well here i am, almost sixty days later, nearly the same amount of time i was in scotland for. and, as i had predicted, scotland seems like a far away dream and i'm back in the full swing of college life. back in the routine. there's a part of me that dreads the routine, but i know that if i didn't have structure i would go nuts! so i go to school, i do homework, i see friends when i can, and i come home. i stress about assignments, just as i had before. i complain about the drama, just as i had before. i'm disappointed; it seems i've come full circle. it's like i've just rested my wheels back into the old familiar groove, riding on cruise control. do you see the pattern? i do too.
some things haven't changed since last year, and that really worries me. i don't want to feel stuck in my life again, like i can't make any decisions and like i'm spinning my wheels. cause that's no fun, right? some people have asked me to continue writing this blog, but i'm kind of afraid that all that comes out will be negative. there are definitely some positive things happening right now, but those are the balloons stuck in the tree that i have to go out of my way to attempt to rescue. i need to consciously allow the negatives to pass through my life..but it's definitely easier said than done.
i went to go draw in rotary park the other day, but ended up sitting on a bench watching the kids playing on the playground. i'm starting to appreciate little things like that. BUT that means i'm losing time for homework.. i'd rather sit on a hill to watch the sunset than sit infront of a tree for 3 hours to draw it only to be dissatisfied with the outcome. i'd rather go for a picnic and knit and burn insence and read new things than spend 5 hours in the ceramics studio throwing pottery, when only two of ten attempts work out. does this mean i'm lazy? or does it just mean i'm not enjoying what i'm doing right now. maybe both. if i don't get to spend time working on myself i'm going to go crazy. but if i don't get my assignments done, i'm going to do less well in school than i'd like. each choice seems like a regression of some sort. i need to find a balance, and right now that seems improbable.
there are so many things on my mind lately, but since midterms are VERY close, i feel obligated to put them on the back burner. i don't feel like that's healthy. i end up making excuses like "oh, i'll have time later for that." but the longer i put it off, the less likely it is i'll revisit it.
anyway, right now i'm writing on my blog instead of drawing or studying or the like.. so i should get back to that..
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
tictoctictoctictoc
time is a difficult concept to grasp. each day seems unbearably long, and then on one of those days you wake up and realize that you have lived for nearly sixty of them already, and how did that happen without you noticing?
well, the time has come. that certain time when you know things are going to be different; it is the time when one chapter ends and another begins, or in my case, when the previous chapter resumes. the time has come when dreaded goodbyes overlap with long awaited hellos and other such greetings, the time when reality strikes you suddenly and maliciously and without remorse. it's time to go home.
don't get me wrong, i absolutely cannot WAIT to go home!! to my family and friends and cats and just.. home. but.. sixty days seems like such a short time frame to get to know another place, and the people that inhabit it. it's like a slice of time just jammed into an available crack in my life. it seems i have just begun to connect with the kids here, and am becoming more comfortable, but now that it's time to leave i realize i may not ever see them again. how can you spend sixty days with someone and then just.. say goodbye?
four days from now i will be on a plane, and eight hours from then i will be on the other side of the world again. but the four days between then and now will seem both arduously long and painfully much too short, simultaneously. time is a funny thing. but definitely not funny-haha.
it's hard to describe how i feel, but i am going to try the best i can to describe it: i feel as if i'm standing on a block of ice that is floating in the water, slowly melting away as i search for a piece of land to jump to. there are islands surrounding me, i can see them! but my block of ice is nearly done in and the islands are too far to swim to. so, what do i do? i consider my options...and then realize i have no idea what they are. so i wait.
i don't know what i'm waiting for, but i'm waiting nonetheless. it just seems like the thing to do, i suppose. when i get home, the house will be there waiting for me, my car, uni program, and mum will be waiting for me, and my reality will be waiting for me. everything is waiting, so i will too. when i get home, i will live in my house, drive to and from school everyday, kiss my mum hello and goodbye, and i will merge into the old life i remember. but how can i go on in *that* life, when i have such a vivid memory of my life *here*? will i forget what i've seen, or felt? will i become a robot, rehearsing my daily tasks as i did before? my block of ice continues to melt.. there's a panic in my heart for an answer. and the ice continues to melt.
after seeing 'in touch' three times, 'closest to the moon' four times, 'spring awakening' eleven times (not counting the other two shows i was backstage photographing the band), and several other non-rsamd related performances, i'd say i've had a decent run of the 2010 edinburgh fringe festival. it was a pleasure to accompany this group for the month, there are just not enough words to describe how delightful they are, and i wonder if they realize how much of my heart they have nabbed. i love them, and now it is time to say goodbye. i hate goodbyes.
i think i have probably said enough for tonight..haha. four days left of this adventure.. i don't know whether to cry or to laugh! i've appreciated my time here so much, a part of me wishes i could stay. another part just wants wednesday to be now. in any case, and either way, my scotland experience draws to a close. and the ice continues to melt.. and i continue to wait.. [curtain.]
well, the time has come. that certain time when you know things are going to be different; it is the time when one chapter ends and another begins, or in my case, when the previous chapter resumes. the time has come when dreaded goodbyes overlap with long awaited hellos and other such greetings, the time when reality strikes you suddenly and maliciously and without remorse. it's time to go home.
don't get me wrong, i absolutely cannot WAIT to go home!! to my family and friends and cats and just.. home. but.. sixty days seems like such a short time frame to get to know another place, and the people that inhabit it. it's like a slice of time just jammed into an available crack in my life. it seems i have just begun to connect with the kids here, and am becoming more comfortable, but now that it's time to leave i realize i may not ever see them again. how can you spend sixty days with someone and then just.. say goodbye?
four days from now i will be on a plane, and eight hours from then i will be on the other side of the world again. but the four days between then and now will seem both arduously long and painfully much too short, simultaneously. time is a funny thing. but definitely not funny-haha.
it's hard to describe how i feel, but i am going to try the best i can to describe it: i feel as if i'm standing on a block of ice that is floating in the water, slowly melting away as i search for a piece of land to jump to. there are islands surrounding me, i can see them! but my block of ice is nearly done in and the islands are too far to swim to. so, what do i do? i consider my options...and then realize i have no idea what they are. so i wait.
i don't know what i'm waiting for, but i'm waiting nonetheless. it just seems like the thing to do, i suppose. when i get home, the house will be there waiting for me, my car, uni program, and mum will be waiting for me, and my reality will be waiting for me. everything is waiting, so i will too. when i get home, i will live in my house, drive to and from school everyday, kiss my mum hello and goodbye, and i will merge into the old life i remember. but how can i go on in *that* life, when i have such a vivid memory of my life *here*? will i forget what i've seen, or felt? will i become a robot, rehearsing my daily tasks as i did before? my block of ice continues to melt.. there's a panic in my heart for an answer. and the ice continues to melt.
after seeing 'in touch' three times, 'closest to the moon' four times, 'spring awakening' eleven times (not counting the other two shows i was backstage photographing the band), and several other non-rsamd related performances, i'd say i've had a decent run of the 2010 edinburgh fringe festival. it was a pleasure to accompany this group for the month, there are just not enough words to describe how delightful they are, and i wonder if they realize how much of my heart they have nabbed. i love them, and now it is time to say goodbye. i hate goodbyes.
i think i have probably said enough for tonight..haha. four days left of this adventure.. i don't know whether to cry or to laugh! i've appreciated my time here so much, a part of me wishes i could stay. another part just wants wednesday to be now. in any case, and either way, my scotland experience draws to a close. and the ice continues to melt.. and i continue to wait.. [curtain.]
