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Thursday, November 30, 2006

oh yeah.
i made it to strasbourg.















and to paris.



and to COHESION.


and then this happened.




























and now i'm here.

~ rebecca 4:51 PM ~ [+]

HELLO MONTREAL!
hello from montreal.
am enjoying being back on canadian soil.
we've started to carve out a little niche for ourselves -
*interesting* house.
meeting some really great people... people who are inspiring me to go places, to discover more of the world, to go back to school... !!!did i just say 'school'?!?!?
argh. it's tricky since the whole idea in coming here was to somewhat 'settle' for a while and to stop moving around.
oh nevermind. i don't ACTUALLY know what i'm doing here.
i DO know that this city has SO much to offer and i'm just starting to figure out where i want to be in all of it.
- cut the sap -

am easing my way into the world class music scene here.
reggae overload last weekend though.
did catch Final Fantasy a few weeks ago.
oh what a show!
speaking of music - had a dream last night that my mom and i were driving around with Starsailor in a big van. Stel driving, my mom in the front seat. AHAHHAHAH. then my mom took the driver's seat

joost and eric cooked a fabulous chocolate cake the other night. we ate some with tea. then they cooked a huge pork roast and the three of us finished it ALL. then we had more chocolate cake. it was great. see mom, i AM eating. you shoulda seen me!

oh this is weird. so much has happened since my last post, but at the same time, it doesnt feel like there's been much going on

Friday is WORLD AIDS DAY.
wouldnt it be nice if everyone could just give a little something

~ rebecca 2:38 PM ~ [+]

Friday, September 08, 2006

am having a Starsailor moment!!

why are they over THERE on MY home territory, just as i'm about to jet off to THEIRS.

to everyone going to Toronto's V Festival ~ enjoy...

starsailor are stuck with a shitty slot it seems.. on the other stage. overlapping with Muse. no luck

go! -> This Time
it's extra special. you'll see why

the north american tour diary begins... >
partie un
partie deux

~ rebecca 1:30 PM ~ [+]

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

we're going to COHESION in the Man's Chester
and i cannot wait - - - tra la laaaaa

would also like to get in some walking. as in rambling in the lake district with
-->
(those being French alpine sheep)








in the meantime, am trying to organize my own benefit music festival. (not to benefit ME, but a certain UNICEF of Haute Savoie)
rush rush though, since the countdown to Becky leaving la France: 6 weeks

i had to forget about that kite festival in Dieppe and am now heading to Lille, with possible side trip to Brussels. then to Strasbourg where i'll rent a bicycle. then to meet up with Eric in Paris before heading to the British Isles ~

~ rebecca 10:36 AM ~ [+]

Monday, August 14, 2006

am home alllll alone again.
quite nice, actually. have always said i've wanted to live on my own and this is a bit of a taste test.
oh the French and their holidays.
eric and everyone i might possibly be able to call my friend in Annecy* has gone down to the Mediterranean beaches to bask in the sun, play a la petanque, drink pastis, and eat, and drink more, and play more petanque.. which i LOVE.

*not entirely true. spent a day with the in-laws sunday. note: i can say that here, even though we're not married

speaking of Pastis -

the following can be explained by http://www.beconne.com
what a weekend!






alas, i did not get to take advantage of the extra long weekend as the others did, and so i worked saturday morning. spent saturday afternoon downloading music after discovering i could do on this crapola laptop. filled the rest of the day with Jon Stewart clips and Who's Line is it Anyways? sketches thanks to youtube.

please excuse the cliche, but -
the summer has really flown by. thank you work. thank you for making time go by quickly - not because i'm itching to get out of HERE, but because i'm really looking forward to moving elsewhere. read Montreal. read O Canada, my home and native land.
ALTHOUGH, if you offered me an interesting job in Berlin, Lyon, Paris, London... i'd love to take it.
yes, i'm a confused little girl.

becky's next adventure -
a kite festival in Dieppe? a milk festival near Lille?
yep, watch out - becky might be making a very random appearance somewhere near you ~

~ rebecca 4:41 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

eric has gone riding/biking for a few days.
i feel like a teenager whose parents have gone away for the weekend and i'm left all alone... to do whatever i please. (uhhh.not that i don't do whatever i want when he IS home!ha!)
party anyone??! yesssssss. me, BBC Prime (The figs need the hornbills just as much as the hornbills need the figs.) and my sudoku book?

le 14 juillet is friday. which means a 4 day work week. which means more time for becky to bake in the sun, swim in the lake, shop, think about getting her hair cut, put off buying a plane ticket home, and plan a village / benefit music festival for the fall.
having just started a summer job (10 copies of the DaVinci Code, 5 Asterix comics, and an assortment of 'sentimental' novels, please), it's SO much easier now, than say a week and a half ago, to just laze around at home without feeling guilty.

did not work may/june. instead, after escaping to london, then lyon, then the mediterranean/hautes alpes, i roadtripped with the folks out to Liechtenstein. that's right. connected with the family roots in tiny Swiss cantons while enjoying spectacular scenery and making mommy's Sound of Music dreams come true!
then alexa and claire came to visit. then andres. we went to Chamonixxxxx! hot!
all the while feeding my growing World Cup addiction -

the BEST match: France vs. Brazil -
we found ourselves in Paris, visiting Jeah and Adeline (who's got this awesome flat just across the Seine from Notre Dame) and Seb and Emma (who live in the north end).
we watched it in a pub full of crazies (the only way to go) -
the party erupted in the streets and the honking of horns, flag waving, and general debauchery continued into the wee hours of the night




















Musilac at Aix-les-Bains this past friday was my first 'festival' experience of the summer - though it hardly counts. was upfront for Starsailor, going nuts with fellow hardcore fans. left immediately after their set to go to the signing booth and blah blah blah could fill this with girly rambling about how they-- *ahem* *cough*recognizedmeandsaidgoodtoseeyouagain*cough*... went back into the crowd to watch Simple Minds! (Don't you, forget about me... la la la la laaaa la la la laaaa la la la LA la la la la la LA)
couldnt be bothered to stick around for Texas (oh so middle of the road) so i got a pizza and listened from afar.

and now i work monday to friday, 8-4:10. at least i can swim in the lake at lunch. and i don't even LIKE swimming! generally.
Alex is due for another visit soon.
am itching to get away as soon as my contract ends August 31. possibly some random festivals in England. or France. or anywhere. Berlin is still calling me to come back.
otherwise I'll be back in Canada sometime in October. after one full year away.
am looking forward to living in m......l? as much as i'd like it to be Toronto, it won't be. but i am a happy girl. and have nothing to complain about. except for this bloody heatwave ~

~ rebecca 6:06 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

~ rebecca 4:28 AM ~ [+]

Thursday, May 04, 2006

allo, oui?
oui, c'est moi.
dis-donc! ca fait un moment...!

translation:
yo
yeah hey it's me.
goddamn! where the %*^£ have you been?!

mmhmmm
i've reconnected with the world* a bit.
have just had a fabulous long weekend in London.
many thanks to Di and housemates for their wonderful Tooting hospitality.
it's all about picnicking in as many parks as possible, snacking on McCoys (or Walker's) salt and vinegar chips, pasties from Greggs, sandwiches from that place in Soho, and sushi from Tesco's.
the Lion King was also a wonderful thing.

*a more familiar world than i've been living in the past six months, ie. the anglophone world

and the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie never really appealed to me before but then Di suggested we watch it and am i ever glad we did cause i loved it to bits and i wonder why i hesitated before when eric suggested we see it and he still hasnt seen it so i hope we can still ask his friend with the hundreds of movies to burn it for us and then we can have our very own copy and watch it whenever we want!

have pretty much just been working through the winter months - which is good 'cause a) otherwise i'd be broke
b) otherwise i'd have been so bloody bored i probably wouldn't still be here today.

now i'm on a holiday from my holiday. down to Hyeres near Toulon tomorrow evening for a weekend at Seb's parents' mobilhome. then eric and i are off camping somewhere in les Hautes Alpes. a few days in Lyon and a Broken Social Scene concert later (!!!!!!!), my parents will be coming!

speaking of music - Architecture in Helsinki actually played Annecy last week. Karine and I went and danced our socks off and discovered our new favourite band

~ rebecca 4:55 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, January 15, 2006

ach ach ach!
this page is all in german!
i too am in german(y).
livin it up in berlin.
maria has a gorgeous apartment on the edge of kreuzburg where my great great grandfather was born.
i really really like berlin.
ahhh lovely little cafes EVERYWHERE and artsy fartsyness without being too pretentious or fartsy. will come back in the spring/summer to appreciate the greeness of the city.
i really want to learn german.
ach ach ach!
have seen (and enjoyed every minute of) the relatively new topography of terror exhibit, the brandenburg gate, the reichstag, etc etc all the touristy stuff but the best part has been having a personal tour guide who knows all the cool non-touristy spots.
actually the first few days i wandered around alone getting lost on purpose (i love love love doing this) - a bit more thrilling seeing as i dont speak the local language. then again everyone seems to speak english.

i had a currywurst today. mmmmm ketchup and curry powder !?!
and bought a blue belt and a couple of bowls made of old records.

friday night i discovered Red Dwarf but my viewing pleasure was cut short when someone spilled a bottle of martini on the laptop.. then we went to this concert in a random town hall - a friend´s acapella group - the musical entertainment after some political meeting. they were awesome. it didnt even start til after midnight! but there we were up front, us young´uns and then politicians sitting behind us. they covered peaches´ ´fuck the pain away´.. HI-larious- could hear the women behind us "was that really necessary?!" ahahhahah
then went to the PrivatClub where maria knew the staff so no cover and we danced the night away to so-called indie/britpop. ahahh AND i met this guy who taught german to a friend back home. ended up alone in a taxi at 5:15am...! (friend gone home with boyfriend)

saturday night i discovered the movie ´Station Agent´ - lovely! so simple and about nothing but what entertaining characters...!

ooh and did i mention berlin is soooooooo much less expensive than france, at least haute savoie and lyon... gosh
4 euro cocktails instead of 8 euros
and 2.50 pints instead of 5 euros .. which we paid in lyon at a fun lil irish pub.. was there for quiz night a week ago today! for future reference: when she discovered she had dandruff, catherine the great had her hairdresser executed.

left to do in berlin -
jewish museum, buy a wok, fore-arm warmers, a milk frother, a cutting board - - all of which are either impossible to find or are double the price in annecy.

i´ve realized i really have a thing for bicycles.. yeah, would love to collect them but i dont have that kind of cash so i´ll settle with matchboxes, and coasters, and copies of ´the little prince´in various languages. bought a german copy today in the 2nd hand market.

and so back to france in a few days which means back to work. but also back to my cheri. <3

looking forward to many a visitors in the next few months. i find it makes the time go faster to have something to look forward to. not that i really want time to go faster. oh i dont know.
have decided i´ll try to make it to various music festivals in europe this summer!
wooohooo
there may not be a glastonbury :( BUT there are hundreds of other open air festivals ..!
yessss

right. will look into getting the net at home asap.
for now, this is rebekka signing off from the lower west side of berlin.
going to make toast!

