She walks in from the kitchen, mug of tea in one hand, a pencil fidgeting slightly in the other. She is being comfortable today in her lulu lemon pants and a hoodie. She gracefully seats herself down upon her chair and curls her legs underneath her, until only a flash of colour now and again reveals that her feet are cocooned within fuzzy pink socks.
She glances critically at the sketch before her, tapping her pencil gently against her cheek. She takes a sip of tea, and her shoulders relax a little. She places the mug on the space beside her paper, though her hand still encircles it, as she contemplates what to do next.
Decided, she moves her pencil towards the page. Upon contact, lines and shades commence to flow out from under her hand. Minutes pass, or maybe hours, but she continues, lost in herself, in the page in front of her, in the relationship that she is creating with her subject.
Eventually, her hand ceases its movement, and she stares critically down at the page once more. With ragged hair, a dress ripped at the bottom, and wings growing out of her back, a faceless fairy stares back at her, a wild creature. Almost instantaneously the two - the artist and the subject - agree that a dash of colour is necessary. Purple is selected. They step back to critique the new addition to the appearance, the fairy turning this way and that to allow them to take in all angles. After a moment, their eyes catch and they smile. They are satisfied.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
vampire craze
What the heck is with the vampire craze? One woman writes one story about a kind of Romeo and Juliet couple (minus being dead at the end - like normal dead dead not vampire dead) and all of a sudden there is a disturbing amount of books and tv shows about vampires.
Like really?
Come on.
I will freely admit that I read the Twilight series and minus the fact that it was badly written (grammatical wise), the story is incredibly catchy. But what is with society and vampires? Is it all of a sudden cool to be drinking blood and yearning to join the living dead? Or is it more the idea of not being able to find a living breathing boyfriend that makes girls dream of a vampire one?
Society has gone vampire crazy and it's rather pathetic that the same story can basically be told again and again, on different networks and by different authors and yet people still buy into it.
The sad thing though is that a year from now vampires will no longer be "cool" and something new will have popped up. Society seriously just seems to be a herd that blindly follows the new fad, whatever it may be.
Like really?
Come on.
I will freely admit that I read the Twilight series and minus the fact that it was badly written (grammatical wise), the story is incredibly catchy. But what is with society and vampires? Is it all of a sudden cool to be drinking blood and yearning to join the living dead? Or is it more the idea of not being able to find a living breathing boyfriend that makes girls dream of a vampire one?
Society has gone vampire crazy and it's rather pathetic that the same story can basically be told again and again, on different networks and by different authors and yet people still buy into it.
The sad thing though is that a year from now vampires will no longer be "cool" and something new will have popped up. Society seriously just seems to be a herd that blindly follows the new fad, whatever it may be.
kick ass lesson plan
That's right. I just created a kick ass lesson plan about espionage in WWII.
That's right. I am boasting.
Why?
Because it's kick ass, and I'm proud of my genius brain for coming up with it.
Also,
It's due tomorrow and it's done. That's also why I'm so excited. 4 and a half hrs and I'm now done.
That's right. I am boasting.
Why?
Because it's kick ass, and I'm proud of my genius brain for coming up with it.
Also,
It's due tomorrow and it's done. That's also why I'm so excited. 4 and a half hrs and I'm now done.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
back to bed
It's wrong. All wrong.
From the moment I woke up this morning,
it's been wrong.
Woke up late,
Body doing strange things, feeling crappy,
it's raining.
My bag is not waterproof.
I have a hole in my right shoe.
My sock is wet.
The wind almost ate my umbrella,
I didn't eat breakfast.
I arrive to a class - my least favourite class
to a prof - who's my least favourite prof,
in a disturbingly early class.
I have class 'til 5:30
text message sent to the wrong person
test message sent to apologize for sending it to the wrong person
text message sent to the right person.
No reply from anyone, but I mean, it's EARLY.
The time? 9:39 am. The dreaded class is finished.
There is way too much time in the day left
for things to go wrong.
There is not enough time in the day left
to get everything done.
I need a pause button, a restart button,
a 'I hate the world, leave me alone button.'
The one desire is to go back to bed.
Desire - DENIED.
The world keeps turning, spinning
and I need to catch up,
keep going.
From the moment I woke up this morning,
it's been wrong.
Woke up late,
Body doing strange things, feeling crappy,
it's raining.
My bag is not waterproof.
