Monde de Mon

Pick-me-up of the oddest kind

2009-05-29T10:59:00.003-04:00

When I couldn't sleep last night, I decided to go down and raid the Kitchen Table next to my building for some low cal, fun snacks. Leaving the lobby I saw this kid who couldn't have been older than 10, 11 running around by himself which I thought was odd.

Coming back I was sauntering over to the elevator and saw him gesturing wildly to me saying "come on, come on!" across the lobby. Turns out he was holding the elevator for me to get on - again odd, yet sweet. We rode up together and commented on the cute puppy in the building, although he explained "I'm Russian" when he couldn't catch on to some words I was using. When we got to my floor, he waved and smiled a huge smile and told me to have a good night... that sweet gesture made me smile, put away the granola bars I had bought as a midnight snack and head to bed with a lighter weight on my shoulders.

My boyfriend's favourite little lady

2009-02-27T22:15:00.001-05:00

Thhhhomewheeeeere over the rainbooooow

Skydiving - no thanks!

2009-02-03T11:42:00.002-05:00

How bout this guy? He got a Christmas gift from his girlfriend to go skydiving for the first time. He flies out the plane with his instructor, and after a few minutes, the instructor stops responding because he suffers a HEART ATTACK in mid-air. The guy somehow manages to steer himself down to the ground, unharmed, so that he can help save the instructor (it was too late).
Needless to say his family isn't letting him go skydiving again.

Ah!

2009-01-30T19:16:00.002-05:00

Soooo cute!

Too cute

2009-01-20T23:26:00.001-05:00

What a great couple...

It's official - I'm a foodie.

2008-11-14T15:32:00.002-05:00

I always categorized myself as an eat to live person (as opposed to live to eat).

Lo and behold, I go through my VISA statement today (no judgment, a combination of being bored at work and being surprised at my total made me do it)... anyway, after looking at the expenses, I found out that 35% of my total is on restaurant food alone!! That may not be a lot to other people, but as someone who wants to save money and who didn't think she went out that much, this is crappy news - I can't believe I went this long not knowing that so much of my disposable income is spent on food. It's not like it's even a good way to spend money - the food leaves your system in 24 hours, and when you keep it it's in the form of FAT.

I'm so surprised with myself, and ironically (or not), I've lost my appetite.

How ironic

2008-11-12T13:38:00.003-05:00

Now that I live downtown, I get to observe all of Toronto's glories, but mostly I get to see all the crazies that I was sheltered from in suburbia!

While walking yesterday, I was stuck behind a group of yuppies of a certain background, and was getting annoyed with them taking up the whole sidewalk. Lo and behold, a homeless guy all of sudden throws racial slurs at these kids, and saying "he hates every one of them" etc etc. I think they may have missed it (hopefully) but listening to him hissing hatred at them was like a slap in the face - and it wasn't even about me! How ridiculous that someone who probably would benefit from less judgment from the rest of the public could be a vocal racist.

Needless to say I cut them some slack about taking up the sidewalk.

Quelle surprise - Obama won

2008-11-06T13:44:00.003-05:00

A little delayed, but not until today did it really sink in that Barack Obama is our new President. Funny, I just wrote that, and he's not even my president!! But I feel like he even represents the hopeful group up north...

For the past few months we have been hearing about how this election is the most important of our time, and it is on so many levels. Barack Obama is the epitome of what it means to live in a global world - background from white and black, a Christian but aware of Islam through his background, younger, educated, technologically savvy (at least his campaign was - amazing use of technology to give ownership of the election process to voters themselves). To choose him was really symbolic to show that America would be choosing a candidate that accurately represents the population of the US.

How much was McCain the antithesis of the man we needed to be the President of the United States? Of course, I acknowledge he is a good, honourable man, whose concession speech was class to the max. But could we really choose a man in his 70s, whose greatest moment came as a POW, and who still glorifies aggressive action? By definition, no matter how "current" this man is, he cannot possess the progressive views we so desperately need.

In this time where leaders are openly deriding and threatening Western countries, Obama provides diplomatic levarage not only through his flawless 'politicking', but his background as well. It's not going to be an easy road, but we have the best person we could have to help us through these difficult times... the big O.

Long-delayed move out day

2008-11-03T10:03:00.003-05:00

It finally happened!
It took a long time, for reasons that are valid but no longer relevant - I have finally moved out.

Some part of me can't believe it took this long, and yet I still feel guilty about leaving my parents knowing that I will likely never move back again... in fact, I didn't realize they were in the dark about this fact until my mom asked me last night when I plan to move back. Surprised I said "this is it! I'm not coming back anymore"... it's an odd realization, no matter how old you are.

WOO HOO! I am getting excited! Time for a moving workout tonight :)

Mon

2008-11-03T10:02:00.001-05:00

Mon

2008-11-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

Purely for enjoyment and oohing and aahing

2008-11-03T09:58:00.003-05:00

Sometimes all it takes is a cute picture to really make you happy - simple as that.

Et voila:

Ahhhhh all I can do is smile when I look at this baby (in spite of the fact that his name is Zuma).

Long distance relationships

2008-10-07T13:25:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it, but it's been almost a year since I've started the killer phase of relationship - long distance.
Sometimes it gets really tough to deal with, in which case I go into google and do a little search about how other people deal with it - in fact, it seems like a lot of people try this out because of school, work or apparently joining the army and leaving for overseas (can't really compare myself to those).

Anyway, I keep finding lists of tips on how to deal with the long distance, which are mainly these following points:

1) Defining needs: being transparent in the kind of commitment you're looking for, and setting the correct expectations. This one's a biggie - whenever there are differing expectations things tend to fall apart.

2) Setting a end point to the long distance - also a biggie! I can't imagine if someone were trying to go through long distance with no endpoint in mind... that would be torturous to say the least.
B) A sub-bullet to this point is setting an endpoint within the time away - I also don't know how people would survive without knowing when they can see the person next, and it also is a huge help to have something to look forward to...

3) Communication - duh. Emails, calls, texts, mail... spontaneity is a even better.

4) Trust - double duh. Without this no relationship would work, let alone long distance.

I feel like that's it - as long as expectations are set and there is an end to the madness with visits in between, what more can you do?

Hmmmm

2008-10-07T11:27:00.004-04:00

So, in the past 36 hours I've managed to:

Get in a fight with my grandma to the point where I hang up on her (this is not normal behaviour)
Get in a fight with Adam for the first time ever
Get a gay porn virus on my computer, and have to reload from factory settings without being able to backup
No longer consider the Dubai move an option after a month of discussing and applying there
Find an apartment and decide to move out
Have my phone stop working and unable to make outgoing calls
Get on my online banking account on Monday morning to find that my balance is 0 because the company I invested in has halted trading
Find out I wasn't listening closely enough when my boyfriend was telling me he's sick, and feel like a selfish spoiled child

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to win pity - in fact, the one thing these problems have in common is me, which would make me the cause for most of them. Most situations are inthe person's control, therefore I am no pondering what it is that I am doing wrong to cause these events.

I can answer each one by saying that I made a wrong decision, that these things happened because I was not exercising my ability to be a better person, that a few slip ups in judgment landed me in a boiling hot mess of emotion from Sunday evening to last night.

To be honest, almost the entire list doesn't matter because all the events are in my control and I have almost solved all of them. The only one out of my control is the last one, which is really the only one that matters.

Anyway, all of this to say that adulthood leaves something to be desired, and that sometimes I'd like to go back in time where I could impress the teacher just by making something rhyme. (Did you see what I did there?)

Aw nau

2008-09-17T17:33:00.002-04:00

Let's go over the past week or so, shall we?

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are bailed out by the government
Merrill Lynch is bought by Bank of America (for $85 billion?)
Lehman Brothers' go bankrupt, which I think I read was the worst bankruptcy EVER
and the stock market goes to its lowest point this year within 2 days

oh, and the Russian stock market closed at noon yesterday because it fell 10% within that morning

I love this pic, headline CNN right now...

Time to move!!

What's on Monika's booklist

2008-09-15T11:34:00.002-04:00

Let's see if we can figure out what lifestage I am currently in... my recent foray back into literary activities includes books such as:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Eat, Pray and Love
A New Earth
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

I'm quite sure after 2 years of numbing thoughts and feelings, I am on an accelerated road of self-discovery, only to realize that I don't know how to do it very well, and that I am hoping that reading enough of the books will help me achieve the balance I am so longing for.

Thanks to this path and these books, my mind is now complete mush, and I am feeling lost and surrounded by words like "character ethic", "dealing with loneliness", "establishing goals", "questioning meaning of your chosen path", and "new fall makeup!" Ok, the last one was me cheating by reading a Cosmo, but who knew black lipstick was going to come into style? Yuck. At least I know my clear answer on that one.

Although the description above may sound depressing... ok it is. But I can recognize that what I am going through right now is a necessary painful cathartic process, in one of probably many catharsi (?) in my life. Knowing that everyone is going through this is slightly comforting, but it still does nothing in helping me decide what to do. Where is my relationship going? Should I move to Dubai, Europe or stay in Canada? Am I rushing through things or taking them too slow? What is the worst/best case scenario with all my options? What ARE my options??

