Jinkerjacket's Closet

Grammar's back, alright!

2008-11-19T15:28:00.003-05:00

The folks over at Grammarblog recently posted this fabulous parody on Timbaland's "The way I are" video. That'll learn him good.

I'm claiming this song as my new personal anthem. Love it.
You can check out Grammarblog here.

Happy anniversary!

2008-11-13T21:36:00.002-05:00

Today marks two very special ocassions:

1. Today is Nada's birthday! Happy Birthday Katkoota!
and
2. Today is my one-year anniversary of quitting smoking! Both are conveniently and intentionally on the same day. First cigarette with Katkoota - last one too! Muaah love you babe!

See you in Heathrow.

2008-10-14T16:33:00.005-04:00

Nessa. Yesterday, I spoke about you to someone who is dear to me. I've just recently been able to say your name out loud. I can finally look at you in photographs, but only for a fleeting moment. When I think of our days together, I hear your laugh, which was always more of a very loud giggle. I have moments where I'll tell a story of our pasts as if you are still in our present. Most times, I feel as though you are still living on with your life in Cairo. I see you painting by the trees, cigarette hanging from one side of your lips, hands full and covered in textures and colours.

You'll be 27 in just a couple of weeks. I can't believe we're here; so far from where we were in those days of CAC. I miss you and think of you every day. I know that you'll celebrate your birthday well, wherever you are. :) I'll be flying through Heathrow again this January. Will stop by our meeting spot to say hello and see you off on your next flight.

Great vacations in Coupledom

2008-09-25T10:17:00.008-04:00

I'll admit it. There are some definite major attractions and great sights in Coupledom. I might have been a teensy bit judgemental the other day, but give me a break, it's been a while and I'm just not used to the lovey-dovey (shudder) stuff. Some experiences I've enjoyed during my journey so far:

a. continental breakfasts in bed as part of your stay (or home-cooked meals throughout your trip if you're staying at a B&B)

b. free dinner vouchers (provided to appease guests should they be pissed off or as an apology)

c. luxurious spa massages (Coupledom hotels always have great spa services)

d. sight-seeing (enjoying the view, sounds and natural landscape of your travel partner)

e. great memories to take with you (and photo-ops!)

Thinking out loud

2008-09-22T11:26:00.004-04:00

You know how people say that everything happens for a reason? Well, I hate that saying. It doesn't offer any comfort or support. It just leaves you thinking, "Ok, so what's the reason?" No one ever has an answer for that. I guess you could spend forever trying to figure out why things end up turning out the way they do, but in the end, I blame every bad thing that happens on miscommunication. And stupidity. If people just said what was really on their minds and were honest with each other, I really think fewer bad things would happen. That's just my thought for today.

JJ winner! Brown thumb sore loser

2008-09-19T15:00:00.002-04:00

My herbs lasted until harvest time. Here's the yummy fresh cilantro from my first successful crop. Now comes the winter planting woohoo.

All aboard! Next stop, Coupledom

2008-09-18T10:49:00.013-04:00

Well, it's official. I have re-entered Coupledom. At first, I was excited, thrilled, swooning even. Now that the novelty has worn off, faint and distant memories of my last few trips to Coupledom are coming to the surface. I'm starting to remember the tourist traps, tacky souvenirs and travel drama:

a. extra or unexpected expenses (for dates, additional groceries, appropriate clothing so they don't think you're a hobo, etc.)
b. not-so-great accomodations (foreign presence in bed and nasal orchestra causing lack of sleep)
c. getting sick (passing the flu back and forth, getting the stomach flu from bad restaurant food that occured as a result of point a)
d. delays (two brown people meeting up for dinner, movies, etc., according to brown standard time)
e. language or cultural barriers (misunderstanding or miscommunication causing altercations)
f. transportation challenges (involving two-hour long bus rides just to meet for dinner, look back to point d and a).

Bah.

Do you hear that ticking? Oh no wait, it's just a hallucination...isn't it?

2008-09-10T21:19:00.005-04:00

Ever have one of those days where, no matter your accomplishments, they all still feel insignificant? Well, today I am having one of those days. Maybe I'm ungrateful, but I saw a little boy walking in the mall with his dad yesterday. As they walked by me, he suddenly squeaked, "Whaiw [where] ah [are] we going now daddy?" and then giggled and ran in circles when he learned he was going to the bookstore. My stomach felt like someone had just punched it with a 70-lb fist. Yeah, it's one of those days.

Change is upon us.

2008-08-26T15:36:00.002-04:00

After all the fuss about buying a condo and wanting to lay down some roots, it seems my past has finally caught up with me. I've been antsy. Super antsy. Tired of sitting still in the same place with the same job, seeing the same people and city sights on the same TTC line. The last time this happened, I packed myself up and went halfway across the world. This time, I'll settle for downtown Toronto (although that job in the UK seems mighty tempting). Condo 2103 goes up for sale on the ninth of next month, and I begin the hunt for the next phase of my almost-30 crisis. Dear God, here we go again.

16 candles + 10

2008-08-15T14:09:00.005-04:00

Since he's continued to be a faithful reader for all these years...I'm giving a shout-out today to Swiss Martin who celebrates his 26th!

JJ 2 Brown thumb 0!

2008-07-31T21:53:00.002-04:00

Four weeks and they're still alive! Who would've thought! I'm ecstatic and very excited for my first harvest that's coming up soon.

JJ 1 Brown thumb 0

2008-07-24T23:53:00.003-04:00

Hurrah! A green thumb so far. Here they are at three and a half weeks:

PR - kinda comes in handy when you're oh, well, famous.

2008-07-22T21:49:00.007-04:00

So, I went, I saw and now I'm over it. I don't think I had realized just how full of themselves the Bachchans had become. Their new tour certainly hit it home. Where to start?

They booked the Skydome for the show. One of the biggest venues in the city. Ambitious. The stadium was half empty (Shah Rukh Khan, by the way, filled every single damn seat in his show). The "concert" opened with some lame individual dance numbers with bad music and even worse costume choices. Not once did any of the performers even acknowledge that there was an audience in front of them (other than to repeat the phrase "We love you Toronto!" Some overpaid key message writer must be congratulating themselves on that one). I'll admit the show's quality improved about halfway through when the guest star Akshay Kumar did his little number. At least he knew a thing or two about relating to an audience. All in all, I expected more from the Bollywood mafia - I mean trio. It's quite clear they're really no match for the Khan. The only thing I can do now is forget I ever saw this tour and keep on pretending that Amitabh is still my "koolie Iqbal" and that Abhishek is still my "Shankar." *sigh* Oh, by the way, they love us Toronto!

That's the king himself there in the black top.

The king, his business partner - I mean daughter-in-law - and Abhishek
Akshay doing his thang. He is hot. hot hot hot.

Bollywood is hot again

2008-07-18T09:25:00.003-04:00

Last year, my husband-to-be came to Canada and left a bitter taste in my mouth with his extreme tardiness. This year, he'd better be on time because, this year, I paid good money. Hard-earned money that has been withdrawn from the puppy fund. So not only should he be on time, he should be there with bells on. I will return with photos tomorrow after the show.

P.S. I am pissing my pants. I can't believe I'm going to see him in person.

JJ's green thumb challenge

2008-07-10T20:37:00.004-04:00

The game: How long can JJ keep plants alive?

The background:

Since I quit smoking, I've become unusually obsessed with being more healthy. So much so that I joined a fitness boot camp (yes, it's true) and am making more food at home to control what I eat. All the cooking inspired me to take it even further and start growing my own food! But since my apartment is known as the place where living things come to die, I decided to start small by planting some herbs.

The packaging said to plant in May, but I swear they didn't take Canadian weather into account when they wrote the instructions because the first time I planted the poor little things died. I was heartbroken, but eventually regained my strength and here I am, at the start of Round 2. I planted coriander, basil and oregano. So, let's see how long they fare and whether or not they live to be cooked! Mmmm!

Here they are at only two weeks:

Left to right: coriander, basil and oregano

An author's process...nobody's business?

2008-05-30T14:29:00.003-04:00

Last month I wrote this wonderfully passionate and angry post about one of my most favourite authors. The fear of being sued tormented my dreams that night, so I deleted it. Also maybe because I felt a pang of guilt when I realized I was being really mean. After all, she is one of my most favourite authors.

She came to Toronto for a reading of her new book and I (the celebrity-struck person I am) just had to see the real flesh and blood of her. I also wanted to pick her brain or, at least, watch others do it in a Q&A.

Standing in line to have my copy of Interpreter of Maladies autographed I don't really know what I expected from meeting her. Perhaps that she would have some profound words of wisdom that would somehow render me the next literary genius. Or, maybe that she would offer some inspiring story that would motivate me to make an attempt at writing fiction. In the end, when I walked up to her little table and held my book out to be signed, nervousness hit me and I only managed to ask, "What is your process when you begin a new book? Do you brainstorm a flurry of ideas, or do you have a more structured approach?"

Her answer: "Many stories come from many places." Add in a roll of the eyes and an awkward quiver in her voice.

I was crushed.

Justifying my unhealthy obsession.

2008-05-14T15:19:00.010-04:00

I've decided that I have a problem. I know it's a very common one, but I think that in my case it's starting to border on (as the junky would say) seriously unhealthy: I am only attracted to men I can't have. I mean ONLY those men - not the gorgeous, single men who walk by, but the gorgeous men who walk by holding hands with a woman. And, it doesn't just stop with men already involved in relationships. It's also the gorgeous men who are emotionally unavailable or commitment phobes, the gorgeous men who are friends of your ex(es), and let's not forget the gorgeous men who at some point dated your friend(s).

