It's been a while. My life has been ridiculously busy. I'm at the point where it is just never-ending. I feel like I'm running on empty (come on, sing it with me Jackson Browne). The most exhausting part, of course, would have to be working on my thesis. I'm currently in the revision process (my committee members are looking over my draft and suggesting changes). At some point, you just want to be done with it all. I am at that point. In Canada (or possibly just SFU... my only experience of Canadian schools is SFU), the grad program is designed for completing your Master's in two full years (six semesters). While in the U.S., if someone is on track they will probably graduate in the spring. Here, if you're on track, you graduate in the summer. So that maybe adds to my desire to be done already (because in my mind, I think "If I was in the U.S., I could have been done already.") But then on the other hand, I am glad that I am part of a rigorous program with really high standards. It has improved my education, skill sets, and I'm really proud of my thesis and all the work that has gone into it. With that said, I totally want to be done already.
But I am not looking forward to the thesis defense. I'm sure it won't be as bad as I imagine (though I have heard some horror stories). There are three committee members and, after I give my schpiel on my thesis, each committee member asks me a round of questions. This is then repeated. So there will be two rounds of questioning by the three committee members. Then questioning from anyone in the audience. And I know that if you're at the point of your thesis defense, you have a good thesis. Your committee wouldn't let you defend if you had a bad thesis. So granted my thesis is in good shape if it makes it to the defense, I'm still not looking forward to the defense. For some reason, I just don't look forward to be putting on the spot and being questioned by professionals about my work that I have dedicated two years of my life to. So once the defense is over and I am done, I will finally breath a sigh of relief.
I've also been really busy working on a paper/presentation for a conference. I presented at a Sociology of Families session at the Canadian Sociological Association conference. The presentation went really well and I got a lot of great feedback. But I'm glad that it's done. I feel I'm crossing more and more things off my to-do list and the end of my grad career is approaching.
And work of course always keeps me busy, but I enjoy it. I was promoted to a research coordinator (I was a research assistant). So now I'm in charge of organizing and managing a research project and training research assistants. So that keeps me really busy.
It's crazy to think that my time here is almost up. If everything goes to plan, we will leave here by August 1st (and possibly earlier). On one hand, I'm looking forward to leaving because that means I'm done with grad school and I get to have at least a little break (which involves seeing family, friends, and other things in Utah that I miss). But on the other hand, I'm also really sad that I'll be leaving here. I really like Vancouver. It's so beautiful. I like the weather. I like the green year-round. I like where we live -- I like our apartment, and the trees, and the view. There are places here I love. There are restaurants I love. There are people here I will really miss -- and that's always the hardest to leave.
It will be exciting (and scary) to move on to the next phase of my life -- whatever that may be. It's kind of neat to think I will be living in a new place (which at this point, could be anywhere -- which adds to that excitement/scariness). I know I want to get a job in the social research/social policy realm (e.g., working for a research corporation, or a think tank, or an NGO, or possibly even a congressperson), but I wonder what job I will have. I wonder whether it will be a career and something I stick with for a long time. Will I be done with academia? Will I go back for more? The possibilities seem to be endless right now for where I end up and what I end up doing. But then it feels scary to be making decisions that you feel will affect the rest of your life. I know I'm still young, and realistically speaking, I will probably change jobs more than once (I'm from Generation Y, hello!). The first job I take out of grad school probably won't be the job I'll have until I retire. I won't be stuck with something if I don't like it. So these decisions don't affect the rest of my life (necessarily), but I feel like the decisions I make in the near future will affect the next part of my life -- it will affect where I live, what kind of financial situation I'll be in, it could affect where I'm going to be in the long-term.
At least at this point, I'm not planning on getting a PhD (but that of course is subject to change in the future). I feel like I'm ready for something new (i.e., leaving that buffer period of attaining education). I feel like I have an idea of what I want to do and I actually want to see if my idea of what I want to do is actually realistic or if it's right for me. And there's comfort in knowing that if it's not what I want to do, there's always the possibility of something else. I could try to find another type of job or I could go back to school to figure something out or get the degree necessary for the thing I want to do.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Inside My Collection
I'm totally one of those people that loves to know what items people have in their possession. In other words, I love to know what stuff people own. If you had me house-sit for you, I would totally look through all your CDs, movies, books, etc. Why do I love to know what people have in their collections? I think for one because it tells me something about that person -- even if just a little bit. You are what you love ('and not what loves you back'). I think also because no matter how 'predictable' someone is or how much I think I know someone's preferences or styles -- there's usually something that I'm surprised they own/like. Maybe it's the Jay-Z album next to their Tammy Wynette album. And I love stuff like that. But for some reason, I like to know what people have in their collections. When I run into a friend on the street and they're listening to their ipod, I usually ask them what song is currently playing on their ipod. Because I'm curious about stuff like that. When I visit someone's house, I check out what's on their selves. Because I'm curious about stuff like that. I just can't seem to help it. And I don't think I'm alone on this.