This lack of direction and my ability to be indecisive at times is partnering to create an ever-growing sense of panic in my head, which I call the monster (not the sexual kind). So Mon can be fine one day, and then wham! The 'monster' may come out at some unexpected moment, and cause a crying fit for a whole Saturday with no idea as to the purpose or when it will end. These are the times I feel I just want to escape to a hut in a small Greek island and stay there until I feel fit to be reintroduced into society.

I can sense that this is a defining point in my life, and that it is something I have to do alone because as lovely as the people in my life are, they just don't get it. I just have to say I am looking forward to when this phase will pass, because as much as I am learning... it just really sucks.

Monniversaries and such

2008-09-02T11:51:00.004-04:00

In the past few weeks, I have celebrated 2 very important milestones: my 1 year anniversary with the bf, and my 2 years at CGI. Both were surprises, one pleasant (in fact amazing) and the other not so great. Can we guess which is which?

Being with W for the past year has brought so much positive change and wonderful times in my life that I can't believe it's already been so long - to think that we made it through 10 of the past 12 months long distance is a credit to W's best quality (his patience and his looks). And it feels like once you hit that 1 year mark something changes - there's a je ne sais quoi in not having to say "months" anymore...

As for my work anniversary, I can say with certainty that there will not be another anniversary celebration in the future - unfortunately, it seems we were not meant to be committed. Woo hoo!

Matthew MConaughey - stupid statement part #1382

2008-07-24T08:40:00.003-04:00

Ok, the man obviously comes from a genetic predisposition of idiocy - a brother called Rooster, who named his son Miller Lyte (???). A quick google search showed he lives by the saying "Just keep livin' "(no sh*t) and once said "I love having my hands in the dirt… If it comes down to me versus that weed I’m trying to pull out of the ground that doesn’t want to come out - I know I’ll win."

Then I read an article on People.com (yes, I read it) about how he sat between his girlfriend's legs and played the bongo while she was in labour - if my hubbie tried to pull some kind of drums on me I would flip right out. Or maybe wonder how I ruined my gene pool by procreating with this man...

Sigh... ok, maybe I can see why she did it. Maybe they didn't do much talking.

The ultimate for a foot and fish fetishist...

2008-07-21T16:38:00.004-04:00

Foot fungus be gone?

Apparently there's a new pedicure method where instead of softening your feet in just warm water, little fishies bite at the dead skin on your foot and soften it for you! Nice little graphic above...
I would imagine the fish would wander to some feet more than others (a.k.a. the scalier, deader ones), which would pinpoint you as 'that' person...

Dream interpretation

2008-07-15T09:58:00.002-04:00

I usually think dream interpretation is silly, but given the types of dreams I have been having the past few months, I couldn't help but google them to see what they mean...
For example, W woke me up this morning as I was dreaming about a polar bear, who kept calling me from a payphone (that is one skilled polar bear) to try and contact me but I couldn't get to him. He needed food and somehow knew to call me but I wasn't able to reach the phone in time to find out where he needed the food.
So I checked what polar bears symbolize:
"To see a polar bear in your dream, signifies a reawakening."

Then I checked what a payphone means:
"To see or hear a telephone in your dream, signifies a message from your unconscious. You may be forced to confront issues which you have tried to avoid. Alternatively, the telephone represents your communication and relationship with others."

In which case, my dream would mean that my unconscious is trying to communicate and confront me about my reawakening.

Which, I would say, is an understatement for my state of mind over the past 2 months... maybe there IS something to this dream interpretation.

Greece

2008-07-08T11:10:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe it's already been 2 months since I last wrote an entry in here... I managed to go on a trip to Greece and make a few changes in the life of Mon.

Greece

So... this is the picture that most people tend to love from my album! It's beautiful - the view from the northeast tip of Santorini - Oia, where they say you can see the best sunsets. I think this picture is proof of that!

We got to Greece and flew immediately to Santorini, where we spent 3 nights in Kamari and rented a smartcar for a day. Driving around Santorini in a tiny golfcart car is tough since it's so mountain-y, but was really fun. No donkeys for us!

Then we took a speed/ferry boat to Mykonos, which was even more beautiful because of the white sand, clear blue water, and so many naked guys' bums it was incredible. It really is the gay paradise, judging by all the couples (and crazy singles!) we saw there. We spent 3 nights in Mykonos, in Ornos in a lovely apartment with a pool 2 steps outside our door. Eating and shopping and tanning, and we got a james bond car for the 3 days we were there and visited 4 large beaches.

Other than the amazing scenery, the best part was that I got even more attached to my wonderful bf who made the trip probably the best one in my life... I'm notorious for only traveling by myself since I don't like to tie myself to anyone elses decisions, but this was one of the only times I've ever felt like I was on the same page as someone else. And it obviously helped that everything in Greece is gorgeous, so decision-making was not an issue.

Aren't we cute? And pale, geeez.

More favourite things

2008-05-15T10:04:00.003-04:00

#3 - Unexpected phone calls with friends you haven't seen in a while
Didn't realize how good this felt until I got to chat with my friend Jess last night... very warm and fuzzy

#4 - "Don't stop til you get enough" by MJ
This song gets me every time - I want to boogie and dance and not stop til I get enough.

#5 - Traveling in Europe
I am rarely as happy as I am when I can go on vacation in Europe - for the only time in my life I have felt free and relaxed and confident in myself on my past 2 trips alone there. And ironically it's the only time in my life where I have no plans, minimal clothing and make-up and no friends/family to help me if something were to go wrong, and you know what? It feels amazing.

My non-favourite things

2008-05-15T09:50:00.002-04:00

So at the same time that I think about things that make me warm and fuzzy, the things that make me cringe come up too.
This list is a collection of pet peeves or just general items/occurences that make me feel yucky... and I've experienced 2 of of them today already (ew).

#1 - People kissing their muscles
Specifically arm muscles - you know when guys flex and show off and then kiss their biceps? Drives me up the wall. In a major way.

#2 - People shushing
I know the temptation is there, believe me - I often want to shush people who are talking in meetings, during inappropriate times, etc. But please! Don't do it! It reminds me a bitter old librarian, and it's so patronizing I want to slap the person back for treating me like a kid. Argh!

#3 - Someone telling me my bad mood is as a result of something else other behaviour, or worse, that's it because I have PMS.
I don't know how much into detail I should go here, but if I'm upset and I say it's you, it's you.

#4 - Disloyalty
This is a tough one - I can't be too harsh because I may dabble in little discussion with one friend about my situation with another, but I know that when it comes down to it, I have all my friends' backs no matter what.

Can we say childhood trauma?

2008-05-14T10:37:00.003-04:00

"Busy travelers forget toddler at airport, fly on"

Ok, I'm trying not to be judgmental here, but forget your 2 year old?? I can't say for sure, but when I am a parent I will be on constant vigilance with my child, let alone leave them out of my sight somewhere like an airport.

Oh god, I just jinxed myself didn't I? I am going to be one of those parents that forgets their kid, "Home Alone" styles.

"Charlie bit my finger"

2008-05-13T21:51:00.001-04:00

That really hurt... and it's still hurting

Just the most precious video since that baby laughing... watch Charlie's michievious face

Sweet picture

2008-05-13T16:20:00.002-04:00

Shot of a volcano in Chile, taken from 30 miles away... damn!

These are a few of my favourite things

2008-05-13T14:37:00.005-04:00

I have a few material things that make me very happy. I don't know why, but everytime I see them I get such a warm and comfy feeling. I figure why not blog about these things when I come in contact with them, so when I'm old and senile I can just surround myself with these items in a room and live in content.

P.S. Please no judgment, some of these are painfully obvious, some are very simple and some are just silly.

Numero Uno:

Yes, I know - everyone loves it. Except Blackberry lovers (and with the new Bold, I am emotionally cheating on my iPhone a bit). But I am attached to this gorgeous piece of technology in ways I never thought I would be... plus the fact that it's a gift from my g.b.f. makes it my new baby that I carry EVERYWHERE.

Numero deux:

An odd one, but I love the simplicity and ease of use of these pens. Back in high school, when we still took notes by hand (I know, how ancient), I would use this pen (medium thickness), the identical red and black ones, and use them for everything. I need at least a box of these in my desk at work and at home at all times. And at least 1 in each of my purses. It's crazy but it's true.

Honourable mention goes to Techniclick 0.5 pencils - I love those damn things. But I can't add them on their own cause I would look even nerdier than I do already.

Theory # 82 on Men and Women

2008-05-13T14:12:00.003-04:00

So.... I do a lot of talking and analyzing about men and women - I feel like a walking SATC episode sometimes, with the amount that we talk about, except we're never wrapped up nicely into little themes - most of the times it's just extremely messy and I always end up realizing that the girl in question (me) overreacting and the bf in question (Dub) has no idea what's going on.

Soooo.... my theory is actually based on some fact: there are more good-looking women than good-looking guys. You can go into why this so, that maybe girls just spend more time beautifying themselves, because guys base their attraction on looks while girls base their attraction on sense of humour.

