I never realized how difficult the English language was until I moved here to Montreal, and it’s only been in the last few language exchange dinners that I’ve realized some of the key problems with our language.
Case in point – last week two Francophones were pointing out the problem with English verbs. In French there is a separate verb for every action. In English, we have one verb and append a preposition to the end of it to change its meaning. E.g. to hang up, out, in, on, etc. In French the equivalents would be raccrocher, sortir (no real equivalent), tenir, accrocher, etc.
I’ve also always taken our ability to enunciate some words for granted. I was chatting with a guy from France and a Caribbean French speaker last night. They were trying to understand the difference in pronunciation between ‘thought’ and ‘fought.’ They couldn’t differentiate between the two words because of the “th” sound. Sometimes difficulties like these can be very funny. E.g. The Caribbean guy was demonstrating his attempts to say “beach” and “sheet.” I can totally see how miscommunications would happen with his accent. :)
That being said I have similar difficulties at times. E.g. I have a hard time differentiating between the words “cueillir” (to pick, as in to pick an apple) and “cuillère” (spoon). Everytime I have to say them, I have to stop and carefully pronounce them. One of the Anglophones in our group also has a hard time telling “province” and “provence” apart.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, November 09, 2009
Quebec Holidays
Despite my earlier rants, working in Quebec does have its advantages. One of those advantages is the holidays. In Ontario, we only got 10 public holidays. In Quebec, we get 13.
Ontario
1. New Year's Day
2. Good Friday
3. Easter Monday
4. Victoria Day
5. Canada Day
6. Civic Holiday
7. Labour Day
8. Thanksgiving Day
9. Christmas Day
10. Boxing Day
Quebec
1. Jour de l'An
2. Jour des Rois
3. Statutaire
4. Vendredi Saint
5. Lundi de Pâques
6. Fête des Patriotes
7. Saint-Jean-Baptiste
8. Confédération
9. Fête du Travail
10. Action de Grâces
11. Fête du Souvenir
12. Immaculée Conception
13. Noël
The even better thing about my workplace is that we get to displace several of these holidays and take them during the Christmas holidays instead. So for example, although Jour des Rois takes place in February, we work that day and take the time off at Christmas instead. The same goes for the Statutaire holiday, the Fête du Souvenir and Immaculée Conception. Therefore at Christmas I can take off nearly an entire week without having to take a day of vacation or a day without pay.
That’s also where today’s confusion on whether I should come into work or not stemmed from.
Ontario
1. New Year's Day
2. Good Friday
3. Easter Monday
4. Victoria Day
5. Canada Day
6. Civic Holiday
7. Labour Day
8. Thanksgiving Day
9. Christmas Day
10. Boxing Day
Quebec
1. Jour de l'An
2. Jour des Rois
3. Statutaire
4. Vendredi Saint
5. Lundi de Pâques
6. Fête des Patriotes
7. Saint-Jean-Baptiste
8. Confédération
9. Fête du Travail
10. Action de Grâces
11. Fête du Souvenir
12. Immaculée Conception
13. Noël
The even better thing about my workplace is that we get to displace several of these holidays and take them during the Christmas holidays instead. So for example, although Jour des Rois takes place in February, we work that day and take the time off at Christmas instead. The same goes for the Statutaire holiday, the Fête du Souvenir and Immaculée Conception. Therefore at Christmas I can take off nearly an entire week without having to take a day of vacation or a day without pay.
That’s also where today’s confusion on whether I should come into work or not stemmed from.
Congé statutaire
Today I thought I came into work on a statutory holiday.
Already running late due to a metro malfunction, I arrived outside my building to discover that my usual entrance was locked. I figured that the side doors were closed because of a pending swine flu clinic, so I shrugged and made my way to the main entrance. There I encountered a man, a patient, who was waiting outside too. He then informed me that the Research Centre was closed!
Sure enough in the door there was a sign informing people that today is a Statutory Holiday and the building was therefore closed. I was like, what the hell?! I came into work by accident??? I was positive that the list of holidays given to me when I started working did not include Remembrance Day.
Luckily a technician came out to meet with the patient and on her way back in (through a back entrance using a security card) I decided to tag along. I figured that I was already there so I might as well work after all! However, on my way to the office I passed by a bunch of other offices where people were also here and working, including some of my “co-workers.”
When I stopped to ask one of them why everyone was working, they reminded me that yes, Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday, but that the Research Centre takes the time off during Christmas vacation instead. Phew! I’m so relieved that I decided to work instead of just going home instead!
Already running late due to a metro malfunction, I arrived outside my building to discover that my usual entrance was locked. I figured that the side doors were closed because of a pending swine flu clinic, so I shrugged and made my way to the main entrance. There I encountered a man, a patient, who was waiting outside too. He then informed me that the Research Centre was closed!
Sure enough in the door there was a sign informing people that today is a Statutory Holiday and the building was therefore closed. I was like, what the hell?! I came into work by accident??? I was positive that the list of holidays given to me when I started working did not include Remembrance Day.
Luckily a technician came out to meet with the patient and on her way back in (through a back entrance using a security card) I decided to tag along. I figured that I was already there so I might as well work after all! However, on my way to the office I passed by a bunch of other offices where people were also here and working, including some of my “co-workers.”
