Blogging Frustration

I am attempting to add this panoramic photo to my headline... I like the general format of this template but I want to personalize it a bit more. One of the many reasons I called this blog 'The Shadowlands' was because Vancouver is in a river valley amongst mountains. It has always been my goal to get a panoramic photo at the top, but I have exhausted my patience tonight so I will just leave you with this photo...

~D.~



V1

Time Mismanagement

You know, I kind of feel guilty sitting here planning my Reading Week trip to England when I should be studying my ass off for Comps. I considered cancelling the trip this week just because it will be expensive, time consuming, 1 week longer than my reading week, exhausting, but on the other hand, really fucking fun. I also don't think the travel insurance I purchased covers trip cancellation due to guilt. So then I moved on and emailed Susan as to what kind of stuff I have to bring with me.
For instance, I won't need to bring any adaptors or whatever because she has a few sitting around. I know this is insignificant to the readers out there but I am challenging myself to pack for two weeks in the smallest suitcase ever. If you know me, you know that I travel with at least a hockey size duffle bag. It really is ridiculous because I never wear half of what I pack in the end. It's going to be hard to pack light, but I think I can do it, especially when I will be faced with at least a £5/lb. charge if I am over the limit. This CANNOT happen. I don't think I ever blogged about my experience earlier this year when I had to pay $300 in overweight luggage fees when I went home for the summer in May. But, I am not about to get into that story either since it still makes my blood boil. I just mentioned it because I know how it feels to get SCREWED by budget airlines and I must keep reminding myself of that experience as I pack my crap. I think a trip to the drugstore to buy travel size samples of toiletries is definitely in order. Minimalism is my new mantra... or something like that.

In other time mismanagement news, last night I went to Charmaine's lecture on Roman Women at UBC Robson Square. It was a pretty good night with the usual reception held afterwards at the Italian Cultural Centre on West Hastings (just before the dodgy section starts). The best thing about those receptions is that you can basically feed yourself on expensive canapes (what student doesn't when offered the opportunity?) and they also only serve alcoholic drinks (except for San Pellegrino water). Basically, it provides a free dinner and free pre-bar drinks.
From here, a group of us then gathered at the Steamworks Brewing Co. and proceeded to drink our asses off for the next 5 hours. It has been so long since I even sat down for drinks that it makes me depressed. School this year (and last year) is just killing me. I have become a robot slave to schoolwork and not much else really. The debt is racking up and I am getting more than a bit concerned that I will, a.) be in school forever and NEVER be able to pay off my debt, or, b.) have to change my course of career path because I am in fact naive in thinking that I will get a job in archaeology or classics after I am through. To ignore both of these very possible fates, I just ignore them. I think that eventually this policy might bite me in the ass, but I'll deal with that when it comes around. Enough brooding!

In an abrupt change of topic, my favourite memory from last night is that we got Charmaine so hammered that she was slurring her words and repeating the same thoughts over and over. Ah, she's the best prof ever! If only the Faculty would fucking hire her full-time already... but that is another story of bitching and complaining for another day.

Lessien Anwamanë

Today I decided to figure out my elvish name which you see posted above as this post title. I have no idea how you would say that, but I think it has some potential to be cooler than Denise.
Definitions of names are a funny thing. If you look them up it is ridiculous how many names come from antiquity or the bible. Are we so unoriginal that names keep getting recycled or rearranged into new formats? I guess unoriginal is a bad term but you know what I mean. I just think it's funny that my name for instance in its root form is a derivative from the Greek god Dionysus who is a patron of the theatre, drinking, bad behaviour that results from drinking, and so on. I would say that at moments I have embodied a lot of these qualities, but really who doesn't these days? Should everyone be named 'Denise' because of that? I hope not!