However, this guy must be damn funny:

I may be biased cause I think Natalie Portman is beautiful, but c'mon!

"Cool stuff"

2008-05-09T16:39:00.002-04:00

I was perusing articles throughout as I usually do, and came across this website listed as a creative and fun new venture. I think the company is based out of London, and the concept is really simple: let people design their own business cards, using their own picture, and make them small and cute and charge not so much for them.

Moo Inc. (www.moo.com) is the exact company that does this: you can upload your fave pics, crop them for the size of the card, and get an order of 100 cards that could possibly each have their own unique picture.

Business cards are an old idea, but this picture idea can put a whole new spin on it - making them personal, and using this for invites/thank you cards, or creating a rating system so that when you give a guy your number, you can give him a card with a specific number on it...

I've already created my account, I just have to figure out who I'm going to be giving these cards too exactly :)

So cute! I can't help myself

2008-04-23T11:05:00.002-04:00

As a person who reads many (many!) articles about celebrities - please don't judge, it's my guilty pleasure, I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate my unhealthy habit into a career haha - I have to admit there is one person who I LOVE to see everytime. I love the way she dresses, her haircuts, and she can do no wrong in my book.

Look at her! Don't you just wanna pick her up and hug and play with her? Maybe it's prejudice because I still react the exact same way to cute dogs I see on the street, but I like her more than Brangelina's kid, whose name has escaped me because of my reaction to this picture.

SO CUTE!

Morning Smile

2008-04-22T09:50:00.002-04:00

I got to work pretty early this morning, so decided to go to Rabba and get some grub for the day (to avoid eating junk food).

I walked in at 8am, and there was a pair of thug-looking guys that walked in right behind me - they were talking tough, dressed in "ghetto" wear... I left them to go get my soy milk, and walking back I saw them debating loudly over some food item - I walked closer and realized it was yogurt, and they were arguing over which one had more "probiotic bacteria" and therefore was better for them.

Yet again I learn... don't judge a book by its cover. Or that yogurt marketing is damn powerful.

Ummm... Yemen? Sup wit dat?

2008-04-17T14:31:00.003-04:00

Ok, so reading this article today on CNN - disturbing. I have to admit I don't know much about Yemen, outside of that borderline annoying Friends episode where Chandler tries to move away from Janice.

But c'mon!!! Letting your pre-pubescent daughter get married to a 30 year old, knowing he was going to attempt to consummate the marriage and had a violent streak. Where is that considered acceptable?! No matter what the age, why would you ever give your CHILD over to that kind of situation?!

I'm outraged and disgusted, and selfishly thankful that I was born into a normal, democratic and first world country.

But above all, power to this strong, amazing little feminist for standing up for herself and getting a divorce at 8 years old!

I'm a lover, not a fighter

2008-04-17T10:53:00.002-04:00

Ahh, a quote from one of MJ's cheesiest (cheesiest!) songs sums up my entry today.

I do not like conflict!

I really realized this yesterday, when 2 of my friends were exhanging sarcastic comments - they of course were not serious about it, but I could not handle even the possibility that they meant what they were saying. Everytime a situation comes up that has potential to turn into a confrontation, I feel incredible uncomfortable and tense and need to either get rid of the confrontation or leave. It's kinda that same feeling I get when I watch American Idol and someone is butchering a song and I just cannot watch because I feel so bad for them.

I don't think of this feeling as a weakness - why should avoiding confrontation be considered a bad thing?? I find most of my friends who DO look for it end up with needless drama in their lives, and that's not an admirable quality.

Buuuut I have to say a few exceptions exist to this disposition. First: if you are a drunk girl at a club, getting into my dancing space and starting to annoy me, I will call you on it. And then may or may not nudge you out of my space. And then may nudge you harder... you get the point, just don't do it. Second: my relationship with my mom (all regular rules go out the window :)

Carrie Underwood - Praying For Time - Idol Gives Back 2008

2008-04-17T00:28:00.001-04:00

This has been playing on my iPod over and over for the past week... wow

Auto Trader Commercial - Woman leaves Husband.

2008-04-15T23:38:00.003-04:00

Ah! My friend Jake (a.k.a. Ryan) is in a commercial... a man of few words but it's still hilarious :)

Burn out or just lazy?

2008-04-13T22:17:00.004-04:00

My bro recently came back from a really nice vacay in Cancun - he had just spent 8 months straight at work, with most of those managing a project that was launching right before his trip. Needless to say, he was burnt out and needed the time to relax.

The funny thing is, when he got back from his trip, he still had the same "burned" feeling - he had no refreshed feeling, didn't even feel as if he had ever left! I started questioning my own trips, and realized that I almost never feel that refreshed feeling ever - in fact, I end up feeling worse coming back because there is the fresh memory of ultimate happiness.

Don't get me wrong, I get that I will not be on vacation for my whole life - I don't even want to be! And although I know that the natural judgment is that of laziness, but when I really like to do something, I know I put the work in and enjoy investing my time. Am I asking too much, or even something unrealistic, to like my job? And not feeling this constant burn out and dread when thinking about my Mondays? Is it only a lucky few that get to combine their passions with a job - are the rest of us stuck in simply a "whatever makes us money" position?

Ring Around the R-Rated Rosie

2008-04-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

So I've been showing my age recently - I've been condemning the "young people these days" and comparing them to "the good old days when I was a teenager"... you'd think I was a grandma already. But my reaction to the following story in appropriate! Seriously!

It wasn't told directly to me, but happened to a father not long ago... he has 2 young teenage daughters (something like 14, 15) and left them at home for an evening. On his way to his event, he realized he forgot something at home and went back to get it. He noticed a few extra cars in the driveway, and came in and saw that the group was in the basement. He walked in on this little scene: 3 boys sitting in a circle, facing out with their pants off. 3 girls, including his daughters, standing in front of the boys, singing "Ring around the Rosie, a pocket full of posies, blah blah blah, we all go DOWN" and then dropping down in front of the guys, ready to "go down" on them. Which is what they almost did until he freaked out and threw everyone out of the house. Except his daughters, who I'm sure he locked up forever.

GOOD GOD! Am I such a prude to think that this is ridiculous, disgusting behaviour!? I must be, because apparently this "game" is common among teenagers - all this time, schools and agencies have been lecturing against teen pregnancy - what they didn't realize is that horny teens will always find a way to be sexual, and work around that fear of pregnancy (i.e. have oral sex instead, there's no risk there right?)

And not to sound like a flaming feminist, but it seems like it's always the girls that have to perform the sexual acts in order to please the boys - it seems like they always give something up - in this case their self-respect - to be accepted. To that I say don't do it girls! Your respect and body are valuable and very unique possessions! One bad choice and you can spend a lifetime trying to build them back up again.

Or maybe I'm just old.

An Olympic mess

2008-04-07T09:08:00.002-04:00

Reading the news lately? The Olympics in China are causing quite a ruckus... and we're still 4 months away! Seems the fact that the Chinese government is a big bully is pissing a lot of people off - myself included.

I still can't believe that the Olympic Committee chose Beijing over Toronto - why are we acknowledging, and in fact rewarding and investing in a country that is so outdated on the definition of freedom? I am curious if any countries will take a real stand as we get closer to the actual event - I feel badly for the athletes that want to participate in this huge event, but shame on the organizers for allowing such a controversial country to host the Olympics.

You CAN have a Hollywood ending...

2008-04-07T09:01:00.003-04:00

So... I was celebrating my birthday with my friends in Toronto last weekend - we all got together for a really nice dinner and night out at Ultra on Queen St. I was having a really great time, until I put down my purse to boogie with my friends - within 5 seconds, I felt someone brush past me and when I looked back, my purse was gone! I don't think I've ever been that upset... I spent the rest of the night holding my mankee (long story), with a tear stained face and rage-filled eyes, staring at every single person leave the club and checking if they were carrying a brown clutch. Obviously no luck.

The cops called my house at 6 a.m. and introduced themselves as the "Toronto Police calling for Monika". Well that nearly gave my dad a heart attack, but the good news was they found my purse, wallet and keys. Of all people, a homeless man found my dumped purse in the parking lot and turned it in! We tried to find him to thank him but no luck. In the end, I grieved the loss of my iPhone and camera, but moved on.

Lo and behold, this Saturday morning a Mississauga man called my house asking for Wassim - turns out he FOUND the phone and wanted to return it!! I got my iPhone back, with some scratches and protruding parts, but if possible I love it more despite and because of its flaws - at least now I know no one will steal it again....

Whateva

2008-03-16T12:12:00.001-04:00

Sooo cute - wonder what she'll be like in 10 years...

Ok, I take it back

2008-03-16T12:04:00.002-04:00

After watching more episodes of SATC, I realized that the chicks on that show can get REALLY annoying!!! Holy crap, some of the things they do absolutely drives me up the wall, and are often things that most of us girls have the better sense not to do. The Carrie and Big relationship is a terrible one, and she is the girliest, most needy and clingy girl ever - I can see how girls in new relationships could act like that, but to represent a woman in her 30's that way?? Terrible.

