Mosaic Musings

So, January, we meet again...

2010-01-01T14:25:00.005-04:00

Well, it's that time - the time to jump on the bandwagon (and live up to the title of my blog) and post my many reflective "musings" regarding the ups and downs of the past year and my hopes and goals for the next. I don't really enjoy jumping onto bandwagons as such, but I can see why all of this list-making and reflecting is going on, as it's the start of a new year - essentially a turning point in time, or a starting point from which to begin again depending on how you look at it.

In any case, I suppose my mind is as ripe with reflection as the next person's at this time (though really my mind is like this pretty much on a daily basis regardless of the date on the calendar). I can safely say that 2009 was one of the most tumultuous years of my life to date - I experienced a few large life changes which left me reeling (in good and bad ways) but also taught me invaluable lessons about life and myself. I hate to sound so cheesy but sometimes the truth really IS cheesy.

I've been stressed, sad, tired, excited and reckless. Many people have left my life and a few others have entered it. I definitely feel that my personality and attitude has changed - I've become more confident, more independent (who would have thought THAT was possible?!), more patient, and more self-aware. I feel as though I'm being carried into 2010 on a positive wave, stemming from these changes in my awareness and psyche. And that makes me happy. And hopeful. I've realized there is a lot that I don't know but that's ok, and I've realized that I am a very lucky person with a life that I'm 99% very happy about and grateful for. And it's a life that I've built for myself and I'm proud of myself for that.

I could go on and on waxing poetic about all of the specific achievements and events from the past year and essentially put my entire personal life ala the past 12 months up for scrutiny to the entire interwebs, but I've always been more of a "big picture" person so I'm settling for the posting of a few general impressions from the year that speak to me most.

I could also go on and on with specificity (is that a word, because if not it should be!) about the NEXT 12 months and all the things I plan to do but if I've learned anything in the past few years it's that you never know what's coming around the corner and all you can really do is make assumptions, dream and hope. I certainly have hopes, dreams and obligations for the next year already in my head - eating better (I know everyone says they should do this and I'm notorious for not being able to stick with this, but I REALLY need to!) working hard at the last 6 mths of my job, watching and helping my best friend get married, take a trip or a class or two (or 5), and possibly make my first move away - but regardless of what happens or doesn't, I'm confident that this will be the most exciting year yet. Because I'm going to make it that way. Or at least try to.

For the most part, I'm just going to try to take life one day at a time, not stress or worry more than I need to, be as outgoing as I can even if it scares the shit out of me, help others more, procrastinate less, and tell and show the people I care about how much I love them as much as I can. Perhaps these are silly, lofty, unrealistic goals and I will probably forget about them by the time Valentine's Day rolls around, but I figure it's the intention that matters and it's a good place to start!

Happy New Year to you and yours - I hope you are as excited by this new year as I am and that at least some of your hopes and dreams come true for you.

Some milestones of this year:
> Moved in to my first apartment (and moved in with a boyfriend)
> Adopted my brother's cat
> Bought furniture for the first time ever
> Was let go from a job and was unemployed for the first time ever (and coincidentally my first job after graduating from University)
> Had my first ever dinner party
> Became single again for the first time in a year and a half
> Took my first ever business trip
> Went back to the Tattoo choir after a 2 yr hiatus
> Had an article published in a local magazine & published my first public newsletter
> Bought a new laptop
> Met new friends, lost old ones, rediscovered and cultivated my love for writing, ate at a lot of restaurants, drank a lot of coffee, went to a lot of movies and concerts, laughed and cried, and most of all learned, grew and gained confidence and clarity.

Taking Things Personally

2009-11-14T10:00:00.005-04:00

Is it just me or is everyone in the world taking things more and more personally these days?

A growing wave of individualism and personal expression has been sweeping in slowly for the past few years, but it seems ever since this pesky recession everyone keeps talking about, the wave has grown into a full-blown tsunami. Everywhere you go there are initials scattered on everything from necklaces to notebooks, and customizable everything.

You can build your own computer at http://www.dell.ca/ and include as few or as many snazzy specifications you can think of to suit your everyday needs. Jean "bars", such as https://thebluesjeanbar.com/ allow you to order from a "menu" of brands, styles, washes and sizes just as you would order a martini at a downtown hotspot. Ralph Lauren's Rugby label offers shoppers a multitude of shapes and vintage patches to construct their own Rugby shirts http://www.rugby.com/makeyourown/?ab=topnav_myo (so you can achieve that varsity-cool look of a campus jock even if you don't know the difference between a "ruck" and a "maul"). And it's safe to say most of us have walked by that suburban mall staple and little kid lure "Build a Bear" at some point in our lives and gawked in the windows (if they ever come up with a Coco Chanel or Lady Gaga bear, I might be lured in myself).

Anyone with two feet and a heartbeat (and the desire to be an individual) can design and/or purchase anything they could possibly want exactly to their personal specifications. There has been a resurgence (in these economically uncertain months) in DIY - crafting, cooking (and with local food), and working at home/freelance jobs. All of these activities involve an element of personalization and smack of a desire to get back in touch with our "true" selves. People are not just spending time and money helter-skelter - they are thinking about the impact of what they do on themselves (short/long term), their families, and their neighbourhood. Plus, there is a reason that haute couture is still alive and well even though the economy is not, social networking systems such as Facebook and Twitter are growing exponentially each day, and there seems to be an iPhone app for just about anything (including the Ralph Lauren Make Your Own Rubgy, by the way).

I find this to be a very interesting phenomenon in a society which, arguably, in many ways is becoming more and more homogeneous. With technology advancing at warp speed, we have access to any information we could possibly want at the touch of a button, and as a result our lives are easier but also in a way more complicated. This advancement is also eliminating some of the need and desire for personal interaction, and self-sufficiency.

So, perhaps this wave of personalization is a counter-point to these changes in society - a life preserver for those struggling to stay afloat in the enormous flood of consumer messages and information out there, particularly with the advent of the Internet. Perhaps, we are looking for ways to carve our own niche within the madness and make ourselves known in a world that is becoming less and less personal - a form of protest and a coping mechanism all in one.When it comes right down to it, I feel most humans are simply looking to be understood and to understand in life, and this is what drives us toward personalization. We just want to find meaning in what we do.

I find this trend simultaneously worrisome (in terms of it being proof of our society's decline) and exciting. But, as someone who has always been attracted to and supportive of people and trends outside the mainstream, I plan on riding this wave for a little while. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bear to build with its own special rugby shirt and jeans and I need to post it to my Facebook page ASAP.

Summer Lovin', had me a blast

2009-08-30T18:12:00.008-03:00

Well, the time has come; the end of summer. Or at least the end of August, which is pretty much the same thing. School supplies are in the stores (and parents and kids are out in droves buying them), tweeds and sweaters are filling the clothing stores along with thick coats that make one cold just to look at them. Even the weather seems to have turned Fall-ish in the past week or two with rain, cloud and chilly mornings becoming the daily norm (though today it was a lovely and unexpected 22 degrees and sunny!). It's all rather depressing. Even though I don't have to go back to school (thank god), I do have to start saying byebye to shorts, sandals, bare legs, beach trips, patios, and watch as the days get darker earlier and earlier.

*SIGH*

Oh well, it had to end sometime. And I can take solace in the fact that, despite a few personal hiccups near the beginning, this summer has been very enjoyable and full of some fun experiences. Herewith, my list of my 10 favourite experiences of this, the Summer of 2009 (not necessarily in any particular order):

1. NS International Tattoo - I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy being part of the adult choir again after a 2 year hiatus, but I was SO glad I went back in the end. I made some new friends, caught up with existing ones, sang some beautiful music, attended a pumping piper party with impromptu performances from many talented musicians, including a fife and drum band from Massachussetts, drank copious amounts of tea, and laughed til my cheeks hurt. Despite a slight swine flu spread towards the end (which, luckily, I managed to side-step), it was a wonderful experience and I can't wait until next year. (This experience gets special props for keeping me busy enough to ignore personal problems going on back at home and putting them out of my mind.)

2. I finally got to Taboo nightclub, which I had been wanting to get to since it opened. Verdict: Not as nice as I had hyped it in my head, but still fun. Plans to go back in future and this time under the guise of the "Sex and the City" party package, or something similar.

3. Joyce - This person gets her own category, simply because she was so lovely, and because we had various experiences with her. This 27 year old TESL student from Taiwan lived with my mom for 4 months until July - we introduced her to lobster and scallops, the Valley and pet cats and she introduced us to the wonderful industriousness, thoughtfulness and graciousness of her Asian culture. A package containing Taiwanese noodles, crackers, spices and cute chopsticks in their own little woven, multicoloured sleeves that arrived recently served to further cement the admiration.

4. Even though I didn't have tickets to the Paul McCartney concert (F*#K ME!!), I still managed to see him perform....well, sort of. I got to hear him anyway - there wasn't so much "seeing" considering we were standing clandestinely on the outside of the fence with all of the other stupid morons that didn't think far enough ahead to get themselves INSIDE said fence. I didn't mind - I got to hear him perform all of my favourite hits, including a rousing, power-pyro version of Live and Let Die (one of the best!) and got to absorb a little bit of the wonderful feeling of harmony and happiness that seemed to surround the concert site that night. Sir Paul, indeed.

5. I'm probably a huge dork for citing a friend's rather informal house-warming party as one of the highlights of my summer, but alas. Not only did I meet some fun, friendly new people, drink many Coronas (bliss!) and catch up with the lovely hostess, but I got to explore the most eccentric, charming house ever (opium den! magic trick room! cat doors to the basement! leopard print bathroom!) and had my first ride on a Vespa. As a result, I've developed a love for scooters that I can't afford to mollify. However, it's an idea that's in the back of my mind for next year....and besides, if I ever feel the need for a ride, I can give Justin a call!

6. We vacation in PEI every year, but this year was especially enjoyable, particularly because it was sunny and hot EVERY DAY the week we were there. Considering it was rainy and cloudy every day last year, this was a great blessing. What's better than sitting on the beach, sand on one's feet, flipping through an engrossing book and/or thick, summer issue of the latest fashion magazine, baking one's skin and occasionally taking a stroll down to the water for a refreshing, cooling swim in the Northumberland Strait? Not much, I say...

7. I'd be lying if I said I'd like to take up pole dancing tomorrow (as a career OR pasttime...for one, it would be rather hard to do this anyway as long as your body resembles that of a round pear with stubby sausages sticking out of it) but I still had fun trying it out for a friend's bachelorette party. Say what you will about it, but my arms were sore the next day, and ya know, it kinda made me feel a little bit sexy (in an awkward, uncoordinated sort of way).

8. The Breakfast Club al fresco - two good friends, free popcorn and pop, Freak Lunchbox candy, 80's cult movie goodness...that's all I have to say about that.

9. It was rather irritating to have an entire weekend's plans (Upper Clements Park, Whale Watching, road trip) ruined by Hurricane Bill (or what turned out to be Way Over-Hyped Bill), but the weekend still turned out fun with a trip to a friend's cottage. We had a lovely Fri evening/Saturday morning and afternoon on or in the water and came away with rather harsh sunburns (which, let's be honest, are always the hallmark of a good cottage trip, wouldn't you agree?). Again, more catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a while, pigging out on chips and candy, and general enjoyment.

10. The aforementioned cottage trip was followed by an impromptu jaunt to the Halifax waterfront to see Sons of Maxwell perform (Don is the boyfriend of a friend of mine so we were playing Groupie) a fun, energetic set at Nuts4Ribs (a fundraiser to raise awareness for testicular cancer), including the United Guitar Song that has pretty much made Dave Carroll a household name. I was filled with pride for the MSVU PR program (my alma mater) after listening to a funny one-minute rap by one student about the fundraiser and it's goals ("nuts, balls, testicles, if you don't check em you could lose em, so give your doctor a call!"), and reading the various promotional signs that they designed (my personal favourite, "Grab Your Meat"). I was glad to see that the profs are still pushing envelopes and opening students' minds over at the Mount.

Of course, I had many more experiences this summer, big and small, but these are some of the most memorable. More than anything, this summer was an awakening of sorts for me - mentally and emotionally, and in positive AND negative ways. I intend on carrying this attitude on into the Fall - some plans include fitness classes at the Dartmouth Sportsplex, returning to Dartmouth Choral Society, attending various Fall events (including the launch of a new local fashion magazine I had the privilege of writing an article for, Atlantic Film Fest, Word on the Street, NS Food & Wine Fest, Valley Pumpkin Fest, etc etc...so many events, so little time and money!!), and continuing to get back in touch with myself and what feeds my soul.

Summer isn't quite over yet though, so perhaps I'll have more things to add to this list in the coming weeks. Summer days driftin' away...but I take solace in the fact that they will become Fall days and ah-oh those Fa-a-all nights.

Insert Cheesy Metaphor Here

2009-07-27T13:10:00.009-03:00

Wow, to say that my life the past 6 months has been a rollercoaster would be a grand understatement. The past month or so of that six has been particularly tumultuous. Ironically, I feel happier and more content in many ways than I've felt in a while.

I always knew that I was someone who dealt with change well, but I'm realizing more and more that I, in fact, NEED change in my life. I need to shed my skin, sweep the dust out the door and change my course every once in a while in order to stay sane and to feel in control of and happy about my life. It jolts me out of complacency! And it's a good thing, too, because I've had more changes in my life in the past few months than is reasonable. On the other hand, I've learned more lessons than I ever have before - both positive and negative (mostly the former).

For example, I realized who my true friends are and this can be a good and bad thing all at once - it's a good thing because I now know what people are better eliminated from my life, and it's a bad thing because it's depressing to find out that you don't have as much support behind you as you once thought you had. Not to mention feeling like you've lost a piece of yourself and your life experience. However, I'm not one to point fingers (this is partially my fault as well) and a lot of this is due to circumstances out of the control of mere humans (schedules, diverging interests and priorities). And this has forced to get out and hang out with new friends, or rediscover old ones (or ones that were "occasional", that I'd hoped would become good friends but never quite got there), and that's been a lovely experience.

I've also learned that you can't change people - well, sometimes you can for the better or worse, but not fundamental, deep down, ingrained parts of their character and personality. Come to that, you shouldn't try to change these parts of anyone, just as you shouldn't change yours for anyone else. If you have to change who you are to be with someone, than they are not the right person for you. On another note, don't settle - even though you care about someone and they have good qualities, this still does not mean they are the right person for you, esp. if there seems to you that there's something missing. You'll miss out on so much if you settle too early and for the wrong reasons. Now I'm naturally cynical, so I'm not inclined to subscribe to the Rom-Com-true love-there's someone out there everyone's meant to be with forever-cheesy school of thought. But, I do believe in karma - good things come to those who wait and if you live your life for YOU and work as hard as you can on yourself, that good things will come your way.

I'm been finding more and more that the harder you push sometimes, the harder things lean in the opposite direction (and this goes for anything in life, not just people). It's, of course, always a good idea to plan ahead and be organized if you can, but the fact is, life isn't organized. And just because you try and organize things a certain way does not mean that it will fall into place just as you expect. In fact, more often than not this is NOT the case. The key is to not have high expectations. I'm learning more and more to let go of control and accept this fact; to be more easygoing and spontaneous; live more in the moment and not next year. Besides, the seeds that are to be sown next year need to be planted and cultivated now (ooooo, how deep ;p)

I've always been an independent person also, but I've realized now more than ever that you can (sometimes) only rely on yourself, and if you can't rely on yourself you aren't going to be able to make anyone else rely on you. As self-absorbed as it sounds, you really do need to "look out for number 1". You need to listen to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. You should want the same things and the other person shouldn't make you stressed, worried, and moody on a daily basis - relationships are work, but they're not supposed to be that much work, otherwise why bother?

I've realized that I need time alone and I need to have space to do what I want and build my life the way I want without distractions. I've come to the realization that I'm a quiet person sometimes, and I'm ok with that; there's no point in trying to change it or be ashamed of it. I've realized I'm a very tough person who can bounce back pretty quickly from anything without help from anyone else. I can meet challenges head on, look them in the face and laugh. I want to see the world and I want to contribute to it in some meaningful way.

So, where do I go from here? I'm not sure, but I'm taking it day by day and this is one of the most exciting times in my life to date. I'm making plans and goals and I will stick with them no question, even if I have to kick myself in the ass so many times it hurts. At the same time, if plans and goals don't pan out, I will change my tactics and direction and try again. Sometimes this is a sign that you're not going the right way anyway.

I'm not doing the half-marathon I was planning on, but I am planning on sticking with running (weight loss is a MAJOR goal for me from now til Christmas) and I am formulating ideas in my head for a trip to California in January (and possibly moving there, or somewhere similar long-term once my job here at PS is finished next summer) and possibly buying a Vespa in the spring (tee hee, these ideas make me giggle with excitement, no matter how crazy they sound).