In my department at school, most people have names relating to Greek or Roman names... is it odd that we have all come back to studying those civilizations that formed so much of our current world? Were we almost called to it in a way?
Some people put a lot of meaning into the name you were assigned, like you were destined to have it and that it will exude some sort of power over your personality and path in life. I am not so sure what to think about this. I have seen names broken down into numbers, and birth dates added up, recalculated, and allegedly deciphered, but what do all these 'mystical' calculations really mean?
In high school I was really into reading up on all this stuff and I liked to read tarot cards, read up on why my birthday was so symbolic to my life, and all this random information. I don't know where it got me... In fact, looking back, a lot of that stuff was hard to figure out my own, not being a math genius and all. I still cannot read biorhythm charts, not that they have ever helped me in the least.
All I know is that my favourite number is 9, I was born at an hour of the day which indicates I should have psychic abilities (but I don't -- although I have some dreams occasionally which are a bit eerie), and I am drawn to a historical past that I was born about 2'000 years too late to fully understand. Was I destined to be a classical archaeologist? I think so and that is all that matters.

Back to the start. If you want to figure out your Elvish Name than travel HERE.
You can also check your hobbit name. Tolkien would be so proud! Mine is Camellia Broadbelt of Buckland. I think it indicates that I am fat or something.

iPod Shuffle Toothbrush

Dave says this looks like the handle of an electric toothbrush and after looking at it again I am inclined to agree.


shuffle


In other news, Laurier hasn't ushered in the age of internet resources. I cannot at all order transcripts on their website, nor can I order them via fax, email, or over the phone. What the hell kind of policy is that? It's bloody ridiculous when you live across the country. So far I have figured out that they expect you to fill out some PDF form and MAIL it to them. How fucking convenient is that, especially if you are on a deadline here? ARGH! I am so frustrated. I mean they managed to implement a WIRELESS NETWORK on campus before they could configure internet transcript requests. God... let's just hope they let Dave hand in a form with my forged signature on it tomorrow.

Da Vinci Code Cast

We all knew that a bestseller like the Da Vinci Code was bound to make it to the big screen and for months there have been rumours about the cast. Well, to be fair they might have been more than rumours, but since I don't agree with the lead male choice, I was in denial.
It now seems confirmed once and for all that it will be Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon and Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu. I had never at all considered her for the role. In my mind I always pictured Sophie Marceau playing the part, but I think that Audrey could work just as well. However... Tom Hanks??? What a joke! I like him as an actor and I think he seems personable enough but this role does not scream Tom Hanks at me. He might be of the right age but I don't feel he fits the description of a handsome and distinguished university professor at all. I guess when you are friends with Ron Howard, you get offered prime roles that you have no business taking up.
Dave and I always thought that someone like John Cusack would be a better Robert Langdon. Needless to say I am somewhat disappointed. I wonder if I can start some sort of petition before filming starts in June? Who's with me?

Here is the story about Tautou's casting which does mention Sophie Marceau was considered!:
http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/2005/01/21/906000-ap.html

Amusing

1) Tie helium filled balloons to car.
2) Drive like a maniac... at least 90 mph with a good bit of swerving!
3) Watch people freak out !!!!
4) Hope that the State Trooper has a good sense of humor.


balloon chase 

Twenty-something Wasteland

I woke up today with the intention of going to the gym. This thought in itself is more exercise than my body has seen since before Christmas. Sad, I know. Sure, there has been a lot of mental preparation for the undertaking of exercise, but damn it, winter just makes me fucking lazy. I really should get back into the pattern because I am paying to use a facility that I don't ever go into. What happened instead was I got up and dressed in my workout attire but then the computer called to me. I turned it on, checked some email, sort of checked out some sources on Rome, checked an amusing blog that Jen had mentioned, and then the morning was gone. I feel like time is slipping by rather quickly and I have nothing to show for it. For a cheesy spin on things: 'Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives'.

Next Digression.
Thanks to our close proximity to the lovely USA (sharing a continent and all), all our 'awesome' (note: sarcasm) daytime programming has been given over to the farcical event known as the Presidential Inauguration. Not that I care because I don't watch much tv during the day, but on the odd occasion that I sit down to eat my lunch in our living room/kitchen and I turn on the tv, I don't want to see GWB's ugly mug on EVERY BLOODY CHANNEL. Makes me wonder what good the CRTC really is.
Tummy now hurting. I feel the indigestion coming on but I have yet to eat anything.
To put a sort of positive spin on things, at least this time around he was actually voted in. Although, that thought won't provide much future comfort.
T - 1460 days and counting...

Pineapple Express

Definition of 'Pineapple Express': a massive, warm, wet flow of air from the South Pacific. Such flows are not uncommon in January, and take the name "Pineapple Express" for their typical origins near Hawaii.