ANyway... I've decided that I can sometimes tolerate Miranda - she at least makes some sense - and Samantha - at least she puts it all out there with no shame and in a crazy and funny way.

Moko the good Samaritan dolphin

2008-03-16T12:01:00.002-04:00

So I was reading CNN as I usually do when I'm bored at work, and came upon this story about a heroic dolphin in New Zealand.
It's about a stranded whale and her calf, and they couldn't get out of the sandbar and were almost going to be euthanized so that they wouldn't suffer, when the dolphin swam over (apparently hearing the distress calls) and helped them swim out to open water... how great is that!? I love hearing stories like that.

Hottest pic

2008-03-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

I was going through the Allure website, doing my reading about trends as I always do, and I came upon this picture and thought it looked really cool a.k.a. hooooot.

Yummy (in a non-lesbian way).

Sex and the City

2008-03-10T16:29:00.002-05:00

After going for a few months without some real shopping - yes, I am finally cutting down on frivolous spending and becoming fiscally (?) responsible - I went on a mini-binge on Sunday after being cooped up because of this damn snowstorm. *Note - I am not going to comment on the amount of snow we've been having cause I don't know how many more times I want to kick that dead horse.*

Anyway... Best Buy had a sale and after talking myself out of several purchases (drooool gorgeous computer screen) I bought the entire set of SATC seasons. After watching a few of them yesterday I realized how GOOD that show is!!

First off, every guy friend I have that has admitted to watching it loves the damn show. And Mr. Big - which I didn't get until I watched the shows again and realized he is the smoothest guy... no George Clooney but he holds his own. Of course the characters are outrageous, but I have acted like each one of those girls at some point in my romantic life. And the conflicts and themes are presented and wrapped up so nicely: of course I wouldn't use the show as a real guide to my romantic life, it's like a little therapy session everytime you watch it... on top of all of that, when you're trying to describe a situation to your friends, it's much easier to start with "remember when Carrie did this?" - brings everyone to the same level. Genius.

The one crappy thing is that the show ended way too "Hollywood" - they broke with their tradition of somewhat following reality, but highly doubtful Miranda would end up with Steve?? Come on. Making that movie is a $mart move - hellooo Mr. Big.

Dubai

2008-02-28T12:17:00.003-05:00

So it's almost been a full 4 months in this long distance relationship - with the difficulty of keeping up that kind of relationship, we decided to reward ourselves by visiting each other in very nice places. Paris was our first destination (over the holidays and New Year) and this time around, W chose Dubai. It was about a 12 hour there and 15 hour back flight, which actually wasn't bad when you consider hours of your own movie watching time and comfortable seating.

I landed in Abu Dhabi at 8am and got a chauffered car to take me the 1.5 hours into Dubai city to our resort. It was a gorgeous place, where you get your own apartment in a villa (village of villas). The reception area opened up to a tanning/pool part, with restaurants lining the property until the beach/water. One of the popular places to go out, Sho Cho's was on our resort, and a few really good restaurants with thai and lebanese food.

We spent a lot of the time just catching up and tanning on the lawn chairs, meeting a bunch of W's friends and seeing the city and trying out a local place called Buddha Bar. I got a nice tan, and got to observe a culture that I thought would be radically different from what I knew, but it turns out Russians are all over the place as either business barons or escorts - felt a lot like Poland!

I don't know if I could live there, cause of the distance from my family/friends and the incredibly unbearable heat during the summer (up to 50 degrees C, my God)... but I would definitely want to visit again and add a lot more to my list of things to do, now that I know what to expect.

Had to show this

2008-02-13T17:15:00.004-05:00

Although it over a week old, there was a huge story about a fire set to a building filled with Turkish immigrants in Germany. The fire was so aggressive that people couldn't get out in time, and a few people were stuck on the higher floors. The uncle of a baby was leaning out the window trying to get help, and saw a firefighter on the street below him. Apparently in a 2 second decision, he decided to save the baby by THROWING IT OUT THE WINDOW.

Insanity!!

P.S. The baby is ok.

Classy

2008-02-04T15:17:00.001-05:00

I read this article today about a judge that sentenced a drug dealer to jail and subsequent deportation. Just read the smackdown the judge gave to the already-convicted moron:

"Your Honour, I've been in custody for almost two years. I've
lost my kids and my wife. Have mercy on me and be fair. I'm only human. There is no blood on my hands."

But Harris [the judge] was scathing as he meted out his sentence.
"You came to this country with a basketful of opportunities and you remained here unlawfully," the judge said. "Since then, you have lived a life of crime. You have adulterated the landscape with an indolent life.
"You came to one of the fairest countries on this planet. Here, you received food and health care for free.
"You lived among hardworking people who put their lunch in a bag and go to work, who pay their debts, kiss their children and cut their lawns. Gentle people.
"You got protection against the wrongdoing of others.
You received freedom, sir. Freedom.
"You received the opportunity to work, to grow, to prosper and to love. And what do you give back? You give back poison to the young and the poor.
"You are the grim reaper, the executioner, the undertaker of the young and the poor who came your way.
"Those 459.7 grams of crack , if divvied up on the street, would feed the addiction of 2,250 others.
"That was a colander of poison. And you say you have no blood on your hands."

BURN!!!

Catch up

2008-01-16T16:35:00.001-05:00

So it's been almost 2 monthe since my last post... In that time, I've managed to celebrate Christmas, New Year's Eve in Paris, come home and decide I was going to switch jobs, start my GMAT course, celebrate a 5 month anniversary (only my second one!) and now plan a second long-distance rewards trip to Dubai.

I feel like I am in a time of huge change but also routine - to an outsider, nothing earth-shattering is happening to mon, yet in my own mind I'm racing at a mile-a-minute during the entire time I'm awake. I haven't gotten to the stage yet where I can verbalize or really express what is I want to do, but I do know for certain that I want a big change in my life: and right now it feels like a new job. I want to switch careers, countries, industries, you name it - after promising myself 3 years ago I would never be in a technology company or work for a bank, my title is: Business consultant for a large IT oustourcing company, specialized in financial services. How ironic.

Smarties - do you eat the red ones last?

2007-12-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

I have some Halloween candy left over, which consists of mini Smarties boxes which are really the perfect size. I like to dump out the whole box, and put matching pairs of Smarties in one pile, and the ones with no matching colour in another. I like to eat the single colour ones one at a time, which is first suck on them until they break down the middle and eat the cholocate, and then the shells. Once I'm done that pile, I like the eat the pairs the "normal" way, with one on each side of my mouth.

Weird? Yes. OCD? Perhaps. But it makes me feel sooooo good.

The true meaning of "sick day"

2007-12-10T11:31:00.000-05:00

So I am not feeling the greatest today - a weekend of poor food choices, not enough sleep and what I think is a cold have allowed me to call in sick today. But calling in sick is not what I thought it would be - I actually am calling in on phone conferences, doing work on a deadline and whilst in bed, surrounded by papers and my ever trusty IBM laptop. These kind of sick days suck. Might as well call it a suck day (I just came up with that, can you tell?)

Women drive me crazy!!

2007-12-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

My guy support is either moving to cubicles away from me or being taken off my project... not only that but these women are driving me crazy with their moods and bitchiness. I go on this rant every so often.

Chicks are driving me crazy!!!

Well duh!

2007-12-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

"Bad kissers don't get to second base"

As if this is some crazy scientific find. Relationships are based on attraction, so if the first physical step isn't great, of course the next one wouldn't be either.

I also found an article talking about a guy whose sore was being robbed was shot at, and put his hand up to defend himself from the bullet and it deflected off his wedding ring. Lucky bastard. Lucky wife?

The week in review

2007-11-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

Many times this week I sat down to write a post, but they all ended up unfinished drafts in my blog. So here's a quick summary of events from the past 6 days:

RI.P. Moe
I came home from a very filling dinner with Jess and Adam at Milestone's, and found that my pet fish was not swimming in his recently cleaned "aquarium" (read: vase) in my room. Apparently I had been too nice and filled his home with water that neared too close to the brim, and he decided to try out his suicidal flip and landed on the floor beside my bookcase. It ended a 14 month love affair, and it was sad because he saw me through my first 14 months of work. Perhaps a sign that a career change is needed? Hmmm

Other than that, working on an art project that I will display once it's completed, getting drunk at home off of wine with the parents on a weekday, trying to spice up my work social life by organizing a team lunch. All that with the city's first snowfall on Wednesday which was lovely, but apparently caused havoc in the city since you know, we've never seen snow before.

Today was a day spent window shopping and my grandma's, which was an odd visit. I love my grandma to pieces, but she's not always the most rational or logical person. Today's visit we talked about her visit to the oncologist who gae more detail about her recent cancer appearance, this time in the bones. He prescribed 5 shots of radiation, over 5 consecutive days. To which I said was a great option, because she could get it over with within a measly week, and then minimize the tumours that are in her back ribs. She responded telling Adam and I that she is not going for any treatment, including this radiation. Apparently this treatment requires the maximum radiation strength, and would mess her body up to an unrecoverable point. She said she wanted to enjoy her life the way she is now, with minimal pain and with no radiation after effects. I tried to argue the treatment solution, but I found I actually couldn't come up with a rational reason why she should do it - even though she *may* extend her life with it, the quality would be decreased. And she IS the owner of her body, and all we can do is be supportive and respect her difficult decision.