Sunday, August 15, 2010
the latest developments.
dear faithful readers:
i know i have let you down one too many times now, leaving you in the dark for nearly a month.. (that's scary). to be fair, it's safe to say that i've been keeping relatively busy, between the festival trips, the technology difficulties, and the radiator leaks- oh, and the occasional trip to vintage lane.
well, the fringe kids are as incredible as ever. i have watched spring awakening nine times now, and am still not sick of it in the least! in all honesty, they are the most talented group..and it feels so rewarding to know them, and to "work" alongside them. so yes, i am "working", i suppose: flyering for the show, handing out programs, and carting around the headshot poster to set up at the shows. i was given a bit less work -yet a bit more..- than i had originally expected. i didn't think front of house manager (that's me!) would have to take the big poster home on the train, or take out the trash..but, such are the joys of responsibility..atleast i got a pass to help me get in to some shows for free! i've yet to take real advantage of that but i'll get there.
so a few days ago, my computer gave me the blue screen of death, restarting itself over and over repeating that there was a problem with my computer (well, duh!). i was so afraid that i had lost all of my photos, and also really sad that i couldn't communicate with anyone in that way. i did take it to a shop though and paid a sum of pounds that was hard to part with..but they did recover my pictures!! i lost all of my music, but i suppose that doesn't matter now since my ipod has also failed me. stupid technology.. so i have now been happily reunited with my lappy.
the latest development was that radiator water had decided to leak from the upstairs flat down into our kitchen through the ceiling light fixture! and what's more, i stumbled upon the drips at 3:30 in the morning when i had gotten up to get a glass of water.. awesome! at first i wasn't sure if i should wake dani, because she needs her sleep for the shows..but i thought it was possible for it could be dangerous. so after i sopped up the already formed puddle with a towel and set down buckets (i was just lucky not to get electrocuted from the initial turning on of the kitchen light), i woke dani and hurried upstairs to bang on the door of the flat above. i knocked...and knocked.. and banged! -no answer. so i called upon their neighbors, who were miraculously still awake, watching football, who said that the people living in the flat were away. so off i go, searching for numbers for management, calling emergency plumbing numbers. but who expects a call at 4am? it was really difficult to get a hold of any human being that wasn't telling me to call back during regular hours. eventually i just told dani to go back to bed and that i'd handle it. got a hold of a plumber, but there wasn't really much he could do without being able to get into the flat above. so he said he'd come round first thing in the morning. i was considering calling the police, just so that maybe they could open the door or something.. but in the morning, the plumber came and told us that it was just radtiator water, which is harmless, and which had already started to slow to a trickle. he said the resevoir would run out of fluid soon enough and that we shouldn't have to worry about it anymore. poor dani, feeling all stressed out, not being able to leave for edinburgh early. she ofcourse made it with time to spare, but they had wanted her to flyer i guess. so, the whole ordeal has settled, i guess you could say. the people came home and we let them know about the situation, and the leaking has, like plumber man said, stopped. doesn't look like i'll be drowning any more!!
on the days i haven't gone to edinburgh - which haven't been many..- i took short trips to the west end to snoop around in the vintage and antique shops. i spent a while in a book shop, too, that had an adorable upstairs attic part full of old books. it was lovely. i met a woman on the train today that reminded me so much of my auntie tracey. she was soft spoken and beautiful, very natural and healthy looking; she practiced massage therapy, did yoga and meditation in the morning, and loved natural oils and travelling. we talked about positive energy (SO auntie tracey, right?!) and how to let things that would normally upset us come in and then leave, making sure we didn't we don't dwell on the negative energies around us. she actually made me feel like i could practice enough to be as calm and gentle as her. she also gave me a website for these trips i can take in scotland into the highlands for hillwalks or to the pubs for live music, with an organized group of people. it actually sounds like a lot of fun, i will check it out. like my aunt, i feel like she understood me somehow.. and that connection felt vulnerable, but quite nice.
some of my family are actually in manitoba now, visiting relatives, and i wish i could have come along with them. what a treat that would be. i'm missing my mom's voice, my kittens' fur, my car, the great conversations we all get into with the family.. i feel a little torn, and it's a strange sensation: i can't wait to go home to everything and everyone familiar and missed, but i am feeling really very reluctant to leave the people that i have met here.. it seems that i have gotten close to them all for naught, as when i leave, i wouldn't doubt that i'll never see any of them again. and that makes me terribly heartbroken.
anyway, for once i am feeling sleepy before midnight, so i think i will wrap this one up. i'll try to write more often now, i apologize for the dry spell. lots of love to you all xoxoxo
i know i have let you down one too many times now, leaving you in the dark for nearly a month.. (that's scary). to be fair, it's safe to say that i've been keeping relatively busy, between the festival trips, the technology difficulties, and the radiator leaks- oh, and the occasional trip to vintage lane.
well, the fringe kids are as incredible as ever. i have watched spring awakening nine times now, and am still not sick of it in the least! in all honesty, they are the most talented group..and it feels so rewarding to know them, and to "work" alongside them. so yes, i am "working", i suppose: flyering for the show, handing out programs, and carting around the headshot poster to set up at the shows. i was given a bit less work -yet a bit more..- than i had originally expected. i didn't think front of house manager (that's me!) would have to take the big poster home on the train, or take out the trash..but, such are the joys of responsibility..atleast i got a pass to help me get in to some shows for free! i've yet to take real advantage of that but i'll get there.
so a few days ago, my computer gave me the blue screen of death, restarting itself over and over repeating that there was a problem with my computer (well, duh!). i was so afraid that i had lost all of my photos, and also really sad that i couldn't communicate with anyone in that way. i did take it to a shop though and paid a sum of pounds that was hard to part with..but they did recover my pictures!! i lost all of my music, but i suppose that doesn't matter now since my ipod has also failed me. stupid technology.. so i have now been happily reunited with my lappy.