I have a hole in my right shoe.
My sock is wet.
The wind almost ate my umbrella,
I didn't eat breakfast.
I arrive to a class - my least favourite class
to a prof - who's my least favourite prof,
in a disturbingly early class.
I have class 'til 5:30
text message sent to the wrong person
test message sent to apologize for sending it to the wrong person
text message sent to the right person.
No reply from anyone, but I mean, it's EARLY.
The time? 9:39 am. The dreaded class is finished.
There is way too much time in the day left
for things to go wrong.
There is not enough time in the day left
to get everything done.
I need a pause button, a restart button,
a 'I hate the world, leave me alone button.'
The one desire is to go back to bed.
Desire - DENIED.
The world keeps turning, spinning
and I need to catch up,
keep going.
Monday, September 14, 2009
thoughts on swing
I went to Swing for the first time tonight - alright let's be honest it was my second time. The first time I went I was commandeered by my friend Ian who ran into me just as I was getting off my work shift last year at Common Ground, and he took me in and we danced for about 10 min.
Anyway, this was my real first time (no offense meant Ian) and it was a lot of fun. See I've danced for a very long time - ballet, jazz, (though I only did those for a year or two) and then Irish dancing (like Riverdance) for 7 years. The thing with Irish dancing though is that while you sometimes have a partner it's not like "normal" dancing partners, so the whole partner thing tonight was basically new to me. The steps (minus the first turn we learned that I'm a bit shakey on) were basic enough that after a couple of goes I understood them and could dance them (minus the occasional fumble here and there). But it seriously seems to all come down to your partner.
First thing I learned tonight about partners - if you're the follower and your leader doesn't lead well. You guys have massive problems.
Second thing I learned tonight about partners - if your partner is an old hat at swing, or is a fast study with good rhythm, and you know the steps decently, (minus a little fumble here and there) it's wicked fun.
Conclusion: Going to def go again, see if I can get better, and also find a partner who's a quick learner too :)
Anyway, this was my real first time (no offense meant Ian) and it was a lot of fun. See I've danced for a very long time - ballet, jazz, (though I only did those for a year or two) and then Irish dancing (like Riverdance) for 7 years. The thing with Irish dancing though is that while you sometimes have a partner it's not like "normal" dancing partners, so the whole partner thing tonight was basically new to me. The steps (minus the first turn we learned that I'm a bit shakey on) were basic enough that after a couple of goes I understood them and could dance them (minus the occasional fumble here and there). But it seriously seems to all come down to your partner.
First thing I learned tonight about partners - if you're the follower and your leader doesn't lead well. You guys have massive problems.
Second thing I learned tonight about partners - if your partner is an old hat at swing, or is a fast study with good rhythm, and you know the steps decently, (minus a little fumble here and there) it's wicked fun.
Conclusion: Going to def go again, see if I can get better, and also find a partner who's a quick learner too :)
and then it was gone
So I get up this morning at 9 am and head into the shower, turn on the water, get in AND THEN just as I'm about to go and put shampoo in my hair the water turns off. Gone. Completely gone.
In a desperate hope I turn off the taps and turn them back on again. Nada. I get out of the shower and turn on the bathroom taps. Nothing. I go into the kitchen and turn on those taps. Bupkiss.
What do I do? Well it's me. So I curse.
I then turn on my trusty laptop and fire off an email to my landlord telling him I have no water and that it is completely unacceptable that I have no water as I pay everything on time AND we received no notification that the water would be turned off. I tell him to come and fix the problem immediately because, Hey I'm PISSED.
(Yes I realize it could have been worse - I could have had shampoo in my hair, and so I'm VERY grateful and fortunate that I didn't).
The other problem is that I also can't make tea which is extremely disheartening as it's Monday morning and I have class for 5 hrs today. My hair is also unwashed and I will now look like an 1800s street urchin from London.
And so the week begins.
In a desperate hope I turn off the taps and turn them back on again. Nada. I get out of the shower and turn on the bathroom taps. Nothing. I go into the kitchen and turn on those taps. Bupkiss.
What do I do? Well it's me. So I curse.
I then turn on my trusty laptop and fire off an email to my landlord telling him I have no water and that it is completely unacceptable that I have no water as I pay everything on time AND we received no notification that the water would be turned off. I tell him to come and fix the problem immediately because, Hey I'm PISSED.