So on that note, we are celebrating Jen and Jake's birthday tonight, and cheers! to a good time.

It's Christmastime, it's Christmastime

2007-11-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

The older I become, the sooner Christmastime starts - this year, a Christmas carol was first played on November 1. And the warm and fuzzy feelings started... I can't tell whether the warm and fuzzy feelings are around because I'm already more feeling-y than usual, but whatever it is, anytime I see a red Starbucks cup or a Christmas tree I get a little giddy.

I don't really care about the fact that "Christmas is commercialized" or that it's now an agnostic holiday, because as long as people still get that warm and fuzzy feeling, it's ok (as long as it's not because they're anticipating all the gifts they're going to get). Every year for 12 years of my childhood I would be spending this time putting on Christmas concerts, teaching and taking young kids to carol in public, and all around just preparing for the end of the year.

This year I have the added bonus of taking a little trip before Christmas, so I am a bagillion times more excited and thumpering with anticipation.

I just hope it snows!

Current mood - pensive

2007-11-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

My new favourite part of the day is my evening shower. And not because of dirty reasons, but for clean ones (both literally and psychologically haha).

I really felt the power of a nice, hot shower last night, when I was in a crappy mood after a long day - I came home and had a long webcam session, which was the first step to feeling better, and then jumped in the shower to get ready for bed. There is something so therapeutic about them, where you feel like you're really washing away your bad day and you can come out a renewed person.

After a heart-wrenching night with E last night, a shower this morning was in high demand. Short sleep time, alcohol and emotional talks can take a lot out of a girl... it always amazes me how much we can be affected by matters of the heart. We are rational creatues, but when we get our feelings hurt (or pummeled or stamped on, etc.), we cannot rationalize everything except for the fact that we hurt. And it's not an open scar to see, and can sometimes never heal. How horrible.

Anyway... my friends, as always, are stronger than I could ever have imagined, and she is already doing so well and seeing her time with him through new eyes, which is all you can hope for. We came to realize that the best thing to do is invest in yourself continuously, because it's an investment that never fails.

Summary - invest in yourself by taking long, hot showers, but with men who deserve them.

Multi-tasking 1.01

2007-11-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

Well, I thought I was already a pretty good multitasker but again, I have been humbled. Today is my first day trying to manage 2 different phone numbers, 4 different email accounts and 2 internet connections that give me access to different allowable sites. On top of that I can access internet off of my computer AND my iTouch, so I am constantly forgetting where I check what and when.

All of this is for a the very good reason of keeping in touch with both my personal and professional life, which also mostly means figuring out a way to keep in touch with 'the bf'. It's only been 4 days, so the adjustment period is obviously fresh, and the funny thing is I don't mind any of the admin or extra time/effort that it takes to keep in touch. In fact I didn't even notice it until I just described it right now. It really is amazing what the right motivation will do to your perspective, and how a person really can change their behaviour when the right reason comes along.

And although I'm whining about the fact that I have so many machines to keep track of, I am so so happy that I am born in this technological revolution that allows me to upkeep a long distance relationship relatively painlessly (considering the alternative of handwritten letters). Phones to call and text, email, chatting, webcam... these are all nice subs until I get to see my guy again.

And I am thankful as I appreciate the wonders of multitasking.

The end of an era... and October

2007-11-02T13:32:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe how quickly time is passing - it feels like summer and Europe were not that long ago, and yet it's been over 5 months since I left for London and summer is def over - this morning I woke up to freezing temperatures and frost on my car window - sucky!

Anyway, today is the first day that I am without my boo, W and I miss him a LOT. It's been an amazing 2+ months... maybe that's the reason why time passed so quickly. I had officially become one of those sappy couple-types that people hate seeing in public, and the funny thing? I don't mind! Although the amount of sappy songs on the radio is ridiculous - trying to hold it together is harder when EVERY station is playing some "I miss you" and "why can't we be together" crap.

Like my friend Ashley said last night, the first night is the worst and then it gets better. I am just worried (as silly as this may sound) when I actually do get over the sadness of it all, that I will start to forget things. Which is a double-edged sword - I want to not be sad, but I also do. Missing someone means there are real and strong feelings there, so the absence of missing someone would imply absence of feelings? I don't know.

Whatever it is, I'm just taking it one day at a time. And listening to hardcore rap - it really soothes the mind.

Monkeying around can actually kill you

2007-10-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

Whilst reading my Monday morning news online, I came across an article which headlined as "man attacked by monkeys". At first I thought it was a joke, but when I opened it up, it described how a senior official (deputy mayor in New Delhi) was attacked by a gang of Rhesus Macacques and during the scuffle, fell out of his balcony and died.

Damn.

Word of the day

2007-10-16T00:23:00.000-04:00

Poots.

It's a great word... I used it at least 5 times since I got home today, mostly in the context of "I'm pootsed out".

..mostly used as an adjective, it's synonymous to 'tired' but on a greater scale. Adam likes to use it as "that's poots", so that he has more to say than just "shiiiit" to all my stories.

Great word - it'll be the next big thing.

On that note, work tomorrow at 6am after a great long weekend in Niagara - that's pooooots.

So I met this guy...

2007-10-10T15:31:00.000-04:00

So having become recently "non-single" - wow that's a wordy way of saying I now have a boyfriend - I am being faced with lots of "relationshippy things". These range from the joy of having someone in your life that is a man and that you can really be your complete self with, but also to all those annoying issues like "trust" and "commitment" and "feelings"... etc.

I admit, I really like being single when I am single, and I could never give that up to someone I am not crazy about. But when it's someone who is a good match, there's no question of giving up my bachelorette status - it's worth it.

I did, however, forget that inevitable rollercoaster that happens in the beginning that everyone conveniently forgets about. Of course it's a great time, with lots of getting to know each other and crazy chemistry - but on the flip side, you have to build trust and be secure in knowing this person will still like you when they DO see your crazy side. And getting to know someone's buttons is fun, but also disconcerting if you press the wrong one and the machine shuts off.

Point being, I think I've realized that being single is easier - which doesn't make it right or wrong, but if you're not ready to put in the work (and it could be fun work!) you are a sucky partner. And although being in a relationship requires commitment (gasp) and compromising (crap) it's so rewarding at the end of the day.

Allllll of this to say, in obviously the most romantic way possible, is that I am no longer single, and I am super happy about it :)

Too much estrogen...

2007-10-04T11:29:00.000-04:00

I swear, today I've reached my peak - I've had it with chicks. Too much attitude, too many moods and inconsistency across the board. I hate to insult my sex but hanging out with mostly boys the past few weeks has really highlighted the fact that hanging out with girls is so much more stressful. Too much "self-editing" and talking about feelings can really get exhausting.

P.S. This rant does not include any of my friends, since I have seriously cool girlfriends. Well, most of them.

What a weekend

2007-09-30T22:03:00.000-04:00

Song(s) of the weekend: select songs from the Rihanna album (after seeing her concert): Please don't stop the music, I hate that I love you and Rehab, and Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman and Crying.

Quite an assortment I know, but I needed some new music for my new ride. Spent about 4 hours in the car on Saturday driving to, around and from London and then today driving to the Docks and around downtown. I've already put 550 km on the car and it's been 3 days - so great.

Altogether it's been a weekend of driving and talking. A lot. I caught up with a bunch of people in London, and then drove most of the day while dancing in my car and realizing that there is a whole new world of speeding in a hatchback when compared to the van.

Today I purged and felt relief through cleaning, which my friend JB told me only "a chick could feel better doing". It was an emotional morning, full of the loveliness that relationships bring, which basically means more talking, and then watching Eva windsurf on Lake Ontario interspersed with more talking. I don't think Adam has ever had to listen to more chicks talk, especially with his friend going through boy troubles of her own and asking for advice through text. But when we did take breaks, don't they look cute:

Overall a good weekend, but I'm in bed at 930 for a reason - exhausting, in a word. I need a break from my weekend, which sucks since tomorrow is Monday morning, arguable the worst time of the week.

Soundtrack for tomorrow? Cry me a river.

New car!

2007-09-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

Picking up my new car today! Although it technically isn't mine, since all I'm actually leasing it, in which case it still belongs to Honda which is really fine by me. My workmates congratulated me on my “new relationship”, and I told them I am happy about it but I just wish it were free.

I took the day off yesterday because I was sick, and it was a fabulous, glorious day - I relaxed and cooked and cleaned and felt very much renewed. I liked playing the role of housewife for the day (although I don't think I could do it permanently). I came into work today hoping that sense of renewal would stay, but it's been fading slowly since I passed through the automatic entry door...

On that note, as happy as I am recently, I'm also feeling unsettled in an... unsettling way (for lack of a better word). For someone who's not a type A person, I am craving some planning or talking or debriefing time. I feel like at any point something might blow up in my face, which is a crappy feeling. I don't like the unknown unless you're anticipating a good kind of surprise.