the latest development was that radiator water had decided to leak from the upstairs flat down into our kitchen through the ceiling light fixture! and what's more, i stumbled upon the drips at 3:30 in the morning when i had gotten up to get a glass of water.. awesome! at first i wasn't sure if i should wake dani, because she needs her sleep for the shows..but i thought it was possible for it could be dangerous. so after i sopped up the already formed puddle with a towel and set down buckets (i was just lucky not to get electrocuted from the initial turning on of the kitchen light), i woke dani and hurried upstairs to bang on the door of the flat above. i knocked...and knocked.. and banged! -no answer. so i called upon their neighbors, who were miraculously still awake, watching football, who said that the people living in the flat were away. so off i go, searching for numbers for management, calling emergency plumbing numbers. but who expects a call at 4am? it was really difficult to get a hold of any human being that wasn't telling me to call back during regular hours. eventually i just told dani to go back to bed and that i'd handle it. got a hold of a plumber, but there wasn't really much he could do without being able to get into the flat above. so he said he'd come round first thing in the morning. i was considering calling the police, just so that maybe they could open the door or something.. but in the morning, the plumber came and told us that it was just radtiator water, which is harmless, and which had already started to slow to a trickle. he said the resevoir would run out of fluid soon enough and that we shouldn't have to worry about it anymore. poor dani, feeling all stressed out, not being able to leave for edinburgh early. she ofcourse made it with time to spare, but they had wanted her to flyer i guess. so, the whole ordeal has settled, i guess you could say. the people came home and we let them know about the situation, and the leaking has, like plumber man said, stopped. doesn't look like i'll be drowning any more!!
on the days i haven't gone to edinburgh - which haven't been many..- i took short trips to the west end to snoop around in the vintage and antique shops. i spent a while in a book shop, too, that had an adorable upstairs attic part full of old books. it was lovely. i met a woman on the train today that reminded me so much of my auntie tracey. she was soft spoken and beautiful, very natural and healthy looking; she practiced massage therapy, did yoga and meditation in the morning, and loved natural oils and travelling. we talked about positive energy (SO auntie tracey, right?!) and how to let things that would normally upset us come in and then leave, making sure we didn't we don't dwell on the negative energies around us. she actually made me feel like i could practice enough to be as calm and gentle as her. she also gave me a website for these trips i can take in scotland into the highlands for hillwalks or to the pubs for live music, with an organized group of people. it actually sounds like a lot of fun, i will check it out. like my aunt, i feel like she understood me somehow.. and that connection felt vulnerable, but quite nice.
some of my family are actually in manitoba now, visiting relatives, and i wish i could have come along with them. what a treat that would be. i'm missing my mom's voice, my kittens' fur, my car, the great conversations we all get into with the family.. i feel a little torn, and it's a strange sensation: i can't wait to go home to everything and everyone familiar and missed, but i am feeling really very reluctant to leave the people that i have met here.. it seems that i have gotten close to them all for naught, as when i leave, i wouldn't doubt that i'll never see any of them again. and that makes me terribly heartbroken.
anyway, for once i am feeling sleepy before midnight, so i think i will wrap this one up. i'll try to write more often now, i apologize for the dry spell. lots of love to you all xoxoxo
Monday, July 26, 2010
the clouds move faster in glasgow..
well upon request, grama and family, i will update my blog and dedicate this post to you.
i spoke with my family on skype today which was really great. i don't know how dani can stand being apart from them so long..mom, i'm never moving out!! ..just kidding.. but really, i am so lucky to have such a warm and amazing and supportive family. i fear i have definitely taken them for granted. but it was so nice to catch up and see what everyone is doing on that end of things! i miss you guys!!
i am now sitting here and eating mushroom soup, contemplating what i should do tonight. i was going to poke around the stores but i forgot that unfortunately everything here seems to close at 5pm. i'm starting to lose track of the days.. i forget what i did last week! i've been pretty bad with keeping up with everything in my journal, and so i'll need to really think hard to remember it all.
on saturday, brooke (carly's friend) and i did a day trip to stirling and to dunblane. originally we were going to take a tour through the highlands, but there was only one seat left on that bus, and to take the train to inverness was 40pounds. so we settled on these two places, which were still very nice. in stirling we visited the stirling castle and walked through the streets a bit, and had lunch at a pub. afterwards we hopped on the train again to dunblane, a quaint little town of 1300 people. it was sooo lovely, i could really see myself living there more readily than in glasgow, a huge city. we saw the dunblane cathedral which was gorgeous, and went into the museum. we also found a cute shop called the curiosity shop (what a clever name for a shop..we were curious!) which had antiques and knick-knacks: it was very dangerous for me! but i managed to walk away with just a small token from the most adorable town i've seen yet. brooke was really nice and we got along well, but she only stayed three days in glasgow so it was a brief meeting for us.
that night, back in glasgow, everyone went out for melanie's birthday. we got all dolled up and met at this high class bar for some drinks and a late dinner, then migrated to an awesome pub not far away. there was a live band and lots of people and it was so much fun!! it was good to be around everyone in a more relaxed setting, i'm very fond of them. such a great night.
one day last week -i forget which..- i took the subway by myself for the first time to the kelvingrove art gallery and museum, which had a lot of beautiful work from french and italian artists such as cezanne, matisse, seurat, pissarro, picasso, gauguin, monet, derain, renoir... i could go on!! it was so very nice.. all of the paintings were just beautiful..
to be honest..i don't have anything else to write about, that i can remember. so until next time!!
love kara xxoo
i spoke with my family on skype today which was really great. i don't know how dani can stand being apart from them so long..mom, i'm never moving out!! ..just kidding.. but really, i am so lucky to have such a warm and amazing and supportive family. i fear i have definitely taken them for granted. but it was so nice to catch up and see what everyone is doing on that end of things! i miss you guys!!
i am now sitting here and eating mushroom soup, contemplating what i should do tonight. i was going to poke around the stores but i forgot that unfortunately everything here seems to close at 5pm. i'm starting to lose track of the days.. i forget what i did last week! i've been pretty bad with keeping up with everything in my journal, and so i'll need to really think hard to remember it all.
on saturday, brooke (carly's friend) and i did a day trip to stirling and to dunblane. originally we were going to take a tour through the highlands, but there was only one seat left on that bus, and to take the train to inverness was 40pounds. so we settled on these two places, which were still very nice. in stirling we visited the stirling castle and walked through the streets a bit, and had lunch at a pub. afterwards we hopped on the train again to dunblane, a quaint little town of 1300 people. it was sooo lovely, i could really see myself living there more readily than in glasgow, a huge city. we saw the dunblane cathedral which was gorgeous, and went into the museum. we also found a cute shop called the curiosity shop (what a clever name for a shop..we were curious!) which had antiques and knick-knacks: it was very dangerous for me! but i managed to walk away with just a small token from the most adorable town i've seen yet. brooke was really nice and we got along well, but she only stayed three days in glasgow so it was a brief meeting for us.
that night, back in glasgow, everyone went out for melanie's birthday. we got all dolled up and met at this high class bar for some drinks and a late dinner, then migrated to an awesome pub not far away. there was a live band and lots of people and it was so much fun!! it was good to be around everyone in a more relaxed setting, i'm very fond of them. such a great night.
one day last week -i forget which..- i took the subway by myself for the first time to the kelvingrove art gallery and museum, which had a lot of beautiful work from french and italian artists such as cezanne, matisse, seurat, pissarro, picasso, gauguin, monet, derain, renoir... i could go on!! it was so very nice.. all of the paintings were just beautiful..
to be honest..i don't have anything else to write about, that i can remember. so until next time!!
love kara xxoo
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
cheers!
despite the constant rain, today has been a good day!