When I stopped to ask one of them why everyone was working, they reminded me that yes, Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday, but that the Research Centre takes the time off during Christmas vacation instead. Phew! I’m so relieved that I decided to work instead of just going home instead!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Death Of My Neighbor
Death of my neighbour
With me he tried to plead
But his words I did not heed.
He had tried to convince,
But stubborn, I clung to my grievance.
He used the word ‘prejudice’,
But I knew I was right about this.
He then branded me bigot,
And many other things that I forget.
In response I told him what people really thought
Gave him knowledge that he hadn’t sought.
I fought back, told him the reality,
Unknowingly wounding him mortally.
They found his body on a Monday,
Hanging from the rafters above the hay.
I got away with murder that day,
And ever since for my soul I pray
With me he tried to plead
But his words I did not heed.
He had tried to convince,
But stubborn, I clung to my grievance.
He used the word ‘prejudice’,
But I knew I was right about this.
He then branded me bigot,
And many other things that I forget.
In response I told him what people really thought
Gave him knowledge that he hadn’t sought.
I fought back, told him the reality,
Unknowingly wounding him mortally.
They found his body on a Monday,
Hanging from the rafters above the hay.
I got away with murder that day,
And ever since for my soul I pray
The cancer in our society
I was reading some followup news on the CBC website about the shooting on the Texas military base. Out of curiousity I started browsing through some the reader comments left behind. I was horrified when I read a comment left by user "newstome":
I find it so hard to understand how people can think like this. With all the diversity here in Canada, how can someone think things like this?! I was especially bothered by their suggestion to restrict and isolate them.
One thing I have always been proud of in Canada is how immigrants can come here and succeed. You can't deny that there are problems - e.g. We have all kinds of qualified professionals who move here but their credentials are not recognized and so they end up working as taxi drivers, etc. But they work so hard for their own children and then the kids are able to outstrip the "Canadian" kids in education and everything else.
I love that Canadians accept and embrace the multicultral aspect of our country. I think that the fact that someone can move here and maintain their own culture is a sign of our own strength and self-belief. (Although, after saying that, it makes you wonder about the sovereign Quebec movement...)
So when I hear stuff like the bigoted language above and how they try to make themselves sound righteous it terrifies me! E.g. "We can't use extreme means to do it or we come down to their level but we have to start with identifying them and isolating them." Hello?! Isolation is NOT the answer! We need to open communications so that we can understand our differences and be willing to compromise. Obviously this won't work with extremists, but the majority of the world are NOT extreme! And the fact that this individual is talking about targetting people in CANADA is even worse! It's revolting that they're trying to claim that they're better than the extremists because they're not sinking to "their level" - yeah, like your idea is any different. Death by suicide bomb or social death by ostracization. Not much difference in terms of karma I think.
Can't they understand that their ideas are wrong??? Canada has done this in the past! Isolating the Japanese during WWII did nothing to protect us! At least back then we had the excuse that racism was still partially acceptable and that the Japanese were on the opposite side of the war... But haven't we learned better?
I think the thing that set me off the most about this article was the comment about how RCMP officers should not be allowed to wear their turban. And the mountie uniform is just that - a uniform! Ugh. I am beyond proud that we can and do allow them to express themselves religiously. It's not hurting you so shut up about it!
I'm too flabbergasted by this comment to be more articulate. It's even worse because the user's profile indicates that they live in Peterborough, so it's not like they have the excuse of living in a small town! Can we ask McGuinty (the loser didn't even know how to spell his name right) to deport all the racists instead? Or would the worse punishment be to make them stay and force them to see how much more enlightened the rest of us are?
Whatever the answers may be, the person got their diagnosis wrong. Muslims and Middle-Eastern people are not the cancer in our society. Its the hate that racists spread that is the true cancer.
One has to wonder how many messages we need to receive or how many shots across our bow before we realize we are in world war III. A war that has implanted the enemy not in army over there but in every day types over here. The enemy force is in all nations and like they do over there they hide behind our women and children and the women and children of their own who are honest, hard working and amongst us as well.
We need to weed this cancer out of our society. We can't use extreme means to do it or we come down to their level but we have to start with identifying them and isolating them. That doesn't mean concentration camps what it means is that the general public at large must be made aware of who they are and where they are. They must be restricted from holding sensitive jobs like government or law enforcement. What comes to mind is an RCMP officer whose beliefs outweigh the traditions of Canada and insists on wearing a turban. I'm sorry but that's an indicator and that is not our RCMP uniform. If they feel that strongly they should be clerics but certainly not our “first line of defense”.
Sooner or later we have to wake up to the fact that there is a problem to be dealt with. Do we wait till buildings in one of our cities topple or do we take a stand now. Tamals are a prime example, deport those from the boat immediately and charge any that demonstrate with inciting a riot. Hear that McQuinty, do your job!
I find it so hard to understand how people can think like this. With all the diversity here in Canada, how can someone think things like this?! I was especially bothered by their suggestion to restrict and isolate them.