I'm not usually in the habit of reading horoscopes, but this one popped up for me today...

There could be some friction at work; but if you can be sensitive to other people's feelings, you should get by. You might want to take inventory and throw out things that are no longer important to you. If you are getting an itch to plan a vacation, you may want to consider a place with a mountain view or somewhere with a beach.
Sound advice, astrology peeps.

So you had a bad day..

2007-09-24T14:45:00.001-04:00

...except that mine isn't over just yet - talk about a sucky day!

So it's already a Monday which doesn't put anybody in a good mood... I wake up after a busy weekend exhausted and feverish, and make my way to work. Boring work. Then I get called in for a meeting where I am told a partner of mine in an important fundraising campaign is pulling out 3 weeks before the start. Bad news. Then I annoy my boss because I forgot to send in some useless HR information sheet. Yadda yadda. And finally I am being shunned for getting other people sick. Blah blah.

Horoscope for the day:

Your contacts at work have probably been putting in a good word for you. As a result, there may be a chance for a promotion or an assignment with more responsibility. You might have an awkward moment with a family member but be
willing to talk things over and diffuse the situation. Be sure to set aside time for your love partner.

How ironic, because we can agree the first statement is inaccurate, the second is wishful thinking, three is most likely and the last is highly erroneous given circumstances and attitudes.

I shall now go and wallow in my own w(h)ine... I feel much better now.

Puts a new spin on "hump" day

2007-09-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

Two days ago the headlines were "Putin dissolves the Russian government", and now Russia just celebrated a day off given specifically to couples for some lovin at home. I swear, I am torn in between disgust at the disregard for democracy, but also adoring the fact that Russians are encouraging some love-making among their people.

Of course the reason actually has some merit (or does it??) - the Russian population is shrinking and they are in need of some new babies being born. Yesterday was 9 months away from Russia's birthday, and the government has decided anyone who has a baby on that day will be rewarded with cars, TVs etc. Talk about incentive! I move we bring this tradition to Canada - isn't our population shrinking too?

On another note, toooo cuuuute - Basically, the baby macaque was abandoned and almost died, but was nursed back with the help of meds and a friendship with this pigeon - apparently it has a new "lease on life". Pictures and stories like this just get to me... I almost can't handle it. What a girl!

The end of a summer

2007-09-05T09:44:00.000-04:00

So this past week was my last week in Montreal - went very well, we finished a day and half ahead of time and I got the Friday off... the only dark spot in an otherwise amazing week was when one of my coworkers, an older gentleman decided to open up at our last lunch and tell Fred and I about his threesomes and "f friends" in great detail...*shudder*

Anyway, I had some visitors - Amal came from Halifax on Thursday and we partied til Sunday, met up with Dan and his friends (pictured above) on Friday evening, met up with Wassim and his friends on Saturday night - basically rocked the whole weekend. Turns out our friends Brian, Phil and Will (all separate groups) were in town too, so it was an awesome weekend.

I was gone in Montreal until Monday night, and it felt like I went on a second vacation, especially since I was seeing Dan (who I met in Croatia just in June) - it was really hard to come back and face the reality of starting a new, long-term project in Toronto and getting used to everything at home again! On top of which the summer is over.

I will definitely be visiting Montreal again. Soon.

Notable anniversary...

2007-08-29T14:25:00.000-04:00

Today, on August 29th, I am celebrating the first day in my second year of work (I started working on August 28th a year ago). Holy crap, time flies by!

That is all.

Man! I feel like a... pirate

2007-08-28T16:22:00.000-04:00

So if I ever felt like being a feminist, it was after reading this article - how awesome!
A forward thinker is an understatement... not only a woman in a man-only role, but piracy and violence and power, oh my!

Maybe THAT'S why they made Johnny Depp look so fruity in his movies....

What the eff??

2007-08-24T14:35:00.000-04:00

What the devil?

Is planet of the apes starting already? They have got some nerve... and are way more perceptive than anyone ever thought.

So I'm eating my morning breakfast when...

2007-08-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

bam! I get an eyeful of this article and the pages accompanying it: "seniors sex stores" or "mature adults are having more sex than you think".

Dudes! I get this whole 'age of full disclosure' thing but some of us have grandparents! Too much information!

Oh maaaaan

2007-08-22T16:10:00.000-04:00

What a waste - of all the chocolates in the box that Trish offered to me, I picked the one with the gooey crap and cherries in it.

I should have listened to Forrest Gump's words more carefully.

P.S.

2007-08-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

In reference to my post from last Thursday - I take back what I said about going out becoming boring. Had the best time last weekend!

Awwww

2007-08-21T14:16:00.000-04:00

So the CEO of the Utah mine announced today that they were suspending digging for the 6 miners indefinitely – which is really a tragedy and a horrible feeling for the families. I can’t imagine having had hope that they would be found alive, and then being told the rescue efforts were being stopped. Although 3 people died last week saving them, which is horrific for those families. Either way, not a good situation to be in. On top of that, China had a big flood in a cave that is estimated to have killed 180 miners. How brutal!

A third “cave-in” happened earlier this week when a family’s storm drain was filled with mud – the video with the happy ending was on CNN today and, I have to admit, tugged on my heartstrings and made for an emotional morning.

40 year old virgin

2007-08-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favourite scenes from the movie - gets me everytime!
"I may be a virgin, but I'll fuck you up"

Boredom is the devil..

2007-08-16T15:43:00.000-04:00

I am at work and bored out of my mind.

I was pretty much alone all week, with only a few people from our team around.... but (for a lack of a better way to say it) we don't have much in common and therefore I was BORED. Fred brought some excitement today with pictures and news of his new baby boy, but that died down after a while. It doesn't help that I'm also not excited by this work- it's interesting and all, but nothing to make you wanna go crazy.

I honestly used to think that doing nothing and just 'chillin' was the best thing ever. I think this was back in high school when I was constantly busy. I may regret writing this, but I miss those days - being busy all the time made life so much more fun and interesting and made me even more productive.

I can't tell whether it's an issue of being at the wrong job or needing more hobbies, but my life is really becoming a little mundane. Even going out isn't as fun anymore, cause it's the same people and the same bars. This all goes back to my vacation time, when I had so much to do every day and met so many new people that it felt like a whole year of activity in 2 weeks. Sigh.

It feels like Montreal weather is mimicking my mood, because it has been rainy and blah all day. Actually, until now - looks like a thunderstorm is coming. My favourite! as long as it doesn't delay my flight.

Awesome - those Ruskis get it right once in a while

2007-08-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

A day to procreate!

THIS is what North America needs - not only would people be more relaxed, but we would have a chance to increase the local population (although that could sound politically incorrect given that we are more and more again immigration - booourns).

Introducing the new love of my life...

2007-08-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

at least for now. I am, after all, a fickle and non-commital kind of person...

I just bought this phone yesterday after sitting on the fence for a few days and asking all my friends to choose between this one and the one I just blogged about a few days ago - the Upstage (did I not mention I am fickle?)

I ended up going to the Bell store after work yesterday just to try it out, and it is honestly an awesome phone. I thought the blue colour would really bother me, but it's actually not bad at all, and I managed to find a hard cover black case on eBay for it.

I am pretty brand loyal to Samsung's, so I'm not worried about the phone technically, but the new format and o/s is much different than I'm used to after holding onto my phone for about 2 1/2 years. So far I've gotten a lot of stares whenever I've used the texting flip side, which reminds me, I gotta switch to an unlimited texting plan hahaha.

It cost a pretty penny what with the 3 year warranty, but it's damn worth it - for someone who is mainly a texter on this phone, this is really the best purchase I could make. The best feeling was when the Bell guy helping me out showed me the Upstage he won recently, but what he really wanted was my phone. Which hopefully was sincere and not a pickup line.

Might as well give up now...?

2007-08-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

So this is one of the headlining articles on cnn.com today. At first I thought it was really interesting and informative - about how the human body develops and then ages. However, after sending it to Eva, she responded with a "why did you send me this? So I can slit my wrists?" Her dramatic reaction made me realize that maybe someone telling you that middle age is at 39 instead of 50 is NOT something you really wanna hear. But maybe you should, so that you appreciate your non-middle age years for as long as possible.

15 years and counting for yours truly...

My latest crush

2007-08-13T10:51:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my unexpected new love:

Adam and I went shopping this weekend for something (which I cannot mention at this point because I might ruin the surprise) but needless to say it was a big purchase. Before that, we started off the day with some nice breakfast at Sunset with Eves and her cuz, and then went for a little walk along Bloor West. We stopped in the Bell center, cause my phone is now spontaneously turning off, and I wanted to check out some new ones.

Lo and behold, this gorgeous piece of work is right in front of me. It doesn't look like much in the pic, but it is a small and sturdy and sexy electronic, and I must have it. It's the Samsung Upstage, and it's only been in the Canadian market for about 2 weeks. I read up all about it, and it seems the only negatives are the very small screen you would actually use as the phone side, and the fact that you often have to flip back and forth to enter information in, which personally I don't find so annoying.

Moving along (I don't want to sound like an ad)...