~ rebecca 6:59 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

there's a good chance we'll be getting keys to this lil place tomorrow...!
there's a bidet in the bathroom! because that's where bidets go.

~ rebecca 10:51 AM ~ [+]

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

~ rebecca 2:56 PM ~ [+]

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

'am happy for many different reasons' partie DEUX -

hello from Durham. where all the posh kids who don't get into oxford or cambridge go.
have had a fabulous week - rambling around the lake district, frolicking through muddy pastures amongst many sheep, in the pouring rain.


AND having some great nights out in good ol' man's chester ~! yes! just like old times... saw I Am Kloot at the Academy -


and also had a night at Matt and Phred's jazz cafe. wandering around campus, popping into Primark, lunch at the Night and Day, a nice reunion with the Zambia girls... yes, i missed Manchester. great to visit. we'll see if i ever end up coming back for longer.


AND have kind of seen Newcastle - - - last night was Starsailor at the Academy!

ooooeeeeeeeee awesome show as usual. it's been too long. thank you to mister security guard for the setlist to add to my collection *ahem* of starsailor setlists... *cough cough*
oh, and i do like the new stuff. have yet to buy the cd though. (and i call myself a fan?!)
back to france tomorrow. :) equally excited about that.
need a job.
yep.
that's about it ~
!!

~ rebecca 6:55 PM ~ [+]

Thursday, October 20, 2005

am very happy for many different reasons.

most immediately - i just found out i've got tickets to see I am Kloot at the Academy - with good'ol Guy Garvey opening! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
this is WILD. talk about a trip down memory lane! kate where are you?!? we need to go to Big Hands!

AND have tickets for starsailor in newcastle.

AND the sun has just come out, showering the beautiful french countryside with a warm light that filters amongst the rolling hills and .. ahahahah i try to be poetic. i fail. but anyways - think i'll go for a walk and take some photos. then maybe the photos will be poetic themselves.

there are cows out back!

a bit different from living on the edge of chinatown in downtown toronto now, innit?!
(where there are cows out back but they're not whole cows, and they're hanging in shop windows)

also made a friend yesterday. :)
she took me out to set up a phone account and show me around the city where i'll hopefully be living in not too long.
for now though, i'm quite content in this town of 200, with a church, but no bakery?!? or other stores.

band practice tonight. no i'm not in the band but i secretly wish i were. getting to watch in a hotboxed shed is good enough for me.

à tout!

~ rebecca 7:48 AM ~ [+]

Saturday, October 15, 2005

am waiting for some music to rip.
am very sleeeeeepy.
12 hours from now i'll be on a bus to montreal.
24 hours from now i'll be landing in paris.
then a few hours after that - - becky will be a very happy girl.

so last post from canada then, eh?
am hoping to have many visitors in the next half year or so who'll bring me things like kraft dinner.

in a rather spontaneous move, i've also bought a ticket to liverpool then on to newcastle.
hiking in the lake district, reconnecting with some manchesterness, potentially attending gigs of two of my fave bands, visiting junior high school friend at posh uni in durham, then back to the alps just in time for a wild costume party in some remote cabin in the woods. yes, have got a cleopatra costume goin'

that's it folks.
*muah* *muah*
a bientot ~

~ rebecca 2:40 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, October 09, 2005

the sky tonight c. 6:35

~ rebecca 2:22 AM ~ [+]

doves are playing in the man's chester ON MY BIRTHDAY!
i know i've complained about doves live, but i would definitely consider giving them another chance, since i think they make wonderfully gorgeous music...

in other news,
there will be 29 people at our thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

and also, i skipped a bunch of girliness in my description of the Tumi and the Volume show - so i'm inserting it here, hehe...
alimac and i were sitting at the back of the venue where Tumi happened to be sitting... one at a time the other band members joined him. then they asked us if we had a pen. to write their setlist! i at first gave them a red pen. then we realized they were writing on pink flyers. so i offered my black pen. and the drummer was sooo smiley and cute in his red hoodie. after the show we chatted with them for a second or two out front and the drummer came up and extended his hand for a handshake. :) in his red hoodie. he looked real cute. they will try to play in europe, specifically in france, for me. that's what i interpret from what they said anyways. ;)
and i haven't even mentioned the headliner yet!

k'naan - the dusty foot philosopher. SO very good. i'm not usually a lyrics person and silly enough, i don't/can't usually follow hiphop lyrics, but with him, i was totally listening and soaking in everything he said... was great.
i think he's about to go on tour in europe so i hope i can see him again soon.
a very socially conscious 'hip hop' artist - having been a refugee from somalia.. one of my favourite lines goes something like this:
"If I rhymed about home and got descriptive / I'd make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit."
a good read here

~ rebecca 1:13 AM ~ [+]

Friday, October 07, 2005

"We are a proud people, a live people, Allah's people, a beautiful people, and equally foul people..."

take a look at this article. a nice snapshot of the wonderfully awesome South African 'hip hop' group whose funk/jazz stylings alimac and i caught yesterday at Zaphods. love em love em love em.
Tumi and the Volume in canada brought to you by DistrictSix

~ rebecca 8:49 AM ~ [+]

Saturday, October 01, 2005

and the award for 'Best Live Band Becky Has Seen in a While' goes to . . .

*drumroll*

Metric!!

yesssss what an awesome show last night. funny how it was all ages - the 20-somethings stood by the bar on the balcony bopping their heads, while the under 19s moshed down by the stage. yes, moshed. it made me feel old. a bit random/annoying, but hey - at least everyone seemed to be having a good time. we chugged a couple beers upstairs (we weren't allowed to bring alcohol down) and then ventured as best we could to the front of the stage. first opener - The Lovely Feathers were reallly really good... who are they?!?! where do they come from?! why havn't i heard of them before?!? well, i'm sure they'll be around, breaking in to the scene big time, if they havn't already (and i'm just blissfully ignorant).
my sweetheart Jason Collett was up next. up at the bar before the show, he walked right by and we made eye contact while i was in mid sentence and then i simply could not finish my sentence and it must've looked so incredibly awkward. ahhhh haha girlie/swooning over rockstar moments... :)
his set was good. too bad he had to rush off to do another show in Montreal the same night! i suppose i didn't really expect his folky alt-country style to mesh well with the younger crowd. (i felt quite young at the last toronto show i went to.) anyways, it wasn't a bad crowd reaction.
then (succexy) emily haines graced the stage and the crowd went wild. and was pretty much wild for the rest of the night. highlights were Succexy, Combat Baby (of course!) and (again, of course) Dead Disco.



then i slept over at my cousin's house and was told i looked like i was 16.
bah.
and now, i wish the clock would just stop ticking for a couple of hours.
i need to run, shower, clean, AND i've just been put in charge of making a banner and ordering an ice cream cake. yesssss

oh, and on a sadder note. the total number of 'love letters' that i have been intent on receiving but have been lost in the mail, is now 2. and i don't know which postal service is to blame

oh, and i need ideas for a costume party to be held in a lost cabin in the alps. the theme is 'historical figures'. so anything from 'adam and eve' to ???

~ rebecca 1:43 PM ~ [+]

Friday, September 30, 2005

yesterday was a good day.
thank goodness for that.
i needed it.

went to Salvation Army, and bought:
- 1 oldschool medium sized tan leather over the shoulder Samsonite bookbag/carry-on type bag
- 1 retro small to medium sized brown purse - supposed to look like wrinkled leather
- 1 'Toujours Provence' hard cover book. sequel to the oh so fabulous 'A Year in Provence'
- 1 Alexandre Dumas 'La dame aux Camelias'
- 1 pair of nicely worn dark Silver jeans that fit PERFECTLY, no hemming required (this is a BIG deal)
-----------------------
all for....

$14.95 !!!!!!!

and then i went to Shoppers DrugMart and spent over $50. but that was on stuff like insoles for my poor achy feet, and hair dye for my poor discolored hair,...and other necessities.

another highlight of the day was when i finally brought my defective DVD burner to BestBuy (the one i had ordered online and had delivered. i was so excited(/lazy) about not even having to leave the house).
it is now installed and working!!
and so i stayed up til 3 burning music and have mp3 compilations entitled
- 'global grooves' for all your Afro-cuban needs
- 'quirky' if you're feeling for badly drawn boy's original debut 'how did i get here' or some 'soviet kitsch' (regina spektor)
- 'neutral' if you're looking for music you can play when your parents are around, ie. wilco, ryan adams, rushmore soundtrack
- 'move' if you want to move to some beck, modest mouse, boyballz (?!), mint royale, etc..
and the list goes on.

it's a beautiful day out today.
will go try out my new insoles and run.

then dye hair when hair is nice and grody.
then scramble around the house looking for Metric tickets... for tonight!

p.s. 15 days til France (!?!!)

~ rebecca 11:24 AM ~ [+]

Thursday, September 29, 2005

to add to the list of possibilities:

Broken Social Scene - Tuesday November 29, 2005 London, UK Barfly
Broken Social Scene - Monday December 5, 2005 Berlin, Germany Postbahnhof
Broken Social Scene - Monday December 19, 2005 London, UK Cargo
---------------------------------------

yesterday i worked coatcheck at the (awesome new) war museum.
today i sold tickets to 'Queen - some kinda magic' - a Queen cover band from australia.
bring on the random jobs!!!!!!!!