One thing I have always been proud of in Canada is how immigrants can come here and succeed. You can't deny that there are problems - e.g. We have all kinds of qualified professionals who move here but their credentials are not recognized and so they end up working as taxi drivers, etc. But they work so hard for their own children and then the kids are able to outstrip the "Canadian" kids in education and everything else.
I love that Canadians accept and embrace the multicultral aspect of our country. I think that the fact that someone can move here and maintain their own culture is a sign of our own strength and self-belief. (Although, after saying that, it makes you wonder about the sovereign Quebec movement...)
So when I hear stuff like the bigoted language above and how they try to make themselves sound righteous it terrifies me! E.g. "We can't use extreme means to do it or we come down to their level but we have to start with identifying them and isolating them." Hello?! Isolation is NOT the answer! We need to open communications so that we can understand our differences and be willing to compromise. Obviously this won't work with extremists, but the majority of the world are NOT extreme! And the fact that this individual is talking about targetting people in CANADA is even worse! It's revolting that they're trying to claim that they're better than the extremists because they're not sinking to "their level" - yeah, like your idea is any different. Death by suicide bomb or social death by ostracization. Not much difference in terms of karma I think.
Can't they understand that their ideas are wrong??? Canada has done this in the past! Isolating the Japanese during WWII did nothing to protect us! At least back then we had the excuse that racism was still partially acceptable and that the Japanese were on the opposite side of the war... But haven't we learned better?
I think the thing that set me off the most about this article was the comment about how RCMP officers should not be allowed to wear their turban. And the mountie uniform is just that - a uniform! Ugh. I am beyond proud that we can and do allow them to express themselves religiously. It's not hurting you so shut up about it!
I'm too flabbergasted by this comment to be more articulate. It's even worse because the user's profile indicates that they live in Peterborough, so it's not like they have the excuse of living in a small town! Can we ask McGuinty (the loser didn't even know how to spell his name right) to deport all the racists instead? Or would the worse punishment be to make them stay and force them to see how much more enlightened the rest of us are?
Whatever the answers may be, the person got their diagnosis wrong. Muslims and Middle-Eastern people are not the cancer in our society. Its the hate that racists spread that is the true cancer.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Daylight Savings
This is the first year that I've ever appreciated daylight savings. When I was young I never paid attention to it. I just turned my clock back when my mom told me to and then promptly forgot about it.
In my university days it never mattered to me because I had such an irregular sleeping schedule - I was awake until 2am and didn't get up until 10am so again, I didn't care about that 1 hour difference. (Although I do remember going clubbing in Toronto once and being excited because the time change meant that we got an extra hour of drinking.)
Last year when I finally had a full time job, it didn't make a difference to me because I was living in a basement apartment and it was always dark.
This year was the year of change though. My new apartment has its large windows and it was such a pleasant change waking up this morning and not having it dark outside! Those of you who know me know that I'm not a morning person. When I wake up, I refuse to turn on any lights because they hurt my eyes. I even shower in the dark. Well, this morning I fairly leapt out of bed because I could actually see for once. I felt so much more alert rather than fumbling around in the darkness.
Now we'll see if this happy feeling lasts when it becomes dark at 5PM though.
P.S. I did and did not forget about the time change this year. I remembered it every single day including Saturday, but when I got home Saturday night at midnight I was exhausted and went straight to bed. Since I was supposed to play basketball, I set my alarm clock on my cell phone and went to sleep.
I woke up early the next morning - before my alarm sounded. So I turned it off and started getting ready for basketball. Luckily I decided to surf the net a bit before I left, because I while I was reading secrets on postsecret.blogspot.com I came across one that mentioned daylight savings time. That's when I finally remembered the time change, and realized that I was therefore an hour early for basketball! Whoops!
In my university days it never mattered to me because I had such an irregular sleeping schedule - I was awake until 2am and didn't get up until 10am so again, I didn't care about that 1 hour difference. (Although I do remember going clubbing in Toronto once and being excited because the time change meant that we got an extra hour of drinking.)
Last year when I finally had a full time job, it didn't make a difference to me because I was living in a basement apartment and it was always dark.
This year was the year of change though. My new apartment has its large windows and it was such a pleasant change waking up this morning and not having it dark outside! Those of you who know me know that I'm not a morning person. When I wake up, I refuse to turn on any lights because they hurt my eyes. I even shower in the dark. Well, this morning I fairly leapt out of bed because I could actually see for once. I felt so much more alert rather than fumbling around in the darkness.
Now we'll see if this happy feeling lasts when it becomes dark at 5PM though.
P.S. I did and did not forget about the time change this year. I remembered it every single day including Saturday, but when I got home Saturday night at midnight I was exhausted and went straight to bed. Since I was supposed to play basketball, I set my alarm clock on my cell phone and went to sleep.
I woke up early the next morning - before my alarm sounded. So I turned it off and started getting ready for basketball. Luckily I decided to surf the net a bit before I left, because I while I was reading secrets on postsecret.blogspot.com I came across one that mentioned daylight savings time. That's when I finally remembered the time change, and realized that I was therefore an hour early for basketball! Whoops!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Killin' Momma
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.
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.
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.)
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