Finish your ciggy quickly
Because trouble is brewin’.
Too long we’ve ignored things.
Momma’s done playin’.
She gave us our chance
But all we did was waste it.
Now momma’s real mad.
She’s angry, throwing a fit.
She’s hangin’ us out to dry
Takin’ away what was ours.
You can deny it all you want
From your tall white towers,
But you can’t deny the truth.
Momma’s flipped and I’m glad.
She’s raging and crying.
Turns out the she isn’t just a fad.
As her gaunt children stare
We’ll bluster and reject.
Hide the evidence behind deceit
While everything gets wrecked.
We’ll give her bandaids while
The wounds underneath fester,
Say that it just needs time,
That things will get better.
Even as her limbs wither
And our hearts start the shrivel,
We’ll ignore the symptoms
Saying that it’s naught but drivel.
As we die with her they’ll rage
“She didn’t tell us, she didn’t say!”
They’ll get silence because
Momma we did slay.
Okay, if you need this one spelled out for you, it's about the environmental crisis. Below is a couple of explanations as to why I wrote what I did. Oh, and the rhyming pattern is ABCB. I was originally going to try to make this topic into a parody of "Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas, but then I realized that was a lot of rhyming and I got lazy.
Killin’ Momma
Finish your ciggy quickly
I originally wrote, "Chug that soda down quickly". I wanted to refer to the health/excess crisis that's going on. I figured "ciggy" would be better, because it's also something ridiculously unhealthy we do but it also contributes more directly to air pollution.
Because trouble is brewin’.
Too long we’ve ignored things.
Momma’s done playin’.
"Momma" refers to Mother Nature.
She gave us our chance
But all we did was waste it.
Now momma’s real mad.
She’s angry, throwing a fit.
She’s hangin’ us out to dry
Takin’ away what was ours.
The two lines above are meant to refer to global warming, how dry areas are drying further and how we're losing access to what we think of as human rights (e.g. less water, etc.)
You can deny it all you want
From your tall white towers,
Tall White Towers refers to politicians and others who deny the evidence of climate change.
But you can’t deny the truth.
Momma’s flipped and I’m glad.
She’s raging and crying.
This is a loose reference to forest fires and floods. I doubt anyone could catch that reference without me explaining it.
Turns out the she isn’t just a fad.
As her gaunt children stare
"Gaunt children" are a reference to the starving children who are being affected by the environmental crisis.
We’ll bluster and reject.
Hide the evidence behind deceit
While everything gets wrecked.
We’ll give her bandaids while
The wounds underneath fester,
The above two lines refer to the bandaid solutions that governments put into effect as a PR stunt rather than making long lasting changes. I was originally going to make a reference to "stop gaps," but I was worried that I wouldn't use the word in the right context. Plus "bandaids" seemed to fit with the tone of the speaker better.
Say that it just needs time,
That things will get better.
Even as her limbs wither
And our hearts start the shrivel,
The line above has two connotations. As the Earth dies (her limbs wither), we're also killing ourselves. But also, by ignoring the Earth's predicament in favour of our own wealth/convenience, we're killing our own souls ("our hearts start to shrivel").
We’ll ignore the symptoms
Saying that it’s naught but drivel.
And as we die with her they’ll rage
“She didn’t tell us, she didn’t say!”
They’ll get silence because
Momma we did slay.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tiny aggravations
For the most part I have no problem navigating Montreal or doing things here. But once in awhile I do have issues with my new French speaking province.
The first main difficulty was when I finally received my computer at work. Let me start by griping about my French keyboard. I was so lost when I first received it. I spent my first week typing haltingly. I'd be typing along merrily but when it came to punctuation I'd be jerked to a stop. There's a lot more punctuation/accents in French, so there are extra keys (e.g. I have an "Alternate Character" button to the right of the space bar). These extra keys have displaced my normal punctuation keys. For example, the @ symbol can only be inserted via "Alt-char+2." My quotation punctuation is shift+2, question mark is shift+6, etc. And don't even get me on the # sign. That's one I still have to search for even after a month.
The new keyboard wouldn't have been so bad except that I had to learn now only where to find the new key placements, but I also had to learn how to type quickly with them. I'm not used to that Alt-char button. So I still have issues typing fast because I have to remove my whole right hand in order to reach down and hit it. I feel like I need to take some French keyboarding lessons. And now that I've gotten used to typing in French, it's a pain to go home and type on my English keyboard. I keep having to correct my grammar. I think I might just give up and change my keyboard settings to French.
Another computer issue I have is with the actual programs. I asked for the French operating system and French programs because I figured it would be good practice. Other than some confusion trying to figure out what certain links mean, I can navigate them with little to no confusion. The problem I have now is that all the keyboard short cuts that I know are no longer valid! E.g. I can no longer click ctrl+b to make something bold. Instead I have to hit ctrl+g, G standing for "gras." Do you think I can remember things like this? Nope.
I also have problems using Excel now because all my formulas have to be in French! I couldn't for the figure out why my "concatenate" formula wasn't working the one day (I had typed it out manually and the French error message didn't help at all). It wasn't until I went through the automatic formula creator did I realize that the "concatenate" formula didn't exist. Instead I had to use "concatener." Whoops.
Surfing the internet is also a veritable pain. Why? Because computers are too nosy and smart for their own good. Google detects that I'm using a French computer, so it returns French websites only. I have to rewrite my search to make it obvious that it's an English search, or I have to switch my google preferences to English. (The latter is a pain because it eventually resets to French again.) Other websites will also automatically log me into the French language portal. I'll then spend 5 minutes hunting out the American or English versions of the webpage.
Now, all of the irritations above pale in comparison to this final one. This is the cherry on the top of my grievances with Quebec. I'm no longer eligible for many contests. Every time I see an interesting contest online I see a message, "Residents of Quebec are ineligible for this contest." No more free stuff. No more free draws. Nothing. Quebec? I think I hate you.
The first main difficulty was when I finally received my computer at work. Let me start by griping about my French keyboard. I was so lost when I first received it. I spent my first week typing haltingly. I'd be typing along merrily but when it came to punctuation I'd be jerked to a stop. There's a lot more punctuation/accents in French, so there are extra keys (e.g. I have an "Alternate Character" button to the right of the space bar). These extra keys have displaced my normal punctuation keys. For example, the @ symbol can only be inserted via "Alt-char+2." My quotation punctuation is shift+2, question mark is shift+6, etc. And don't even get me on the # sign. That's one I still have to search for even after a month.
The new keyboard wouldn't have been so bad except that I had to learn now only where to find the new key placements, but I also had to learn how to type quickly with them. I'm not used to that Alt-char button. So I still have issues typing fast because I have to remove my whole right hand in order to reach down and hit it. I feel like I need to take some French keyboarding lessons. And now that I've gotten used to typing in French, it's a pain to go home and type on my English keyboard. I keep having to correct my grammar. I think I might just give up and change my keyboard settings to French.
Another computer issue I have is with the actual programs. I asked for the French operating system and French programs because I figured it would be good practice. Other than some confusion trying to figure out what certain links mean, I can navigate them with little to no confusion. The problem I have now is that all the keyboard short cuts that I know are no longer valid! E.g. I can no longer click ctrl+b to make something bold. Instead I have to hit ctrl+g, G standing for "gras." Do you think I can remember things like this? Nope.
I also have problems using Excel now because all my formulas have to be in French! I couldn't for the figure out why my "concatenate" formula wasn't working the one day (I had typed it out manually and the French error message didn't help at all). It wasn't until I went through the automatic formula creator did I realize that the "concatenate" formula didn't exist. Instead I had to use "concatener." Whoops.
Surfing the internet is also a veritable pain. Why? Because computers are too nosy and smart for their own good. Google detects that I'm using a French computer, so it returns French websites only. I have to rewrite my search to make it obvious that it's an English search, or I have to switch my google preferences to English. (The latter is a pain because it eventually resets to French again.) Other websites will also automatically log me into the French language portal. I'll then spend 5 minutes hunting out the American or English versions of the webpage.
Now, all of the irritations above pale in comparison to this final one. This is the cherry on the top of my grievances with Quebec. I'm no longer eligible for many contests. Every time I see an interesting contest online I see a message, "Residents of Quebec are ineligible for this contest." No more free stuff. No more free draws. Nothing. Quebec? I think I hate you.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
More zombies
As mentioned in my last post, I felt that that life needed more zombies in it. Well, I got my wish. On Sunday I went and saw the new "Zombieland" movie. I haven't laughed so hard in such a long time. I have to admit, the movie made me a bit queasy at the start because of the copious amounts of blood flying - err, oozing - around.
It wasn't uplifting, nor did it try to portray a realistic look at how humanity coped with a sudden surge of zombies. Nope. Instead it gave random rules on how to survive a zombie attack. Rule #1: Cardio.
Perhaps the sudden influx of zombie-ism in my life has begun to affect me. Of late I'm having a harder time than normal staying asleep at night. Note that I say that the difficulty is staying asleep. I have no (or little) problem falling asleep, but I wake up multiple times every night for no apparent reason.
My room is dark. My neighborhood is quiet. Sometimes I wake up hot. the next time I wake up freezing. Sometimes I wake up thirsty. And then I wake up 30 minutes before my alarm clock. I go to bed at roughly the same time each night and usually just read before I go to sleep. I don't drink coffee or any caffeinated beverages so I can't blame caffeine. Likewise I don't have anything high in sugar before bed, so I'm not suffering from a sugar rush.
All in all I'm quite mystified as to why I keep waking up. I also seem to go through cycles - some weeks I have no problems, other weeks I wake up at least once a night. It's quite infuriating. Normally I can handle waking up once a night. It's mainly the those cursed 30 minutes before the alarm are always such a pain. I don't get why I consistently wake up earlier. I understand that it might have happened when I first started work - you know, being paranoid of missing my alarm or something, but I actually have two alarms in my room (something I had to start doing in university, or I'd never make it to my classes on time). I have the one beside my bed, and then I have my cell phone set as an alarm clock on the other side of the room. That way I at least have to drag myself out of bed if I fail to answer the first.
Can anyone else offer suggestions on how I can go to sleep and STAY asleep? I'm really tired (pun unintended) of this jerking awake thing.
It wasn't uplifting, nor did it try to portray a realistic look at how humanity coped with a sudden surge of zombies. Nope. Instead it gave random rules on how to survive a zombie attack. Rule #1: Cardio.
Perhaps the sudden influx of zombie-ism in my life has begun to affect me. Of late I'm having a harder time than normal staying asleep at night. Note that I say that the difficulty is staying asleep. I have no (or little) problem falling asleep, but I wake up multiple times every night for no apparent reason.
My room is dark. My neighborhood is quiet. Sometimes I wake up hot. the next time I wake up freezing. Sometimes I wake up thirsty. And then I wake up 30 minutes before my alarm clock. I go to bed at roughly the same time each night and usually just read before I go to sleep. I don't drink coffee or any caffeinated beverages so I can't blame caffeine. Likewise I don't have anything high in sugar before bed, so I'm not suffering from a sugar rush.
All in all I'm quite mystified as to why I keep waking up. I also seem to go through cycles - some weeks I have no problems, other weeks I wake up at least once a night. It's quite infuriating. Normally I can handle waking up once a night. It's mainly the those cursed 30 minutes before the alarm are always such a pain. I don't get why I consistently wake up earlier. I understand that it might have happened when I first started work - you know, being paranoid of missing my alarm or something, but I actually have two alarms in my room (something I had to start doing in university, or I'd never make it to my classes on time). I have the one beside my bed, and then I have my cell phone set as an alarm clock on the other side of the room. That way I at least have to drag myself out of bed if I fail to answer the first.
Can anyone else offer suggestions on how I can go to sleep and STAY asleep? I'm really tired (pun unintended) of this jerking awake thing.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The world needs more zombies
I recently bought the book, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Seth Grahame-Smith. It's a parody of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." I heard a lot of people talking about and every time I went into the bookstore, the cover art called to me.
I haven't finished the book yet but I am absolutely enthralled with it so far. Mr Grahame-Smith had such a brilliant concept when he penned this novel. The novel is so similar to the original book that it's difficult to describe the differences. It has the exact same story, but with zombies! This means that it often has the exact same dialogue, but there are some expanded scenes or tweaks to the wording. The world in the book is the same as before, but now there are zombies running amuck and everyone reacts to them with varying degrees of politeness or terror.
Despite the changes he made to the original story, his own changes fit right into the Elizabethan dialogue and descriptions. Despite their willingness to disembowel a man for the sake of honour, Elizabeth and her sisters are exquisitely polite and mindful of their manners in other ways. The outré statements some characters make are funnier due to the naturalness of their saying it. E.g. When Elizabeth's aunt and uncle invite her on a summer trip on the countryside she breaks into raptures about how fun it will be to do some mountaintop sparring and bringing down bucks with nothing but an ankle dagger. It's such a mind-boggling concept that the character thinks nothing of.
I'm enjoying it so much that I already plan to get another similar book entitled "Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters." I've never read Sense and Sensibility but I fully expect to like it as much as any other classic romance novel. Both Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters have both signed movie deals. I can assure you that I'll be seeing them in theatres.
I haven't finished the book yet but I am absolutely enthralled with it so far. Mr Grahame-Smith had such a brilliant concept when he penned this novel. The novel is so similar to the original book that it's difficult to describe the differences. It has the exact same story, but with zombies! This means that it often has the exact same dialogue, but there are some expanded scenes or tweaks to the wording. The world in the book is the same as before, but now there are zombies running amuck and everyone reacts to them with varying degrees of politeness or terror.
Despite the changes he made to the original story, his own changes fit right into the Elizabethan dialogue and descriptions. Despite their willingness to disembowel a man for the sake of honour, Elizabeth and her sisters are exquisitely polite and mindful of their manners in other ways. The outré statements some characters make are funnier due to the naturalness of their saying it. E.g. When Elizabeth's aunt and uncle invite her on a summer trip on the countryside she breaks into raptures about how fun it will be to do some mountaintop sparring and bringing down bucks with nothing but an ankle dagger. It's such a mind-boggling concept that the character thinks nothing of.