This weekend was mostly great cause we went for the big fundraising event at Angus Glen. Having been at a driving range twice in my life, I was terrified to say the least. It turns out not only do I LIKE golf, I'm actually good at it!! Definitely taking it up and using the few months left of the season to take some lessons. So exciting!

Finished off the weekend with the Bourne Ultimatum. Meh.

I am going to miss the summer very very much when it's over...

Current mood: pouty

2007-08-10T15:29:00.000-04:00

Found this pic after googling "pouty" and had to post it - too cute. And she looks a lot like me when I was little which is appropriate since I feel like a pouty kid right now. I am just in one of those moods where all I'm doing is whining and being unproductive. How appropriate to let this out at work. I think the solution just might be going for drinks and leaving just a little earlier than usual....

Another letdown....

2007-08-09T10:33:00.001-04:00

Current mood: meh.

The one bad thing about being invited to events like watching Safin and Nadal in the first row on centre court (which is what I did with Trish last night!!) is the letdown you experience when your tennis crush loses. And in an unsportmanlike way. Really, Safin, so much potential but you are too distracted and get pissed off too easily. And I say this out of love. The rest of the audience actually BOOED you cause you were throwing rackets and hitting balls into the crowd.

Sigh.

Then Trish and I went to eat at Queue de Cheval, which I have heard many things about such as being owned by the mafia, being run by Hells Angels and being develishly expensive. The 3rd part is definitely true, but it was so worth it. We went in to sit down for a nice dinner (albeit small) and here was Roger friggin Federer sitting a few tables away!!! He was celebrating his birthday, or his win, whatever it was we couldn't believe it! I was too shy to approach him to ask for an autograph or picture, plus he was with his cronies and unaccessible, so we didn't. But dammit, now I wish I had.

Anyway, the other letdown (other than Safin being a poor sport and not approaching Federer) is that my life has returned to boring and normal today. I really could get used to that lifestyle - rich and famous people, eating out and having hoards of people want to come watch you do whatever you do. Tons of girls/guys throwing themselves at you, flying anywhere you want because you can afford it. I either have to think of a new life strategy to become rich and famous... or marry someone who is (which could arguably also be a strategy).

Anyone know anyone available? 24 year old cute consultant with desire for travel and possibility of being a... trophy wife ...worthy companion. Apply within.

Marat Safin, The God

2007-08-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

Appropriate title. My crush since 2000! Watching him tonight - damn.

One order of metrosexual, comin up!

2007-08-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

So apparently the whole myth of women preferring men with masculine features is only true when it applies to a fling - when it comes to a partner in life, women tend to choose men with more delicate, less masculine (read: feminine) features. Which I could have told you a long time ago - we all know those hot angled jawlines are highly likely to be jutting around in other women's bedrooms. This is one of the top 5 rules in the women's dating handbook. Duh.

Still an interesting article with how they approached the whole study though. Read it here .

August long weekend - I've converted

2007-08-07T16:21:00.000-04:00

So I've become a cottager. Never thought I'd say those words, but it actually is fun!! Especially when it's your cottage. And it's new. And you bring up a bunch of awesome people. Which, by coincidence, is exactly what happened this weekend.

Jake and I joined Peter, Theresa and Adam on Saturday afternoon (after BRUTAL traffic) but as soon as we got there I felt a sense of relief. We tanned on the dock and the patio for the rest of the day, made delicious food and despite great attempts, I fell asleep before midnight while watching a movie on Saturday night. But it was worth it, cause Sunday we were all very well rested and ready to celebrate Adam's birthday - the big guy turned 22! We surprised him with some very fun "fiesta" decorations and he was sincerely touched. Proud moment for hig big sis.

We lost our dignity (Jess's awesome quote from Friday night) on Sunday night - we bought a deck of cards and decided to play Kings. It's been a long time since I've laughed so hard and also been so drunk after drinking a measly small portion of vodka. There were some gems that night, some of which I have quoted on FB and others that cannot be divulged.

In other unrelated news, the 5 of us woke up very grumpy the next morning (note: grumpy could mean hungover). It was cloudy, which was fine with us after a full day of tanning the day before, so we watched some movies and ate some more and chilled to have some great talks. I had to leave a bit earlier to go home and pack for Montreal again (booo) but it was a great end to a fantastic weekend.

On a side note, Adam bought the Amy Winehouse CD and I have another item to add to my addictions list! She is an amazing singer, so soulful and I love her lyrics... I don't even care that she is an alcoholic/cokehead, cause her talent far outweighs any judgment I could make about her.

That's what friends are for

2007-08-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday I was feeling kinda lonesome in Montreal and didn't want to be a target for middle-aged men with peanuts again, so I decided to do a little blast from the not-so-distant past and have dinner with a floormate and fellow Ivey chick, Stef. She's in Montreal working at L'Oreal and doing amazingly (job is a dream one) and she's engaged! Finally got to see the ring - lovely. It's so surreal when your friends start to get married and think about kids - I found out a girl from our graduating class already had a baby and got married - practically one year after grad!! Everyone has their own path I guess...

Then yesterday I flew home 1/2 hour earlier than usual to see my parents before they left for the 25th wedding anniversary Europe trip. All I have to say is my parents are really becoming one of the cutest couples I know. They are totally a cohesive unit and the huge differences in their personalities have become less extreme recently to the point where they compliment each other well. I'm excited for them!

After that, Adam and I drove for coffee and met up with this weekend's cottage crew: Theresa, Peter, Jake, Adam and I. It looks like it's going to be an awesome time with nearly perfect weather - gonna make an effort not to fry myself this time and actually keep my tanned skin. SUPER PUMPED for it if you can't tell!

After that Jess and Jamie came over and we stayed up til almost 2 talking and reminiscing and catching up. They are seriously like family, I feel warm and cozy whenever they're around.

In a nutshell, that's it. Trying to enjoy Toronto while I'm here on weekends, and getting excited to help Adam celebrate the big birthday and his first day at work! The great gift is slowly coming around, it's gonna be good...

BURN!

2007-08-01T17:20:00.000-04:00

Muahahaha.

Reason #66 - "I wanted to get a raise"

2007-08-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

Sly little devils! I think this is one of the best articles I have read in the Globe and Mail. I love that top on the men's list is "had a desirable body" while women's was "I realized I was inlove".

"To change the topic of conversation" should really be "I wanted to shut her up". Note: we all know that one, boys.

Cruelest: "To give that person an STD" - what the deuce!!!

Saddest: "Help me fall asleep". Ouch.

Most succinct: "Wanted to feel good". Hey, it beats eating a pound of chocolate.

Read more about them here.

A serious decision

2007-08-01T14:41:00.000-04:00

After a very intense discussion with my coworker Fred, I have decided my ultimate meal (assuming my budget and ‘dietary restrictions’): it would consist of a medium done sirloin steak, a (few) glass(es) of red wine and a nutella jar with a spoon for dessert.

Yes, that sounds either too simple or gross, but for me, it’s heaven. And it’s not even that bad for you. Yes, a little fatty, but what else would someone want after a tough day at work then to sit down for a nice steak. My parents are the most surprised at this choice, since I was (mostly) vegetarian since the age of 4. It seems my body is making up for lost time – my dad and brother, the carnivores, are finally allowed to eat meat guilt-free too.

P.S. I might have to add French onion soup as an appetizer to that list. Sooooo goooood….

Joseph the Beatboxer on Nouvelle Star

2007-07-30T13:55:00.001-04:00

Um.... DAYUM!!

Cry Me A River (Acapella)

2007-07-30T13:43:00.001-04:00

Awesome!!!

Hmmm...

2007-07-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

Life is not fair sometimes. And that's all I have to say about that.

Isn't it ironic?

2007-07-24T14:30:00.000-04:00

It's funny, I had a little moment today while in a meeting with my client - we were discussing how exactly we envision the customers and how best to suit their needs. Which sounds dandy and of course is an interesting project, but when we starting categorizing the customers into groups, it made me realize that this is how corporations see us: "young spender", "middle-aged mortgage owner" or "retiree". I realize this is the only way to make marketing effective - to group similar people into one group and create a strategy/campaign that they will all likely respond to in the same way.

It just seems ironic that we spend our lives trying to stand out, be original and unique, when in the end we are labeled anyway, especially so concisely as a "young spender" in my case. Especially since my recent motto is that "boring is boring" - I'm always worried about people who might judge me, but really the tragedy is to be forgotten! I'd take a little judgment than be lumped into that grey mass that no one knows and labels using just a few words. We don't deserve to be dumped into one category, but you have to fight to make your individuality apparent - that's definitely a goal I can work towards.

What the deuce is this!??!

2007-07-23T22:43:00.001-04:00

1,500 Philippino prisoners choreographed and dance the Thriller - whaaaaat?

