NaBloPoMo Finished!!

Yay for me, I successfully blogged everyday this month! I would like to thank all my readers for your support! This celebration is tainted by my foul mood though. No, I'm not happy tonight. I don't like when people get upset with me... This evening I got into "trouble" for turning down the heating (by 1 degree!) in the house. Instead of compromise or adding a blanket or being told politely to not touch the heating, I was told off like a little child. I can't STAND being talked down to or made to feel small. I'm so upset.... and hot!

I Love You Cats!!

For my Secret Santa

Here is a list of books I want for Christmas (in no particular order):

- Creature & Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman
- Public Enemies by Bryan Burrough
- Au pied de cochon by Martin Picard
- My Booky Wook by Russell Brand
- Humble Pie by Gordon Ramsay
- Born Round by Frank Bruni

- Open by Andre Agassi

- American On Purpose by Craig Ferguson

- Cleaving by Julie Powell

- An Island To Oneself by Tom Neal

Eyelashes

Cuuuute!!

Forget getting a cat, I want a pomeranian puppy!! I promise not to call it Peanut (Sybs remember!? hehe) and learn to knit little sweaters for its cute little huggable fluffy self.

1 Month Left!

It's November 25 which means that there is exactly (only!) 1 month until Christmas!! For the past few years, my family has upheld a relatively new tradition of picking names out of a "hat" and only buying one gift. We do this because a) we don't have a lot of money, b) we understand that consumption (ie presents) puts unnecessary strain on the environment and c) ... well, maybe it's difficult buying gifts for adults, and one good quality/thoughtful gift is better that a whole bunch of little unnecessary ones. Since we don't all live together in the same city, this year, my mom picked the names for us. I remember last year's Christmas like it was yesterday, it's truly incredible how time flies! ...

Colour part 12

Eat More Greens part 2

Here are a few facts:

- "Free-range" chickens never see the light of day. They live in a crowded shed and cannot make it to the little door leading to a small patch of cement. 

- Livestock accounts for 21% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. That is more than all forms of transportation combined!

- Farm animals consume 70% of all the antibiotics produced.

- Milk cows are repeatedly artificially impregnated and confined to milk stalls and milked to yield 15 times the amount that they would under normal conditions. The calves are unnaturally removed from their moms who mourn the loss by moaning (crying!!!).  

Eat More Greens

Vegetarianism is not only the most powerful political response we can make to industrialized food, it's a necessary prerequisite to reforming it. -- James E. McWilliams

Nuts crack

Windows shatter

Couples break 

This Weekend

This weekend consisted of my regular beautification treatment at the spa, food at Amir's that made me sick and caused some embarrassment in a public washroom, attending my favorite spin class, the dissipation of my terrible headache (thank God), a yummy meal at the Commensal, and I even managed to watch a movie! My dad bought Up for his school kids and we decided to watch it together last night. It was such a great, heartwarming, moving movie, not at all what I expected. We laughed, I held back tears, and watched it with full attention up until the final credits.

But now I have to say goodbye to the weekend and hello to another workweek...

Work always feels entrapping :( Looking forward to next weekend already!

Sauvage

The other day my next door neighbour was is my house chatting away with my parents, and I, I was hiding in my room until he finally left. I tend to hide a lot from people. It's not that I'm mean or unfriendly, it's just that I'm very private (despite this Blog!). My mom always urges me to say a courteous "hello" to my neighbours, for fear that they think I'm "sauvage" ... her words, not mine! I think I've always been a tad sauvage, always choosing to keep things on the superficial side with people. The result can be pretty lonely at times because friendships are impossible to maintain, let alone begin, and relationships are even harder. It seem that it's not in my nature to open up to people, to say how I feel or what I'm thinking. It's time I start making an effort to become more civilized- I'm going to share more of myself and also try to become friends with the people around me... or at least say "hello"!

Green part 2

Headache

For the past 4 days, I have been living with the most painful headache. It started in the back of my head and has now "grown" to every part of it, including my nose. It hurts when I move my head, when I touch it, when I lie down, when I get up. There is no escaping it and frankly I'm beginning to get a little worried. I haven't been complaining that much because I'm used to getting headaches, but they usually pass, lasting 2 days tops. I think I'm going to spend my weekend relaxing, maybe catching up with some movies... 