:)

~ rebecca 12:08 AM ~ [+]

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

have just created a flickr account for all my fave photos. (as opposed to my overflowing yahoo photo account which well, is pretty much a detailed account of my life in recent years)
flickr.com is addictive. and i know - it is SO last year

my flickr page

my wandering today wasn't as bad as anticipated.
police check may have been a waste of time.
have got greyhound tix so a trip to toronto is official. :)
my purse didn't live up to all the hype. the FRONT of the purse was facing AWAY from the window. here i thought the back was the front. i like the back. the front --erm.. not so much. a little buckle thing seems out of place and not me. plus, it's not real leather anyways.. ha.
coffee at bridgehead is always nice. not only knowing i'm drinking fair trade coffee ;) but got to catch up with coco in person!! how about that!!?!
and now, because of that coffee, it's 2:42 am and i'm only getting sleepy now.

let me confess a few things.
- i'm sad that my job with ticketbastard is over. (for this year anyways)
- 18 days til france and the nerves are kicking in. but that's no secret.
okay forget it. i don't really have any juicy confessions to make. maybe later

~ rebecca 2:34 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, September 25, 2005

as my musical hero, badly drawn boy, puts it:
"all possibilities":

Fri 10/28/05 I Am Kloot Manchester Academy
Sat 10/29/05 I Am Kloot The Astoria
Sun 10/30/05 Starsailor Carling Liverpool Academy
Mon 10/31/05 Starsailor Newcastle Academy
Fri 11/04/05 Starsailor Carling Apollo Manchester
Thu 11/10/05 Starsailor Leas Cliff Hall
Sun 11/20/05 Elbow Newcastle University
Wed 11/23/05 Elbow Carling Apollo Manchester
Fri 11/25/05 Elbow Carling Brixton Academy
Sun 11/27/05 I Am Kloot Postbanhof Berlin
Sun 12/04/05 David Gray Manchester E.N. Arena

"All Possibilities"

All possibilities
Are landing at my feet
There's nothing I can see
But possibilities

All colours are changing in my eyes
Your hopes are all fading, that will never do
You're seeing the world through cynical eyes
I'm seeing the world through the eyes of somebody new
Oh there's a hope left, there's a dream still in my heart
Look past the answers, there's a chance that there's no rulebook for this love

~ rebecca 5:29 PM ~ [+]

Saturday, September 24, 2005

to put things simply:
i'm jealous of my friends who have their lives sorted out for the moment.
(ie. grad school. job, house, boyfriend-in-same city, - - any combination of the above)

i want to be in france.
i want to be in toronto.
i'm bored.
i want to be in school.
i don't think i want to be in school again for another 2 years or so.
i have the itch to travel.
i'd really like to just settle down for a bit.
finally,
i didn't want to make this blog a blog in which i ranted about personal things.
i can't not do it.

meh.
i can't afford to have a 'meh' attitude. can i?

~ rebecca 10:36 PM ~ [+]

Thursday, September 22, 2005

to be read later.
Soulseeking

~ rebecca 11:04 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

guess who's be-hind this is?
tee hee
clue: last saturday night, aica and i went to see 'most serene republic' (just like a bss-jr.) open for.. The Stills de montreal!

that was in the middle of a helluva busy weekend. another will soon be under way this time tomorrow. two adults and one child? that's $16 please. children 12 and under are free today! the cattle show? try asking at the maingate...








23 days til France.

~ rebecca 11:50 PM ~ [+]

Friday, September 16, 2005

Artists including Tracey Emin and Gavin Turk have been invited by Christian Aid to produce work as a vivid reminder of the horrors of world poverty.

5. Improve maternal health / Artists: Rob and Nick Carter / Title: Mother Earth

~ rebecca 10:48 AM ~ [+]

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

who to vote for??!
i really like them both...
seriously!

~ rebecca 9:48 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, September 11, 2005

amillionways_v300.mov (video/quicktime Object)

amusement from OKGO who i dislike. but this song isn't bad

~ rebecca 11:51 AM ~ [+]

Thursday, September 08, 2005

i used to think i could never live in a city with fewer than 1 million people or so, that i'd go crazy without a bustling downtown core and multiculturalism/diversity celebrated/cultivated everywhere you look, without the latest great bands passing through on a regular basis, without the smog that has conditioned my skin for years and years...
but things are changing - - ever since searching for random jobs in random French towns has become my new hobby.
and so that will keep me occupied for the next few weeks. until i land on the continent and have to face the fact that i am homeless and jobless in a small french town.

trip out east was fine. some parts were really nice (PEI cottage-on-the-ocean life, helping my sister settle in to her awesome new apartment). other parts thoroughly sucked, (17 hours in the car with parents bickering and stress levels reaching unprecedented heights). so it balances out to 'fine'.

in rural new brunswick, i apparently almost walked in on the federal minister of human resources going for a wee. luckily, she had locked the door.

i've felt a bit ill all day. time for bed now. then shoe shopping tomorrow! :D is there anything i enjoy more in this world?!
yes, of course. but i'm still trying to figure out what exactly it is

~ rebecca 11:37 PM ~ [+]

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

"We should all have Steves."
said Caroline as we watched an episode of Sex and the City, stuffing our faces with salt and vinegar chips which she at first told me were regular. (i exploded.)

"Forever is tomorrow is today."
said David Gray

~ rebecca 10:53 PM ~ [+]

from starsailor.net:

Starsailor will be celebrating the launch of their new single, In The Crossfire, by performing four small shows:

Monday 3rd October Edinburgh The Venue*
Tuesday 4th October Manchester Jabez Clegg
Thursday 6th October Birmingham Irish Centre
Friday 7th October Bristol Bierkeller*

JABEZ FREAKIN' CLEGG!
I've booked shows there. ;)
man. if it were a month later. i'd be there.

note - there was also a note saying: 'Four similar shows will be taking place in Europe and will be announced shortly.' ;) ;)

have just finished a SuperEx ticket selling marathon that culminated in an absolutely amazing Rolling Stones extravaganza last night. then today a few of us went to Meech Lake for a picnic under a very threatening sky, and on the way back, decided to check out the rumours heard on the Bear this morning - yes indeed - the Stones were playing at Zaphod's.. there were giant buses, police, tents, crowds, all over York St.
then proceeded to watch the new show 'prison break' (?). meh. but THEN, walked over to Dairy Queen and indulged myself by inhaling a FlameThrower burger.. mMmmmmMMMMMM
loverly. and now i'm here, making a list of things to do before a mini holiday on the East Coast!

~ rebecca 12:18 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, August 21, 2005

and the winner of cutest puppy is... Jack - Lindsay's new poo-triever!

and the winner of cutest Canadian female singer is... Natalie McMaster! eh? she's pregnant eh?

and the winner of ... becky's favourite folkfest artist is... Feist!

~ rebecca 12:26 AM ~ [+]

Friday, August 19, 2005

for the first time in .. oh.. over 14 months, i can say - i've got work tomorrow, so i should get to bed!

just wanted to say i had a fabulous night at the folk fest, opening the door for joan armatrading with a plate of food in my hand, then later watching her perform a luverly set.
she's wonderful!

~ rebecca 12:16 AM ~ [+]

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

am not in such a good mood tonight. i suppose it balances out with my last entry. i knew it was coming!

the 'family' computer has broken down and so i've set up my own computer in 'the office'. works fine and all, but might have to pay some guy to come fix this other computer which may have been infected by one of those viruses and in that case i will no doubt be blamed for downloading music. boooooooooooooo

went for a run today! felt really good. and i hope to go for another tomorrow. eric was online when i got back, which was nice, cause he was happy and so i was happy and things were just fine until our *(#&$"@!{# computer decided to quit on us. #(#&$)*{>!!!!!^#(&*!%#

paperwork drags on. at least busy time is quickly approaching. technically it starts tomorrow with a hop, skip, and a jump over to the beach for some freeeee music and a lil bit of responsibility thrown in. ("excuse me sir! please, don't do that. no, sir, really. you're not allowed to jump over the fence. may i escort you to the ticket booth, sir?")

tomorrow night will wrap up with Joan Armatrading. :)
tonight is wrapping up right now ~

oh but first - i found this in my inbox this morning and was both pleasantly surprised and laughing out loud at the same time. they look so serious. so dark. barry looks the same. but look how sinister looking stel and ben are! ahahahhahah james looks mighty yummy in this shot though! heehee


fyi:
The new Starsailor album is called 'On The Outside.' It is scheduled to be released on October 17th. It will be proceeded by the single, 'In The Crossfire' on October 3rd.
The full album tracklisting is:
1. In The Crossfire
2. Counterfeit Life
3. In My Blood
4. Faith Hope Love
5. I Don't Know
6. Way Back Home
7. Keep Us Together
8. Get Out While You Can
9. This Time
10. White Light
11. Jeremiah
The album was recorded and mixed in LA during April and May this year. It has been produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Vines, Elliot Smith)
Steve Lamacq will be playing 'In The Crossfire' on his Radio 1 show on Monday 22nd

p.s. i don't like it that it took me a while to remember the last time i saw them. it was january 2004! my my. fingers crossed for european touring this fall

~ rebecca 11:42 PM ~ [+]

Saturday, August 13, 2005

inspired by the latest posts of my fellow bloggers coco and sheepie (ahahahha that sounds.. different) i've decided to mark this happy but otherwise/overall average summer day with a blog!

things are good. have been back in ottawa nearly a week and everything's been a-ok, borderline - great! just seeing friends and family again blah blah blah, and knowing that i've got a bit of cash flowing in, starting yesterday -i'm getting paid for the 2 hours i spent standing around being 'trained' for something i've already done. it's nice to know i'll be workign in the next couple of weeks even if it's temporary. and it's nice to be living at home for a bit, knowing that i'll be going away in not too long. i was thinkign of buyign my plane ticket to france today. why not?? otherwise i might just veg out in front of the tv and watch some tennis, or walk to WalMart to buy a portable electronic device - i'm thinking a Sony mp3 walkman.. long story. i'm not jumping on the Ipod bandwagon yet. i wont' have a computer in Lyon so there wont' be a lot of downloading going on.

i was sad to say goodbye to friends in toronto and to toronto itself, but turns out a lot of old friends are here in ottawa right now and it's been really nice to catch up with them. it's just like high school again, really. REWIND four years and here we are. the same old gang. minus a couple who are either married or have defected to the US of A. ;)

it's a nice day out. i should really go to the beach or something.
MAYBE part of the reason i'm in such a good mood right now is that i just spoke to mon cheri. and i've decided to join my parents for a trip to PEI post-dropping off of the sister in the 'fax and visiting katie-loo of manchester fame!

also bought tickets for Metric in Ottawa at the end of September ...! got them during the presale on ticketmaster.. not sure how that worked, but i ended up getting them a couple of days before they 'went on sale'. unhuh... i'm not complaining. Jason Collett is opening ! wooooohooooooooo.
AND, turns out i WILL be able to see Feist, on a smaller stage, at the folk fest. yesssssssss

tra la la. oh gosh, i know i'm gonna look at this blog later and regret writing it in such a perky mood.
well, for the record, i'm having a very nice August 13, 2005.

*muah*

~ rebecca 2:36 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

well well! almost two months later...
and - i'm in toronto as if nothing had changed.
'cept things have!
spent some fabulous holidays in BC after a bit of time in o-town.
eric should have just arrived 'home' home, for the first time in 10 months.
i'm am quite excited for him!
oh - time to go meet andres and friend for a chinese (dinner).
will write more later.. i hope.

