London Calling

Work sent me to the UK again for a week in February. I was full of nervous excitement as I had no idea (and actually, I don't think I ever discovered this...) what the purpose of this visit was for me. In the end I made my own "purpose" set a theme and a feeling for this trip and endeavored to make it a personal growth experience.



Pearson Airport was welcoming, if a bit cold and empty, and we passed the time waiting for our connecting flight at a little bar watching the Canucks/Leafs game that was playing in Toronto that night. I noticed (not sure how anyone would miss this monstrous sculpture) this and had to photograph it. I wanted desperately to see what was on the other side but couldn't. I wanted to travel through the passage but couldn't bring myself to. I didn't really want to know what was in store for me yet.



We landed in London after a long flight in an older plane without personal video screens. I had to make do with a "single serving friend" to keep me occupied during the 6 hours I spend without a working reading lamp.
The 4 of us headed into London proper to our hotel near a football stadium. We watched the Fulham vs West Brom match while a) trying not to fall asleep b) trying not to be afflicted with hypothermia.



I snuck this photo after swearing up and down to security that "yes, I understand I'm not allowed to use an SLR camera on stadium grounds, I choose to keep it with me but not remove it from its case. yes, you've thoroughly explained to me that if I'm caught using it on stadium grounds I will be immediately escorted out".



We met up the next morning with Rob and off we were whisked Southerly to Poole (this is the Centre of our Universe if you didn't know).



I visited the High Street Lush and B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful shops a few times over the 4 days we were there.



These looked delightfully scrumptious for some reason...



My perspective was challenged quite a few times over the week and I am thankful for that and take a chance to reflect on that experience whenever I can to remind myself.




I had a chance to spend a lot of time with Esther. This was really good for me and I suspect the same for her as well!



Some experimentation happened that I won't talk about but... it did involve a lot of chocolate... various oils... and 4 guys...



The number 23 visited us unexpectedly while bowling so we had to give props and acknowledge it. Much more beer and debauchery happened that night, luckily there is no photo evidence!



On the train from Poole back up to London I spotted these darling gents chatting on a bench and couldn't resist snapping them up.



This is my favourite train station I've ever been to. Every time I ride through it I must take its photo.



Aella and I met up outside of the 'Parthenon' in Covent Garden. Street performers frequent this spot making the balcony across the plaza at Punch and Judy's the place to be.



So glad we could spend the evening together drinking cider and eating Italian food in London of all places. xoxoxoxox



You'll have to excuse me, I'm not at my best
I've been gone for a week, I've been drunk since I left
These so-called vacations will soon be my death
I'm so sick from the drink, I need home for a rest.

Inspired and Deflated

I've found a new crop of amazing blogs to follow lately that are both inspiring me and discouraging me all at the same time. My creative juices are flowing faster than my pocket book can keep up but I'm intimidated about posting as I'm not as good as they are and am not at all sure what to write about that would even BE good enough. If I had the time to do all that I wanted to do my blog would look and feel similar to this one that I've just started following and can't take my eyes off of: Attic24

I'm Horrible

I wanted to post a video clip from Superstar when she yells at her Grandmother "You're Horrible" over and over but embedding is turned off so you'll just have to click on the Title of this post for that one. The video I am posting is funny too and is in honour of ANTM starting it's new season March 4th *cheers*!

Basically, I'm horrible for not updating my blog in a while.

20 Random Things

1. My brother and I have never fought once. Sure, I've yelled at him once or twice but I was a very unstable, hormonal teenager and had a tendency to fly off the hook. We're still really close.

2. My family background is the essence of what it means to be a non-Native Canadian. My mother's side of the family is Catholic (practically non-practicing), she's a full half Danish on her father's side and 1/4 English & 1/4 Scottish (my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother was the Dutchess of Argyle but she was a commoner before she married the Duke and her family history has been "lost" so we can't trace back further from there). That side of the family was mostly sea-faring people (ship builders and sailors. One Great Uncle helped build the St. Roch which was the first ship to sail all the way around the Northern coast of North America and is on display at the Maritime Museum in Vancouver). My father's side of the family is Jewish; mostly Polish but no matter how much my Dad denies it we have German blood too and if I ever hired someone to do my family tree I know there's Israeli waaaay back as well.

