holiday photies

wax that looked kind of like snow in the window at the boathouse
the welsh hills just outside on conwy taking the *slightly dangerously curvy* route to the fairy glen
davoud lookin quite happy on top of the city walls in conwy...check out that scarf!
some serious drink mixing on new year's eve. god bless old fashioneds.
happy feet. traditional christmas presents of socks and slippers ;)

back to *real* life

...not that the past two weeks have been anything but incredibly real.

there's a danger when i only post so often that the fun little details of day to day life get missed out on, so for this i apologise. now that i'm back in the vicinity of an internet connection i promise to post more regularly.

also, my BT line was *finally* installed yesterday with much excitement, which also means that i should have broadband hooked up at home within a couple of weeks so i'll be back on msn and hotmail!

new year's eve was a quiet one. davoud and i stayed in at my flat, made really good food, had some cheesecake, popped the champagne (cam-pag-neee) and then proceeded to watch a group of my neighbours huddle in the street singing auld lang syne. heartwarming i assure you.

chris came by for a visit on new year's day, but i have to admit i was feeling pretty, pretty tired so he didn't stay long and we ended up watching a film and getting into bed fairly early to try and reprogramme the body clocks. yesterday we ventured into wales to visit conwy and find the fairy glen (with great success!). on the way back we stopped in at the boathouse pub in parkgate, which has always been a favourite of mine, but even more so now that they've refurbished the place and added much needed backgammon boards. it overlooks the river dee and the welsh hills...i do love that spot.

...back to work.

chloe rose sloan sandwith

and i'd like to formally welcome the newest addition to the family - my third niece - miss chloe rose sloan sandwith born to terran and wendy on 22 december at 5:01 pm (alberta time).

4 lbs, 13 oz, 18" long, brown hair, hazel eyes (just like me!)

and really, really cute...

holidazed

yes, it has been a while since the last post, but i've been busy in a state of relaxing, drinking and eating. i started out the holiday at doctor duncan's pub with the work mates on 21 december, which was much fun and davoud even came to pick me up so i didn't have to take the bus home.

did a load of food shopping, more baking of cakes and a french candian tortiere, which i have to say was probably one of the best meals i've ever made accompanied by cheesy mashed potatoes and carrots. i have to say that i didn't go to church on christmas eve. i was planning on going to the church in moreton where my grandparents were married, but i was too sad at the thought of it.

so christmas eve, we met sam, kel and lou down at the willow bank for a couple of pints before heading home to eat our dinner. christmas morning was full of presents, maple flavoured bacon, tea and mimosas. after a small hiccup in the travels down - which involved broken glass and more air for the tires - we got to davoud's mum's house for dinner. lots of family and more presents.

the past few days have been very relaxed. just been visiting with friends and family, a small side trip to the cotswolds yesterday - see pictures below - and back up to liverpool tomorrow. new year's eve will be spent in the comfort of my apartment with the backgammon board, some old fashioneds, a champagne risotto and a bottle of bubbly to bring in the new year.

i hope everyone's holidays have been as wonderful as mine ;) don't worry, i'll be home for christmas in 2007.

the blue boar

sweaty guinness in my grandma's favourite pub in the cotswolds

me outside the blue boar in the twilight

seven down, two to go

i was convinced yesterday was wednesday. it's quite easy to lose track of days, months and weeks when i work this many days in a row, but trust me, it's not something that's going to feature in next year's calendar.

i *think* i'm all ready for christmas apart from a big food shop. the bakings done, presents bought, wrapped and under the tree, all my christmas cards have been distributed, parcels arrived long ago in canada...

now i just have to finish up work. davoud's coming up here on thursday night until christmas morning and then we're going to head to his mum's for christmas dinner (insert deep cleansing breath to alleviate nerves here).

with any luck i should have a phone line by friday morning so i will no longer have to neglect my transatlantic phone calls, but i'll keep you posted on that one.

the christmas party

the penguin cake...otherwise known as *snow topped spice cake* and it was pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty tasty
me and santa claus. god bless the liverpool santa dash.
val eating the penguin...she did share...
...with harriet;)

i'm on day five of working nine days straight. cannot *wait* for friday. my weekend was filled with christmas craft workshops at the gallery, a christmas party, shared meals, and lots of glitter.

moving pics

slowly climbing the escalator in ikea on a surprisingly quiet saturday morning. turns out everyone else in the world was christmas shopping

val getting up to mischief in the marketplace

testing beds because my mum told me to, although i didn't do the full five minutes on each side test ;)
you can almost see the tears in my eyes as i see the bill get longer and longer and longer...possibly the most money i've ever spent in one go, but boy did i get a lot for my money!

once the bed was finally together - thanks to davoud's handy skills and ability to read ikea instructions properly - i needed a nap

davoud, chris and i went for a meal at mei mei before going to a fionn regan gig on sunday night

and after all was said and done...a timer shot and a glass of vino were in order. this flat is a beige version of my last place in montreal

the final touch

moved in

well, i'm moved in to the new flat thanks to the cavalry (aka val, davoud and frank the van). Val and i did a run of all my stuff from sam's place on friday night and woke up early on startuday to meet davoud at ikea in warrington. we were slightly delayed leaving due to the police recovering 7 stolen vehicles from val's parking garage. nice.

ikea was an experience as always (i will post pictures later) and i was slightly depressed about the amount of money i shelled out, but hey, i got a lot for it. after fitting *everything* into frank we unloaded at the new place and then val went off for frank's afternoon duties on the wirral.