~ rebecca 6:34 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, June 05, 2005

gah! it's too freakin' hot.. and i was SO lazy today. all i did was entertain Beardo the bearded dragon, while watching all the remaining episodes of Sex and the City. and i packed two suitcases full of clothes. why are there no more episodes of Sex and the City for me to watch?? hum hum. now i'm not sure what to do with myself. eric just whipped me with a tea towel. i am less than impressed. but he made chocolate chip muffins, so he's ALMOST made up for it.
tomorrow i start taking things down off my wall.
that's all.

~ rebecca 11:43 PM ~ [+]

Thursday, June 02, 2005

a few things...
1 - i've broken through the bubble! - the bloor/yonge/queen/spadina bubble that is!
went to the Beaches today and it was luverly. mmm. i think i'd like to live around there some day. weird to think about it though, cause i dont' think it'll be anytime soon...
2 - this chemical brothers/magic numbers song is very bss/Stars-ish.
3 - i had a dream last night about my zambia mates and they were telling me how i was the WORST at keeping in touch...! which i know is SO TRUE. arrrggghh. i'm horrible.
ok, well, i'm blogging about it - so by the end of tomorrow, i WILL have written emails to them. ok? ok. (pester me about it in 24 hours)

now on to finding out what i can do with some chicken and a can of coconut milk.

p.s. thanks to di, i've discovered the addiction to self-illustrations on the computer - click here!

~ rebecca 8:34 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, May 29, 2005

well hello there!
yah, here i am. not much to say. i've been in a weird mood since school ended. it's all one big cliche. i don't know in which direction i'm headed.
since i last blogged i've fallen asleep on a florida beach, bought a plane ticket to vancouver, lined up for 8 hours for 6 minutes of thrills at Wonderland, seen the giraffes at the zoo, seen Kasabian (finally), seen Apostle of Hustle (finally), discovered a new two player card game, scrubbed the bathtub,
... and many other things that are rather boring, and my brain is beginning to rot, slowly.
there are animals living in my walls/ceiling. climbing out onto the roof at 5am, eric confirmed that they are not simply ON the roof. they are IN my ceiling/walls. so that's a bit of excitement for ya!
at this very moment i'd like to download some music, and-- oh! jason collett was just shuffled into play mode and i'm liking it a lot.
i've gotta start packing up my room soon. how sad. i mean, i'll still have my room in o-town, but i hate that room - it's like a museum. i don't think anything's changed since grade 10. yuck.
for sheepie and coco - i think my lack of blogging has reflected a sort of lack of energy. and i've just not been in the mood.
the other day i spoke briefly with one of the head honchos at oxfam and as he articulated so appropriately - i'm in 'search mode'. searching for... a job perhaps? an internship? more importantly - for inspiration? ewwww how cheesy. no apologies.
NEXT:
looking to set up house in lyon ??

~ rebecca 11:52 AM ~ [+]

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Got what you want (Metro Times Detroit)

~ rebecca 4:56 PM ~ [+]

i'm actually spanish!
i knew it.
what's that?
oh, it's barcelona calling me...

Your Inner European is Spanish!

Energetic and lively. You bring the party with you!

Who's Your Inner European?

forgot to mention -
i'm going to a BLUE JAYS game tonight!!
wheeeeeeee

~ rebecca 4:34 PM ~ [+]

Thursday, April 21, 2005

tonight was a wonderful evening for many many reasons.
- i'm finished my undergraduate career
oh wait, that's somehow a bit sad. i'll miss being an undergrad. in the social way y'know.
umm...
start again.

- i just wrote the last exam i'll ever have to write. maybe. for at least a year. maybe two or three, or maybe FOREVER.

- i celebrated this by:
- making some sinigang (gotta love the sourness and boiled broccoli) and curling up in front of Sex in the City / Friends beside my cheri who was playing badly drawn boy on the geetar
- watching a special on Windsor Castle (oooh ingalund!!) on CBC.
- the next thing i did may not be appropriate to mention here, but it's not what you're thinking. ;) haha
- went for a loooong walk in search of a restaurant. made a giant loop along queen down john down king up spadina, ended up...
- devouring a schnitzel sandwich at the Red Room, being serenaded by Eminem (?), then i speedwalked home all alone as eric went straight to work

my sister told me how great the lineup for the tulip festival is.
i might catch ron sexsmith and hawksley if i go home right after florida (t-minus 18 days, it says on the fridge)

i'm looking forward to some 'home' time with the family.

until then, i'll be directing a lot of calls, sorting lots of mail, stuffing envelopes, and making mixtapes.

i'd also appreciate any advice on what i might do from august 1st onwards.

~ rebecca 12:04 AM ~ [+]

Saturday, April 16, 2005

so today was an interesting day. i thought it might even be worth a blog.
but i'm falling asleep so it'll be short and sweet -
i finished my last non-exam essay for a loooooooong time (maybe forEVER).
i went out for Ethiopian food with people + prof from one of my seminars. too bad i didn't get to know people earlier. it really is an interesting group...
drank a very strong espresso with lotsa sugar in it...
came home to an empty house, was wired and in the mood for a party...
naomi comes home amd tells me there's a party down the street. how perfect.
was a trip down memory lane. a house full of people i kinda know, only by face really, from seeing at burwash, etc. some fab live music and a couple o'bottles of mike's (brings me back to my youth) topped off a perfectly happy day. (minus the stress of explaining french gastronomy and minus general anxiety about where i might go august 1st. rah.)
i want i want i want. it's not fair.
ambulance ltd. tomorrow. should be great. yay concert. boo exam on wednesday.
what an insightful blog. *insert rolling eyes emoticon from msn*



p.s. i love cousteau
p.p.s. i've lost my favourite eyeliner
p.p.p.s. damn i hafta set up this futon by myself

~ rebecca 3:17 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, April 03, 2005

hey coco - this blog's for you.
:p

what do you want me to say??
i really have to pee but i'm in the middle of speaking to my good friend Kate who i haven't seen since last june when we said goodbye in front of this really good asian fusion restaurant on oxford road across the street from my res last year. that was sad saying goodbye. i hate saying goodbye. i hate writing essays. i'm gonna go pee now, so goodbye

~ rebecca 5:36 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, March 27, 2005

You're Prufrock and Other Observations!

by T.S. Eliot

Though you are very short and often overshadowed, your voice is poetic
and lyrical. Dark and brooding, you see the world as a hopeless effort of people trying
to impress other people. Though you make reference to almost everything, you've really
heard enough about Michelangelo. You measure out your life with coffee spoons.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

~ rebecca 3:14 AM ~ [+]

Saturday, March 26, 2005

where the feck are my feckin comments and archives?? booooooo
my ears are red. and buuuuuuuurning. we failed to get out of the house tonight but still had a merry time, making do with a random assortment of booze.
add jager to the grocery list, please

oh, and we blame everything on lent

~ rebecca 2:37 AM ~ [+]

Friday, March 25, 2005

strawberry ice cream drizzled with baileys... (?!)
a bit of red wine...
crepes with butter and strawberries sprinkled with powdered sugar...
deeeeelish!
and now i've gotta hit the sack. can't keep my eyes open. funny thing is i've been saying that for several hours now. and yet i was too lazy to actually go and get ready for bed

----> clem snide at the horseshoe april 27.

~ rebecca 1:57 AM ~ [+]

Thursday, March 24, 2005

TheStar.com - The way we'll be in 2017

Canada's current wave of immigration will bring a record number of people belonging to visible minorities to the country by the time the nation celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2017, a new Statistics Canada study projects.

By then, people of non-European origin will make up more than half of Greater Toronto's population.

Canada's long history as a nation of immigrants should be helpful to the newcomers, who are expected to represent more than one-fifth of Canadian residents in 2017, government and immigration experts say.

How well they succeed will depend on how fully Canada overcomes systemic problems, such as racism and barriers to employment posed by the difficulty of getting foreign training and skills recognized here. But Canada's traditions of tolerance and peaceful integration should ensure that our core institutions and values remain constant as the face of society changes.

Among the study's conclusions:

People of South Asian origin will cement their status as the Toronto region's most populous visible-minority group. Of Toronto's projected population of 6.6 million, more than 1 million will be South Asian, up from 488,000 in 2001. The second biggest group will be those of Chinese ancestry, at 735,000, up from 420,000.

The influx will, for the first time, be made up almost entirely of visible-minority groups — notably Chinese, Indian, black and, increasingly, Arab and other West Asian groups.

By 2017, people born in a different country will make up a larger percentage of the population than at any time since the turn of the last century, when waves of European newcomers began rolling over western Canada.

"I don't think we have to worry; we have to embrace this as a positive thing," says Raymond Chan, federal minister of state for multiculturalism, whose department commissioned the report.

"The diversity in Canada's population has always been a contributing factor to building our nation, and this is not the first time we've had that kind of influx," Chan said yesterday. Among the report's other findings:

In 2017, about 20 per cent of Canadians — between 6.3 million and 8.5 million residents — will be members of visible-minority groups. In the 2001 census, only 13 per cent of Canadians identified themselves as such.

The rate of growth within non-European immigrant communities will range from 56 per cent to 111 per cent between 2001 and the sesquicentennial year — up to 23 times faster than the rest of the population.

The vast majority of new immigrants — 75 per cent — will congregate in the country's three largest urban centres. In both Toronto and Vancouver, visible minorities will represent half or more of the population by 2017.

Toronto will carry the brunt of the immigration load, settling 45 per cent of all newcomers from visible minorities. Vancouver will get 18 per cent and Montreal 11 per cent.

The visible-minority population of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area — which includes most of Greater Toronto plus Burlington — would range between 2.8 million and 3.9 million in 2017. That's up from 1.7 million — or 36.8 per cent of the area's population — in 2001.

Ontario, which has argued strenuously in recent weeks for more federal money to help settle immigrants, would have a visible-minority population of almost 4.1 million: 47 per cent of the national total.

British Columbia would be home to some 1.4 million people from visible-minority groups, or 20 per cent of the nation's total.

The impact of this influx will probably intensify over coming years, the report says, as children are born to new arrivals.

The newcomers will be a relatively youthful group, with a median age of 35.5 — eight years younger than that of the rest of the population.

University of Toronto demographer David Foot says that the emergent immigrant baby boom — which will account for less than one-third of the expected increase in visible minorities — is a product of the overall younger age of the newcomers, rather than a tendency to have more children.

New Canadians are more likely to be in their prime childbearing years. But immigrants are unlikely to produce more children over their lifetimes than any other group in Canada.

This latest chapter in Canada's long history of immigration may be drawing attention because of its ethnic composition, but it's likely to end in the same, familiar way as past waves of settlement, says Chan.

"In different times in Canadian history, we've had different rushes of immigration," says Chan, himself an immigrant from Hong Kong.