So, I have decided that I will indulge any curious people by doing a feature on my possessions (I guess it's my way of 'giving back' for being so curious about other people's stuff). Maybe I'm the only one fascinated by stuff like this. Who knows. Anyway, I decided to choose stuff from my collection based on randomness. I used a random letter generator to pick a letter for me and then a random number generator (1-100) to pick...a number for me, way to go! With my collection in alphabetical order, I picked the item that falls on that number within that letter series (and to think I'm so busy with grad school...) Without further ado, this selection of items is D-83.
DVD:
Dead Like Me, Season 2
This was a Showtime series that is now canceled. It is yet another excellent Showtime show that had really good writing/characters and never made it past the second season. Dead Like Me, summed up, is about a group of reapers (...give it a chance). What's interesting is that all the deaths happen in really creative ways -- the people never end up dying how you think they're going to die. But, the deaths and the reaping is really only secondary. The majority of the show is about the characters, their lives, and their relationships with each other and other people (and of course other people do not know these people are reapers or that they are deceased). The main character is an 18 year old girl named Georgia (who was killed by a toilet seat that fell to earth from the MIR space station...like I said, unpredictable). She is super cynical and sarcastic and I totally love that humor. Also, an interesting piece of trivia is that the show was filmed in Vancouver (though supposed to take place in Washington). Since living here, it's really fun going back and watching the show because you see so much of Vancouver in the episodes (because the reaps take them to so many different locations across town). The reapers get their assignments on post-it notes that say the last name and first initial of the person they need to reap, their time of death, and an address. What I have since picked up on since living here is that the addresses on the post-it notes are actual Vancouver addresses (and it's the actual location for where that scene was filmed). So that's pretty neat.
Book:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
This book is on my need-to-read list. I've read two of his other books -- Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked. And I absolutely loved those books. All of these books are autobiographical essays/short stories and, man, has he led one crazy life. I love the stories about his super quirky family (and I'm totally in love with his sister Amy). To illustrate what I mean, here is an excerpt from Naked. It's a story about his grandparents:
"She [Ya Ya, David's grandmother] was joining us for dinner one night in the backyard when my father, trying to engage her in conversation, said, 'Talk about your shockers, did I ever tell you that Ya Ya found her own brother dead in the middle of the road? The guy was slit from his chin to the crotch, murdered by rebels just for the hell of it. Her own brother! Can you imagine a thing like that?'
'I imagine it every day of my life,' my sister Lisa said, tossing an olive pit onto my plate. 'How come she has all the luck?'
'Was there a lot of blood?' I asked. 'Did he crap in his pants? I hear that's what happens when you die. Were his organs soft to the touch, or had they been hardened by the sun? How old was he? What was his name? Was he cute?'
Ya Ya cast her eyes toward the neighbor's basketball court. 'In Jesus' blessy name,' she said, crossing herself with a barbeque chicken leg. [...] Her husband, the man we addressed as Papou, had been just as morose as she was. We had to turn their photographs upside down in order to catch them smiling. [...] Papou had died when I was six years old. He had been in the newsstand late one night when intruders hit him over the head with a lead pipe, rupturing a vein in his head. He was carried to the hospital and died on Christmas Day. 'Did you still open presents?' we asked. 'After he died, did he crap in his pants? Did the thieves concentrate only on money or did they take magazines and candy bars while they were at it? Did they catch them? Did they go to the electric chair? After they were electrocuted, did they crap in their pants?'"
Here's what he said about the state college he went to:
"I expect someday to open the newspaper and discover the government had used that campus as part of a perverse experiment to study the effects of continuous, high-decibel Pink Floyd albums on the minds of students who could manufacture a bong out of any given object but could not comprehend that it is simply not possibly to drive a van to Europe."
So while I haven't read this particular book (Dress Your Family...), I already know I'm going to love it because it's not possible for him to let me down. He has a similar style to Augusten Burroughs, if you're a fan of his.
Album:
The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists
I realize The Decemberists are not for everyone, but they are one of my favorite bands. I am so amazed with their songwriting and instrumentation skills. And Her Majesty is such a great album. Such a diverse set of songs. From the peak of "so goodnight boys goodnight" in the song Shanty for the Arethusa, to the beautiful, calming lull of "Red Right Ankle", to the high energy and infectiously catchy "The Chimbley Sweep", to the amazing lyrics of "I Was Meant for the Stage"...there are just so many amazing moments and songs on this album.
