-existent sense of national identity (usually identifying yourself as Canadian begins with, "Well, I'm not American"), but I really globbed on to my Danish roots. Being Danish (or half-Danish as it were) was more tangible to me than being Canadian (although, I'm happy to call myself Canadian, too). There were traditions and food and mischievous elves. So, when the Dogme 95 movement began I took it upon myself to learn about and watch Danish cinema as much as I could. "The Celebration" was my first exposure to Dogme 95 and new Danish cinema. Since then I've seen a number of Danish and Scandinavian movies some much better than others, naturally. What can I say, films from Northern Europe don't tend to be particularly cheerful, but they do make you think.
14. The Vanishing (Spoorloos)
This movie was remade in the US and starred Keifer Sutherland. I haven't seen that version, but I remember reading about it in entertainment magazines in the early 1990's. The version I saw, and that freaked me out, was the original Dutch movie. Sean bought the DVD and we watched it together and it really left an impression, I guess, because it made it onto this here list. It is creepy as all get out. The antagonist is smooth, unsuspecting and a complete psychopath. If you're claustrophobic you should not see this movie.
15. Paris is Burning
In my first semester of university back in 1998 I took a course called "Postmodern Literature" and it changed the way I thought forever. First, it introduced me to the concept of postmodernism, second it set the foundation for how I would approach my university experience from then on. We read and discussed Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut amongst other things. I can't remember exactly how I came up with the topic for my term paper, but I remember it having to do with subcultures and marginalized groups. I wanted to write about drag queens and the professor for the course was incredibly encouraging. He recommended that I watch "Paris Is Burning" before I began my research. I still lived in the suburbs at that point and the only video store that I could find that had a copy of the film was the Rogers Video on Davie Street in downtown Vancouver. I took the bus and Skytrain out there, signed up for a store membership and brought the video back to New Westminster.
I'm lucky. My parents have always been really open about all sorts of things with my sisters and I. They have always, as far as I can remember, had gay friends. It was a non-issue in my house. My Dad, as I've mentioned, is an artist so there were always eccentric and sometimes queer people in our lives. My Dad had (I say "had" because I took it when I moved out, ha!) a book called "As A Woman" full of Australian men in drag, which I used while researching my paper. And I watched "Paris Is Burning" and my life changed. While I had always been fairly involved in equality issues and had been volunteering at the local AIDS Walk for years at that point, I think seeing this movie elevated my commitment to the GLBTQ movement. It's an amazing documentary and it definitely heightened my appreciation and compassion for those living on the fringes of society and it made me want to make these people are a part of my world. I have it on DVD now and I watch it semi-regularly. You should take some time and watch it!
And thus concludes my list of 15 Movies. I hope that you enjoyed it. I'm glad that I managed to finish up these posts...finally.
Friday, November 6
Well on my way to being shredded
Living in the land of chocolate and cheese isn't as easy as you might think. For one thing, if you're like me and really like chocolate and cheese (not necessarily together) you might find yourself questioning the health benefits of consuming these foods on a regular basis. In the summer it was fine because I was walking a lot, but now that it's darker earlier I don't get nearly as much walking in each day. I'm just not comfortable walking by myself in the dark and I think that is completely reasonable. That's why I did some searching on the internets for some type of exercise program I could do at home.
I kept seeing the words "30 Day Shred" on Twitter posts and on blogs ALL THE TIME. So, I looked it up. It's a program of three 20-minute workouts led by Jillian Michaels, who is apprently the trainer on the "The Biggest Loser," a TV show that I have never seen. Anyhow, I got a hold of a copy and tried it out. And promptly had my ass whooped. It was a serious workout, yo. And I was dripping with sweat when I finished it.
The idea is that you do each section of the workout program for 10 days and at the end of the 30 days you will be "shredded," which I think means "fit and healthy" but I'm not entirely sure. I'm still on Level 1 and I plan on being there for a little while longer. One of the problems is consistency. When I started out I was doing the workout every day and it was great minus the sore legs and arms, but that disappeared after about five days. I'm not quite sure what happened, but every day turned into every once in a while. I was doing a lot of travelling which led to a bit of exhaustion and laziness definitely played a factor, too. But I'm back, baby! I'm determined to do this work out at least Monday through Friday until the end of the month.