"And they all contributed positively to the economy, to the strength of the country."

University of Toronto sociologist Jeffrey Reitz agrees that the latest immigrant wave differs little from those that have swept over the country before.

The newcomers will be a relatively youthful group, with a median age of 35.5
"Change is constant. It started with mainly British, then more northern European and Scandinavian, then east European and south European," says Reitz, who specializes in Canadian immigration

"In the '70s we opened it up to the world. Now we say all Europeans are the new `us,' and now there's a new `them,' and it's people who are not European."

Reitz says the modern Canadian immigration flow follows naturally from the previous patterns, in which Canada was always among the world's most welcoming nations.

"Canada's commitment to immigration in this new global era is relatively high compared to other countries," he says.

And most Canadians still support the country's immigration program. Many would even like to see it expanded.

"It's remarkable in Canada how, in general, the public has embraced (immigration) as an affirmation of Canadian identity, rather than a challenge to it," he says.

Aftab Ahmed hopes the future doesn't look entirely like the past.

"I've been here for the past 30 years," Ahmed says. "When I came, the immigrants were usually from the British Isles and Europe. There weren't that many visible minorities around back then. Sometimes, you had to look for a South Asian person to talk to."

The High Park resident hopes the climate for tomorrow's immigrants will have changed. "When I came, there was lots of racism and discrimination."

The business degree he earned in his native Pakistan wasn't recognized here, so Ahmed took to driving a taxi, a job he still holds today for the sake of his children's future.

"I took a bullet for my kids. I sacrificed my life for my kids."

Most experts say the non-European nature of this latest immigrant wave will bring its own unique challenges.

Where past waves of immigrants often came from Europe's poor and working-class populations, many of today's newcomers are specifically recruited for their skills and education, points out Ursa George, director of Toronto's Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement.

Studies have shown that recent minority immigrants are faring worse in Canada, economically, than their European counterparts, despite being better educated.

"And our major challenge will be access to employment and opportunities that are equal," she says. "We especially hear a lot of questioning around (academic) accreditations and access to trades and professions, which has a connotation of racism to it."

George, who is also associate dean of the University of Toronto's department of social work, says it makes no sense to lure skilled workers to Canada only to have them work behind the wheel of a cab.

She says that ensuring a smooth immigrant transition into Canadian society will require that governments "very consciously" deal with such economic roadblocks.

On the other hand, she says, regressive social or religious attitudes that new immigrants might bring to Canada, about issues such as women's rights, can't be allowed to infiltrate the existing culture.

And as visible minorities gradually become the majority in places like Toronto, George says, they must also ensure that they do not deny others access to jobs and services as they achieve some economic power in Canadian society.

"We have to create a society where everyone feels safe and where everyone feels that their opportunities and their chances are not hampered by the presence of another group."

Still, Reitz says purely racist attitudes will no doubt appear as visible minority populations grow.

"I don't mean it's some inter-ethnic utopia in Canada. For some people, they (visible minorities) are less desirable as newcomers, frankly," he says.

"Discrimination is not absent from Canadian society, but relative to other countries we've embraced these changes."

Chan, who was attending an immigration forum in Ottawa yesterday that accompanied the report's release, says that issues of health-care access, language education, cultural transitions and job access must be addressed.

"We just have to understand the challenges and be focused in our efforts."

With files from Christian Cotroneo

~ rebecca 1:18 AM ~ [+]

Monday, March 21, 2005

man. i just can't stop blogging tonight.
i just realized that i CANNOT miss The Stands at Lee's Palace. it's the clashing of two worlds! it's a historic event! monumental! fuck the banquet afterparty. my date can do what he wants. i know where i'll be going. (really don't mean for that to come out harsh like that. it just fits) i'll be outta my heels and long dress and into some sneakers and jeans and over to lee's for 10. doors don't open til 9 so it should be all good.
(then maybe back into some nicer clothes and hit up the afterparty, fashionably late)
(des, if you're reading this - i'll pick up another ticket for ya)

~ rebecca 1:58 AM ~ [+]

beck - happy spring everyone! says:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
beck - happy spring everyone! says:
BOYS!!!!!!!!!!
Shilpa| we might as well be strangers says:
EXACTLY!
Shilpa| we might as well be strangers says:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
beck - happy spring everyone! says:
gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Shilpa| we might as well be strangers says:
garrhha
beck - happy spring everyone! says:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Shilpa| we might as well be strangers says:
LOL

~ rebecca 1:46 AM ~ [+]

ok. so maybe i shouldn't have called.
but i won't let it put a damper on the end of my weekend.
my weeeeeird weekend.
found probably one of the cheapest places for booze on college.
naomi hilariously drunk on saturday night. a couple games of Settlers. yes, i'm obsessed with an award-winning German boardgame. (but it's just soooo good)
really wanted to do laundry today. heck, i had it all sorted and my basket and detergent are sitting at the bottom of the stairs. but didn't have any loonies. i would've gone out to the store, but i really needed a shower. and i couldn't shower cause i was waiting for some mono to dry in the bathtub. rah.
so coco and i made a late night trip to shoppers...
i stocked up on lotsa goodies ie. Doritos bold bbq chips. and strawberry ice cream.
also, in an attempt to smell some bodywash, i managed to squirt too hard and it erupted out onto my nose, making a big mess.
it's 1am. for pete's sake becky.. just go to bed. then maybe you'll get up before 11.
rah rah rah.
looks like the SO'll be back in town a bit earlier than expected...
!!!
that is all.

~ rebecca 12:53 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, March 20, 2005

BBC NEWS | Americas | Annan seeks thorough UN overhaul

"We will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights," he said.

~ rebecca 9:48 PM ~ [+]

Saturday, March 19, 2005

quote of the day:
"i can imagine being a mom...how hard that must be....but is it really harder than the nonstop essays??" - coco.

~ rebecca 8:35 PM ~ [+]

THIS has made my day. :)

~ rebecca 5:17 PM ~ [+]

was just checkin' out my archives - looking at what i was up to this time last year.
had just gotten back from barcelona. so much fun stuff going on.
gigs gigs gigs. the night and day. 5th ave. i am klootness. making fresh pasta with kate and eric in kate's flat in withington. sketchy bus rides into the city centre. the FAB cafe. watching sex and the city and friends in the common room with maria and shrina. running to McColls for a packet of McCoy's salt and vinegar crisps. making tiramisu at jan and seb's place. missing the last train to manchester, being stranded in liverpool, and crashing at one of the best hostels EVER. rather spontaneously hopping on a short flight to the mediterranean.

why does it seem like there was ALWAYS tons of fun stuff going on last year over there. hmmmmmmmm mmmmmaybe because school wasn't such a big part of my life. not that i WANT school to be a big part of my life HERE... but unfortunately it seems to have taken over for the time being. doesn't help that everyone around me is in the same boat. or maybe it does. i don't know.

what the hell am i saying?!?!? AAAAARGH. (i only had ONE brown cow tonight so this is not drunken rambling)
i was just telling naomi how it's too bad (???) i feel i'd like to live in toronto for a while... when my SO is quite attached to someplace far away.
point being... i DO have fun here.... i think it's just the school element that makes things difficult.. and only a few more weeks of that left. i'm really looking forward to spending some of the summer here.
it's not like there's a lack of fun things to do here...
part of what made last year so special was just the NEWNESS of it all... the fresh start after a not so great 2nd year. i think. but Manchester DOES have quite a crazy fun character... something hard to find here.

AHA! i've got it. it's all about the weather. that's it.
it really does come down to: when it's cold, you don't wanna be outside. in manchester, it was always so easy to get around, to be outside, hence the getting out more... right??
ohhhhh i think i just miss my friends from last year... if i could go back.. oh wait, they're now spread all over the world. damn.
i better wrap up this rambling and get to some reading in bed.
something due in every single class next week.
~ they know how to keep the pressure on ~

~ rebecca 12:26 AM ~ [+]

Friday, March 18, 2005

right. so i wanted to blog right away before the goodness of the day fades away...
it's been a good, productive day so far.
and... if my recent sleeping patterns are any indication, (it's almost dinner time but -) my day isn't even half over!
and it's been springy, as in - relatively warm, the sun was out a fair bit, i noticed more tourists around than in the past few months of wintery hellishness.
i even noticed some trees budding!

went to kensington for groceries. our fridge and cupboard are looking MUCH better now. highlights: eggos and mini frozen pizzas. and raisins. and day-old bread. and PASTRAMI.
had a very constructive meeting with a prof then proceeded north to the bank - -
oh how i've missed Bloor Street!! it's true! standing on the north side across from the Varsity field, you get a pretty awesome panorama perspective of the downtown... i really wanted to take a picture. but i didn't. i'll be back. then i finally decided to dig down to the bottom of my bag to get my camera and take a picture of the ROM construction. can't wait to see how it turns out.
[note to self: check out that design exhibit at the AGO.]
proceeded east to buy banquet tickets. ooh la la ... now i just need a dress.
i can't quite pinpoint the source of my happiness. that's not a bad thing. guess i've just found a bit of inspiration in a mix of little things that i've encountered today.
last night was nice too. i finished my cover letter, sent it to daddy, played guitar (!!) and spoke to my cheri. 2 weeks baaaaby.
which reminds me that april fools is maria's birthday!

on a sadder note - my ankle still hurts from when i made that grand entrance to the CrocRock and sprained it many many weeks ago.

Speaking of ankles...
am wearing eric's ankle socks. it's time to do laundry.

~ rebecca 4:52 PM ~ [+]

Monday, March 14, 2005

maximo park.
saw them tonight!
they are so much fun!
oh so cute.
they are gonna be big.
just watch.
they're freakin' playing Jabez Clegg! Jabez Clegg!
that is all!
time for bed!

p.s. http://www.maximopark.com
p.p.s. NME - "They make porn music for people that read Sartre... A welcome dose of literate eccentric angular intelligence."

