Austria

Firstly,

I'm going to try and blog for the second time using my iPhone and hopefully this won't be full of spelling mistakes or rather my phone trying to spell things for me!

I'm only one sleep away from returning home after a mini holiday in Austria. I've been staying with a friend from the Camino (see my September 2009 entries).

All in all the trip has been good but the highlight will have to be just hanging out with her 18 year old son and his friends. At the ripe old age of 33 it's really refreshing seeing life through someone else's eyes and also how different it is for a male vs a female. I suppose it's one of those things I took for-granted when going to an all girls school. It's obvious that boys and girls think and behave differently but it's amazing how different they are. As I'm writing this it's also necessary to say that really boys and girls are the same. We are all part of this human existence and really, we all want the same thing.

I sound like I'm contradicting myself but I'm sure you get it!

Anyhow.... I'm rambling as usual. I had a great time with a great person and as I've told him countless times in short since I've met him. I want great things for him.

As we hugged goodby he told me to loose control an I told him to gain some!

Folks, I'll keep you posted

xx

Moral obligations - drinking & driving

I wanted to blog last night but my time management can be shocking.

So I was at the 24 grocery store last night at 22:40 when the couple behind me were so drunk, loud and still buying more alcohol.

I was livid as this grocery has a hugh car park and the likely hood they were using public transportation was slim.

As I walked out of the store with my flat mate ( all he wanted was to go home at this point) I asked the security guard what do they do when they have a customer who is clearly inebriated yet now purchasing more alcohol and is intending to drive.

He replied that they won't serve them and then carried on with. 'Oh is it that couple, I've already refused them. 'I can be cocky as hell when I'm pissed off so I replied 'Oh, we'll there buying more now and pointed towards the tills further along'. He was about to dash and I said I hope to god that they are not driving.

Of course once I'm in the car in the parking lot (Canadian English brain: car park vs parking lot!) I have my eyes peeled on the exit.

Guess what, not only did the fuckers park in the disabled spot near the exit they got into thier fucking car!

I wasn't having it! I wish I was a big scary hairy bloke who knocked on thier window and delayed them till the cops came.

Sadly though, I just don't have those balls (and yes readers- no balls! I'm a girl) I called 999 and gave the description of the car and licence plate. You can get a ticket for being on the phone and driving so I actually parked for this call and wasn't able to follow them etc. Who knows what the Met police will do but I feel I did my part although is feels very insignificant.

Too many people die in the name of stupidity and I'm tired of it.

I've been to more funerals then a 33 year old should have to go to by the time I die! Enough is enough.

Society and people, take better care of each other.

And finally for those that think drinking and driving is acceptable, GROW UP!!!!

Earthlings has changed me

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Wow wow wow!

What can I tell you! I feel really positive and excited. It could just be the aftermath of the New Year or maybe returning from a trip where I’ve been forced to realise that I am loved. Who knows why I feel this way but its great!

So a few moths ago I was considering becoming a vegan. It had to have been almost a year ago when I was watching Alicia Silverstone on Oprah. In the UK, Oprah is months behind and I don’t often get to watch TV in my home. My flatmates are permanent fixtures in the living room. But that day she was talking about her new vegan cookbook. I thought it was interesting and that one day I might give it a shot. My mother is a vegetarian so there were many days in my life where we would go without eating meat. I think I started eating it more once I moved out etc. At this point it was just a book that I one day wanted to buy.

Then as winter was approaching and I was getting into my hibernation mode I thought I better not get too comfortable. I was just about to get the book when I discovered another one called Appetite for Reduction. I know its bad to judge a book by its cover but I loved the take on the Guns and Roses cover so I bought it. The book arrived in Dec 2011 but I knew that it was going to be tricky to be a vegan during Christmas especially knowing it was only a week away.

Since returning from my trip, I‘ve been picking a day to really give this thing a shot. I knew I needed that little extra moral thing to get me on my way. The thought of being healthy should be enough but I know me, I need more. I tweeted the author and asked for a suggestion of a good documentary to get me on my merry way.

That was a few hours ago and although I don’t want to jinx it I think I wont be buying meat, dairy or seafood again ever. I have food in my freezer and I’ll have to decide what to do with it.

This life-changing documentary came out in 2005 and is called Earthlings. It can be viewed in its entirety on http://www.earthlings.com I’m pissed off that I haven’t heard of it before. I’m pretty clued up on most films and documentaries and have seen the rare and obscure ones. Joaquin Phoenix narrates Earthlings and the great soundtrack is by Moby. I have always been a fan of them both so why haven’t I heard of this before. The film has a twitter feed and a facebook one too!