I'm enjoying it so much that I already plan to get another similar book entitled "Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters." I've never read Sense and Sensibility but I fully expect to like it as much as any other classic romance novel. Both Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters have both signed movie deals. I can assure you that I'll be seeing them in theatres.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Happy Turkey Day!
I had a terrific long weekend! It was relaxing and fun all wrapped in one.
I started off Friday night by making alfredo sauce from scratch. I've only had alfredo a few times before (usually as part of the pre-packaged frozen Skillet Sensations dinners) but I was seized by the urge to make it. After a slight hiccup at the grocery store (I couldn't find the heavy cream needed for the sauce - instead I found English Cream, Whipping Cream, Table Cream, Cooking Cream, Coffee Cream... Every cream EXCEPT for Heavy Cream) I nabbed all my ingredients (and a bottle of wine) and went home.
The sauce turned out surprisingly well. I ended up using Cooking Cream (with 35% fat). I added a lot more garlic to the sauce than called for, and I also added salt and pepper because it was looking really bland. I'm glad I did. I fried up some veggies (carrots, zucchini and peas) to serve on top of my pasta and it was divine!
The next day I started the day off with a jog and just puttered around my apartment for the morning/afternoon. That evening I had agreed to go out for a Chinese buffet to celebrate Double-10 Day. Apparently it's Taiwan's National Day. I had a terrific time at the dinner - there were 4 other women and we had a ball chatting and stuffing ourselves. It was a nice change because since I moved to Montreal, I've been hanging around with mostly guys, so it was delightful getting a dose of estrogen. I was amazed at the one Chinese girl who joined us - she at SO MUCH! My stomach hurt just watching her. That being said, it was also a pleasure watching her - there's nothing more infuriating than going to a buffet and have someone just nibble here and there and making you feel self-conscious about eating. Well, this certainly was not the case for our group. We ate. And ate. And ate some more.
The next day I went to Old Montreal to go for a walking tour organized by one of the members of Meetin.org. It was really interesting! And it was just a nice change to go to Old Montreal and not look at the same buildings - we took some different routes than I normally take, and I got to learn both some modern and old history (including architectural laws from the 1900s on how to build "sky scrapers", and why old row houses were built the way they were.). The only problem with the walk was the bitter wind that was whistling around. I had to take off my big dangling earrings because they were flapping around in the wind so much. And my Chinese friend (the one I met last night and who decided to blow off a date in order to come to the walk instead) was freeeeezing. She only had a light jacket and no gloves. Yikes!
After the walk I signed up for a movie membership at Club Videotron and rented some films. The plan was to make some homemade cannelloni for dinner and indulge in some more wine. Well. Not only did I make cannelloni, but I also whipped up a caesar salad (with some homemade croutons!) and while I was baking the pasta, I also decided to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I was a veritable domestic goddess!
While enjoying the fruits of my labour I started watching the first of my movies. I rented "My Life in Ruins." It was a cute movie, not excellent, but amusing. It's a bit of a shame because the woman's first movie ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") was so amazing. This one was full of clichés, stereotypes, and bad dialogue. It had so much potential but flopped. My favourite part of the movie was the portrayal of Canadians. :) We're such a cute nation!
Yesterday morning I forced myself to go for another jog again. I like my neighborhood jogs because I get to see all the side streets and learn the street names. Well, this time I learned to not try to jog on Cote St-Luc again. Ugh. Uphill. With no side streets to go down. Yup. Definitely avoiding that street again.
After cleaning myself up and having some lunch I forced myself to go out shopping. (It was nearly 1PM and I was rapidly losing incentive to go out.) I'm happy that I did go out though because I managed to buy 2 new pairs of pants (I recently admitted to myself that my last pair of black dress pants were too worn out to wear to work anymore). An even happier event was that I successfully got $50 back from a coat I bought last week! (I bought the jacket last week at regular price, but this week there was a 25% sale on it.) I then managed to postpone buying a cute pair of heeled boots I found and wandered around Walmart instead.
Now by yesterday evening all my incentive too cook deserted me, so I just had grilled cheese sandwiches and wine. I watched my second movie, "Fighting." It wasn't a bad movie, but again, the plot wasn't very well developed, the romance aspect was very poor, and you couldn't really sympathic with most of the characters. The only good thing about it was Channing Tatum. He's cute.
And thus ended my weekend. It was just really great and I enjoyed getting out and about!
I started off Friday night by making alfredo sauce from scratch. I've only had alfredo a few times before (usually as part of the pre-packaged frozen Skillet Sensations dinners) but I was seized by the urge to make it. After a slight hiccup at the grocery store (I couldn't find the heavy cream needed for the sauce - instead I found English Cream, Whipping Cream, Table Cream, Cooking Cream, Coffee Cream... Every cream EXCEPT for Heavy Cream) I nabbed all my ingredients (and a bottle of wine) and went home.
The sauce turned out surprisingly well. I ended up using Cooking Cream (with 35% fat). I added a lot more garlic to the sauce than called for, and I also added salt and pepper because it was looking really bland. I'm glad I did. I fried up some veggies (carrots, zucchini and peas) to serve on top of my pasta and it was divine!
The next day I started the day off with a jog and just puttered around my apartment for the morning/afternoon. That evening I had agreed to go out for a Chinese buffet to celebrate Double-10 Day. Apparently it's Taiwan's National Day. I had a terrific time at the dinner - there were 4 other women and we had a ball chatting and stuffing ourselves. It was a nice change because since I moved to Montreal, I've been hanging around with mostly guys, so it was delightful getting a dose of estrogen. I was amazed at the one Chinese girl who joined us - she at SO MUCH! My stomach hurt just watching her. That being said, it was also a pleasure watching her - there's nothing more infuriating than going to a buffet and have someone just nibble here and there and making you feel self-conscious about eating. Well, this certainly was not the case for our group. We ate. And ate. And ate some more.
The next day I went to Old Montreal to go for a walking tour organized by one of the members of Meetin.org. It was really interesting! And it was just a nice change to go to Old Montreal and not look at the same buildings - we took some different routes than I normally take, and I got to learn both some modern and old history (including architectural laws from the 1900s on how to build "sky scrapers", and why old row houses were built the way they were.). The only problem with the walk was the bitter wind that was whistling around. I had to take off my big dangling earrings because they were flapping around in the wind so much. And my Chinese friend (the one I met last night and who decided to blow off a date in order to come to the walk instead) was freeeeezing. She only had a light jacket and no gloves. Yikes!
After the walk I signed up for a movie membership at Club Videotron and rented some films. The plan was to make some homemade cannelloni for dinner and indulge in some more wine. Well. Not only did I make cannelloni, but I also whipped up a caesar salad (with some homemade croutons!) and while I was baking the pasta, I also decided to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I was a veritable domestic goddess!
While enjoying the fruits of my labour I started watching the first of my movies. I rented "My Life in Ruins." It was a cute movie, not excellent, but amusing. It's a bit of a shame because the woman's first movie ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") was so amazing. This one was full of clichés, stereotypes, and bad dialogue. It had so much potential but flopped. My favourite part of the movie was the portrayal of Canadians. :) We're such a cute nation!
Yesterday morning I forced myself to go for another jog again. I like my neighborhood jogs because I get to see all the side streets and learn the street names. Well, this time I learned to not try to jog on Cote St-Luc again. Ugh. Uphill. With no side streets to go down. Yup. Definitely avoiding that street again.
After cleaning myself up and having some lunch I forced myself to go out shopping. (It was nearly 1PM and I was rapidly losing incentive to go out.) I'm happy that I did go out though because I managed to buy 2 new pairs of pants (I recently admitted to myself that my last pair of black dress pants were too worn out to wear to work anymore). An even happier event was that I successfully got $50 back from a coat I bought last week! (I bought the jacket last week at regular price, but this week there was a 25% sale on it.) I then managed to postpone buying a cute pair of heeled boots I found and wandered around Walmart instead.
Now by yesterday evening all my incentive too cook deserted me, so I just had grilled cheese sandwiches and wine. I watched my second movie, "Fighting." It wasn't a bad movie, but again, the plot wasn't very well developed, the romance aspect was very poor, and you couldn't really sympathic with most of the characters. The only good thing about it was Channing Tatum. He's cute.
And thus ended my weekend. It was just really great and I enjoyed getting out and about!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Yahoos asking questions
I've become addicted to Yahoo Answers (answers.yahoo.com). It's a great site - you can ask questions to the entire public about anything and people can answer back. The topics vary from books to cooking to relationship advice. The system operates on points (ask a question -5 points, answer a question +2 points, etc.).
Some questions are fun, some are lazy, some are strange, and some are just mind-boggling.
The lazy questions are most often posted by students who are essentially asking people to do their homework for them. I have to admit, I'm bothered by these kinds of questions. The kids are cheating, and people are helping them do it. I've answered a few questions where students have asked for help, but I've always tried to do it in a way that makes the kid think about the answer. So when I see students getting help from random strangers, it bugs me because they're not thinking for themselves.
The mind-boggling questions bother me in that the show how ignorant people can be. Often, I see these questions in the Pregnancy or medical categories of the site. It seems like there are so many teenagers asking "Gee, I did this and this in bed, could I have gotten pregnant?" When I read those I just want to slam my head on my desk. I get that the US promotes abstinence, but come on! Wikipedia can teach you about safe sex! Go! Educate yourselves! I also hate the questions where people list their symptoms and say, "What disease do I have?" I mean, would you trust a random stranger on the street to diagnose you? No? Then why would you trust a random stranger on the internet? It's just encouraging a whole generation of hypochondriacs.
Since the majority of the users are obviously American (with a dash of Europeans, Canucks, and Aussies) I'm dismayed by the lack of thought that goes into them. Is this an example of the general thought process of an American? Or is it just that all the stupid people are congregating in one area?
Despite all this ranting and raving I will continue to use and stalk the site. It is fun to find questions that ask, "In Canada, where do polar bears sit on the bus?" or "What's making you happy today?" It's also great to find cooking tips or suggestions on books to read. And in general, it's just fascinating to find out what's important to different people.
Some questions are fun, some are lazy, some are strange, and some are just mind-boggling.
The lazy questions are most often posted by students who are essentially asking people to do their homework for them. I have to admit, I'm bothered by these kinds of questions. The kids are cheating, and people are helping them do it. I've answered a few questions where students have asked for help, but I've always tried to do it in a way that makes the kid think about the answer. So when I see students getting help from random strangers, it bugs me because they're not thinking for themselves.
The mind-boggling questions bother me in that the show how ignorant people can be. Often, I see these questions in the Pregnancy or medical categories of the site. It seems like there are so many teenagers asking "Gee, I did this and this in bed, could I have gotten pregnant?" When I read those I just want to slam my head on my desk. I get that the US promotes abstinence, but come on! Wikipedia can teach you about safe sex! Go! Educate yourselves! I also hate the questions where people list their symptoms and say, "What disease do I have?" I mean, would you trust a random stranger on the street to diagnose you? No? Then why would you trust a random stranger on the internet? It's just encouraging a whole generation of hypochondriacs.
Since the majority of the users are obviously American (with a dash of Europeans, Canucks, and Aussies) I'm dismayed by the lack of thought that goes into them. Is this an example of the general thought process of an American? Or is it just that all the stupid people are congregating in one area?
Despite all this ranting and raving I will continue to use and stalk the site. It is fun to find questions that ask, "In Canada, where do polar bears sit on the bus?" or "What's making you happy today?" It's also great to find cooking tips or suggestions on books to read. And in general, it's just fascinating to find out what's important to different people.
Inter-generational B-Ball
After taking stock of yesterday's basketball games, I can't help but feel old. Kind of. Not really.
Thierry, Farid and I were playing basketball for about an hour when we suddenly decided to ask two kids who were on another court to join us. So the kids and I teamed up against Thierry and Farid. Despite being 3 vs. 2 we still got our butts kicked.
The kids left and then another group of kids who were probably 13 or 14ish came over and asked if they could play. (They were just hanging around the park, waiting for their football game to start.) Of course we said yes and then proceeded to get our butts kicked.
Now, to save my pride I should first mention that with the first 2 kids, I was paired up with 2 scrawny Asian kids. I mean, come on. Me with 2 short kids vs. Thierry and Farid who have long mutant arms and springs in their calves? Not a hope in hell. With the second group, I attribute our loss to the fact that we had been playing for an hour and a half while they were still fresh. And we later realized that they were subbing new players in randomly. So they were literally running circles around us.
I'd feel older but the kids were so immature that it's not so bad. But this is also the first time I've interacted with high school kids (my niece excepted) since well, high school! It wasn't until after the games were over that I realized just how much younger they probably were. And I think part of the difficulty of pegging down their age stemmed from their looks and behaviour.
One kid had his head shaved with little designs in the stubble. To me, I've always pictured that style as being older or belonging on a gang member of something (forgive my stereotyping). So seeing it on a kid (he also had a stud in one ear) was disconcerting. It was the same with the way they talked. They were cursing and swearing a streak on the court, razzing each other and us. It was funny to listen to, but it's certainly not how I remember talking when I was that age.
Their attitude was also funny. When they first asked to join we were trying to figure out how to even up the teams (since we only had 3 members on our team we needed to draft some of their friends but it was going to be an uneven number no matter what). I didn't catch the full remark but I overheard the one kid telling his friends, "... Well we can't kick the girl out!" I was taken aback by that. I haven't dealth with the whole school-yard "girls vs. boys" issues since the school yard! I was amused to realize that it was even an issue for them.
I did get my revenge later though when I surprised the one kid with some crazy defence skills of my own. Of course, keeping up and blocking him used up the last of my energy and left me gasping my way back and forth on the court.
Overall though it was a great day on the courts. I had a good workout. And it made me feel even better to later realize that I've lost 5 pounds without realizing it! Yay me!
Thierry, Farid and I were playing basketball for about an hour when we suddenly decided to ask two kids who were on another court to join us. So the kids and I teamed up against Thierry and Farid. Despite being 3 vs. 2 we still got our butts kicked.
The kids left and then another group of kids who were probably 13 or 14ish came over and asked if they could play. (They were just hanging around the park, waiting for their football game to start.) Of course we said yes and then proceeded to get our butts kicked.