~ rebecca 1:31 AM ~ [+]

Friday, March 11, 2005

saw a Ugandan children's choir perform today. their spirit is incredible. their voices - glorious. within a minute of them dancing on to the stage, my eyes filled with tears as i thought of all the kids who became really special to me last summer.
these choir kids are all HIV/AIDS orphans. they belong to a child care ministry. as the concert went on, it became more and more obvious how 'professional' this group is - the presentation was sooo scripted - in some way it almost did not seem quite genuine. and i hate myself for thinking like this, but when the kids would speak in between songs of how their parents died, they went to live with their abusive aunt who would deny them food... it was so obvious they had been trained to put emphasis on certain words with certain intonation. i felt as if i were watching a play. hmm. have now checked out their website, and yeah - they go on EXTENSIVE nearly year-long tours all over the world. guess that explains it all. i guess it felt strange because at first they totally reminded me of the mwandi kids, but then i realized how different these kids actually are, traveling the globe in their decked out tourbus, 'GOD Loves You' written on the front of the bus. (i saw it drive away)

it quickly became obvious how religiously based they are... ok. so i realize religion plays a significant role in African development... it's a way for these kids to get help... and it makes me sad to say this, but ... the video they played featuring the founder of the ministry - well, it disturbed me. my mood completely changed. i just can't help being very critical of the fact that they say things like - 'we provide food, shelter and education for these kids, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, we suffocate them with the word of the Lord.' okay so that last part is a bit off, but i can't remember what he said. argh. i couldn't bring myself to donate at the end. of course i want to help orphans in africa. i am a poor student but that's not quite an excuse not to give even a few dollars. well, other than the fact that i only had a 20 on me, i think you really have to pick and choose which charities to give to. and the deeply religious affiliation of this one was a real turnoff. not to sound harsh, but it's true.

end rant. on to other things..
like this:
(it's real. was in a newspaper)
!!!

~ rebecca 12:47 AM ~ [+]

Sunday, March 06, 2005

idlewild's new album is out tomorrow.
in april they're playing at the manchester academy.
oh how i wish i could be there.
but roddy's long hair is bad news.

i need a name for my pet raccoon. any suggestions will be warmly welcomed.

aaaaaaaaa. currently listening to the stone roses and i want to dance dance dance!

in other news, apparently i sometimes give good advice ;)

beck says:
i'm so happy for you
breathless says:
thank u! i took ur word that's y. he's not yet my boyfriend though LOL but we go out a lot.
beck says:
well, i would call him your boyfriend ! if you've been going out more than a few times
beck says:
what word of mine did you take?
breathless says:
i myt meet sum1 w/o expecting it. go and and socialize w/ people because i will never know who will be introduced to me...
breathless says:
i should get away from my computer because i can't meet people staring at a computer screen haha

~ rebecca 10:40 PM ~ [+]

i can now say i've been to the sketchiest venue in toronto ;)

SATURDAY MARCH 5th
Comfort Zone $10 Door
Dan Burke & CMW Presents
wristbands/passes accepted
pm 7:30 - Doors
8:00 - Femme Generation - didn't see
9:00 - Shikasta - i really liked them
10:00 - Two Koreas - meh
11:00 - Gentleman Reg - have i seen these guys before? i feel in the air, there's some mysterious relation to Vic. really liked the music
12:00 - Boy Ballz - fabuloso
am 1:00 - The Zoobombs - wow. but then it all started to sound the same, and i was so tired and my back hurt, and i'm becoming an old lady

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
check it:

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS-ONLINE EDITION
Missile Counter-Attack
Axworthy fires back at U.S. -- and Canadian -- critics of our BMD decision in An Open Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Thu Mar 3 2005

By LLOYD AXWORTHY

Dear Condi, I'm glad you've decided to get over your fit of pique and venture north to visit your closest neighbour. It's a chance to learn a thing or two. Maybe more.
I know it seems improbable to your divinely guided master in the White House that mere mortals might disagree with participating in a missile-defence system that has failed in its last three tests, even though the tests themselves were carefully rigged to show results.

But, gosh, we folks above the 49th parallel are somewhat cautious types who can't quite see laying down billions of dollars in a three-dud poker game.

As our erstwhile Prairie-born and bred (and therefore prudent) finance minister pointed out in presenting his recent budget, we've had eight years of balanced or surplus financial accounts. If we're going to spend money, Mr. Goodale added, it will be on day-care and health programs, and even on more foreign aid and improved defence.

Sure, that doesn't match the gargantuan, multi-billion-dollar deficits that your government blithely runs up fighting a "liberation war" in Iraq, laying out more than half of all weapons expenditures in the world, and giving massive tax breaks to the top one per cent of your population while cutting food programs for poor children.

Just chalk that up to a different sense of priorities about what a national government's role should be when there isn't a prevailing mood of manifest destiny. Coming to Ottawa might also expose you to a parliamentary system that has a thing called question period every day, where those in the executive are held accountable by an opposition for their actions, and where demands for public debate on important topics such a missile defence can be made openly.

You might also notice that it's a system in which the governing party's caucus members are not afraid to tell their leader that their constituents don't want to follow the ideological, perhaps teleological, fantasies of Canada's continental co-inhabitant. And that this leader actually listens to such representations.

Your boss did not avail himself of a similar opportunity to visit our House of Commons during his visit, fearing, it seems, that there might be some signs of dissent. He preferred to issue his diktat on missile defence in front of a highly controlled, pre-selected audience.

Such control-freak antics may work in the virtual one-party state that now prevails in Washington. But in Canada we have a residual belief that politicians should be subject to a few checks and balances, an idea that your country once espoused before the days of empire.

If you want to have us consider your proposals and positions, present them in a proper way, through serious discussion across the table in our cabinet room, as your previous president did when he visited Ottawa. And don't embarrass our prime minister by lobbing a verbal missile at him while he sits on a public stage, with no chance to respond.

Now, I understand that there may have been some miscalculations in Washington based on faulty advice from your resident governor of the "northern territories," Ambassador Cellucci. But you should know by now that he hasn't really won the hearts and minds of most Canadians through his attempts to browbeat and command our allegiance to U.S. policies. Sadly, Mr. Cellucci has been far too closeted with exclusive groups of 'experts' from Calgary think-tanks and neo-con lobbyists at cross-border conferences to remotely grasp a cross-section of Canadian attitudes (nor American ones, for that matter).

I invite you to expand the narrow perspective that seems to inform your opinions of Canada by ranging far wider in your reach of contacts and discussions. You would find that what is rising in Canada is not so much anti-Americanism, as claimed by your and our right-wing commentators, but fundamental disagreements with certain policies of your government. You would see that rather than just reacting to events by drawing on old conventional wisdoms, many Canadians are trying to think our way through to some ideas that can be helpful in building a more secure world.

These Canadians believe that security can be achieved through well-modulated efforts to protect the rights of people, not just nation-states.

To encourage and advance international co-operation on managing the risk of climate change, they believe that we need agreements like Kyoto.

To protect people against international crimes like genocide and ethnic cleansing, they support new institutions like the International Criminal Court -- which, by the way, you might strongly consider using to hold accountable those committing atrocities today in Darfur, Sudan.

And these Canadians believe that the United Nations should indeed be reformed -- beginning with an agreement to get rid of the veto held by the major powers over humanitarian interventions to stop violence and predatory practices.

On this score, you might want to explore the concept of the 'Responsibility to Protect' while you're in Ottawa. It's a Canadian idea born out of the recent experience of Kosovo and informed by the many horrific examples of inhumanity over the last half-century. Many Canadians feel it has a lot more relevance to providing real human security in the world than missile defence ever will.

This is not just some quirky notion concocted in our long winter nights, by the way. It seems to have appeal for many in your own country, if not the editorialists at the Wall Street Journal or Rush Limbaugh. As I discovered recently while giving a series of lectures in southern California, there is keen interest in how the U.S. can offer real leadership in managing global challenges of disease, natural calamities and conflict, other than by military means.

There is also a very strong awareness on both sides of the border of how vital Canada is to the U.S. as a partner in North America. We supply copious amounts of oil and natural gas to your country, our respective trade is the world's largest in volume, and we are increasingly bound together by common concerns over depletion of resources, especially very scarce fresh water. Why not discuss these issues with Canadians who understand them, and seek out ways to better cooperate in areas where we agree -- and agree to respect each other's views when we disagree.

Above all, ignore the Cassandras who deride the state of our relations because of one missile-defence decision. Accept that, as a friend on your border, we will offer a different, independent point of view. And that there are times when truth must speak to power.


In friendship,

Lloyd Axworthy


Lloyd Axworthy is president of the University of Winnipeg and a former Canadian foreign minister.

~ rebecca 3:03 AM ~ [+]

Friday, March 04, 2005

today was a great day.
a run down of why it was so:
- finished and handed in my human rights essay.
- prepared and presented my human rights presentation. well.
- spoke to jenny on msn.
- made a new friend.
- watched sex and the city, and friends.
- watched Sideways and drank a nice rose-eh wine.
- spoke to my cheri on the phone.
- went to the Rex and drank more not-so-nice red wine.
- i've just discovered this

and... tomorrow:
am sleeping in, AND doing laundry, AND getting my hair cut, AND shopping, AND checking out one of the Canadian Music Week shows!

~ rebecca 1:49 AM ~ [+]

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

glued to my computer screen, ploughing through my essay (3/4 finished), i ponder the thought of moving away from the window. that's cause i hear a series of gunshots.
downstairs in the kitchen, chowing down on some KD, i hear men shouting and another series of gunshots...
then i remember that yesterday i saw many many orange pylons lining the streets of my neighbourhood.
somebody's filming a movie!
ooh la la!

now they're shining their mega white light at my window.
i think i'm IN the movie!

~ rebecca 5:36 PM ~ [+]

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

just wanted to make a note and confirm that:

- 'juxtaposed with u' is still one of my favourite songs. and i just hit repeat
- it won't stop snowing
- toronto's poet laureate seems like a cool guy as far as catholic priests go! (no offense)
- the cooper temple clause make sexy music

~ rebecca 10:03 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, February 27, 2005

last night was... thrilling! The Music were on top form. just as wonderful as they've always been. 'Bleed From Within' with both adam and stu drumming was wild. looking around, we felt as if we were at a high school dance, but i think the younger audience really contributed to the energy level of the crowd... i hear elsewhere on the tour the crowds have been less than dance-y. what made the evening extra special was the rendezvous with the guys afterwards. ;) they reminded me once again why they're my favourite band. (nixing Starsailor) it's been said before but they are so down to earth and friendly and genuine.
more later maybe?
caroline's in town. we're going for sushi.. then.. 'being busy with other things' while watching the Oscars.
oh, and pics from the concert - http://photos.yahoo.com/southernclimbs

~ rebecca 6:06 PM ~ [+]

I'M$TOO$COOL$FOR$U$FOOL$(CO) says:
hi
beck - last night I missed all the fireworks - I must be working too hard says:
hi!
I'M$TOO$COOL$FOR$U$FOOL$(CO) says:
lol
beck - last night I missed all the fireworks - I must be working too hard says:
what?
I'M$TOO$COOL$FOR$U$FOOL$(CO) says:
it mean's laugh out loud
beck - last night I missed all the fireworks - I must be working too hard says:
i know, but why are you laughing?
I'M$TOO$COOL$FOR$U$FOOL$(CO) says:
i do not know
beck - last night I missed all the fireworks - I must be working too hard says:
lol

~ rebecca 5:38 PM ~ [+]

Friday, February 25, 2005

in the next 5 weeks i will become an expert on:

1. Kensington Market in Toronto
2. Canada's relationship with Africa
3. Burke and Wollstonecraft's views on chivalry
4. Asparagus in French Culture
5. Globalization as a an opportunity or problem in the perspective of human rights

riiiight. unhuh. okay

had a wonderful time in Vancouver last week. blue skies 'n sunshine, good food, cheap bike rentals...

other than that, nothing new.
just over a month of classes left. too much to do.
what else is new.

kate? are you out there? naomi wants to open a cafe/restaurant/bar. i'm gonna have all my favourite bands play there.
we need your help ;)

caroline's coming tomorrow! The Music on Saturday!

other stuff coming up
- The Stands supporting Brendan Benson. (yessssss FINALLY)
- Longwave at Lee's. (!!)

time for bed~

~ rebecca 3:34 AM ~ [+]

Thursday, February 24, 2005

white ninja comics

~ rebecca 11:06 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

a tad cheesy... but i like it! a lot!

