xoxo, gossip girl

I have been watching Gossip Girl lately, because my roommate does. It's kind of turned into a bonding activity for us, actually. We both love laughing at the utter ridiculousness of the characters and the plot...not to mention the fact that there really is no bad plot line the writers won't cross. Seriously, sometime this season there's going to be plot twists involving witchcraft and direct incest (they've already crossed the indirect incest line).

Another show I've been meaning to catch up on: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I won't lie about the fact that I even have a wee bit of a crush on Jon Stewart. What can I say, I have a weak spot for funny, smart Jews.

moment of zen

Overheard two days ago at the Second Cup café on Milton and Parc: "Ew, it smells like old people here." -a girl, probably from Toronto.

my apartment

I've been having a very good day so far, thanks to the following:


Finding 85% chocolate at the Dollar Store

Running into some people I knew, having pleasant small-talk

A really good swim in the morning

Interesting readings for US Foreign Policy

Also, I figured that since it's been awhile since I updated, I might as well show you where I am living:


The study area, located in the living room. It also happens to be by far the biggest room in the entire apartment. I love it.


That circular window is connected to my roommate's bedroom.


That is a working fireplace! And note the dollar store dinosaurs...


My roommate's interesting selection.


We took off the old cabinet mirror and replaced it with a mirror from Ikea. My roommate painted the mirror blue and the area around it pink, and I painted the little people. Don't ask how we got this idea.


Don't worry, no one can actually see through that little window. Especially in the winter (it will probably be completely obscured by snow).


Kitchen...with very little counter space and the smallest sink I have ever used in my entire life. :(




The view of my room from my door. It is very, very small.


My mirror.


My window. Excuse the hideous curtains; I am replacing them soon (i.e. when I have time, which may be a long while yet).


My bed. Still using the same bedsheets from first year.

And that concludes my exciting tour. Anyone living in the Montreal area is welcome to come over at wintertime to cook marshmellows over my fireplace.

I'm still alive!

I've been AWOL from the internet for the past little while because I didn't have internet set up in the apartment until today. I am going to go through a hectic time trying to get my life in order before classes begin on September 2.

Stay tuned for more updates, though.

snapshots

One of my favourite things to do when I am idling on the internet is to look at the BBC News feature Day in Pictures, because all of the photos are so interesting. They are all little snapshots of people, places, things all around the world, most of which I will probably never physically encounter in my lifetime. I suppose that it's my own little way of travelling around the world...on an internet connection.

P.S. Someone in London has the same umbrella as I do.

back west

Hello folks, sorry for the extreme laxness of updates. And by extreme laxness, I mean nonexistence. I've been busy family-ing it up here in Coquitlam, otherwise known as "that other place with H&M." If you don't know what H&M is, good for you. I've spent way too much time and money there this summer. Living and working in downtown Toronto is really bad for people like me, who are spendthrifts on the outside but deeply repressed shopaholics on the inside. And this is not to mention the fact that I walked through that major Yonge-Dundas intersection with the Forever 21 and H&M beckoning me from both sides of the street, Monday through Friday. Oh sweet Lord, so much temptation....!

Okay, so enough of that sickening consumer whorism.

I don't really feel a connection with the west coast anymore. I have no idea what's going on here, nor do I particularly care. Perhaps its one of the detriments of living such a transcoastal life, where I don't develop much of an attachment to any one city. Honestly, if someone were to ask me who I will vote for in the next BC provincial election, I'd probably be at a loss for words. In fact, I'd ask whether Gordon Campbell was still premier, or if some other old white guy took over.

If I had more time and energy I'd go into the rationale for these, but here is the latest ranking scale for my top Canadian cities.

Toronto > Montreal > Vancouver > everywhere else in Canada (that I've yet to visit).

Yes, that's right. I've become a convert to the big city that everyone loves to hate. Say what you want, but size does matter when it comes to cities- for me, anyway. And Toronto, boy. You got size, you got diversity, you got amazing food. You got it all.

(And one thing that last sentence doesn't have is good grammar. I know, it annoys me too. But it's too late now, I've already typed it out with a stupid grin on my face, and it's got such a nice rythm of its own, don't you think? Spare me the grammar rod this one time, I promise I won't spoil this blog...too often.)

an ode, to fruit

I love fruit, but apples and bananas are the ones I consume most. There's something so satisfying about biting into a crisp, sweet Royal Gala apple that is incomparable to anything on this earth. I can say the same for biting into a perfectly ripened yet still firm banana. Whenever I am ordering a smoothie, I always go for one with bananas because it adds that extra creamy sweetness that nothing else comes close to replicating.

Of course, there are many other types of fruit that I love to eat, but they are seasonal and prone to my whims, whereas I can eat apples and bananas at any time throughout the year. Mangoes, oranges, watermelons, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pineapples, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, grapes, plums, and strawberries are all on my list of fruit that's good for eatin', but in the end I always go back to my classic red and yellow.

People should really eat more fruit- natural reds and yellows, as opposed to those printed on containers of greasy french fries and hamburgers of a certain fast-food chain corporation which shall go unnamed here. Think of how different the United States of America could be if everyone did replace their red-and-yellow containers of harmful, artificial "food" for wholesome apples and bananas! It would transform the country into a more prosperous, healthier nation of smiling Americans (because apples keep your teeth strong!) with marvelously well-adjusted bowel movements.

Mmm, now I am craving an apple and a banana.