I'm going to focus 110% on my job and doing it well and leaving an impression. I've joined a local Meet Up group to (hopefully) make new friends and get out to as many fun events as I can. I'm attempting to work on keeping in touch with friends and cultivating my important relationships more deeply. And, I'm not going to tie myself down to one person for a while, at least not seriously, until I can achieve some of these things I've set out for myself.

I feel as though I was walking down a road and all of a sudden I've turned and am walking down a completely different one. Or perhaps I've reached a fork and am still trying to decide which prong to follow, I dunno. Either way, that old path has ended and I must choose a new one, or several. This is a scary and overwhelming thought, but it's also so exciting it makes my mind race. The one thing I know for sure is that no matter what's around that bend - I'll be ready for it.

Pet "Pawsengers" and other Heartwarmers

2009-05-09T12:39:00.004-03:00

Ok, so my plan for writing today was to update re. the marathon training progress, aka Kim realizing how fat and unfit she really is. However, I heard about this new thing a little while ago and, as a steadfast animal lover, I think it's so freaking adorable I couldn't resist mentioning it.

Just recently, a new airline was introduced; and not just any airline but a (wait for it) PET airline! That's right Pet Airways is a "pet-only airline dedicated to pet-friendly travel". On PA, pets fly in the main cabin of the plane, not in the cargo hold, and have pet attendents attending to all their needs until they land safely at their destination. At first, it sounded to me kind of like a Disney movie, and a Disney-esque image appeared in my head of cats and dogs perched in airplane seats wearing little headphones and sipping from little clear plastic cups just like people. How cute!

Obviously, the reality isn't quite that romantic - the pets are still contained in carriers and they are placed on shelves in rows. However, the beauty of this idea is that they are not contained in the dark, cold, scary underpart of the plane with no interaction for hours on end. They don't come out at their destination traumatized or sick. Besides, it's much less stress for owners travelling with or moving their pets, not to mention other passengers who may not necessarily be comfortable with an animal in the main cabin. You can track your pet through the company's website (www.petairways.com) and sign up for the "MyPaws" club, which provides (for a small membership fee) discounts on many PA partners, including 40% off pet supplies at their online store, %10 off pet-friendly hotels, and 10% off at 1-800-PetMeds.

This issue is rather close to my heart, having had first hand experience a few months ago. When my brother moved to England the beginning of February, my boyfriend and I agreed to "adopt" his cat, NutNut (for the record, my brother named her, not me). Only problem was, he had to put her on a plane from Toronto to get her to us. Sounds simple enough except that there (of course) was a snow storm the night we were to pick her up, and as such the plane had to turn around and by the time she got here at 3:30am (about 5 hours later than she was supposed to), you can imagine what her state of mind was.

So, she spent the better part of two days in a plastic box being carried by strange people through strange places with strange smells and then being passed off to her two strange new owners. Not to mention that my brother had to sign a waiver from Air Canada stating that (basically) if she was dead on arrival, they would be cleared of responsibility. She was so thrilled by this entire experience that she spent her first two to four days with us hiding under our bed. She loves us know and is very content, but man it would have been nice to have Pet Airways back then!

As the PA website states: "You see, on Pet Airways, your pets aren't packages, they're 'pawsengers'. And every step of the journey, we'll take care of them as if they were our own. Because that's exactly the way we'd want Zoe (PA creators, Dan & Alysa's, dog who inspired the venture) to be treated."

You would have to be a total asshole not to have your heart warmed by such a statement. In this day and age of negative media stories about how crappy the economy is, what foods can cause cancer, and people leaving their pets at home while fleeing wild fires, it's nice to hear about such a positive venture, one that is based on love and compassion. Ok sure, it may seem a bit silly to shell out hundreds of dollars just to fly your pet in its own airplane with his doggie friends, but the point is (at least what any pet lover/owner will tell you) that our pets are our family. You would never put your grandmother or your child in a cargo box at the bottom of the plane (no matter how much they irritate you), so why would you do that to your pet? Wouldn't you at least like to have another option? Pets bring so much joy and fulfillment into our lives and they ask for nothing in return but food and love, so the least we can do is return the favour.

So, once again I'm amazed at the genius of some people and the amazing ideas they come up with, that I wish I had thought of. Now my only question would be....ARE THEY HIRING?!

Pet Airways Commercial - YouTube

A New Adventure...

2009-04-22T14:54:00.004-03:00

...but hopefully not a stupid one that I'll regret forever, or alternatively will kill me or at least my heart and my knees. Ok, I'm being a little dramatic here. In reality, I'm very excited about this new endeavor and can't wait for January 2010.

Why? What is happening that month, you ask? Well, it just so happens that as of yesterday, my intrepid boyfriend and I registered for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. Yes, me. Me who has never run more than a few minutes in her life and really never even exercised all that much outside of gym class and certainly has never been able to play any kind of sport or even had any remote interest in any kind of athletic event known to man. I guess the thing is, though, that's what excites me, oddly enough.

For a long time now I've been looking for some positive change in my life. In various ways, but just generally in terms of lifestyle. The past couple of years I've felt as though I've changed, and have even become a little lost. I've had some negative experiences that unfortunately have reverberated long past their initial sting and have had some of the lowest lows I've ever experienced in my young life. I'm not trying to tell a sob story here or complain about how crappy my life is because that's certainly not true - I've also had some very positive experiences and have been blessed in many ways. But generally, I haven't really felt as though I'm living my ideal life and being my ideal self (sorry to go all Oprah on you, these are just the best words to describe).

One big area of change that I've been meaning to tackle for a while now (and is a manifestation of the aforementioned confusion) is my health. To be frank, I've probably gained 10-15 lbs just in the past 6 months and probably about 40-50 lbs in the past 5 years. In this time, I went from being the smallest I've ever been to the biggest and I've never been happy with that. I have tried many different things to try and lose weight and get in shape and nothing has worked. I've realized that I'm a very impatient person that, if she doesn't see results within the 1st week, immediately quits and moves on (and this goes for many areas of my life, but particularly diet and exercise). Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight and get in shape KNOWS that this attitude is not condusive to losing weight, as it takes a while to see results.

I realized that I needed a swift kick in the ass in the form of a challenge - preferably with a deadline to work towards and a non-refundable cost so that I'd be less likely to bow out before even getting anywhere. Anyway, long story short I found out about the marathon through acquaintances who did it, spoke to another friend who's a running fiend and expert, read countless running forums and resources online, and decided that this could be (finally) the way to reach the lifestyle goals I've been striving and yearning for for a long while.

So, basically I have almost 9 mths to get myself in good enough shape to be able to run a 13.1 mile course in 3.5 hours or less. This is a challenge, but it's also realistic. I can barely contain my glee when I think about how good I could look and feel in 6 mths if I stick strictly to a training schedule of 4-5 days a week and following Canada's Food Guide. I want this more than I've wanted anything in a long time and I can't wait to tackle the challenge. It's very scary but I know if I stick with it (which is against my nature) that I can meet this challenge and get myself in the best shape of my life.

I just wanted to share this to whomever cares (or even if you don't) so that you know that if I'm not home the next few months and you can't get a hold of me, I'm probably out running...or swimming or at a yoga for runners class or something. Also, I hope you will follow our progress in the pages of this blog and support us every step of the way - even small words of encouragement and being able to express my worries and challenges and triumphs, even if it's just out to the "void" and not to anyone in particular - will be SO extremely motivating and appreciated over the coming months. I welcome any thoughts, tips or questions you might have.

It's time for a new adventure and there's no turning back now! Official start date is Monday, April 27th, 2009.
Here we go...

Born to be LEFT in The Wild

2009-03-13T17:29:00.008-03:00

Today's rant comes from a letter I felt compelled to write to Vogue magazine today. Now, say what you will about Vogue (and I will, so stay tuned!) but I do read it every month religiously as it satisfies my fashion fix, and keeps me informed about what's going on in the world of culture. They have beautiful fashion spreads and insightful articles from some of the best authors and essayists out there, and they are probably more "with the times" than you might realize.

Take the March 2009 issue - usually one of two extra-fat issues throughout the year (hello, spring collections!) - with Michelle Obama on the cover. Now, I don't mean to be a sheep here and jump on the "Obama-bandwagon" just because everyone else is, but it must be said that Michelle is a poised, intelligent and yes, stylish woman who I think is a refreshing and exciting choice for the cover, as opposed to the usual "flavour of the month" celebrity. In addition, I found page after page of "drool-worthy" features and articles inside to quench my need for colour and creativity.

However my delight quickly turned to revulsion when I turned to p. 411 (yes that's right I said 4 HUNDRED 11 - this issue is not quite War and Peace but it's close) and to an accessories feature entitled "Born to be Wild". And, no it was not about a Steppenwolf reunion (sadly) but about the "newest accessories of the season in feral prints mixed with exotic skins". Page after page of python purses, ostrich bangles (which cost over $650 each, I might add) and tons of animal prints. At my estimates (which are probably extremely conservative) there had to have been at least 10 snakes killed just to make this one fashion story happen!

I am consistently disgusted every month to pick up fashion magazines and see dead animals hawked as the newest trendy thing. I don't understand how someone can walk around knowingly wearing a dead animal on their body - it's morally wrong in every way but particularly in this day and age where there is wide access to fake materials that can be substituted, and the awareness of threats to our environment is only growing. I would never think it's ok to kill something in the name of fashion. I don't even really think it's ok to kill animals for any reason, but of course (like most others in the world) I eat chicken and fish and don't think anything of it. But at least eating an animal provides a purpose, i.e. nutrients and protein for my survival, while a calfskin clutch or leopard stole serve only to provide sustenance to your appearance (or at least some people think so). Would you kill your housecat or your pet hamster in order to make yourself a cute, fun purse or wallet? Of course not - so why is it ok when it's snake, zebra or leopard? Where do we draw the line?

Of course, for every fashion magazine feature about the latest fur coats and exotic-skinned accessories, there are 5 animal rights and welfare groups that are standing up against such practices. The "Fur Free Alliance" is an international coalition dedicated to stopping the killing and exploitation of animals for their fur and there are countless Human Societies and SPCA's around the world serving as advocates for animals. In my research, I even discovered an event that pretty much made my life, that being the "Cool vs. Cruel" fashion design contest. For four years now, staff from the Humane Society of the United States have travelled to Art Institutes across the country and spoken to fashion students about the problems associated with fur for fashion. According to their website, the students were shown 4 runway designs that used real animal fur and were asked to re-invent these designs, sans cruelty. An online vote and a subsequent awards dinner are held to recognize the winners and contributers. One of the judges is my-future-gay-husband-to-be-but-doesn't-know-it-yet, Tim Gunn of Project Runway.

At least I know I'm not the only one shocked and appalled by the blatant marketing and promotion of these innocent creatures who died for fashion; it's comforting to know that there are many people out there who are as mad as I am and who aren't going to sit by and watch it happen. I'm only one person with one laptop and it's such a giant problem, but if we all take small steps we can start to see big changes, so I figure I'm doing my small part writing letters and articles such as this one, even if I feel I could be doing more.

And that's the point isn't it - that these creatures are innocent. Human beings think that because animals can't talk to or communicate with us that we are superior and we, as a society, do everything we can to demonstrate this power. But we are missing the point - not only that many animals are actually intellectually and physically superior to us in countless ways and that we should be proud, fascinated and awed by the number and variety of wonderful species we have on this planet; but also that BECAUSE animals can't talk, it is up to US to be their voice. It is up to us to speak on their behalf and interpret their needs and wants and try our best to give that to them, rather than take it away. The last thing they need from us is to destroy their habitats, families and way of life. So, maybe Vogue's title "Born to be Wild" is in fact appropriate, considering that chances are if animals did have a voice, some of them might choose to slither, bound, run, or crawl up to the folks at Vogue and elsewhere that don't respect their role in our world and our relationship to them, and repeat some of the lyrics: "...I'm a true nature's child, we were born, born to be wild, we can climb so high, I never wanna die..."

Books are my new bff

2008-10-26T12:30:00.005-03:00

I turned on the tv the other night and witnessed the decline of our society personified (as it seems I far too often do nowadays when I turn the tv on). I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing, though simultaneously I wasn't all that surprised, which is, I guess, further evidence of the aforementioned societal decline.

The culprit is the newest weapon in the arsenal (operative word being "ars") of that strange and tacky phenomenon known as reality television, and its name is "Paris Hilton is my new bff". I mean come on, the title alone automatically screams "crap" and knocks at least 5 points off of your IQ. And I don't think IQ is the strong suit of any of the people on this show, otherwise there's no way of explaining why someone would waste their time - I certainly would never waste my time on it, aside from the 10 minutes I viewed mainly due to a kind of morbid fascination at how such shows end up getting air time. In that short time, I could feel my brain slowly turning to mush (though not quite to the consistency of the brains of Paris or her potential "bff's"...didn't quite watch long enough).

The title is bad enough, but then on top of it this show stars Paris Hilton with Perez Hilton as her sidekick. Basically, it's like "Flavor of Love" but instead of looking for a new mate (or prostitute, depending on how you look at it), Paris is trying to pick her new, well, bff. And also I think Flava Flav may actually be slightly more intelligent and interesting than Paris is. The show "blurb" describes the contestants as "aspiring socialites" (or something) and may I just say how nice it is to see young women aiming high and setting rewarding goals for themselves. When I tuned in, they were unveiling the results of an apparent vote of who in the group is the most and least fake (though I could have picked out a few fake ones just by looking, if you know what I mean), which is so hilarious to me considering the show itself revolves around a skinny, plastic, barbie doll who makes her living pretending to be a real person.

One girl, who was apparently voted one of the "least fake" said the following (not necessarily verbatim): "I mean, I licked tongues with a random dude, and pretended to make out with a girl, getting steamy on camera...it's been a good week for me". How sad is that that this girl rates a good week by the number of lewd and tacky things she can fit in. And what saddens me even more is that there are probably hundreds of young girls watching that thinking how cool it is and wishing they could do it too. What kind of world do we live in that young girls have no one to look up to close to their own age except boozing actresses and spoiled botoxed socialites? What kind of world do we live in that has allowed people like Paris and Perez (and numerous others) to have exponentially more than what should have been 15 minutes of fame? People think we've come so far, we're so much more advanced than we used to be, things are so much more civilized now when evidence to the contrary is merely a remote click or a newsstand browse away.

The thing is though, programs like this are on tv because people want to watch them. We get a sick kind of entertainment from these mindless programs and the self-absorbed antics of out-of-control celebrities. We buy into the culture, and therefore perpetuate it. I could go on all day listing theories as to WHY we have this fascination, but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that we have it, and there's no reason why we should. What we should have a fascination for are things like helping make the world better, pride, intelligence, individuality, selflessness, innovation.

Most of us do appreciate these things of course, but the problem is that celebrity obsession (and other tasteless fare) are slowly being elevated to the same level of importance in some ways. I am generalizing about people of course - I do believe that most people in the world are rational and intelligent and don't pay attention to any of that pop-culture crap aside from an occasional glance at a tabloid or 10 minute peek at a reality program, however (as with most things in life) it only takes a few.

Bottom line is, I was disgusted about this show. However, even though the fact that we live in a world with questionable values distresses me, I take comfort in the fact that we also live in a world that allows me to click "off" on my remote and go pick up a good book.

Sure you can make babies - when we say you can!

2008-06-22T19:43:00.001-03:00

One of the countless news stories that came along in the wake of the devastating May 12th earthquake in China was the "offering of solace" given to grieving parents in the form of a temporary lift on the "one-child policy", meaning that couples whose only child was maimed or killed as a result of the disaster would be allowed by the government to have another child.

Well, gee, how generous of the Chinese government. They clearly have their citizens' best interests at heart as always - just as they did when they decided to introduce the "one-child policy" in the first place.

This policy was introduced in the 1970's as an attempt to reduce exploding population growth - an idea that has proven to work better in theory than in practice. Despite the fact that the introduction of this policy has prevented an additional 400 million births (acccording to the government...I mean, who else?!), it has also given birth (forgive the pun) to a multitude of disgusting customs, including forced sterilizations and forced abortions (overwhelmingly of girls in favour of male heirs). The result? An extremely unbalanced gender ratio and an increasingly suppressed, and one can imagine, frustrated people.

It is appalling to me that a country as technologically advanced and culturally rich as China can have such an abysmal human rights record. The mere fact that the government has the right by law to regulate the reproductive rights (or lack thereof in this case) of its citizens is dreadful enough but the fact that they then have the audacity to "allow" couples who have lost their child in a horrid natural disaster to have another one. It's sort of like allowing death row inmates to choose what they'd like their last meal to be - it's pretty cold comfort. You'd think we'd have come at least slightly further from the systemic genocide ala Hitler of more than 60 years ago. Instead it seems like that was just yesterday. In fact it seems like the Stone Age was just yesterday and we're all still Cave-people, grunting and beating each other with clubs. And considering China's population is nearing 1.5 billion people, it's clear that the policy originally instituted to curb population growth isn't doing much good anyway.