The catalogue of different types of unattainable men could go on and on. Maybe that's my problem. The catalogue of available men is so unappealing that it has thrust me in completely the opposite direction. You let me know if any of these men wouldn't also get you thinking that that eye candy on the hottie's arm is nothing more than an obstacle to be knocked down:

Available man #1: He's desperate and sleazy, and will try to get with anything with tits
Available man #2: He says he loves you after one week of dating
Available man #3: He proposes to you after three weeks of dating
Available man #4: He thinks he's God's gift to women
Available man #5: He's hot, smart and sophisticated, but is really bad in bed (imagine a suction cup filled with slobber on your face)
Available man #6: He's just plain sleazy and creepy
Available man #7: He's a blast to hang around with, until you realize he's still making jokes when something serious has happened (i.e., a death, car accident, etc.)
Available man #8: He's really, really awkward
Available man #9: He claims he's 26, but he acts like he's 17 (and lives like it too in his parents' basement)
Available man #10: He's just random - loves you one minute and is m.i.a. the next (I'm still on the fence about this one because, in theory, the random ones are likely already in a relationship and are just cheating on their girlfriends with you)
Available man #11: He's handsome, has a great personality, seems wonderful, but stutters when you tell him what your job is and that you have a mortgage
Available man #12: He's wonderful and tells you he loves and then you run into his wife/girlfriend while shopping (again, bordering on the other side of the fence, but you didn't know he was unattainable until you met her!)
Available man #13: When you tell him you lived in Cairo, he asks if Cairo is in India or if it's the other way around.
Available man #14: When dropping you home after your first date, you notice the child car seat in the back.
Available man #15: He's 43, divorced with a two year old child, is your senior coworker and wants to know when you both are going on your first date.

There are more, but I think this is a sufficient sample to help you make your decision. Now you tell me how great that man holding his girlfriend's hand looks!

Sigh Cloud 9 is such a fun place.

2008-04-30T15:33:00.004-04:00

The following conversation took place today between my coworkers and The-one-I-love, in regards to the morning coffee break:

Anon: What are your lunch plans? Did I miss anything this morning ?

The one-I-love: You totally missed tons of cool stuff this morning. A parade, petting zoo, fashion show, acrobats and a fire eater. It was nuts!

Anon: All I would have wanted to see were orangutans. Apparently I didn't miss much at all.

The-one-I-love: Yeah. We just had baboons. BORING!

Anon: Did you feed them paperclips and give them tape to play with? I want stories!

The-one-I-love: Nah. Just a big tub of vaseline and some water balloons.

End scene.

This is why I love where I work and why he will always be The-one-I-love.

Time to start looking elsewhere?

2008-04-15T07:41:00.003-04:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6161691.stm

I am doomed.

Home sweet home...

2008-04-03T22:38:00.003-04:00

I'm exhausted. And tomorrow I'm traveling...again. This time it's back home to Cairo for just a week. Apparently, you have to use up your vacation time within the year or else you lose it. So I said Damn the Man and decided to get the hell out of this place for a week. I'll be doing a bit of tourism and playing with my dad's new digital SLR, so hopefully will have some nice pics to post next week. off I go!

The little blog that could...

2008-03-10T16:36:00.002-04:00

Apparently, there are some out there *ahem, the junky, but not naming names or anything* who were not too happy to hear that their morning reading would soon be reduced. And so, due to overwhelming response from my reader, I have decided to continue to bore you with my mundane stories, albeit, in fewer doses.

With that out of the way, I'll move on to today's topic of interest: Daylight Time.

"Spring forward" sucks and that's all I have to say about that.

Travel etiquette, some people just have no clue

2008-03-05T17:27:00.001-05:00

Saw this article on the Globe today and it is something that many, many people should read.

Ding! Dong! The blog is dead!

2008-03-05T10:25:00.021-05:00

I have finally come to the realisation that this blog is dead. I have grown tired of communicating my life stories with you (and I'm quite sure you're tired of hearing them). Quite honestly, I write all day at work and have absolutely no desire to come home and then write some more. But, before I bid you adieu, I will indulge you with some of the highlights of my recept trip to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, where I went to visit Oli and catch up on some sun.

My first day there, I managed to catch the last day of carnival in Maspalomas in the southern part of the island. The ladies and I stayed in an adorable hotel for the night and partied in the streets till the wee hours of the night, fully decked out in costumes of course. My highlight of the evening was...drumroll please....my first time getting hit on by a lesbian! woohoo! We had followed this gorgeous group of men dressed as schoolboys (I tried really hard to get a picture, they were adorable!) and found ourselves at a gay club (surrounded by beauty, I might add), where some dude offered to introduce me to his "pirate" friend. Unfortunately, she wasn't hot and I just wasn't drunk enough!

Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria/Canary Islands

The beach and sand dunes in Maspalomas

The rest of the week we spent in the Mingarellis' little home town in Sardina, where they live in a cute condo by the beach. Outnumbered 1 Jahangir to 4 Mingarellis, I was coaxed into getting on a body board and surfing for the first time ever. Oli showed me how to duck a wave, paddle and stay on a board - unfortunately the last skill was not mastered before I left!

One of the M's catching a wave

The beach in Sardina

They even managed to convince us to go snorkeling!

Buildings are built right into the mountains there, very cool.

Galdar is the nearest town where most of the kids hang out, a 10-minute bus ride gets you there from Sardina. That's where we ate yummy churros, had our 2-euro rum-and-cokes, shopped, partied, etc., etc., etc. It's a really cute little town built into a mountain where, quite literally, everyone knows everyones' names and business!

View of Galdar on our way from Sardina

The main plaza and church in Galdar

Partying in Galdar

All in all, it was an amazing trip and was just what I needed. We pretty much just chilled on the beach, surfed and ate lots of delicious seafood for a week. I'm totally missing the ocean now, and my tan, and Oli, A + M!!!

T'was the thirteenth day of February...

2008-02-13T10:44:00.002-05:00

Today should be memorable. Today should be unique and historic. Today should be the first day of a completely new path and new beginnings. Because today, I crossed the third-month mark as a smoke-free person, which generally means you're in the clear to be smoke-free for life. But why oh why does it feel like just another day of craving that glorious sensation of the first drag hitting the back of your throat? And why does the thought of that tingling feeling that hits your lips as you exhale seem so exquisite? *sigh* 3 months. cheers, I suppose.

I'm still here...

2008-02-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

I'm here, I'm still here. Sorry for the long hiatus, but I've been hibernating over the last month due to a number of issues I don't feel like discussing. Was in Bangladesh at the beginning of last month and I wish I could say it was a fabulous time, but unfortunately what was supposed to be wedding bliss turned out to be wedding hell. And what was supposed to be a relaxing and pleasant vacation with family and friends turned out to be an emotional upheaval of the past. What kept me sane was my little six-month old nephew, but it makes me sad to know that I'm missing all his little baby moments while he's there and I'm here.

Anyways, here I am back in the winter arctic of Toronto and it sucks. I have only two things to say today: I am getting a puppy (!), and I am still smoke-free (almost 3 months!).

Nessa I miss you.

A tribute to a great artist and an even greater friend.

2007-12-31T15:54:00.000-05:00

On Dec. 28, 2007, the world lost a wonderful soul and I lost one of my closest and oldest friends. Vanessa Korany was a person who lived life to the fullest, unaware and unafraid of consequences. She let her heart guide her through life, and changed the lives of all those she touched. I know she will be deeply missed by her family, her friends, her students and everyone who ever crossed paths with her.

Vanessa, I will always love you and will cherish everything we shared together. From our great loves to heartbreaks to our conversations about bananas, you changed so much in my life and opened my eyes to a different world. I will miss you more than words can express, but until we meet again, may you rest in peace.

Vanessa Korany, Nov. 24 1981 - Dec. 28 2007.

My p.c. season's greetings to you all!

2007-12-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays folks! I'm back and forth during the holidays this year, so will be out of town for the next few days, and then I'll be headed to the Desi-land in January for a wedding (don't worry, you'll see pics of the glorious brown outfit I recently purchased and look like a goddess in). Will be back in the new year, so stayed tuned for another season of JJ's boring life.

Aaaawwwkward...

2007-12-14T09:13:00.000-05:00

Last night was the office Christmas party. I went to sleep 5 hours ago and am now at work. Unfortunately, my brain thinks I'm still at the bar. I will not delve into details, but it was everything a work Christmas party should never be and more like the kind you only hear about in hushed whispers around the water cooler for years to come.

Hmph...

2007-12-03T12:33:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to understand why it is that women always go for assholes - the bad boy, as some would call it - when they have a perfectly wonderful person at hand? Is it because they have the innate human flaw of wanting what they can't have? Or, because they feel challenged by the chase (I guess, the female version of the man-dar *see labels for more info on this*)? Or, perhaps it's women's odd desire, but always eventual failure, to be that girl who was able to change him for the better? Either way, it's messed up and I would appreciate all you scientists doing something to remove this perplexing genetic disorder.

3 weeks...ova and dun with...