My favorite song on the album is probably "Red Right Ankle". You know how there are certain songs that remind you of a particular person, for whatever reason. It could be because the song lyrics remind you of a person, or the song in general reminds you of that person because it was a personal favorite of their's, or because the song is attached to a specific memory/experience you have with that person. Anyway, no matter how many different times or situations I hear "Red Right Ankle", it always makes me think of one of my closest friends, Denise. It reminds me of one particular summer where we spent so many nights lying on her bedroom floor listening to music or playing music and talking about anything and everything. I remember how the blinds would erratically blow open and brush up against her window sill with a breath of cool air coming off from the water and down from the canyon. And it would go on for hours. This song always makes me think of that and of her. And it makes me homesick for those times.
Song from I-Tunes Library:
Jack Johnson - Do You Remember
What a great love song. What a great song in general. It's not a cheesy romantic love song -- it's just real. It's a real, sincere love song. He wrote this song for his wife to celebrate the 10 years they've been together. It's a song about their relationship throughout the years -- from when he first met her to when they first moved in together and about all their years together. It's so beautiful. This song, of course, makes me think of Eagan and the relationship we have and everything we've experienced together (awww...). This songs has the power to make me smile and cry -- all at the same time.
So, I have decided that I will indulge any curious people by doing a feature on my possessions (I guess it's my way of 'giving back' for being so curious about other people's stuff). Maybe I'm the only one fascinated by stuff like this. Who knows. Anyway, I decided to choose stuff from my collection based on randomness. I used a random letter generator to pick a letter for me and then a random number generator (1-100) to pick...a number for me, way to go! With my collection in alphabetical order, I picked the item that falls on that number within that letter series (and to think I'm so busy with grad school...) Without further ado, this selection of items is D-83.
DVD:
Dead Like Me, Season 2
This was a Showtime series that is now canceled. It is yet another excellent Showtime show that had really good writing/characters and never made it past the second season. Dead Like Me, summed up, is about a group of reapers (...give it a chance). What's interesting is that all the deaths happen in really creative ways -- the people never end up dying how you think they're going to die. But, the deaths and the reaping is really only secondary. The majority of the show is about the characters, their lives, and their relationships with each other and other people (and of course other people do not know these people are reapers or that they are deceased). The main character is an 18 year old girl named Georgia (who was killed by a toilet seat that fell to earth from the MIR space station...like I said, unpredictable). She is super cynical and sarcastic and I totally love that humor. Also, an interesting piece of trivia is that the show was filmed in Vancouver (though supposed to take place in Washington). Since living here, it's really fun going back and watching the show because you see so much of Vancouver in the episodes (because the reaps take them to so many different locations across town). The reapers get their assignments on post-it notes that say the last name and first initial of the person they need to reap, their time of death, and an address. What I have since picked up on since living here is that the addresses on the post-it notes are actual Vancouver addresses (and it's the actual location for where that scene was filmed). So that's pretty neat.
Book:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
This book is on my need-to-read list. I've read two of his other books -- Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked. And I absolutely loved those books. All of these books are autobiographical essays/short stories and, man, has he led one crazy life. I love the stories about his super quirky family (and I'm totally in love with his sister Amy). To illustrate what I mean, here is an excerpt from Naked. It's a story about his grandparents:
"She [Ya Ya, David's grandmother] was joining us for dinner one night in the backyard when my father, trying to engage her in conversation, said, 'Talk about your shockers, did I ever tell you that Ya Ya found her own brother dead in the middle of the road? The guy was slit from his chin to the crotch, murdered by rebels just for the hell of it. Her own brother! Can you imagine a thing like that?'
'I imagine it every day of my life,' my sister Lisa said, tossing an olive pit onto my plate. 'How come she has all the luck?'
'Was there a lot of blood?' I asked. 'Did he crap in his pants? I hear that's what happens when you die. Were his organs soft to the touch, or had they been hardened by the sun? How old was he? What was his name? Was he cute?'
Ya Ya cast her eyes toward the neighbor's basketball court. 'In Jesus' blessy name,' she said, crossing herself with a barbeque chicken leg. [...] Her husband, the man we addressed as Papou, had been just as morose as she was. We had to turn their photographs upside down in order to catch them smiling. [...] Papou had died when I was six years old. He had been in the newsstand late one night when intruders hit him over the head with a lead pipe, rupturing a vein in his head. He was carried to the hospital and died on Christmas Day. 'Did you still open presents?' we asked. 'After he died, did he crap in his pants? Did the thieves concentrate only on money or did they take magazines and candy bars while they were at it? Did they catch them? Did they go to the electric chair? After they were electrocuted, did they crap in their pants?'"