(Yes I realize it could have been worse - I could have had shampoo in my hair, and so I'm VERY grateful and fortunate that I didn't).
The other problem is that I also can't make tea which is extremely disheartening as it's Monday morning and I have class for 5 hrs today. My hair is also unwashed and I will now look like an 1800s street urchin from London.
And so the week begins.
Friday, September 11, 2009
anxious
Currently I am slightly anxious. I don't know why.
You know how when you're racing around all day and you have that go go go mentality, and then you finish everything and you're like...oh...and stop the go go go mentality? Yeah, I can't stop. I keep feeling like I need to go go go, but I don't. And because I feel like I need to, I can't chill out. I can't relax, and it leaves me feeling anxious.
Stupid I know. But I have anxiety problems and so everything is heightened in my case.
Also, because I can't just chill, I get frustrated because I mean it's stupid, I should just be able to chill out. So I'm anxious and frustrated about being anxious and then get more anxious. It's a fantastic kind of cycle.
Eventually I will be able to chill out - it's just that it takes me longer that others on some days.
*sigh* oh me oh my.
You know how when you're racing around all day and you have that go go go mentality, and then you finish everything and you're like...oh...and stop the go go go mentality? Yeah, I can't stop. I keep feeling like I need to go go go, but I don't. And because I feel like I need to, I can't chill out. I can't relax, and it leaves me feeling anxious.
Stupid I know. But I have anxiety problems and so everything is heightened in my case.
Also, because I can't just chill, I get frustrated because I mean it's stupid, I should just be able to chill out. So I'm anxious and frustrated about being anxious and then get more anxious. It's a fantastic kind of cycle.
Eventually I will be able to chill out - it's just that it takes me longer that others on some days.
*sigh* oh me oh my.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Inspired
There are times when you come across something or someone that completely inspires you. Those are the times that make you reevaluate your present condition, and make you want to do more and more importantly BE more.
This post by my friend J is one of those moments:
Thought. - Thin Lines
This post by my friend J is one of those moments:
Thought. - Thin Lines
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
the smallest light
I feel like i should post more than I actually want to post.
I'm sitting in my darkened room with a small lone light glowing to dispel the darkness and it reminds me of my favourite line from a movie.
"Even the smallest light shines in the dark."
The line is from the movie The Seeker. Which I have to say wasn't as good as the previews made it out to be though it was entertaining.
But my light and that line made me think back to class the other day when I was thinking of "youth at risk" and fireflies.
(There was a connection between the two but now I'm contemplating fireflies)
Fireflies remind me of life in general. They shine and then stop. Shine and then stop. They blink in and out of existence. They make you appreciate the light and the dark, or the good and the bad, or just the differences and opposites that exist in the world.
I also think it's cool that something as small as a firefly can dispel darkness; can catch your attention simply because it's a light when there are few or no others. Sometimes it's the small things in life eh.
I'm sitting in my darkened room with a small lone light glowing to dispel the darkness and it reminds me of my favourite line from a movie.
"Even the smallest light shines in the dark."
The line is from the movie The Seeker. Which I have to say wasn't as good as the previews made it out to be though it was entertaining.
But my light and that line made me think back to class the other day when I was thinking of "youth at risk" and fireflies.
(There was a connection between the two but now I'm contemplating fireflies)
Fireflies remind me of life in general. They shine and then stop. Shine and then stop. They blink in and out of existence. They make you appreciate the light and the dark, or the good and the bad, or just the differences and opposites that exist in the world.
I also think it's cool that something as small as a firefly can dispel darkness; can catch your attention simply because it's a light when there are few or no others. Sometimes it's the small things in life eh.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
the run down
1. I have never met a faculty more disorganized and more complicated than the faculty of education at queens. each course (and there are 8) has their own website, their own login that's different from every other login, and half of the time the websites don't work or the login's don't work. There are so many dates to remember, and too many classes send last minute emails along the lines of "oh, we haven't had class yet but please do this," or "oops! forgot to mention we're not meeting here on this day, but instead on this day at this time in this random location".
My reaction = "... !!! "
2. I got a job at Indigo today :)
3. I woke up this morning thinking that I was alone in the apt (as my housemate left to go to Wonderland this morning at 6:30 am) only to discover my friend Ted sleeping on my living room floor.