Now, to save my pride I should first mention that with the first 2 kids, I was paired up with 2 scrawny Asian kids. I mean, come on. Me with 2 short kids vs. Thierry and Farid who have long mutant arms and springs in their calves? Not a hope in hell. With the second group, I attribute our loss to the fact that we had been playing for an hour and a half while they were still fresh. And we later realized that they were subbing new players in randomly. So they were literally running circles around us.
I'd feel older but the kids were so immature that it's not so bad. But this is also the first time I've interacted with high school kids (my niece excepted) since well, high school! It wasn't until after the games were over that I realized just how much younger they probably were. And I think part of the difficulty of pegging down their age stemmed from their looks and behaviour.
One kid had his head shaved with little designs in the stubble. To me, I've always pictured that style as being older or belonging on a gang member of something (forgive my stereotyping). So seeing it on a kid (he also had a stud in one ear) was disconcerting. It was the same with the way they talked. They were cursing and swearing a streak on the court, razzing each other and us. It was funny to listen to, but it's certainly not how I remember talking when I was that age.
Their attitude was also funny. When they first asked to join we were trying to figure out how to even up the teams (since we only had 3 members on our team we needed to draft some of their friends but it was going to be an uneven number no matter what). I didn't catch the full remark but I overheard the one kid telling his friends, "... Well we can't kick the girl out!" I was taken aback by that. I haven't dealth with the whole school-yard "girls vs. boys" issues since the school yard! I was amused to realize that it was even an issue for them.
I did get my revenge later though when I surprised the one kid with some crazy defence skills of my own. Of course, keeping up and blocking him used up the last of my energy and left me gasping my way back and forth on the court.
Overall though it was a great day on the courts. I had a good workout. And it made me feel even better to later realize that I've lost 5 pounds without realizing it! Yay me!
Friday, October 02, 2009
Donating blood
My family prides itself on being tough. We always joke about the wimps who can't stand seeing blood on TV. Our byline in the house was, "Suck it up!" If we weren't feeling well my mother would tell my sisters and I to either gargle with salt water, have a hot chocolate, or take a tylenol (those were her miracle cures; I could have had a broken leg and she'd tell me to gargle with salt water).
Well, I let the family down this week. You see, in our house it was a rule when you were 17 that you had to start donating blood. (Okay, so it wasn't strictly enforced - but we were strongly encouraged to donate when we could.) I've donated at least 7 times in the past. Unfortunately for me donating was a bit more of a pain because apparently I have tiny veins. The nurses always have trouble finding one, and then it takes me about twice as long to donate as other people just because it takes so long for the blood to flow. And to encourage faster blood flow, they give me something to squeeze and release, squeeze and release, etc. so by the end of my donation, my arm is aching where the needle is poking out.
Twice while I was in university I even had a bit of a fainting spell after donating. (I never actually fainted, but the room would start to brighten and/or darken and I'd have to lay back down for another 15 minutes. Usually these were caused by my own stupid fault for not eating properly or because it was really hot outside.
Well, I'll admit that I've been a slacker over the past year and a half. While in Ottawa and Owen Sound I just didn't think of donating, and then when I was in Toronto I was always too hungry after work to even contemplating donating (and from my fainting spells I learned not to try to donate without eating first). So when Héma-Quebec (the Quebec equivalent to the Canadian Blood Services) started an ad campaign promoting blood donation, I felt obligated to go.
So on Wednesday I trooped over to the local blood drive being held at the Université de Québec à Montréal and managed to wrangle my way through the registration process. (I like the Quebec system a bit better - maybe it was because the nurses had to slow down to speak in English, but it felt less rushed and more personable than in Ontario.) I was a bit nervous - it had been a long time since I last donated of course - I wasn't looking forward to the extended unpleasant ache that I mentioned before.
But the moment I sat down in the cot, my nervousness level jumped up. I tried to focus on the posters and other university decorations, but I also watched the nurse. She couldn't find my vein. She tried both arms and finally settled on the left because she could very faintly feel it. So she finally stuck the needle in... But there was no blood. Now, the moment the needle entered me, my uncomfortableness started ratcheting up again just from the memories of my other bad donation episodes. She didn't dig the needle around, she didn't twist or do anything, she just gently moved it in place, etc. I couldn't even feel it moving... But knowing that it was there was freaking me out.
Throughout it all she kept asking if I was okay, did I want to stop, etc. I kept reassuring her that I'd be okay once we got started. Well, five minutes later she still couldn't find the vein. She asked if I wanted to give up, or if I was willing to try the other arm (and she promised that she'd get another nurse to try instead of her). I told her that sure, she could try the other arm. However, in the few seconds that it took her to get the needle out, I could tell that the room was alternately becoming brighter and darker - oops, I recognize this feeling! I'm going to pass out! I hastily tell her that no, I can't donate today afterall. I guess I was whiter than I realized, because she didn't seem surprised when I backed out. (I suspect that I had turned white the moment I sat down - I was just too stubborn to admit how nervous I was!)
I ended up having to sit in a "recovery" cot for 5 minutes even though I didn't donate (it was their requirement). And after that, I was forced to go to the refreshment table, and sadly I'll admit that having juice and a granola bar did wonders to restore me to my senses. (The whole ordeal reminds me of when I got my nose pierced - you're so nervous that you have to go get a bite to eat to raise your blood sugar levels to fight the shock you kind of go into.)
So I feel like an utter wimp and failure because I started to pass out before I even donated blood! Granted, I did sit there for 5 minutes with the needle stuck in my arm, but still! Even just sitting here and typing this memory is making my left arm ache. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to donate blood again. I'd like to think that I'll make the effort, but I'm so nervous that I'll have an episode like this again. So we'll see what happens. I think I'll try donating again... But I might have to bring along some moral support next time - if only to distract me from what's going on. At least I can take comfort in knowing that I have donated in the past. That I have made more of a difference than someone who has never given blood.
Well, I let the family down this week. You see, in our house it was a rule when you were 17 that you had to start donating blood. (Okay, so it wasn't strictly enforced - but we were strongly encouraged to donate when we could.) I've donated at least 7 times in the past. Unfortunately for me donating was a bit more of a pain because apparently I have tiny veins. The nurses always have trouble finding one, and then it takes me about twice as long to donate as other people just because it takes so long for the blood to flow. And to encourage faster blood flow, they give me something to squeeze and release, squeeze and release, etc. so by the end of my donation, my arm is aching where the needle is poking out.
Twice while I was in university I even had a bit of a fainting spell after donating. (I never actually fainted, but the room would start to brighten and/or darken and I'd have to lay back down for another 15 minutes. Usually these were caused by my own stupid fault for not eating properly or because it was really hot outside.
Well, I'll admit that I've been a slacker over the past year and a half. While in Ottawa and Owen Sound I just didn't think of donating, and then when I was in Toronto I was always too hungry after work to even contemplating donating (and from my fainting spells I learned not to try to donate without eating first). So when Héma-Quebec (the Quebec equivalent to the Canadian Blood Services) started an ad campaign promoting blood donation, I felt obligated to go.
So on Wednesday I trooped over to the local blood drive being held at the Université de Québec à Montréal and managed to wrangle my way through the registration process. (I like the Quebec system a bit better - maybe it was because the nurses had to slow down to speak in English, but it felt less rushed and more personable than in Ontario.) I was a bit nervous - it had been a long time since I last donated of course - I wasn't looking forward to the extended unpleasant ache that I mentioned before.
But the moment I sat down in the cot, my nervousness level jumped up. I tried to focus on the posters and other university decorations, but I also watched the nurse. She couldn't find my vein. She tried both arms and finally settled on the left because she could very faintly feel it. So she finally stuck the needle in... But there was no blood. Now, the moment the needle entered me, my uncomfortableness started ratcheting up again just from the memories of my other bad donation episodes. She didn't dig the needle around, she didn't twist or do anything, she just gently moved it in place, etc. I couldn't even feel it moving... But knowing that it was there was freaking me out.
Throughout it all she kept asking if I was okay, did I want to stop, etc. I kept reassuring her that I'd be okay once we got started. Well, five minutes later she still couldn't find the vein. She asked if I wanted to give up, or if I was willing to try the other arm (and she promised that she'd get another nurse to try instead of her). I told her that sure, she could try the other arm. However, in the few seconds that it took her to get the needle out, I could tell that the room was alternately becoming brighter and darker - oops, I recognize this feeling! I'm going to pass out! I hastily tell her that no, I can't donate today afterall. I guess I was whiter than I realized, because she didn't seem surprised when I backed out. (I suspect that I had turned white the moment I sat down - I was just too stubborn to admit how nervous I was!)
I ended up having to sit in a "recovery" cot for 5 minutes even though I didn't donate (it was their requirement). And after that, I was forced to go to the refreshment table, and sadly I'll admit that having juice and a granola bar did wonders to restore me to my senses. (The whole ordeal reminds me of when I got my nose pierced - you're so nervous that you have to go get a bite to eat to raise your blood sugar levels to fight the shock you kind of go into.)
So I feel like an utter wimp and failure because I started to pass out before I even donated blood! Granted, I did sit there for 5 minutes with the needle stuck in my arm, but still! Even just sitting here and typing this memory is making my left arm ache. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to donate blood again. I'd like to think that I'll make the effort, but I'm so nervous that I'll have an episode like this again. So we'll see what happens. I think I'll try donating again... But I might have to bring along some moral support next time - if only to distract me from what's going on. At least I can take comfort in knowing that I have donated in the past. That I have made more of a difference than someone who has never given blood.
Breakfast of blah
Ugh. I've tried eating oatmeal before and never liked it. This week because of the cold, I was inspired to try it again. It was another uber-fail. How can people consume the stuff? The taste isn't bad, but the texture is grotesque! It's like eating runny eggs mixed with snot. Normally I find the taste also unappealing, but I mixed my bowl with a tablespoon of peanut butter and that alleviated its grossness, but not enough to finish the entire bowl. So dear readers, I ask you what you'd suggest as a way of trying to improve a bowl of oatmeal? Besides you know, erasing it from existence in the first place.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Email subject lines
I learned somewhere that a lot of internet advertising is tailored to the reader - whether it decides which ads to display to you based on your internet history or your personal preferences on certain websites, etc.
I wonder if spam is sent the same way. I get the generic emails asking me to buy cheap drugs or viagra, but lately I'm getting more fake pharmaceutical company emails. Since I deal with pharmaceutical companies on a semi-regular basis at work, I wonder if somehow someone caught on and is trying to lure me with emails from Pfizer, etc.
I don't know what the point I'm trying to make is, but I have to admit, I was very amused by today's spam with the subject line of "Mass geek suicide." If spam is sent in a manner meant to deliberately pique your interest, I wonder what this email said about me...
I wonder if spam is sent the same way. I get the generic emails asking me to buy cheap drugs or viagra, but lately I'm getting more fake pharmaceutical company emails. Since I deal with pharmaceutical companies on a semi-regular basis at work, I wonder if somehow someone caught on and is trying to lure me with emails from Pfizer, etc.
I don't know what the point I'm trying to make is, but I have to admit, I was very amused by today's spam with the subject line of "Mass geek suicide." If spam is sent in a manner meant to deliberately pique your interest, I wonder what this email said about me...
Poetry influx
Beware. Poetry looms on the horizon.
"Mother Summer"
Hello summer, welcome back.
You’ve been gone awhile
Leaving us to winter’s cruel rack,
But now you’re here, bringing us your sunny smile.
Pick us up, brush us off, tell us it’s okay.
Place warming kisses on our brows,
Prepare us for the coming day.
To your season we will always espouse.
And in your loving glow we’ll laze,
Lounge by lakesides, play carefree.
Try to extend your stay, elongating these long days.
But if leave you must, despite our giant plea.
Promise that next year you’ll return.
Bringing again those warm days we forever yearn.
"Help"
“Help”
I died without knowing.
I woke to find myself six feet deep.
Walls stretching high on all sides,
Sky out of reach.
Choking, panicked,
I paced my grave.
People passed above.
Some slowed but ignored me.
Others wept and left flowers,
Lamenting my departure.
I feared to call out.
What if they did not respond? Did not turn?
It would confirm my death.
As I followed my path back and forth
I realized I was slightly deeper.
My grave wasn’t a grave at all,
But a rut built over time.
Could I escape? Was it impossible?
Each familiar step merely carried me on.
Five steps forward. Five back to the start.
Deeper and deeper I dug.
Tears did not help.
They turned the dirt to mud
Sucking me deeper.
Scrabbling at the walls brought more dirt down,
Drowning me further in darkness.
Rage against my death I did
But to no avail.
I sat, leaned against root-riddled wall
And watched the living pass me by.
I yearned to join them.
To walk in sunshine once more,
On new paths with new sights.
A single word, more whispered than said
Escaped my lips.
A passerby, one whom oft left flowers heard.
I feared they would continue to their way
But without delay they stopped and extended hand.
Half-afraid, half-hopeful I grasped it.
Working together we pulled and strained
Until, in a burst of light, I found myself resurrected.
I walk among the living again.
I keep one eye on the road ahead.
But the other, the other always remains on my grave.
It follows me, ready to pull me in.
But when I feel its inexorable pull,
I cry that little word
And a dozen hands dart out,
Stabilize me and help me find my path again.
"Mother Summer"
Hello summer, welcome back.
You’ve been gone awhile
Leaving us to winter’s cruel rack,
But now you’re here, bringing us your sunny smile.
Pick us up, brush us off, tell us it’s okay.
Place warming kisses on our brows,
Prepare us for the coming day.
To your season we will always espouse.
And in your loving glow we’ll laze,
Lounge by lakesides, play carefree.
Try to extend your stay, elongating these long days.
But if leave you must, despite our giant plea.
Promise that next year you’ll return.
Bringing again those warm days we forever yearn.
"Help"
“Help”
I died without knowing.
I woke to find myself six feet deep.
Walls stretching high on all sides,
Sky out of reach.
Choking, panicked,
I paced my grave.
People passed above.
Some slowed but ignored me.
Others wept and left flowers,
Lamenting my departure.
I feared to call out.
What if they did not respond? Did not turn?
It would confirm my death.
As I followed my path back and forth
I realized I was slightly deeper.
My grave wasn’t a grave at all,
But a rut built over time.