Here's what he said about the state college he went to:
"I expect someday to open the newspaper and discover the government had used that campus as part of a perverse experiment to study the effects of continuous, high-decibel Pink Floyd albums on the minds of students who could manufacture a bong out of any given object but could not comprehend that it is simply not possibly to drive a van to Europe."
So while I haven't read this particular book (Dress Your Family...), I already know I'm going to love it because it's not possible for him to let me down. He has a similar style to Augusten Burroughs, if you're a fan of his.
Album:
The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists
I realize The Decemberists are not for everyone, but they are one of my favorite bands. I am so amazed with their songwriting and instrumentation skills. And Her Majesty is such a great album. Such a diverse set of songs. From the peak of "so goodnight boys goodnight" in the song Shanty for the Arethusa, to the beautiful, calming lull of "Red Right Ankle", to the high energy and infectiously catchy "The Chimbley Sweep", to the amazing lyrics of "I Was Meant for the Stage"...there are just so many amazing moments and songs on this album.
My favorite song on the album is probably "Red Right Ankle". You know how there are certain songs that remind you of a particular person, for whatever reason. It could be because the song lyrics remind you of a person, or the song in general reminds you of that person because it was a personal favorite of their's, or because the song is attached to a specific memory/experience you have with that person. Anyway, no matter how many different times or situations I hear "Red Right Ankle", it always makes me think of one of my closest friends, Denise. It reminds me of one particular summer where we spent so many nights lying on her bedroom floor listening to music or playing music and talking about anything and everything. I remember how the blinds would erratically blow open and brush up against her window sill with a breath of cool air coming off from the water and down from the canyon. And it would go on for hours. This song always makes me think of that and of her. And it makes me homesick for those times.
Song from I-Tunes Library:
Jack Johnson - Do You Remember
What a great love song. What a great song in general. It's not a cheesy romantic love song -- it's just real. It's a real, sincere love song. He wrote this song for his wife to celebrate the 10 years they've been together. It's a song about their relationship throughout the years -- from when he first met her to when they first moved in together and about all their years together. It's so beautiful. This song, of course, makes me think of Eagan and the relationship we have and everything we've experienced together (awww...). This songs has the power to make me smile and cry -- all at the same time.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I'm not looking to be the next American Idol, I'm gonna be the next World Idol
In TV news...I am seriously out of a life thanks to the writing strike (which I'm all for; I just need my head to tell my heart that...) Now that my favorite shows are off the air, I find myself watching any old show (and I mean any) to fill the space. It's kind of sad.
.
I even found myself watching the first episode of American Gladiators. It made me feel nostalgic for the time when I was a young child watching the original American Gladiators in the 80s/early 90s. I remember cheering on Turbo and Laser and 2 x 4 and Maxi Pad and whatever their names were... So I watched the first episode of the new American Gladiators (justifying it with "Well I can stand it, if you can stand it..." and "Well, I'm watching it for ironic reasons" and "At least I'm not watching this alone. That would be kind of sad").
It pretty much seemed like the same show from the 80s (except now Hulk Hogan is one of the hosts). Twenty years later and they haven't really advanced any of the 'technology' on the show. I still have the impression that the whole arena and all it's equipment is made out of cardboard, plywood, and duct tape. They're still using tennis balls in that "Try to Shoot the Target, Without Getting Hit by These Tennis Balls" obstacle course -- what? no upgrade to lasers? Imagine the contestants trying to hit a target while trying to avoid getting their flesh singed off with a laser...I bet they'd be running a lot quicker. Come on guys, it's the 2000s! Get with it.
I may just be less naive now than I was when I was a kid...but the gladiators seem way more "juiced up gay dudes" and "no, really, that chick is a man" and "hey, that gladiator looks like they've done some porn work before" than the 80s gladiators. And what's with the black and silver uniforms? Where's my patriotic colors and stars from the 80s? One gladiator actually has a bodice as part of her uniform. How is that helping with the joust?
Finally, I could not watch that show again for multiple reasons. One reason is the gladiator named "Wolf". That guy scares me on such a high level that I'm not even able to watch the show for fear that I would have to look into his cold, black eyes. Seriously, the guy has killed someone. Probably with his bare hands and his teeth. I can really imagine this guy biting someone to death, and not just because his name is Wolf.
.