by that point a lunch break was needed before tackling the ikea instructions, so davoud and i walked to lark lane for lunch and then headed to matalan and asda before coming back to boxes and swedish furniture. somehow, we got the bed, sofa, half a chest of drawers, half a chair and the kitchen unpacked before bedtime. and there was one stonkingly good pizza sandwiched in there too. i finally made it to the pizza parlour to order my pizza and drink a beer whilst i wait. my new favourite pizza place by far. i do love an artichoke.

i'm at work today and really wish i wasn't. just want to be at the flat getting everything sorted! bah. we'll see how amazed i am when i get home to what davoud's been able to accomplish. no doubt i'll be impressed ;)

btw - no wireless or broadband in the flat and BT doesn't have a line already installed there as they said they did, so it won't be until after christmas that i have a landline or access to my hotmail account.

moving day

well, i have to pack up the last of my stuff this morning before running a vast amount of errands, and finally picking up the keys at 1 pm!

i have to say i'm very excited about the new flat, but will miss having someone around to randomly chat to. the amount i talk to myself is definitely going to increase. sam's the best housemate i ever had...no offence to any previous live ins. coming home and being to do whatever i want after work whether it be paint, pick up the guitar or just sit in the quiet and stare up at the ceiling is going to be a luxury though.

it feels like i've accumulated a lot of stuff in the past year and a half, but it's not really that bad. it will definitely fit in one frank vanload. i think val and i will move all of my stuff over tonight, sleep at her place after kraft dinner and watching dirty dancing, then head to ikea first thing in the morning to meet davoud.

then the really fun begins: ikea instructions.

bah.

i miss snow

i was having an afternoon cup of tea with sandra, one of my colleagues at the gallery, as a bit of a break before working late tonight and realised the one thing missing that really gets me in the christmas spirit: snow.

thankfully j9 posted a couple of winter montreal pics on her blog to help me out...st. catherine st at its best ;)

i think living in montreal for 5 years conditioned me to associate christmas with first snows, new scarves, being wrapped up whilst christmas shopping, and lots of festive parties. that and the decorations. the brits haven't quite got on the bandwagon of lots of christmas lights on houses, in the streets and random trees outdoors. don't get me wrong, they do take the christmas *lights on* business very seriously, but it's not quite the same.

there's something about snow falling onto white fairy lights and that soft glow that just *means* christmas.

photies from london town

a very arty shot taken of this panel of chinese style wallpaper in the hotel room as taken by davoud
not quite the hoff, but knows how to spot a knightrider reference
me looking sad because i'm sat in front of a map of canada and not actually there. but that hair does look pretty, pretty, pretty shiny
one of my favourites
the oldest working zamboni known to man and what's that flying from the scoreboard? that's right my friends...a canadian flag. and every team member on the blaze has a flag on the bottom of their jersey from their country of origin. i would have to say that at least 60% of the team were canucks!

packed like christmas cake

there was so much going on this weekend i don't even know where to begin on the port sunlight to coventry via nuneaton onto london back to coventry via broadway and then to work in port sunlight this morning excursion. i'm tired just thinking about it ;)

let's try a list:

a) tropicana of whisky: as promised, davoud took me to albannach his favourite whisky bar in london, which just had too much on offer. a couple of old fashioneds one day and then back for some real drinking the next. i finally got to try to infamous port ellen; a definite springtime scotch.

b) the zetter: now known as the best hotel *ever*. great ambience, different coloured lighting, and 4000 music tracks on demand. not to mention a rain shower style shower a la cottage in parry sound. dad - i swear yours is better ;)

c) the vintage house: possibly the best whisky shop i've ever been into. i can't believe they were selling one bottle for £20,000. uh...yes please.

d) the suzie wong experience: i've had bad service in my life, but this had to be the worst. i should note - or else i'm sure davoud will;) - that this restaurant used to be fabulous. it has now turned into an eatery where you have to wait over an hour for your food, be treated to staff that don't know how to work the computer ordering machine, but do give you 50% off your bill. let's just say it was the worst restaurant ever according to larry david.

e) canadianna: davoud does his homework. cyber candy shamelessly imports all sorts of north american confectionary so i stocked up on reese pieces and nerds. we also stumbled upon another commonwealth store that sold - you guessed it - kraft dinner! and guess how much it cost? an abominable £2. a special treat for val and i this coming friday night. a trip to the maple leaf pub was also in the cards to sample some sleeman honey brown and mooshead. for a canadian pub they have very little selection *and* were showing a football game. bah

f) lunch at the v&a: perhaps the best gallery or museum cafe. not only was the food amazing, but we ate lunch in this beautifully tiled room with vaulted ceilings whilst being entertained by a pianist tinkling a baby grand.

g) swings n things: take two for the swings n things in broadway. you may remember video from the road trip last may that showed me having a go on the rip slide thing in broadway. well, there will be another posted soon...

h) hockey night in coventry: davoud's very first hockey game. i have to say the elite league games are really rough, but the coventry blaze did win. the *funniest* game ever in between periods...turkey bowling. they pick people from the crowd and set up bowling pins in one of the nets. each contestant gets three chances to hoist the frozen turkey down the ice and knock as many pins down as possible. too funny, but at least i know how to get my turkey for next thanksgiving ;)

i) davoud: who generally just makes everything brighter and shinier than it really is. he even polishes my boots ;)

a wee update

i know it's been a while. i've been on my management development training course for the past two days learning all about strategy, change and leadership. it's been very theoretical and i'm not sure there is much i can put into practice straight away, but i'm sure it will come in handy one day.

tomorrow's the launch of the junior guiding programme i've been doing at the gallery - teaching young people to tour primary school kids around the gallery - and then i'm off for a stopover in cov before heading to london with davoud.

really looking forward to an extra day off this weekend and a bit of time in london for some culture vulturing. davoud's promised to take me to his favorite whisky bar for old fashioneds and a bit of sampling.

ooo!