2007-12-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow will make 21 days since I quit smoking. Three long, painful, arduous weeks. I never really thought it would be this difficult; nor did I think there would be moments where I'd be driven to tears because I wanted to smoke so badly. I saw this little aussie flick a while ago with Heath Ledger in it - Candy. And there's this scene in the movie where he and his girlfriend (they're heroin addicts) are trying to quit so they lock themselves in a room with all the essentials they'll need as their bodies go through withdrawal. There's a moment where they're just writhing in bed and wretching...and just bawling. By no means am I comparing nicotine addiction to heroin addiction, but in all honesty, I never felt like an addict until I saw myself behaving exactly the same way those characters did in that scene. Trying to let go of an addiction (an addiction of ANY kind) just makes you do things you never thought you would do. It makes you unreasonable and unruly, and emotional as hell. And it doesn't just affect the addict who's trying to quit, but it affects everyone around them. I'm quite sure that had it not been for my very supportive friends (who threaten to smack me if i ever smoke again!), I would have relapsed by now.

They say the first three weeks are the worst, and that once you make it through those first weeks, the rest will be a breeze. I hardly doubt that not smoking for the rest of my life will be a breeze. When you spend most of your life as a smoker, rediscovering your identity as a person who doesn't smoke is a big challenge; and, I think that has been one of the hardest things for me to deal with. I've always been a smoker - it's been a very large part of my life, and a large part of who I am (which is sad, I know). Maybe I could just be a smoker who doesn't smoke anymore? That sounds a lot better than non-smoker!

Damn The Man..oh shit...now I'm The Man

2007-11-29T08:56:00.000-05:00

After one year of busting my ass and taking ppl's shit, I finally got a promotion. Woooo. Being promoted after only a year at this place is actually quite abnormal, so I feel rather proud and trailblazer-like. The new title - Assistant Manager, Internal Communications, or as the junky would say, I am now the Ass Man of internal communications...lovely.

The sky is falling...

2007-11-22T08:49:00.001-05:00

Snow...there is snow on the ground. Disgusting, grey, icy, cold snow. I thought global warming was supposed to be in effect and that we would no longer have snow?!!?! hmph! now I'm grumpy. damn first snowfall of the year.

It's the small victories that bring pleasure...

2007-11-20T20:48:00.001-05:00

Well folks, it's official - one week of no smoking! Only * insert # of weeks in a lifetime* weeks left to go!

Rock me tonight, for old time's sake...

2007-11-19T09:13:00.000-05:00

Soooo..I didn't think I had it in me to party like it was 1999 anymore, but nope, I managed two solid nights of drunken debauchery and lived to tell the tale. Maybe I'm not such a granny yet!

The Cayman invasion has finally ended and I must say, there is a slight empty feeling, but it was really good to catch up with all the old Intel-ers from the Western days. Sometime soon I'll post some super old pics to embarass the lot of you! But for now, here's a few from the weekend:

pre-drinking at the Sutton Place...

becs was a little too fond of the wooden beam that resembled a stripper pole

pre-drinking at jake's...

night 2 at branthouse....

Catching up...

2007-11-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

Well it's official...the old Naiqueen is back in full-effect for this week, and this week only. Last night, S flew in from Cayman and the dynamic duo is back together again to cause chaos and mayhem in the streets of T.O. Let's hope that she doesn't pull a JJ and sleep through her flight home due to excessive drunkeness!

In other news, today is my quit day. And, I couldn't be happier. It's an incredible feeling to be free and no longer dependent on a stick of poison. I'm pretty sure this is it and that I'm set for a life of non-smoking bliss. Allen Carr, you'd better not fail me.

Your wish is my command...

2007-10-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

M: "When I was traveling alone in Cuba, I got super super sick, and I was so freaked out because I was all alone and no one around me spoke English - I was staying with some locals in a small village. I thought I would have to go back home! It can be so scary traveling through Cuba alone."

A: "Yah, I totally know what you mean. When I first moved to Sydney, I was there for a WHOLE WEEK by myself before everyone else came. And I was staying in CHINATOWN!! Omigosh, you can't imagine how freaky that was."

JJ + M thinking in their heads: "Did that really just happen? Oh yes, that's right, she really is that ignorant and stupid."

A day of rest

2007-10-23T09:16:00.000-04:00

I am really hungover today...really really really hungover. So let me be, I'll post tomorrow. Blah.

All about the art...

2007-10-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

Work has been insane, and I have had no time or energy to maintain my blog, as you can see. So even tho it's better late than never, as promised, my Nuit Blanche post:

So Toronto had it's second annual Nuit Blanche event this year (I thought I had blogged about the first one last year, but apparently I didn't, oh well!). The event is an all-night contemporary art crawl through the city (it goes on in other cities around the world, as well), and this year over a million people walked through the streets of Toronto to bask in the glory of local, national and international artists. This year's event was a bit different for me, since I worked half of it. Got to start out the night at the official VIP launch, where I met the mayor, some media ppl and randoms I didn't know. After the reception, it was off to some photoshoots, and THEN - the most exciting event for me at least - a photoshoot in the ghost subway station that was built underneath our normal subway line, called Lower Bay Station. The station was also the site of a sound installation as part of the Nuit Blanche exhibit - there's a whole other blog about it so read about it here, it's very cool. So while we were in the tunnel photographing, I ended up getting to be part of the shoot! Lol, not officially, but they let me have the pics as a keepsake. Very fun, and now I definitely have a lot more sympathy for those ANTM girls! All in all it was an awesome night and yay for next year's event!

That's the way the cookie crumbles..or in this case..my brain.

2007-10-03T16:41:00.000-04:00

I am slowly going crazy 1 2 3 4 5 6 switch! Crazy going slowly am I 6 5 4 3 2 1 switch!

Le sigh...le frustration.

2007-10-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, I promise my Nuit Blanche post is coming..I've just had some back-and-forth on ethics in posting a pic..you'll see what I mean when I post it (clearly, ethics lost the battle).

But first, boys. Ah, boys. The cliché phrase "you can't live with them, you can't live without them," has so much truth to it, doesn't it? Let me begin by saying that I do love boys, all kinds of boys, all shapes and sizes of boys (I know what you're thinking right now and shame on your dirty mind!), and especially the yummy boys. At the same time, though, they frustrate the hell out of me and sometimes I just want to punch-their-faces-in-until-they're-bruised-and-battered-and-are-on-their-knees-in-tears-and-crying-like-a-baby. Why all this anger you ask? Well, it's quite simple: the man-dar (think man + radar, if you're having difficulty). The man-dar, in my absolutely non-professional and psychotic opinion, is a man's ability to sense when you're not interested in them, thus resulting in their sudden overwhelming urge to hit on you...just for kicks. Now, many advice columnists and "experts" on telling women how they should behave in order to snag a man would tell you that this man-dar phenomenon might be due to the competitive nature of men, and their desire for a challenge. While this may be the case, I don't really care. I'm not interested in figuring out why it occurs, and why men come at you in floods rather than in a steady stream. I just want it to stop. In the last few weeks, I have been inundated with some of the most hilarious, inspiring, flattering and also the most pathetic, pick-up lines you can imagine and my question is, where have they all been in the last year?!? Why, when I am no longer interested in any way, shape or form, must they come in droves? Either maintain consistency, or just stop. I'm not interested in a flood after a drought, I just like consistent rainfall...it makes for a healthier, happier me.

Just when I thought I'd gotten sick of moving...

2007-09-28T09:04:00.000-04:00

I'll soon be celebrating my one-year anniversary in my new condo (I guess it's not really new anymore), and what better way to celebrate than to decide you don't want it anymore! That's right..after one year..I gots no loves for the Sheppie anymore....cuz all my lovin is over at West Queen West..in bohemia-ville. The barren wasteland that is Yonge & Sheppard no longer appeals to me - nor does the desire to continue to save money and restrict myself from social/foodie heaven. I figure, I've got the rest of my life to worry about saving money and cutting down on my social life..but right now, I just want to be able to stroll out of my apartment and sink into a comfy cafe couch with my no-foam latte and brunch in tow. I also want to be able to spend ridiculous gobs of money on pretty things, and there is no shortage of that in WQW. AND, to top of it off, not only would I be right downtown, I would ALSO have nature quite conveniently across the street at Trinity Bellwoods Park. Clearly, the benefits far outweigh the negatives (not being directly on the subway line and having to use the streetcar in winter; no commercial, conglomerate chain stores like loblaws or blockbuster, ick!; parking problems; and, not being close to the highway). Quite honestly, I am so glad to be rid of the chain stores because now I can go shopping at the St. Lawrence market and Chinatown. So, apartment hunting will start soon..wish me luck!

Global nomadic life..not really what it's cut-out to be.

2007-09-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

Why is everyone moving away to distant and far-away lands? And taunting and teasing me with being so close, and then leaving again? Time differences, long-distance charges, unrealistic work hours, life...all dangling in front of me to remind me that maintaining friendships and relationships with people all over the world is a real bitch. I'm tired of the comings and goings, the dis-appearances and re-appearances, and the constant missing of and longing for the people I care about. I realize it's a part of life (and the price one pays for being a global nomad), and that I must essentialy just suck it up and deal with it, but really, 25 years of this is more than one person can handle. Today is one of those days when I'm looking back at my past, thanks to what's going on right now (I owe you for that Mr. K), and wondering what lies ahead. I hate days like this.

Celebrities...I still can't handle them.

2007-09-14T09:05:00.000-04:00

After a long, hard day at work yesterday, the ladies and I decided to drown our stress in a few pints at our local firkin. Upon ordering our beverages of choice and our deliciously greasy dinners, we looked over to our left and, lo and behold, there is Danny Masterson (Hyde from That 70's Show) sitting with a bunch of friends, doing exactly the same thing.

I, quite frankly, almost shat myself.