Top Chef

I'm not really a TV kind of person. I'll watch sporting events or the occasional talk show*, but I really don't have that much patience for anything else... I can hardly sit through a movie (no matter how good) without getting antsy; in fact, the last movie I saw was Star Trek... back in May! This is why I am so surprised about the grip that this one particular series has on me. It's called Top Chef and it's my secret addiction. Top Chef is a reality show on The Food Network that has chefs from around the world living together and all competing for the tittle of Top Chef (and $125 000). To win, the chefs must prove themselves worthy by not failing the week's culinary challenge. One chef gets booted off every episode, and I look forward to seeing who it is all week long. This season of Top Chef falls on a Monday (today!!) at 9:00pm. Unfortunately I miss it because of work, but I can watch the rerun at 1:00am... a little late, but the show has such a hold on me that I don't mind staying up... Yup, it's that good, can't wait!

* & my guilty pleasures... The Hills & The City

Morning Boogie part 2

45:33- lcd soundsystem


kilometer- sébastien tellier (moulinex remix)

Morning Boogie

Rabbit Heart (raise it up)- leo zero remix


Howl

I love you Florence & The Machine!!

Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl

Frozen in the headlights

It seems I've made the final sacrifice

Ears

Cosmic Quandaries

I collect newspapers, letting them accumulate on the floor beside my desk until the pile gets too scary, forcing me to go on one of my reading sprees. I love tackling the pile because it allows to get reunited with one of my favourite columnists, Raf Katigbak. Last week, in an attempt to make a small dent in the seemingly endless stack, I read about Raf's quest to become more of a nerd... really funny stuff. He recommended a video he came across during his quest: Cosmic Quandaries, a Q&A with astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson. If you have too much time on your hands, you should watch it! Truly riveting stuff.

Bike Sharing

It has been warm for the past few days (before sun set) and Bixi bikes, even though it's now November, are still being rented a plenty. What's fun about the Bixi is that you can rent it at one station and drop it off at another across the city. The problem is that renting a bike is expensive (~$6 every hour!) and it's a little awkward to ride if you're used to riding a 'normal' bike. What many Montrealers may not know is that there exists a program called Bécik vert where anyone can borrow a bike from 10 am until 7 pm as long as you leave behind a piece of id! The bikes have more gears than the Bixies, have a fun basket in the front for groceries, and are all made from recycled parts from older bikes. The only set back is that you have to ride the bike back to the Plateau... but you have all day to do it!  

 

Ely Kim's Boombox

100 days, 100 songs, 100 locations, 100 dances!