Last weekend there was a Hey Paula marathon on TV (the train wreck of a reality show starring Paula Abdul). I was so glad I caught it. Because I saw a preview for it in the states a while back, but they didn't get it here in Canada. Hey Paula is so ridiculously good. Paula really does seem high/insane all the time. I probably watched half of the show through the cracks of my fingers as I held my hands up to my face. It's so hard to watch sometimes. She really is the saddest person. That show made me feel really bad for her and it gave me a new-found sympathy for her (she is a really sensitive, insomniac, workaholic with chronic pain...she actually has metal plates/screws in her neck, and she has terrible assistants that never listen to her and never do what she says and they laugh when she's crying). Pretty much sad-bastardville.
As for American Idol...Randy...seriously? The facial hair? The huge sideburns? Seriously?
I also love that on tonight's episode, Randy was talking about how the first day of the South Carolina auditions were kind of lackluster, but he thinks they'll be better the second day because they usually get good auditions in the south. But...to put those thoughts to words he actually said "the south is gonna rise again, you know what I'm sayin'." Yeah... I don't think he knows what he's saying. You probably want to use another phrase, Randy. A non-the-South-will-avenge-the-civil-war-and-will-succeed-at-secession phrase. Just a suggestion. I'm guessing you're not in favor of a re-institution of slavery...
Finally, I will conclude with:
Another tale of an American In Canada:
I just recently discovered that Corn Pops cereal is different here. For one, the cereal is spherical. It's a ball. Whereas in the U.S., the cereal is flatter and longer. Second, the texture is different here. The texture is similar to Cap'N Crunch (the texture that rips up the roof of your mouth). Also, it tastes different. The U.S. version is sweeter. The Canadian version tastes like a combination of Kix and Cap'N Crunch. Finally, the Canadian version is packed in a clear plastic bag. Whereas the U.S. version is in that foil-lined bag. Interesting...
.
I even found myself watching the first episode of American Gladiators. It made me feel nostalgic for the time when I was a young child watching the original American Gladiators in the 80s/early 90s. I remember cheering on Turbo and Laser and 2 x 4 and Maxi Pad and whatever their names were... So I watched the first episode of the new American Gladiators (justifying it with "Well I can stand it, if you can stand it..." and "Well, I'm watching it for ironic reasons" and "At least I'm not watching this alone. That would be kind of sad").
It pretty much seemed like the same show from the 80s (except now Hulk Hogan is one of the hosts). Twenty years later and they haven't really advanced any of the 'technology' on the show. I still have the impression that the whole arena and all it's equipment is made out of cardboard, plywood, and duct tape. They're still using tennis balls in that "Try to Shoot the Target, Without Getting Hit by These Tennis Balls" obstacle course -- what? no upgrade to lasers? Imagine the contestants trying to hit a target while trying to avoid getting their flesh singed off with a laser...I bet they'd be running a lot quicker. Come on guys, it's the 2000s! Get with it.
I may just be less naive now than I was when I was a kid...but the gladiators seem way more "juiced up gay dudes" and "no, really, that chick is a man" and "hey, that gladiator looks like they've done some porn work before" than the 80s gladiators. And what's with the black and silver uniforms? Where's my patriotic colors and stars from the 80s? One gladiator actually has a bodice as part of her uniform. How is that helping with the joust?
Finally, I could not watch that show again for multiple reasons. One reason is the gladiator named "Wolf". That guy scares me on such a high level that I'm not even able to watch the show for fear that I would have to look into his cold, black eyes. Seriously, the guy has killed someone. Probably with his bare hands and his teeth. I can really imagine this guy biting someone to death, and not just because his name is Wolf.
.
Last weekend there was a Hey Paula marathon on TV (the train wreck of a reality show starring Paula Abdul). I was so glad I caught it. Because I saw a preview for it in the states a while back, but they didn't get it here in Canada. Hey Paula is so ridiculously good. Paula really does seem high/insane all the time. I probably watched half of the show through the cracks of my fingers as I held my hands up to my face. It's so hard to watch sometimes. She really is the saddest person. That show made me feel really bad for her and it gave me a new-found sympathy for her (she is a really sensitive, insomniac, workaholic with chronic pain...she actually has metal plates/screws in her neck, and she has terrible assistants that never listen to her and never do what she says and they laugh when she's crying). Pretty much sad-bastardville.
As for American Idol...Randy...seriously? The facial hair? The huge sideburns? Seriously?
I also love that on tonight's episode, Randy was talking about how the first day of the South Carolina auditions were kind of lackluster, but he thinks they'll be better the second day because they usually get good auditions in the south. But...to put those thoughts to words he actually said "the south is gonna rise again, you know what I'm sayin'." Yeah... I don't think he knows what he's saying. You probably want to use another phrase, Randy. A non-the-South-will-avenge-the-civil-war-and-will-succeed-at-secession phrase. Just a suggestion. I'm guessing you're not in favor of a re-institution of slavery...