The Toronto International Film Festival is in its last day, and I’ve been bummed that another event had come and gone and I had yet to make a celebrity sighting. But yay, former guest appear-er on Entourage and my fave 70's Show character broke the cherry! I feel like this is a terrific warm-up of more random celebrity run-ins to come…hurrah! (there are no photos because I didn’t want to be one of those people, but the memory will remain until I'm grey and old).

Next year, someone smack me when I suggest attending a 2-day V-fest.

2007-09-10T13:13:00.000-04:00

Two days of a music festival and my old-ass is TIRED. But I’ll indulge you today, with our stories of a very awesome 2007 Virgin Festival, only because I am exhausted and have very little enthusiasm to write about branding this morning.

Day 1: We made our way to Toronto Island Park on the ferry (I swear, I’m talking about Toronto, not Sydney), and caught M.I.A. (yeeee! she crowd surfed and banded together the audience for a dance-fest on stage with her!) and Kid Koala, before seeking out the beer cage for some sustenance. After our thirst was thoroughly quenched, we headed back out to the main stage for the Artic Monkeys (boring), and then INTERPOL. Yes that’s right, you read correctly. Interpol! Show me the dirt pile and I will pray.... They were incredibly fabulous, as can be expected, and were definitely my highlight of the day. Bjork was the main closing act, and as per her norm, she put on quite the show. I’ve never quite been a Bjork fan, not that I have anything against her – I just don’t listen to her. She is very cool in concert though, and I think I may be reformed!

A view of the city from the ferry...

M.I.A., nananananana....boyz there? how many boyz there how many?

Interpol.. :D in the larger version it's brighter..don't know why it went darker when i compressed it..

Day 2: Woke up insanely hungover and sore (more signs that my aging body is slowly deteriorating), and made it back to the Island just in time to catch the ever-entertaining youngens, Tokyo Police Club. Adorable and very fun live (and the kids really do ga-ga for them). Stars came on next (they were OK), and Metric (I had never heard of this Toronto band before, but now I have found a new love!). The second-day highlight for me was definitely The Killers, I love their showmanship! We skipped out on the Pumpkins (yes I know, but really, they’re not the original band anyway and I highly doubt they would’ve played the only song I know and love: Bullet with butterfly wings), because an important following day at work required fresh and alert employees who had had sweet dreams.

les femmes on Day II

Yeeeah...you know you gotta help me out...oh don't you put me on the blackburner...

So that was V-Fest….if the line-up is good next year, and you’re not an old fogy like me, then I would highly recommend checking it out next year. The whole event is just planned and organized really well, which keeps the blood-boiling rage that often ensues at large festivals at bay, and lets you enjoy the fantabulous bands! Kudos to the event management team who worked this year’s event!

The return of Mickey Mouse

2007-09-07T10:14:00.001-04:00

a mouse..there is a mouse running around our office. oh my god...there is a mouse running around our office. clearly, today will be an unproductive friday, because i will sit here on top of my feet squealing until someone gets rid of this unwanted visitor. Why you gotta pick MY cubicle eh?!

Uninspired...so I'll hire someone else to write.

2007-09-05T20:34:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm in a pickle - faced with a challenging dilemma. Lately, I find myself...quite uninspired...so much so that I have no desire to write anymore. This is a slight problem, but only slight, since I am a writer by profession and I'm sure I won't really need this skill very much in my day-to-day routine. The junky, however, has quite forcefully reminded me that I have not posted since last month. Oh, dear.

So here it is: I want to fire our freelance writer. Yes, I am an evil bitch but she's really, I mean REALLY, stupid. Well, maybe stupid is a little harsh, but come on, it's one thing to be a bad writer while making an effort to improve yourself, but to be a bad writer who just DOESN'T CARE to improve is something completely different. For once, silly manager is on board and actually pushed my recommendation through to the Man. But the Man says, no firing until there is someone to fill the void. So now my mission, at work and in life, is to find the most incredible freelance writer who can write a financial Odyssey. So if you know anyone...send 'em my way!

Hurray hurray....

2007-08-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm happy. And today, I'm singing: and I was your silver lining, as the story goes, I was your silver lining, but now I'm gold.

I want to see them in concert, someone find me a ticket to their Sept. 18 show...NOW.

Summer lovin...

2007-08-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

Ah August....the humidity..the thunderstorms...all lovely reminders that the summer is soon ending (or has ended, in my opinion) and nothing but snow and frostbite awaits us. Since my summer has more or less sucked due to an extended familial imposition, I've decided that my initial plans to visit C in the UK, and former flatmates/neighbours in the Swiss-land may have to be postponed. The desire to spend December in a country colder than here, when I detest winter, is almost non-existent. I have yet to tell the Swiss-landers...(S and M...please don't be mad, I'll be there in the summer instead!), but the trip has been re-routed to sunny and beachy Grand Canaria! I am dragging the C-man along because he needs to party and meet beautiful Spanish women, so you'd better be packing bud!

In other news, to make the best of the short summer days....we've been celebrating with a month-long drinkfest:

Danny Boy came up to visit! wooooot!

@ ultra and the good ol' maddy

me upon discovering that this random boy knew McIsaac..i'm sad..i know.. @ Chehosky's...we had a riveting Snake sighting here...brought back the good ol' Degrassi days and got JJ all flustered!

Blogging or Facebook?

2007-08-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

The debate is on between myself and my D at work, who is ever increasingly seeking out more innovative communication tools. The question on deck: What is more effective as a communication tool, Facebook or blogging?

Team JJ thinks blogging is more effective, because it is engaging and allows for audience feedback. It also allows readers to be part of the creation process, making them feel all warm and fuzzy inside because they get to see their published comments in a very public forum.

Team D thinks Facebook is more effective, because of the sheer volume of members who have signed-up, as well as the mass media attention it's receiving in the Western Hemisphere (any info on media coverage down South, in Europe, Africa, Down Under or elsewhere, folks?).

In my opinion, while it's a good place to keep in touch with brief back-and-forth messages, it doesn't allow for engaging two-way communication as well as blogs do. And, let's not forget the Facebook audience....how many Facebook-ers are actually tweens who are just trying to rack up as many friends on their friends list as possible...because it's cool? Would businesses benefit from disseminating information to an audience that doesn't really care and would most likely never read it? Bah, how do you talk sense into a man who gets his technology tips from his 13-yr-old kids?!?

Toronto goes Greek!

2007-07-26T22:29:00.000-04:00

So...never ever did I think it would be possible to be AS busy as the 9-5 has had me lately....and that i wouldn't be able to blog..but here we are..almost 3 weeks since my last post. In any case, the weekend of Greek-Aussie-Canadian mayhem was fantastic; and, although we spent the majority of the weekend being ill, we still managed to get out and do ONE touristy thing, in addition to birthday and farewell celebrations at Oli's. Photos, as promised:

And so it begins...

2007-07-19T15:32:00.000-04:00

The Aussie-invasion into Canada has begun...photos to follow after a weekend of Greek/Aussie/Canadian mayhem! giddy-up!

Frustrations...Pt. 2

2007-07-10T21:17:00.000-04:00

Parent frustration #5

I'm pretty sure I know what I like in MY apartment, thank you very much. And guess what? You DON'T have to use newspaper to line kitchen drawers, you can use actual drawer-liner *gasp!*; "heavy" and powerful vaccuums will NOT pull the carpet off of the floor it's glued to; a couch that is "heavy" does NOT necessarily make a better couch; and, a chaise with no handles can STILL be comfortable. !@$##%$

Parent frustration #4

Direct quote: "I think by 27 or 28, we'll marry you off, because 30 is too late. You keep saying not before 30, but you won't be able to get married at 30." Apparently, babies must also come before 30, and my education and career are only minor bonuses to my resume of marriageability. I wonder if the whole baby-before-30 thing also includes the baby coming first?

End of another era...

2007-07-09T10:08:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend, I received some rather dissapointing news - my home-away-from-home in the Oz, the Wentworth coffee shop I used to work at..is closing down. I shed a small tear and said goodbye to another part of my past. It's a damn good thing that the best parts of that shop - the luvable group of aussies, mexicans and greek boys - are still a part of my life. On a brighter note, they'll be opening a NEW store and I have no idea where, but hopefully another Canuck will stumble upon it during their travels and decide to beg them for a job!

Food for thought...

2007-07-09T10:07:00.001-04:00

Just thought this would entertain some of y'all as my mid-post filler.

Frustrations...Pt. 1

2007-07-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

Parent frustration #3

The ever-increasing need to outdo everyone in the ever-increasing extended family, including sisters and brothers. YOU DON’T LIVE HERE, but you want to buy a house? Within a 2-week period of search and seize? And when sense is talked into, pouting and bitchiness ensue...like it’s MY fault.

Parent frustration #2

Sick...ALL THE TIME. This hurts, that hurts, the Canadian food causes stomach cramps, the water here causes ulcers and the number of stairs in this country forces knee problems to recur. Next to me, I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to be as much of a hypochondriac.

Parent frustration #1

Is it ABSOLUTELY necessary to rag on everything I own, do, wear, say and think? So, you don’t like the toothpaste I buy, nor do you like the way I keep my kettle next to my coffeemaker next to my toaster, but you ALSO don’t like my apartment, my city, the people IN my city, or the way I live my life in my city. Thanks.....and why are you here again?

True patriot love...

2007-07-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

Wooo for long weekends! Happy Canada Day to all....and to those who missed the fireworks..they were crap anyways. Friday was a blast at MJ's housewarming slash BBQ...puppies babies and beer..you really can't go wrong. Saturday was a day with the Moms in the beaches followed by N's bday! We went to Kultura to celebrate, after which the ladies took him out to the Bier Markt to get thoroughly trashed (we were successful). Happy 27th babe!! Some photos to boot:

I know who blackened MY soul...

