1. A day wandering Kensington Market:
Market. Touch-ing exhibit. Helvetica film documentary DVD.
2. An evening at a houseparty:
Wine. Chopping vegetables. Turquoise ski pant advice.
3. A late night journey home:
Snow. Hailing taxi. Complimentary corporate cab chit.
1. Guest Surprise – Meeting up once again with the talented women of Frames and Pictures.
2. ‘Guest Straw’ – Sipping on Kat’s strawberry banana milkshake.
3. Guest Beds – A, Sneaking a little afternoon nap. B, Sneaking into a little sister’s crib.
1. Honouring: attending one very inspiring awards luncheon.
2. Spacing: attending a release party for Toronto's coolest mag.
3. Attending: to the maple-glazed doughnut Kevin bought me.
‘Today is the tomorrow I was terrified of yesterday.’
As holiday party season kicks off:
1. Keep an extra plastic bag at coat check in case you are the lucky winner of the oversized centrepiece in the middle of the dinner table.
2. If you're wearing stay-up nylons, for heaven's sakes, wear stay-up panties!
3. If your company is dim enough not to provide you with a taxi home, by all means feel free to act up in any way you see fit for free cab money.
1. Nine hours of beauty sleep.
2. Two hours of office work.
3. Six hours of party time.
1. Compassion. My former boss returned my call quickly. [I am grateful.]
2. Compliment? I thought I recognized someone on the subway. I looked at him funny, then shook my head and explained that he looked familiar. He said, ‘I wish I was.’ [I am flattered.]
3a. Conversation. Email chat with a friend in Brazil, who invited me to her wedding next summer. [I am delighted.]
3b. Conversation. Email chat with an old school mate. Shoutout to Oliver: Good luck with your thesis work! [I am proud.]
And not to be unappreciated on this most mid-November of days:
4. Currency. Unlike some at work, my pay was deposited into my bank account. [I am relieved.]
1. Arthur: tried Arthur's new Acai rainforest berry smoothie.
2. Evalyn: watched a lineup of incredible performers at Hysteria, including Evalyn Parry.
3. Julija: met the beautiful, motherly Eastern European vendor at Church and Wellesley. Halloween in the streets: enjoyed sausages in boxes.
1. Pastry. I'm at this thing. I meet this nice guy from Kent, Ohio. He'd like to share his Belgian beer; I'd like to share my gnocchi. We picnic on Greek Orthodox church-steps. He is half-Greek, half-Lithuanian. My nephews are half-Greek, half-Lithuanian. We toast from plastic cups labelled ‘Baltika’. We pour Forêt beer from its wine-shaped bottle. The foam is thick and creamy like a pastry.
I've always liked people from Ohio.
2. Film. I'm at this thing. I see this Robert Redford feature titled The Unforeseen. I learn about Barton Springs and the aquifer in Austin, Texas. Inspired by the perseverance and the conviction of its people, I decide I must make an appointment with Barton Springs for a swim. ‘If the people lead, the leaders will follow.’
I've always wanted to visit Austin.
3. Wine. I'm at this thing. I re-meet this nice guy from Toronto. We drink red wine and talk about ... well, we talk about all kinds of things. He is a writer and artist who keeps on keeping on ... and even though we should both call it a night, we don't. Priorities? These are coffee-spoon moments.
I've always liked kindred creative spirits.
1. People in media: Sharing time with journalists.
2. People in media: Sharing time with publicists.
3. People in media: Sharing time with totally charming, intelligent and engaging adult film industry insiders!
1. Privileged: to observe a film pitch session.
2. Surprised: to meet a fellow Baltic Canadian.
3. Delighted: to skip off work and catch a film.
1. Two free drinks, one graphic designer, one reception.
2. Two colleagues, one standing bar, one new confidant.
3. Two friends, one cab, one Queen West West gallery.
1. The voice of darkness: gory guest list beckons.
2. The voice of improvisation: performance art calls.
3. The voice of an angel: Tori Amos touches down.
Yes, I've blogged backwards a couple of times. I go by email and my calendar. Today is November 27, but October 22 isn't lost. This particularly Monday, however, was a Totally Ordinary Monday.
But with Totally Special People:
1. Andy
2. Selena
3. Sandra
Beware the after-effects of galas...
1. Hooded à la Unabomber, tracked down some Coca-Cola to begin my recovery.
2. Recovered (miraculously) in time for the closing film at ImagineNative.
3. Enjoyed, unhooded, the vivacious company of a German film producer, whose energy and effervescent charm completed my full recovery.
Joining a black-and-white fundraiser gala for free is more than enough fun. Especially when you forget your dress at home and your friend helps you coordinate an outfit (which you may or may not have successfully pulled off, seeing as jeans were a part of the ensemble). So, what to do with the spare cash? Why, throw it into charity fundraising, of course!
Our winnings included
1. Gift certificates,
2. Fancy dinners, and
3. Manicure packages.
The trip to Italy eluded us, despite everyone's best concerted efforts to concoct a win, but we got a great return on our $20 bills nonetheless... and the drinks just kept flowing.
1. Hanging: Another day of fun with Neil.
2. Partying: Jsho's impromptu houseparty.
3. Drinking: Jsho's heavenly homebrew.
1. Creating solutions, like how to affix stubborn lanyard clips to badges (damn it), with Neil, my Friend in Frustration and Small Pleasures.
2. Creating new friends (Hello, Ian) at a party I was lucky enough to be invited to.
3. Creating (not I): new media art on the way home at the Spin Gallery. Not spun sound; spun images!
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia
I am blogging from Halifax this long weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving). Nova Scotia is ‘New Scotland’ and it is my new favourite place in Canada.
Just overhead at Coburg Coffee:
‘Hi, I was wondering if you have a coffee filter I could have – not buy, just have... I ran out.’
‘Sure!’
‘Oh, it's ok, I just need one.’
‘No worries!’
People here are VERY nice.
Babe 1: The school President introduced herself to us at an alumni reception.
Babe 2: Jung took nice photos of us at Toronto's second annual Nuit Blanche.
Babe 3: Rhonda supplied two bottles of red wine, and the cups for us to sip from, for wandering through the streets and sitting in the park all night.