Finally, I will conclude with:
Another tale of an American In Canada:
I just recently discovered that Corn Pops cereal is different here. For one, the cereal is spherical. It's a ball. Whereas in the U.S., the cereal is flatter and longer. Second, the texture is different here. The texture is similar to Cap'N Crunch (the texture that rips up the roof of your mouth). Also, it tastes different. The U.S. version is sweeter. The Canadian version tastes like a combination of Kix and Cap'N Crunch. Finally, the Canadian version is packed in a clear plastic bag. Whereas the U.S. version is in that foil-lined bag. Interesting...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Additionally...
In case you're interested, I started up a photoblog. I'm going to try to post at least a picture daily.
Be Careful How You Bend Me
And yet another year.
It's crazy to think that 2008 is the year I will (hopefully) get my Master's degree. 2008 will also be the year that I will be entering this "real world" business on a possibly permanent basis. Out of academia and into the real world. I say 'possibly', because I might end up deciding that I want to get a PhD. But this year will be my first attempt at this scary thing called "permanent adulthood" that I only read about in coming-of-age novels and the business section of the newspaper. Having a career. Buying a house. Being concerned about the subprime mortgage crisis. Looking forward to interest rate cuts. Yikes.
I'm back home from visiting with family in Fargo and Logan. It was great seeing family, and if I only it was longer. I also wish I had time to see friends on this trip. I feel there were so many things I wanted to do that I never got a chance to do. Oh, how we wish for infinite time.
But I did get to eat at all my favorite restaurants (Oh Mexican food!). I made out like a bandit at Hasting's. I got to go skiing with my family. I got to go on walks with the dogs. I got to decorate the tree, celebrate Christmas, Davis's birthday, and New Year's with my family. I had a chance to read books (notice the S!) for fun. I had a chance to actually watch movies (2007 was a great year for movies: Lars and the Real Girl, Across the Universe, Juno, No Country for Old Men, Once, Eastern Promises, The Savages, Breakfast with Scot, The Simpsons Movie, on and on). I went shopping and got some great things. I played my piano and missed that ivory feeling underneath my fingers. My guitar keeps my musical needs satisfied while I'm here...but nothing can compare with playing my piano.
But now I'm back where I don't need to worry about getting injured, because I'm actually insured here. When I told Eagan I was going skiing with my family, he comfortingly replied, "Well don't get hurt, we're not insured here." While skiing, "Don't get too close to those trees. Don't ski too fast. Avoid any jumps. Stay away from bad skiiers" kept running through my mind.
Now I'm back in the land where there are lemon lifesavers. I was hoping the U.S. lifesavers would have changed their mind and had gone back to the original*, original five flavors (*original since my birth, at least). Nope, they still have those bastard raspberry and watermelon flavors. Which are great, I do actually like those flavors -- but maybe include lemon, too (six flavors, anyone?) I don't miss the lime, though, you can keep that out.
Now I'm back to mild temperatures. (Though, those mild temperatures are told to me in celsius...)
So, that's reassuring.
Photos from the trip:
Monday, December 3, 2007
Where It Used To Snow
The weekends are my chance to catch up on podcasts (mostly public radio podcasts) from earlier in the week that I didn't have a chance to listen to. This brings me such joy. Of course it's totally nerdy that this brings me joy, but I look forward to hearing those familiar voices, those same corny jokes, and those interesting pieces. I look forward to becoming informed for the week. When I listen to them I get all inspired to read every major newspaper, and it makes me want to read a ton of books and journal articles. But usually after listening to my podcasts, I just feel like taking a nap -- those voices are just too soothing. Oh the excitment of my life.
A really crazy storm hit the Northwest yesterday and it dumped a lot of snow on Vancouver (and "a lot" is relative -- it's a lot for Vancouver, but nothing out of the ordinary for Utah. Even though it sounds like winter in Utah this year is out of the ordinary...). It was snowing really hard all day. When it snows here, the town just shuts down. They don't usually get snow so:
A) People don't know how to drive in snow, so they usually drive really scared or not scared enough. And what makes driving even crazier is that...
B) There is a paucity of snow plows; simply because most of the time they're not needed.
So no one wants to drive in the snow -- and if they did, several roads aren't even plowed -- and thus the town just dies. No one is on the road. Some businesses shut down. Last year school was canceled twice because of snow (and it's not like we were hit with two feet of snow or anything).