2007-06-26T13:58:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, Pearl scared me shitless and made me swear that I would never ever forget to pay my rent again. Today, my post brings sad news...Pearl is retiring and returning to a life of baby-normalcy. We wish her a happy retirement, and that *one* may have mercy on her blackened soul. This is her farewell:

Good Cop, Baby Cop

Thanks to MJ for forwarding this on.

Climb away!

2007-06-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple months now since little becs and I started climbing regularly...and the progress we've made since our first lesson has been awesome. We started at 5.5s and 5.6s and are finally up to 5.9s! Last week I managed to successfully complete a 5.9 that had been annoying me for ages...I always had difficulty getting up the overhang..but I finally pulled it off in record time...yay!

Oli climbing a 5.5 overhang wall and me belaying her

Me climbing an any-holds 5.8

Becs climbing an overhang 5.9, she's doing the blue route on this wall (the holds marked with the blue tape)

Return of the BEACH...

2007-06-18T11:25:00.000-04:00

My return to the beach this Sunday, for the first time since I left Sydney, was anything but a disappointment. The girls + boy headed down to The Beaches, a *you guessed it* beachside community at Queen Street East, and spent the day baking under the sun, eating ice cream and dipping our toes in cool water, followed by cold *beverages* at a nearby patio. Though the super-insanely-and-oddly-hot sand burned blisters into my toes, every bit of the experience was GLORIOUS.

It's been a slow and gradual process of falling in love with the T-dot for me, but after yesterday, my love for this city doubled in points (I currently have a 20-point rating system that measures love, with points-to-date being 14). I may have had a lot of disdain for Toronto in the past, but that has largely dissipated, mainly due to the realization that there is a lot of cool shit to do in this city. Where else can you attend a festival for doggies, a naked bike ride, and smoke shisha and listen to jazz on a patio, all in the same month? The fact that I can maintain a relatively similar lifestyle to the one I led in the Oz-land makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Some photos from our beach-filled weekend:

Happy Bday Becs!

2007-06-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was little becs' birthday...we went out the Boiler House Restaurant in the Distillery District to celebrate....

The notoriously "yummy" cake...wheat-free, gluten-free and dairy-free...you guess how it tasted..

this was the third attempt at this photo...to finally get her eyes to stay open we decided it would be best if she held them open! oh and i'm also loving the napkin-bandana courtesy of fake e..dude..you NEED to become a designer...

Stop stalking me

2007-06-07T22:01:00.000-04:00

Anonymous said...
Dear stupid bitch who can't write to save her life- stop pausing after every sentence or utterance you write. You...sound...moronic......!!
June 07, 2007 8:46 PM

Dear Anonymous,

Stop leaving rude and unecessary comments on a stranger's blog..............find your own friends to bother with your incessant whining! If you don't like my writing, why the hell do you read it?! You're the one who sounds moronic to me..reading blogs you dislike. FUCK OFF...

Have a nice day,
Jinkerjacket

Must the wedding bells really start ringing?

2007-06-06T11:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, a good friend of mine announced that he’s getting married*. He’s 29. His announcement is one of two such declarations made by my friends in less than a year…and has got me thinking…will they all just start dropping like flies from here on end? Have I really and truly reached that point in my life, where engagement parties and weddings and showers and stags and stagettes and babies…begin to take over? When did it become the normal path of life for 20somethings? Aren’t we the generation that is supposed to be advocating independence, freedom, vagabonding, fear of commitment and the likes? Have I been seriously duped into my lifestyle?

A sleepless night of tossing and turning led me to believe this: I am freaked out.

Everyone and everything changing around me, only makes me dig my heels into my adolescent-adult-life even more, and I will continue to do so until I am the last one standing. It’s my party, and I swear I’ll cry if I want to.

*Congrats to you K! This post in no way reflects you specifically, so I thought it necessary to add this disclaimer.

Algonquin and beyond...

2007-05-24T09:33:00.000-04:00

I’ve taken a full four days to post about our long-weekend because…well…blogging about it would be admitting it’s over. That...and I’m lazy and was busy.

After two months of planning and organizing and e-mail chaining, 12 of us made it out to the Wolfden Bunkhouse 'n Cabins in Algonquin Provincial Park this past Victoria Day long-weekend. No, it wasn’t hardcore camping (I had enough of it last September in the Bruce to last me until the long-weekend in July), but it was a hostel with a bunch of cabins and shared kitchens, bathrooms, etc. (very similar to Pittwater in Sydney).

We arrived Saturday morning and set out for a hike to Ragged Falls, which was gorgeous and bug-ridden. Dipped our feet in some very cold water and hung out by the beach, then returned to the camp and began drinking at 4 p.m.., followed by a bbq FEAST and the essential campfire with smores.Sunday was a bright and early rise and shine for us, as we set out to the hiking trails. We started out at the Peck Lake trail and on our way there we had our first of 16 MOOSE sightings of the day (and my first moose sighting EVER) – was tres exciting. They are gigantic!! Very noble and majestic-looking. After Peck Lake we hit up Hemlock Bluff and had lunch at the top of the bluffs...was a great lookout point. After a bit of resting we checked out one last trail for the day - Beaver Pond..in search of some beavers! Unfortunately...Mr. Beaver wasn't home but we saw some of his dens! Our final day there we set out for a 30 km bike ride...I have no words for that...other than..I was duped into the tortuous ride, which left me in pain for a week and hating bicycles for a lifetime. But at least the rest of the ladies had fun...we stopped at Rock Lake for lunch...before heading back on the trail. *thanks to some of my girls, I've used a few of your photos cuz apparently my camera doesn't like Aussie sand in it.

In today's kickball news...

2007-05-14T09:17:00.000-04:00

The sport has reached such awesome-ity that kickball was actually quoted today on local blog Torontoist. Apparently, those folks over in D.C., are hardcore about their kickball. Just thought I would warn fellow Toronto kickballers..that.. with any defamatory remarks (as if there could even ever be defamatory remarks about the gloriousness that is kickball!), make sure you don't slapped in the face with a $356K lawsuit!

I swear..no filler post this time...

2007-04-27T16:31:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple weeks since my last "real" post....obviously I've scraped away about two weeks with the filler Will Ferrell-related fun stuff..(even though it was completely fabulous)...anyways...things have finally slowed down enough for me to have time to talk about this awesome event I attended a couple weeks ago with S and the C-Man:

Friends of South Asia and The Royal Ontario Museum hosted Salon South Asia: Sip/See/Swoon, which celebrated local South Asian artists and musicians in a 17th/18th century-typical salon setting. Well, as you all know, the 17th and 18th centuries were my favourite, although 17th and 18th century England was of more interest to me than French...largely due to the provocative and sexually-overt nature of much of the literature from that period. Anyways, combine 18th century-inspired setting with Brownies and martinis and you know I'm all over it like a fat kid on a smartie *becs I had to steal the quote..it was just too good.* You can read The Star's take on the event here.

The artists presenting their work at the event were:

Anita Katakkar, who performed the tabla with underlying rhythmic loops on a keyboard. She was amazing and I swear I've heard her stuff around on the U of T radio station..keep a look-out for her she is AWESOME!

Puja Amin presented her Colours of India choreographed dance, which combined traditional and classical dance styles with modern Indian dance. Of course the Kathak sequences were my favourite...but I STILL think Bharatnatyam is better, I may be biased tho :o)

Sylvat Aziz showcased Mother of all Postcards, an installation of veiled figures, which examines cultural customs and practices where invasive personal manipulation extends to thought. The piece was really interesting and showed a group of veiled women who looked almost blindfolded..

Sudarshan Belsare presented a black and white video loop of Fire to Ice, which played throughout the entire event. Belsare is a professional dancer (specializing in Bharatnatyam of course!) and video installation artists - this piece combined traditional Bharatnatyam movements of dance with elements of epic drama (the event hosts defined it as "stylized elements of Greek tradegy"), to explore societal boundaries through The Mahabharata.

And finally, my most favourite piece, and mainly the only reason I went to this event, was Noni Kaur's installation piece titled Sniff...Lick..Swallow. Her piece explored female sexuality and sensuality, and how they're perceived within traditional and cultural attitudes...Kaur used spices, such as coconuts and turmeric, to abstract body parts of the female reproductive system...using a traditional method of floor decorating called rangoli. I absolutely loved this piece because rangoli is often used as a way to welcome visitors and guests during special occasions or holidays, and this seemed almost a welcoming/invitation to explore the female body. Using aromatic spices and coconuts, and inviting her audience to smell, touch, taste and experience the female body, Kaur presented female sexuality and sensuality as something that was beautiful, healthy, vibrant and that which has the ability to stimulate and incite all of our senses. The installation brings female sensuality to the fore and challenges cultural notions of women and their sexuality, establishing the body as something to be celebrated rather than concealed. Loved it! Here are a couple pictures to boot:

Sniff...Lick...Swallow by Noni Kaur

awww..our multicultural S-Team....where the hell is token black chick the junky?!

And that's all folks! See ya next time..same bat time...same bat channel..

Dread visits from your landlord???

2007-04-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

I had take a break from work today and share with you all...the magnificent glory that is this video..brought to us by the dudes at Funny or Die:

http://sjl.funnyordie.com/v1/landing.php

Thanks to MJ for forwarding this on....it's GLORIOUS...and I don't think I'd ever want Pearl to be my landlord....