Today, because of our lovely tropical torrential downpour a mudslide occurred in North Vancouver, taking out two homes and trapping some people inside. I swear just last week Jen and I were talking about this potential threat on the way up to Whistler. North Van looks like Mediterranean villages that are perched on steep mountainsides... very beautiful but kind of deadly. You just know living in such a situation will be tragic at some point. I know this is an awful thought, but can you get mudslide insurance? I would imagine that premiums on such insurance would be insane. My thoughts are with the people who are suffering because of this event. Let's hope that the last person trapped is found alive by the end of the day.

In other news, Mel and I almost got T-boned by some dumb bitch in an SUV today. She actually had the nerve to accelerate from about 20m beyond the intersection just as the traffic light was turning orange and we were turning through it. She just swerved around us and didn't even bother looking at us like she wasn't at fault. She got the big 'c' word curse from me and a few gestures which I am sure were lost on her. At least it made me feel a little better considering she would have killed me.

Here Comes the Rain Again

The rain that Vancouver is famous for has returned with a vengeance! No more winter weather, temperatures in the negative degrees C, and occasional sunshine. We are all doomed to live in the Shadowlands again. *sobs*
I cannot believe how abrupt the change was, although I have to admit that it was odd for Vancouver to have snow and temperatures below 0. The locals just don't appreciate that with true winter you actually get to see the sun occasionally; something which is always nice in a season where you get a maximum of 7 hours of sunlight per day if you are lucky. Anyways, maybe my black mood will lift whenever the torrential rain does, probably sometime in the next 10 days. Seriously, the weather has forecast consistent downpour for the next week.

I am having a bit of trouble settling into a good routine this semester as well. I find that I can attend classes and whatnot but I have no desire to sit down and read books from my reading list or study in general for comprehensive exams. This is so awful... I do have quite a bit of work ahead of me, especially if I will be in England for two weeks during February. I guess I should have bought a laptop so I could at least escape the house and sit in a coffee shop somewhere and do some work -- just for a change of scenery. There are loads of wireless networks all over the city now, so I could have done that, but I was irrationally afraid of depending on a laptop as my sole computer. I don't like computers that I don't know how to take apart. I guess that is just my personal preference. Eventually though, I will have to give into the convenience of being able to carry your computer with you.

Today I have a 15 minute presentation to give to my Rome class about Fires and Floods in the city. I have to say that it is quite hard to get specific details on some of these events... but I guess I should get back to that assignment (and eat some breakfast too).

I hope the weather is better wherever you (the kind reader) are and that you have a great day. I am over and out...

Dreamworks

I had an alarming dream last night. I suppose the subject was not alarming in and of itself, but I definitely felt shaken as I was waking up with the remnants of its events still running through my head.
This may sound ridiculous, but basically the dream was that two of my friends (and old housemates) Kristy and Khaled were getting married. I suppose such an event could happen one day because they are dating and have been since we all lived together, but it was quite surprising to me that they had decided to get married. In fact, I didn't really find out about their wedding until I was at the church to attend it. However, that could have been a result of that weird space-time continuum thing that happens in dreams where long range events get squished into about two seconds. I must have found out before the wedding or I never would have made it to the church ready to watch them be wed.
The ceremony took place in the springtime in a church I have never seen before (isn't it amazing how the mind can create whole worlds that have never been visualized before?) and it was definitely set somewhere in Ontario. I still cannot really make sense of it apart from feeling totally scared by the fact that people I know are growing up and becoming real, responsible adults. Not that I am not a real and responsible adult, I just don't think I could take on marriage at this point in time. Leading the life of a perma-student, I can barely take care of myself sometimes.

I don't mean to offend Khaled or Kristy by saying how freaked out I was about them getting married, but it was a bit surreal. I know I am of the age when people do start to consider getting married but none of my own friends have taken the plunge. I did however, recently find out that a girl I was good friends with in high school got engaged over the New Year. I doubt there is any connection between her and Khaled and Kristy. In fact, maybe I should email Kristy just to make sure...

Canadian Cheese!