Another "uplifting" news story ran at the same time as this one about the worldwide outrage of disability groups over an official guide for Chinese volunteers at the upcoming Beijing Olympics on how to "deal" with disabled persons. This guide describes disabled persons as "a special group...with unique personalities and ways of thinking...(who are) isolated, unsocial and introspective...stubborn and controlling...defensive (with) a strong sense of inferiority" and states that they "might have unusual personalities because of disfigurement and disability", among many other grossly stereotypical and condescending pieces of "advice".

The article notes that persons with disabilites, whose population numbers in excess of 80 million in China alone (more than 2.5 times the entire population of Canada, I might add) are regarded with a "curiosity bordering on disdain". Hand-in-hand with the "one-child policy", the Communist party has fostered deep prejudices against persons with disabilities, resulting in marriage bans between disabled and non-disabled persons, abortions of disabled fetuses, physical attacks and forced isolation, all practices that attempt to "weed out" and ostracize "abnormal" or "unhealthy" people.

How admirable of the Chinese government to care enough about its people to do everything they can to keep them safe from such freakish creatures and to save them from the stress of raising multiple children.

These news items ran right around the same time as stories of Tibetan protests and Chinese sneaking earthquake updates through their cell phones; updates that they weren't able to obtain through the government controlled internet and news outlets.

Frankly, in the wake of these news stories, I'm scared for the Chinese people and can't imagine how they live their everyday lives under the shadow of such oppressive and malignant political tyranny. Mostly, though, I'm scared that one of the largest, most powerful nations on our planet is the harbinger of such discriminatory and outrageous political ideas.

The one consolation one could possibly take from the stories I've discussed, and specifically the "one-child policy" is that less new citizens means less future civil servants.

Welcome to the "The Real World"... it kinda sucks

2008-05-24T14:24:00.000-03:00

Ok, this procrastination stuff is getting ridiculous...considering I haven't written a word on this blog in, like, 4 months, I think it's high time I spend some time. Now that I'm no longer a University student, I'm hoping I will have more free time to spend doing things I actually LIKE (like my writing)...

Speaking of no longer being a University student, my new situation has made me realize why some people spend their lives being "lifelong students", endlessly jumping from one program to the next, racking up debtloads along the way that would make George Bush blush. Despite all the time over the past four or five years that I've complained about paying way too much money in tuition and spending all my free time (or so it seemed) writing papers or studying, now that I don't have to do those things I (oddly enough) miss doing them.

Well, okay not really. I certainly don't miss the monotony or stress of being in school as much as the sort of "suspended reality" one lives in when attending school long term. I mean the more years you spend attending University, the longer you can avoid "real life" and adulthood, that is to say a regular job and (gasp) settling down. Of course this is not to say that University students do not have any responsibility or are out of touch with reality (though, as always, there are some exceptions); on the contrary. I'm simply saying that because of the very nature of the structure of University education, it is almost impossible for one to lead a settled lifestyle - you can't really work at a regular job (which means you can't really have a regular cash flow), your schedule (and sometimes residence) changes every few months, you must switch between the different sides of your brain and skill set on a daily basis, etc.

One also exists in a kind of state of "suspended adolescence" because of this kind of lifestyle where (for the most part), except for a crushing barrage of work around the middle of the semester and again at the end, you have a lot of time to sit around and chat with friends, drink, surf the internet; pretty much do whatever the hell you want. Heck, your parents are across town/province/country, so what are they gonna do?! Well, except for those of us who were lucky enough (or cursed accordingly, depending on how you look at it) to live at home.

I've also realized that you get SO many perks and discounts as a student that it almost makes the huge tuition payments worthwhile (almost). You get breaks on new cars, all kinds of tickets, trips, restaurants, shopping, and it goes on and on! For example, I renewed the Globe and Mail subscription for mom for Mother's Day under the "student" option and one full year of Saturday's at that rate only cost me $70! The regular rate is about $150! Good thing those student numbers stick with you for a while...

Anyway, regardless of your specific University experience and what it entailed, generally in a crude manner of speaking, going to school is a great way to avoid "The Real World". Of course everyone has their own definition of this "real world" concept, but many believe it to refer to the "working world". The world of 9 to 5 and offices, fax machines and meetings. Now that I'm a part of this world, I can attest that it isn't so bad. It's actually kind of exciting. Besides, I'm certainly no stranger to the working world, considering I've had jobs since I was 14. I've realized that it really isn't something that should be avoided anyway.

But I can still see why people continue to go to school over and over again. Aside from the points I made above, learning is fun, isn't it?! I know that sounds incredibly dorky, but I believe that any kind of education is NEVER a waste of time. So, who cares if you go to school for 10 years or earn 4 degrees as long as it's something you enjoy and that enriches your life? Some people get satisfaction from their job and some get it in other ways. I personally try and gain satisfaction from ALL areas of my life, and I've gotten it from my education and now I am trying to get it from my job. It's about being conscientious, dedicated and proud - no matter what you're doing.

Though, it would be really nice to still be able to get all those discounts I once enjoyed...

Miss America: Just a Regular Gal?

2008-01-30T19:51:00.000-04:00

I have to say, I get an overwhelming feeling of dread whenever I see an advertisement for a new reality show. In my opinion, these television shows are trashy, over the top and do not earn the "reality" moniker in any shape or form (at least no reality I've ever experienced). However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued when I saw the commercials for the TLC show "Miss America: Reality Check". Not only was it to be hosted by Michael Urie, who is hilarious on "Ugly Betty", but the commercials were funny and the show claimed to give the traditional Miss America pageant...well, a reality check. Considering how entertaining Urie is, and my belief that tall, tanned "barbie dolls" (as most pageant participants usually are) could do with a reality check (or at least a swift kick in the shapely knee), I decided to tune in.

The basic premise of this new look at Miss America is to reinvent the pageant and to "bridge the gap" between the contestants and the public. The first episode shows interviews with some members of the public expressing their opinion of Miss America and what they believe she represents. Most people used words like " manufactured", "robots", "fake", and "outdated". Armchair feminist that I am, I was thinking that this was going to be my kind of show.

In true reality show fashion, the 52 girls (representing each of the United States) were thrown together, and were given makeovers - on the inside as well as the outside. They were exposed to a fashion intervention by "What Not to Wear"s Stacey & Clinton, divided into teams, pushed into relay-like physical challenges, quizzed on United States history, and forced to flex their fashion muscle in a re-design and runway walking challenge. All of these challenges claimed to take the girls out of their beauty pageant comfort zones, re-train them, and to make them seem more human to the general public.

As TLC/Miss America press release states: "“We wanted to re-energize the Miss America brand in a way that made it more relatable to today's young women,” said Angela Shapiro-Mathes, president and general manager, TLC. “We worked closely with Sam Haskell and the Miss America Organization to give the pageant a new sensibility that was more reflective of our audience and that (resonates) with the viewers.”

For me overall, it was sort of like watching the love-child of Survivor, America's Next Top Model, The Apprentice, and Project Runway but in this reality show, no one was kicked off (which, let's face it, takes away half of the entertainment value). Instead, each week the judges (all of whom were supposed to be "celebrities" of sorts, and none of whom I had heard of) chose the girls who were Top 3 and the Bottom 3. It was clear that some of the girls immediately stood out and got the attention of the judges (Miss Alaska, anyone?) and some you just didn't even know were there (most of the other contestants). Possibly the part that most intrigued me was the fact that, at the end of the "reality check" series, the Miss America pageant aired as usual, but the new Miss America was chosen by the American people - for the first time in 87 years! Ah, the wonder of the Internet. The lucky girl turned out to be Miss Michigan, Kirsten Haglund (one of those ones, funnily enough, that I didn't even realize was there on "Reality Check").

Well, this certainly wasn't the most riveting television show I've ever seen, but I have to be honest and say that, despite this, I found the premise to be quite interesting and timely. In an age where we seem to be increasingly bombarded by manufactured role models and fake...well, everything, it is refreshing to see an effort being made to make particular role models more accessible, relatable, and real. With the hairspray, make-up and sequins stripped away, it was easy to see many of the girls had insecurities and past traumas to deal with, just like me. Beauty queens have feelings, too (and brains as well, apparently...well...most). And it seems I'm not alone in my opinion, considering 19 million viewers tuned into the final show on January 26th.

However, my high hopes for the final show were quickly brought down to earth, once I actually tuned in (briefly). There was the big hair and big gowns, the sequins and cake makeup, the swimsuits and the spray tans, the glued on smiles, and the rehearsed answers. Granted, I didn't watch the whole thing (Miss Washington's singing "talent" hurt my eardrums so much I had to switch the channel), but what I did see I was disappointed with. Did these girls learn nothing on "Reality Check"? What was the point of reinventing the image of Miss America and humanizing the contestants if they were just going to appear as lacquered barbies on the televised pageant anyway? I expected something more original, hip and new and wanted to see the fun, fashionable girls I saw on tv, being less than perfect. Evidently, those girls got lost on the way to pageant land.

It seems the idea behind reinventing Miss America was a good one in theory, but in practice it didn't really translate. I know deep down that all of the girls competing to be Miss America are smart, talented, caring, and open-minded. I know that they have goals in life, heartbreaks, bad hair days, and stressful episodes just like me. I know that there is more to them than just dazzling smiles and high heels. However, as Michael Urie says in the commercials advertising the show, "your sequins are burning my retinas!", and the metaphorical sequins on these girls burned my retinas so much I found it hard to see past them to the important things. As it says on another commercial for the show, "before there were singing idols, top models, or dancing stars there was a competition to be the best at everything" - I mean, do you know anyone (or want to) that wants to be the best at everything?? It takes more than a reality show to relate to someone, especially when you only know them as "Miss Florida" or "Miss New York" instead of as Kylie or Elisabeth, and the only girls you seem to see on the screen anyway are the ones with the biggest mouths and not the most integrity or intelligence.

Perhaps Miss America isn't quite ready for the kind of full-scale reality check it really needs.

A New Year's Quiz: 2007 in Review

2008-01-01T14:49:00.000-04:00

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Took a trip by myself...took the train from London to Paris in June and traveled around the city all alone (only got lost once!). I was quite proud of myself lol.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? God, no, I never keep those. My big one for this year is to save money and considering my track record on that front, I don't anticipate keeping it (though I will try hard). I would also like to lose some weight and exercise more, but I foresee an outcome similar to the one predicted above.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope...though like 3 or 4 of my friends got engaged (including my best friend). So, I may answer this question 'yes' by next year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, unfortunately. My mom's bf passed away very suddenly on May 31st. They were together 10 years. It was quite a shock and tainted the subsequent months of the year with stress and depression in our house. But we're getting through it.

5. What countries did you visit? St. Lucia, England, France (Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam)Great year for travel for me, thank my lucky stars.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? I would like to have more confidence and less stress.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 31st for the reason mentioned in #4.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Besides school, probably (finally!) quitting my job at Shoppers Drug Mart. It's not really an achievement per se, but I had wanted to do it for a long time and never thought I would. I worked there for 6 years so it was kind of sad to leave, but also liberating at the same time.

9. What was your biggest failure? Probably in not taking care of myself properly, in terms of diet and exercise. I ate a lot of crap and didn't work out enough. Not laziness, just no motivation, I guess.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just small colds and flu-y things (including one while in Europe...figures), a couple cavities and a root canal (do those count as injuries?)....nothing major. I actually managed to avoid the Norwalk flu that inflicted both my mom and sister, and the Mumps outbreak (even though I didn't even get vaccinated). I guess my immune system must have been top notch this year, though that doesn't make sense considering my answer to #9 (?).

11. What was the best thing you bought? I bought lots of clothing that could fit into this category. In true 'me' fashion I didn't really buy anything practical or useful. Though our family (not just me) bought a new kitty in March and she's been awesome....and my ticket to the Aerosmith concert in PEI in August was probably the best $75 I've spent in a long time.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mom's...she took Phil's death really hard, but at the same time dealt with it in an amazingly calm manner. There was so much ugliness surrounding the event that anyone would have cracked under the pressure but she soldiered on and lived her life despite it.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The behaviour of a certain person's family members who were out to get everything they could and make people's live miserable in the process.

14. Where did most of your money go? OMG definitely to way too many items of clothing.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My trips to Europe and St. Lucia, the Aerosmith concert/road trip to PEI.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Probably Umbrella by Rihanna, just because it seemed like I heard it every two seconds on the radio or downtown and everyone on the Europe trip was constantly singing it.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or Sadder? Sort of both - there's just been a lot of changes this year and it's been hard to take them all in....and it's been a lonely time the last few months. But I've had some good experiences this year too, and I feel like the next year is a real turning point in my life.
Richer or Poorer? Well richer since October, in that I've been making more money at my new job, but poorer in that I've spent a lot of it lol.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? I wish I had flirted and put myself out there more with potential dates...I've had some opportunities that I missed out on I think because I was a chicken shit lol.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? I wish I had relaxed more and given myself more of a break (I have a hard time doing that).

20. How will you be spending Christmas? Spent it with family...mom, sister, and grandmother, just relaxing, going to movies and plays, shopping. Also, I spent a lot of time with friends I hadn't seen in a while catching up and laughing. I spent a large proportion of my time eating also lol.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Alas no....not to be a downer but I can't seem to find love. I like the freedom and fun of being single but sometimes it gets old and when all of your close friends are either engaged or in long term relationships it's a constant reminder that you're not. Who knows what will happen this year though....

22. How many one-night stands? Uh none, thanks. I'm not that kind of girl.

23. What was your favorite TV program? I discovered HGTV and am now hooked on real estate shows like Location Location Location and House Hunters.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't hate anyone but let's just say that my opinion of some ppl has changed and I learned some things about ppl that I don't necessarily like.

25. What was the best book you read? Probably Notes on a Small Island by Bill Bryson. It's about his travels through England and I read it before I traveled to England so it provided a good education. It was just hilarious, too, regardless and I'm going to read his other books now I enjoyed that one so much.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? I went to see Gordie Sampson with Shaye in PEI in the summer and I LOVE him now! I went to see him with Symphony NS too. I'd always known of him but never really listened to him, and now that I have gotten to know his songs and seen him live, he's awesome!

27. What did you want and get? Well I wanted to generally have some interesting experiences and I got some of those, and as cheesy as it sounds I wanted to spend more time with friends and family and that worked out well also, thankfully.

28. What did you want and not get? See #21 - I seemed to have bad luck in love this year and it's frustrating. To quote Freddy Mercury, "can anybody find me somebody to love?!"

29. What was your favorite film(s) of this year? I really liked the Bourne Ultimatum and Superbad was frigin hilarious.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I just went to dinner with some friends and then came back to my place and hung out. My bday is right around exam time and 2 weeks before Xmas so it's hard to do anything much due to lack of time and money on the part of most people. I turned 23 (ugh).

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I would have liked to have taken another trip somewhere....maybe to NYC or down south again.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? I've always loved clothes but I really started taking more chances and being more creative with my outfits. I've tried to have fun with fashion and not care what other people were wearing or what they thought of my clothes. I dressed to be comfortable but also on trend and unique.

33. What kept you sane? Hanging out with my friends, my Art workshop I did with a friend of mine, occasional trips.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? There's not many of these I fancy overly much since I'm a bit disenfranchised with our society's obsession with celebrity, but I do find it entertaining sometimes. There wasn't really anyone in particular that I fancied though...

35. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't generally follow politics either b/c it makes me angry lol. Can't think of anything in particular.

36. Who did you miss? I missed my family when I was away and I missed my friends that moved away in September.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Probably my new boss Yvonne or Katalyn from Ohio at the UK PR Seminar :)

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Talk about things and nobody cares
Wearing other things that nobody wears
Ya callin' my name, but I gotta make it clear
Can't say where I'm gonna be in a year

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
That no matter how bad things get there is always someone worse off than you. Also, you need to force yourself outside your comfort zone, take chances and put yourself out there in all situations or you won't move forward.

Hospitality is Universal

2007-12-18T17:57:00.000-04:00

From August of this year until last week, my family and I had a 20 year old from Saudi Arabia living with us. Yousef was here in Halifax to learn English and I'd be lying if I said I was completely open to the experience of taking a boarder into our home. It turned out I had no cause for anxiety because he was barely here anyway, choosing to spend most of his time at his cousin's apartment in Halifax (not that I blame him, our house would be pretty boring for him, especially after his laptop broke). Needless to say I thought he was a nice guy, but I wasn't sure what my complete opinion of him was considering his usual absence from our company.