Mind-bottling..you know..when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped like in a bottle?

2007-04-11T16:09:00.000-04:00

Blades of Glory...IS figure skating! I'd certainly like to wear that gold medal...naked...and that's all I have to say today...go see it if you haven't already...

Been asking for forgiveness...wearing the Nai crown...

2007-04-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

Generally, I tend to be quite the blabbermouth....and I rant and I rave about nothing at all...but for once....this week..I had nothing to rant and rave about! As a result...no blog postings....until people started bugging me with my own tell-tale phrase "Update your blog dammit!"...so here I am...blogging...about aboslutely nothing....

Except that I just remembered something and forgot to tell all you lovely people...all...2 of you...who read..my blog..lol..oh wait and then there's my Unknown reader...and my West Hoxton, New South Wales, reader....*who..funny enough..seems to never leave comments on my blog..but willingly leaves random comments on my friends' blogs*....so that makes 4 of you...anyways....so yah...if any of you are ever in the Sydney area and get a chance to check out Waiting for Wednesdays...(formerly known as LSS)....do keep an ear open for their song Week too late....I've only heard the demo for it...and am not even sure if they've incorporated it into their shows yet....buuuuut.......if you listen really really closely....you might find that it's in reference to someone you know..."oh i think you might know them veeery well"....lol that's right...I'm in a song!!! hurrah...references in the song include Nai's crown and a return to the maple....*sigh*....i mostly love it just because it brings back fabulous memories...*and no Spearman....there'll be no forgetting of what the whole thing meant*....but generally speaking its also just a nice-warm-fuzzy-typa song....so hopefully y'all enjoy it as much as i do...if you get to hear it! anyways...so check the band out..that's an order!

Kickball anyone?

2007-03-25T21:25:00.000-04:00

Fun times this weekend...the junky + bf, little becs, K and his J and of course..moi...went to check out the battle of the kickball bands at White Orchid on Saturday..the bands were all interesting to say the least....Shitt Hott of course rocked the house...but another favourite of mine was also Shawn Jurek & Team Power...check them out around the city if you get a chance...and i think Shawn Jurek is also a solo performer so do check him out....he is fantabulous...

The battle was a fundraiser for toronto kickball...wooo kickball....i must admit that i'm thoroughly excited for the upcoming kickball season...which *I believe*...starts in the summer....it will mean my return to team sports after an almost decade-long hiatus...kudos to the junky who convinced me that drunken sports with indie rockers would be an exceptional way to spend the summer...

On a very unrelated sidenote: I am crushing hard on Sufjan Stevens...after only recently discovering him during a *brief encounter* on a flight back from New York..been listening to his Greetings from Michigan album and am completely head-over-heels-in-love...a particular favourite is his For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti....do have a listen because you will not regret it! (did I forget to mention that he is also friends *and went to school with* Jhumpa Lahiri..famed author of The Namesake..which has now been turned into a movie? yah....that's right...).....so stay tuned and if his music doesn't make you feel like you're lying at sundown on a beach listening to the waves of the ocean while enjoying a fabulous high....we may have words to exchange!

New York, New Yooork...what a wonderful town!

2007-03-20T20:55:00.000-04:00

Well I'm back from New York City...delayed going there....misplaced luggage...and delayed coming back..anyways...that out of the way...the trip to NYC was overall a good time....landed on Thursday and checked out Grand Central Station..Rockefellar centre...the United Nations headquarters..Times Square...and had my first slice of New York pizza..mmm delicious...
friday was a bust because there was a massive snow storm..and there was about 20 inches of snow in the streets...clever me decided to leave her winter coat and boots in T dot...so by about 3pm I was walking around the city in sopping wet socks and shoes...nevertheless..still tried to make it out on the staten island ferry to catch a glimpse of the statue of liberty..and what a glimpse it was! downtown nyc was just a cloud of white...and the statue of liberty was barely visible through the storm...ah well...after arriving back downtown from staten island...we (N and I) headed down to ground zero which was really overwhelming..but they've started construction on the site now which is good...

friday nite we headed out to a japanese restaurant Aja...really cool place...they had fish tanks under the floor so you could see them as you walked..and a massive buddha fountain with gobs of money coming out of it...lol very cool...

so the saturday after the massive snow storm was not fun....in our attempts to make it to the St. Patty's Day Parade on 5th avenue...our shoes got soaked so we decided instead...to head down to Soho to find some boots...and we found them! saturday night we head out to a caribbean restaurant and I had fabulous ackee and saltfish...mmm i've been craving it so long....then we head out to a pub to get our st. patty's day celebrations on! don't ask me why there was a moosehead in the bar... apparently shrek also comes out to visit on St. Patty's Day...

sunday the weather finally started to clear up and i headed out to the empire state building....then hit up a Sex in the City Tour with A in the afternoon....followed by a broadway play Avenue Q...and late-night chinese food in China Town...fun-filled eh?
recognize that last picture? yep....that's us sitting on Carrie Bradshaw's stoop...smoking ourselves some marlies....mmmm....

my last day there i headed up to central park for some scenic shots...then FINALLY made my way home...after a 4-hour delay and 6 hours of sitting in Newark international airport i was completely miserable..only to be cheered up by a little indie rocker boy I chatted with on the flight back...hurrah for cute little indie rocker boys who come to the rescue!

The Ides of March will soon be upon us...

2007-03-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

Road trippp....wooo....well not really..more like a plane trip....flying...to new york....on the ides of march..yes that's right..you heard me...i'm flying on the ides of march...perhaps not the smartest decision i've ever made....in fact...throughout my brief past..i've never once done a risky thing on the ides of march...cuz...well..you just never know...but this year..here i am...flying...to new york of all places....wish me luck!! on a brighter note...I'M GOING TO NEW YORK......and a bonus..i'll be celebrating St. Patty's in the second homeland of the irish! woooooo......kiss me now!!!

toasted coconuts and me...

2007-03-07T09:01:00.000-05:00

So last week....I had this amazing toasted coconut flavoured coffee at a local cafe...and it was delicious...like the best coffee..EVER...next to of course..Mr. Espresso's flat whites made with love and tender care by previous manager Fil.... *sniff and tears by the way*...anyways...I digress....so ever since I tasted this drop of heaven...I've been OBSESSED with finding a way to make it at home....I even went as a far as to sprinkle coconut flakes INTO the ground coffee..but to no avail....all my attempts failed.

Then...to my surprise..I came into work yesterday morning to find a small bottle of coconut extract and a note from the junky.."try THIS in your coffee"....and guess what..it worked! yay splendid fantastic wonderful...even more reasons to get all crazy-like with my morning coffee....deeeeelicious! thanks junky!

This is how addictions start...

2007-03-05T08:52:00.000-05:00

Well this past weekend was one of the most fantabulous weekends ever....and guess what..there was no partying involved! that's right....i'm a boring old lady now....but a boring old lady who...ROCK CLIMBS....yep yep...the ladies and I went to check out our local Toronto Climbing Academy for a beginner's lesson with one FINE climbing instructor...most of us were scared shitless but it turned out to be an awesome experience....we learned how to do the double-8 knot and how to set-up a harness..plus how to belay..and most importantly..how to climb! all of us made it to the tops of a few walls..which was exciting...AND i managed to climb 3/4 of a 5.8 wall...(the level of difficulty of a climbing wall is determined by a measurement system which goes from 5.4 to 5.14)....its a serious rush...and so addictive cuz no matter how tired and sore you are..you still want to keep climbing! little becs and I both signed up for one-month memberships...and no...NOT just because our instructor..oh lovely instructor...was cute...so we're going to become rock-climbing pros....wooo...oh and by the way...i am unable to move any part of my body today...because of the intense pain!

To the creepy Anonymous Stalker:

2007-03-01T13:08:00.000-05:00

Ah! My friend Shakespeare - so dead and so broke -
Many more artful words has he penned,
Than for which you or I could hope
- more crafty than your words which only offend.

Five cent'ries have taken this man whose verse,
Was born from feeling, heart, those things you lack,
For heart and sadness are what made the curse,
And of this you know naught, so why talk back?

You ask for a challenge, I can't accept
For this would be wasted on you, so weak,
Cowards are no match, as they are inept,
Unfit to know when a true heart doth speak.

Ah! Coward, there are few who write, 'tis true,
So few who write, as badly as you.

Just one of those days...that a girl goes through

2007-02-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

I'm sure by now....most of you all have heard about the bald-Britney Spears debaucle consuming celebrity-obsessed people all over the world....."oh poor Britney...she's lost her mind...oh poor Britney...she's hit rock-bottom..."...blah blah blah.

Honestly people...leave the poor girl alone...sometimes...you just want a change. I'm sure you've all gone through those moments where you felt like you just needed a CHANGE in your life...and have dyed your hair...or gotten a tattoo..or a piercing...or cut your hair or done something crazy to your appearance because you needed a release....so why harp on about Britney doing the same thing? It's JUST hair....it grows back! And who's to say that she should have long hair anyways...what's wrong with having a buzz-cut? Men get them all the time...why can't she? It amuses me that so much of the world puts so much care into something so meaningless...she's young and has been through a lot of hell that most people wouldn't have to put up with in an entire lifetime...so just leave the damn girl alone and let her solve her issues the way she wants to...bah...

Ode to friends...

