but hopefully not for long!
just a little weather delay, i hope.
one of my biggest irritations about canadians is their belief that they can somehow speak really derogatorily about americans as though we are inherently better by the simple fact that we are not americans. it is lame and goes against all that we like to pride ourselves on as canadians.
but. but, i have been at the chicago airport for only a few hours and i am already finding myself want to assert my canadian-ness. either by being overly polite or enunciating my words or refraining from overusing the word 'like' in conversation.
i am not quite sure why. i hope it is not coming from the same place that allows canadians to get smug and self righteous.
and a real shame that i couldn't have planned with this delay in mind because they i could've wandered out of security and visited one of my favourite chicago residents!
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
29 + 12 = 30!
i made it! survived 2010, a sometimes trying year, and my 29th year. i warmly welcomed my 3rd decade with a wonderful birthday with deliveries of flowers and cupcakes, hilarious ecards, wonderful presents, and well wishes from across canada and the united states, ireland, georgia, kenya, south africa, the philippines, australia, the uk, italy, thailand, mexico, bermuda, africa's newest country of south sudan, japan, france, and afghanistan!
and here is how my 9 for 29 goals shaped up (or, in a few cases, shipped out!):
1 - conquer my anxiety, or at least win a few battles against it. this last month of 29 has left me feeling content and calm, not normally my modus operandi, and at peace with my future. part of that has come from knowing i get to go to new york next week for more un speak and potential career connections. i certainly have had some down days, but overall, i feel as though i am entering my 30s in a much more solid place in terms of anxiety and stronger than recent years in my 20s. exciting and reassuring. but as i have said all year, this battle might be won, but there will be a constant war against anxiety in my world.
2 - be more thoughtful of others, especially around special occasions. i can't really remember the motivation behind setting this goal, but i feel as though i managed ok. i am not sure that i improved much on previous years, but i maintained my thoughtfulness and tried to observe special events and occasions of those around me.
interestingly, i find this much more difficult now that there are so many ways to communicate with your friends, family, and acquaintances and more places to store information. i used to have 1 daytimer and a phone that received calls. now i carry a blackberry, an iphone, AND a daytimer and i need to streamline this whole system so that i know when people's birthdays are without having to rely on facebook to tell me.
3 - continue making visiting family and friends a priority. this year, i got to visit a friend in vietnam, my dad on vancouver island twice, and many friends and near-family in south africa. i had intended on doing more travelling within north america, but the cost and timing didn't work out during 29. i STILL have washington dc and chicago on my travel list and am hoping to get to at least one of those in the coming year. i will get to see some old friends from my nairobi days while i am in new york next week and that should be lovely.
4 - nail down some sort of short-term career goals. remember what i said last month? yes, that 2011 will be the Year of Direction! i hadn't done a lot of work to get to the bottom of this goal in the last year. i did a lot of thinking and a lot of worrying and even a little daydreaming over the past year, but not a lot of the work that i think will be necessary to help me to get to where i want to be. or figure out where i want to be. that might be a better place to start.
5 - lay a nest egg to accompany my nest. the nest egg is there. but it is more like a robin's egg when i wish it was an ostrich egg. i think that as long as i stay in calgary, this will be moved higher on my list of priorities. as life planning goes, this is one of those elements that needs to be there so that i can do whatever it is that i want to do (once i figure that bit out...).
i am not bad with money per se, i am just still unsure of how much money i should be spending on my house, on entertainment, on food, on travelling, on savings, on investments...
but i have a new(ish) friend who is a financial planner and i might hit him up for some advice or business once i am back from new york.
6 - eat more balanced, regular meals. i don't know what has happened to me over the past few weeks, but i have been a human garbage can, eating cheeseburgers, chips, pizza, chocolate, and ever other bad thing within my reach. i am not normally a compulsive eater, but i can't seem to stop once i get started (typically in the evenings) and nothing satisfied me.
i hadn't been cooking, but i am back on that train and have brought out the slow cooker and my newest addition to my kitchen, a kichenaid food processor (that did nick my finger during its installation on my counter resulting in a lot of blood).
throughout the year, i fluctuated between eating really regular and healthy meals to forgetting to eat until 4pm or munching on crap late into the night. this will likely always be the case, but man does it feel gross if my eating habits are not in order (like now).