Become Yourself
by Matthew Jay

Oh he could be different from the rest
If only he believed the voice

That speaks inside him,
Telling him that beauty hides beneath his skin
But nasty people who don't have the voice
Will try to slow him down
They might beat him sometimes
But his words will all rhyme

Become yourself my boy,
You're only half way there
It's not so easy living with your soul laid bare
But you will find out that a little courage pays off
Become yourself my boy
And then you get somewhere

When he was a boy
He could see something written out across the sky
Though he was young
He recognised his name among the other words
And later realised 'BECOME YOURSELF'
Was what the message said
Though he still was not sure,
So he waited some more

It would be so shameful
If he strolled through life without taking a chance
He should stop living in the shadows
And begin to use his head
'Cos no one else today can do the things
That he was born to do
He should trust in the voice,
It's not even a choice

~ rebecca 9:56 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, February 06, 2005

The Same Mistakes - The Cooper Temple Clause

And so it has to change
The notebook's now in pieces
Words we'll never sing
I know you'll say i've simply jumped the gun
And that they've win
But you can't keep making the same mistakes
You see i've had this thought
It took its time in coming
But now won't be denied
I'd always gone about these things all wrong
But not this song
Coz you can't keep making the same mistakes
No you can't keep making hte same mistakes
Can't jump ship just yet
There's no one at the wheel
Someone has to steer
Get a hold of yourself
Keep your head there's no time to waste
You'll see it soon enough
But all is not forgotten
And now's no time for tears
Coz though that boy has died this one still lives
And now there's life
And a change to make up for all those mistakes
But please don't get me wrong
Coz everything was honest
True and from the heart
There's still the same old hang ups so don't fret
Its not safe yet
And who knows there's always time to screw up again
But maybe we'll be cool
Coz you were made an offer
You could not refuse
You made me come alive and see my face
See my grace
And we grow or do we just haul it around?

~ rebecca 1:33 PM ~ [+]

Friday, February 04, 2005

Jolt of Jo'burg

just caught this at the wonderful Arbor Room. too bad it took so long for me to go check out the FREE live music there.
thanks to AliMac for introducing me to this fabulous group -
Tumi and the Volume.

not been up to much.
a great weekend in ottawa despite feeling like absolute shit with a headachy fevery cold/cough. still went skating on the canal, ate beavertails etc. ;)

it's crunch time school wise and i'm not feeling terribly motivated, but what else is new?
leaving for Vancouver next week. excited but going slightly crazy thinking about the work i should do before then, and thinking about the feelings of guilt i'll have when i'm out there and should be doing work, and thinking about the all-nighter i'll pull upon returning...
argh.
argh is the word of the day, of the week, of the month, of the semester. it shouldn't be, but it is. rah

at least eric surprised me the other day with new headphones. that makes things significantly better. and i've just discovered...
TUMI and the Blowfish! -------
i mean Tumi and The Volume!

~ rebecca 12:58 AM ~ [+]

Friday, January 21, 2005

The Stands

*drooool*

SIGHTS SET ON US TOUR...

After a packed year or shows across Europe and touring with JET, Gomez, Spiritualized, The Libertines and others, The Stands set there sights on touring in America to support the coming release. Stay tuned for more info and posted dates.

~ rebecca 6:02 PM ~ [+]

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

love - the mind's feeling of its own unity
(Hegel)
(a bitch to read, and yet so refreshing and warm and fuzzy...)

~ rebecca 12:07 AM ~ [+]

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

have just re-lived a major part of my childhood.
saw the Phantom movie with naomi tonight.
ah girlyness...
girlyness and musical genius. (the casting sucked)

Phantom Of The Opera - All I Ask of You Lyrics

RAOUL
No more talk
of darkness,
Forget these
wide-eyed fears.
I'm here,
nothing can harm you -
my words will
warm and calm you.
Let me be
your freedom,
let daylight
dry -your tears.
I'm here,
with you, beside you,
to guard you
and to guide you . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you love me
every
waking moment,
turn my head
with talk of summertime . . .
Say you need me
with you,
now and always . . .
promise me that all
you say is true -
that's all I ask
of you . . .
RAOUL
Let me be
your shelter,
let me
be your light.
You're safe:
No-one will find you
your fears are
far behind you . . .
CHRISTINE
All I want
is freedom,
a world with
no more night . . .
and you
always beside me
to hold me
and to hide me . . .
RAOUL
Then say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
Iet me lead you
from your solitude . . .
Say you need me
with you
here, beside you . . .
anywhere you go,
let me go too -
Christine,
that's all I ask
of you . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
say the word
and I will follow you . . .
BOTH
Share each day with
me, each
night, each morning . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you love me . . .
RAOUL
You know I do . . .
BOTH
Love me -
that's all I ask
of you . . .
(They kiss)
Anywhere you go
let me go too . . .
Love me -
that's all I ask
of you . .
(CHRISTINE starts from her reverie)
CHRISTINE
I must go -
they'll wonder where I am . . .
wait for me, Raoul!
RAOUL
Christine, I love you!
CHRISTINE;
Order your fine horses!
Be with them at the door!
RAOUL
And soon you'll be beside me!
CHRISTINE
You'll guard me, and you'll guide me . . .
(They hurry off. The PHANTOM emerges from
behind the statue)

~ rebecca 10:56 PM ~ [+]

Sunday, January 16, 2005

contact me if you're a filipino-canadian small business.
going to see metric.
going to vancouver.
i sprained my ankle.
an alcohol-related incident.
eric chopped part of his finger off.
a fcuked up weekend.
someone please send me a flash of inspiration.
in other news, stel's a daddy.
and i wanna walk to Tofino

~ rebecca 4:52 PM ~ [+]

All the way to Acapulco!
by Becky Parsnip

Once upon a time, in a cold and snowy land, there lived a family called the Parsnips.

Thanks to the generosity of the eldest Parsnip, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Parsnip, they had planned a holiday in the sun for Christmas - a cruise from Los Angeles to Acapulco and back!

First, however, they had to get from 555 Main Street, Ottawa, to the ship at San Pedro, LA, in 15 hours - that's before 4pm local time...

Chapter 1

At 1:15am on Thursday, December 23rd, Becky Parsnip was the last of the Ottawa household to go to sleep. Daddy Parsnip's alarm clock would go off 2 1/2 hours later at 3:45am. Upon getting up, he decided it wise to call Air Canada to check the status of their scheduled flights. Alas! The first of the countless mishaps had struck. The flight from Montreal to LA was cancelled and they were to be re-routed through Toronto's Pearson Airport. The original flight from Ottawa to Montreal was to take off at 6:30am. Their new flight from Ottawa to Toronto was to take off at 6:00am - a whole half hour earlier! First, however, they had to get to the Ottawa Airport...

The taxi was to arrive at 4:45am. At exactly 4:45am, while the last of the orange juice glasses was being rinsed out, Daddy Parsnip called the taxi company to make sure that a cab was in fact coming. It was an icy morning. The weather was less than pleasant and the Parsnip family began to worry more and more about unavoidable delays. Finally, at 4:50am, the taxi arrived. By 5:10am they arrived at the airport. By 5:40am they had boarded the aircraft* but unfortunately take off was delayed 45 minutes because the plane had to be de-iced. Finally, it landed in Toronto at 7:45am but due to the lack of an available gate and the subsequent wait while snow removal vehicles cleared the entrance to the gate, they did not actually step off the plane until 8:30am. Already, a flight that was to take less than an hour, took nearly 3 hours from start to finish.

The flight leaving for LA was scheduled to leave Toronto at 9:00am. There was still some hope that they might make it, but first they had to collect their baggage and go through US pre-clearance, not to mention transfer to another Terminal to do all this.

A large mob of people headed for the shuttle bus that would take passengers to Terminal 2. The Parsnips were near the end of the long lineup and the lady in charge stopped the boarding of the bus just as they got to the front of the line. Their hopes of catching their second flight were thus diminished, and yet there was still a real possibility of making it. As the flight attendants onboard had said - most flights were likely to be delayed as the whole system at Pearson Airport was slowed down due to the snowstorm that had hit Toronto early that morning. "How often do these buses run?" Mommy Parsnip asked the lady in charge. "Every few minutes" was the answer. The Parsnips looked at each other nervously, constantly checking their watches and cursing the bad luck that had kept them off of that first shuttle. "How often do these buses run?" repeated Daddy Parsnip. This time the lady in charge answered something along the lines of "Well, it depends how busy it is. Usually you don't have to wait TOO long." The minutes rolled by. The wait wasn't actually TOO long after all, but then the plot thickened...

Chapter 2

What should have been a 5 minute trip to Terminal 2 took at least 20 minutes, maybe even 25 minutes. The bus got stuck in tarmac traffic. Every kind of airport vehicle and snow removal machine imaginable was out on the ice and snow trying to get from one place to another. Chaos. The shuttle bus in front of the Parsnips' bus got stuck on some ice. Its tires were spinning. The Parsnips' bus couldn't quite squeeze by around it and needed to back up a bit, but in order to back up, it needed permission from a supervisor. Finally, at 9:15am they arrived at Terminal 2 and collected their luggage. Running to a service desk, Becky Parsnip explained their situation. Their scheduled flight had left at 9:00am. They had to get on the next flight to LA if there was any hope of making it to the ship in time. The next flight was not until 12:25pm, but this was supposed to get them to LAX for 2:55pm so depending on traffic in LA, they might still make it to the port for 4:00pm! Daddy Parsnip had called the cruiseline but the only thing they could advise was to call back once they had landed in LA...