i was woken up by the gas and electricity guy whom i sheepishly greeted at the door, then went back to sleep until dani's phone call woke me up again, asking me to bring some of her dresses to school for her. since i finally got my haircut yesterday, today was a dress-up day, and i did so at the expense of dani's closet! i picked an outfit that suited my taste and set out on my journey, conveniently forgetting an umbrella..
i had created a map in my head of where i had to go in order to get to the gallery of modern art, so after dropping dani's things off, i made my way through the streets. i know it's kind of vain of me but.. i felt really cute and it made me smile a little as i walked..! i made a note of a shop called fat buddha that i must go back to for investigation.. the GoMA was alittle disappointing: there were several pieces that i really enjoyed but.. there just wasn't all that MUCH to look at. the first floor was taken up by a single video installation, the second floor had a smaller video installation and a few prints in a small hallway, and the third floor was just a large room with i'd say around 40 pieces hanging on the walls. i spent about an hour there, and a bit longer in the gift shop looking at books on modigliani and photos taken by eve someone..
i then crossed the street to the art store, and bought a small sketchbook- i couldn't help myself! by this time my shoes were already soaked, so i vowed to make one more pit stop (a store called the cult.. i bought a few things!) before heading back home. but when i was done in the cult store, it had begun pouring rain so i opted to take a taxi home, where i sit now amongst the groceries we ordered online. i know, my day must sound a little lame but.. i feel good! amazing what a little haircut and a pinch of freedom can do!
so, as promised, i'll see what i can remember from our trip to st. helen's:
all packed into andrew's little car was andrew himself, dani and i, and stephen and cj. we spent the three hour trip singing to cds and nodding off, and i noted some landscapery that i enjoyed: the wind mills, the stately hills that were dimpled, not round, an old stone wall in a field, and plenty of sheep! when we got to mikey's we were greeted by him and his mom who is fantastic, as well as a bbq with so much food! we ate and conversed and had a jolly old time. mikey's mom also owns a costume shop which is attached to their house, so we had great fun trying on costumes with eachother and taking pictures. it was awesome!! some in the group got a little tipsy off of the wine, and we played wii sports, and then all slept on a big bed on the living room floor. overall a very good night.
the next day we drove another two hours or so to arrive in alton, where we were going to alton towers, a theme park. the line ups were awfully long for the 30 second thrill rides, but it was fun all the same. we kept ourselves occupied by playing games in the line ups and such. overall, a successful road trip.
now as far as my television debut goes.. well, i exaggerated that a tad.
on july 11th dani was invited to sing background vocals with her class on the john barrowman show, and i was invited to be an audience participant during the filming! so there i was, sitting in the audience with jamie and daniel, and in swept this cheesy comedian guy to get the crowd energized. he was making people shout out where they were from, trying to see who came the farthest: edinburgh! london! germany! and i said to myself: oh no no, I can do better than that! so i yelled CANADA! and right away this guy comes over to me. he makes me stand up infront of everyone to introduce myself, and after he said i was lovely, i said on a whim "and i'm single!" it was good for a laugh, and i didn't think it'd actually go anywhere from that..but oh, did it go..
a little later on in the program, mr. comedian dude thought it would be a great crowd pleaser to have me go on a blind date! so he made me look forward and chose 3 guys from the crowd, interviewing each of them. the first man was a "body builder", to which the crowd laughed so i figured it was safe to assume he WASN'T, the second was really quiet, and the third was.. well, his profession was that he was retired. SO number two it was! he came down and we were introduced, but alas, he said that his partner was 26 weeks pregnant. SO that was a no... haha. again, later on, the actual john barrowman talked to me! "who's the girl from canada?? shall we set you up with one of our dancers??" LOLZ it was a fun experience.
i was woken up by the gas and electricity guy whom i sheepishly greeted at the door, then went back to sleep until dani's phone call woke me up again, asking me to bring some of her dresses to school for her. since i finally got my haircut yesterday, today was a dress-up day, and i did so at the expense of dani's closet! i picked an outfit that suited my taste and set out on my journey, conveniently forgetting an umbrella..
i had created a map in my head of where i had to go in order to get to the gallery of modern art, so after dropping dani's things off, i made my way through the streets. i know it's kind of vain of me but.. i felt really cute and it made me smile a little as i walked..! i made a note of a shop called fat buddha that i must go back to for investigation.. the GoMA was alittle disappointing: there were several pieces that i really enjoyed but.. there just wasn't all that MUCH to look at. the first floor was taken up by a single video installation, the second floor had a smaller video installation and a few prints in a small hallway, and the third floor was just a large room with i'd say around 40 pieces hanging on the walls. i spent about an hour there, and a bit longer in the gift shop looking at books on modigliani and photos taken by eve someone..
i then crossed the street to the art store, and bought a small sketchbook- i couldn't help myself! by this time my shoes were already soaked, so i vowed to make one more pit stop (a store called the cult.. i bought a few things!) before heading back home. but when i was done in the cult store, it had begun pouring rain so i opted to take a taxi home, where i sit now amongst the groceries we ordered online. i know, my day must sound a little lame but.. i feel good! amazing what a little haircut and a pinch of freedom can do!
so, as promised, i'll see what i can remember from our trip to st. helen's:
all packed into andrew's little car was andrew himself, dani and i, and stephen and cj. we spent the three hour trip singing to cds and nodding off, and i noted some landscapery that i enjoyed: the wind mills, the stately hills that were dimpled, not round, an old stone wall in a field, and plenty of sheep! when we got to mikey's we were greeted by him and his mom who is fantastic, as well as a bbq with so much food! we ate and conversed and had a jolly old time. mikey's mom also owns a costume shop which is attached to their house, so we had great fun trying on costumes with eachother and taking pictures. it was awesome!! some in the group got a little tipsy off of the wine, and we played wii sports, and then all slept on a big bed on the living room floor. overall a very good night.
the next day we drove another two hours or so to arrive in alton, where we were going to alton towers, a theme park. the line ups were awfully long for the 30 second thrill rides, but it was fun all the same. we kept ourselves occupied by playing games in the line ups and such. overall, a successful road trip.
now as far as my television debut goes.. well, i exaggerated that a tad.
on july 11th dani was invited to sing background vocals with her class on the john barrowman show, and i was invited to be an audience participant during the filming! so there i was, sitting in the audience with jamie and daniel, and in swept this cheesy comedian guy to get the crowd energized. he was making people shout out where they were from, trying to see who came the farthest: edinburgh! london! germany! and i said to myself: oh no no, I can do better than that! so i yelled CANADA! and right away this guy comes over to me. he makes me stand up infront of everyone to introduce myself, and after he said i was lovely, i said on a whim "and i'm single!" it was good for a laugh, and i didn't think it'd actually go anywhere from that..but oh, did it go..
a little later on in the program, mr. comedian dude thought it would be a great crowd pleaser to have me go on a blind date! so he made me look forward and chose 3 guys from the crowd, interviewing each of them. the first man was a "body builder", to which the crowd laughed so i figured it was safe to assume he WASN'T, the second was really quiet, and the third was.. well, his profession was that he was retired. SO number two it was! he came down and we were introduced, but alas, he said that his partner was 26 weeks pregnant. SO that was a no... haha. again, later on, the actual john barrowman talked to me! "who's the girl from canada?? shall we set you up with one of our dancers??" LOLZ it was a fun experience.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
jumping over puddles...