Could I escape? Was it impossible?
Each familiar step merely carried me on.
Five steps forward. Five back to the start.
Deeper and deeper I dug.
Tears did not help.
They turned the dirt to mud
Sucking me deeper.
Scrabbling at the walls brought more dirt down,
Drowning me further in darkness.
Rage against my death I did
But to no avail.
I sat, leaned against root-riddled wall
And watched the living pass me by.
I yearned to join them.
To walk in sunshine once more,
On new paths with new sights.
A single word, more whispered than said
Escaped my lips.
A passerby, one whom oft left flowers heard.
I feared they would continue to their way
But without delay they stopped and extended hand.
Half-afraid, half-hopeful I grasped it.
Working together we pulled and strained
Until, in a burst of light, I found myself resurrected.
I walk among the living again.
I keep one eye on the road ahead.
But the other, the other always remains on my grave.
It follows me, ready to pull me in.
But when I feel its inexorable pull,
I cry that little word
And a dozen hands dart out,
Stabilize me and help me find my path again.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Grade 10 English class
Starting in grade 10 English, we always had a section of the class dedicated to learning about poetry and analyzing the hidden meanings behind it. Often I thought that we put way too much thought into what the authors were trying to say (e.g. We soooo did not need to analyze every bloody word of "Seven Days" By Gary Dunford!), but sometimes it worked out and you got deeper meanings.
How come when I try to allude to things in my own writings, people either don't get it or misinterpret it entirely?
Example 1: "The Letter Opener": I wrote this short excerpt back in grade 12. We pulled random objects out of a hat and had to write a story about them. My object was a letter opener. So for some morbid reason I wrote this short story. However, most people who read it assumed the woman kills herself at the end. I never understood how people got that idea (okay, until now - I just reread the story and finally I get a glimmer of where it's coming from), but my original purpose was to indicate that she was going to kill her husband. I just felt that elongating the story to write his murder would detract from the overall feel.
Example 2: "The Taste of Falling Rain": I wrote this poem for a small online contest at writing.com. The purpose was to take a line they had given you and either incorporate it into the poem or use it the title. I chose the line, "The Taste of Falling Rain." Several people on writing.com reviewed the poem but no one seems to have realized the allusion that I was trying to make. The poem is supposed to be about someone dying. You know, everything was good, and then someone dies, so salty rain falls from sad clouds (I was trying to refer to the rain as being tears) on fresh-turned earth (an allusion to a grave). The end of the poem refers to the time of healing that occurs after any death - you know that the sorrow will eventually end.
Well epic fail on the allusion front for Mau. I guess I'm being a bit too obscure. It's just that when I write things more explicitly I feel like I'm clouting people over the head. Maybe like all good writers, I'll have to wait until I'm dead before people start analyzing my writing. ;)
How come when I try to allude to things in my own writings, people either don't get it or misinterpret it entirely?
Example 1: "The Letter Opener": I wrote this short excerpt back in grade 12. We pulled random objects out of a hat and had to write a story about them. My object was a letter opener. So for some morbid reason I wrote this short story. However, most people who read it assumed the woman kills herself at the end. I never understood how people got that idea (okay, until now - I just reread the story and finally I get a glimmer of where it's coming from), but my original purpose was to indicate that she was going to kill her husband. I just felt that elongating the story to write his murder would detract from the overall feel.
Example 2: "The Taste of Falling Rain": I wrote this poem for a small online contest at writing.com. The purpose was to take a line they had given you and either incorporate it into the poem or use it the title. I chose the line, "The Taste of Falling Rain." Several people on writing.com reviewed the poem but no one seems to have realized the allusion that I was trying to make. The poem is supposed to be about someone dying. You know, everything was good, and then someone dies, so salty rain falls from sad clouds (I was trying to refer to the rain as being tears) on fresh-turned earth (an allusion to a grave). The end of the poem refers to the time of healing that occurs after any death - you know that the sorrow will eventually end.
Well epic fail on the allusion front for Mau. I guess I'm being a bit too obscure. It's just that when I write things more explicitly I feel like I'm clouting people over the head. Maybe like all good writers, I'll have to wait until I'm dead before people start analyzing my writing. ;)
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Taste of Falling Rain
Until now the weather had been clear;
Days filled with blue skies and blue birds.
Nowadays rain squeezes from sad clouds
Falling salty on fresh-turned earth.
At last a glimpse of far-off light
Seen on the horizon, seen in the future
Promises an end to the storm.
Promises rainbows and sunshine
And blue birds once more.
Days filled with blue skies and blue birds.
Nowadays rain squeezes from sad clouds
Falling salty on fresh-turned earth.
At last a glimpse of far-off light
Seen on the horizon, seen in the future
Promises an end to the storm.
Promises rainbows and sunshine
And blue birds once more.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Humor appetizers
I like to capture the funny points in my life, just so I can look back on them and chuckle. Therefore I'm writing these down before I forgot.
Rosemary
Many of you have met Rosemary, the creepy creepy doll that has become my family's mascot. I was joking with my family that now that Rosemary has emigrated to a French-speaking province, she should have a French name. Well, in one of my rare moments of wittiness, I decided her French name will be "Marie-Antoinette." Why that name? Because Rosemary's head isn't very well attached.
Lost
Have you ever received one of those email forwards that list what best friends do for each other? One of the lines in them reads something like, "I'll answer the phone and help explain to you where you are on your map. Dumbass." I never understood that particular joke until last Thursday. I decided to walk home from work because it was such a nice day. Unfortunately I didn't pay much attention to my directions - I just glanced at them before I left the office. I knew I had to turn somewhere, but couldn't remember where. I ended up just walking along one of the streets. I was 97% sure that the road I was on would eventually meet up with the giant highway near my house, but I wasn't quite sure.
Well, I'm walking. And walking. And walking some more. No highway. Walk some more. By now, it's been at least an hour since I set out on this foolish expedition. I start to wonder, "Hmm, am I sure the streets intersect? What if the highway starts further North...? What if the streets curve?" So I bite the bullet and phone my parents. The conversation goes kind of as follows:
Mau: Hey!
Mom: Hi!
Mau: So uh, are you at your computer right now?
Mom: No, I'm just having dinner. Why?
Mau: Umm, I'm kinda but not really lost.
Mom: ... What?
Mau: Well, I'm pretty sure I know where I am, but I'm getting tired and I just want to make sure that I'm not going to walk longer than I have to...
We ended up hanging up without finding out where I was, but I finally stumbled upon the intersection I was looking for. Unfortunately it didn't look anything like a highway, but I set down along it heedless. My mom eventually phoned me back, this time from her computer and she was able to tell me that I was on the right track. In the end it came to naught as 5 minutes after we hung up (again) I came across one of the metro stations near my area. Oh great and glorious God! Thank you! All in all it took me about 2 hours to get home.
Note to self: Like Paris, Montreal is a lot bigger in real life than on a map. :|
(Hmm. I just googled the route that I took - apparently I walked 7km! (It would have been 8.5km if I completed the walk instead of taking the metro home.)
Rosemary
Many of you have met Rosemary, the creepy creepy doll that has become my family's mascot. I was joking with my family that now that Rosemary has emigrated to a French-speaking province, she should have a French name. Well, in one of my rare moments of wittiness, I decided her French name will be "Marie-Antoinette." Why that name? Because Rosemary's head isn't very well attached.
Lost
Have you ever received one of those email forwards that list what best friends do for each other? One of the lines in them reads something like, "I'll answer the phone and help explain to you where you are on your map. Dumbass." I never understood that particular joke until last Thursday. I decided to walk home from work because it was such a nice day. Unfortunately I didn't pay much attention to my directions - I just glanced at them before I left the office. I knew I had to turn somewhere, but couldn't remember where. I ended up just walking along one of the streets. I was 97% sure that the road I was on would eventually meet up with the giant highway near my house, but I wasn't quite sure.
Well, I'm walking. And walking. And walking some more. No highway. Walk some more. By now, it's been at least an hour since I set out on this foolish expedition. I start to wonder, "Hmm, am I sure the streets intersect? What if the highway starts further North...? What if the streets curve?" So I bite the bullet and phone my parents. The conversation goes kind of as follows:
Mau: Hey!
Mom: Hi!
Mau: So uh, are you at your computer right now?
Mom: No, I'm just having dinner. Why?
Mau: Umm, I'm kinda but not really lost.
Mom: ... What?
Mau: Well, I'm pretty sure I know where I am, but I'm getting tired and I just want to make sure that I'm not going to walk longer than I have to...
We ended up hanging up without finding out where I was, but I finally stumbled upon the intersection I was looking for. Unfortunately it didn't look anything like a highway, but I set down along it heedless. My mom eventually phoned me back, this time from her computer and she was able to tell me that I was on the right track. In the end it came to naught as 5 minutes after we hung up (again) I came across one of the metro stations near my area. Oh great and glorious God! Thank you! All in all it took me about 2 hours to get home.
Note to self: Like Paris, Montreal is a lot bigger in real life than on a map. :|
(Hmm. I just googled the route that I took - apparently I walked 7km! (It would have been 8.5km if I completed the walk instead of taking the metro home.)
Montreal digs
Bonjour de Montreal!
I'm pretty sure that everyone who reads my blog is also on Facebook with me, and therefore knows that I've moved to Montreal. However, just in case, here's a quick recap of what's going on.
When I was first hired for my job in Toronto, it was only for an 8 month contract. The program wasn't sure if they'd get more funding from the government and so they couldn't hire me for longer than that. In addition, they told me upfront that if they got more funding, the job itself would move to Montreal and would I be willing to move too? Anyone who's ever done a job interview knows that the only answer to that question is always yes. I never had any intention of actually following through with it, but lo and behold, it turns out that I enjoy my job and decided to actually move!
So on June 29th (mere days after my return from Europe), I finished packing up and my parents and middle sister and her boyfriend helped me migrate to the new province.
First of all, let me say how much I adore my new apartment! It's on the second floor of a small apartment building and I have a balcony and I have huuuuuge windows. (Ugh, and said windows are open right now and it's monsooning rain. I've just put my headphones on so I can't hear the rain and won't think about the water filtering into my apartment, soaking things, etc...) It's much bigger than my place in Toronto. And best of all, it's $120/month CHEAPER. It has its foibles (e.g. the shower pressure isn't strong, the hot water takes forever, the oven is older than my parents, etc.), but nothing I can't handle. It's also really close to the subway, so it only takes me 30 minutes to get to and from work (that's 30 minutes from the moment I close my door to the moment I enter my apartment)! I have to admit though, I'm already missing my free laundry facilities. :S
Montreal so far is a lovely city. And I say this despite the fact that it's been raining 90% of the time since I moved here. (On Saturday I felt like I was caught in a flood!) It has so many patios and terraces. I just really like the vibe - it's like a more chill version of Toronto and with more culture. That being said, it's not without its intimidations. I speak some French, but I still get flustered when people talk to me. Whenever my phone rings at work I suffer a moment of "fight or flight" panic before I pick it up. I then stutter my way through a bit of a message before the other person relents and switches to English.
I've moved and lived in many other cities (e.g. Vancouver and Ottawa) before, but they've always been temporary relocations. This one certainly has more of a sense of permanence. And the bad thing about that is that I don't have a support network here - I know absolutely no one beyond a couple of colleagues. And considering that English isn't the most-widely spoken language, that means that it's harder (than normal) for me to meet people.
To increase my socialization prospects, I joined a group I found online. They are comprised of people who are new to Montreal like me, or who are "old hands" and are here to welcome the newbies. I went for coffee with them on Friday and I had a good time. Through them I also found out about a language exchange group that meets for dinners on Wednesday. I'll endeavour to go to some of those events just so I can improve my French. I'm tired of being embarrased everytime I open my mouth.
Now I have to admit, work has been a semi-daunting ordeal so far. I say "semi" because in the grand scheme, I'm doing the exact same job I did in Toronto, so it's not like I'm having to learn anything overly difficult. The daunting part is the getting acquainted with the workplace and socialization aspects of the new job location. On my first day of work I was shown my office (which was totally empty. It didn't even have a desk or pencil in it!), given access to the net, shown the lunch room and that was it. I was left on my own. I figured, "Okay, not a problem. I'll just leave my office door open, unpack, and I'll meet people sooner or later."
Well, it's been a week and I've only met about 3 people on my floor, one of them being my boss. This floor is a veritable ghost town! I just can't reach a happy medium. In Toronto the office was hectic because there were 3 of us, the phones were ringing and patients and doctors kept wandering in and out. Here, my floor is home to the offices of mostly doctors and clinicians, all of whom spend the majority of their time in their labs and clinics, so I never see anyone. It's the same with the student offices. Most of them are with their supervisors, those aforementioned elusive doctors and scientists. So I have to admit, I've been feeling a bit bereft socialization-wise.
To combat my loner-tendencies, I force myself to go to the lunch room everyday. I'm met with varying degrees of success each day. My first day, I didn't bother bringing a lunch because normally people go out for lunch or something with the newbie, or I figured that I could at least tag-along with a group who already had plans. Well, but the time 1PM rolled around and nobody had shown up, I realized that it was not meant to be and went out for lunch on my own. On my second day there was a whole table of ladies chatting in French but there wasn't any space so I sat with a couple of Chinese people, but they only spoke English and are preparing to move to the states. The third day one of the students from my program came and sat with me, and we chatted together with two other random people in a mixture of French and English. The fourth day there was no one, etc... Today was my most successful "socialization" day. I successfully sat and chatted with a co-op student from France for 40 minutes in French! Yay me! It's unfortunate that most of the people I've met are only "temporary" but at least it's getting a bit better.
So that's the quick run down on my quebec adventures so far. Maybe I should re-dub this blog in honour of its French slant now? Perhaps I'll call it, "Coureurs de Montreal" or "Mau dans la ville"... Nah, my French doesn't extend to bad puns yet.
I'm pretty sure that everyone who reads my blog is also on Facebook with me, and therefore knows that I've moved to Montreal. However, just in case, here's a quick recap of what's going on.