4. I have an infected toe that doesn't look that gross anymore (though it did) because I've been soaking it in boiling salt water. I'm pretty sure I have burns on my toe though...It also slightly exploded this afternoon with blood and pus. I know eh. gross :)
5. I need a larger agenda. For the first time in 3 months I have a ton of stuff going on and a ton of things due.
...maybe i should colour code things...i also need more binders...
6. I haven't eaten dinner in the past 2 nights. I know it's really terrible, but I'm just not that hungry.
7. I massively cleaned the apt. It looks fantastic if i do say so myself.
8. I need to go shopping for work clothes - you can only wear blue, black or white solid colour shirts with a collar at Indigo and I don't have any. I need a shirt for Friday and I don't have time to go shopping until Thursday.
9. I'm going to the Sandbanks on Monday. SO excited. Also excited because I have NO classes and the week is now a 4 day week.
10. I need to do more homework...but I kind of want to watch tv...more than that though I want to go to bed even though it's only 9 pm. What can I say boiling my toe is tiring ;)
My reaction = "... !!! "
2. I got a job at Indigo today :)
3. I woke up this morning thinking that I was alone in the apt (as my housemate left to go to Wonderland this morning at 6:30 am) only to discover my friend Ted sleeping on my living room floor.
4. I have an infected toe that doesn't look that gross anymore (though it did) because I've been soaking it in boiling salt water. I'm pretty sure I have burns on my toe though...It also slightly exploded this afternoon with blood and pus. I know eh. gross :)
5. I need a larger agenda. For the first time in 3 months I have a ton of stuff going on and a ton of things due.
...maybe i should colour code things...i also need more binders...
6. I haven't eaten dinner in the past 2 nights. I know it's really terrible, but I'm just not that hungry.
7. I massively cleaned the apt. It looks fantastic if i do say so myself.
8. I need to go shopping for work clothes - you can only wear blue, black or white solid colour shirts with a collar at Indigo and I don't have any. I need a shirt for Friday and I don't have time to go shopping until Thursday.
9. I'm going to the Sandbanks on Monday. SO excited. Also excited because I have NO classes and the week is now a 4 day week.
10. I need to do more homework...but I kind of want to watch tv...more than that though I want to go to bed even though it's only 9 pm. What can I say boiling my toe is tiring ;)
Thursday, September 3, 2009
welcome to B.ed
This week was the first week of teacher's college.
I hated the first day.
The second day was better, but I still had the same headache that I had gotten from the previous day.
That brings us to today. Day 3. No headache today. And classes were bearable.
I have decided that the only way anyone gets through teacher's college is because of the people they know and the friends they make. Without the jokes, the bitch sessions, the sympathy and empathy and the laughter it would be impossible to survive.
Teacher's college is not about marks, it's about managing 8 courses, and a ba-jillion due dates. Everyone feels overwhelmed, no one feels qualified to do this, and everyone hates at least 6 of their courses.
Everyone is also encouraged to work in groups, and to help each other - which is completely different from undergrad where it was all about competing with each other.
We all have quite rapidly grown to love groups however, because we have quickly realized that it is only because of the people around us and our friends, that we're going to survive this year.
Everyone also questions at least once a day, why exactly they, and if they actually, want to be a teacher.
Isn't it scary? We're going to be teaching your future children.
I hated the first day.
The second day was better, but I still had the same headache that I had gotten from the previous day.
That brings us to today. Day 3. No headache today. And classes were bearable.
I have decided that the only way anyone gets through teacher's college is because of the people they know and the friends they make. Without the jokes, the bitch sessions, the sympathy and empathy and the laughter it would be impossible to survive.
Teacher's college is not about marks, it's about managing 8 courses, and a ba-jillion due dates. Everyone feels overwhelmed, no one feels qualified to do this, and everyone hates at least 6 of their courses.
Everyone is also encouraged to work in groups, and to help each other - which is completely different from undergrad where it was all about competing with each other.
We all have quite rapidly grown to love groups however, because we have quickly realized that it is only because of the people around us and our friends, that we're going to survive this year.
Everyone also questions at least once a day, why exactly they, and if they actually, want to be a teacher.
Isn't it scary? We're going to be teaching your future children.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
let's be intentional
I wrote and submitted an article to this Australian magazine called frankie. It's a wicked magazine and I totally love it.
They didn't accept my article however, so I thought that I would put it up on here.