It's not an easy workout, but it does seem effective in fighting against the influence of the chocolate and the cheese. But there's just one thing I can't get over and that is Jillian Michaels herself. She kind of blows my mind. She's a bit of a tough chick, but she also seems to be trying very hard to be sympathetic. On her web site you can buy a t-shirt that says "Disco Sucks!" Maybe if I were a more serious fitness person I wouldn't be as distracted by her asides and overuse of the word "Buddy," but I can't help it. It kind of cracks me up.
On a related note, I have noticed that I burp a lot in the morning while exercising. Does this happen to any of you? I don't recall having this problem at any other time of the day. Sometimes it's a bit scary because I feel pressure in my chest, which is always a bit worrying, but then it just ends up being gas. Embarrassing!
I kept seeing the words "30 Day Shred" on Twitter posts and on blogs ALL THE TIME. So, I looked it up. It's a program of three 20-minute workouts led by Jillian Michaels, who is apprently the trainer on the "The Biggest Loser," a TV show that I have never seen. Anyhow, I got a hold of a copy and tried it out. And promptly had my ass whooped. It was a serious workout, yo. And I was dripping with sweat when I finished it.
The idea is that you do each section of the workout program for 10 days and at the end of the 30 days you will be "shredded," which I think means "fit and healthy" but I'm not entirely sure. I'm still on Level 1 and I plan on being there for a little while longer. One of the problems is consistency. When I started out I was doing the workout every day and it was great minus the sore legs and arms, but that disappeared after about five days. I'm not quite sure what happened, but every day turned into every once in a while. I was doing a lot of travelling which led to a bit of exhaustion and laziness definitely played a factor, too. But I'm back, baby! I'm determined to do this work out at least Monday through Friday until the end of the month.
It's not an easy workout, but it does seem effective in fighting against the influence of the chocolate and the cheese. But there's just one thing I can't get over and that is Jillian Michaels herself. She kind of blows my mind. She's a bit of a tough chick, but she also seems to be trying very hard to be sympathetic. On her web site you can buy a t-shirt that says "Disco Sucks!" Maybe if I were a more serious fitness person I wouldn't be as distracted by her asides and overuse of the word "Buddy," but I can't help it. It kind of cracks me up.
On a related note, I have noticed that I burp a lot in the morning while exercising. Does this happen to any of you? I don't recall having this problem at any other time of the day. Sometimes it's a bit scary because I feel pressure in my chest, which is always a bit worrying, but then it just ends up being gas. Embarrassing!
Thursday, November 5
I love good mail
I ordered a few bits and bobs from Night Owl Paper Goods. I read about them recently and was intrigued. I liked their eco-friendly approach and the adorable illustrations on their cards, calendars and tote bags. I'm always so pleased to receive a parcel of goods that has been creatively or thoughtfully wrapped. They have their own packing tape!
And my purchases came wrapped in a re-usable cloth sack complete with personalized thank-you tag.
And a discount code for future purchases within a limited time. That's a great idea if you want people to keep shopping---and I'm very tempted!
I can't show you everything that I bought because most of the things were gifts, but I will show you these adorable name/gift tags that I couldn't resist.
Yeah. I'm a sucker for owls. I'm also a sucker for stationary and paper products. But aren't they just the cutest!?!?
(Sorry the photos are a bit dark. I'm at work all day, so when I get home the natural light is gone and I do not like using my flash)
And my purchases came wrapped in a re-usable cloth sack complete with personalized thank-you tag.
And a discount code for future purchases within a limited time. That's a great idea if you want people to keep shopping---and I'm very tempted!
I can't show you everything that I bought because most of the things were gifts, but I will show you these adorable name/gift tags that I couldn't resist.
Yeah. I'm a sucker for owls. I'm also a sucker for stationary and paper products. But aren't they just the cutest!?!?
(Sorry the photos are a bit dark. I'm at work all day, so when I get home the natural light is gone and I do not like using my flash)
Wednesday, November 4
It's tea and biscuit weather
If I had my way I would spend far more time wrapped up in a blanket, drinking tea, nibbling on biscuits and reading books. Alas, there are things to see and work to do.
I need to take some new photos of Geneva. The hills and mountains surrounding the city are changing. Snow is covering Mont-Blanc and the Salève is covered in a carpet of yellow and dark green. It's pretty. I should take a walk along the lake this weekend. I also need to show and tell you about the gift my friend Kat made and sent to me. She has a great crafty blog called Junior Deluxe that I recommend you check out in the meantime.