2007-02-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

I have some of the best friends in the world...really and truly...I think I had a sudden epiphany this morning and realized that my friends....are my rock....they're thoughtful and always there for me....and they put up with my insanity and bullshit potty mouth....they're always paying attention to things and they remember stuff that I don't even remember! i wanted to thank y'all...and y'all know who you are....for always sticking it out with me even when i'm intolerable...for being my boyfriends when i needed you to be...for supporting me through all my life-changes..and for always noticing the little things...I'm truly blessed to have you all in my life...

Silver bitches!

2007-01-29T21:15:00.000-05:00

So after a record of more than a year with no puking-due-to-excessive-drinking...my body finally caved..only another sign proving that I am...in fact...an old woman. Celebrated the 25th properly this past weekend at In the Mood jazz lounge...and how fabulous it was...what I can remember of it anyway. Let's not discuss the end of the night....but the majority of the night was fabulous...thanks to all who endured the drink-fest!

Oi!

2007-01-26T09:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Australia Day!

Next stop...old maidsville...

2007-01-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

Well here I am...officially...yes officially..an old maid....at a quarter of a century....I celebrate my champagne butt-day...25 on the 25th....woohooo...yay...i'm so thrilled...can you hear my excitement? if my enthusiasm is only minimal..i found someone to be enthusiastic for me....guess what its time for people (you might want to turn your sound down if you're opening this at work):

Nai's substitute excitement

Happy Birthday junky!

2007-01-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

Celebrated the junky's birthday over the weekend...drinks at the bf's followed by a nite of debauchery at Neutral...a small indie rock bar in kensington...awesome bar....and i say..the dirtier the better! Pics worthy enough to blackmail with:

Caught in act! ha!

Obsession much?

2007-01-19T08:58:00.000-05:00

The newest internet phenomenon sweeping through Toronto - Facebook. In the last few weeks, EVERYONE is rushing to sign-up and have as many "friends" as possible. I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Yes, it lets you find long-lost friends from the haydays of high school and middle school (I actually managed to get back in touch with some really old-time friends - it turned out we were neighbours!). And yes, in THEORY it lets you develop an incredible network of "friends." But really...what are people using it for? They send each other requests to add each other as friends...so that they can have as many friends as possibe on their "friends' list" and seem popular, but then that person's profile picture just sits there...and sits there...and sits there. The WHOLE POINT of it, was so you could find old friends and COMMUNICATE with them. But instead, people seem to be using it as a popularity contest....adding people as friends...and then never actually talking to them. This is not to say that ALL those who use Facebook do this, but really, is it not enough that you have my phone number, e-mail addressES, msn contact information, blog address and for some, a myspace account, hi5 account and friendster account? Is it REALLY that difficult to pick up a phone and just CALL your friends these days? Or have we become that anti-social that we need to be part of a million and one online networks?

Bugger off!

2007-01-18T08:50:00.000-05:00

When people are meant to go away...why won't they? I mean, when people decide..."hmmm...I'm not going to talk to you anymore and I don't want to be a part of your life"...then why do they keep RE-APPEARING...can't they make up their minds? or maybe its just a way of taunting? "ha ha look at me look at me..i said i wasn't going to be in your life anymore but i found a way to creep in." like honestly....either you are there or you aren't....it makes no difference either way to me....but don't ignore me and then think it's perfectly acceptable to creep back in in other ways...make a decision.... when you say you're going to go away....GO THE F**K AWAY...and stick with it...or come clean and open the flood-gates again....either way...just be consistent with your decision..UGH...

Bubble burst...Bollywood ain't so hot

2007-01-12T08:53:00.002-05:00

Alas, my future husband came and went last night....and he is no wiser to the incredible awe of the ravenous and wild beauty that is ME. lol....last night...I waited for an hour and a half outside the Elgin Theatre until my toes were numb and I had lost feeling in my fingers...why? Well...to catch a glimpse of Abhishek Bachchan of course...oh..and I suppose that woman too...Aishwarya Rai :)

They came for the world premiere of their new film, Guru, - the first Indian film to ever release a premiere outside of India. It was so big that even our mayor, David Miller, got hauled into the media blitz and promotion of this event.

But of course...in true brown fashion....they arrived punctually at an appropriate Brown Standard Time of 3 HOURS LATE. Yes folks..that's right...3 HOURS LATE...where was I by the time they arrived? Finishing my dinner with the ladies...and upon seeing the footage of their eventual arrival on the news later that night...I realized that..even if I had decided to brave sub-zero Canadian winter weather for another hour and a half, I would have caught a half-second glimpse of the tops of their heads as they entered the building surrounded by security, journalists, camera-people, etc...worth it? I think definitely not!(on a side note: I'm glad that Abhishek, Aishwarya and their staff who arranged for their badly-planned flight schedule took into consideration that their fans and hosts would be waiting for them in the winter cold of Canadian weather. Perhaps they misunderstood what winter actually meant? Yes, I'm certain they assumed that winter in Canada means +30 degree weather.)

Also, GET A PUBLICIST! Or at least, educate yourself on the importance of media relations and publicity. They should have been here a day before, doing interviews and press conferences, but instead, they save the press conference for the FOLLOWING morning when media agents are no longer interested because the news is too old. An important milestone for Indian film, and for the South Asian community of Toronto, and the coverage was dismal at best. The same shot of them walking the red carpet on every Canadian news channel, and one quote. Sad...but I'll admit that Aishwarya was at least media-savvy and knew enough to smile and chat and joke a little with the reporters...

In all, the impression left for this Torontonian was one of disillusion and disapointment...

Maybe the next Shakespeare?

2007-01-04T13:53:00.000-05:00

"The curse is broken

the spell unbound

you've come undone

releasing me

finally I am free

And so, I smile."

- Anonymous

Happy New Year muthas!

2007-01-02T19:15:00.000-05:00

Granted it wadn't no drink-fest in the park overlooking the ocean and Harbour Bridge...but was it ever hella fun! The girls and I got together to celebrate New Year's Eve at Grace O'Malley's in downtown Toronto in true party-go-er fashion. There was food, there was Superball playing Elvis and other classic tunes, there were fancy party favours....and there was loooots of booze.

Needless to say...we danced and liquid-cocained our way into the new year....hurrah...

Hot ladies ready for a night on the town....just because we can... :)

All dolled up in our party favours...oh wait...we were liquored up..my bad...

Caught mid-act of blowing a kiss..no people..that is NOT my impression of Blue Steel...

Aaaand obviously toasted at this point because I put my finger over the flash...way to go Nai..

Happy New Year! Let's try and make 2007 not-as-shitty-as 2006!

Merry Christmas Bitches...

2006-12-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

Another baby-jesus-birthday come and gone...and this year..instead of spending it in the glorious summer warmth of Oz...I spent it in the glorious winter sun of Oakville...with the family. Lovely though it sounds, and lovely though parts of it were, a gathering of THAT much family is bound to produce a little chaos. And here is proof:

Christmas Eve dinner...mmmm home cookin by Aunt from Bdesh....

The cousins and bro...preparing their fabulous bruschetta...aww the boys are all grown up!

aaah...drooool...unloading the 20-pound turkey! mmmmm....

Sis and bro....yeees yeeeees its cute...

More uncles, aunts and cousins...feasting....

The loner table to which we were banished...but we still managed to have our own bowl of stuffing, potatoes and gravy....and really.....those are the key elements to the xmas meal...

Ok so maybe it wasn't chaos...and maybe there were no presents of whiskey for grandmas....but it was good to be around the family again..and it was delicious...and i said grace to the 8-pound-6-ounce baby jesus...so im satisfied! Happy birthday baby jesus!

2,000!

2006-12-21T08:47:00.000-05:00

Weee my sitemeter made 2,000 hits today! Thanks all for getting my count up there!

House all warmed up...

2006-12-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

Another successful party....had my housewarming this passed weekend and what fun times! The food was filling tummies...wine was flowing...the pictures speak for themselves:

The calm before the chaos..
Les girls...
Le boy with his phallic toy..
Le groupe...
Le Ken talkin to Sally...
Le Melissa chatting up Cam...
Awww....
Intel in the hooooouuussee....

Calm after the storm...

Thanks for coming y'all...and thanks for all the wonderful pressies!! :o)

2006 Top Ten

2006-12-12T15:05:00.000-05:00

Due mainly in part to demands from the junky, I have compiled a list of my top 10 songs of 2006 (yes songs, not albums..because everyone knows I just listen to particular songs and not whole albums). I don't really know if these songs were even released in 2006..but they're songs that I've enjoyed over the last year.. and therefore..they count! Here they are:

10. The hard road by Hilltop Hoods

9. Don't wanna sit around by Dylan Murray

8. I believe in a thing called love by The Darkness

7. Walk away from love by Bitty McLean

6. Not many rmx by Scribe

5. Now that you're gone by Ryan Adams

4. All night by Damian Marley

3. Gold lion by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2. Wish you well by Bernard Fanning (Further down the road comes close to this song as well)

1. Here it goes again by OK Go

sigh...the sky is falling...

2006-12-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

It's official...the first real snowfall of the year....it didn't melt by morning..i went to bed..woke up..and it was still there...so i guess this is winter. One year since I've seen snow..and it still wasn't a long enough break....make it go away..pretty pretty please with a cherry on top???

Going bananas for Johny Banana!