When I was first hired for my job in Toronto, it was only for an 8 month contract. The program wasn't sure if they'd get more funding from the government and so they couldn't hire me for longer than that. In addition, they told me upfront that if they got more funding, the job itself would move to Montreal and would I be willing to move too? Anyone who's ever done a job interview knows that the only answer to that question is always yes. I never had any intention of actually following through with it, but lo and behold, it turns out that I enjoy my job and decided to actually move!
So on June 29th (mere days after my return from Europe), I finished packing up and my parents and middle sister and her boyfriend helped me migrate to the new province.
First of all, let me say how much I adore my new apartment! It's on the second floor of a small apartment building and I have a balcony and I have huuuuuge windows. (Ugh, and said windows are open right now and it's monsooning rain. I've just put my headphones on so I can't hear the rain and won't think about the water filtering into my apartment, soaking things, etc...) It's much bigger than my place in Toronto. And best of all, it's $120/month CHEAPER. It has its foibles (e.g. the shower pressure isn't strong, the hot water takes forever, the oven is older than my parents, etc.), but nothing I can't handle. It's also really close to the subway, so it only takes me 30 minutes to get to and from work (that's 30 minutes from the moment I close my door to the moment I enter my apartment)! I have to admit though, I'm already missing my free laundry facilities. :S
Montreal so far is a lovely city. And I say this despite the fact that it's been raining 90% of the time since I moved here. (On Saturday I felt like I was caught in a flood!) It has so many patios and terraces. I just really like the vibe - it's like a more chill version of Toronto and with more culture. That being said, it's not without its intimidations. I speak some French, but I still get flustered when people talk to me. Whenever my phone rings at work I suffer a moment of "fight or flight" panic before I pick it up. I then stutter my way through a bit of a message before the other person relents and switches to English.
I've moved and lived in many other cities (e.g. Vancouver and Ottawa) before, but they've always been temporary relocations. This one certainly has more of a sense of permanence. And the bad thing about that is that I don't have a support network here - I know absolutely no one beyond a couple of colleagues. And considering that English isn't the most-widely spoken language, that means that it's harder (than normal) for me to meet people.
To increase my socialization prospects, I joined a group I found online. They are comprised of people who are new to Montreal like me, or who are "old hands" and are here to welcome the newbies. I went for coffee with them on Friday and I had a good time. Through them I also found out about a language exchange group that meets for dinners on Wednesday. I'll endeavour to go to some of those events just so I can improve my French. I'm tired of being embarrased everytime I open my mouth.
Now I have to admit, work has been a semi-daunting ordeal so far. I say "semi" because in the grand scheme, I'm doing the exact same job I did in Toronto, so it's not like I'm having to learn anything overly difficult. The daunting part is the getting acquainted with the workplace and socialization aspects of the new job location. On my first day of work I was shown my office (which was totally empty. It didn't even have a desk or pencil in it!), given access to the net, shown the lunch room and that was it. I was left on my own. I figured, "Okay, not a problem. I'll just leave my office door open, unpack, and I'll meet people sooner or later."
Well, it's been a week and I've only met about 3 people on my floor, one of them being my boss. This floor is a veritable ghost town! I just can't reach a happy medium. In Toronto the office was hectic because there were 3 of us, the phones were ringing and patients and doctors kept wandering in and out. Here, my floor is home to the offices of mostly doctors and clinicians, all of whom spend the majority of their time in their labs and clinics, so I never see anyone. It's the same with the student offices. Most of them are with their supervisors, those aforementioned elusive doctors and scientists. So I have to admit, I've been feeling a bit bereft socialization-wise.
To combat my loner-tendencies, I force myself to go to the lunch room everyday. I'm met with varying degrees of success each day. My first day, I didn't bother bringing a lunch because normally people go out for lunch or something with the newbie, or I figured that I could at least tag-along with a group who already had plans. Well, but the time 1PM rolled around and nobody had shown up, I realized that it was not meant to be and went out for lunch on my own. On my second day there was a whole table of ladies chatting in French but there wasn't any space so I sat with a couple of Chinese people, but they only spoke English and are preparing to move to the states. The third day one of the students from my program came and sat with me, and we chatted together with two other random people in a mixture of French and English. The fourth day there was no one, etc... Today was my most successful "socialization" day. I successfully sat and chatted with a co-op student from France for 40 minutes in French! Yay me! It's unfortunate that most of the people I've met are only "temporary" but at least it's getting a bit better.
So that's the quick run down on my quebec adventures so far. Maybe I should re-dub this blog in honour of its French slant now? Perhaps I'll call it, "Coureurs de Montreal" or "Mau dans la ville"... Nah, my French doesn't extend to bad puns yet.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
City of Lights
Unfortunately it's obviously been a bit since I was in Paris, so I'll do my best to recapture the highlights of my time there!
First off I must comment on the Paris metro system. I had been warned by a friend that it was confusing as hell, but I kind of sloughed her off... Little did I know how right she was! Oh my gosh, in my time I've navigated the Toronto, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Thailand, Shanghai, Rome and Milan transit systems... And Paris is by far the craziest! At least, that's how it first appears. The transit system is actually quite in depth - you can get anywhere you want to go and pop out of the transit really close. You just have to figure out which connections to make! There are FOURTEEN separate subway lines and they all mix in and interconnect - so to get to the Eiffel tower from my hostel, I could either take the #6 train (green line) and then transfer to the #2 (blue line), or I could take the #4 (purple line) and then transfer on to the RER C line (yellow), etc... If you had the time to get familiar with the system it would be great, but on a whirlwind tour like the one I embarked on, it felt like you spent more time with your nose in your subway map than actually going to your destination!
Paris is an absolutely lovely city! It took me a bit to understand the appeal of it, but now that I've been and experienced, I would love to return there. As with most of my other destinations on my trip, I spent my first day wandering around aimlessly, just getting oriented with the city. I ended up going to the Champs Elysee just because it was easily accessed via the metro (as in, I saw it listed on the metro map and so I tackled it rather than trying to figure out anything else!) The Champs itself was a bit anti-climatic. It seemed to be just a long long busy street lined with some cool restaurants, lots of stores, and beautiful trees... But I felt that in the end, it was naught but another shopping district.
At the end of the Champs I did encounter the Arc de Triomphe. Again, it was a bit of a let down, but at the same time it wasn't. I think this "let down" feeling is more of what I'm sensing now that I've had some time to think about it. Yes, the Arc would be very interesting if you hadn't seen one before, but in Europe I saw several already! I didn't bother paying to climb up it because a) I was feeling cheap, b) I was intending to climb the Eiffel, and c) I was freaking exhausted! I did walk around underneath it though, but there was some kind of ceremony for the unknown soldier going on. (At least, that's what I assume it was.)
Honestly, the thing that caught my attention the most was the roundabout surrounding the arc. You couldn't ever PAY me to drive in that monstrosity! Look up bedlam and chaos in the dictionary, and you'll see a picture of that roundabout. There was no rhyme or reason to how people drove in it. You entered the circle and you either emerged unscathed, or you lost 10 years off your life. (Or your life. Period.).
I ended up catching the subway to the Eiffel Tower and had to walk quite a distance to reach the tower itself. This is when I entered the phase of my trip where I'd see something and say, "Oh, this is it?" and when I got up close, I changed my opinion to, "Oh! This IS it!" The Eiffel was a prime example of this - when I got off the subway I could see its tip and I was like, "Gee, that's kinda small and rusty!" but when I got up close, it got bigger and bigger and more detailed and I realized it was painted brown and suddenly it was a whole lot cooler! Seriously, the Eiffel was tres tres cool!
What wasn't cool was the line to get up it! I guestimate that to take the elevator to the top, it was about a 3 hour wait in line... So Mau, being the impatient (and frugal) person that I am, decided to climb the Eiffel Tower instead. I still had to wait in line for about 45 minutes, but the climb wasn't all that bad. By this time it was night, so the tower was lit up with huge flood lights everywhere. Normally I'm not a nervous person about heights, but I have to admit that there were several times that I was very disoriented by being able to see through the grill/steelwork to down below. (The climb down was even worse because there were times that I was blinded by the lights and couldn't see the steps!) The view from the top of the Eiffel (I opted to climb to the 2nd floor too!) was absolutely splendid! Because it was dark, and it was my first night in Paris, I couldn't recognize many of the landmarks, but they were pretty nonetheless!
I scooted back to the hostel and met my roommates - I was staying with a guy from Russia and two South Africans. These roommates were probably the most chillaxed of all the ones I had - as in, they weren't going out partying (although I think the Russian would have preferred to), so it was nice not being judged by people for going to bed at midnight!
The next day we all decided to join a free walking tour. The tour was surprisingly good - it was conducted by various local students and they gave not only the history of the various sites, but also pointed out amusing stories about certain locations. Unfortunately about half way through the tour it started to rain heavily so I decided to leave because my jacket wasn't water proof and I was really tired. I returned to the hostel and had a long long nap. I know what you're thinking: You're in Paris and you're SLEEPING? Why yes, yes I am. And I dare you to question me after you've done two weeks of traveling by yourself at breakneck speed!
Post-nap I ventured out to go see some of the sites from our tour on my own terms. I went to see Notre-Dame first. The Cathedral was quite interesting - architecturally it was very very similar to the church in Milan - but a lot less creepy for some reason. Part of this was probably because they had more lighting inside, and because mass was going on. (This was probably the closest I've ever been, and ever will be, to a religious ceremony in my life!) I liked Notre-Dame, but after having seen St. Peter's Basilica and the duomo in Sienna, nothing can compare!
I wandered outside to go look at some of the cathedral's architecture more closely and behind the church I found this random orchestra playing classical music. There was quite a crowd around them so I stopped to listen. The next thing I knew, 2 hours had passed! It was so fun sitting and listening to them! I mean, how many people can say they listened to an orchestra outside of Notre-Dame in Paris? It was so relaxing and pleasant!
By this time it was dinner-ish, so I wandered the touristy areas of St-Michel and ended up buying my dinner from a grocery store. I returned to the benches where the orchestra had been playing (they had left) and enjoyed the ambiance behind the cathedral. I also amused myself by feeding the tiny little birds near me. They're so used to people that they're like puppies - when someone starts eating, they all flight over and nervously hop around, hoping that someone will drop something. The braver (or stupider) ones will also hop over and accept food from your fingertips! I had an absolute blast feeding them.
Now, my fun time would have lasted even longer, but some random guy decided to come sit on the bench beside me. He sat beside me even though there were about 30 other empty benches around me! Ugh. This is when I got really really tired of being a single female traveler. However, this fellow wasn't sketch looking so I decided to make a conscious effort to be polite and actually chat with him. I'm not sure what was up with him, but it was beyond awkward. He said hello and then just sat there, silent. He'd say something else and I'd respond and then he'd fall silent again... We were talking in a mixture of French and English and I KNOW that I left conversation openings, but he wasn't taking them! Ugh! I finally gave up and told him that I had to meet up with friends. Sheesh, the one time I decide not to just brush someone off and they fail epically at whatever they were trying to do.
For the rest of the evening I just walked along the Seine River from Notre-Dame to the Louvre to the Tuilerie Gardens past the Hotel des Invalides to the Eiffel Tower. I also go to see the Eiffel Tower night show (aka random flashing/twinkling lights)... Yeah, not overly exciting. The walk, while exhausting, was quite pleasant though.
The next day I wanted to see Versailles. I don't know why, but for this entire trip I've been so excited to see that place! And boy, it was awesome! It took quite a ride to get there. I'm glad that I left as early as I did though - even though I arrived at around 10ish, the lines were crrrraaaaazy! You had to get in line to get a ticket (and they have about 20 different variations of tickets and ticket combos, etc so it's confusing as fuck) and then you have to get in line for security, and then if you forgot to get a map there's a line for those and if you paid for an audioguide there's another line for that!
As I said, Versailles was great! It was opulent and gaudy and everything I thought it'd be! I bought the huge ticket (because I didn't know what else to get) so I also got to visit Marie Antoinette's estate, the grand Trianon and the Little Trianon (none of which were very interesting in comparison to Versailles itself). The gardens at Versailles were terrific though - they were so pretty I felt like I was walking around in a painting! Also, because it was Sunday, they were pumping out classical music and had the fountains running, so it was even more impressive! Overall, I spent about 6 hours at the place, and I barely touched a third of the gardens in that time!
Upon returning to Paris proper, I had time to waste. I was transferring from my hostel to stay with my friend Agnes and she couldn't meet me until 8PM, so I decided to visit Montmartre, the area that holds the famous Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. I looooved Montmartre so much! (For those of you who have seen Amelie, you'll probably recognize that area as the one where she leaves the chalk arrows for the guy.) Because it was Sunday, the area was a pedestrian only zone, was filled with tourists, artisans and performers etc. It had such a great vibe! I didn't actually go into the basilica, but the area around it as I said was interesting enough. (I also had my first French crepe there - so tasty!)
I finally returned to my hostel to pick up my baggage and then met up with Agnes. We hadn't seen each other since June-ish 2007 so it was terrific getting to see her and catching up. Her apartment, while uber-tiny, was ridiculously cute and comfy. We didn't do much for the rest of the night because we were both tired and she had to work the next day. We did however go out for a sandwich (I got a veggie sandwich because I felt like I was getting scurvy from lack of proper nourishment). It's a shame that were were both so tired though - it was the first day of summer and so the area around her place (St-Sulpice - you may recognize that from DaVinci Code) was filled to the brim with live bands, dancing, etc. We did stroll around and soak in the groove but we didn't stay for any length of time.
The next day I decided to hit up the Louvre. I made sure I got up early so I could beat most of the rush. While in line, I started chatting with this random girl who was from Michigan and we promptly became "Museum Buddies" for the day. It was a good match - she knew the history and significance of the artwork and I could read the museum map. People had been telling me that the Louvre was a big place and you could get lost easily, but I kept sloughing them off thinking they were exaggerating. Well they weren't. Not by a long shot. It was insanely huge in there! We did a bit of a whirlwind tour - if we saw something interesting we'd stop and snap some photos, or we'd saunter through unimpeded. We tended to follow the signs to the more popular sights just so we could claim to have seen certain things. E.g. I did get to see the Mona Lisa. From a distance. Seriously, the room where she's held is INSANE. The crowds were so thick (and the painting is only a few centimeters bigger than a piece of computer paper!) that you couldn't even TRY to get close to it! I also saw the Venus de Milo and some other famous statues along with a zillion other things that I'm sure are famous on their own but that I didn't recognize.