7 - sleep an appropriate amount. there were some weeks there in the fall that i could have slept for hours and hours and right through the morning, but lately i have been getting by on less sleep and that is probably a good thing. mostly because i have actually been getting out of bed when my alarm goes off and waking up relatively rested and ready for the day.
part of what makes it easier not to sleep and sleep and sleep is not being on any anti-anxiety medication, which makes me rather sleepy (although i do still miss the technicolour dreams) and being busy, which means that i don't have the option of hitting snooze (well, more than twice) and have to get my arse out of my bed.
one thing that i do notice is that if i haven't started the week with sufficient sleep, i play catch up all week and never feel as though i am well rested until friday night where i am useless and just want to put pyjamas on and sit beside the fireplace.
8 - maintain my priorities. perhaps one of the challenges of this goal was that i never officially stated my priorities, but i do think i made sure that when i was becoming overwhelmed with one job or the other, that i took a step back and did something for myself. one area that i feel as though i should've made a stronger effort to prioritise was physical fitness and running. after my half marathon training ended last spring, i ran a little bit here and a little bit there, but without any specific goals or program. i like the fact that after a few weeks without running, i can hammer out a 10km run without much difficulty, but i know i need to replace running (or something physical) back in my list of priorities moving forward.
9 - keep asking for what i want. i did a really good job of this during 29. when i wanted something, i asked for it. most often, i got what i asked for, and the times that i didn't didn't turn out so bad either. i am heading to new york next week because i asked for something and i have already asked a few people there to meet with me to explore opportunities and chat about life in new york.
i started my 30th year with a job offer in my inbox (but sadly, i do not speak the francaise, which i really should get back on one of these days...) an even though that wasn't a suitable post for me, i do feel as though that once i figure out what i want, i will certainly be asking for it!
***
i am not sure if i will draft goals for my 30th year. if i do, i want them to be more specific so that i can use them to stay on track rather than recap what i have been up to and see if it fits. i think goals are important, but i do thin that to make them effective and useful, i really should spend quality time unpacking what it is that i want and how that would translate into goals for the coming year.
work in progress, i tell ya!
and here is how my 9 for 29 goals shaped up (or, in a few cases, shipped out!):
1 - conquer my anxiety, or at least win a few battles against it. this last month of 29 has left me feeling content and calm, not normally my modus operandi, and at peace with my future. part of that has come from knowing i get to go to new york next week for more un speak and potential career connections. i certainly have had some down days, but overall, i feel as though i am entering my 30s in a much more solid place in terms of anxiety and stronger than recent years in my 20s. exciting and reassuring. but as i have said all year, this battle might be won, but there will be a constant war against anxiety in my world.
2 - be more thoughtful of others, especially around special occasions. i can't really remember the motivation behind setting this goal, but i feel as though i managed ok. i am not sure that i improved much on previous years, but i maintained my thoughtfulness and tried to observe special events and occasions of those around me.
interestingly, i find this much more difficult now that there are so many ways to communicate with your friends, family, and acquaintances and more places to store information. i used to have 1 daytimer and a phone that received calls. now i carry a blackberry, an iphone, AND a daytimer and i need to streamline this whole system so that i know when people's birthdays are without having to rely on facebook to tell me.
3 - continue making visiting family and friends a priority. this year, i got to visit a friend in vietnam, my dad on vancouver island twice, and many friends and near-family in south africa. i had intended on doing more travelling within north america, but the cost and timing didn't work out during 29. i STILL have washington dc and chicago on my travel list and am hoping to get to at least one of those in the coming year. i will get to see some old friends from my nairobi days while i am in new york next week and that should be lovely.
4 - nail down some sort of short-term career goals. remember what i said last month? yes, that 2011 will be the Year of Direction! i hadn't done a lot of work to get to the bottom of this goal in the last year. i did a lot of thinking and a lot of worrying and even a little daydreaming over the past year, but not a lot of the work that i think will be necessary to help me to get to where i want to be. or figure out where i want to be. that might be a better place to start.