well, it's yet another gloomy, drizzly day in glasgow. i'm beginning to wonder when summer will actually start to feel like SUMMER! everything has been slowing down considerably since school started again for the masters' students. i have spent a lot of time watching their rehearsals, which is really actually quite interesting. it's neat getting to see all the little tweaks they make day after day, seeing how the piece evolves and comes together with script, music and choreography, and how the whole cast can discuss details and make decisions with the director. i have a hard time holding my tongue on ideas..as i am an audience member, i feel like i could make some suggestions when they are having trouble making a decision... but i feel like that would just be extremely pretentious of me to think that i actually might even know what i'm talking about! watching them all, though, really kind of makes me want to become a playwright..
other than going to the school to watch rehearsals, i've basically been spending my time journaling, putzing around at home, and tagging along to whatever the others are doing. i finally got some keys cut so i can go out and explore on my own but.. with this nearly constant wind and dreariness, i don't have much desire to go out.
i found out yesterday that i won't be able to do any volunteer work for when we go to edinburgh for the fringe festival. dani had talked to suzy and the human resource centre before i had arrived to make sure i would be able to help out, and they had said that i definitely could. but now they are saying that since i don't have a work or student visa, i can't do a single thing; i can't hand out programs, work front of house..i bet i won't even be able to hold open a door for someone without being glared at. so that's really disappointing.. if i had been allowed to work (which is so backwards that i can't even volunteer), i would have probably been able to get a deal on my travel to and from edinburgh. but now it'll be out of pocket. plus, i would have been able to work with the students and be a part of their goings on. now.. i'll just be another tag along :c
yesterday was a good day for firsts. i went to a mall that's near the school to shop for a new bag - this packpack is really not easy to access - and, lo and behold, i got proposed to! haha. i had walked past this booth two guys had set up and they stopped me to ask if i had ever played paintball. one of them asked where i was from and i told him the story that i've had to repeat over and over about how i'm here for the summer to visit my sister who's going to school. then he randomly said "so..will you marry me?" and i looked at him funny and said "on what grounds..?" he told me i had a very pleasant aura, or some other adjective that i can't remember. i said that that was a good answer, and that i'd put it on my list of things to do. and that was that! haha..oh the people i meet..
another first was that i was finally taken to a scottish pub, and i had my first scottish whiskey!! it was a whiskey and coke, but the whiskey was much less disgusting than the crown royal i usually have at home. it was lighter and less obnoxious. and while we were there, i also tried haggis!!! andrew had ordered some, and he said it had too many spices on it to taste like "real" haggis, but i tried it all the same! honestly, it isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be, or as i had expected anyway. and thank goodness he told me what it was..i had always thought - from hearing through the grapevine- that haggis was like.. brains or something. but really, it's just lamb and goat meat with oats mixed in. it USED to be cooked in a sheep stomach, but that was in the 'olden days', so it's much less gross than it sounds. it wasn't horrible, but not absolutely amazing either. like the whiskey, it had a lighter taste to it than regular meats i've had.
i'm going to end this post now so that i don't lose it, but the next one will be about our trip to st. helens, england, and my exciting television debut!!
other than going to the school to watch rehearsals, i've basically been spending my time journaling, putzing around at home, and tagging along to whatever the others are doing. i finally got some keys cut so i can go out and explore on my own but.. with this nearly constant wind and dreariness, i don't have much desire to go out.
i found out yesterday that i won't be able to do any volunteer work for when we go to edinburgh for the fringe festival. dani had talked to suzy and the human resource centre before i had arrived to make sure i would be able to help out, and they had said that i definitely could. but now they are saying that since i don't have a work or student visa, i can't do a single thing; i can't hand out programs, work front of house..i bet i won't even be able to hold open a door for someone without being glared at. so that's really disappointing.. if i had been allowed to work (which is so backwards that i can't even volunteer), i would have probably been able to get a deal on my travel to and from edinburgh. but now it'll be out of pocket. plus, i would have been able to work with the students and be a part of their goings on. now.. i'll just be another tag along :c
yesterday was a good day for firsts. i went to a mall that's near the school to shop for a new bag - this packpack is really not easy to access - and, lo and behold, i got proposed to! haha. i had walked past this booth two guys had set up and they stopped me to ask if i had ever played paintball. one of them asked where i was from and i told him the story that i've had to repeat over and over about how i'm here for the summer to visit my sister who's going to school. then he randomly said "so..will you marry me?" and i looked at him funny and said "on what grounds..?" he told me i had a very pleasant aura, or some other adjective that i can't remember. i said that that was a good answer, and that i'd put it on my list of things to do. and that was that! haha..oh the people i meet..
another first was that i was finally taken to a scottish pub, and i had my first scottish whiskey!! it was a whiskey and coke, but the whiskey was much less disgusting than the crown royal i usually have at home. it was lighter and less obnoxious. and while we were there, i also tried haggis!!! andrew had ordered some, and he said it had too many spices on it to taste like "real" haggis, but i tried it all the same! honestly, it isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be, or as i had expected anyway. and thank goodness he told me what it was..i had always thought - from hearing through the grapevine- that haggis was like.. brains or something. but really, it's just lamb and goat meat with oats mixed in. it USED to be cooked in a sheep stomach, but that was in the 'olden days', so it's much less gross than it sounds. it wasn't horrible, but not absolutely amazing either. like the whiskey, it had a lighter taste to it than regular meats i've had.
i'm going to end this post now so that i don't lose it, but the next one will be about our trip to st. helens, england, and my exciting television debut!!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
london: part two
the part i had forgotten from my last post was when we went to the tour center and booked a tour to the stonehenge for the next day. which is a great segue into this post!!
on tuesday morning we caught our tour bus to the stonehenge, and i was super super excited. i was so looking forward to it! i wouldn't say it disappointed, but it certainly wasn't anything like i'd expected. i was expecting this grandiose monument standing in the basin of a large, lush green valley, all misty in the morning. but when we got there, the motorway ran right by it, in the midst of traffic, and this is what boggled me- apparently the military had set up a training base not too far from it, and they would train with guns and tanks and airplane bombers RIGHT NEAR THESE PRECIOUS STONES!! i couldn't believe it. ridiculous.
in any case, we spent an hour there and i made sure to take lots of pictures. dani went on ahead, and i met a guy named brad who was disappointed that his children weren't interested and that they were sitting in the cafe. we talked about the energy of the stones and the space itself, and shared quite a lovely moment together. i was happy just to stand there and breathe in the moment. i really was quite moved; there was a stir inside of me, as if i was leaving a piece of me behind when we left.
and well, there's the cheese for the day. although it was a very real feeling, it never sounds good to retell. i guess it's something one must experience himself.