Then the day came for him to pack up his stuff and take it over to his cousin's, where he was going to stay his last week before returning home for 2 months. Mom and I drove him over to Halifax to lighten the load, expecting to just exchange a few words and a hug before heading back home. Upon our arrival at the apartment building, Yousef asked us if we would like to come up, and then once upstairs in the hallway, if we'd like to come into the apartment. His cousin was at the door with open arms and his handshake and smile at the ready. We had never met him before and he waved us into his apartment and onto the couch as if we were old friends.

The hospitality didn't stop there however. Yousef then proceeded to the kitchen and brought out a plate of Arabic dates (yum!) and a beautiful silver pot of Arabic coffee! We already knew him to be extremely polite, humble and friendly (the little we had seen of him), but this surpassed our expectations. Not only were we treated to new and delicious flavours, but we also had the pleasure of great conversation and laughs, which is saying a lot about two young men who can barely speak the same language as us. Needless to say, if I didn't know what my complete opinion of Yousef was before, I had no doubt about what it was after this encounter.

It makes me sick to think there are people in the world who look at young men like Yousef and his cousin as "terrorists" or "militants" when they are anything but. Our visit was a pleasant surprise that just goes to show kindness is universal. There is no reason to judge someone or jump to conclusions about them simply because you don't share a culture or language; at least not before spending quality time with them.

What I learned from this experience is that hospitality is universal; kindness bridges cultural gaps and leaves the people on either side all the more happy and educated in the aftermath. It is the small things that really matter - a plate of dates, a pot of coffee, a smile and a hug - and these are also the things that make someone who they are (not the extreme actions of a few members of their culture).

This encounter was, in fact, repeated a couple of days later when we dropped off a gift for Yousef. We had another round of coffee and conversation and even a "fashion show" of traditional Saudi Arabian dress. Yousef insisted that we come over upon his return to Canada in February so that he could cook us some Arabic food. If only all of the paranoid bigots in the world could have been there with us as Yousef and his cousin opened their arms to my mother and I. Perhaps they would have walked away with a more open mind and heart and gone back out into the world and made it a better place to live.

Deck the Halls with Visa Bills!

2007-11-05T17:09:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I'm not the most technologically advanced person around. For those of you that know me, this isn't exactly a revelation, it's common knowledge. However, some people (like my Mother, for example) seem to think I'm more skilled than I am. Which is fine with me, even though it's just not true. I know enough to get by, but my short attention span doesn't lend itself well to dealing with technical blips and techno lingo.

This lack of knowledge also applies to web shopping. This is always something that I've always been afraid of (probably partly because of my lack of technical knowledge), but always admired other people for doing. I've always been the one watching from afar while others raved about their $2 toaster from Amazon.com or their successful bid on a lock of Justin Timberlake's hair on eBay (these are purely fictional and ridiculous examples, note...my friends aren't THAT dorky).

However, I've slowly warmed up to the idea and have stuck my foot (well maybe just the end of my big toe) in the door of online shopping. As technology, and online security, has gotten better and better, and my reading of popular magazines has reached epic proportions, I have both become more comfortable with shopping online and more knowledeable about what is out there. I'm still no expert of course, but I thought I would share some of my favourite sites with you. Especially since I'm sure many of you are reflections of my old, net-shopping-phobic self. And for those of you that aren't, maybe you'll at least pick up some good ideas for Christmas gifts, or at least get a bit of entertainment from the girl who's techno-savvy is stuck in 2005.

http://www.amazon.ca/ (Ok, I know I'm WAY behind the times on this one, but they have such great deals on DVD's it's worth mentioning. You can also usually, and magically, find long lost music, tv, and movie titles which is great! Plus, shipping takes like 2 days!)

http://www.photoworks.com/ (Read about this one in InStyle magazine - you just sign up for free and you have dozens of photo gifts to choose from, from mugs to mousepads. You can even upload any photos you want into a professional, coffee-table book-esque "photo book" that costs like $30! Such a good idea...either that or a photo calendar with your favourite snapshots. Way more personal and customized then a stripey reindeer sweater)

http://www.wishingfish.com/ (Doorganizer, anyone? This is just one of hundreds of unique and handy items you will find at this quirky site. Perfect for a friend or family member who appreciates different, creative gifts for their home, office, bath, or bedroom. Some of the super cute inventory includes record label coasters, monogrammed toilet paper, "This is F**king Urgent" rubber doc stamp, and paper shampoo - need I go on? Also see http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/)

http://www.findgift.com/ (Besides the obvious name, this site lists important upcoming holidays and gives you dozens of categories of possible gifts to give for them. You can tell the "Gift Wizard" who your gift is for, and even specify a price range, and he will give you a bunch of suggestions based on occasion, type, and expression - thank you, miss you, etc. They even have a "hard to buy for category" to help you figure out what to buy your boss's, aunt's, chiropractor's, cat sitter's brother)

http://www.hallmark.com/ (Ok, I know this one is fairly obvious, and a bit parochial, but hey if you only have 5 minutes and zero dollars it's perfect! Go to this site and send someone an e-card - it's free, personalized, quick, and so cute! It really perks up someone's day to get one of these in an e-mail, especially if it's not for any particular occasion but "You're Great!" or "Thinking of You!". Trust me...just send yourself one if you don't believe me and see how it instantly improves your mood! Or send me one...please)

Which comes first - the dog or the owner?

2007-08-11T17:06:00.000-03:00

Watching American Justice on A&E tonight really got my blood boiling, and as a result, it compelled me to update my blog for the first time in a long while.

The case they were talking about just made me want to jump through the screen and strangle someone. The case concerned a couple in San Fransisco who owned two large dogs that viciously attacked a grown woman and killed her.The fact that the female dog owner charged in the case was convicted of 2nd degree murder, then excused, then convicted AGAIN, not to mention the fact that she (of course!) showed remorse ONLY when put in the hot seat as a witness, was just the tip of the anger iceberg for me.

Of course, the overall question here was whether or not pet owners should be held responsible for the actions (brutal, in particular) of their pets. I mean, hello, who should be held responsible if not the owner? The animal itself, which has no idea between right and wrong and acts only on instincts, which they cannot help and which thousands of years of evolution have instilled in them? I don't think so. It doesn't matter how long your dog, particularly a larger more aggressive breed, has been domesticated, spending its days sleeping and being stroked by you, it is still an ANIMAL. Animals are inherently wild.Most of them will never attack a person in their lifetime, and certainly not brutally enough to kill, but that doesn't mean the possibility is eliminated as soon as you place a jewelled collar around its neck and call it "Princess". The possibility of an animal attacking is ALWAYS there and it's only our own ignorance and the fact that we take the character and nature of animals so for granted that make us think otherwise.

Animals in general are more afraid of us then we are of them (humans, after all, are "the most dangerous game"), but if they feel threatened they will attack - DUH! They cannot help this and if it happens it has nothing to do with the animal being murderous, mean, or bloodthirsty with a hate-on for children. Animals cannot be held responsible for the urges that are inherent in them.They don't understand "decorum" or "politeness" or even, sometimes, the difference of good-natured teasing and life-threatening foe. Don't we all have the urge (and the right in most situations) to defend ourselves when we feel threatened? Why is it ok for us to defend ourselves but not them? The difference with humans is we have the CHOICE of whether or not to lash out and to let the situation or person get the better of us, or to let it go and be mature and composed. Dogs (and animals in general) don't have a choice, and don't grasp the concept anyway.

If an animal is violent it is because it has learned from a stupid, careless, redneck owner who is emotionally unstable and has nothing better to do then to scream and hit and train dogs to fight. Animals are like children - if they grow up in a home that is unstable they will develop unstable characteristics. Without love and affection (and a healthy amount of discipline) from owners, their development will be stunted and they will lash out.It's also no accident that most dog attacks are on children (unfortunately). Let's face it: most children, not realizing the consequences, tend to provoke pets. I know I used to bug my pets when I was a kid and drove them crazy! Not saying that if a dog bites a kid in the face that the kid deserved it, but like I said before if a dog senses a threat, it will attack and children and their parents take that fact for granted. I know that my blood would get up pretty darn quick with repeated tail pulling and nose poking (I don't have a tail of course, but you get my point).

Isn't this a no-brainer?! I don't understand why more people don't get it; it's not rocket science! I agree that there are certain breeds more predisposed to violence than others, but I also believe certain breeds of dogs, just like humans, shouldn't be typecast. Sure, lots of rottweilers, for example, can be aggressive, but some can be docile as well.Chances are, if even a more aggressive breed is raised in a loving, stable home environment that provides everything it needs physically and emotionally, it won't ever be aggressive aside from a few nips to a hand.

If all us pet owners could just raise our animals the way we'd raise our children (to be mature, polite, and considerate) then there wouldn't be a problem.Anyone who raises a dog to be a fighting machine should be chained up in a backyard pen to be beat up for a few years and see how they like it (and how they turn out). Of course, I'm not simpleton: I realize it's a free country and that anyone can own a pet that wishes to. I also understand that this is a touchy subject with many sides to the story and that when it comes to our pets we can get very emotional and defensive. Trust me! I love my cat like I would my own child.

I just feel horrible for the animals that are put down or taken away because of the actions of their owners.I'm not excusing the behaviour, or saying that animal attacks, especially those that result in long term damage or death, should be excused. But hold responsible and try the owners, not the dogs. Animals are being shot and euthanised just for being dogs - for doing what is in their nature to do; what has been bred into them over centuries. Dogs shouldn't be punished for the poor example set by the owner they didn't choose.

You wanna talk about murder...

Vive le Paris!

2007-06-03T17:02:00.000-03:00

Thursday was another lazy day with lecture and then most of the group leaving to catch flights for weekend trips - one group to Milan, one to Barcelona, one to Rome...So the few of us that were left went out to dinner Thursday night since Amanda was leaving to accept her fellowship in PEI the next day. It took a while to figure somewhere out, but we ended up going to a little place called Zizzi's. It was quite good, I had this chicken ravioli in a tomatoey cream sauce. It was also nice to hang out with ppl I hadn't seen much throughout the trip, including the other Canadians. It made me a little sad to realize I won't see them once I go home - Kelly and Ryan are both staying over here and Amanda will be in PEI. Not to mention the other ppl in the group. We'll leave the end of this week and probably not see each other again...

Anyway, enough with that sentimental stuff, for now. Friday I got up super early (3:15am to be exact!) to get to the train station to Paris for 5:30am, and I realized I had caught the bug that has been making it's way around the group. My throat was really sore. My roommate, Robyn has had it for a few days so I figured it was only a matter of time before it hit me too. Of course, it just HAD to be the day I left for Paris, but oh well. I went and caught my bus and got to the train station with plenty of time to spare. We all checked in at the Grayline desk, only about 8 or 9 of us, where we got a whole package with our train tickets, Paris map, etc. It was so easy! They even had my voucher for my hotel and everything! I would definitely recommend booking a trip like this to anyone, especially if you're travelling alone like I was. I didn't have to worry about a thing.

Our group was neat too, there was a great mix - a mother and daughter from Texas, two older couples from New Zealand/Australia, and a girl about my age from Malaysia/Australia. It was nice to have a small group b/c we all talked easily and the older couples looked out for me and the other young girl since we were alone.

The train ride was nice, though I dozed through most of it (unfortunately I've been suffering with some kind of cold/flu thingy the last few days). I mean when it comes right down to it also, if you've seen one countryside, you've seen them all. It's all green fields with trees and sheep, which is not terribly exciting. Our guide met us directly at the station, which was also very easy.

Before he led us outside he told us that if we're asked if we speak english we were supposed to say 'no'. I thought this was strange considering I DO speak english, but I realized as soon as we got outside. Sure enough there were Romanion pick pockets in your face right away asking if we spoke english, trying to distract us. It was pretty scary actually - and I guess it's a huge problem there.We went right to the coach and waited there for a couple others coming on another train. I went into a little shop to buy a sandwich and was quite proud of myself that I knew enough english to get by. One of the older couples that went in with me had no idea and the lady got kind of mad at them.

We just drove around the city a bit to start while the guide provided a bit of commentary - you know the usual bus tour stuff. We drove by the Louvre, Champs Elysee, Palais Royale, etc....all the main sites. We got off after a bit and stood in line to go up the Eiffel Tower. It's funny that the tower looks so small from far away but the bottom of it is huge! We were standing right under it and the bottom even is so high up - it was a really neat perspective. We only waited in line maybe 30 minutes too, which I thought would be longer. We took a little funicular thingy up the side and we were on the second floor! It was so wierd....it's one of those things I've always wanted to do so I got that surreal feeling doing it finally. It really was a great view (360!) and it was a gorgeous sunny day so you could see really well. It wasn't too crowded either so you could actually stand at the side and look around.

After we came down we all walked over to the side of the river. There was a bride sitting having pictures taken (right off a postcard!) and her dress was so beautiful! I felt bad for her though cause I figured she'd end up with black marks all over the butt from sitting on the stone lol. We all piled onto this long, wide river boat for a cruise down the Seine. Needless to say it wasn't very relaxing b/c it was FULL of school kids and they were sooooo loud. I couldn't hear any of the commentary of the guide but they were playing this light, french jazz which made me feel very Parisien *wink*. I swear the two days I was there it was class trip day for every school in France and they all converged on Paris at all the sites I visited b/c I was surrounded by them the whole time I was there. Oh joy (you can't see but my eyes are rolling big time)...

The cruise was nice, except for the great view of the tent cities of homeless people under all the bridges. We sailed by the Notre Dame cathedral, etc, and it was a great way to see the buildings up and down the river. It certainly wasn't the highlight of the trip but it wasn't bad. We got back on the coach after this and drove by the Arc de Triomphe then down the Champs Elysee. That was really neat to see and we drove by lots of designer boutiques, including the largest Louis Vuitton store in the world! The street is so long and it's lined on either side with big green trees. We ended up back by the Louvre and we went our seperate ways. I was the only one of the group staying overnight so that was a little daunting, but it also made me feel confident. I chatted with another young girl on the tour travelling by herself and she had an interesting story - she is from Malaysia but now lives in Australia. I also think she was rich b/c she was asking the tour guide where Chanel was (so jealous!).

I wasn't sure what to do with myself - I didn't want to go to the hotel yet b/c it was only 3:30 in the afternoon. Being sick with my cold I wasn't feeling 100% but I figured I might as well go to the Louvre since it was right there and it would free up time the next day. This was also surreal b/c I'd always wanted to go here as well, so I was quite excited to go. The line wasn't too long, which was unexpected, so I got inside quite quickly. It was very daunting however, because I had no idea where to start even with a map. I figured I'd go see the main things and then see what else I felt like or had time for. So I walked through and found the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The rooms are beautiful and there is so much to see you could spend days there. It was crowded, however, and I was starting to run out of energy due to fever/fatigue from my cold. I didn't want to leave b/c I wanted to see as much as I could but I was just getting too hot and tired so I left. I'm just glad I went and saw the main things, but I do wish I was feeling better b/c I could have spent more time. I decided to just call it a day and head to the hotel. On the way I bought a few souvenirs, stopped at a tourist centre to ask about Metro passes, tried to buy a Metro pass from a machine but was unsuccessful, and finally tried to find the hotel.

I had a bit of trouble and it was more of a walk then I thought so I was exhausted and sweaty by the time I arrived. It was great though b/c everything was taken care of through the tour company, so it didn't take long to check in and there was no charge. I was so grateful for that b/c I just wanted to get to my room and lay down for a bit. I couldn't bring myself to go to a restaurant for dinner since I was alone and tired so I walked to a grocery store around the corner and got some snacks. I still can't get over seeing wine and spirits sold in the open in grocery stores over here...

Needless to say I went to bed quite early, but didn't get my wake up call for 8am that I asked for so I got up a bit late. Had breakfast (complimentry!) at the hotel (which was very nice btw, and clean in a good location....I was impressed) and headed out. First stop was the huge metro station down the street to get a Metro pass. I'm very proud of myself that I took the Metro and buses all day long in Paris all by myself and didn't have any problems! My pass for the whole day only cost 5.50 euros (about 10-12 bucks Cdn) and it was unlimited trips on all transit! There was a few points of confusion since my french isn't great and there were certain lines closed, etc, but mostly very easy. Almost everywhere I went I came out of the Metro station and the place I was looking for was right there, too! I didn't have to search endlessly for anything. I didn't really enjoy the drunks and insane people on some trains harassing passengers though. However, an older man got onto one train I was on and starting playing the violin and it was lovely! It's a crying shame that he has to play on dirty subway trains in order to make extra change.