*and* we're going to a hockey game on sunday night. much fun ;)

an early christmas present

it really didn't feel like i had that much of a weekend.

friday was one of those days where all the little things just seemed to be going completely wrong, so i went round to val's after work for some pizza, wine, pretty in pink, and two kinds of chocolate ice cream. ben and jerry's was two for one at tescos ;)

on saturday davoud came up from cov. the highlight of the day had to be going to see ghostbusters on the big screen at 12:30 in the afternoon with a bunch of other 20-30 something geeks.

but on saturday night after enjoying some bevvies at the pub with sam, kel, lou and davoud, we all came back to our house to polish off a bottle of wine. after kel and lou left and the political debate started to intensify, i discovered that stuart mclean's show is broadcast on bbc radio 7! after a bit of research today i found out that it's actually broadcast not one, but three times every saturday. wahay!

happy christmas to me.

holy product placement, batman

i went to see the latest james bond film on wednesday night, casino royale. i have to admit that i haven't seen the last two of three that pierce (pearce? pearse?) brosnan did, but my brother and i used to watch them loads when we were kids.

i love the fast cars. i love the cocktails. i love the cheesy lines.

"is that watch a rolex?"
"no. omega."

and i love the carefully hidden product placements. i was a little worried when bond is driving a ford in the first ten minutes, but the cars *definitely* improve.

quiet weekend on the horizon. no plans as yet for tomorrow, davoud's coming up for the day on saturday, and i'm working on sunday. it's okay. going to make up for it next weekend in london;)

now wasn't that fun?

i hope you all enjoyed that little guessing game. sorry, i just had to be cheeky.

it's been a really weird morning. the hail was so heavy that because i was standing underneath the skylight in the kitchen i couldn't hear a word of what sam was saying to me from the front door. a woman was hit by a car while i was waiting for the bus - don't worry, she's okay - and i got caught in a sunshower.

that's three weird things, so i'm going to assume that there won't be anything else going askew today.

i bought a plant for my office yesterday. a cyclamen identical to the one we got for my grandma when i was home. with any luck it will survive for at least a month. i'm really no good with indoor plants.

declarations

god only knows how word used to spread before the creation of e-mail and the blog, but i can say that things always must have been skewed in the retelling leading to gossip and scandal. so, i endeavor to share a bit of news with the world.

i'm in love.

no seriously...it's not a joke! i really am in love.

and i'll give you all one guess in the comments section, but if you already know, you are only allowed to take part if you are being deliberately misleading for comic effect. don't worry, all will be revealed tomorrow i'm sure, but i thought this might be good for a few laughs since i'm not normally the type to make such open proclamations.

the winner receives 10 lauren points, which can be redeemed for baked goods of your choosing ;)

every morning i hear christmas music

it's officially begun.

i finished my christmas shopping, packed up my parcels to canada, starting me knitting, bought my christmas cards, and am working out in my head exactly what christmas goodies i'll be baking.

not to mention that the cafe in the gallery has put up their decorations and they play this god awful christmas music morning, noon and night. could we not get a little of the crooner action in the rotation rather than the constant church choir singing words you can't even decipher?

quiet week and hopefully a quiet weekend. it's getting cold out so it's time to curl up on the sofa under my quilt with a good book and a cup of tea, glass of wine, or dram of whisky. depends on the company or lack there of ;)

this actually *offended* me

right.

so i successfully completed all of my christmas shopping yesterday on my one day off this weekend - trying to make up some time and stock up on some flexi so i can take at least a day more at christmas - and actually found myself getting really angry in john lewis'. but not at the amount of shoppers, the cost of wool, or anything that you could normally expect in any christmas shopping experience.

whilst wandering around the seasonal goods section i saw a gift pack entitled "the american breakfast pack," which was clearly identified by a large image of the stars and stripes. yet inside this *american* breakfast pack (not north american) there was a nice bottle of PURE CANADIAN MAPLE SYRUP!!!

i'm still pretty irrate about it and am quite tempted to write a letter to the wonderful people at john lewis and explain to them that in fact canada is not a state and actually has stronger ties to this fair land than to their neighbors to the south. wankers.

*ahem*

on a positive note, i found a one-bed flat last week that i'm going to rent out. it's brand new, never been lived in, and since i've given up the dream of buying my own place - temporarily - it's perfect. ooo...and it has a washer/dryer. will wonders never cease? i can see green stuff from the window and it's a short stroll from sefton park. i should be settled in time for christmas.

time for some photies

my mum and grandma holding their noses because meg *pumped*

and so continues my family's obsession with noses...brian searching for gold. this picture will come back to haunt him!

but he is darn cute

val, harriet and i in front of frank on our trip to wales a couple weeks ago. i love frank.

day two of routine

i've been coming into work early to try and get through the to do list before it starts to get busy, but i think i might benefit more from the extra fifteen minutes of sleep. bah.

when i walked into my office yesterday and it was a bit of a disaster i have to admit i was a little scared about the state of what might be in my inbox, but it actually wasn't that bad. i did have to do two tours to school groups yesterday - the first one was horrible and the second went really well - so it was trial by fire.