5 - lay a nest egg to accompany my nest. the nest egg is there. but it is more like a robin's egg when i wish it was an ostrich egg. i think that as long as i stay in calgary, this will be moved higher on my list of priorities. as life planning goes, this is one of those elements that needs to be there so that i can do whatever it is that i want to do (once i figure that bit out...).
i am not bad with money per se, i am just still unsure of how much money i should be spending on my house, on entertainment, on food, on travelling, on savings, on investments...
but i have a new(ish) friend who is a financial planner and i might hit him up for some advice or business once i am back from new york.
6 - eat more balanced, regular meals. i don't know what has happened to me over the past few weeks, but i have been a human garbage can, eating cheeseburgers, chips, pizza, chocolate, and ever other bad thing within my reach. i am not normally a compulsive eater, but i can't seem to stop once i get started (typically in the evenings) and nothing satisfied me.
i hadn't been cooking, but i am back on that train and have brought out the slow cooker and my newest addition to my kitchen, a kichenaid food processor (that did nick my finger during its installation on my counter resulting in a lot of blood).
throughout the year, i fluctuated between eating really regular and healthy meals to forgetting to eat until 4pm or munching on crap late into the night. this will likely always be the case, but man does it feel gross if my eating habits are not in order (like now).
7 - sleep an appropriate amount. there were some weeks there in the fall that i could have slept for hours and hours and right through the morning, but lately i have been getting by on less sleep and that is probably a good thing. mostly because i have actually been getting out of bed when my alarm goes off and waking up relatively rested and ready for the day.
part of what makes it easier not to sleep and sleep and sleep is not being on any anti-anxiety medication, which makes me rather sleepy (although i do still miss the technicolour dreams) and being busy, which means that i don't have the option of hitting snooze (well, more than twice) and have to get my arse out of my bed.
one thing that i do notice is that if i haven't started the week with sufficient sleep, i play catch up all week and never feel as though i am well rested until friday night where i am useless and just want to put pyjamas on and sit beside the fireplace.
8 - maintain my priorities. perhaps one of the challenges of this goal was that i never officially stated my priorities, but i do think i made sure that when i was becoming overwhelmed with one job or the other, that i took a step back and did something for myself. one area that i feel as though i should've made a stronger effort to prioritise was physical fitness and running. after my half marathon training ended last spring, i ran a little bit here and a little bit there, but without any specific goals or program. i like the fact that after a few weeks without running, i can hammer out a 10km run without much difficulty, but i know i need to replace running (or something physical) back in my list of priorities moving forward.
9 - keep asking for what i want. i did a really good job of this during 29. when i wanted something, i asked for it. most often, i got what i asked for, and the times that i didn't didn't turn out so bad either. i am heading to new york next week because i asked for something and i have already asked a few people there to meet with me to explore opportunities and chat about life in new york.
i started my 30th year with a job offer in my inbox (but sadly, i do not speak the francaise, which i really should get back on one of these days...) an even though that wasn't a suitable post for me, i do feel as though that once i figure out what i want, i will certainly be asking for it!
***
i am not sure if i will draft goals for my 30th year. if i do, i want them to be more specific so that i can use them to stay on track rather than recap what i have been up to and see if it fits. i think goals are important, but i do thin that to make them effective and useful, i really should spend quality time unpacking what it is that i want and how that would translate into goals for the coming year.
work in progress, i tell ya!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
google traffic circle
the number one google search that leads to my corner of the intertubes is some variation of does ice cream cause stomach aches?
and judging by the sheer number of people wondering this and my own experience, my scientific conclusion is YES. YES ice cream causes stomach aches. no, you are likely not lactose intolerant, it is just tough for many people to digest including me and you, obviously.
so there, internet, is your definitive answer.
and judging by the sheer number of people wondering this and my own experience, my scientific conclusion is YES. YES ice cream causes stomach aches. no, you are likely not lactose intolerant, it is just tough for many people to digest including me and you, obviously.
so there, internet, is your definitive answer.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
new york recommendations, please!