001. Heart of Glass / Blondie
002. Jimmy / M.I.A.
003. Deceptacon / Le Tigre
004. Im on Fire / 5000 Volts
005. Je Veux Te Voir / YELLE
006. The Way I Are / Timbaland
007. Too Young / Phoenix
008. Over And Over / Hot Chip
009. Stick It To The Pimp / Peaches
010. Say My Name / Destiny’s Child
011. Pin / Yeah Yeah Yeahs
012. Geremia / Bonde Do Role
013. Let Me Clear My Throat / DJ Kool
014. Point Of No Return / Expose
015. Bubble Sex / The Seebach Band
016. Pump Up the Jam / Technotronic
017. Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above / CSS
018. Hella Nervous / Gravy Train
019. Me Plus One / Annie
020. Don’t Go / Yaz
021. Bootylicious / Destiny’s Child
022. Electric Feel / MGMT
023. Boys Don’t Cry / The Cure
024. Lose Control / Missy Elliott
025. Ride The Lightning / Evans And Eagles
026. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough / Michael Jackson
027. Hearts On Fire / Cut Copy
028. Tainted Love / Soft Cell
029. Between Us & Them / Moving Units
030. It Feels Good / Tony Toni Tone
031. Polaris (Club Mix) / Cyber People
032. You Never Can Tell / Chuck Berry
033. Huddle Formation / The Go! Team
034. Pump That / FannyPack
035. My Love / Justin Timberlake
036. Hung Up / Madonna
037. D.A.N.C.E (MSTRKRFT Remix) / Justice
038. Cybernetic Love / Casco
039. Creep / TLC
040. When I Hear Music / Debbie Deb
041. B.O.B. / Outkast
042. Bubble Pop Electric / Gwen Stefani
043. Miss You Much / Janet Jackson
044. You Spin Me Round / Dead Or Alive
045. Slide In / Goldfrapp
046. Kelly / Van She
047. Mine Fore Life / The Sounds
048. Disco Heat / Calvin Harris
049. Nighttiming / Coconut Records
050. Club Action / Yo Majesty
051. Pogo / Digitalism
052. Lip Gloss / Lil Mama
053. Heartbeats / The Knife
054. Enola Gay / OMD
055. Goodbye Girls / Broadcast
056. Kids In America / Kim Wilde
057. Kiss / Prince
058. Tenderness / General Public
059. Push It / Salt N Pepa
060. Circle, Square, Triangle / Test Icicles
061. Day ‘N’ Nite (Crookers Remix) / Kid Cudi
062. Shadows / Midnight Juggernauts
063. Paris (Aeroplane Remix) / Friendly Fires
064. Out At The Pictures / Hot Chip
065. Me Myself and I / De La Soul
066. AudioTrack 10 / Diplo
067. Girls & Boys / Blur
068. Heater / Samim
069. I Wanna Dance With Somebody / Whitney Houston
070. Hands In The Air / Girl Talk
071. Limited Edition OJ Slammer / Cadence Weapon
072. Meeting In The Ladys Room / Mary Jane Girls
073. NY Lipps / Soulwax
074. Lex / Ratatat
075. Gravity’s Rainbow (Soulwax Remix) / Steve Aoki
076. Once In A Lifetime / Talking Heads
077. Leave It Alone / Operator Please
078. Half Mast / Empire Of The Sun
079. Hardcore Girls / Count and Sinden feat. Rye Rye
080. Dance, Dance, Dance / Lykke Li
081. Never Gonna Get It / En Vogue
082. Blue Monday / New Order
083. Crazy In Love (Featuring Jay-Z) / Beyoncé
084. 10 Dollar / M.I.A.
085. Love To Love You Baby / Donna Summer
086. Steppin’ Out / Lo-Fi-Fnk
087. Karle Pyar Karle / Asha Bhosle
088. Love Will Tear Us Apart / Joy Division
089. Straight Up / Paula Abdul
090. My Drive Thru / Santogold, Casablancas, NERD
091. Like A Prayer / Madonna
092. Freedom 90 / George Michael
093. Black & Gold / Sam Sparro
094. B-O-O-T-A-Y / Spank Rock and Benny Blanco
095. Great Dj / The Ting Tings
096. In A Dream / Rockell
097. Don’t Stop the Music / Rihanna
098. Hong Kong Garden / Siouxsie & The Banshees
099. It’s Tricky / D.M.C.
100. Bizarre Love Triangle / New Order

Good News!

On this abnormally warm and beautiful fall day, I received the first good news in a VERY long time. At my work, the shifts change every 2 months, and those of us on the lower end of the seniority list always get stuck with the shittiest schedules. After 1 year and 7 months of working late into the night, of walking home in the freezing wind that seemingly gets harsher when the rest of the world sleeps, of waiting hours and hours and days and days and even more hours for the bus alone in the cold, of countless warm suppers with my family that I have missed, of being robbed of any sense of normalcy (I'm not exaggerating!), I have finally finally been given a respectable schedule of... wait for it... 10:00 am to 6:00 pm!!! I'm soooo happy right now, the feeling is indescribable. Yes, I still have to work on the weekends, but I actually prefer it that way! And I still get my Thursdays off, which allows me to attend my ultimate favorite spinning class of all time. I'm just so

I Always Wondered...

I always wondered why china (those fancy dishes) is called china. China is essentially porcelain, a word derived from the Italian word porcellana, meaning translucent shell. Porcelain is called "china" because China was the birthplace of porcelain making. The answer is as simple at that! 