3. My Jewish grandparents were both Holocaust survivors. My Boba's story is quite similar to the movie "The Pianist" as she started the war in a Ghetto in Warsaw, Poland and then was moved between 3 different camps including "Camp B" from Schindler's List (I have a copy of the book signed by the author). She was liberated on her 26th Birthday by the Allied Forces and would always tell people she was "born twice" so her birthday was extra special. My Zeda escaped from his camp and ambushed German Nazi soldiers in the woods with other escapee Jews. I wish I'd been able to ask him about his experiences but he died of a heart attack when I was 3 and my brother never got to meet him. My Zeda was interviewed about his Holocaust story days before he died and I still need to get that tape transferred to DVD as I've not seen it. My Boba was interviewed by Steven Spielberg's people as research for Schindler's List, we have the tape but, again, I still haven't watched it.

4. I was born in North Vancouver at Lion's Gate Hospital (as was my Mom and Brother) and have lived in Richmond, Vancouver and Burnaby. I don't know many "Born and Raised" British Columbians as we seem to move away to other places.

5. I'm happiest when it's raining. I love to sit under a skylight or in a tent or near a roof and listen to the surface get pelted with a downpour. I love the smell of rain on hot asphault. I love how a forest will rain for 2 hours after the rain stops.

6. I'm a bit of a hippy at heart.

7. I used to teach rock climbing until I ruined my wrist cashiering for a year. I could ring through an average of 48 items per minute because I memorized bar codes on heavy items like bags of rice and flats of pop. I know this because Superstore times their cashiers and gives them hell if they're slow. I was one of the top 3 in the store.

8. I love my job. This is the first job I've ever felt happy at.

9. I am very sarcastic. It seems to be a family trait of the men in my family that I picked up. It tends to get me in trouble sometimes but I mean well.

10. I am a fast learner when I want to learn. If I don't want to I can't be bothered.

11. I got the highest mark in my school on the English Provincial. My name wasn't even on the list in the Faculty betting pool and I really shook things up when I got the grade I did. I still got a "B" overall because I never liked doing homework.

12. I rarely crave things like sweets or chocolate. If I do eat chocolate I prefer it to have a cocoa content of a minimum 70%.

13. I have sewn, crocheted and knit since I was a kid and still do. I love working with my hands.

14. I play the piano, B-flat and Alto Clarinet, Alto Tenor and Baritone Sax, & the flute. But I only own a handmade folk guitar and can't play it at all. I must still have my Uncle's vintage alto sax somewhere and don't remember selling my clarinet... They gotta be around somewhere...

15. I haven't seen my natural hair colour since 1993.

16. I am a huge fag hag (I call myself a Fruit Fly) but I was homophobic until I started College. I'd say that 90% of my friends are not straight in the traditional sense of the word. I love gay men so much that I'm engaged to a bi-boy.

17. I took advanced classes for grades 8-10. In grade 11 and 12 the program didn't exist in my school and the mainstream school system nearly left me behind because I wasn't used to not being able to challenge my teachers and question the info in text books... My grade 11 English teacher ended up putting a pile of books on my desk one day after she came to terms with the fact that I'd already completed her curriculum and had me create my own lesson plan for the remainder of the year.

18. I collect carniverous plants.

19. I need to stand on every continent (including Antarctica) and put a toe in every Sea and Ocean before I die. I still need to go to Africa, Australasia and Antarctica. I haven't listed out the bodies of water yet because I'm too lazy.

20. I am a gamer. Anything from pen and paper to RPG's to puzzle games to MMORPG's.

Jesus Christ, Superhero?

Academia of Another Colour

Personality Quiz Going Green - What Is Your Green Personality Quiz - thedailygreen.com

Posted using ShareThis

Just out of reach