My Museum Buddy and I ended up breaking for lunch and then parting ways. I had been intending on visiting the Hotel des Invalides (a war-museum) but I was pretty tired and museum'ed out so I ended up walking around Place St-Michel again and exploring a bit. I actually ended up finding the French Pantheon (by accident) and wandered around the Jardins Luxembourg. The gardens were really pretty - plus it was great seeing local French people just chilling out doing what they do. I got... Not lost, but a bit dazed (?) on my way back to Agnes', but I eventually made it. We had dinner and ended up walking around her neighborhood and along the Seine before crashing for the night.
My last day in Paris was very relaxing. Since it was a Tuesday, many of the museums weren't open so I decided to get a late start and then visit the Sewers of Paris! (Most of you know by now that I have an unhealthy obsession with waste removal. LOL) It sounds weird and gross, but the sewers were actually rather interesting! You actually do descend into the sewers! You walk around seeing displays of the gear that sewer workers use, the equipment, etc. You then walk along actual walkways beside sewer runoff. At one point I pulled my camera out of my purse and nearly dropped Agnes' keys into the sewer! (Turns out they were wrapped around my camera cord and got pulled out along with the camera - they were literally within a centimeter of the sewer's edge!)
The most interesting part of the sewers was the historical background section. They had a series of panels explaining the development of the sewers, who built what, why, etc. However, the panels were located in the only part of the sewers that were actually kind of stinky. They were above water that had obviously drained off the street into the sewers - you could see leaves and debris that had been washed away!
After the sewers I wandered around a bit aimlessly. I found the Grand and Petit Palais, but I didn't feel like going in. I then decided to visit the Musee D'Orsay because several people said they preferred it to the Louvre. However, upon arrival I saw there were long lines (are there any other kind in Paris?) and decided not to. Instead I grabbed a crepe and wandered back to St-Michel area.
At this time I decided that I had procrastinated on my souvenir shopping long enough and ended up going back to Montmartre again to buy some souvenirs for my niece. I also just hung around the area in general because I loved the ambiance - seriously, my three musts for Paris include the Eiffel, the Louvre, and Montmartre.
That evening I chillaxed with Agnes again. We went out for a great meal at a traditional French restaurant and sauntered around for a bit before heading back to her place.
The next day there was really nothing for me to do other than finish packing up and heading to the airport. The flight home, while delayed for about an hour and a half was relatively uneventful.
I'm very happy that I did this Europe trip. It was so different from Asia and it was great knowing that I could do that kind of thing on my own, but I doubt that I'd ever do something like this again. As I've said several times now, I got really tired of being a single female traveler. There's definitely safety in numbers, if only so you're not targeted for being alone. Also, even though you meet people at each hostel, it gets lonely being on your own and tiresome of having to constantly make new friends each place you go - you need a bit more constancy to really relax.
So all in all I consider the trip to be a success. My fave places by far were Nice, Sienna, and Paris (in that order).
First off I must comment on the Paris metro system. I had been warned by a friend that it was confusing as hell, but I kind of sloughed her off... Little did I know how right she was! Oh my gosh, in my time I've navigated the Toronto, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Thailand, Shanghai, Rome and Milan transit systems... And Paris is by far the craziest! At least, that's how it first appears. The transit system is actually quite in depth - you can get anywhere you want to go and pop out of the transit really close. You just have to figure out which connections to make! There are FOURTEEN separate subway lines and they all mix in and interconnect - so to get to the Eiffel tower from my hostel, I could either take the #6 train (green line) and then transfer to the #2 (blue line), or I could take the #4 (purple line) and then transfer on to the RER C line (yellow), etc... If you had the time to get familiar with the system it would be great, but on a whirlwind tour like the one I embarked on, it felt like you spent more time with your nose in your subway map than actually going to your destination!
Paris is an absolutely lovely city! It took me a bit to understand the appeal of it, but now that I've been and experienced, I would love to return there. As with most of my other destinations on my trip, I spent my first day wandering around aimlessly, just getting oriented with the city. I ended up going to the Champs Elysee just because it was easily accessed via the metro (as in, I saw it listed on the metro map and so I tackled it rather than trying to figure out anything else!) The Champs itself was a bit anti-climatic. It seemed to be just a long long busy street lined with some cool restaurants, lots of stores, and beautiful trees... But I felt that in the end, it was naught but another shopping district.
At the end of the Champs I did encounter the Arc de Triomphe. Again, it was a bit of a let down, but at the same time it wasn't. I think this "let down" feeling is more of what I'm sensing now that I've had some time to think about it. Yes, the Arc would be very interesting if you hadn't seen one before, but in Europe I saw several already! I didn't bother paying to climb up it because a) I was feeling cheap, b) I was intending to climb the Eiffel, and c) I was freaking exhausted! I did walk around underneath it though, but there was some kind of ceremony for the unknown soldier going on. (At least, that's what I assume it was.)
Honestly, the thing that caught my attention the most was the roundabout surrounding the arc. You couldn't ever PAY me to drive in that monstrosity! Look up bedlam and chaos in the dictionary, and you'll see a picture of that roundabout. There was no rhyme or reason to how people drove in it. You entered the circle and you either emerged unscathed, or you lost 10 years off your life. (Or your life. Period.).
I ended up catching the subway to the Eiffel Tower and had to walk quite a distance to reach the tower itself. This is when I entered the phase of my trip where I'd see something and say, "Oh, this is it?" and when I got up close, I changed my opinion to, "Oh! This IS it!" The Eiffel was a prime example of this - when I got off the subway I could see its tip and I was like, "Gee, that's kinda small and rusty!" but when I got up close, it got bigger and bigger and more detailed and I realized it was painted brown and suddenly it was a whole lot cooler! Seriously, the Eiffel was tres tres cool!
What wasn't cool was the line to get up it! I guestimate that to take the elevator to the top, it was about a 3 hour wait in line... So Mau, being the impatient (and frugal) person that I am, decided to climb the Eiffel Tower instead. I still had to wait in line for about 45 minutes, but the climb wasn't all that bad. By this time it was night, so the tower was lit up with huge flood lights everywhere. Normally I'm not a nervous person about heights, but I have to admit that there were several times that I was very disoriented by being able to see through the grill/steelwork to down below. (The climb down was even worse because there were times that I was blinded by the lights and couldn't see the steps!) The view from the top of the Eiffel (I opted to climb to the 2nd floor too!) was absolutely splendid! Because it was dark, and it was my first night in Paris, I couldn't recognize many of the landmarks, but they were pretty nonetheless!
I scooted back to the hostel and met my roommates - I was staying with a guy from Russia and two South Africans. These roommates were probably the most chillaxed of all the ones I had - as in, they weren't going out partying (although I think the Russian would have preferred to), so it was nice not being judged by people for going to bed at midnight!
The next day we all decided to join a free walking tour. The tour was surprisingly good - it was conducted by various local students and they gave not only the history of the various sites, but also pointed out amusing stories about certain locations. Unfortunately about half way through the tour it started to rain heavily so I decided to leave because my jacket wasn't water proof and I was really tired. I returned to the hostel and had a long long nap. I know what you're thinking: You're in Paris and you're SLEEPING? Why yes, yes I am. And I dare you to question me after you've done two weeks of traveling by yourself at breakneck speed!
Post-nap I ventured out to go see some of the sites from our tour on my own terms. I went to see Notre-Dame first. The Cathedral was quite interesting - architecturally it was very very similar to the church in Milan - but a lot less creepy for some reason. Part of this was probably because they had more lighting inside, and because mass was going on. (This was probably the closest I've ever been, and ever will be, to a religious ceremony in my life!) I liked Notre-Dame, but after having seen St. Peter's Basilica and the duomo in Sienna, nothing can compare!
I wandered outside to go look at some of the cathedral's architecture more closely and behind the church I found this random orchestra playing classical music. There was quite a crowd around them so I stopped to listen. The next thing I knew, 2 hours had passed! It was so fun sitting and listening to them! I mean, how many people can say they listened to an orchestra outside of Notre-Dame in Paris? It was so relaxing and pleasant!
By this time it was dinner-ish, so I wandered the touristy areas of St-Michel and ended up buying my dinner from a grocery store. I returned to the benches where the orchestra had been playing (they had left) and enjoyed the ambiance behind the cathedral. I also amused myself by feeding the tiny little birds near me. They're so used to people that they're like puppies - when someone starts eating, they all flight over and nervously hop around, hoping that someone will drop something. The braver (or stupider) ones will also hop over and accept food from your fingertips! I had an absolute blast feeding them.
Now, my fun time would have lasted even longer, but some random guy decided to come sit on the bench beside me. He sat beside me even though there were about 30 other empty benches around me! Ugh. This is when I got really really tired of being a single female traveler. However, this fellow wasn't sketch looking so I decided to make a conscious effort to be polite and actually chat with him. I'm not sure what was up with him, but it was beyond awkward. He said hello and then just sat there, silent. He'd say something else and I'd respond and then he'd fall silent again... We were talking in a mixture of French and English and I KNOW that I left conversation openings, but he wasn't taking them! Ugh! I finally gave up and told him that I had to meet up with friends. Sheesh, the one time I decide not to just brush someone off and they fail epically at whatever they were trying to do.
For the rest of the evening I just walked along the Seine River from Notre-Dame to the Louvre to the Tuilerie Gardens past the Hotel des Invalides to the Eiffel Tower. I also go to see the Eiffel Tower night show (aka random flashing/twinkling lights)... Yeah, not overly exciting. The walk, while exhausting, was quite pleasant though.
The next day I wanted to see Versailles. I don't know why, but for this entire trip I've been so excited to see that place! And boy, it was awesome! It took quite a ride to get there. I'm glad that I left as early as I did though - even though I arrived at around 10ish, the lines were crrrraaaaazy! You had to get in line to get a ticket (and they have about 20 different variations of tickets and ticket combos, etc so it's confusing as fuck) and then you have to get in line for security, and then if you forgot to get a map there's a line for those and if you paid for an audioguide there's another line for that!
As I said, Versailles was great! It was opulent and gaudy and everything I thought it'd be! I bought the huge ticket (because I didn't know what else to get) so I also got to visit Marie Antoinette's estate, the grand Trianon and the Little Trianon (none of which were very interesting in comparison to Versailles itself). The gardens at Versailles were terrific though - they were so pretty I felt like I was walking around in a painting! Also, because it was Sunday, they were pumping out classical music and had the fountains running, so it was even more impressive! Overall, I spent about 6 hours at the place, and I barely touched a third of the gardens in that time!
Upon returning to Paris proper, I had time to waste. I was transferring from my hostel to stay with my friend Agnes and she couldn't meet me until 8PM, so I decided to visit Montmartre, the area that holds the famous Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. I looooved Montmartre so much! (For those of you who have seen Amelie, you'll probably recognize that area as the one where she leaves the chalk arrows for the guy.) Because it was Sunday, the area was a pedestrian only zone, was filled with tourists, artisans and performers etc. It had such a great vibe! I didn't actually go into the basilica, but the area around it as I said was interesting enough. (I also had my first French crepe there - so tasty!)
I finally returned to my hostel to pick up my baggage and then met up with Agnes. We hadn't seen each other since June-ish 2007 so it was terrific getting to see her and catching up. Her apartment, while uber-tiny, was ridiculously cute and comfy. We didn't do much for the rest of the night because we were both tired and she had to work the next day. We did however go out for a sandwich (I got a veggie sandwich because I felt like I was getting scurvy from lack of proper nourishment). It's a shame that were were both so tired though - it was the first day of summer and so the area around her place (St-Sulpice - you may recognize that from DaVinci Code) was filled to the brim with live bands, dancing, etc. We did stroll around and soak in the groove but we didn't stay for any length of time.
The next day I decided to hit up the Louvre. I made sure I got up early so I could beat most of the rush. While in line, I started chatting with this random girl who was from Michigan and we promptly became "Museum Buddies" for the day. It was a good match - she knew the history and significance of the artwork and I could read the museum map. People had been telling me that the Louvre was a big place and you could get lost easily, but I kept sloughing them off thinking they were exaggerating. Well they weren't. Not by a long shot. It was insanely huge in there! We did a bit of a whirlwind tour - if we saw something interesting we'd stop and snap some photos, or we'd saunter through unimpeded. We tended to follow the signs to the more popular sights just so we could claim to have seen certain things. E.g. I did get to see the Mona Lisa. From a distance. Seriously, the room where she's held is INSANE. The crowds were so thick (and the painting is only a few centimeters bigger than a piece of computer paper!) that you couldn't even TRY to get close to it! I also saw the Venus de Milo and some other famous statues along with a zillion other things that I'm sure are famous on their own but that I didn't recognize.
My Museum Buddy and I ended up breaking for lunch and then parting ways. I had been intending on visiting the Hotel des Invalides (a war-museum) but I was pretty tired and museum'ed out so I ended up walking around Place St-Michel again and exploring a bit. I actually ended up finding the French Pantheon (by accident) and wandered around the Jardins Luxembourg. The gardens were really pretty - plus it was great seeing local French people just chilling out doing what they do. I got... Not lost, but a bit dazed (?) on my way back to Agnes', but I eventually made it. We had dinner and ended up walking around her neighborhood and along the Seine before crashing for the night.
My last day in Paris was very relaxing. Since it was a Tuesday, many of the museums weren't open so I decided to get a late start and then visit the Sewers of Paris! (Most of you know by now that I have an unhealthy obsession with waste removal. LOL) It sounds weird and gross, but the sewers were actually rather interesting! You actually do descend into the sewers! You walk around seeing displays of the gear that sewer workers use, the equipment, etc. You then walk along actual walkways beside sewer runoff. At one point I pulled my camera out of my purse and nearly dropped Agnes' keys into the sewer! (Turns out they were wrapped around my camera cord and got pulled out along with the camera - they were literally within a centimeter of the sewer's edge!)
The most interesting part of the sewers was the historical background section. They had a series of panels explaining the development of the sewers, who built what, why, etc. However, the panels were located in the only part of the sewers that were actually kind of stinky. They were above water that had obviously drained off the street into the sewers - you could see leaves and debris that had been washed away!