i have been negligent in my trip planning, which is rather unlike me as i typically spend more time planning for a trip than actually on a trip. call it a hobby, if you will.
and now i am need of a) a place to stay in about the ~$100/night range that offers a fantastic location, good atmosphere, the opportunity to meet people, and enough space that my 5'2" frame can sleep comfortably. b) ideas on places to eat that are absolutely delicious, not particularly fancy or expensive, but just tasty. c) your thoughts on what attractions/sights/museums/events that are not worth my time/money/energy.
for instance, if you were going to travel to san francisco on your own i would offer you the following advice:
a) stay at the mosser where you might have to share a bathroom, but the rates are completely manageable, and the location is ideal.
b) i would insist that you go to the ferry building martketplace and sample the delicious fish tacos at taylor's automatic refresher (which, a google search tells me has been rebranded as gott's roadside, but i would still insist you eat there because its owners are the same), have a pannacotta at miette, and a cup of coffee at blue bottle coffee. i would also suggest grabbing a newspaper and hitting the neighbourhood of north beach to savour something on a cafe's brunch menu while you people watch. and i would also suggest going to knob hill for a cappuccino and to poke around the boutiques. eat anything mexican, mexican sounding or otherwise latino in mission and make a stop at tropisueno for more authentic mexican food.
c) i would suggest that you make fisherman's wharf your last stop and fit it in only if you need to kill some time, do alcatraz if you really love prisons, self guided tours, or really chilly boat rides, and give the bridge a miss unless you need to see the thing up close.
how do you feel about new york city? i have 5 days to bust a move about town after spending a week on long island holed up in a conference facility, no where to stay, no itinerary as yet, and a whole lot of scarves to wear to keep warm during february.
and now i am need of a) a place to stay in about the ~$100/night range that offers a fantastic location, good atmosphere, the opportunity to meet people, and enough space that my 5'2" frame can sleep comfortably. b) ideas on places to eat that are absolutely delicious, not particularly fancy or expensive, but just tasty. c) your thoughts on what attractions/sights/museums/events that are not worth my time/money/energy.
for instance, if you were going to travel to san francisco on your own i would offer you the following advice:
a) stay at the mosser where you might have to share a bathroom, but the rates are completely manageable, and the location is ideal.
b) i would insist that you go to the ferry building martketplace and sample the delicious fish tacos at taylor's automatic refresher (which, a google search tells me has been rebranded as gott's roadside, but i would still insist you eat there because its owners are the same), have a pannacotta at miette, and a cup of coffee at blue bottle coffee. i would also suggest grabbing a newspaper and hitting the neighbourhood of north beach to savour something on a cafe's brunch menu while you people watch. and i would also suggest going to knob hill for a cappuccino and to poke around the boutiques. eat anything mexican, mexican sounding or otherwise latino in mission and make a stop at tropisueno for more authentic mexican food.
c) i would suggest that you make fisherman's wharf your last stop and fit it in only if you need to kill some time, do alcatraz if you really love prisons, self guided tours, or really chilly boat rides, and give the bridge a miss unless you need to see the thing up close.
how do you feel about new york city? i have 5 days to bust a move about town after spending a week on long island holed up in a conference facility, no where to stay, no itinerary as yet, and a whole lot of scarves to wear to keep warm during february.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
a little stuffed, but doing well otherwise
how was 2011 been for you?
i have only one thing to complain about so far. and it is this damn cold that i can't seem to shake. it began in my sinuses, moved to my chest before christmas where it stole my voice and turned me into someone who sounded like they'd worked in a smoking lounge for 30 years, and now it is back to my sinuses and my head. maybe it is a new cold (not sure how exactly this medical science thing works when it comes to cold viruses) or if it just won't leave, but it sure is frustrating. a lot of sneezing, a lot of congestion, and not a lot of drainage.
other than this damn cold, i am enjoying 2011 so far. i woke up on new years morning with an email saying that i have been selected to attend training in new york city on gender based violence programming and coordination in emergencies and i am really looking forward to learning more about the field, meeting some interesting people, and exploring the big apple for the first time.