we all returned to the city and got a fancied up for dinner. beforehand dani and i returned to the british museum to look at the clock/watch exhibit which was pretty cool. the pocket watches were fun. when i looked at all the gears from the innerds of the clocks, i thought: 'now THAT is some kind of art'. afterwards we all met up and were going to get last minute tickets for lion king, but when we got there there were standing tickets only. we debated and decided to go with it, but there were only three spots left! so we decided to split off as dani and i really wanted to see the show. so when we went back for the two standing tickets, it just so happened that someone had returned two tickets in the front row of the royal circle, the best seats in the house!! we did have to pay quite a bit, but the seats were DEFINITELY worth the show. it was absolutely incredible!! the costumes were so elaborate, and the music was magnificent. rafiki had such a rich, powerful voice that just sent shivers up my spine. dani and i were on the edge of our seats the whole time, and the audience energy was great as there were a lot of kids there. it was fantastic.
we met up with carly and liam again afterwards, as well as helen and her boyfriend, and we sat out on the patio of a cafe with a few drinks until it got too chilly to be outside. it was all together a mighty fine day.
for our final day in london, dani and i tried to pack everything in that we could. we took the tube across town to the tate modern, where we vowed we'd spend only an hour since we had a tight schedule. but, alas, we ended up spending two and a half hours there!! what amazing exhibitions! we saw the originals of monet, picasso, modigliani, degas, matisse, warhol, bacon, and many many more. i was in awe of it all, i hadn't ever been to a museum like it before. to get right up close to those pieces, to read the explanations about them, to feel like i could actually maybe pursue something after i get my diploma...it was a fun experience.
we passed st. paul's cathedral, but you had to pay to get in for a tour and we didn't have time, so we took pictures from the outside and moved on. we tried to go to the globe theatre, but again we didn't have enough time. we passed the london bridge and big ben as we took the train back to russel square, where we found a cafe to order lunch from. we were in a hurry because les miserables was starting at 2:30 and we had to get tickets at two, and the waitress took FOREVER to even get to us to take our meal orders. while our food was being prepared, dani ran to the theatre-as she knew where she was going- and returned so that we could eat. we shoveled our food in as quickly as possible, and then RAN through the streets of london, stuffing the rest of our chocolate cake into our mouths, trying to make it on time. we arrived at the perfect time: 2:29. craziness. so, nick jonas (eye roll) was a main character, which was LAME because all the little girls were going nuts over him. i didn't really enjoy the performance very much, but dani said that was because they had cast the characters poorly in order to make the jonas guy look better. in any case, it was interesting. from there, we picked up our luggage from the hostel, and taxied to the train station again to find our way back 'home'.
so, that was the london trip! i am ofcourse leaving out quite abit, but i could never write about everysingle thing that happened. it was a good adventure, however i kind of feel like london is overrated. it seems to me to be just another city.. but then i never have been one for the hustle and bustle. all the same, it was very enjoyable. :]
on tuesday morning we caught our tour bus to the stonehenge, and i was super super excited. i was so looking forward to it! i wouldn't say it disappointed, but it certainly wasn't anything like i'd expected. i was expecting this grandiose monument standing in the basin of a large, lush green valley, all misty in the morning. but when we got there, the motorway ran right by it, in the midst of traffic, and this is what boggled me- apparently the military had set up a training base not too far from it, and they would train with guns and tanks and airplane bombers RIGHT NEAR THESE PRECIOUS STONES!! i couldn't believe it. ridiculous.
in any case, we spent an hour there and i made sure to take lots of pictures. dani went on ahead, and i met a guy named brad who was disappointed that his children weren't interested and that they were sitting in the cafe. we talked about the energy of the stones and the space itself, and shared quite a lovely moment together. i was happy just to stand there and breathe in the moment. i really was quite moved; there was a stir inside of me, as if i was leaving a piece of me behind when we left.
and well, there's the cheese for the day. although it was a very real feeling, it never sounds good to retell. i guess it's something one must experience himself.
we all returned to the city and got a fancied up for dinner. beforehand dani and i returned to the british museum to look at the clock/watch exhibit which was pretty cool. the pocket watches were fun. when i looked at all the gears from the innerds of the clocks, i thought: 'now THAT is some kind of art'. afterwards we all met up and were going to get last minute tickets for lion king, but when we got there there were standing tickets only. we debated and decided to go with it, but there were only three spots left! so we decided to split off as dani and i really wanted to see the show. so when we went back for the two standing tickets, it just so happened that someone had returned two tickets in the front row of the royal circle, the best seats in the house!! we did have to pay quite a bit, but the seats were DEFINITELY worth the show. it was absolutely incredible!! the costumes were so elaborate, and the music was magnificent. rafiki had such a rich, powerful voice that just sent shivers up my spine. dani and i were on the edge of our seats the whole time, and the audience energy was great as there were a lot of kids there. it was fantastic.
we met up with carly and liam again afterwards, as well as helen and her boyfriend, and we sat out on the patio of a cafe with a few drinks until it got too chilly to be outside. it was all together a mighty fine day.
for our final day in london, dani and i tried to pack everything in that we could. we took the tube across town to the tate modern, where we vowed we'd spend only an hour since we had a tight schedule. but, alas, we ended up spending two and a half hours there!! what amazing exhibitions! we saw the originals of monet, picasso, modigliani, degas, matisse, warhol, bacon, and many many more. i was in awe of it all, i hadn't ever been to a museum like it before. to get right up close to those pieces, to read the explanations about them, to feel like i could actually maybe pursue something after i get my diploma...it was a fun experience.
we passed st. paul's cathedral, but you had to pay to get in for a tour and we didn't have time, so we took pictures from the outside and moved on. we tried to go to the globe theatre, but again we didn't have enough time. we passed the london bridge and big ben as we took the train back to russel square, where we found a cafe to order lunch from. we were in a hurry because les miserables was starting at 2:30 and we had to get tickets at two, and the waitress took FOREVER to even get to us to take our meal orders. while our food was being prepared, dani ran to the theatre-as she knew where she was going- and returned so that we could eat. we shoveled our food in as quickly as possible, and then RAN through the streets of london, stuffing the rest of our chocolate cake into our mouths, trying to make it on time. we arrived at the perfect time: 2:29. craziness. so, nick jonas (eye roll) was a main character, which was LAME because all the little girls were going nuts over him. i didn't really enjoy the performance very much, but dani said that was because they had cast the characters poorly in order to make the jonas guy look better. in any case, it was interesting. from there, we picked up our luggage from the hostel, and taxied to the train station again to find our way back 'home'.
so, that was the london trip! i am ofcourse leaving out quite abit, but i could never write about everysingle thing that happened. it was a good adventure, however i kind of feel like london is overrated. it seems to me to be just another city.. but then i never have been one for the hustle and bustle. all the same, it was very enjoyable. :]
london: part one
there is so much to tell..and since you are already here, you WILL sit and endure my ramblings!!
the canadian party was a smash, what with our pancakes and maple syrup, strawberries and blueberries, poutine, and red deer's own puffed wheat squares! we had quite a good turn out, too. poeple came for food and good company, and we had many an interesting conversation. while we were enjoying the festivities, the most random parade walked down our street for the second time that day. fit with several marching bands, burly men playing piccolos, and many supporters walking alongside, apparently this parade of "peaceful protestors" walks around the city every saturday, letting their protestant message of dislike for the catholic organization be known loud and clear. i hope i'm getting this right, as i had a few scots explain this fascist-like protest to me. how very odd..