When a big storm like this comes in, Eagan and I follow other Vancouverites' lead and stay in. We're used to much more snow than this; but as we live atop a very steep hill, we don't want to risk driving down a steep, unplowed hill with drivers that are not comfortable driving in the snow. So Eagan and I decided to make use of this storm and thought it would be a good stress reliever to play outside in the snow. We built snowmen, had a snowball fight, and just walked around campus in the snow. Then we came back, got warm, and had hot chocolate. Sometimes it's nice to feel like a kid again and appreciate the small wonders of playing in the snow.
A really crazy storm hit the Northwest yesterday and it dumped a lot of snow on Vancouver (and "a lot" is relative -- it's a lot for Vancouver, but nothing out of the ordinary for Utah. Even though it sounds like winter in Utah this year is out of the ordinary...). It was snowing really hard all day. When it snows here, the town just shuts down. They don't usually get snow so:
A) People don't know how to drive in snow, so they usually drive really scared or not scared enough. And what makes driving even crazier is that...
B) There is a paucity of snow plows; simply because most of the time they're not needed.
So no one wants to drive in the snow -- and if they did, several roads aren't even plowed -- and thus the town just dies. No one is on the road. Some businesses shut down. Last year school was canceled twice because of snow (and it's not like we were hit with two feet of snow or anything).
When a big storm like this comes in, Eagan and I follow other Vancouverites' lead and stay in. We're used to much more snow than this; but as we live atop a very steep hill, we don't want to risk driving down a steep, unplowed hill with drivers that are not comfortable driving in the snow. So Eagan and I decided to make use of this storm and thought it would be a good stress reliever to play outside in the snow. We built snowmen, had a snowball fight, and just walked around campus in the snow. Then we came back, got warm, and had hot chocolate. Sometimes it's nice to feel like a kid again and appreciate the small wonders of playing in the snow.
And then today it's just been really rainy and windy. All the snow has been melted by the rain. It's so weird. Just yesterday everything was absolutely covered in thick snow and now it's back to nothing but green grass.
For all you America's Next Top Model fans out there (holla!), I saw Enrique Iglesias's music video the other night. You know, the vampire/night club one? The one the models were featured in? Wrong! They were totally cut out. Not a single ANTM model appeared in the video. Not even in the background! They must have completely reshot the video without them (or maybe went with the original version, and the ANTM version was just a joke?). The roles the ANTM girls played in the video were filled by other nameless models. It was actually kind of awesome to watch. I kept thinking, "Oh man! Totally burned!" I bet the ANTM girls feel pretty stupid (unless they knew the whole time it wasn't actually going to be the video).
A lot of U.S. movies and TV shows are filmed in Vancouver (and the Greater Vancouver Area). After living here for more than a year, I'm pretty familiar with the terrain and when I'm watching a TV show or movie I'm so happy when I can recognize Vancouver in the background. It's like a new hobby for me.
There is also a lot of stuff filmed on campus here. You know that movie Anti-Trust? It had Ryan Phillippe and Tim Robbins. The one that was about the overly-powerful computer company that was dominated by an ego-maniacal, extremely rich, powerful CEO that was trying to control the industy and the world and he looked like Bill Gates and he even lived in Washington by a lake...but he wasn't Bill Gates and it wasn't Microsoft. Yeah, that movie. Anyway, in the first 15 minutes of the movie there is an aerial shot of the supposed computer company, but it's actually Simon Fraser (I guess because it looks 'high tech' and 'futuristic').
Anyway, there's currently a movie that is being filmed on campus that stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher (and I looked it up on imdb and it also stars Kathy Bates...I wonder if she's been on campus at all?). Students have mentioned seeing Michelle and Ashton around campus. We've seen all the filming equipment set up and all the craft trailers. The other night they had those huge, bright lights on for when they're filming in the night and trying to make it look like the day. Eagan I walked by a trailer and saw people looking at some daily footage. We have yet to see any actual movie stars, but we'll keep you posted. I mean it's no Corey Feldman or Corey Haim, but we'll settle for Michelle Pfeiffer and possibly Kathy Bates being on campus.
There is also a lot of stuff filmed on campus here. You know that movie Anti-Trust? It had Ryan Phillippe and Tim Robbins. The one that was about the overly-powerful computer company that was dominated by an ego-maniacal, extremely rich, powerful CEO that was trying to control the industy and the world and he looked like Bill Gates and he even lived in Washington by a lake...but he wasn't Bill Gates and it wasn't Microsoft. Yeah, that movie. Anyway, in the first 15 minutes of the movie there is an aerial shot of the supposed computer company, but it's actually Simon Fraser (I guess because it looks 'high tech' and 'futuristic').