2006-12-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

Was furniture shopping with little becs yesterday on Queen Street West when..suddenly..out of knowhere...hunger struck! The pains and immense turbulence that ensued within our tummies was too much to bear...so we ducked out from the blistering cold of Toronto's winter and found a diamond in the rough....Johny Banana...a fusion Latino bistro just off of Queen Street West on Bathurst. And oh my, how satisfied our tummies were after a FABULOUS dinner of contemporary mexican cuisine. The food was scrumptious (I had the tacos, which were exactly like the real Mexican tacos Hose used to make for myself and the girls on our weekend party-trips to Toronto back in Uni), their fresh juices and shakes were yummy (they even had tamarind juice!), the service was great and their waittress was not only super honest, but knows the menu well..and I like when the waitstaff know what they're serving...plus the decor was super funky and festive. All in all it was a great discovery for us, and I'll definitely go back there for more self-indulgence (and perhaps plan a party there?? hmmm...25th on the 25th celebrating in Me-hi-can style anyone?) .

On a second note...I finally have a coffee table...yes that's right...been living in my condo for almost 2 months now...and am JUST buying a coffee table...in all fairness...I've been broke as a muthafooka and have been buying everything for the house super slowly...but with a looming housewarming party date set up...I'm getting my ass into gear. Also had a browse for some accent cushions for the couch..and...believe me when I say that I've really look at everywhere I can possible think of for pillows that will go my couch..and really...I shouldn't have been allowed to shop for my apartment without a designer with me because I've purchased and returned too many things that don't end up matching. Anyways, so I FINALLY found the most PERFECT pillows..and when I say perfect..i mean...PPUUUUUUURRRFECT....they're silk...in black and dark blue....there's just one catch...all together with tax...the total will be somewhere around $400...yes you read correctly...pillows for $400....now...I've been a good girl so far...being very good budget-wise....so is it really really really bad if I want to splurge on just this one thing?? Someone help me justify this ridiculously over-indulgent expenditure!!

Genius now available on paperback...

2006-12-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

Was browsing through the Indigo bookstore on Bloor the other day with the junky and discovered some wonderful news - Zadie Smith's On Beauty is now available in a small, compact, light and BEAUTIFUL paperback! Yes, that's right....finally! So now I can affordably replace my first copy (which by now is circulating among some hippie or backpacker commune somewhere in Oz)...and re-read it because it's the best book EVER. EVER i say EVER! o happy days...

A housewarming encourages a housewarming...

2006-11-29T16:11:00.000-05:00

After a fab nite at the Aussie bar on Friday...the rest of my weekend was spent enjoying the lovely festivities of Scott's housewarming party.....and yes...ladies and gentleman...Scott moved into his condo nearly a month AFTER I moved into mine...and still....my place is empty..and his place is suave, painted, furnished and filled with normal-people stuff! Why its taking me so long?? I honestly don't know...I do believe that carrying things on the subway alone is a contributing factor..as well as lack of funding....and..let's be real people..I'm a lazy mofo. But at least his housewarming has given me motivation and encouragement to FINALLY get my place together for my own housewarming!! Yay!

In any case, good times were had by all at the housewarming party..here are some pics:

Mon and host, Scott

Me, Stepfordgrl n Dre

litte becs n me

Dre, Mon n Shola

Moi and Buki

The host...opening his presents...thanks for the gift advice fake e, it was a success!

Aussie invasion??

2006-11-27T12:03:00.000-05:00

It seems like you can get out of Oz..but can never get the Oz out of you...or get it to stop following you around! Hit up Filthy McNasty's on King Street on friday nite with Big K and his crew for a farewell...and it seems that the pub caters to Aussie party-goers...yes that's right...Naiqueen manages to find the only bar in all of Toronto full of Aussies (wearing yellow Oz cricket jersies and all!)....am I just a magnet for them? Do they secretly KNOW that I can't stop missing/thinking about Oz so they follow me around the city to rub it in my face?? And why is every bar-back in every pub in this city a hot scruffy Oz boy? Can anyone explain this phenomenon? Ugh....I just want it out of my system....let me forget ppl..please!

In loving memory...

2006-11-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

Said goodbye to an old friend from the past last week....I hope you find the peace you were searching for Andy Ham....you will be missed...

Oh such grace..oh such beauty

2006-11-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

So OK Go in concert?....just as fab as in their videos....went to check their concert out last night at the Mod Club with little becs and Big K...good times were had by all...French Kicks opened for them...interesting band....to say the least..too tired to write today....as of this week...I'm officially the senior writer for the corporate affairs team at that bank I work at....and as a result of this new position..i have to start coming in an hour earlier for work...so i'm running on about 4 hrs sleep now....and would love to be back in my bed...damn you concert for starting so late! rock concerts are definitely not conducive to those who work...but oh so worth it..

When is a relationship actually a relationship?

2006-11-10T13:26:00.000-05:00

When you're traveling...and get involved in a relationship...is it actually a relationship? or a fling? I was having this conversation with someone the other day....and told them about a relationship I had while traveling..and their first reaction was "oh...so you mean it was a fling!"....and that made me think..when you're living overseas...your mind and mentality is still in vacation mode....so when you're involved with someone and in that state of mind....is it really nothing more than just a vacation fling that lasted a little longer that it should have? is it possible to have a relationship...while you're on "vacation"? hmmmm....this adds immense potential to my already fling-filled dating resume...

Harvey's..it really is a beautiful thing...

2006-11-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

Today marks a very special occasion...for the first time in over a year...I indulged in a Harvey's Original Cheeseburger...with all the fixings I love...yes that's right...all you healthy wheat-germ-shooting tofu-eating yoga-ing people can kiss my big fat brown ass because I LOVED every single moment of it. Harvey's burgers were the one burger place I sorely missed during my time in Oz.... and I think I had put off my re-introduction to them long enough...and what a fabulous experience it was...

mmmm buuurger..

On a brighter note...I found this interesting article today while perusing on msn.com....its sums up the kind of mentality the writer thinks one should have when dealing with a break-up..and its fabulous..and its everything i've been preaching to friends of mine dealing with break-ups for the last few months...*see miltee....its everything we talked about the other nite!*..but really..i feel like it speaks the truth and it really is as simple as that....sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns and re-gain control of your life...anyways...anyone dealing with a bad break-up..give it a read...its quite interesting!

Welcome A.A.to Blogger!

2006-11-07T14:16:00.000-05:00

Ha ha...we've converted another one! A.A. has joined us from Stepford (aka London, Ont.) with her blog A.A.'s Page....yay...welcome!!

Damn you little becs with your tagging :)

2006-11-07T13:52:00.000-05:00

October 2001...

HOW OLD WERE YOU? 19

WHERE DID YOU LIVE? London, Ontario

WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL? University of Western Ontario

WHERE DID YOU WORK? The Wave

WHERE DID YOU HANG OUT? At the boys' place...the drink and the ridout...any place with alcohol and good music....Symposium...and at mine and ange's place with the boys...always with the boys...

HOW WAS YOUR HAIR? short...chin-length

DID YOU WEAR BRACES? not in 2001..

DID YOU WEAR GLASSES? yes

WHO WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND? Jeffy..Ange and Ash...

WHO WAS YOUR REGULAR-PERSON CRUSH? I think it was Garett...or was that 2000? I dont remember anymore..i lost too many brain cells due to binge drinking in those years...

HOW MANY TATTOOS DID YOU HAVE? just one...

HOW MANY PIERCINGS DID YOU HAVE? 6...

WHAT CAR DID YOU DRIVE? didn't have a car...

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BAND/GROUP? can't remember...but that's when i discovered reggae and dancehall music...

WHAT WAS YOUR WORST FEAR? Not getting into grad school

HAD YOU SMOKED A CIGARETTE YET? i'd smoked a gazillion cigs by then..

HAD YOU BEEN ARRESTED? no....but had been stopped by the police when i was with my boyfriend because they thought i was a hooker...yep...a hooker..in baggy skater pants and a hoodie...hot outfit to pick up clients in eh?

HAD YOU BEEN TO A REAL PARTY YET? dude...i was in third year of university..i'd JUST turned legal in canada...what the hell do you think??

SINGLE/TAKEN/MARRIED/DIVORCED? oh it was a mix of single, taken and being a whore..

October 2006...

HOW OLD ARE YOU TODAY? 24

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Toronto, Ontario

WHERE DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL? *sniff* *bawl* nowhere..I'm done school now and am imprisoned in the corporate world for the rest of my life...

WHERE DO YOU WORK? a Canadian financial institution

WHERE DO YOU HANG OUT? bars, restaurants, my condo, other ppl's places..here there everywhere...

WHAT IS YOUR HAIRSTYLE? shoulder length choppy layers...with highlights growing out..

DO YOU HAVE BRACES? if I didn't have them in 2001 why would I have them in 2006? really..who wrote this damn questionnaire?!?!

DO YOU WEAR GLASSES? yes...again..the chances are...that if I wore glasses in 2001..I probably still wear them now unless some large amount of money magically appeared in my bank account and paid for laser eye surgery...

STILL TALK TO ANY OF YOUR OLD FRIENDS? Yes...

WHO IS YOUR REGULAR-PERSON CRUSH? No one..i'm a stone-cold bitch now...thats what happens when you grow up!

HOW MANY PIERCINGS DO YOU HAVE? 5...had to get rid of the tongue piercing eventually...

HOW MANY TATTOOS? still 1...

WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU HAVE? still no car...ask about homes dammit..not cars..THEN i can give you an answer!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND/GROUP? too many to tell...but i stay true to my backstreet boys from back in the day :o) yes thats right..you read correctly...

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? not finding love again...and not finding the happiness i used to have again..

HAVE YOU BEEN ARRESTED? not yet...but still keeping my fingers crossed

SINGLE/TAKEN/MARRIED/DIVORCED? oh its still a mix of single, taken and being a whore ;o)