After watching it I had a quick look on YouTube and came across the Ellen Degeners interview where she explains that the doc brought her to veganism. In her interview a book and another film are also mentioned. I love how Ellen says that the other doc Food.Inc is a Disney film compared to Earthlings. Earthlings is very difficult to watch and to mentally digest but as I’m sitting here typing at 1am I’m asking myself if I’m hungry (yes I’m always hungry!) but no party of me desires meat. I think I could even have a cuppa with no milk!

The book is called SkinnyBitch and might also be on my future purchase list.

I can’t wait really. I’m not at all over weight but I would love to loose some and feel healthier.

I feel like suck a twat discussing my love for bacon in yesterday’s blog. Oh well it’s another day right? RIGHT!

Laters

Me

xx

2012 and Blogging

Well its pretty safe to say that I'm shite when it comes to blogging but I'm going to give it a better shot this year.

I'm not really sure that recapping the last year is worthy of having any readers so I'm going to skip it. It would be an interesting yet depressing chapter in autobiography - that is, if I decide to write one.

I can tell you that I had a lovely visit to the motherland this Christmas and my mom was able to have her 3 dispersed children under one roof for the first Christmas in 11 years!!! We were together in August 2010 but it was xmas.

No dramas either, pretty smooth trip. If I ever move back though I will have to live in the heart of the city and nowhere else. Suburbia is frighting. SCARY!!!!

Its hard to explain, during the London riots I was asking myself seriously for the first time in my life. "What the fuck are you doing here?". I'm still not certain but I'm just rolling with it, so far so good. Mind you the riots were scary, I didn't go to work for 2 days for fear of not being able to get home if the bus and tube weren't running. These were the few moments when I thought that maybe a big city is not good for me. A few days later, I came to the conclusion that I was just panicking.

Back to the motherland trip. I ended up seeing my 77 club. 3 fantastic people all born in 77. One of the them (male 1st initial Y) I met Y on my flight to London 11 years ago. We spoke for 6 hours and that was the beggining of a great friendship. Every-time I'm home he does his best to entertain me. We hung out a handful of times but it was great how the effort to meet was mutual.

Then there is K who got hitched in May, I was invited to the wedding but sadly couldn't make it. We met for a long breakfast and I ate all her bacon. Nothing beats Canadian bacon... I also learned that pregnant people cant eat bacon. (mental note - no bacon sounds like a form of birth control) K is great and her oven is growing. The bun will be ready in feb 2012. Incase you're wondering K went to my high school but we were a year apart and somehow we started talking once I moved to the UK. I think it was stalkerbook that helped. I still despise stalkerbook but it has its uses.

Lastly there is the lovely L. We grew up a couple of houses away yet we were not friends or enemies. We knew of each other but it was just a friendly nod between 2 families. That is until we ended up in the same program in University. We were both lucky enough to be in the same sound class and Daniel Feist was our teacher. I explain more about him later. Back to L, she's so cool! Years can go by but when we get together its like no time has passed. I really wanted to go to a super cheesy drinking establishment and man did she pick a beauty. It was a place where everyone is called Jean-Guy and I would say its in Poutine Ville. Sorry folks - I cant actually say where it is, I quite enjoyed being one of 2 tables. I wouldn't want it to get busier, I know I'm being selfish. Looks like the inhabitants of Poutine ville don't fancy a pint when its minus 20. L and I discussed her love who was at home with a cold. I've yet to meet him but he's making her so happy and I'm chuffed for them both.

I didn't end up seeing the people I spent so many years with. These are the friends from elementary, high school, cegep and uni and my jobs. ( I had the coolest jobs, McDonals, The Gap, The Bay, and Blockbuster! impressive if I may say so myself. In case you're wondering I now have a grown up job - minus the happy meals) Its just the way the cookie crumbles and they know where I am and how to reach me. I find myself saying this often, "it is what it is".

My first few visits home in the last 11 years were really different. My best friend S, lived there but now she's in Italy, alot easier for me to see. Also I would go and see Daniel. He left Concordia and moved a few times with his family but kept up with his radio show. Luckily on one of my visits he was back in town and I remember hanging out with him in the radio station of Mix 96. Daniel was an amazing man and a brilliant teacher. I still miss him immensely. You can read a little about his battle with cancer here

I better get to bed. I'm failing miserable adjusting to the time difference. I took today off as last minute annual leave and stayed in bed until 4pm. Now I'm still up and its 2 am. So typical of me.

Be good you random readers

me
xx