and, as always, i am hoping that some sort oracle emerges to tell me what i should doing with my life, where i should live, and what i want to be when i grow up. hopefully this training and this trip will help me do that. but the idea that i have something on the professional and personal agenda is enough to tie me over at the moment
oh yeah, and it will also be a good way to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday!
i have only one thing to complain about so far. and it is this damn cold that i can't seem to shake. it began in my sinuses, moved to my chest before christmas where it stole my voice and turned me into someone who sounded like they'd worked in a smoking lounge for 30 years, and now it is back to my sinuses and my head. maybe it is a new cold (not sure how exactly this medical science thing works when it comes to cold viruses) or if it just won't leave, but it sure is frustrating. a lot of sneezing, a lot of congestion, and not a lot of drainage.
other than this damn cold, i am enjoying 2011 so far. i woke up on new years morning with an email saying that i have been selected to attend training in new york city on gender based violence programming and coordination in emergencies and i am really looking forward to learning more about the field, meeting some interesting people, and exploring the big apple for the first time.
and, as always, i am hoping that some sort oracle emerges to tell me what i should doing with my life, where i should live, and what i want to be when i grow up. hopefully this training and this trip will help me do that. but the idea that i have something on the professional and personal agenda is enough to tie me over at the moment
oh yeah, and it will also be a good way to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
'adhd hadn't been invented in the 1930s'
yes, i am indeed compiling a report of an 8 member team, much of it monotonous, mindnumbing desk work that i cannot concentrate on exclusively.
thus, another great ted recommendation. (and yes, i realise that you could just as easily go to the ted website yourself, but as this is my blog, i am also using this as a place to record interesting bits of the www that i might want to revisit one day).
Ken Robinson should be a stand up comedian. but instead, he is an expert on creativity and a ted fellow. you might enjoy what he has to say about the way that schools are crushing our creativity, i certainly did!
thus, another great ted recommendation. (and yes, i realise that you could just as easily go to the ted website yourself, but as this is my blog, i am also using this as a place to record interesting bits of the www that i might want to revisit one day).
Ken Robinson should be a stand up comedian. but instead, he is an expert on creativity and a ted fellow. you might enjoy what he has to say about the way that schools are crushing our creativity, i certainly did!
a reminder to myself and others
this ted talk by Jonathan Haidt on the moral roots of liberals and conservatives is a good reminder that when we break down our differences into a simple matrix of what 'we' believe and how 'they' are wrong, we all loose.
i often need this reminder, perhaps more than most people. especially today when i received an email from a volunteer telling me about the trip her church is about to take to bring their youth group to a developing country and 'visit with the victims of trafficking staying in a rescue centre' as an educational opportunity.
blah. i may not be right all the time, but i feel quite justified in saying that reeks of another form of exploitation and although it is not as traumatic as the first likely was, it will still have lasting impacts on a macro level. ew.
i often need this reminder, perhaps more than most people. especially today when i received an email from a volunteer telling me about the trip her church is about to take to bring their youth group to a developing country and 'visit with the victims of trafficking staying in a rescue centre' as an educational opportunity.
blah. i may not be right all the time, but i feel quite justified in saying that reeks of another form of exploitation and although it is not as traumatic as the first likely was, it will still have lasting impacts on a macro level. ew.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
ted on a tuesday
you know it is a rather monotonous day of work when i come up with more ted talk recommendations.
as my go to website that i am allowed to stream video from at work (there are not many), ted has a few gems up on its main page at the moment. take a look if you too need some stimulating background noise to desk work that you are not particularly thrilled about. or if you just want to watch some inspiring talks by two humble individuals.
i love a lady who isn't afraid to drop an eff bomb if it makes her point clear (although she refrains in this talk). peace activists don't always get a lot of credit from the 'establishment,' but i think that Jody Williams can speak their language and to boot, she is not an avowed pacifist. which means she gets my vote. for what, i don't know, but a vote nonetheless.
a canadian kid whose life didn't go quite as he planned (ever heard that one before?) turned it into an internet sensation and then a best selling book. Neil Parischa talks about the As of awesome and how no one is immune to hardship or negative experiences, but that being authentic is one of the ways to get through it. this should be required viewing. for everyone.