Even though they didn't accept my article you should totally check out their webpage:
www.frankie.com.au/
Here is my article:
let's be intentional
The word community has become a cliche. It brings to mind a time when milk was delivered in glass bottles, five cents was a lot of money, and you knew all your neighbours and all their business because there was no "modern technology" and thus you had nothing else to amuse yourself with. What has also become a cliche are people looking for community - some place to belong because for some reason no one feels like they do. They funny thing: that latter cliche is me. It's you. It's the person sitting beside you in the coffee house or the pub. It's the person across from you on the bus. It's your best friend. We're all searching for a community and a place to belong. We're all cliches.
New word: Intentional community
Definition: When a group of people purposefully seek out and create their own community.
This is becoming a phenomenon in North America. People are feeling the lack of community and are thus creating it. They are seeking each other out, living and/or working together, and then reaching out to others and bringing them in.
This is happening in my town, Kingston, Ontario, Canada (yes, you should google map that), population 152,000. The first place is the Sleepless Goat. The Sleepless Goat is a cafe. It's a little hippie, a lot vegetarian and you can borrow board games and sit and play while you drink your cup of coffee or eat one of their amazing toggen burgers. It's a worker's cooperative, meaning that all of the workers own it together. That is their intentional community, and they reach out to others by making yummy food and being a favourite local hangout spot.
The second place is House Famous. It's eight 20 something to 30 something year olds living together in a house. Their focus is helping those who need it - they have a drop in for homeless people, they give part of their income to charity, they have people they don't know, who are in need of a place to stay, crashing on their couch, and an open dinner where anyone can walk in and sit down to eat with them. That's how they reach out to the people around them. That's how they're creating community.
For the first time it seems that we as a people have to be intentional about community. It doesn't seem to occur spontaneously anymore - maybe because we're in constant communication with so many people each day that conversation starts to feel superficial. But, whatever the reason, this disconnection that everyone seems to feel is starting to be remedied by the idea of an intentional community. It takes effort to reach out to others, but the feeling of loneliness that plagues so many people is combatable, we just have to decide that we want community and then go out and make one. We have to be intentional and genuine when we say to someone, "Hi. How are you doing today?"
They didn't accept my article however, so I thought that I would put it up on here.
Even though they didn't accept my article you should totally check out their webpage:
www.frankie.com.au/
Here is my article:
let's be intentional
The word community has become a cliche. It brings to mind a time when milk was delivered in glass bottles, five cents was a lot of money, and you knew all your neighbours and all their business because there was no "modern technology" and thus you had nothing else to amuse yourself with. What has also become a cliche are people looking for community - some place to belong because for some reason no one feels like they do. They funny thing: that latter cliche is me. It's you. It's the person sitting beside you in the coffee house or the pub. It's the person across from you on the bus. It's your best friend. We're all searching for a community and a place to belong. We're all cliches.
New word: Intentional community
Definition: When a group of people purposefully seek out and create their own community.
This is becoming a phenomenon in North America. People are feeling the lack of community and are thus creating it. They are seeking each other out, living and/or working together, and then reaching out to others and bringing them in.
This is happening in my town, Kingston, Ontario, Canada (yes, you should google map that), population 152,000. The first place is the Sleepless Goat. The Sleepless Goat is a cafe. It's a little hippie, a lot vegetarian and you can borrow board games and sit and play while you drink your cup of coffee or eat one of their amazing toggen burgers. It's a worker's cooperative, meaning that all of the workers own it together. That is their intentional community, and they reach out to others by making yummy food and being a favourite local hangout spot.
The second place is House Famous. It's eight 20 something to 30 something year olds living together in a house. Their focus is helping those who need it - they have a drop in for homeless people, they give part of their income to charity, they have people they don't know, who are in need of a place to stay, crashing on their couch, and an open dinner where anyone can walk in and sit down to eat with them. That's how they reach out to the people around them. That's how they're creating community.
For the first time it seems that we as a people have to be intentional about community. It doesn't seem to occur spontaneously anymore - maybe because we're in constant communication with so many people each day that conversation starts to feel superficial. But, whatever the reason, this disconnection that everyone seems to feel is starting to be remedied by the idea of an intentional community. It takes effort to reach out to others, but the feeling of loneliness that plagues so many people is combatable, we just have to decide that we want community and then go out and make one. We have to be intentional and genuine when we say to someone, "Hi. How are you doing today?"
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