i'm back on the flat hunt, but not to buy. going home made me realise that i'm not quite sure i'm ready to commit to 3-5 years on a property that's really going to stretch my budget and also not allow me to save for a masters programme, which is what i now hope to do after a couple years working at nml.

now, because christine and i were talking about the expression *sent to coventry* and its origins, i'm going to call on the master of useless factual knowledge to explain... ;)

back in the ussr...i mean...back in the uk

well, i've now returned. i'm not really going to say much about the week except that it was incredibly hard to leave and i really didn't want to, but as my grandma said...life goes on. on the positive side of things i did get to spend a lot of time with my family, particularly my grandma. we talked about all sorts of things and i learned more about their life over here in england, which was really actually quite nice.

i've been in coventry since i've been back apart from a few hours in liverpool to refuel and repack. i missed out on the scott matthews gig in liverpool when i was away, so davoud and dipak kindly went on a mission to get me a ticket to the show in birmingham. it was definitely worth the trip. we also went to a wee gig in leamington spa last night. i've probably been relaxing a little too much and merely staring outside at the beautiful, cold days rather than enjoying their splendor.

going to jump back into the pool tomorrow with davoud...gotta date with some oreo cookies and milk on saturday before dinner at sapporo and a show at the philharmonic on sunday afternoon. culture vultures indeed.

...and then everything will go back to the routine on monday. *sigh*

a great life, but a great loss

sometimes it's the people we don't know very well who seem to say the most poignant things when no one really knows if any words can help. i know most of my faithful readers will already know that i'm canada bound tomorrow as my grandad goodwin passed away on the weekend. i'm one of the lucky few - who i could only really include my brother in - fortunate enough to have all of their grandparents half way through their twenties. and for that i give thanks and count my many, many blessings.

i went into work today to meet with my line manager to make sure things don't fall apart too much while i'm gone. on my way in i ran into pete who's the education officer at the walker and has been for about 15 years. he asked me how old grandad was and when i responded that he was 92 years old, he replied 'if only we could all live that long. but what a great life he must have led, and therefore, what a great loss.'

i think pete was bang on.

i can't wait to get home tomorrow and i'm dreading that flight, which will probably seem three times as long. i know i'll be frustrated because i'll want to do more and stay longer, but the longer i stay the harder it will become to come back.

nice to meet you, i'm entj

i'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to personality tests as most of the ones i've seen are in cosmo, but as part of the management development training course i'm on we had a day of *self discovery* on monday.

i was shocked to know that my profile was bang on:
extraversion, inuiting, thinking, judging

and it stated the following things about me, which are *so* true!
- like to engage in intellectually stimulating exchanges
- like and respect people who challen them and have little or no respect for those who don't (am i not *always* saying i need a partner that challenges me?)
- dislike inefficiency, incompetence and indecisiveness (it does drive me batty)
- workaholics (i think the 11 days straight of work i just did, plus the fact that i'm still here at 6 pm on a friday demonstrates that one)
- not likely to be convinced by anything by good, solid reasoning (let's see some evidence)

what i'm like in relationships:
- honest, direct and straighforward (yup)
- live life with gusto and enthusiasm (bring on the red wine and whisky)
- have a gregarious fun-loving side as well as a serious driven side (i'm a gemini after all...)
- want relationships to be an opportunity for learning (i want *everything* to be...i'm a learning officer)
- encourage people they care about to improve themselves (again with the learning)
- can be intimidating, blunt and abrasive andhide their soft, sentimental side (yup)

and it suggested i do the following things to lead a happier life:
- avoid driving others as hard as i drive myself (yeah...okay)
- schedule time everyday for rest and relaxation (yoga please)
- enjoy the moment for what it is, not for what you can make of it or how you can structure it (yes, i know i need to do this. i can be a bit *monica*)
- leave my need to control at the doorstep when i come home
- be aware of your effect on others (my effect?) and avoid appearing overly confident and aggressive

but overall i'm:
- dynamic, energetic, confident, confident, knowledgeable and like to be in charge

anyway, thought that would make a few people nod their heads in agreement. i'm doing a bit of house hunting this weekend, but hopefully just taking some time to relax. i'm tired. it's been a long 11 day week.

apocalyptic weather

it's been a long time since i've woken up in the morning to a thunderstorm and it's not something i expected on an october morning whilst living in the uk. nonetheless, there were some big thunderboomers that woke me up this morning and accompanied me through breakfast.

there was also a full moon on the weekend, so i have the feeling that something *big* is coming.

the flat i was supposed to see monday fell through. i got to the building and didn't even want to go in and was slightly thankful when the owner didn't show up to tour me around. have a viewing tomorrow afternoon and one next wednesday.

thanksgiving weekend photies

chris at the quarter on friday night...pulling his *oh* face

the installation for the liverpool biennial in picton library. a beautiful place ot begin with, but made slightly eerie by this plastic red enclosure. there are a series of chairs inside that have been made by people who have had serious brain injuries (davoud took this one).

val's thanksgiving dinner plate.

nick pretending to be canadian...i think he pulls it off pretty damn well.

steve, rich, ruth, andrew and davoud post meala picture of me after eveyone had left, all the dishes had been done and i was finishing off my last glass of wine (wardrobe courtesy of j9 & carole)

thanksgiving 06

well, i somehow managed to pull off thanksgiving dinner again this year with no major catastrophes other than a pot of frozen cream and a piece of burnt toast.

there were 17 people here for dinner (three veggies), which was five more than last year believe it or not. i had a little bit of a review on the evening with davoud just before he drove back to cov with nick and i think we concluded that last year was better. not neccesarily food wise, but there was an air of excitement and the unexpected as it was everyone's first thanksgiving.