So, my first stop was right by the Louvre again at the Jardin de Tuileries. It's basically a large, long park full of statues, greenery, fountains, etc. It was beautiful! It was a nice sunny day again (hot!) so everything was so green and the water sparkled. There were hundreds of people just walking and sitting around the fountains or in the small cafes along the sides. I walked the whole length of the gardens admiring the dozens of roman/greek statues, green leafy trees along the avenue, and ponds (one with brand new baby ducks in them!). At the end of the avenue there's a huge pool with a big tall obelisk at the end of it. I'm not sure if the significance but it was beautiful, covered in gold leaf. I walked back up and through a hedge area full of more statues and back out onto the street. It was so relaxing and lovely.

My next Metro ride took me to the Pare Lachaise cemetary, where I walked for about an hour just looking around. I wanted to see Jim Morrison's grave as well, and I did. It's fairly unremarkable and in fact is slightly behind other stones so you can't really see it. It looked like it was stuffed in there haphazardly, but it was covered in flowers...apparently it's a big "spiritual" site for a lot of people. The cemetary was like a little city unto itself with little avenues and even little street signs. There were maps that laid out where all the famous people were buried, like Delacroix, Chopin, etc. I didn't see any of those simply b/c I didn't have a personal map and I just wanted to walk around and see what I could see. The monuments are so beautiful, some are so big and ornate. It was humbling to see very young people's graves and to see the enormous work and respect that went into some of the family monuments. It was very quiet and nice to walk through contemplating. It struck me how universal death and loss is as well, since there were graves for Jews and Asians as well as French people.

I still had lots of time so I changed my plans a bit and decided to head for the Paris Catacombes. I was excited because I didn't think I'd end up going there due to a lack of time. It was definitely a cool experience even though I'm slightly claustrophobic and travelling alone. You go down a loooooong spiral staircase underground about 20m, under the Metro and everything. They have various info on the walls telling about the museum and then you turn a corner and you're actually in the Catacombe tunnels. The walls are all hewn out of the rock/dirt, ceilings low with small lights. It's quite dark and damp. It was quite scary when I first went in b/c there was no one in front of me or behind me. As I walked I caught up with people though and it was fine, but note to self, don't go alone again. The tunnel went on quite a bit with plaques along the way on the wall describing things and finally you come to a larger room with two big columns and then a doorway that you go through into the actual Catacombes. These tunnels are where bodies were stored after being moved from cemetaries, so the walls were piled with skulls and human bones! It sounds gross but it was really cool! Along the way there were various marble plaques with religious passages on them, crosses, etc. It was very eerie with very little light and low ceilings with these skulls staring at you. I walked throught the whole thing, which is like an underground maze of tunnels for about 40 minutes. There were also sarcophogi in various spots along the tunnel.

By the time I got out of there I was pretty beat and needed to find somewhere to sit and have a cold drink. I got on the Metro to what I thought was the closest stop to the Basilique du Sacre Couer, which was my next stop, but when I came out I was definitely in a black ghetto of some kind full of sketchy shops and people. I was so freaked out! I went right back down into the Subway and caught a train back the way I came and got off randomly at a stop. It was so crowded and I was all by myself so I started to get worried for my safety at this point. I had no idea what stop to get off at, so I just got off at Gare du Lest, which is another large station, hoping to find a good cafe nearby when I came out. I finally did, where a french woman proceeded to not answer me about where the bathroom was until I said 'Bonjour' to her. This didn't add to my feelings at the time, I must say. In any case I sat for a bit to refuel and have a cold drink (an iced tea which cost me almost $10 Cdn!).

I didn't want to get back on the Metro again, so I tried to figure out a bus to get to Sacre Coeur but had problems. I finally asked one of the drivers and he didn't understand me til I showed him on the map and he (thank god!) told me what bus to take. It turned out well b/c I got off the bus and the street you walk up to the Basilica was right there! This little street was so dirty and crowded and covered on all sides with souvenir shops. I mean, basically all the shops carried the same merchandise and nothing too nice, but I bought a few things anyway. I figured there wouldn't be anywhere else to buy anything so whatever. The Basilica was so beautiful at the end of the street on top of this steep, green hill. It reminded me of the Taj Mahal in it's architecture and there were people everywhere! You have to either walk up a bunch of steep flights of steps or take the funicular - which (of course!) wasn't working, so guess what I did?! I trudged up those 8 or so flights of steep stairs to the top where the Basilica was, all with a mild fever and cold and in 30 degree heat. I was so glad I did though once I got up there because the views were amazing! I walked through the Basilica as well but didn't have enough energy to go up in the dome or down in the Crypt. I was getting to the end of my rope, admittedly, with the crowds and being harassed by men trying to sell me dumb bracelets and stuff.

So, I walked back down, bought some souvenirs on the way, and satisfied that I'd seen everything I wanted to see, went back to my hotel, picked up my bag, and got a bus to the train station. I was quite a bit early, but honestly I couldn't wait to check in and get on the train and sleep so I didn't care. I was looking forward to getting back to somewhere with people I knew that spoke English also. I dozed most of the train ride back and by the time I got the Tube from there to Baker Street and walked to the College from the station, it was 11:00 at night. I had been going since 9am that morning and was feeling lousy. I'm so glad I went though, and I'm very proud of myself that I did it all on my own! I wouldn't go alone again, just b/c it was lonely and I feared for my safety at times, but it was a great experience.

Sorry about blabbing on forever! There was just so much to tell! Sunday was uneventful since I was so exhausted and my cold was much worse. I pretty much relaxed, did homework all day, and talked to people as they each came back from their trips. It was obscenely hot and I was pretty much trying not to die from nasal congestion and sore throat. I was even worse this morning, but I started taking antibiotics so it's getting better. We had a fairly uneventful visit to Kaizo PR, and Katalyn, Ryan and I went to a bookstore called Foyles - which I love! Better yet, we walked by a small shop that had knock off Chanel bags for £35! We're SO going back there!

I've just been here all night trying to get our scrapbook stuff done and my paper, etc. Everything is due the next couple days so I'm stressing a bit trying to get it all done.

Anyway, enough blabbing for one day and my head hurts so, more later :D

City of Lights, here I come!

2007-05-30T16:59:00.000-03:00

Another day, another dollar....well actually quite a few less dollars I'm afraid lol.This week has been a bit of a boring one.

Monday was a slow day with lecture in the afternoon and in the evening me, Jessalyn and Katalyn headed out to the Globe, a pub we had eaten at one night, for dinner (we had AWESOME fish and chips there and wanted it again lol). Unfortunately, since it was a bank holiday, it was just closing up when we got there (most things closed early or weren't open at all all day) so we walked down the street and sure enough found a small restaurant called Nando's open. Well it turned out to be such a great place! It had portuguese decor and mostly chicken menu. The serving was a bit strange as it looked like a regular restaurant but you had to walk up to a counter to order and get your own drinks, utensils, ketchup, etc. But we had a whole huge meal, including dessert for like £7 (about 15-20 Cdn $)! And it was really good with a great atmosphere. It's now our fall back when we don't feel like shitty cafeteria (or "refectory" as they call it here) food. Though I still have about £100 left on my meal card that I have to use up, and I'm running out of spending $ so more often then not I'll be "refectoring" anyway.

Tuesday brought an early morning of shopping, which was very exciting for me as shopping always is lol. A group of us walked to this dept store ppl told us about called Primark. Well it is my new favourite! It was awesome - the clothes are SO cute, the store is HUGE with clothing, accessories, lingerie, shoes, etc, and they are all SO cheap! I got a pair of flats, flip flops, a sweater, two tanks, a jacket, and two tops for £38 (about $80 Cdn)! That may not sound that cheap but by comparison to stores at home for the same quality it was great. I'm going to go back next week before we check out *wink* We stopped at Starbucks, etc, on the way back (I love Starbucks here btw, for some reason everything tastes better) and headed back for another lecture.

Tuesday night was party night! A big group of us all hung around the dorm chatting and drinking in rooms then headed to Covent Garden to this club called, appropriately "The Gardening Club" and it was alot of fun! I was really excited to go out and dance and have fun, partly b/c it had been so long since I had done so, and also b/c my first night out here really sucked. It was nice to get out with ppl I haven't seen so much on the trip also, since we've all kinda broken up into little groups. And the best part is I didn't have a major hangover! Yay!

Today we visited the US Embassy. It didn't start out too fun since Cameron and I got seperated from the rest of the group (my Tube card doesn't work in the machine for some reason so I have to go the long way and show the agent at the gate to let me in...by the time I got through everyone was gone and I just happened to see Cameron at the ticket booth). Dr. Freitag is kind of annoying b/c he'll just take off when we're out somewhere and not wait and make sure everyone gets through or knows where they're going. He always tells us where we're going but isn't always clear. I knew how to get to that point but not from there...anyway it was fine we just got directions from someone on the street and ended up catching up. There was a ton of security to get in - we had to show our ID's to like 3 different ppl and leave those and our cameras/cells at the front desk. It was really nice inside with all marble and portraits on the walls. We didn't see much though b/c we were taken right to a conference room where the Minister and a few other communications ppl talked to us. It was interesting and they were really great people but it was a little boring. Also, I found it hard to relate to some things, since I'm not American.

It would have been nice to visit the Canadian Embassy as well but we have limited time and our field trips are based around the majority of the group and Dr. Freitag's connections. All in all it was an interesting outing though.I've just been hanging around tonight doing laundry (I know, super exciting isn't it?). I'm soooo glad that's done b/c now I have clean clothes and don't have to feel like a slob! lol. We were going to go to the National Gallery with a few people but decided to stay behind anyway. It was great for a short time ppl were watching Friends on the common room tv so I was in heaven....til a bunch of students turned it off in the middle of an episode and put some Indian movie on....sooooo annoying.I needed tonight to relax anyway b/c I need to catch up on sleep before tomorrow night.

As of Friday morning I will be on a train to Paris!! I can't wait, even though I'm a bit nervous to be alone much of the trip, I'm soooo excited to be visiting somewhere I've always wanted to go and it's exciting on my own as well. I'll see what I'm made of I'm sure, in some respects, and it will be great not to have to answer to anyone else. I'm hoping to go to the Louvre, the Catacombes, possibly Montmarte/Basilique de Sacre Couer, and the cemetary where all kinds of famous people are buried (I can't remember the name of it since my french is horrendous). I'll write more about that later.

Tomorrow will just consist of errands, lecture, and packing/going to bed early. There is also a group going to Barcelona and one going to Milan, so there will be lots of exciting stories on Monday, I'm sure.

It has occured to me that I've been really lucky - I've already been to the two cities I just mentioned and by the time I get home from this trip, I will have been to England, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, and Spain. It's hard to believe.

More later :D (or should I say, bon soir......who am I kidding I don't even know exactly what that means...I'm a horrible Canadian lol)

Over halfway done!

2007-05-27T16:56:00.000-03:00

Yet another week has passed and we now just have about a week and a half left before the end of the course! It's kinda scary how fast the time has passed and I feel like I need to scramble a bit to try and get everything done that I want to...

Thursday was a bit of a better day than Wednesday, thank goodness, though I was still homesick. We just had our usual lecture and then went straight to our rooms and packed for Amsterdam! Our plane was leaving at around 8:30 and we had to get there a couple hours early, plus it would take an hour to get there on the Tube, so basically we left around 5 lol. Katalyn and Jessalyn had problems going through security cause they had so many liquids and their bags were quite large, so there was a bit of a wait there and they ended up having to go back and check them - glad it wasn't me! The flight over was SO fast though...I dozed a bit but the time just flew by, it was great.

Once we got through all the airport stuff we had to grab a cab to the hotel. We had this really funny, nice driver and he informed us that our hotel was out around farms and he called it "no man's land"! haha. We were a little worried then that we were way out in the country somewhere sleeping in a barn, until we got to the hotel and it was great! It was a four star golf hotel so the grouds were really nice and it was in this nice suburban area with lovely cobblestone walkways, cute gingerbread houses, people walking dogs (and everyone has two dogs in Holland, btw, not one), lovely canals with little bridges and birds chirping, etc. Plus there was a bus stop 5 minutes away where we could catch a bus that got us into the city in 20 minutes! We got a good deal for the quality of the hotel also, and we had a four bed room.

We just crashed the first night b/c it was quite late when we got there. But it was early to rise on Friday for sightseeing and our intro to the city! We hopped on a bus into town and headed over to a restaurant for some food (where a couple of us had obscenely overpriced meals with a side of terrible service). Well, in fact, our first stop was a coffeeshop...for those of you who don't know marijuana (among other things) is legal in Amsterdam so on every corner there are small cafes where you can buy and smoke weed. You can also, of course, buy weed accessories, pre rolled joints, papers, etc.

Now, I don't really see the appeal in smoking up all the time, and even less so in a lovely city with so many other interesting things to see and do, but it's all part of the experience of the city and so I did want to take it in a little. However, when we got to the coffeeshop Jessalyn realized she didn't have an ID on her ( you have to be 18 or over to purchase weed or be in a coffeeshop). So we ended up having to hop back on the bus, go back to the hotel and get her passport. I went with her so she wouldn't be by herself and basically that was a wasted hour going to and from. But no matter....we met up with the other girls again and went to a different coffeeshop anyway.

Yes I smoked a joint, and no it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. There was no one else in the shop and I didn't even really get much of a high from it anyway. I urge you if you go to Amsterdam, unless it's your thing, DO NOT spend your entire trip in coffeeshops because they are way overrated. Besides you can get marijuana practically as easily in North America anyway (not that I'm advocating drug use on any level, to each his own, but I'm not your mother either). There that's my rant...I will move on now...

From there we wandered the city a bit and eventually got on a canal boat cruise. Also for those of you that don't know, Amsterdam is FULL of canals and it's really the best way to see the city and get around, besides walking. We were in a low, glass top boat driven by this old man Captain who, not kidding, looked just like the High Liner fisherman guy. He looked just like you'd expect an old boat captain to look like - gray bushy hair and beard, uniform, and he even had a pipe in his mouth! Anyway it was a nice cruise....we saw alot of houseboats (there is a housing shortage in the city so a lot of people live on houseboats in the canals) and got great views of the houses along the water.

The architecture is wonderful there...all the houses have these ornate tops and they all have long hooked ropes on pulleys hanging off them. According to the boat tour, the stairways and doors are so narrow furniture, etc, has to be hooked on this rope and pulled up and through the windows! The tour lasted about an hour and when we got off we headed across the street to the Sex Museum. That's right...being a particularly liberal city, prostitution is also legal there and so things associated with it are to be seen in plain view in some areas. The museum was pretty funny, and actually interesting at the same time. They actually had a lot of old statues and ancient figurines displayed (you can imagine doing what), ivory penises and things from ancient tribes, little exhibits and lots of photographs. I have to say I liked the museum alot except for many of those photos - people having sex with animals is not something I generally like to see (quite disgusting). My girlfriends will be happy to know that I got my picture taken sitting on the giant penis (that pic is NOT on Facebook!).

After the Sex Museum we decided we'd walk up to the Anne Frank museum and see if we could get in and if we couldn't get in we'd buy tickets for the next day. So it took forever to walk up there (which wasn't bad b/c it was nice to people watch and see the canals and streets) and when we got there the other girls didn't want to wait in line, even though it was moving fairly steadily. I thought we might as well go in b/c the line wasn't bad, plus we'd walked all the way up here in the first place, but of course I was outnumbered four to one so I was overruled. They decided we should walk to the Flower Market, which was another super long trek mostly done aimlessly alternately shoving the map in my face wanting me to navigate and grabbing it from me thinking they knew best where we were going.

Needless to say by the time we got to the Flower Market, which wasn't really worth it either, and then was lead along by the other girls looking for another coffeeshop, I wasn't in the best mood. Not to mention I was starving and thirsty (it was really hot that day). To make a long story short, they found another coffeeshop, did their thing and we finally walked to an Italian restaurant and had dinner, not without a great deal of tension forming within the group. On the bright side I had delicious tortellini for dinner.

We headed back to the hotel and just lounged in the room that evening. The second day, Katalyn and I were up before anyone else and ready to go b/c there was apparently a miscommunication and the other girls thought we were going out later. This, in addition to the fact that Katalyn and I were annoyed about the day before and actually wanted to see sights besides coffeeshops, led us to the decision to leave and meet up with the other three later. This proved to be a very good decision as we got to see everything we wanted to (and didn't have to walk huge distances as a result of shrewdly buying a tram pass).

We started off at Anne Frank Haus museum. The line was quite long (twice as long as the day before... was a good thing the other girls weren't there as they would have heard an "I told you so" from me *wink*) but moved fairly quickly and we got in after about 30 minutes to an hour. There is a main museum area but you can also enter the small apartment where Anne and her family/friends (8 ppl in total) lived in hiding for 3 years. This was the coolest part - it was SUCH a small space and it's hidden behind a moving bookcase so when you walk in you really feel what it must have been like for them. All the windows were blacked out and they still had the movie star photos and clippings on her bedroom wall. It was really cool to see.