at 10:50am the next day, dani and i set off on our train excursion with our sights set on london! i had never been on a train, and it did make me relatively queasy, but i powered through it. the passing landscape kept me company. there was a very.. let's say unkempt family sitting across the aisle from us, with a young boy who would not sit still. but aside from that everything went smoothly, and the ride itself seemed to go by quickly.
when we arrived at the youth hostel, there were four other girls sleeping in our room - keep in mind that it is 5pm..- so dani and i had to unpack and change in near silence. we walked our way around the metropolis and found a gorgeous little restaurant called sofra. we sat on the upstairs terrace, which was covered but let lots of light in. the food was grand, aside from the steak. steaks are just not the same here as at home: much less flavor. after dinner dani and i just walked and walked for a few hours, getting acquainted with the area. dani quickly found her bearings, but i kept getting all turned around. so we dubbed her the leader for the trip. we walked to trafalgar square where the portrait gallery is-which we regretably didn't get a chance to visit- and gave mom a quick call to let her know we had arrived safely. along our foot journey we discovered the most delectable, creamy gelato invented. such a heavenly treat. we basically just walked back to the hostel and slept that night.
as i was STILL jetlagged, i woke up at six that morning. with nothing else to do, i listened to my ipod and played sudoku until i got hungry and ventured down to the complimentary breakfast area down in the common room. there were SO many young people there, and it seemed NO ONE was speaking english! i heard french and german and some kind of netherlandish sounding language. everyone was with a group so i mainly kept to myself. i brought dani up some toast and waited for her to wake up so we could start the day. when we were both ready, we walked to starbucks for a pick-me-up and the free wi-fi so that we could look at a map on dani's ipod. we took our first doubledecker bus to hampstead heath, a huge park, and adventured our way around there for a while. it was a beautiful day. it took a long while to figure out how to catch the bus back to russel square, near our hostel, because the twat of a subway information man gave us phony information. after walking to and fro, we finally caught the right bus and headed towards familiarity.
we met carly, a girl from dani's class, and liam near russel square as they were going to join us on our explorations of london. we walked to the british museum where we poked around for a while. it is such a huge, impressive bulding itself. we mostly only had time to see the egyptian artifact displays before we all got too hungry to stand it anymore. we walked along the streets and found a quaint little courtyard tucked in behind the bustling streets. we then walked to buckingham palace to watch the guards do their excercises, and then.. i'm afraid this is where my memory fails me. the next thing i remember is going to the play 'war horse' with dani, which a very moving and well-executed performance. wow..that sounds a bit stuffy.. but i did enjoy it!
i think i will end this post here, as it seems to be getting far too long. plus, since i'm having troubles remembering, i'll go back into my notes while i eat this cold pizza for breakfast and ponder life's little mysteries. or something.
the canadian party was a smash, what with our pancakes and maple syrup, strawberries and blueberries, poutine, and red deer's own puffed wheat squares! we had quite a good turn out, too. poeple came for food and good company, and we had many an interesting conversation. while we were enjoying the festivities, the most random parade walked down our street for the second time that day. fit with several marching bands, burly men playing piccolos, and many supporters walking alongside, apparently this parade of "peaceful protestors" walks around the city every saturday, letting their protestant message of dislike for the catholic organization be known loud and clear. i hope i'm getting this right, as i had a few scots explain this fascist-like protest to me. how very odd..
at 10:50am the next day, dani and i set off on our train excursion with our sights set on london! i had never been on a train, and it did make me relatively queasy, but i powered through it. the passing landscape kept me company. there was a very.. let's say unkempt family sitting across the aisle from us, with a young boy who would not sit still. but aside from that everything went smoothly, and the ride itself seemed to go by quickly.
when we arrived at the youth hostel, there were four other girls sleeping in our room - keep in mind that it is 5pm..- so dani and i had to unpack and change in near silence. we walked our way around the metropolis and found a gorgeous little restaurant called sofra. we sat on the upstairs terrace, which was covered but let lots of light in. the food was grand, aside from the steak. steaks are just not the same here as at home: much less flavor. after dinner dani and i just walked and walked for a few hours, getting acquainted with the area. dani quickly found her bearings, but i kept getting all turned around. so we dubbed her the leader for the trip. we walked to trafalgar square where the portrait gallery is-which we regretably didn't get a chance to visit- and gave mom a quick call to let her know we had arrived safely. along our foot journey we discovered the most delectable, creamy gelato invented. such a heavenly treat. we basically just walked back to the hostel and slept that night.
as i was STILL jetlagged, i woke up at six that morning. with nothing else to do, i listened to my ipod and played sudoku until i got hungry and ventured down to the complimentary breakfast area down in the common room. there were SO many young people there, and it seemed NO ONE was speaking english! i heard french and german and some kind of netherlandish sounding language. everyone was with a group so i mainly kept to myself. i brought dani up some toast and waited for her to wake up so we could start the day. when we were both ready, we walked to starbucks for a pick-me-up and the free wi-fi so that we could look at a map on dani's ipod. we took our first doubledecker bus to hampstead heath, a huge park, and adventured our way around there for a while. it was a beautiful day. it took a long while to figure out how to catch the bus back to russel square, near our hostel, because the twat of a subway information man gave us phony information. after walking to and fro, we finally caught the right bus and headed towards familiarity.
we met carly, a girl from dani's class, and liam near russel square as they were going to join us on our explorations of london. we walked to the british museum where we poked around for a while. it is such a huge, impressive bulding itself. we mostly only had time to see the egyptian artifact displays before we all got too hungry to stand it anymore. we walked along the streets and found a quaint little courtyard tucked in behind the bustling streets. we then walked to buckingham palace to watch the guards do their excercises, and then.. i'm afraid this is where my memory fails me. the next thing i remember is going to the play 'war horse' with dani, which a very moving and well-executed performance. wow..that sounds a bit stuffy.. but i did enjoy it!
i think i will end this post here, as it seems to be getting far too long. plus, since i'm having troubles remembering, i'll go back into my notes while i eat this cold pizza for breakfast and ponder life's little mysteries. or something.