This Is Why You're Fat

I've been feeling fat lately :( I can contribute this feeling to a lot of different factors. Mainly my job is SUPER sedentary and what makes things worse is that ever since I started this shift of 1:00 to 9:00, I have stopped almost all physical activity (I only go to the gym once a week!). I have also been going through some emotionally challenging times... and I tend to eat my emotions, and it's never the healthy choices. Cheeses and cashews, chocolates and baked goods, breads and pastas, for the last 6 weeks I've been eating it all without a second thought. I came across a lovely website the other day called This is why you're fat that somehow made me feel better about my debaucheries and made me appreciate my vegetarian lifestyle that much more. That being said, here are a few of my favorites:

Mega double stuff Oreo  

Donut fries

Vanilla ice cream with raspberries and blueberries between two chocolate brownies

Colour part 11

A Cinderella Cheese

Last month, the prestigious annual World Cheese Awards were held in the Canary Islands. Out of the 2 400 cheese entries from 34 different countries, 300 of the world's top cheese experts voted Le Cendrillon goat cheese as the winner. Le Cendrillon is made by Quebec producer La Maison Alexis de Portneuf... Apparently, the French cheese press was stunned!

Price: $5.00 for 125 grams

Wine: White, preferably Vin de la Loire  

Long Hair & Lady Crushes

I have really long hair... much longer than the average girl but not make-over-show-worthy long hair (hmmhmm Sybil!). I have been keeping it long for most of my 20s as a retaliation against my tom boy teenage self. I take really good care of it, washing it every second day, using good shampoos and a weekly hair mask. It was in May that I had my last hair cut, and despite my care, my split ends are back in full force and deep down I know that I'm due for my biyearly appointment with professional scissors. The problem is that I can't seem to commit to a hair cut appointment. I made a total of three appointments and subsequently called back cancelling all of them with fake excuses. Thankfully the appointments were not all made at the same salon because they would have thought I was a lunatic (though I did use three different excuses for my own sake)! I can't commit to getting my hair cut... and it's getting me a little worried. I even had a dream the other night that a lady was telling me that my long hair was masking my insecurities... Weeeeeird.

I have two hairdressers, Melanie whom I see when I just want a trim, and Sara, my secret lady crush. I see her when I need a change of style, which is not very often. I think that when I finally do commit to my appointment, it will be with her this time. Did I mention she plays guitar in a band called Pony Up! and she sings too! ...So cool.


dance for me- pony up!

Riding The Bus

Today was a day not like any other regular week day. It started off normal enough, with me waking up a little extra early to make a special breakfast of brie filled crepes with a honey drizzle. Fully satisfied and having plenty of more time to myself, I washed the dishes, put away my laundry, and got ready for work at a leisurely pace. While on the bus, I got a phone call from my work advising me that there had been a gas leak and to go back home. !! I suddenly felt like a child listening to the radio during a snow storm and hearing that their school was closed for the day. I got off the bus, the rain suddenly stopped and the sun came out. Unfortunately the day deteriorated, with my happiness being overcome with tension and a long sad trip back home. Then something happened on the bus ride home that warmed my heart a little. A blind man, who was sitting beside me, got up and somehow figured out that he had missed his bus stop. He panicked, voicing aloud his concern about how he would get home. There was a sense of hesitation, both from the bus driver and blind man, everyone on the bus was still for what seemed like a long moment. Finally the concerned bus driver asked the blind man for his address and suddenly backed up the bus a few meters and turned off the engine. He then escorted the blind man off the bus, and brought him safely across a busy street up to a familiar sidewalk. When our driver retuned, a passenger started to clap, and we all followed suite, applauding his initiative and good deed. A warm moment shared by strangers... just like a scene from the movies!! 

:)

NaBloPoMo

National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) stems from an existing challenge in the literary world called National Novel Writing Month which entails writing a novel from start to finish during the month of November. Of course it's impossible for the recreational Blogger such as myself to commit to such a project, thus NaBloPoMo was born. The challenge: to post one blog entry a day for the entire month of November.

No matter how tired I am, how uninspired, how lame my idea for the day, I am committed for

S!!!