So... one of the best advertising campaigns I have seen this year comes from the Dairy Farmers of Canada with a focus on Canadian Cheeses. Jen and I have been searching forever for them online and finally we have a location!
Enjoy them both!

-----> Scent of a Cheddar or Scent of a Gouda

Go to Heaven, Ski like Hell

Jen and I set out for Whistler early this morning to meet up with her cousin Matt and his friends (which never happened) and to try some skiing for ourselves. I haven't skiied in about five years so it was somewhat scary at first, but I think I got back into the swing of things very easily. Skiing the beginner and intermediate trails at Whistler is comparable to the black diamond trails in Ontario. If I ever hope to attempt a black diamond here, I am going to have to get into skiing much more frequently and possibly even take a few review lessons. As it was, I had a good day of it and only fell once, and which I made myself do, because I was going to fast and didn't have the confidence that I could complete a nice turn in time to avoid flying into the forest. It was definitely getting icy on the slopes as the afternoon progressed and both Jen and I were pretty exhausted by 2:30pm. I feel badly that she drove both there and back but she insisted and I was pretty ok with sleeping on the way home. Mel mentioned that she would like to go skiing sometime in the next week or so at Cypress or Grouse Mountain so I will probably do that as well. I might as well get in as much great skiing as I can before I don't live in this province anymore.

In other thoughts... has anyone noticed that Green Day's song 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' sounds like an Oasis rip-off? I couldn't place it at first but it could definitely qualify as a variant of Wonderwall. I searched around on Google and noticed that other people feel it has echoes of Avril Lavigne's song 'My Happy Ending'. I guess it doesn't matter that much since musicians constantly renovate each others songs and the Green Day song is good, but it bothers me that it doesn't sound that original. I can also foresee it being overplayed and becoming VERY annoying much like their other ballad-like song 'Time of Your Life'.

Finally... here are some pics of the new cats Stanley and Mika that I never got around to posting over my break. Stanley is the tabby-ish cat and Mika is the black devil.


Stanley


Stanley vs. Raisin Bran 


Mika the Queen 


Mika 

Sheep go to Heaven, Goats go to Hell

Back to life at school. I think it may be a good semester after all. I finally got the courage to check my grades and miracle of miracles, I passed German (according to my department's standards). I never have to sit through that awful class again!!! What a relief.

Yesterday was kind of a sobering day. Mel's sister passed away over the holidays and her funeral was yesterday so Emily, Christie and I attended. We figured that Mel needs to know that she has some external support if she needs it.

Today was a pretty decent day. Jenny won Vancouver Giants tickets from some flooring store, so we attended tonight's game with her cousin and his friends. It was an interesting game for free. One good fight and the Giants won. It's good to see some hockey again...

Anyway this isn't a terribly thrilling entry but I am glad to be back and settling into a new school routine. I have an early class tomorrow so this is it for now.

A Happy New Year?

2005 began very quietly compared to other years. Dave and I were apart for the celebrations; he to a friend's cottage (which I felt was a bit too far for me to travel since I had to be back home for a family dinner on New Year's Day) and I to my cousins house to watch movies. I find that New Year's is over-rated in general and always seems to cost a lot of money if you want to go out somewhere. I am not that interested in blowing money on admission to a club which is usually free or only a few dollars to get into too. The new year also seems to have gotten off to quite a grim start with all the tragedy in Asia. My parents have donated some money to World Vision through which they also have adopted children and at some point I will donate some money too. Most of the phonelines to the charities are still jammed and I suspect that financial aid will be requested for months yet. In Canada, I have heard that the government will match each privately donated dollar given to the Red Cross or World Vision (probably several other charities as well) which is encouraging and should have us all at least donating a few dollars.
You can find out how to donate from Canada through:

World Vision - www.worldvision.ca - 1-800-268-5528
Canadian Red Cross - https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/en/ - 1-800-418-1111
UNICEF Canada - https://secure.unicef.ca/forms/emergency_page.html - 1-800-567-4483
Oxfam Canada - https://www.strategicprofitsinc.com/hosted/oxfam/ - 1-800-466-9326
CARE Canada - http://www.care.ca/ - 1-800-267-5232
Médecins Sans Frontières - www.msf.ca - 1-800-982-7903

Other information and charities can be found at this CBC website: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/asia_earthquake/helping.html