Another jam-packed weekend

2007-07-23T15:19:00.000-04:00

So the past few days have been pretty hectic… after flying back home from Montreal on Thursday night, I had a few hours to get ready for the United Way event organized at our Markham location and to pack for the cottage so that I could leave straight after work. The United Way event was a HUGE success, and left such a good feeling except for the people who ruined it for me after. I don’t even want to get into the rage-inducing details, but all I have to say is that office politics far surpass people’s desire to do any greater good, and that I have much more faith in students doing a good job at these kinds of events than I do in adults. They seem to be more concerned with outward appearances and credit than with the actual purpose of the event, and maintaining monopolistic control over whatever they can. I don’t get it, and I have a growing distaste for these kinds of people. But really, to conclude, double the amount of projected people showed up and everyone had a great time - we raised about $1200!!

Anyway, after the exhausting BBQ, I met up with Eva and Sanjay at Finch station and we drove to Jim’s cottage. It ended up being on a small island on Lake Joe (which neighbours Lake Rosso) with Kenny G in the cottage next door! Which yes, is kinda lame but still kinda cool? Anyway, point being I’ve rarely seen such a nice cottage with nice toys and amazing food. We got spoiled in every way possible. Saturday was a flip cup competition and ended off with a hung-over 2 hour ride on the kayak for moi and swimming and chillin for others. The only bad part was my stupidity in not putting any sunscreen on and therefore still hardly being able to sit comfortably. We ended off at Eva’s boss’ cottage, which was one of the nicest cottages I’ve ever seen. DAMN.

Once we got back into Etobs, Eves and I went for a little golf action in Centennial for about ½ hour. I (surprisingly) didn’t get any rage and even (gasp!) enjoyed myself. We are playing a tournament in mid-August, so we are trying hard to really not suck and embarrass ourselves. As much.

P.S. The picture above is from a dance party from Saturday night, which was epic and consisted mostly of Eva and myself. Kudos to the Polaks.

Montreal week 3

2007-07-20T09:33:00.000-04:00

So this week was my 3rd week traveling on this project to Montreal... I have to admit it's wearing on me a bit, but I really can't complain. I've got my groove down with what to pack, where to stay, where to eat etc.... I have yet to meet any local people, but I'm sure that will come with time.
Every week Trish leaves after work on Wednesday, so when it comes to dinnertime it's up to me to decide what I wanna do alone. The past few weeks I've gone on walks around the city, which is nice cause it's the only chance I have to do that, but this time I stopped for some pesto pasta on Rue Crescent, which seems to be a pretty happenin place in Montreal. I chatted with people and read my magazine while at dinner, and when I was done these 2 older men approached me. One tried to offer me peanuts, and the other told me he owned a very high-end clothing store. Both men were Lebanese, and the peanut one told me about his stories as a pilot and current travel agency. Usually I would dismiss these fools for being too old, but it was a social and funny break in my solitary evening. The only bad part came when my friend Wassim, who recommended the place, realized later that it's often frequented by EE (Easter European ladies) and the older ME (Middle Eastern) men that want them. How nice.

Otherwise, I'm feeling my lack of time in Toronto this week - I literally got home after 9, chilled and packed for the cottage this weekend, and organized stuff for the United Way event we're throwing. I am leaving right after work to go to Jim's cottage, then come back, pack for Montreal and leave Monday morning. Did I mention I'm traveling with my dad this time?? Iiiiiiinteresting...

And so it begins

2007-07-17T11:03:00.001-04:00

Friday night we went to a lovely dinner at Saint-Tropez in Toronto. The goal: to see Maha and celebrate her last weekend before she starts the intense chemo process, which starts today and if all goes well, ends in the beginning October. It was the first time I'd seen Maha since her operation, and all I have to say is that I've rarely been so impressed by someone. She talked about the cancer openly: buying a wig, where to live during her treatment, what her plans are after the cancer and so on. I had never considered the 'everyday' parts of dealing with the disease, other than the big picture of actually fighting it, beating it and living a long full life. She talked about the more serious impact the cancer is having on her too - how to rebuild her body after the mastectomy she had, the effect of the chemo on her ability to have children, which I never knew was an issue.

Point being, this has been a sobering experience for all her friends, especially the women in our group. We are all thinking of and praying for Maha, since her attitude is really an inspiration for everyone of us.

Woo woo

2007-07-13T12:10:00.000-04:00

Now this is the kind of news I like reading.

Not only are more teens completing high school, but the rate of teen pregnancy and those having sex is decreasing. It's pretty refreshing that all the effort that has gone into campaigns for safe sex and the importance of education is actually working.

On another note, the Globe and Mail published an article today about the fact that Canada is really high on the list of countries whose citizens smoke a lot of pot. I have to say, given even my group of friends from high school/university, I am not surprised at this stat at all. It seems that people have a pretty easygoing view on smoking weed, although funnily enough we tend to judge people who smoke cigarettes or drink & drive pretty harshly... the stat shows the rate of smokers at about 18.6% in the past 3 months, which is about 1 in 5 people. Which means at least 2 peeps on my team are statistically potheads... figuring out which ones they are will make for an interesting day today.

Esmee Denters singing ``Unwritten`` by Natasha Bedingfield

2007-07-13T12:09:00.001-04:00

I am really starting to love this girl...

Sister, sister

2007-07-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

So I had a nice (read: extremely delicious, expensive and wineful) dinner last night with a few colleagues from work (T and Wymond), and we inevitably dicussed relationships and Wymond's relationship with his 3 daughters (no sons). He talked about how much more fun but complicated it is to raise girls, because of all the extra ‘drama’ that can happen to them, but that he felt better equipped to handle them because he grew up with 3 sisters himself.

That got me thinking about this theory that I have that men who have at least one sister are a lot more prepared to deal with relationships with women (or at least have a very dominant mother, female cousin, you get the idea). However, the theme of the “man with a sister” is so powerful that I find that every guy I have a close relationship with has at least one sister, and often times an older one.

I can say with confidence that I think my brother is an excellent person (among other factors) because he has an older sister. That sounds extremely cocky, and it’s not meant to because I am not crediting myself with his upbringing, but simply the fact that as a child, he had a female to analyze and understand as I was going through the different phases in my life. Now that I am slightly less crazy and more mature, he seems to “get” me and what I’m going through without me having to say much about it. Although now he’s at a disadvantage because he is just TOO mature for his age (hahaha, poor Adam).

Anyway, on that note, I have to say that despite my being brought up with excellent male figures in my life (note: grandpa, dad, Adam and more ‘uncles’ than I could count), I don’t have an easy time understanding guys at all. In fact, I think I am usually attracted to guys that are the exact opposite in some ways to my role models (although they are always nice guys at least). I really find the whole concept of dating extremely difficult, and stay on a plateau of “this is not for me” which is interrupted by very rare moments where I meet someone I have a connection with (which has happened maaaybe 4-5 times in my life), I wear my heart on my sleeve and then get it broken, and then the plateau continues at an even lower level than before. Plus I feel like men have this evil radar that as soon as they sense a girl is finally over them, they renew contact and bring up all sorts of emotion. It’s exhausting. So on that note, as of today (along with my friend Eves), I am making a conscious decision to think much less about all those shenanigans and really focus on ourselves, so that our love lives become secondary concerns.

On a separate note, I just found out that I added something called sitemeter to my profile, which tracks and categorizes the people that visit your blog! Pretty cool - although I expect most of my leads to be Google searches like “young, 20-something cynical traveler”.

Robots have feelings..? But Western people don't.

2007-07-09T10:46:00.001-04:00

An interesting weekend - Friday was a reunion party for Western kids, which was an interesting event. I started off the evening with drinks and food at Ki, which I am really starting to get addicted to (especially those lychee martinis, you don’t even see those coming and all of a sudden you’re a very happy tipsy girl). The night then progressed to dinner with the girls at Monsoon for Summerlicious, which I couldn’t enjoy because of too much edamame at Ki. Anyway, the 2 bottles of wine were enjoyable and made going to the Phoenix that much more bearable.

We girls were dressed to the nines in our high heels and freakum dresses, and arriving at the Phoenix was kind of a shock. I had been there before, but some girls’ first impressed was the dingy alternative music room, which I’m sure freaked the Western out of them. Thankfully, they were comforted with $2.50 drinks and the more Western crowd that arrived pretty late into the night. By 1am I was done (as were my feet) and I took good old faithful (a.k.a. the subway) back home. The Western crowd didn’t disappoint, in that they are just as hot and generic as they ever were, and not much has changed since I left.

Saturday evening I went to see Transformers, which was surprisingly good considering the crap reviews it got. I have come to expect that I get emotional at movies (the whole separating film from reality doesn’t work for me), but I didn’t expect Transformers would evoke any kind of feeling. They totally worked the girly angle, and gave the Transformers human sounds and practically made them cry when they got hurt, including puppy dog eyes etc. Of course I didn’t cry, but that whole scene tugged at the heartstrings a little. Pathetic isn’t it??

I ended off the weekend with a chill day of TV, shopping, work and taking it easy with Eves. And some late night packing because I couldn’t get to sleep. Sometimes I’m glad I live at home because I wouldn’t want to subject a boyfriend to seeing me wake-up at 5am in a rotten and tired mood (poor Adam, he deals with a lot).

Montreal week 2 underway! We shall see how this one rolls out… no skunking yet; the boys are actually really sweet here. Although I may be proven wrong when Trish and I go out on the town…