I need to take some new photos of Geneva. The hills and mountains surrounding the city are changing. Snow is covering Mont-Blanc and the Salève is covered in a carpet of yellow and dark green. It's pretty. I should take a walk along the lake this weekend. I also need to show and tell you about the gift my friend Kat made and sent to me. She has a great crafty blog called Junior Deluxe that I recommend you check out in the meantime.
Tuesday, November 3
Little Buddy
Let me introduce you to my new favourite food mascot, Knorrli!
To be honest, I don't know if I really ever had a favourite food mascot to begin with. Although there was that time I drove Sean to Target in Bellingham to buy up their entire stock of Boo-Berry cereal.
Knorrli is a little elf that appears on packaging for Knorr products. You can read his biography here, but it's in French. He kind of reminds me of nisser and that is maybe why I was so instantly drawn to him. Since buying those oats I've spotted him all over the place.
He's even in his own soup!
Move over Boo-Berry. Tony the Tiger eat your heart out. Knorrli is here to claim his food mascot crown!
To be honest, I don't know if I really ever had a favourite food mascot to begin with. Although there was that time I drove Sean to Target in Bellingham to buy up their entire stock of Boo-Berry cereal.
Knorrli is a little elf that appears on packaging for Knorr products. You can read his biography here, but it's in French. He kind of reminds me of nisser and that is maybe why I was so instantly drawn to him. Since buying those oats I've spotted him all over the place.
He's even in his own soup!
Move over Boo-Berry. Tony the Tiger eat your heart out. Knorrli is here to claim his food mascot crown!
Monday, November 2
NaBloPoMo
It's NaBloPoMo! That's National Blog Posting Month for those of you who aren't in the know. It's fun to say, no? NaBloPoMo! NABLOPOMO!!! It almost sounds like a variety of hot pepper. But it's not. It's the thing that bloggers all over the place take part in, or at least try to take part in, for an entire month. The "thing" being one post every day for an entire month. And this year I am going to try to participate. Want to know more about this silly thing? Read about it here.
It was started by Eden Kennedy, whose blog "Fussy" is a favourite of mine. And now Sarah is doing it. Miss Grace is doing it. LA Blogger Gal is doing it. And I'm going to try doing it too. If anything, it will be a good way of pressuring myself to post more regularly than I have been.
Let me start off by posting a photo of what I baked last night while taking a break from the Tracy Morgan book.
Delicious apple-cinnamon biscuits! The recipe is from the always delightful and delicious, Everybody Likes Sandwiches. Fortunately it was fairly easy to convert from imperial to metric. In Europe they favour kitchen scales over cups for measuring dry ingredients so I'm weighing my flour over here, y'all. It's kind of fun. I remember when I was a kid that my Mom had an orange and white kitchen scale that mounted to the wall (I think). It was both completely weird and titillating. I wonder what happened to that scale...Anyhow, the biscuits were/are delicious. I ate them with a little plop of honey right out of the oven. Three of them. I could have eaten more, but commonsense intervened. Oh yeah, I should also mention that this recipe is ridiculously quick and easy. Perfect for fall evenings and cups of tea.
So, wish me luck. From now on you should be hearing from me more regularly. At least that's what I'm hoping.
It was started by Eden Kennedy, whose blog "Fussy" is a favourite of mine. And now Sarah is doing it. Miss Grace is doing it. LA Blogger Gal is doing it. And I'm going to try doing it too. If anything, it will be a good way of pressuring myself to post more regularly than I have been.
Let me start off by posting a photo of what I baked last night while taking a break from the Tracy Morgan book.
Delicious apple-cinnamon biscuits! The recipe is from the always delightful and delicious, Everybody Likes Sandwiches. Fortunately it was fairly easy to convert from imperial to metric. In Europe they favour kitchen scales over cups for measuring dry ingredients so I'm weighing my flour over here, y'all. It's kind of fun. I remember when I was a kid that my Mom had an orange and white kitchen scale that mounted to the wall (I think). It was both completely weird and titillating. I wonder what happened to that scale...Anyhow, the biscuits were/are delicious. I ate them with a little plop of honey right out of the oven. Three of them. I could have eaten more, but commonsense intervened. Oh yeah, I should also mention that this recipe is ridiculously quick and easy. Perfect for fall evenings and cups of tea.
So, wish me luck. From now on you should be hearing from me more regularly. At least that's what I'm hoping.
Sunday, November 1
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