After the sewers I wandered around a bit aimlessly. I found the Grand and Petit Palais, but I didn't feel like going in. I then decided to visit the Musee D'Orsay because several people said they preferred it to the Louvre. However, upon arrival I saw there were long lines (are there any other kind in Paris?) and decided not to. Instead I grabbed a crepe and wandered back to St-Michel area.
At this time I decided that I had procrastinated on my souvenir shopping long enough and ended up going back to Montmartre again to buy some souvenirs for my niece. I also just hung around the area in general because I loved the ambiance - seriously, my three musts for Paris include the Eiffel, the Louvre, and Montmartre.
That evening I chillaxed with Agnes again. We went out for a great meal at a traditional French restaurant and sauntered around for a bit before heading back to her place.
The next day there was really nothing for me to do other than finish packing up and heading to the airport. The flight home, while delayed for about an hour and a half was relatively uneventful.
I'm very happy that I did this Europe trip. It was so different from Asia and it was great knowing that I could do that kind of thing on my own, but I doubt that I'd ever do something like this again. As I've said several times now, I got really tired of being a single female traveler. There's definitely safety in numbers, if only so you're not targeted for being alone. Also, even though you meet people at each hostel, it gets lonely being on your own and tiresome of having to constantly make new friends each place you go - you need a bit more constancy to really relax.
So all in all I consider the trip to be a success. My fave places by far were Nice, Sienna, and Paris (in that order).
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Back in Canada!
Okay, so I failed epically at blogging in Paris, but that's because the internet wasn't free in my hostel and the damned cafes were too expensive! I'll put an entry up about jolie Paris when I can.
In the meantime, I shall recuperate from jet lag. I managed to stay awake until 11:00PM last night (that's 5:00AM for my body) but I woke up at 4:30AM this morning (which is 10:30AM for my body). I'm starving and must go in search of food.
In the meantime, I shall recuperate from jet lag. I managed to stay awake until 11:00PM last night (that's 5:00AM for my body) but I woke up at 4:30AM this morning (which is 10:30AM for my body). I'm starving and must go in search of food.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
New Life Plan
I quickly glanced at what I wrote yesterday, and you know what? I can't for the life of me remember what the hell I did yesterday after I finished typing! If I repeat myself, forgive me.
I know that one thing I did was go check out the Russian Orthodox church here in Nice. It's supposed to be one of the best examples of its type outside of Russia yadda yadda yadda. It was really pretty on the outside.... And then you pay 3 euros to go in and discover that it's tiny. Like, a single small room tiny. And it's covered in the same art style I left behind in Italy. Doh.
After the church I ended up just moseying around residential areas. It was quite a nice walk because there were no tourists, just people doing their regular thing. I ended up down at the beach again and decided to chill on a bench and people watch.
Now, Italy and France have issues with illegal immigrants, especially those from Africa. Every time I turn around, I seem to be getting accosted by one of them (or some other poor legal immigrant) trying to sell me something or whatnot. (E.g. in Rome they give you a rose for "free" and then ask for money after you take it. Or in Milan they give away "friendship" bracelets... And then demand money.) My new defence is to just talk in a different language until they go away. But I'm in Europe where everyone's multi-lingual! How can I fool them? I talk in Chinese.
While I was on the bench, some random guy (who was probably actually another tourist) came up and tried saying something to me so I tell him (in Chinese), "I don't speak Chinese." (I'm just yammering whatever sentences come into my head.) He tries again in French. Mau says, "I'm going to the train station." He tried for a good five minutes to talk to me, going through every language: French, English, Spanish, he even asked if I was from Holland or Japan! LOL. I'm like, "Get a hint buddy!" Seriously, most people give up after a few sentences, but this guy was persistent! He finally did leave, but now I'm curious as to why the hell he was trying so hard. I watched him walk away, but he didn't try talking to anyone else nearby.
After the beach I moseyed back along the side streets and ended up finding this small grocery store called "Casino." I nearly bypassed it except that I saw melons in its window... I ended up buying myself my dinner, some snacks, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon (it cost me less than 3 euros!) I made it back to the hostel and cooked up my food and sat with some random people.
I chatted with an old guy (turns out he and I were in the same room) from Michigan, a 31 year old guy from South Africa, and several Aussies. It was a great evening and we had fun. I'll admit that I was a bit fuzzy from the wine - I caught myself though and forced myself to hold off on finishing the bottle till was I was de-fuzzed.
At 9PM the hostel's patio was closed and we all got turfed out. I met up with another group of people and we ended up going to the beach together to chill out. It was great - first we went to this bar called Wayne's and then we gave up on that and went to flop out on the rocks. We were there till nearly 1:30AM before we ventured back to the hostel.
I felt bad upon entering the hostel room - normally I'm the first one in the room at night so I don't disturb people. This time though, I was the last one in and I had nothing laid out so I was rummaging through my bags, using my cell phone as a light source because we only have 1 big overhead light, etc. However, apparently I didn't wake anyone up because they were already awake... The old guy from America snored like a chainsaw. No. Louder than a chainsaw. The first night in my hostel, I was the first one in and I slept with my earplugs like normal... This guy managed to wake me up from a sound sleep with his snoring even with my earplugs in! It was one of those snores that you can feel through the vibrations in the floor! Egads! Thank god he's gone today.
The group of people I partied with last night agreed to meet up at 9:30AM to go to Monaco. I woke up late and didn't see anyone so I ended up going to the city on my own. (I'm not disappointed - it's easier to see things on your own than coordinating a group.) I think the police were doing some kind of sting on the train through - 6 police men were going from car to car and checking the ID on certain passengers... Mainly older men or immigrant looking people. It was neat to watch because they were deadly serious.
Anyways, I got to Monaco and upon first sight of the city and the water I formulated my new life plan: Find and seduce Monaco's prince (age is not a factor) and live the good life forever and ever. Seriously. Monaco is even more picturesque than Nice. Mind you, it's on the side of a cliff, so walking around (err, up and down I should say) is a real bitch. Especially in the humidex of 35 degrees! I'm a bit bitter because it wasn't until on my way home that I discovered this whole underground AIR CONDITIONED pathway that leads directly to the train station... I had walked up and down instead. :(
The only things I did in Monaco were to go see the Exotic Gardens and the Aquarium. The gardens were tres cool. They were full of cacti! Like, huuuuuge cacti! It was awesome! You also got to go for a tour of a cave that was there, and that was cool too (both literally and figuratively - it was 18.5 degrees in the cave. Can we say heaven?) The only bitch was the 300 steps to get down... Which you then had to climb up again to escape the cave.
After the gardens I ventured down the cliffside (huzzah for public elevators!) and climbed Monaco-ville so that I could visit Monaco's aquarium. I had fun there - it's such a nice change from churches and museums, etc. It wasn't an overly fantastic aquarium (I think Vancouver's has been the best I've seen) but it was a nice change.
Other than those two things I didn't do much. I walked back to the train station and found two of the guys from the beach the previous evening (they left later than planned, so I'm glad I didn't wait around!) and we headed back to Nice together. I kind of wish that I had walked up to Monte Carlo, but there's a dress code there... And it's up. Like, a long walk up the cliff up. And I was already glistening with sweat. And I don't need to justify myself anymore.
So now I'm at my hostel contemplating what to eat for dinner. I can't remember where the store I bought my dinner at yesterday is, and I'm really hungry right now. Ugh. I can't wait to set up shop at Agnes' apartment. Or hell, I can't wait to return to Canada where I'll be able to cook on my own!!!
6 days left...
I know that one thing I did was go check out the Russian Orthodox church here in Nice. It's supposed to be one of the best examples of its type outside of Russia yadda yadda yadda. It was really pretty on the outside.... And then you pay 3 euros to go in and discover that it's tiny. Like, a single small room tiny. And it's covered in the same art style I left behind in Italy. Doh.
After the church I ended up just moseying around residential areas. It was quite a nice walk because there were no tourists, just people doing their regular thing. I ended up down at the beach again and decided to chill on a bench and people watch.
Now, Italy and France have issues with illegal immigrants, especially those from Africa. Every time I turn around, I seem to be getting accosted by one of them (or some other poor legal immigrant) trying to sell me something or whatnot. (E.g. in Rome they give you a rose for "free" and then ask for money after you take it. Or in Milan they give away "friendship" bracelets... And then demand money.) My new defence is to just talk in a different language until they go away. But I'm in Europe where everyone's multi-lingual! How can I fool them? I talk in Chinese.
While I was on the bench, some random guy (who was probably actually another tourist) came up and tried saying something to me so I tell him (in Chinese), "I don't speak Chinese." (I'm just yammering whatever sentences come into my head.) He tries again in French. Mau says, "I'm going to the train station." He tried for a good five minutes to talk to me, going through every language: French, English, Spanish, he even asked if I was from Holland or Japan! LOL. I'm like, "Get a hint buddy!" Seriously, most people give up after a few sentences, but this guy was persistent! He finally did leave, but now I'm curious as to why the hell he was trying so hard. I watched him walk away, but he didn't try talking to anyone else nearby.
After the beach I moseyed back along the side streets and ended up finding this small grocery store called "Casino." I nearly bypassed it except that I saw melons in its window... I ended up buying myself my dinner, some snacks, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon (it cost me less than 3 euros!) I made it back to the hostel and cooked up my food and sat with some random people.
I chatted with an old guy (turns out he and I were in the same room) from Michigan, a 31 year old guy from South Africa, and several Aussies. It was a great evening and we had fun. I'll admit that I was a bit fuzzy from the wine - I caught myself though and forced myself to hold off on finishing the bottle till was I was de-fuzzed.
At 9PM the hostel's patio was closed and we all got turfed out. I met up with another group of people and we ended up going to the beach together to chill out. It was great - first we went to this bar called Wayne's and then we gave up on that and went to flop out on the rocks. We were there till nearly 1:30AM before we ventured back to the hostel.
I felt bad upon entering the hostel room - normally I'm the first one in the room at night so I don't disturb people. This time though, I was the last one in and I had nothing laid out so I was rummaging through my bags, using my cell phone as a light source because we only have 1 big overhead light, etc. However, apparently I didn't wake anyone up because they were already awake... The old guy from America snored like a chainsaw. No. Louder than a chainsaw. The first night in my hostel, I was the first one in and I slept with my earplugs like normal... This guy managed to wake me up from a sound sleep with his snoring even with my earplugs in! It was one of those snores that you can feel through the vibrations in the floor! Egads! Thank god he's gone today.
The group of people I partied with last night agreed to meet up at 9:30AM to go to Monaco. I woke up late and didn't see anyone so I ended up going to the city on my own. (I'm not disappointed - it's easier to see things on your own than coordinating a group.) I think the police were doing some kind of sting on the train through - 6 police men were going from car to car and checking the ID on certain passengers... Mainly older men or immigrant looking people. It was neat to watch because they were deadly serious.
Anyways, I got to Monaco and upon first sight of the city and the water I formulated my new life plan: Find and seduce Monaco's prince (age is not a factor) and live the good life forever and ever. Seriously. Monaco is even more picturesque than Nice. Mind you, it's on the side of a cliff, so walking around (err, up and down I should say) is a real bitch. Especially in the humidex of 35 degrees! I'm a bit bitter because it wasn't until on my way home that I discovered this whole underground AIR CONDITIONED pathway that leads directly to the train station... I had walked up and down instead. :(
The only things I did in Monaco were to go see the Exotic Gardens and the Aquarium. The gardens were tres cool. They were full of cacti! Like, huuuuuge cacti! It was awesome! You also got to go for a tour of a cave that was there, and that was cool too (both literally and figuratively - it was 18.5 degrees in the cave. Can we say heaven?) The only bitch was the 300 steps to get down... Which you then had to climb up again to escape the cave.
After the gardens I ventured down the cliffside (huzzah for public elevators!) and climbed Monaco-ville so that I could visit Monaco's aquarium. I had fun there - it's such a nice change from churches and museums, etc. It wasn't an overly fantastic aquarium (I think Vancouver's has been the best I've seen) but it was a nice change.
Other than those two things I didn't do much. I walked back to the train station and found two of the guys from the beach the previous evening (they left later than planned, so I'm glad I didn't wait around!) and we headed back to Nice together. I kind of wish that I had walked up to Monte Carlo, but there's a dress code there... And it's up. Like, a long walk up the cliff up. And I was already glistening with sweat. And I don't need to justify myself anymore.
So now I'm at my hostel contemplating what to eat for dinner. I can't remember where the store I bought my dinner at yesterday is, and I'm really hungry right now. Ugh. I can't wait to set up shop at Agnes' apartment. Or hell, I can't wait to return to Canada where I'll be able to cook on my own!!!
6 days left...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Nice is nice and other lame jokes
Wow. My train ride to Nice was both great and terrible all at once. It was terrible in the sense that it was slow - we stopped at every town along the route practically. It was also ridiculously hot on the train. Like, "I'm going to puke because it's so humid in here" hot. Italy, if I haven't mentioned it, has apparently not discovered the joy that is AC. Few of its buildings, buses, or subways have it. Neither did this train. Also, the train was one of those funky ones where's there's a hallway to one side of the train and compartments for 6 people on the other side... And Mau was stuck in the middle of the 6 other people. (Especially awkward since I was the only non-Italian speaking person.) There was a bit of AC on, but not enough to help being surrounded by people. And, because my other trains have all had AC blasting, I decided to wear my jeans and longer shirt so that I wouldn't be as cool this time. The joke was on me I guess. It did get a bit better as time went on and people came and left the room - I got to move into a corner seat nearer the AC vents, but I might as well have stayed in the same spot for all it did.
As for the great part of the train ride - that was the scenery. I had assumed that the train would wind its way through the Alps to its destination... However, instead it wended (is that a word?) its way along the Mediterranean coast. It was so gorgeous and picturesque! Any picture you've ever seen of the Italian/French coast really IS as pretty as it looks!
After getting off the train I checked into my hostel. It's not the nicest I've been in, but I have to admit, my Florence hostel has spoiled me. My room mates were apparently slobs since they left their crap scattered around the room and it smelled in there... I don't know if the smell was from them or the AC because they've left and the windows are open now, so the smell is gone.