From there we got back on the tram and went to the Museumplein, which is where the Rijksmuseum (very famous art museum), etc, are located. There is a huge park area in the middle of all the museums with huge red and white block letters saying " I amsterdam" (I think it's the new tourism slogan, sort of). We headed to the Van Gogh museum, which was also beautiful. They didn't have my favourite painting "Starry Night" but they had many more and they were beautifully laid out. It was crowded though and we were pretty tired so we didn't spend much time there (obviously had time to get to the shop though lol). We had a rest in the park and a drink for a bit and decided to head to Hard Rock Cafe so Katalyn could get a t shirt for her dad and brother.

We decided to go to the Rembrandthaus museum from there but we has a bit of trouble with the tram system and got a bit lost. Apparently there are a few different companies managing the trams in the city so they wouldn't let us on one with the ticket we had, and couldn't find the right one....plus we bought fare for one but then it took us to the wrong place. So to make a long story short, we ended up at Rembrandtsplein instead and decided to scrap trying to find it and head back toward the main square again.We did a bit shopping along the way and just stopped at a small pub to eat dinner.

I gotta say the Dutch are nice people but they are horrible on customer service. Waiters like to ignore you and take forever to bring things. We just headed back to the hotel for an early night b/c we had seen everything we wanted to see and were quite tired also. The other girls were quite a bit later but thankfully there was no more tension between us, so it worked out well. They didn't end up getting to any museums though and pretty much smoked weed all day (then in the evening in the room several times). So I was even more glad we had split up.

All in all it was a good trip. Amsterdam is a beautiful city and I'm glad we got to see outside the city as well. Holland is definitely somewhere I'd like to go back to someday. No other events of interest have occured since then, just bed and homework so just boring things lol. I'm trying to book Paris for this weekend but not done yet.

I'll keep everyone posted as always.More later! :D

And cue the homesickness...

2007-05-23T16:54:00.000-03:00

The past couple days have been a bit boring with not much activity. Tuesday I got up late and didn't really do much in the morning, just prepared for the day.

We went on a tour of the BBC Television station in the afternoon. I was really excited about it b/c it sounded really interesting but honestly the visit was a bit disappointing. First of all, we waited FOREVER for our hostess to come out (probably 30-45 mins in the lobby)...which wasn't TOO bad b/c they had this British soap opera on the tv called "Doctors" which we got sucked into lol. Anyway she finally came and escorted us through but she wasn't able to secure us a tour so she basically just led us through the building to a small conference room where we had three guest speakers talk to us. The head of media relations, head of corporate affairs and a radio guy with BBC Worldservice all talked to us and answered our questions. They were very generous to take of their time and they were very interesting with some great insights, but they talked FOREVER! We ended up being there for over 2 hours listening and it was just very grading and boring after a while. I feel bad saying that cause they were top guys but it just went on WAY too long and they didn't provide SO many insights that it warranted the long time.

Then we pretty much just left, got back on the Tube and came back to the school. We were all starving and tired when we got back and I kinda felt like the day was wasted unfortunately. I just read in the evening and started to watch a movie with a few ppl but it was boring and went to bed (Exciting huh?).

Anyway today was pretty much the same though Katalyn and I got up early and headed to Starbucks and then the Post Office to exchange $. It was a lovely sunny morning and it was nice to get a coffee and sit outside for a bit but the rest of the day was kind of a bust as well. We came back and had lecture again today, which was pretty boring and we didn't even cover much of what we read. Dr. Freitag spent a while telling a story and didn't even get to what we were supposed to talk about (he worked for NATO and the Pentagon and all this cool stuff doing media relations and PR so he's got interesting stories).

Then we had a group meeting afterwards to start planning our final scrapbook project we have to produce as a group. Well, let's just say it was an interesting meeting....it was basically alot of arguing and yelling and too many people trying to say too many things at one time and take over. It wasn't very organized though we did finally get some groups split up and decided what we wanted to have done for tomorrow, which is good. I have to work with Brittney and Leora on the sightseeing section and we decided to do a website for our scrapbook, which I think is cool. We're going to have different sections for important tips and info we think those coming on the course should know, according to our own experiences.

After that meeting I needed some alone time so I walked out to the Rose Garden with my books, etc, and sat out there for a bit. It was nice to get away and to somewhere quiet by myself. However it was really uncomfortable after a bit and then a bird proceeded to poo on me! SO I headed back to get some food. However most of the group was heading out to a pub to watch a big football (aka soccer) match and I didn't really care about doing that (plus have a lot of reading) so I stayed here.

But I couldn't find anyone else to talk to or anything so it was a bit lonely. I started to miss home then but of course I can't call cause my stupid phone card I bought is a piece of crap. It was very frustrating and I really wanted to hear a familiar voice but alas, it was not meant to be. Anyway I just read my stuff for tomorrow and then Katalyn, Jessalyn and I were researching next weekend's trip. We were looking into going to Rome instead of Paris but the prices were just too high. I'd LOVE to but I think I'm just going to stick to Paris....except now they might be doing Rome which means I"ll be doing Paris alone, which sucks :(

We'll see though, it's not decided....Anyway that's all for today....the last couple days have tested my patience and have left me a bit homesick but I'm still having a good time! We're going to be in Amsterdam all weekend so I'll have lots to report on Sunday don't worry!

My bed and other homework beckons so more later....

Not a day of rest at all...

2007-05-21T16:49:00.000-03:00

Sunday definitely wasn't a day of rest for the three of us. We took a bus tour, with a pick up of 7:50am....plus we had to get the Tube to the pick-up location....so we were up early.The tour started at Warwick at the castle there and it took 2 hours to drive there so we just slept most of the way.

The countryside is lovely...it actually reminded me of the Valley in Nova Scotia, which is funny b/c I expected it to be more like something out of a Jane Austen novel - grey, windswept, rugged, romantic. It was lovely though, very green with lots of trees....and lots of sheep (the rumours are true....apparently there are 40 million sheep in Britain...I think that's larger than the entire population of Canada). Warwick castle was really nice too...a little bit touristy with its costumed actors and medevil weapon demos. Walking into the grounds there was even a rubber chicken on the archery target lol (very Monty Python I thought). The grounds are huge and green with a lovely river and gardens and a huge catapault (not sure what the immediate purpose for that would be in the 21st century though). The castle inside is all decorated in 18th century style....apparently the Earl of Warwick lived there and had many famous guests on a regular basis such as the Prince of Wales and a young Winston Churchill. There were creepy wax figures in all the rooms though which, in my opinion, makes the room look instantly cheaper but oh well. It was still really interesting. The rooms were beautifully decorated and they had a room full of just armour and weapons. Really cool.

We walked around the grounds a bit...it was quite crowded...and then went and had coffee. Yes I had coffee at a medevial castle but give me a break I hadn't had any caffeine in 2 days! lol. OMG they have this peacock gardens with real, gorgeous peacocks walking around and they had their feathers out and everything. It was really really neat - took lots of pictures. They were my favourite part...though they make this loud shrieky noise when they talk to each other, it's SO loud and shrill and annoying...

When we got back to the bus we had a lovely convo with the driver Phil. He asked if we were planning to go on any other tours and we mentioned maybe the Jack the Ripper one or something and he said if we do anymore Premium tours to mention we were chatting with him and they may give us the staff rate! That was pretty cool, he was so nice...

From Warwick we went on to Stratford. We drove through the town a little bit first - which is lovely- and drove by Anne Hathway's cottage (Shakespeare's wife by the way, not the actress from The Devil Wears Prada) then parked and went into Shakespeare's birthplace and walked through. It was a little bit boring b/c it's just a house set up like how it would have looked when Shakespeare lived there. It was interesting but not great plus it was crowded so we couldn't really spend time in each room reading stuff...I just wanted to get out quickly but it was interesting anyway. Went to the gift shop though and they had GREAT stuff. If I was less worried about saving $ I would have bought a bunch of stuff. I got a notebook and a couple postcards at least.

Then we just wandered a bit around the little shopping boulevard outside the house (there was one shop, oddly enough, of just Christmas decorations)...there was lots of cute little shops and cafes....it was too bad we didn't have more time, I felt kinda rushed most of the time unfortunately. I would definitely go back to Stratford another time though and explore more.After Stratford we went to eat lunch at a cute little Cotswolds pub called the Ward or something like that. They had menu choices given to us beforehand so everything was ready when we got there. We had this chicken in cream sauce and potatoes and veggies and it was really good! The veggies and fruit are SO much more fresh here btw, for some reason. It was just a cute little pub you'd expect to find in the English countryside so it was very enjoyable.

From there we went to Oxford, which was also lovely. I think I liked this the best except for the peacocks, etc, at Warwick castle. Again I wish we had more time and weren't so rushed (we were behind time so the guide rushed us a bit, which was annoying). But he took us around to look at a bunch of the colleges (Oxford U doesn't really exist, it's actually made up of 40 or so small colleges). The buildings there are sooo beautiful and full of history. There are these large courtyards everywhere with statues and a great cathedral with tombs and in memory plaques for profs and students, etc. We went to Christ Church college and into the Great Hall where they all eat dinner too and it looks JUST like the one in Harry Potter! SO cool! Oxford was the inspiration for that movie and for Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The Dean's daughter was named Alice, and Carroll based alot of the characters on Oxford ppl, including her. We even drove by a pub where he and JRR Tolkein used to meet up and chat. I really wish we had more time. We got free champagne in the Great Hall though, that was kinda cool. The walls were covered in portraits of former famous students and faculty.

We walked a bit around the town streets and looked at various buildings but that was about it. I'd like to go back there sometime as well.We drove back into London after that and got dropped off. It kinda sucked cause we had to take the Tube a bit back, they didn't drop off at the College (even though when we hopped off Phil the driver said he would have drove us back, and would have but the guide told us to get off at Marble Arch....Phil just rolled his eyes lol. He was great...). I was disappointed in the guide and the fact that we didn't have more time at the last two places but all in all a good tour. He was super dry! We were exhausted when we got back - we'd been walking SO much non stop for the last three days. I just lounged around all evening and read and did homework (sooo wrong on a trip like this but hey, has to be done).

Today (Monday), I had kind of a stressful morning as I lost my student ID card on Saturday (I know I know, it fell off my lanyard at some point walking to or from the Zoo). This is bad b/c you need your card to get in and out of the building as well as to get to the other sections of the building (including the caf, library, and computer labs), not to mention it holds credit for print jobs AND food in the caf (yeah I was super mad at myself). I went on Sat and he told me to come back Mon at 8:30am b/c there was no one there who could do the card til then, spent all weekend bumming other people's cards, went back Mon AM to be told that there was no one there to do it til 10am, went back at 10am and was told to go to another desk where he gave me a new card but then told me I had to go to another desk in the basement to get my credit transfered. THEN I went back to the comp lab where a few of us were typing our journals due TODAY in class at 1pm to print and my card wouldn't work. SO I had to go get another card with the same #...went back to print and it still didn't work so I ended up using Katalyn's.

Needless to say I was super annoyed and very disenfranchised with customer service in the UK. Oh and on top of all this I had to pay 10 freakin pounds to replace the card (that's close to $25 Cdn). Yeah! So I was majorly stressed but got my journal printed finally and got to class ok. Yikes....After lecture a bunch of us grabbed the Tube to the Absolut London Ice Bar. It's a small bar inside another bar and it was soooo neat - the whole thing is made of ice bricks! The walls, the bar, the seats, the tables, everything. There was even a telephone booth made of ice! You pay £12 to get in but you get a drink credit. They throw these long silver capes on you to keep you warm and we looked sooo ridiculous - it was super long and had this huge hood trimmed in fur. It was sooo neat just to see it and look around (don't worry lots of pics to come lol).

A group of us came back to the college after fully intending to eat then go out to a club for Brit's bday but we ended up getting back, eating and just sitting and chatting for like 1.5 hours. We didn't feel like going out after that so I just came on the computer, as you can see.Sorry this message was super long but lots to tell. I want to make sure I don't miss any details. I've definitely had some cool experiences here and I'm sure there will be many more. Amsterdam Thursday to Sunday so I'm sure I'll have LOTS to tell there lol.

More later :D

My UK PR Adventure, Vol 2...

2007-05-19T16:47:00.000-03:00

Lots to talk about today since we've been going full throttle since I last wrote. Our days have been pretty full of activities...Thursday morning a bunch of us got up early early and got the Tube to Leicester Square to the half price theatre ticket booth. There was already a line up but we got there early enough that we were far up. We decided on three choices and we ended up getting tickets to the Little Shop of Horrors which is a musical about a huge plant from space that eats people (seriously...and it's seriously not as dumb as it sounds...the song from the movie version was nominated for an academy award). After that the other (hungover) ones of the group went back to school and Jessalyn, Katelyn and I went walking.

We walked to Chinatown, where there honestly wasn't much to see, so we quickly left and got back on the Tube to Oxford St and did some shopping (I know I know like I need to do more of that *rolls eyes*).Then we decided to hop on a double decker bus to Green Park and Buckingham Palace. Those buses are the best way to see London...you sit on the top and you can see really far...sooo cool. Also the weather was GORGEOUS. It was hot and sunny all day.

Walking through Green Park was lovely.....it was all sunny and green and the lawn was covered in ppl in striped long chairs sunbathing and napping and such. We just missed the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham but there was still tons of people there so we didn't stay long. Just got a few pics and left. We headed back to the Tube and went back to Bakers Street and stopped at the Sherlock Holmes museum on the way home. It's just this little house and shop and apparently in the books, Sherlock lives at 221B Baker Street but that address doesn't exist so they just stuck it on a building and now that's the museum haha. I thought that was funny....honestly the museum kinda sucked (there wasn't much to see, no guides or any kind of info) but it was kinda fun to get our picture taken in front wearing Sherlock and Watson-esque hats ;)

We headed back to school for a couple hours then went back out around 4:30 to get some supper before the play. We ended up at this restaurant called Garfunkel's...it was really good food actually...then we headed to the play. It was soooo funny! The whole concept is so wierd but it's hilarious and the music and singing are great. I'm going to rent the movie when I get home and make the gals watch it (beware lol). We ended up at a pub near school called the Volunteer afterwards and it was really nice...we were all sitting outside and chatting. I had this really nice British beer. The rest of the night sucked though cause we wanted to go clubbing but a few ppl went back to school to change and they never came back so an adventure ensued that included waiting for them for EVER to come back, going in cabs in two groups, me ending up in the 2nd group with this guy leading us that I didn't even know, losing the other group altogether, picking up the gals at school and waiting another 20 mins, getting to the club (finally) and not actually being able to get in, going to a crappier place around the corner which was so crowded I couldn't even move or breath, our "guide" buying drinks for two in the group and himself but not me and Zach (did you get all that?).

Needless to say I wasn't in much of a mood to be out by then and Zach and I were both tired so we just left. It took another hour to get home cause we couldn't figure the buses out and finally ended up hailing a cab. It was a very frustrating experience cause I hadn't been out clubbing yet and was really interested in going and it got screwed up. But oh well, I didn't spend alot of extra money and we have LOTS of time to see things later.

Slept in (of course) this morning and then Jessalyn, Katelyn and I walked to the Zoo at the other end of the park. The park is huge though so it took a while to get there but it was definitely worth it. We walked through Queen Mary's gardens, rose gardens, etc. There is all kinds of little ice cream/coffee stands in the park and there was a wedding party taking photos on our way back. So beautiful! The Zoo is great too, it's really big and no major animals but all the pens are large for them and it's well taken care of. It's also got a great foundation on conservation and protecting endangered animals. They have a whole foundation surrounding the Zoo that supports and initiates things to help these issues.

We were gone prob 4 hours by the time we walked there and through it and back. We are soooo tired now and I need to get homework done so I'm just staying in doing that tonight and going to be early. We're taking a tour outside the city and have to leave before 7am (ugh...) so I'll be in bed early.Anyway it's almost a week since I arrived already! I can't believe it..before I know it I'll be back home :( I miss you all and home but I mean come on, home just doesn't measure up.

More later....

I'm finally here! London Week 1...

2007-05-17T16:44:00.000-03:00

So my UK PR adventure starts...well it actually started a few days ago but give me a break, I can't get on here every day (well I can but the computers here are old and shitty and therefore slow...ugh so annoying).

So it is officially Day 3 today....got here on Tuesday May 15th around 11am. Flights were good....Amanda, Kelly, Ryan and I met up fine at the airport. The journey was a long one however with an hour and a half flight to Montreal, a two and a half hour layover there, then almost seven hour flight from there to London....ugh. Then the car we hired wasn't there at the airport so we looked and looked and waited and waited and finally got fed up and hired another one. By then we were over an hour late anyway though and soooo tired considering we'd been travelling aaaalll day. Also we were supposed to pick up Tammy (from Memphis) at Terminal 4 so we were so late we had no idea where she would be. We went to the Terminal but couldn't find her and didn't know what else to do so we just left hoping she was at the college already. Needless to say she wasn't and she had quite the crazy journey to get there....we felt SO bad! Everything worked out in the end though...