we did have fun. we did give thanks. we did play canadian trivia, which showed me that i haven't taught anything to my british counterparts over the last year. the winning score was harriet with 12 out of 25...must be doing something wrong! more brainwashing is needed.

the rest of the weekend was really great. j9 and carole were back on friday night for dinner and a night out. much fun and alcohol was had by all. on saturday nick, davoud and i toured around some of the biennial, hit a couple of pubs and had possibly the *worst* old fashioneds known to man. don't ever go to the resident's lounge in liverpool unless you're having bottled beer.

and finally, i formally retracted my offer on the flat on friday. after some consultation and words of advice from several people, the hassle just wasn't going to be worth it. back on the hunt today though, going to see a place in a couple of hours.

this year i gave thanks to my family. even though i'm miles away and even though there may be loads going on that normally they would need my help with, they all remain incredibly supportive and let me know that i may be across an ocean, but i'm not loved any less.

*hugs*

no house for you

i thought it was about time that i updated everyone on the house purchase situation. 'cause that's what it feels like...a situation.

i got the survey back on friday, which was not all good news. i know it is supposed to look for all the bad aspects of a property, but when they want a structural enginner to inspect the house for movement it's not exactly good news.

so now i'm trying to negotiate with the seller via the estate agent to pay for a report from the structural engineer because i don't want to fork out the cash for it and i'm thinking this must have been something the developer would have taken into consideration. then again, maybe not.

anyway. i can't get my mortgage until this report comes back and any concerns are dealt with accordingly. at this point, it looks like giving up and continuing to rent for the rest of my life just might be the best option.

i'll keep you posted.

the first pics from the invasion

j9 and carole writing about the day's events and enjoying a pint of john smiths

the first night at keith's wine bar enjoying some pinto grigio

my sweaty pint of guinness, which tasted oh so gooood

constant states of excitement

i need to understand that not everyone has my level of tolerance for alcohol. i didn't drink a lot yesterday, but j9 and carole did get quite drunk. let's just say i've never seen anyone get so excited about a john lewis window display.

we walked around the docks, took a few pics, went to the maritime museum, the tate for lunch and a bit of a wander...and then of course the yellow duckmarine. i then began taking my canadian invaders on a mini pub crawl to my favourite spots...well, a few.

pumphouse inn
doctor duncan's
blackburne arms (which had stopped serving food, so for dinner we went to...)
the royal tandoori
penny lane wine bar

met up with chris, steve and dave for a pint and then made our way home.

they brought me map-o-spread and i'm getting too excited about having toast every morning.

my once-a-year cold

it only happens rarely, but every so often i get sick. not sick to the point where i have to stay home from work, merely to that point where my sinuses are clogged, nose is running and generally feeling a bit grotty. now ain't that a pretty picture?

i'm hoping to be better by friday though as on saturday my first friend visitors from canada arrive! janine and her sister carole are coming on their previoulsy planned canadian invasion to the british isles. they're stopping in liverpool from saturday to tuesday, then a quick excursion to dublin, before heading back to liverpool for one friday night out.

i'm soooo excited. *and* they're bringing me lipsmackers and maple syrup. what more could i ask for? besides pastries, bagels, kosher pickles...

*ahem*

disappointing response to the request for canadian trivia. c'mon guys, only a week and a half to submit your questions!

matej andraz vogrincic

"As with all his work, in Liverpool Vogrincic starts with a specific location - in this case, St Luke's church - and allows the history, resonances and emotions linked to the site to inspire his creation of a witty but moving artwork. "

i heart liverpool biennial

there are some things in life that you think you're never going to be able to see or be a part of. two years ago, the liverpool biennials was one of them for me. i never though i was going to be exposed to a ten week contemporary arts festival in the city where i lived; constantly confronted by art that made you think or made you laugh.

yet here i am.

last night i went to see an inconvenient truth, which opened my eyes a bit more to the threat of global warming. and today i read the paper for hours in tabac and then wandered around some of the biennial.

one of my favourite pieces was by a slovenian artist in the old bombed out church...st. luke's. pictures in the post above

what's my gorilla?

i've been signed up for this management development training at work. its running over 10 months so promises to be quite intensive, but i'm looking forward to it. they did this exercise today, well they did loads, but one freaked me out.

we had to watch this video of people playing basketball and had to count the passes of the white team. i counted 18, which was correct, but they then asked if we saw anything else. only one of 40 people saw it...the gorilla!

the point was to show us that we can be so focussed on a task that we don't see the big picture or what else is going on around us. and that's got me thinking...

what's my gorilla?

this makes me *angry*

i just watched a news report on bbc news.

apparently john reid, home secretary for those of you who don't know, has decided to advice muslim parents to watch out for possible extremist behaviour in their children and advise police if they suspect it. oh my god. are you a complete idiot? some of the apparent *tell-tale* signs of this possible behaviour are young people simply being adolescents! idiot!

and what about warning christian parents that their children may rebel against their religion and lifestyle, turn to the devil, extremist goth culture, and walk into a school with loaded weapons? hyprocrisy at its finest.

i think this just goes to show that terrorism really has such a broad definition and can be applied in many situations. maybe we should just be telling parents to raise their children to be good people.

bah. time for bed.

international talk like a pirate day

ahoy, me mateys. this be international talk like a pirate day...y'aaarrr! now to get all ye wee sprogs and lasses trained for a life on the high seas i be pointin me heartys in the direction of thar website for all things pirate... www.yarr.org.uk

aye, now all ye land lubbers be ready to claim yer booty! i be celebratin with me pirate monkey.