Anyways, priority number one upon arriving in Nice was to find the beach. I can't go swimming because I have no one to guard my stuff (one of the bad things about travelling on your own), but I can still enjoy the ambience. While walking to the beach the first thing I noticed is that I feel infinitely more comfortable in Nice than I did anywhere else in Italy. I strongly suspect that it's because I can speak the language. It's such a relief not to have to struggle to know what the hell's going on, or to be able to ask for directions, etc.
Also, it's also a relief to walk on streets that are FLAT and PAVED. Cobblestones are cute and all, but I'm tired of nearly breaking my ankle anytime I step outside the hostel. LOL.
Anyways, Nice is very very picturesque - it looks EXACTLY like the pictures and TV shows show it as. However, the one surprising thing is that the beach isn't sandy - it's covered in rather large rocks/pebbles! Like, golf ball size and larger.... So not the best place to go if you want to flop out on a towel. There are people who do so anyways. I've seen quite a few boobs since being here and that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is just how tanned people are - some white people are now BROWN. It's disgusting! Haven't they heard of sun block or skin cancer?! I'm honestly revolted when I see some of them.
The only thing I did yesterday was wander the beach, watch the sunset over the mountains, and then eat dinner.
Today I started off early by wandering the beach again and climbing the Castle Lou. Now, apparently Nice averages 300 days of sunshine a year. Apparently today is day 301. It was so cloudy this morning, and, while it was still cool, the clouds trapped the humidity making it hotter than hell! Castle Lou was anti-climatic... The hillside is covered in beautiful palms, pines, and cacti... Cacti? Yes. There is a surprising number of cacti here in Nice and along the coast. I'm rather enthralled by them. LOL. I also checked out a famous cemetery here (although it wasn't as impressive as the one in Milan). Otherwise, the only other thing I've done today is grabbed lunch and eat in a small plaza.
On the way back to the hostel (I had to change out of my jean capris, it was too bloody hot) I got a bit lost and had to ask for directions. I received several compliments on my accent. Yay me!
I have to admit, the allure of my trip is winding down. I'm getting tired of living out of a backpack and trying to find out where to eat each day. (Nice is effin' expensive - 17 Euros for a meal? No thanks!) I doubt I'd ever do such a long trip on my own ever again. I'm kind of counting down until I get to come home.
That being said, don't get me wrong. I'm so glad that I've come here, but as I've joked to everyone else at one time or another, I left my heart in Asia. I really do prefer Asia to Europe so far. I feel more comfortable, safety-wise, here than I did in Asia, but Hong Kong and China were so much more exciting and interesting than here. I was talking about this with Li Min before leaving Milan and it's as true now as it was then.
7 days till I come home!
As for the great part of the train ride - that was the scenery. I had assumed that the train would wind its way through the Alps to its destination... However, instead it wended (is that a word?) its way along the Mediterranean coast. It was so gorgeous and picturesque! Any picture you've ever seen of the Italian/French coast really IS as pretty as it looks!
After getting off the train I checked into my hostel. It's not the nicest I've been in, but I have to admit, my Florence hostel has spoiled me. My room mates were apparently slobs since they left their crap scattered around the room and it smelled in there... I don't know if the smell was from them or the AC because they've left and the windows are open now, so the smell is gone.
Anyways, priority number one upon arriving in Nice was to find the beach. I can't go swimming because I have no one to guard my stuff (one of the bad things about travelling on your own), but I can still enjoy the ambience. While walking to the beach the first thing I noticed is that I feel infinitely more comfortable in Nice than I did anywhere else in Italy. I strongly suspect that it's because I can speak the language. It's such a relief not to have to struggle to know what the hell's going on, or to be able to ask for directions, etc.
Also, it's also a relief to walk on streets that are FLAT and PAVED. Cobblestones are cute and all, but I'm tired of nearly breaking my ankle anytime I step outside the hostel. LOL.
Anyways, Nice is very very picturesque - it looks EXACTLY like the pictures and TV shows show it as. However, the one surprising thing is that the beach isn't sandy - it's covered in rather large rocks/pebbles! Like, golf ball size and larger.... So not the best place to go if you want to flop out on a towel. There are people who do so anyways. I've seen quite a few boobs since being here and that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is just how tanned people are - some white people are now BROWN. It's disgusting! Haven't they heard of sun block or skin cancer?! I'm honestly revolted when I see some of them.
The only thing I did yesterday was wander the beach, watch the sunset over the mountains, and then eat dinner.
Today I started off early by wandering the beach again and climbing the Castle Lou. Now, apparently Nice averages 300 days of sunshine a year. Apparently today is day 301. It was so cloudy this morning, and, while it was still cool, the clouds trapped the humidity making it hotter than hell! Castle Lou was anti-climatic... The hillside is covered in beautiful palms, pines, and cacti... Cacti? Yes. There is a surprising number of cacti here in Nice and along the coast. I'm rather enthralled by them. LOL. I also checked out a famous cemetery here (although it wasn't as impressive as the one in Milan). Otherwise, the only other thing I've done today is grabbed lunch and eat in a small plaza.
On the way back to the hostel (I had to change out of my jean capris, it was too bloody hot) I got a bit lost and had to ask for directions. I received several compliments on my accent. Yay me!
I have to admit, the allure of my trip is winding down. I'm getting tired of living out of a backpack and trying to find out where to eat each day. (Nice is effin' expensive - 17 Euros for a meal? No thanks!) I doubt I'd ever do such a long trip on my own ever again. I'm kind of counting down until I get to come home.
That being said, don't get me wrong. I'm so glad that I've come here, but as I've joked to everyone else at one time or another, I left my heart in Asia. I really do prefer Asia to Europe so far. I feel more comfortable, safety-wise, here than I did in Asia, but Hong Kong and China were so much more exciting and interesting than here. I was talking about this with Li Min before leaving Milan and it's as true now as it was then.
7 days till I come home!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Drunk in Milan
Note: This blog entry was started while I was in Milan but I didn't get around to finishing it.
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Wow, I seem to have discovered a partial love for wine since arriving in Milan... 2 bottles in 2 nights (with the help of Li Min) and I just bought a third for tonight. Is it normal for your face to be numb before going to bed?
Milan has been a great break in my vacation. I've barely done anything since arriving here on Saturday. I've done some half-assed touristy things with Li Min, and today was my day to hit the "sights," but honestly, Milan is rather dull!
On Saturday I arrived at 11:30 and met up with Li Min. We haven't seen each other since April 2006 when I left Hong Kong. It's crazy how time flies. I got settled into her apartment and we ended up going out for a walk. Mainly this was time for her to acquaint me with the transit system since getting to her apartment from the train station requires taking a subway and bus.
The weather was ridiculously hot and humid. We ended up going to an aquarium (suggested by Alyssa) and then walking around a local park. There was some kind of big fitness expo going on in the park - and I felt like collapsing while watching the people. There were multiple exhibitions where people were exercising in the park - in the full sun. There was spinning, aerobic dancing, etc. I was sweating just watching them! There were also lots of booths promoting health products, healthy living things, etc. I was also amused by the Hare Krishna parade that was jumping around handing out free cookies. We ended up coming back to the apartment and watching movies and drinking wine.
The next day we lazed around (again, it was deadly hot) until nearly noon. Then we forced ourselves to go out and check out a famous Italian cemetary - it was famous because the graves are so ornate and crazy. Seriously, these weren't just plaques and markers - there were giant obelisks, sculptures, crypts, etc. I'm rather taken aback by how much money people put into them. It was also interesting seeing what meant what to different people - like, why did Mr. So and So and his family want a sculpture of a fake mountain with two ox and farmers to mark their grave?
After the cemetary we wandered over to Milan's canal (who knew Milan had a canal) and got some gelato. We really had no interest in doing anything but were forcing ourselves to go out. The area was rather boring though because it was Sunday and all the stores and restaurants were closed. We gave up, went to the grocery store and bought some more wine. Siestas, reading, and movies ensued.
Today Li Min had to go to school so I ventured out to do some sight seeing. I went to Milan's Duomo. Wow. It's crazy to look at! It's done in the "gothic" style and there's no mistaking it. It is so ornate and "lacy" looking! The inside, if there weren't so many people and lights, would be creepy because it's really dark and there's no painting or frescos really... It's just a giant stone interior. The other churches I've seen have had lots of colour and warmth, but this one felt a bit foreboding.
After the inside of the church, I chose to pay 5 Euros to climb the steps to its roof. (Ugh, such a long climb! And in the heat! But I was too cheap to pay 8 Euros for the elevator! LOL) The roof was awesome because you got a great view of Milan and you could see the details of the sculptures up close. My only issue was that my view kept getting obscured by my sweat!
I then moseyed through Milan's Galleria (I think its official title is something like "Vittorio Emmanuele Monument") - an old building that looks like a train station and had Prada next to a sport store and across from McDonald's... You get the idea. Outside of it, I sat next to a monument dedicated to Da Vinci and other scientists from Milan. I was trying to find the Scala (Milan's famous opera house)... I walked in circles for like 5 minutes consulting my map only to realize that I had been sitting across from it the entire time! The Scala, one of Milan's only claims to fame, is such a boring building!
After my various mishaps I wandered around some of the other famous streets and found a vendor to buy a panini from. I ended up chilling in a big pedestrian area and then went for some gelato... Or at least, I was going to, but when I saw that the prices were like 10 Euros for an effin' cup of gelato, I had to walk away!
By this point I was really lazy and just wasting time till I could go back to Li Min's. I ended up walking through an old castle ("castello") and returning to the park we had been at that weekend until it was time to return. However, I got a bit lost on my way home - I couldn't find the bus stop! I knew the bus I had to take had its route diverted due to construction, but I didn't realize that it was diverted away from the area I was currently in. I ended up walking around for like half an hour before I called it quits, took the metro to a station where I knew the bus stop was and finally made it back to Li Min's.
For people interested in visiting Milan, I'd recommend not bothering. With the exception of the duomo and an opera if you're interested, there's nothing to do! I did enjoy hanging with a friend and having no obligation to go out and sightsee!
------------------
Wow, I seem to have discovered a partial love for wine since arriving in Milan... 2 bottles in 2 nights (with the help of Li Min) and I just bought a third for tonight. Is it normal for your face to be numb before going to bed?
Milan has been a great break in my vacation. I've barely done anything since arriving here on Saturday. I've done some half-assed touristy things with Li Min, and today was my day to hit the "sights," but honestly, Milan is rather dull!
On Saturday I arrived at 11:30 and met up with Li Min. We haven't seen each other since April 2006 when I left Hong Kong. It's crazy how time flies. I got settled into her apartment and we ended up going out for a walk. Mainly this was time for her to acquaint me with the transit system since getting to her apartment from the train station requires taking a subway and bus.
The weather was ridiculously hot and humid. We ended up going to an aquarium (suggested by Alyssa) and then walking around a local park. There was some kind of big fitness expo going on in the park - and I felt like collapsing while watching the people. There were multiple exhibitions where people were exercising in the park - in the full sun. There was spinning, aerobic dancing, etc. I was sweating just watching them! There were also lots of booths promoting health products, healthy living things, etc. I was also amused by the Hare Krishna parade that was jumping around handing out free cookies. We ended up coming back to the apartment and watching movies and drinking wine.
The next day we lazed around (again, it was deadly hot) until nearly noon. Then we forced ourselves to go out and check out a famous Italian cemetary - it was famous because the graves are so ornate and crazy. Seriously, these weren't just plaques and markers - there were giant obelisks, sculptures, crypts, etc. I'm rather taken aback by how much money people put into them. It was also interesting seeing what meant what to different people - like, why did Mr. So and So and his family want a sculpture of a fake mountain with two ox and farmers to mark their grave?
After the cemetary we wandered over to Milan's canal (who knew Milan had a canal) and got some gelato. We really had no interest in doing anything but were forcing ourselves to go out. The area was rather boring though because it was Sunday and all the stores and restaurants were closed. We gave up, went to the grocery store and bought some more wine. Siestas, reading, and movies ensued.
Today Li Min had to go to school so I ventured out to do some sight seeing. I went to Milan's Duomo. Wow. It's crazy to look at! It's done in the "gothic" style and there's no mistaking it. It is so ornate and "lacy" looking! The inside, if there weren't so many people and lights, would be creepy because it's really dark and there's no painting or frescos really... It's just a giant stone interior. The other churches I've seen have had lots of colour and warmth, but this one felt a bit foreboding.
After the inside of the church, I chose to pay 5 Euros to climb the steps to its roof. (Ugh, such a long climb! And in the heat! But I was too cheap to pay 8 Euros for the elevator! LOL) The roof was awesome because you got a great view of Milan and you could see the details of the sculptures up close. My only issue was that my view kept getting obscured by my sweat!
I then moseyed through Milan's Galleria (I think its official title is something like "Vittorio Emmanuele Monument") - an old building that looks like a train station and had Prada next to a sport store and across from McDonald's... You get the idea. Outside of it, I sat next to a monument dedicated to Da Vinci and other scientists from Milan. I was trying to find the Scala (Milan's famous opera house)... I walked in circles for like 5 minutes consulting my map only to realize that I had been sitting across from it the entire time! The Scala, one of Milan's only claims to fame, is such a boring building!
After my various mishaps I wandered around some of the other famous streets and found a vendor to buy a panini from. I ended up chilling in a big pedestrian area and then went for some gelato... Or at least, I was going to, but when I saw that the prices were like 10 Euros for an effin' cup of gelato, I had to walk away!
By this point I was really lazy and just wasting time till I could go back to Li Min's. I ended up walking through an old castle ("castello") and returning to the park we had been at that weekend until it was time to return. However, I got a bit lost on my way home - I couldn't find the bus stop! I knew the bus I had to take had its route diverted due to construction, but I didn't realize that it was diverted away from the area I was currently in. I ended up walking around for like half an hour before I called it quits, took the metro to a station where I knew the bus stop was and finally made it back to Li Min's.
For people interested in visiting Milan, I'd recommend not bothering. With the exception of the duomo and an opera if you're interested, there's nothing to do! I did enjoy hanging with a friend and having no obligation to go out and sightsee!
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