Once everyone got in, around noon or 1, we went and had some food, did intros and such. Everyone is SO nice and friendly, it's great. There are a couple quiet ones but everyone else is def outgoing so it's very nice. My roommate Robyn is from Southeast Missouri and she's really nice too. The rooms are def small and the temperature isn't the greatest but they're good enough. I don't plan on being in there except to sleep and change. Oh and there is NO elevator in the dorm! Which is just lovely when you're on the 3rd floor.... and that's not even the best part b/c we're technically on the 4th floor....there is an extra floor... the 1st floor starts on the 2nd, if that makes any sense....yeah that was great hauling two heavy big suitcases up all those stairs all by myself. Luckily this guy named Sebastien met me coming down and he carried them up for me. Yay! Apparently people take pity on you if you're short and weak like me :)

We had a quick orientation and tour in the afternoon....the campus is gorgeous! All the buildings are red brick and covered in ivy and we're in the middle of Regent's Park so there's gardens and trees everywhere, it's lovely. ..just how you think a British University should look.After that a few of us walked with Dr. Freitag to a post office nearby and he showed us where there was a close drugstore and grocery store, etc...then we walked back on our own. When we got back ate again and went back out on the Tube (love it!) to the London Eye. It was really cool...kinda boring cause it goes around really slow and it's majorly expensive (I think) but you could see sooo far, which was great....got some nice pics.

We kinda just wandered from there...Dr. Freitag always walks back to the College from there every year but no one went with him lol. None of us were really in the mood to walk much. We all got on the Tube again and ended up at Piccadilly Circus (which is sooo cool...it's just like Times Square in NY with flashing signs and ads everywhere). We couldn't decide on a place to eat though and it was getting annoying b/c there was a few ppl leading the group and b/c the group was so big there was no communication so half of us had no idea where we were headed.We ended up splitting in a few different groups...me, Leora, Bethany and Katelyn ended up at Planet Hollywood, which sucks b/c we didn't want to eat American food since we're abroad (even though we're in Britain and the food here is pretty much all food from other countries) but we were wet and hungry and tired of walking so we didn't really care at that point lol.

Then we just got the Tube back to the dorm and went to bed....needless to say I slept like a LOG.Wed (yesterday) woke up around 10:30, had a shower (the showers here suck btw, they are tiny little cramped stalls. There is one across the hall from our room and it's great cause it's in a little room and I try and get right up and grab it before anyone else gets in there lol. So far I've been successful so we'll see...). We all met up for breakfast....well lunch I guess since it was around noon, and we all went to our first lecture at 1pm! It was pretty boring actually and we only had an actual lecture for the last 20 mins or so b/c we did introductions and Q&A and stuff up until then.

Dr. Freitag gave us some of his background and it's really interesting...he's ex Air Force and has worked at the Pentagon and stuff lol. He sounds like he'd be all hard core like a drill sargeant or something but he's really not...he's pretty funny actually and he's all into theatre and acting so he's always making some grand gesture or silly joke. We talked about the assignments and field trips and stuff so it all sounds really interesting...it's going to be ALOT Of work though and it will be hard to fit in schoolwork with sightseeing.After lecture a bunch of ppl went out but Jesslyn and I stayed and researched weekend trips for Paris and Amsterdam...we went to student services, looked up flights and hotels for a couple hours. Then a couple other gals showed up and we read chapters and articles we were supposed to read for today.

Everyone kinda broke off in little groups again so I have a feeling it's going to be like that most of the time. It's alot easier to travel that way anyway. Katelyn, Jesslyn, Bethany and me went out around 8:30 and got on the Tube and just went randomly to a line and a stop. It was cool to just go and not worry about getting to a particular place. We ended up in Westminster at a pub (a very loud, crowded and smoky pub) called the Fountains Arms or something....I had a rum and pineapple that cost over £5 (which is over 10 Cdn dollars!). We just got on the tube again and ended up in Marylebone where we went to a little grocery store then to a little restaurant called Ask...it was really good food. I had Bruschetta which was nice (their veggies here are more fresh then home for sure). It's also becoming clear to me that spending $ going out is going to be an issue lol. The food in the cafeteria kinda sucks and we're out and around so much it's inevitable that you'll have to buy food. I think I'll be fine though, I can budget (I'm used to it being a poor student). Then we just came back and went to bed...it took me an hour to get to sleep then I kept waking up every hour...then birds outside the window start around 3-4am and it's soooo annoying. It's a nice sound on the one hand but not when I'm trying to sleep.

Tomorrow it looks like it's going to be the 1/2 price theatre ticket booth (it opens at 10am and you can get theatre tix for the same day for half the box office price!) then wandering around the city a bit, probably go to Buckingham Palace, Harrods, shopping, etc. More later! :D

Life: The Biggest Adventure

2007-04-28T16:43:00.000-03:00

So, 2 weeks from Monday I'll officially be a Londoner....well, sort of. Well actually not really at all but I like to think of myself that way b/c it's slightly more exotic than my current status of Dartmouthian. It's going to be fun, stressful I'm sure with lots of work and I can't wait! It will not only be fulfilling a long held dream of mine but it will also be the first time living on my own. I mean it's only for a month and it's in a dorm but still!

That should be interesting and a good crash course for (hopefully!) this time next year...It's gotten me thinking though about this year and all the changes involved...I feel like life is really coming into another chapter...that I've really matured and will continue to a lot over the next year or so. First of all, two of my close friends will be moving to Europe themselves, effectively breaking up our little group a little bit...I'll be finishing my PR degree before Christmas (if all goes as planned) and consequently looking for a "real" job and (again, hopefully) moving out! Of course you never know what can happen but that's a lot of changes in a short period of time. I feel like the next year will be a defining time in my life.

I will finally feel like a grownup - living on my own and working, hopefully finding someone to share that with. I feel like this is the start of the rest of my life to use a horrible cliche (hey, it suits the situation).It's scary but also exciting and liberating. It will remain to be seen if things turn out at least close to my expectations (and it's been my experience that life never usually does) but I'm confident that I'll be carving out a great spot for myself in life and society - finding my niche.

FYI you can follow this carving process (or at least the start of it...the chipping if you will) on this blog as I'll be posting my daily (or at least every few daysy) experiences along with photos (if I can figure out the technicalities of posting them by then...haven't had good experience there so far). I won't be taking my cherished laptop so we'll see how well these updates actually go but feel free to write your comments and read to your heart's content - or don't. May 14th to June 16th will be the time to tune in and who knows maybe you'll witness some stunning revelations. Though more than likely there will be nothing more than drunken stories and funny tourist mishaps...but hey, those are the important things in life anyway....the adventures ;)

Collaborative Communication in Contemporary Organizations: "To Blog or Not to Blog?" The pros and cons of using a company blog

2007-04-17T16:36:00.000-03:00

Everyone who’s anyone is blogging. Authors, executives, politicians, computer geeks in their mothers’ basements, the list goes on. They have spawned an entire industry; hundreds of books, conferences, companies, and groups discuss, monitor, host, and develop blogs. People all over the world get paid to follow and write for them. Blogs are devoted to everything from Dilbert and the Dallas Mavericks to grammar and Rosie O’Donnell. A google search of the word “blog” yields over 1 billion hits. Canadian Idol even provides blogs to all potential contestants.

This new verb (blogging) is not just being put into action by individuals, but also companies. In fact, some of the largest companies in North America are jumping on the “blog-wagon”, including McDonalds, GM, Sun Microsystems, Hill & Knowlton, not to mention Canadian institutions such as Roots and the CBC. It’s catching on in Atlantic Canada as well; Sobeys has incorporated a blog into its intranet, and Tradewinds Realty, based on the south shore of Nova Scotia, has a blog discussing Nova Scotia real estate. Organizations of many sizes and scopes all over the country are getting involved in this new media trend.

Blogs, wikis and other similar Web 2.0 technologies are becoming a regular part of the business communications mix.Why are so many companies joining the “blog universe”? The fact is we live in a world driven more and more by technology and companies need to come up with new ways to communicate messages and meet their goals. According to Stephen Baker in Business Week, there are some 40,000 new blogs showing up every day. Companies cannot afford to ignore the fact that more and more of their employees and customers are online sharing their opinions, positively negative, about business practices and their corporate environment.

Technorati, the leading blog search engine, states that the number of active blogs has tripled in the last year alone to over 27 million.In today’s competitive market, companies have to constantly keep up to date on the latest trends and technologies, not to mention stay in touch with what their customers and employees are saying. No one can deny the influence of blogs on collaborative communication in contemporary organizations. Blogs are slowly are “democratizing” the workplace and replacing static and complicated intranet systems and other internal communication tools.

In this technologically driven society, the older print and face to face communication tools are simply losing popularity.As Dan James from the PEI web-based company, SilverOrange, says, “Companies don’t blog, people do”. There is a difference between having a blog within your company acting as a communication vehicle for employees and a company employee taking it upon themselves to blog privately on their own time. However, there are pros and cons to associating a blog with your company, whether it’s used as a regulated employee communication tool or not.

On the pro side, blogs are extremely cheap and simple to set up. They only take a few minutes to set up and there are hundreds of hosts online to take advantage of. They’re ready to use almost instantly. Blogs are very easy to update and provide tremendous freedom. In most cases, there are no tight restrictions controlling the content, length or subject of entries and many people can contribute to discussions. Communicating this way is very easy and desirable to many modern employees. The content is raw and real, qualities which are often more encouraged online than in face to face interaction. As Frank Gilbane states in InfoWorld, blogs provide “direct interaction with readers…people don’t want to interact with press releases, and if they don’t feel the content is real, they’ll simply stop reading”.

In his book, “Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers”, Robert Scoble says that the general public, “don’t trust big companies… there’s a general perception that large companies are run by slick lawyers and book-fixing accountants who oversee armies of obedient, drone-like employees. Companies are perceived as monoliths without souls. In short, we see no humanity”. By posting company information and internal goings-on in a blog, a company could be seen as having more of this “humanity” and “soul”. This could possibly improve the company’s position in the minds of their publics. Transparency, or at least the appearance of it, is the key for today’s corporations. Microsoft has greatly improved its image over the last few years, and according to Scoble, this is partly because of their decision to allow their employees to “show a human face by blogging”. Rich Marcello, senior VP at Hewlett-Packard, says that his blog is a way to promote a new style of management, one that ultimately creates better relationships between employees and senior management.

Creating a sense of openness is one of the most important things a company blog can do, because “people don’t want (senior executives) sitting in an ivory tower”.As with any type of technological communication, messages posted on blogs can be sent and received much faster by much larger groups of people. The format of most blogs allows for quick updates and easy access to information and this is beneficial for both the audience and the company. A company can avoid a lot of criticism from the media and publics by getting its messages out quickly. Employees, customers, and investors can learn about organizational changes almost instantly. Not only that, but blogs can provide the opportunity for these groups to give feedback and commentary on these changes, feedback which often goes to senior executives via a much more direct channel. Employees gain a greater sense of trust for company executives, and a more positive affiliation with the company knowing that their opinions are valued and that they can have an influence on organizational decision-making.

With all the advantages of using a company blog as part of internal communications, there are many disadvantages and ethical concerns associated with this still fairly new technology. Probably one of the biggest problems is that once a company opens itself up to the honest opinions and comments of its employees and customers, these sometimes negative musings are difficult to ignore. A company must be willing to change according to suggestions from these groups, and they may not like what they hear. Eli Singer, of Cundari SFP Social Media in Toronto, says that starting a business blog “can be compared to opening Pandora’s Box…the truths learned may uncomfortably challenge operating assumptions and practices. A company may learn how out of sync it is…and may have to make some painful changes”.

Another very serious problem that companies should consider is the regulation and editing of content, or lack thereof. Many companies struggle to balance giving employees creative freedom with postings to encourage the most open communication possible, with controlling what information is being put out there about their business. It is extremely hard to strike this balance, and sometimes to regulate what is written on any given blog. Employees are people, and sometimes people do irresponsible things without thinking. There is always a possibility that a disgruntled employee will blog about the inadequacies of management or even spill internal secrets or financial information that could ruin a company if released publicly. There isn’t much that can be done to stop them, and your company may not be able to recover in the aftermath of a negative information leak.

David Meerman Scott, an American content marketing consultant, uses this metaphor to describe the issue: “Blogs….are like chewing gum in your hair – they’re easy to get into an enterprise, but impossible to remove without some ill-fated hair pulling”. According to Scott, information posted on blogs could lead to lawsuits against companies charging libel, copyright infringement or trademark violations. Dennis Kennedy, a St. Louis lawyer specializing in technology points out that, “companies often…treat emerging Web 2.0 technologies like ‘isolated new phenomena’ that aren't directly tied to corporate operations” and that these companies “need to look at what employees are doing ... in the context of (their) communications policy”.

Even though blogs are easy and cheap to set up, they can take a lot of time and effort to maintain and require the support of all employees. Singer says that company blogs require “strategic thinking about how your brand lives and communicates your value in the blogosphere…the quality of the voice (is important)…this demands both skill and elbow grease”. Tim Bray of Sun Microsystems has laid out a corporate blogging policy for all employees that could be useful for other executives to follow when setting up employee blogs. He suggests, “"It's perfectly OK to talk about your work and have a dialog with the community, but it's not OK to publish the recipe for one of our secret sauces....talking about revenue, future product ship dates, road maps, or our share price is apt to get you, or the company, or both, into legal trouble.... using your Weblog to trash or embarrass the company, our customers, or your co-workers is not only dangerous but stupid.”Blogs can be a very useful tool if they are implemented correctly and not abused by members of your company.

Suggestions come from every corner of the industry about how to implement a successful business blog. In “The Enterprise Blogosphere”, Michelle Delio offers hints such as encouraging honest and open voices, outlining what information employees can and can’t post (similar to Tim Bray’s guidelines just mentioned) and supporting successful blogs. Many industry insiders emphasize the importance of senior executives getting involved in the blog movement. Some of the largest company blogs are headed up by senior executives, such as GM and McDonalds. If there is opportunity for employees and customers to provide feedback on an executive blog, it is important that employee’s feel reassured their postings are going to be read and addressed. This is also important for employees doing the blogging about the company themselves; otherwise the whole idea behind the blog page could be lost. It could be useful for company executives to hire or delegate blog updating to one employee, or group of employees, to ensure organization and consistency.

Unfortunately, much of the business world in Atlantic Canada is lagging behind other areas of the country in the race to join the blogosphere. However, more and more large companies are realizing the usefulness of this tool in their internal communication strategies. As the business world in this region expands and continues to attract innovative minds, I think we will only see this tool grow more popular with Atlantic Canadian executives in the future.There are pros and cons to having an employee blog, but the fact is that information is power. Companies everywhere today cannot afford to ignore the blog phenomenon, or others like it, if they wish to expand, keep up with competitors, and maintain positive relationships with their customers and investors. Good or bad, blogs aren’t going anywhere.

Stephen Baker and Heather Green explain it best in “Blogs will change your business” with the following description: “Go ahead and bellyache about blogs. But you cannot afford to close your eyes to them; because they're simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself…they're going to shake up just about every business -- including yours. It doesn't matter whether you're shipping paper clips, pork bellies, or videos of Britney in a bikini, blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate. Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They're a prerequisite.”

The Image Epidemic: The problem of poor body image and self-esteem among young women

2007-04-11T14:57:00.000-03:00

(Feature) On January 12, 2007, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced strict new requirements for models, which included requiring professional help for models with eating disorders. Lynn Grefe, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association applauded these efforts but also pointed out that more needed to be done. “Simply making a suggestion is a band-aid on a much larger wound. Our concern is who is going to monitor this program? What are the next steps? Eating disorders kill.”

Eating disorders are just the tip of the iceberg; a huge iceberg that no number of industry guidelines will shrink. Our young women are in crisis. They are growing up with an unhealthy body image and poor self esteem. Too many of them are attempting to fit into ideals that are not realistic.Poor body image and self esteem are the most negative issues affecting young women in today’s society Poor body image is characterized by feeling or thinking about your body and the way it looks in a negative, critical way. This negative view results in poor self esteem, and self-destructive behaviour such as binging, purging, cutting, unnecessary plastic surgery, and even suicide.

As a young woman who has struggled with weight and poor self esteem, I know what it is like to not feel “normal”. It is hard to go through life at five feet tall and 160lbs when it seems like most of my peers are five ten and 120lb. I don’t deprive myself but I look in the mirror and feel fat, I get frustrated when I try on clothes that aren’t proportioned for my size, and I look at tall thin girls walking down the street with envious eyes. I am not alone - this is the reality for most girls my age, and younger.