What's a pirate's favorite pickup line?
AAAAArrrrrr ya free Saturday night?

ahem.

today is also the remarkable day on which my grandparents - grandma & grandad *and* grandpa & grandma - celebrate their wedding anniversaries. they were married on the same day, three (? i think) years apart. the first couple in moreton, wirral, england and the second in niagra-on-the-lake, ontario, canada. hard to fathom that they've been married for 60+ years.

now *that's* something to celebrate. y'arrrr.

davoud's birthday photies

i just really like the colours in this photo...and shadows. sean doing a bit of washing up.

aw, sean to a picture of me, which is always nice. i look so happy because i'm finished with my plate full of glorious food.

the wreckage of the cake made with whisky and maple syrup in the attempt to replicate an old fashioned in baked form. nice candles.

sean and chris through half empty glasses.

...just like the shadows and light. and the pensive looks on chris and mikey's faces.

the birthday boy.

told you they got blurry, but it is a nice picutre of chris.

cheers to you too, nick.

packed

this past weekend was buzzing with festivities.

on friday night i seemingly did the impossible and caught up with all that i wanted to in the city. the liverpool biennial opened - a ten week contemporary and public arts festival around the city, brilliant - so rich and i checked out the score at FACT. i made it down to the docks for michelle's 21st birthday, tried to get into the apparently exclusive invitation only biennial party, but the line was down the block and we couldn't be bothered to wait. in the end, i met up with sam, kel, lou and andrew at dragon for a couple drinks and then a fairly early night.

jumped on a train on saturday morning to coventry for davoud's birthday. sean and i cooked up a storm in the evening and we sat around with friends to celebrate getting older. and i did feel older because we were having a proper dinner party to celebrate a birthday, not going out and getting pissed. but we still got pissed.

as soon as nick and i started mixing the old fashioneds and the bourbon and vodka were unleashed the pictures started to get a bit blurrier and things started to get interesting.

sunday was a bit of recovery and i was treated to family sunday night dinner with anna and davoud by his mum before hopping back on the train to liverpool.

i'm exhausted just thinking about it.

wow

i just found out something - other than the sun - to brighten up this otherwise dull and horrible day: as of may 2007 you can fly *direct* from toronto-hamilton to liverpool with fly globespan for a mere £260 return! and that's including all of the taxes, refuelling charges and admin fees...

so start saving because soon you will have absolutely no excuse *not* to visit.

call for canadian trivia

calling all canadians...or canadian aficionados. i need all the little nuggets of canadian trivia stored away in your brains to stump my british friends this thanksgiving. of course, you'll have to e-mail them because we don't want to be giving away any answers in the comments ;)

update on the flat purchase...i've received mounds of paper, which i now need to read when i have the time and the energy. its just been a bit of a crazy week, but i will do it. maybe i'll wake up slightly early tomorrow morning and at least get the two most important bits off in the post.

i went to see the *funniest* movie tonight. everyone must go see little miss sunshine. i haven't laughed that much out loud at a cinema in years. absolutely brilliant, clever, witty...amazing. see it!

beeeeautiful weekend

i think this is what they call indian summer...its been wonderfully warm and sunny over the past few days and is actually threatening to be a shocking 26 degrees today. i did notice as i was reading in the park yesterday though that the sun is distinctly weaker and the breeze is just that much cooler.

it was a very quiet and relaxed weekend around liverpool watching football, sitting on val's balcony admiring the stunning view and soaking up some sun, a bit of arts & crafts on saturday night (a bit sad, i know), and a very lazy sunday around town and reading in parks. i spent a lot of time on my own this weekend, but was quite happy to in some ways. the next few weeks promise to be a bti crazy so i think a bit of refuelling was needed.

in honour of this sunny day, i've shaved my legs and worn a skirt.

oh! also, started planning thanksgiving for this year. and to get everyone in the spirit of all things canadian, go and vote for your favourtie canadian invention. they'll be some surprises! i know for a fact that my brother will vote for the ski-doo, but how cool do uv degradable plastics look???

i'm thinking of devising a canadian quiz for this year's thanksgiving celebrations just to see how much my british counterparts have learned from me this past year.

i heart liverpool

yesterday was one of those days when i just can't fathom being happier anywhere else. i think the glow of the new job and all things museum-like make my life just that much better.

paul had invited the art galleries learning staff out for a drink, so kate and i headed over from the lady lever to meet him and doctor duncans - one of the most decorative pubs in town, my mum will vouch for that - and ended up hijacking a leaving do for one of the other members of the learning department. so i got the chance to catch up with all of my old work mates .

i headed over to val's *new* apartment. she's finally in the flat she was originally offered after 9 weeks of waiting! i came as the classy pizza delivery girl still dressed in my work garb and with a bottle of champagne. i was clever enough to pop the cork onto the next building.

i think it will be a bit of a quiet weekend, but i'm looking forward to catching up on things and just relaxing.

blog worthy news

i feel like i have so much news to tell! i'll start with the big news, which is that i've negotiated an offer on a flat and its been accepted! it's a one bedroom flat in a converted house that's newly developed. here's the link if you want to have a peak.

i'm really excited, but trying not to get too enthusiastic, as there is loads of red tape to go through and you never know what's going to happen. so everyone keep their fingers crossed and with any luck i'll be in debt within a couple of months ;)

this past weekend was sofian's leaving do - he's moving to australia in two weeks! - so there was a late night out on saturday, which involved going to the bar that everyone loves to hate: the blue angel. sof, val and i went for lunch in parkgate on sunday before heading to chesire oaks to go bowling. i think i got my ass kicked in the last game, but i did win the first round. i'm also saddened to say that i definitely got beat at air hockey...a poor showing i know.