Hunger had set in. There were no fast food options nearby and so the Parsnips settled for the worst sandwiches EVER. so dry. no mayonnaise (to Caroline's delight).
To pass the time, Caroline forced Becky to listen to emo music while introducing Mommy Parsnip to the genre. Within minutes, Mommy Parsnip was pointing out emo kids all by herself! She even admitted to liking Death Cab while Daddy Parsnip confessed to enjoying the sounds of Sigur Ros... Somewhere in the middle of all that, Caroline found a long white hair growing out of her arm and a cute little brown-haired boy nearly had a seizure when Santa clause came and said hello.

Boarding for their flight to LA was scheduled for 11:50am but was delayed until 12:45pm as the incoming flight was late arriving. Snug in their seats** and anxiously awaiting take off, the Parsnips could overhear a fellow passenger across the aisle trying to get in touch with her travel agent because she feared missing 'the ship'. The rumours started. Her travel agent thought the ship would wait if there were enough people arriving late. Again, a little bit of hope was reinstated...

4 hours later, the plane had yet to take off. In fact, once boarded, the plane got into a queue to be de-iced - a queue in which they were 25th in line! Every 15 minutes or so the captain would come on the loud speaker to announce that he thought we'd just be another half hour or so. At least Becky and Caroline had a really cute kiwi kid sitting behind them to entertain their ears. The movie was much less than entertaining. "First Daughter" gets 8 thumbs down from the Parsnip family. Poor Mommy Parsnip had a screaming girl next to her. The screaming only got worse during a very turbulent landing. The lady sitting in front of Becky was sobbing loundly and seemed to be violently ill.

Chapter 3

Approximately 4 hours after they finally took off, the Parsnips' flight arrived at LAX, soon finding out that the ship had in fact left San Pedro at 4:30pm. The ensuing operation was like clockwork. A bit like Charlie's Angels or something. GO TEAM PARSNIP! Mommy and Daddy Parsnip went to the Air Canada desk where they were given a voucher for $100 off a night at the LAX Crowne Plaza hotel. Meanwhile, Becky and Caroline went to collect the luggage. Unfortunately, on his way to meet Becky and Caroline, Daddy Parsnip took a wrong turn on the escalator and had to scramble up a down escalator. He fell, scraping both knees badly. Further diagnosis revealed it wasn't as bad as it may have first seemed. Still, it hurt a lot. Especially when Mommy Parsnip later wiped the wounds with alcohol.

The shuttle bus to the hotel was amusing. The Parsnips shared stories with a lovely young family that had been on a skiing holiday in Aspen. Apparently they rented a brand new vehicle that had only 40-something miles on it and also had a built-in DVD player. It sounded pretty nice. They sympathized with the Parsnips sob story, congratulating them for still being able to smile, and continued on to their home on the coast in the OC.

The Crowne Plaza was a lovely hotel, the perfect place for the Parsnips to regroup and plan the rest of the journey to Acapulco where they would finally be able to board the ship. Upon finding the internet room at the hotel, Becky noticed that someone had failed to log-off one of the machines. Therefore, instead of paying many many dollars, the Parsnips were able to search the internet for free! Daddy Parsnip was first quoted $800 USD EACH to fly one way to Acapulco from LA but some searching revealed that there were seats available for closer to $400 USD. Finally, the Parsnips had seats booked, by telephone, for the next morning at 7:00am. They went to bed, having set the alarm for 4:00am.

Chapter 4

Friday, December 24th. 4:45am. The shuttle to the airport leaves. Once arrived, Daddy Parsnip heads to the AeroMexico desk to pay for and pick up our tickets while the rest of the Parsnips wait in line to check-in. "Daddy's shaking" Becky says. Things were not looking good. It turns out that the reserved tickets could not be issued as the confirmation number had expired - there had not been enough processing time since the phone reservation less than 12 hours prior. Luckily, they were able to get the same fare for a flight that was leaving at 1:30pm to Acapulco via Mexico city. They would be arriving at 9:00pm on Christmas eve with no where to sleep. They would take a manger. The Parsnips thus had 9 hours to kill at LAX on christmas eve, probably the busiest day of the year at one of the busiest airports in the world.

The Parsnips enjoyed some of the best orange juice they'd ever tasted at the MacDonald's at Tom Bradley Airport - the old part of LAX. There were many cool restaurants there, though they were all deserted at the crack of dawn. Feasting on some 'fancy ketchup', McGriddles, McMuffins and the like, Becky and Caroline giggled at the P.A. announcements in Japanese and those with kiwi accents. Eventually, Daddy Parsnip bought a phonecard and called their neighbours from Ottawa who happened to be on holiday in their native Acapulco! Success! Mrs. Neighbour was going to book a hotel for the Parsnips so now all they had to do was get to Acapulco...

The line-up to get through security was incredible - several city blocks long. The news cameras were out and all. Once they had removed their shoes and proceeded through the metal detectors, the Parsnips hunted for a nice place to sit for a few more hours. They found a great spot for people watching and developed many theories about why there were so many slim, good looking people milling about LAX. They had a wonderful lunch (mmm Thai pizza) at the California Pizza Kitchen. Everybody pointed out that Daddy Parsnip's tooth was chipped, again. After eating, Caroline and Becky sat by the window and watched the activity out on the tarmac. They spotted Santa Claus driving around in one of those golf carts.

Flight #3 was a bit late boarding and it was quite disorganized. This was the first sign of the Third Worldness that was awaiting them in Mexico. Furthermore, as the stewardesses were trying to load the safety video cassette in to the VCR, they kept dropping the cassettes on Becky's head.*** Interestingly enough, there was a large group of people travelling together who were all extremely clean cut and disgustingly proper. A Mormon family. How interesting. Another bad movie and some horrible pasta later, they touched down in Mexico City at approximately 7:25pm. Approaching the megacity at night was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, yet another nightmare was beginning to unfold...

Chapter 5

Their connecting flight to Acapulco was scheduled to leave at 8:15pm. Assured by representatives in LA that this would be enough time to make the connection, the Parsnips started to seriously reconsider where they might be sleeping that night. There were hundreds of people in line to get their passports stamped and only one lady at the counter stamping! To add to the chaos, people were seemingly cutting into the line, causing a bit of a kafuffle when Daddy Parsnip tried to block their way. Really, they were simply bypassing the customs line because they were taking national flights. This system, however, was awful for many reasons. The lady stamping passports wasn't even looking at them. She couldn't have cared less as she threw the landing cards into a big mess on the counter. While waiting, Becky went to the bathroom, only to have the Mormon Mom blatantly cut in front of her in line. They may be cleancut but they're seriously deficient in the good manners department.

Security was a joke. By this time it was 8:15pm. Becky sprinted towards the gates and found a screen that told her the flight was boarding from a gate in the opposite direction! She hit a kid while running and hopes he wasn't hurt. (It was the kid's fault. He came out of nowhere.) Arriving at the gate, there was still a mass of people waiting to board. They could breathe. They were on their way to Acapulco...

Flight #4 was only 45 minutes long. Too bad it took nearly 45 minutes to get the bathrooms unlocked. Upon arrival at Acapulco airport the Parsnips had to call Mrs. Neighbour but the payphones only took phonecards and there was nowhere to buy a card! Enter the American Express angel. He lent them his card and helped them get through to Mrs. Neighbour. The party started from here on in...

Chapter 6

The cab ride to the Bali Hai Hotel was an adventure. They were welcomed to the city by huge signs for Wal*Mart and Hooters. Mr. Cabbie blasted the radio as Becky and Caroline bopped along to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Electric Avenue". The bright lights lining the beach and covering the hills of Acapulco were amazing. The so-called 3-star hotel was pretty basic. There were two nice swimming pools but the room itself left a few things to be desired. "What's that stain on the mattress?" and "That's not my hair!" could be heard from the mouths of the youngest Parsnips. Panic struck when Mommy Parsnip ran her toothbrush under the tap water. And so the paranoia began...

Christmas day was spent exploring the city. After huevos rancheros for breakfast at a little place by the beach (don't eat the fresh cream or lettuce!!), the Parsnips wandered along the beach to the zocalo or central city square. They came to the conclusion that all the locals spend christmas day at the beach. Later that day they napped, sat by the pool and walked to Pizza Hut. The streets of Acapulco were so alive! Christmas dinner was a medium meatlovers pizza for take-out. (They weren't too hungry after a late, large lunch)

Boxing Day was ushered in with the tragic news of the tsunami in South Asia. After breakfast the Parsnips took a cab to the cruise terminal and met the others who had missed the ship in LA. After sharing stories they realized that Sue and Doug from Toronto may have won as they waited for 9 hours on the tarmac before taking off from Pearson. They waited to be de-iced, got to the front of the line but they had run out of de-icing fluid, then they ran out of fuel. Another family was rerouted from LA to Chicago then Chicago to Acapulco. Craziness...

The group had been waiting outside the airconditioned terminal in the hot sun and was ushered in two and a time to use the washroom facilities. Apparently the cruiseline, which shall remain nameless, did have a local Acapulco representative but he/she was probably lying on the beach somewhere. For ‘security reasons’ the terminal officials could not help them out without a cruise rep present, let alone reveal when the ship was due to arrive. 2 hours late, the cruise ship finally pulled around the bend in Acapulco Bay. Everyone simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief and silently squealed with joy. This was not, however, the end of the collective suffering…

Finally the group was let in to the terminal. Tour guides crowded around, ready to whisk away tourists on $60 city tours. People started to disembark the ship and find their appropriate guide while the Parsnips and their fellow ill-fated travelers waited anxiously for some direction. No official from the cruise ship came to meet the unfortunate souls. No official from the cruise ship was in sight. Finally Miss Jenny, in charge of “customer service” appeared. Finally a fuming Daddy Parsnip began to push his way on board, against a massive flow of people anxious to set foot in Mexico. Becky and Caroline spotted Grandma Parsnip waving from a balcony above.

No amount of champagne or chocolate covered strawberries could make up for the lack of service the cruise line had provided. What about the other players acting in the theatre of eternal setbacks, riding a wave of misfortune that had begun way back in Ottawa? Air Canada was inevitably delayed due to weather. It seems that Pearson Airport could have been more organized and more prepared for such an episode. The Parsnips give five gold stars to the LAX Crowne Plaza. Menos cinco puntos for Aero Mexicano and the airport in Mexico City.
The bottom line is – would the Parsnips recommend the N**w*gian Cruise Line? The box that Daddy Parsnip and Becky agreed to check: “Not sure.”

THE END



*note: they were seated at the very back of the aircraft
**note: they were seated at the very back of the aircraft
***note: they were seated at the very back of the aircraft

~ rebecca 4:34 PM ~ [+]