In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35% of girls aged six to 12 years old have been on at least one diet and that 50-70% of normal weight girls believes they are overweight. How did we get here? The blame cannot be placed on any one factor, but we can’t deny that there are industries that are major contributors to this problem, and continue to perpetuate it to their advantage.

The fashion industry: “Thin is in”

Judging by the CFDA guidelines I mentioned above, as well as charitable work in other areas, it is clear the fashion industry has a conscience. However, much of the activities of this industry are contradictory. Models featured in fashion spreads are all tall and slim with perfect complexions and features. As Geneen Roth points out in Prevention magazine: “Even fashion models don't look like their images. Their sags, blemishes, and cellulite magically disappear with a few clicks of a mouse wielded by a talented photo retoucher.”

Average women are not featured prominently on runways or in magazines, except for the occasional special issue, and size 2 is the average designer sample size when the average woman in North America is a size eight to twelve. The average model weighs 23% less than the average woman, which is ironic considering average women are the ones buying the clothes models strut down the runway. According to Kate Fox of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, UK, fashion magazines are banned in most eating disorder clinics because of their “known negative effect on patients' body-image”.

The selection of larger sizes in most fashion retail stores is severely lacking and many stores, such as the Gap, only have plus-sizes available online. Much of the clothing featured in “14 +” stores is not on trend, and does not always take into account what flatters a larger woman. Most clothing seems to be cut straight and slim, not for curvy physiques. Not to mention, as one 20-year-old college student pointed out to me: “It doesn’t help having stores called Addition Elle with large sizes because I feel embarrassed walking into one of those stores…it makes us feel even worse about ourselves”. Most of us do not need a reminder that we are not the skinniest of girls every time we go shopping.

I am disappointed that most fashion magazines and designers pay lip service to the issue of the thin ideal in fashion, while not actually making any substantial changes or acknowledging their role in the problem. This is appalling for an industry whose foundation is built on creativity, innovation, and consciousness. I was excited when I received my latest issue of Vogue and saw that it was the “Shape Issue”. I was proud that there was an article devoted to discussing the “too thin debate”, the usual clothing spread showing how to wear the latest couture for every shape and size, and even a “fashion diary” of Ashley Graham, a size 16 model! However, my pleasure slowly dissipated as I combed through page after page of designer ads with the usual skeletal models, and read the article on cover girl, Scarlett Johansson who was described as “curvy”. Clearly, the fashion industry standard of a curvy body is frighteningly out of step with reality.

I agree with Editor Anna Wintour’s statement that “the main safeguard against developing an abnormal relationship to food is to have a healthy self-image” but I was disappointed that the magazine contained very little to help foster this healthy self-image amongst readers.

The cult of celebrity: “Poor role models”

The 2005 British Journal of Health Psychology article, “Intense personal celebrity-worship and body image” states the following: “One of the most important psychological influences of media, particularly during adolescence, is the formation of para-social relationships with media figures. These may take the form of intense attachments to celebrities where the values of the celebrity are highly influential, providing young people with attitudinal and behavioural exemplars. During adolescence, these figures may begin to usurp the role accorded to parents in earlier periods as teenagers become increasingly independent.”

The article discusses the case of 14 year-old “Kara”, who “amid some domestic unrest, latched on to fashion model Kate Moss (‘so cool, I wanted to be like her, under control’). By dieting, she strove to emulate Moss’s figure, but as with many developing girls it was not possible to remain healthy on such a diet and she was eventually diagnosed as anorexic.”Unfortunately there are countless girls like “Kara” that starve themselves in order to look like their favourite celebrity. Celebrity obsession has reached new heights and with some parents being increasingly absent and oblivious, young girls often have no better role models then Lindsay Lohan and Mary Kate Olsen (who entered rehab to treat anorexia just last year). And why wouldn’t teenage girls look up to them? They are beautiful, rich, popular, and travel the world; they seem to have it all.

Everywhere you look there are celebrities; commercials, television shows, magazine covers, billboards, websites, advertisements, videos, etc. It is impossible to escape or ignore them. You don’t even need to have talent, integrity, or intelligence to be famous anymore. You can be famous for having famous friends and rich parents, or for partying at the hottest clubs.This is especially true for young female celebrities. Not only are these young women constantly grabbing headlines, they are painfully thin. They are not only thin; they are getting breast implants, taking drugs, and starving themselves. They are drunks, drug addicts, and anorexics that are constantly in and out of rehab centres. The April 5th episode of Access Hollywood even talked about the frightening new trend of “rehab as ‘spa’” and the fact that it seems to be a “right of passage” and a way to pick up headlines for the young Hollywood beautiful.

They are not only paparazzi targets; they also sell diet products, fitness equipment, skin care products, make-up, hair dye, and model skimpy clothing on their ultra-thin frames.Young, naïve, impressionable, vulnerable women are trying desperately to measure up and are killing themselves in the process. Over 5 million girls and women in North America suffer from anorexia (of which 5-10% will die from the disease), and over 11,000 girls under 18 got breast implants in 2003 (triple the number from 2002). As Dr. Susan Sabin of the Renfrew Centre in Philadelphia says: “These glamorous teen celebrities seem to have it made…it appears that their lives are trouble-free, happy, and constantly entertaining – and the vehicle to all that is a perfect, skinny body.”What average young women don’t see is that their idols have personal trainers, make up artists and plastic surgeons on speed dial. Young female celebrities also work in an incredibly competitive and fickle industry and despite their careless behaviour, are human with the same fears and insecurities that “average” girls have. It’s too bad they have been elevated beyond human status and as such are the perfect foil for the projected anxieties of their young fans.

The image epidemic: What can we do?

Although there are many things that aren’t being done, there is a movement attempting to make positive changes and to give young girls the tools they need to develop strong self esteem.

The Dove “Campaign for Real Beauty” is one of the pioneers of this movement. Their advertisements feature real, average women of all shapes, sizes, and ages and develop products that help women look and feel beautiful in their own skin. Campaignforrealbeauty.com states that the goal of the campaign is to “provoke discussion and encourage debate about the nature of beauty. Dove hopes to change the way women perceive their bodies, and their beauty, by widening the definition of what it means to be beautiful. The brand is using images of real women with real bodies and real curves to accomplish this goal.” The website also includes various tools that women and their daughters can take advantage of including a self esteem fund, beauty e-cards, films, and discussion boards.

Television shows like Ugly Betty, plus-size magazines like “Radiance”, “web rings” like Bibri.com for eating disorder sufferers, regulations like the CFDA ones mentioned above, and programs devoted to the empowerment of young girls, like the Girl Scouts are all helping to improve the body image and self esteem of young girls.

One can only hope that one day we will live in a world where young women can feel good about themselves, no matter their size, shape or appearance. There is progress being made, but we have a long way to go. To get there we all need to do our part and make small changes. For example, did you tell your daughter, sister, mother, friend, or coworker that she is beautiful today? Have you ever done this? If not, you should. It may seem like a small thing but you’d be surprised. It could make a difference not just in her day, but her life.

Phone book profile: Lyndsey Macewen

2007-03-16T14:56:00.000-03:00

Lyndsey Macewen is the girl who has it all, the good looks, popularity, and intelligence everyone wants, not to mention the envy of all of her peers.Lyndsey is the typical “All American Girl”. She has a fresh-faced quality like those girls in the Noxzema commercials. She has long, shiny brown hair, a pleasant face with friendly eyes and a big smile with shiny white teeth. She is always smiling.

She has a medium build and is of average height. She is not too tall, not to short, not too skinny, not too fat.Lyndsey is not overly beautiful or statuesque, but she is definitely not ordinary. She turns heads with her happy demeanor, confident stride, and pretty face. She does not dress overly trendy, but she’s not a buttoned up conservative either. She is one of those people that can wear a simple white shirt and jeans and look like she stepped out of the pages of a magazine. She has a clean, preppy, easygoing style that looks effortless but still amazing to everyone else. She starts trends even though she does not mean to.

Lyndsey is the head of the cheerleading team and the prom committee. She is also the student council president, editor of the school newspaper and captain of the soccer team. She also volunteers at an animal shelter and acts in a local theatre group in her spare time. She is a constant figure on the stages of school award shows, assemblies and school plays.

Lyndsey is popular, but is friends with everyone. She does not make fun of people or exclude them, and no one is afraid to approach her. She is always there for her friends to provide a shoulder to cry on or some helpful advice. She remembers everyone’s birthdays and always seems to know the right thing to say at the right moment. She gets invited to everything and is never at wont for something to do on a Saturday night.

Lyndsey comes from a close-knit and wealthy family full of doctors and lawyers. She has a good-looking, popular, not to mention sweet, boyfriend who is crazy about her. She is the top student in her class and hopes to become a doctor. She is already fielding scholarship offers from top schools. She wants to find a cure for cancer in between getting married and having children.

Lyndsey Macewen seems like she is perfect in every way.She is the girl I have always hated

Human Environment Exercise: Structured Emotion

2007-02-27T14:53:00.000-04:00

The Jewish Museum in Berlin is the first building I’ve ever been in where my emotions were affected by the structure.It looks like any other European museum on the outside; well, like two separate museums in fact. The one on the left has the appearance of a grand mansion that looks like it was picked up in the Italian countryside and dropped onto this city block. It is a large, snow white rectangle with rows of windows along the top and bottom. The burnt orange roof is a beautiful contrast, and the windows are all framed in ornamental stone designs.The building on the right is completely different. It is a rhombus shape with a taller peak sticking up in the middle. Its silvery, shiny surface makes the building look like it’s completely covered in tin foil. All of the cars and people flowing by are reflected in its surface. Long, horizontal strips of black break up the shiny silver, making it look as though someone attacked the tin foil surface, slashing it with a knife.

The museum looks like any other European museum on the inside as well. A long queue of people snakes ahead of me stopping at a tall reception desk where bitter looking men and women sit. They grab money, thrust tickets and scrutinize ID cards. Security personnel stand around, eyeing tourists and looking inside backpacks and camera cases.

It isn’t until I turn right, step onto the escalator, and step off at the bottom that the power of the museum and its message hits me with full force.The hallways are bare and sparse with stark white walls, made even starker by the strips of fluorescent lights, and shiny black floors. The halls are placed haphazardly and to make me even more uneasy, the floors are slanted every which way. I feel out of place, disoriented, and claustrophobic – almost as if I am trapped in an underground maze.

There are pictures, stories, and displays on the walls – tidbits of Jewish and World War II history - but I hardly notice as I am so fixated on my discomfort.It is completely silent. Up and down the hallways, men and women and stare up and down in a contemplative, almost frightened way. No one speaks, not even the children, who are normally antsy and quickly bored. Everything seems cold, metallic, and harsh. There is a feeling of sterility, like a hospital. If I was not so fascinated I probably would have turned and walked out by now.

I follow sunlight through a heavy metal door and outside I find only tall cement pillars placed in rows across and down in a mazelike structure. There may be sunlight out here, but I still feel lost and disoriented.Back inside I follow a crowd through another large metal door and enter a dark room. Once I walk in, turn around and lean against the wall I see that the room is an irregular shape – like a long triangle- which makes it feel very cramped. Looking up I see a tall, black tower stretching up to a small square of light. This is the only light source and once the door is shut behind us all we can see is this tiny bit of hope.

There is nothing but cold, dark metal and complete silence. No one in the tiny triangular room speaks; most just look up toward the square of light as if they’ll never see daylight again. I feel uneasy after being immersed in this silent blackness for only seconds.Relief floods over me as someone opens the door and we step back into the hallway. When I come to my senses and my mom comes into view, I realize that she’s crying.

Memoir: Talk of Our Town

2007-01-28T14:52:00.000-04:00

I grew up in a very small, close knit neighbourhood. It was a “cul-de-sac”, and therefore if you didn’t live there, you didn’t drive up there. We could always pick out an “outside” car that had gotten lost in our little maze – one of many that make up the suburbs of Dartmouth.We all looked out for each other. The adults watched all their neighbours’ kids while they played in the street. The closeness between the residents in my neighbourhood, and the relative isolation, made living there almost like living in a small town unto ourselves.

The community feel that permeated the homes and yards, and the large number of children living there who constantly ran around the streets like a noisy herd of antelope, resulted in a great deal of “talk”. By “talk” I mean there was constantly a story, usually rumour, being passed back and forth from eager mouths to nosy ears. Any anomaly or novelty of any kind immediately caused speculation.We kids wasted no time making up ideas about what went on behind closed doors.

We aimed particular cruelty at the closed doors of neighbours who either yelled at us to stay off their lawns, or gave us dirty looks for taking up the whole street with our bikes and sidewalk chalk.The most particular cruelty, however, was directed at houses, not neighbours (well at least not directly).

There were a few houses in our vicinity that invited more “talk” then others. There was one house that always seemed to be for sale; people never seemed to want to live there for more than a few months. Another house was very dirty, old, and unkempt with car parts lying all over the lawn and scary dogs chained to the porch.We never saw anyone go in or out of these houses, nor did we ever talk to anyone coming in or out. So, naturally we assumed that these places were breeding grounds for ghosts, drug dealers, and murderers, or the scene of horrible pagan or cult rituals.

We imagined piles of bodies or scary creatures locked away in the basements, and cryptic messages scrawled on the walls. We tried our best to avoid these houses at any cost for fear that we’d be sucked into them never to be seen again, or horribly brainwashed by some kind of radioactive waves. We avoided ringing the doorbells when selling cookies or trick-or-treating, and crossed the street when coming near them, casting sideways glances over our shoulders.Of course, these worries were completely silly - the result of wild, naïve childhood imaginings, and peer pressure, rather than researched fact or eye witness testimony.

When I got older, I worked up the courage to knock on the door of one of the houses while fundraising. I encountered an unassuming, even pleasant middle-aged woman, not a witch or a psychopath. However, no matter how mean, I wouldn’t take back the stories we told, the crazy ideas we planted in the imaginations of fellow neighbourhood kids, or our uneducated assumptions about total strangers. These stories and gossip are the thread in the quilt of my childhood and it is quite a colourful quilt indeed.

Narrative Exercise: A Fine Line Between Love & Hate

2007-01-23T14:47:00.000-04:00

My first official job was working as a cashier for Shoppers Drug Mart. I had a few odd jobs before that, babysitting, working in a file room, but this was the first job that I wrote a resume, and had an official interview for. I got this job based on my skills and attitude, not because of family, friends, connections, or word of mouth.I started out as a cashier – the very bottom of the retail chain of command. I was only 16 years old, and thought this new job was a great accomplishment. I was very proud of myself. Even though I was at the bottom of the store “hierarchy”, I felt like I was at the top. I got an official paycheque, and I had a uniform! How much more excitement and pride could one teenager handle?

There was only one problem: I was a terrible cashier. There were so many codes, rules, and tasks to remember and I could hardly keep them straight. I constantly made mistakes, and had to call for help from a supervisor for practically every situation. My cash register never balanced – I was always consistently 50 or more dollars over or short at the end of every week.

One week my manager even gave me an ultimatum at the beginning of one shift: balance your cash or we will have to let you go. I was very shy, and felt like an outsider as a result. There is an expected learning curve with every job, but mine seemed to be quite a bit longer than most.

But I loved my job. And anything that I lacked in the technical department, I made up for in the area of customer service. It wasn’t about scanning products or taking money from customers; it was about the interactions I had with the people who stood before me. It was about customer service. It was about the smiles, jokes, and good-humoured small talk that I shared with them. It was about giving them a good experience in the short amount of time they spent shopping at our store. The ability to interact with customers made up for the fact that I seemed to be technically inept. It was like it was the beginning of a great relationship when all you want to do is be together, talk to and learn as much about each other as you can. I was in love with being a cashier and I thrived on it.

Over five years later, I’m still working at my job and I am now a supervisor as well as cashier. I have the most seniority out of any employee at the store except for the senior management. It feels pretty good. The codes, rules, and tasks I had so much trouble remembering are like second nature to me now, even though the amount of them I have to remember has doubled. I wish I could say my love of customer interaction has doubled, but I can’t. My job and I have been together for a few years, the spark has worn off, and I have seen a side of it that is not necessarily positive.

What I do know is that no matter how jaded I am now, how fed up I am with the environment and the people in it, or how much I complain, the best part of my job is still the people. Sure not all customers are friendly, not all are easy to deal with, but the truth is that most are. And that’s enough. Sometimes I wonder how I’ve lasted this long but then I remember. This job has given me invaluable skills, confidence, a strong work ethic, and an idea about what teamwork is all about.

The best thing it has given me is the opportunity to meet and interact with some great, albeit difficult, people on a daily basis.As dull as my duties can be, there is never a dull moment when it comes to meeting strangers.