so if anyone has any cast offs that they want to get rid of and mail to the uk, send them on...its going to be weird to move with literally no furniture!

blog worthy photos

because action shots are fun. i *think* this is sofian trying to get a strike. i did win the first game, but it was definitely beginner's luck.

val looking absolutely crazy as she finishes entering our clever names of man, knob and aus.

a picture of me failing at doing anything constructive...even with the kiddy rails to keep you from getting gutter balls!

blog it up, fuzzball!

ten points for whoever guessses which film quote the title of this post is adapted from...

i like september. it's probably one of my favourite months and that's got just as much to do with my memories of lovely autumn days in montreal as it does with going back to school and the settling in of routine. even though seasons don't really exist in the uk, i can still smell fallen leaves, wood fires, and new pencils.

not to mention, september 1st was a lovely sunny day and as a special bonus i stumbled up on a continental market in liverpool that was selling fresh croissants and chocolatines...that just made my month already and its not even truly begun.

i went to view a flat last night - accompanied by sam for a second opinion - and will see two more this morning. its got me thinking loads about what i really want in a house, what i can compromise on...big decisions that i'm definitely nervous about.

its crappy and rainy here today, so i think it may turn into a domestic goddess day: cooking and cleaning.

last of the summer bank holidays

the uk likes to do things just slightly earlier than canada, so this past weekend was the last *long* one of the summer. only problem was it was a little disjointed for me because i had to work on sunday, although i did have friday off.

i spent much of the weekend doing not much, trying to enjoy sporadic sunshine in between rain showers, and catching up with a few peeps. i went to parkgate on sunday afternoon for ice cream and a pint, which was the perfect treat as it was a summer tradition i hadn't actually done this year.

work is still really great and i'm enjoying reading through the copious amounts of files and getting a handle on things. going to see broken social scene tomorrow night for a dose of canadiana...cant wait.

my second coming at nml

the first day at work is usually a quite relaxed one and this day was no different. i did a lot of listening and chatting...drank a lot of tea...but realised that this job is going to make me very happy. looking at all of the events for the next few months doesn't freak me out, it actually excites me! sad, i know, but its nice to be psyched about work.

the other wonderful thing was the fact that with one fax and phone call i had e-mail and access to all of the files i would need, people actually spoke to me and were friendly, my coworkers have the same interests and concerns, and we're already planning a day trip to glasgow to check out some galleries!

this might just be the perfect job. we'll see how it goes once i actually see my office and start delivering some workshops this week. i do love a challenge...

and if you want to check out where i'll be working, one day a week i'll be at the walker and the rest of the time i'll be at the lady lever

drifting place

i have this small obsession with a uk singer songwriter and i'm determined to see him at a gig next month...even if it means taking a day off work.

every once and a while i discover someone musically wondrous and of late its been scott matthews. just some guitarist from the midlands - wolverhampton to be exact - who seems to have a knack for lyrics and a slightly haunting voice. go buy his album *passing stranger* i highly reccomend it.

its been gloomy and grey here these past few days, but i've been trying to be artistically productive and spent much time trawling the internet. last night i went out with chris, sam, val and harriet for a few jars...the first time we'd all seen chris in ages. it was nice to enjoy liverpool before all the students come back into town.

ebay addict & storm lover seeks house

i finally made my first ever ebay purchase. after a succession of portable audio players kicking in the bucket over the past 6 months, i've now purchased a slightly archaic discman that does play mp3s. my own died long ago, but still played when it was sitting level on a table. dipak's ipod did funny ipod things and sam's discman gave up the ghost after a drop in the barcelona hostel and a trip down to london.

we've have a few wonderful thunderstorms here over the past 24 hours making me very happy as that is one of the things i really miss about canadian summers. i think i'll treat myself to a seinfeld marathon and some arts and crafts this afternoon.

i'm continue to educate myself about house purchasing in the uk. one thing to understand is that there is a property television show on during every moment of the day, but last night was how to get yourself on the property ladder. it just kind of freaked me out a little bit because...my god...i might be buying a dwelling in the next few months.

right. off to drink some tea.

the weekend in coventry was alright...it's usual laughs and large amounts of baked goods for the canley crew. i was able to see everyone for a change; i always seem to miss out on someone. discovered a blackberry bush growing wild in the corner of the sainsbury's parking lot so made a crumble after a picking spree with abi and dipak.

i'm now trying to carefully plan the next five days before i go back to work. not sure if going to brighton is going to work out - as much as i want it to - because both chris and val have other things going on so may not be able to come. now that sofian lives up in darlington, it'll be harder for me to hitch a ride and can't afford to foot the hotel room bill on my own.

but...it might be a good thing. it doesn't feel like i've been *home* for ages and i have to run arrands like bus passes and food shopping and laundry for work on monday. i think i'm starting to feel a bit weird about it all. really excited, but it feels like i haven't done proper work for ages so it'll probably take it out of me the first week. can't wait to be on a regular schedule again though!

errands to run and bits to do in the next few days and the weather is crap which isn't helping. i wasn't able to see dolly and family in the midlands as they were up for a few days rest before flying back to canada today. too bad, but at least i was able to speak to her without a time difference.

should probably start saving funds for all these autumn excursions and the possible house purchase that might take place sometime before christmas. all very exciting...