Anyway, there's currently a movie that is being filmed on campus that stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher (and I looked it up on imdb and it also stars Kathy Bates...I wonder if she's been on campus at all?). Students have mentioned seeing Michelle and Ashton around campus. We've seen all the filming equipment set up and all the craft trailers. The other night they had those huge, bright lights on for when they're filming in the night and trying to make it look like the day. Eagan I walked by a trailer and saw people looking at some daily footage. We have yet to see any actual movie stars, but we'll keep you posted. I mean it's no Corey Feldman or Corey Haim, but we'll settle for Michelle Pfeiffer and possibly Kathy Bates being on campus.
There's currently a 'special' channel on TV. I think it's set up for the holidays. This channel has nothing but footage of a fire burning in a fireplace. Like in real time. And they play Christmas music. So, like, you could sit around 'the fireplace' with your family and listen to Christmas music. That's bizarre. So bizarre in fact that I found myself watching it for 20 minutes at 2:00 in the morning. I guess once it gets to be late night, they no longer play Christmas music...but they keep the fire going. So it's just a channel with a fire going. I watched it thinking it had to stop soon. I must just be catching the channel each time it shows this, but it only lasts for a minute and then they'll go to something else. Nope. I watched that channel for 10 minutes and it never changed. But then, alas, someone's arm came into the shot. What's going on? Then the arm picked up a fire poker and started poking the fire. This arm poked the fire for a good couple of minutes. He overpoked it, if you asked me. I'm surprised that fire didn't go out. But, with each poke came that wonderfully festive crackling and spitting of the fire. That channel is really dedicated to preserving that fire. But don't worry fireplace channel, it's not going unnoticed -- I tell you, that fire could bring any family together.
Does anyone else have any similiar fireplace channel? Or am I just super lucky?
Does anyone else have any similiar fireplace channel? Or am I just super lucky?
Friday, November 9, 2007
Simon Fraser University
To give you a better idea of where we are going to school, I thought it would be a good idea to post some pictures from around the campus.
Anyway. The courtyard is designed to represent the topography of British Columbia. The pond (which has a solid chunk of jade in the middle) represents the ocean. The second picture is supposed to represent the forests. The elevated hill in the third picture is supposed to represent the mountains. The Marijuana Party (yes, that's a club on campus) meets every Thursday at 4:20 (clever...) on top of the elevated hill. They stick their flag in the ground (the Canadian flag -- but instead of a maple leaf, it's a marijuana leaf) and they light up and chat. Just shows you how decriminalized marijuana is in Vancouver.
One time I almost fell off the bridge into the water because I wasn't paying attention when I was walking. That bridge can be dangerous. But it's pretty. I love watching the fish from the bridge.
It doesn't happen often, but this is what it looks like when it snows.
This is the Convocation Mall. This is where various student activities and events take place (including graduation). The roof is made out of glass -- to provide light, and at the same time, to shield from the rain. Very smart. In the first picture you can see the entrance to the library. On the other side of the convocation mall is the student center and the pub (you heard me right, a real pub on campus).
This is the student center. At the time of the picture there was a lively game of croquet going on in the field by the student center. At SFU, I see people playing all kinds of games that I don't usually see people play (at least on university campuses). Like croquet and bocce.
These pictures are of the forest surrounding campus. The first picture (of Eagan camouflaged in the forest) is on the north side of campus. The TransCanada trail runs through there. The second picture is from the west side of campus by housing.
Both of these aerial pictures (which I did not take) are a little bit older; there have since been new building additions to the campus. In the first picture you have a good view of the Burrard Inlet. In the second picture you have a good view of the Academic Quadrangle -- that's the square building that the Sociology department is in. In the center of the AQ is the courtyard, complete with a pond. The second picture also demonstrates how the campus is isolated on top of a hill (they call it Burnaby Mountain), surrounded by forest. That's Vancouver at the bottom of the hill.
Anyway. The courtyard is designed to represent the topography of British Columbia. The pond (which has a solid chunk of jade in the middle) represents the ocean. The second picture is supposed to represent the forests. The elevated hill in the third picture is supposed to represent the mountains. The Marijuana Party (yes, that's a club on campus) meets every Thursday at 4:20 (clever...) on top of the elevated hill. They stick their flag in the ground (the Canadian flag -- but instead of a maple leaf, it's a marijuana leaf) and they light up and chat. Just shows you how decriminalized marijuana is in Vancouver.
This is Cornerstone. This is a square block on the east side of campus that has many shops and cafes. It's like a little city block. There's an Indian restaurant, a pizza place, a donair (kind of like gyros) cafe, an eyeglass shop, a cafe that has great gelato, a computer store, a post office, a corner market, a salads and wraps cafe, a cellphone store, a bank, a dentist's office, a beauty salon, an organic cafe, a video rental store, a copy store, a Japanese cafe, and a coffee shop. It is very convenient having that on campus.
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