as my go to website that i am allowed to stream video from at work (there are not many), ted has a few gems up on its main page at the moment. take a look if you too need some stimulating background noise to desk work that you are not particularly thrilled about. or if you just want to watch some inspiring talks by two humble individuals.
i love a lady who isn't afraid to drop an eff bomb if it makes her point clear (although she refrains in this talk). peace activists don't always get a lot of credit from the 'establishment,' but i think that Jody Williams can speak their language and to boot, she is not an avowed pacifist. which means she gets my vote. for what, i don't know, but a vote nonetheless.
a canadian kid whose life didn't go quite as he planned (ever heard that one before?) turned it into an internet sensation and then a best selling book. Neil Parischa talks about the As of awesome and how no one is immune to hardship or negative experiences, but that being authentic is one of the ways to get through it. this should be required viewing. for everyone.
medium thumb
i saw Black Swan! another movie on my Movies To See 2010 spreadsheet that i created over the holidays (no, i am not kidding). and i did it on the comfort of my own couch (maybe i shouldn't be announcing this on the intertubes, but i just heard on a ted talk that about a bazillion (or maybe something like 15,000?) blogs are started everyday so i am sure my corner of the www is relatively safe from bill gates or whoever it is that patrols the internet looking for people who admit they download and watch pirated movies.
besides, i used to buy this shit at the market in nairobi, which i never saw as being wrong as i was all the way over there in africa (the country), you know.
anywho, back to the movie.
it was ok. it was not fabulous. but i sense that everyone is going to go on and on about how fabulous it is simply because it is raw, interesting to watch, a little bizaare at times, and has a famous actress playing a dark role. and sometimes, that is what art is all about (isn't it?).
the acting is good, i suppose. the costumes and dancing are fun to watch for someone who is addicted to So You Think You Can Dance (but finds the acronym SYTYCD a little cumbersome). the story is lame and never gathers enough steam. and the sex is vulgar and not particularly entertaining.
but the ending is good, so if that is any reason to watch it, there you have it.
i had high hopes and let me just say that i am glad i didn't pay to see it, but that i am glad that i saw it.
besides, i used to buy this shit at the market in nairobi, which i never saw as being wrong as i was all the way over there in africa (the country), you know.
anywho, back to the movie.
it was ok. it was not fabulous. but i sense that everyone is going to go on and on about how fabulous it is simply because it is raw, interesting to watch, a little bizaare at times, and has a famous actress playing a dark role. and sometimes, that is what art is all about (isn't it?).
the acting is good, i suppose. the costumes and dancing are fun to watch for someone who is addicted to So You Think You Can Dance (but finds the acronym SYTYCD a little cumbersome). the story is lame and never gathers enough steam. and the sex is vulgar and not particularly entertaining.
but the ending is good, so if that is any reason to watch it, there you have it.
i had high hopes and let me just say that i am glad i didn't pay to see it, but that i am glad that i saw it.
Friday, January 07, 2011
best movie of the year
ok, so i am not a prolific movie viewer and many of the ones i do see are the only palatable ones offered on my cable provider at home. but i have had a craving for movies in the theatre lately (and not just for the buttery popcorn) and gathered up some friends to see The King's Speech this week.
and it was phenomenal. i call oscar nods for both of colin firth and geoffrey rush. i have never been disappointed by firth or rush and i am convinced that they are so instrumental to this film's success that they deserve all the accolades that come their way.
the story of the british monarchy is fascinating, the cinematography of a post-war london is stunning, and there are more than a few laughs.
i hope you will spend a few hours, watch this movie, and learn a little bit of 20th century european history. awesome.
and it was phenomenal. i call oscar nods for both of colin firth and geoffrey rush. i have never been disappointed by firth or rush and i am convinced that they are so instrumental to this film's success that they deserve all the accolades that come their way.
the story of the british monarchy is fascinating, the cinematography of a post-war london is stunning, and there are more than a few laughs.
i hope you will spend a few hours, watch this movie, and learn a little bit of 20th century european history. awesome.
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