one more week

i had a very successful day yesterday and i think it was due to having a uninterrupted night's sleep. godbless my own room. i got a lot of shopping for work clothes done and went to see the new luc besson film at fact.

val and i caught up over dinner at the blackburne arms...the most delectable sweet potato and feta lasasgne, which may become my new favorite meal in town. we were unfortunately accosted by a group of scots out on a stag do, not the most pleasant experience but funny all the same.

i'm off to coventry this morning and for a change get to share my train journey with sam. i think i might be off to brighton next weekend with sof, val and chris...i just need to convince val that we'll be okay camping ;)

more massive photos

and here's the link to davoud's photos from the massive attack gig...they are worth the wait

barcelona in pictures

gaudi's la pedrera

inside the museum of contemporary art...an amazing museum and the building looked exactly like the architect's mock ups. i'm sure of it. although, davoud's pictures would have been nicer ;)

i want *those* legs...a sculpture on the roof of the joan miro gallery

my one and only shot of the sagrada familia. it's one of those buildings that you buy a postcard of. that, and the light was just not working for me.

no water and no bombs

well, i did make it home successfully albeit delayed and to water that is shut off meaning no shower or washing of face. i was pretty lucky to make it back during the window when the uk airport authorities were still allowing hand luggage and, well, flights.

i'll post the photos seperately as that always seems to turn out better...

i can't even do my laundry. ah well, at least sam put some water aside so i can graciously have a cup of tea.

things i´ve learned

in a few ways, this trip has been cursed from the get go and i do remember saying to davoud and nick as they were driving me to the airport that i was really nervous. not about flying or wearing flip flops in the shower or even walking around solo after dark, but i think i now know what the nervousness was brought on by.

there comes a time in everyone´s life when they are *done* with the hostel. not neccesarily the guesthouse or the budget hotel, but the 6-12 people sleeping in a dorm life. i think there is also a time when you tire of doing things on your own whilst travelling. i saw a lot of extremely fascinating contemporary and outrageous art today and no one there to discuss it with. sometimes i´m just not in the mood to talk to strangers.

so i think that´s it for me on the solo travelling front for a while. well, this trip wasn´t supposed to be solo, but that´s just the way it turned out. it´s not that i haven´t enjoyed myself because i have, but if you asked me if i had fun i think i´d have to say no.

i was also remembering a time when it all seemed to difficult and this land across the sea seemed so far away. it all just doesn´t seem as foreign anymore.

i´ve also learned that there is a henderson´s in every city if you look for it - in barcelona it comes in the form of foodball - and that i can now firmly distinguish between canadian and american accents.

feeling sentimental

...but only because i just read the comment from rebecca. i keep getting all these bizarre flashes to my two month trip two years ago and many of them have been from the time we spent in spain together. i´ll never forget the night in madrid that we both couldn´t sleep so we played cards until god knows when in the morning. or the bottle of sparkling wine we shared in san sebastien on the sea wall to commemorate our last night together. it all just makes me smile.

i hiked up the steps - rather than take the escalators, yes, escalators - to the national museum of art today. i realised that i take a completely different approach to museum going these days after working in one so i was quite happy to do the survey as i left. also visited the joan miro foundation, which was not that great. although that probably had something to do with the fact that i´m not a huge miro fan.

i do have a little bit of a rant about people who visit galleries. please *please* stop taking pictures. i know you said that you turned your flash off, but every incidental flash is taking away a bit of colour from the masterpiece in front of you! just go downstairs to the bookshop and buy the freakin´postcard goddammit!

*ahem*

went to the beach again this afternoon, but got rained out eventually with what turned into a great thunderstorm. i like cities after rain like that. the streets were virtually empty as people stayed inside until it was completely finished, a rare treat in this bustling town.

back in barcelona

weird. even the commands on blogger are in spanish!

well, back in barcelona and its actually been hard to believe that its almost been two whole years since i set foot in spain. this is definitely still on of my favourite cities, it just has absolutely everything.

i spent much of today wandering around. i actually used my lonely planet city guide to take myself on the modernista meander around a lot of the architecture in the city...with a quick detour past the sagrada familia. i was really impressed by it the first time i was here, but this time it really did seem like a building being tackled by too many architects trying on their egos for size. still, a masterpiece and the most visited unfinished building in the world.

since the museums weren´t open today, i decided that i was beach bound this afternoon. it was disappointing that i couldn´t go swimming since i had no one to watch my precious belongings, but i still managed to stay their for four hours. and yes, i was wearing my sunscreen. and no, i did not get burnt.

i have to head out now and find some food as i´m absolutely famished. this is the part i hate about travelling on my own...table for one, please.

a little shocked

i'd had this thought a few months ago that it might be nice to buy a house or a flat, but i thought there was no way anyone would give me mortage; a year ago they wouldn't even open a proper bank account.

but after receiving my tax return and opening a nice little isa (kind of like a money market or mutual fund) they asked me if i'd ever considered getting a mortage. so back i went to the bank yesterday and was promptly informed by the mortage advisor that yes, indeed i could buy a house and they would lend me the money to do it.

how crazy is that? so now i'm actually seriously considering getting on the property ladder. there is lots for me to think about and take into account, but at least i know its a possibility.

i've just been lazing around the past few days...going out for lunch, seeing movies, watching seinfeld, cleaning, doing yoga...and sometimes remembering to eat. i have trouble with meals when i don't have a routine.

going down to cov tomorrow to stay with davoud and anna before i fly out to barcelona on sunday evening. probably won't get any postings until i get to spain...and if they still have internet in the hostel i promise to post from there.

i'm off to be a culture vulture.