Friday, July 2, 2010
in today's news..
happy belated canada day!! i forgot to mention that before.. how strange that i left my country on it's...birthday? well, tomorrow dani and i are hosting a "canadian party" to make up for it, fit with pancakes and maple syrup, poutine, and puffed wheat squares. mom bought a few mini canadian flags for decoration, and gramma bought me a belt buckle with the flag on it. we're going all out!!
today, as i still have a bit of jet lag, i woke up before 7am. i busied myself by reading a french comic that juliette (dani's prior flatmate) had left, and laying on the couch staring into space..cool, huh? when dani left for school, i unpacked my suitcase and organized my clothes into drawers. after that i didn't have much else to do, so i swept and mopped the floors in preparation for tomorrow's party. by then i was ready for a nap, which i took full advantage of.
in the evening, a large group of us went over to a big complex call Xcape -ithink..- which is a bit like west ed - it has a cineplex odeon, shops, and a bunch of arcades and games etc. we spent the night playing lazertag, airhockey, more lazertag, bowling, and mini putting. it was a good outing.
so. now that you know what i did today, perhaps i will explore more of how i am feeling, and what i see, which i hope will be more interesting.
i rode in a car for the first time here, which is so strange as they drive on the "wrong" side of the road. i'm still even getting used to crossing the street! who knew that would have to be learned twice..? there was a group of seagulls outside the flat window scrapping for a piece of garbage and one bully seagull bit another and sent him fleeing. is that interesting? maybe not. but i don't care.
my voice came back the more i spoke today, but my nose has been stuffy all day. i'm sure once i catch up to the time difference then it will get better. i'm very excited to get the photos developed from my diana mini -a camera jasper introduced to me. thanks jasper! i've been experimenting lots with the double exposure, but i think i'll start using my pentax more soon. now i feel like i'm just rambling :c
so i'll wrap it up i suppose. i hope everyone is well on the other end, it's so odd to be away. mom, if you're reading, i hope you are able to busy yourself so that the house doesn't seem so empty. give the kitties love for me!
love you all
you can count on another post
kara
today, as i still have a bit of jet lag, i woke up before 7am. i busied myself by reading a french comic that juliette (dani's prior flatmate) had left, and laying on the couch staring into space..cool, huh? when dani left for school, i unpacked my suitcase and organized my clothes into drawers. after that i didn't have much else to do, so i swept and mopped the floors in preparation for tomorrow's party. by then i was ready for a nap, which i took full advantage of.
in the evening, a large group of us went over to a big complex call Xcape -ithink..- which is a bit like west ed - it has a cineplex odeon, shops, and a bunch of arcades and games etc. we spent the night playing lazertag, airhockey, more lazertag, bowling, and mini putting. it was a good outing.
so. now that you know what i did today, perhaps i will explore more of how i am feeling, and what i see, which i hope will be more interesting.
i rode in a car for the first time here, which is so strange as they drive on the "wrong" side of the road. i'm still even getting used to crossing the street! who knew that would have to be learned twice..? there was a group of seagulls outside the flat window scrapping for a piece of garbage and one bully seagull bit another and sent him fleeing. is that interesting? maybe not. but i don't care.
my voice came back the more i spoke today, but my nose has been stuffy all day. i'm sure once i catch up to the time difference then it will get better. i'm very excited to get the photos developed from my diana mini -a camera jasper introduced to me. thanks jasper! i've been experimenting lots with the double exposure, but i think i'll start using my pentax more soon. now i feel like i'm just rambling :c
so i'll wrap it up i suppose. i hope everyone is well on the other end, it's so odd to be away. mom, if you're reading, i hope you are able to busy yourself so that the house doesn't seem so empty. give the kitties love for me!
love you all
you can count on another post
kara
Thursday, July 1, 2010
glascow.day one
here i am, sitting in a "flat" (apartment) on the other side of the world.. it is such a strange feeling!! since i only slept an hour on the plane, this has been one long day..!
the flight over was fairly uneventful. it was difficult trying to sleep on the plane so i only got about an hour of sleep there.. we didn't get any darkness on the plane either, which was strange. i kept thinking about how we seemed to be flying with the sun (yeh, i know this isn't scientifically correct- but it's a pleasant thought, okay?!). after landing, i endured an hour-long line up to get our passports stamped- apparently another plane had just come in before us. so dani was all rearin' to go when i finally came through the arrival gate as her wait had been more of a tense one.
when we got to my new home, dani and i ate a quick bite and then walked to her school, where i was presented to her classmates. there were so many just looking at me, it was intimidating! but everyone seems really nice. i joined them in warm up games and then listened to them sing. afterwards dani and i basically just crashed on the couches at home.
i'm sorry if reading this as a play by play of my day is tedious and uninteresting.. i haven't written a blog in a very long time so i'm not really sure what is acceptable.. in any case, it's midnight here and fivepm there, so i'm not terribly sleepy but i'm going to try nonetheless.
i'll write again soon!
lovelovelove
kara
the flight over was fairly uneventful. it was difficult trying to sleep on the plane so i only got about an hour of sleep there.. we didn't get any darkness on the plane either, which was strange. i kept thinking about how we seemed to be flying with the sun (yeh, i know this isn't scientifically correct- but it's a pleasant thought, okay?!). after landing, i endured an hour-long line up to get our passports stamped- apparently another plane had just come in before us. so dani was all rearin' to go when i finally came through the arrival gate as her wait had been more of a tense one.
when we got to my new home, dani and i ate a quick bite and then walked to her school, where i was presented to her classmates. there were so many just looking at me, it was intimidating! but everyone seems really nice. i joined them in warm up games and then listened to them sing. afterwards dani and i basically just crashed on the couches at home.
i'm sorry if reading this as a play by play of my day is tedious and uninteresting.. i haven't written a blog in a very long time so i'm not really sure what is acceptable.. in any case, it's midnight here and fivepm there, so i'm not terribly sleepy but i'm going to try nonetheless.
i'll write again soon!
lovelovelove
kara
Monday, June 28, 2010
Dear Red Deer;
To everyone reading this, a) I probably already miss you, b)I appreciate your interest and c) you may be reading a bunch of random babbling during the next two months, if you're okay with that..
That being said, my name is Kara and I am off to Scotland in two days! This whole week has absolutely flown by, between packing, running errands, and trying to say goodbye to all of my friends and family. I mean, two months really isn't THAT long to be away, but it's the longest I will have ever been away from home. I've had the feeling that I'd like to get out of Red Deer for some time, this small, somewhat dull city. But now that I'm leaving for the summer, I realize that there is a lot that I'm going to miss. All the people, all the familiar places..
Anyways, I am super excited to see my sister!! She's the whole reason I'm going, really. We'll spend two glorious months together! I'm so very excited. At the same time, I'm pretty nervous. I'll be fine on the flight by myself, but I'm just anxious because I have absolutely no idea what to expect when I get over there. BUT I can't wait to meet everyone and get settled and start exploring!!
So, goodbye for now, hick town. I'll keep the blog updated as often as possible....
....I CAN'T WAIT!
Lots of love!
Kara
That being said, my name is Kara and I am off to Scotland in two days! This whole week has absolutely flown by, between packing, running errands, and trying to say goodbye to all of my friends and family. I mean, two months really isn't THAT long to be away, but it's the longest I will have ever been away from home. I've had the feeling that I'd like to get out of Red Deer for some time, this small, somewhat dull city. But now that I'm leaving for the summer, I realize that there is a lot that I'm going to miss. All the people, all the familiar places..
Anyways, I am super excited to see my sister!! She's the whole reason I'm going, really. We'll spend two glorious months together! I'm so very excited. At the same time, I'm pretty nervous. I'll be fine on the flight by myself, but I'm just anxious because I have absolutely no idea what to expect when I get over there. BUT I can't wait to meet everyone and get settled and start exploring!!
So, goodbye for now, hick town. I'll keep the blog updated as often as possible....
....I CAN'T WAIT!
Lots of love!
Kara
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