12.29.07 :: 100 Things update and a recap of this year... sorta
I look at my list and I want to change a few items. Cop out? Oh well. I'll go through them a little later. You can check out the new "photo proofs" I put up, including the apple pie I baked two days ago that you see on your right. Mmm...
So, 2007 has been an eventful year. Here's a brief recap:
- Did an apprenticeship placement at Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo as an enquiry assistant, and answering some really random questions!
- Made Lloyd's Crazy Captions twice! (Read the Switchfoot one and the Relient K one, both under Pedellea)
- Graduated from University of Waterloo with Psychology and Co-op after 5 short years (yeah, they weren't too long)
- Jetted off to Europe for a 16-day tour in May-June with Ceci and Mel
- Had my luggage stolen from a hotel in Brussels, and spent 12 of the 16 days without much clothing (thanks to Ceci and Mel for their lends!) - buy trip insurance, people!
- Bought my first Threadless tee! (the Haiku one)
- Switched to CBC Radio 1 (99.1 in Toronto) on my radio alarm after years of listening to 99.9 Mix FM
- Worked in a factory for the first time, programming computer chips and testing motherboards
- Started studying at Tyndale Seminary as a Missions Major, and so far loving it!
- Saw Anberlin and Mae in concert
- Getting the social justice dreams of mine off the ground
These are a few of my favourite things from 2007:
- Books: The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne; Practicing the Presence of People, Mike Mason; The Suburban Christian, Al Hsu
- Course: Spiritual Formation taught by David Sherbino
- Food discoveries: croque madame in Paris, scone with clotted cream and the best strawberry jam ever (I don't even like jam), soon dobu (Korean tofu soup)
- Magazine: Geez Magazine
- Movies: Lars and the Real Girl, Thank You For Smoking
- Music - Favourite albums I bought this year: Cities, Anberlin; Everything Starts Where It Ends, Lovedrug; Seven Swans, Sufjan Stevens; These Friends of Mine, Rosie Thomas
- Music - New discoveries: Lovedrug, Rosie Thomas
- Music - Songs: "1234", Feist; "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left", Andrew Bird; "Alexithymia", Anberlin; "Boy With A Coin", Iron & Wine; "Brink of Disaster", Mae; "Dismantle.Repair.", Anberlin; "Down Towards the Healing", Lovedrug; "Everything Glorious", David Crowder Band; "The One I Love", Rosie Thomas and Sufjan Stevens (cover); "Paper Doll", Rosie Thomas (cover); "Salt of the Earth", Lovedrug; "Snakes and Ladders", Basia Bulat; "Sunny Road", Emiliana Torrini; "The Transfiguration", Sufjan Stevens; "Weighty Ghost", Wintersleep; "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead", Stars, remixed by Final Fantasy
We'll see what 2008 has to bring for us now! Have a very happy new year, everyone!
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12.27.07 :: Number 90, done!
90. Bake a pie from scratch - Dec. 27, 2007, an apple pie
I finally used the recipe that Neil (my Sheridan boss) and Cindy (his boss) both highly recommended ("use lard," Cindy urged - I declined this time). I never knew making pie crusts was that easy! I think a bit more sugar and a switch to lemon juice from vinegar is in order for the next time around. The filling was apple with vanilla and sugar - my usual. I don't think Royal Galas cook very well. I'll have to try and remember to buy Macs next time.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Becca made a brunch of orange and coconut salad, blueberry pancakes, and a slice of leftover ham from the cantata while everyone opened my largely homemade gifts that I stayed up until 4am putting together! For dinner, we randomly hit Day & Night for their Christmas special. Not bad, although the d�cor needs a little cleaning and polishing and changing (too much Restaurant Makeover turns one into a critic). Then mom and I watched the Iron Will that Marianne gave me in the evening. It's one of those no-name Disney movies that I have some strange love for. *whistles Will's tune*
Mom and I are on a cleaning spree of the collected goods stored in the basement. About half are going to be donated, and the other half is to be trashed next week (unlimited collection between December 31 to January 11, people! get your crap together and get it out of your house!). There was some really old stuff - like my Talking One "computer" from the 80's, storybooks we brought over from HK, my smock from kindergarten. I used to be a pack rat, but after having moved so many times in undergrad (what, like, 13 times over 5 years?), I am now fearless when it comes to throwing or giving away things. We own too much, anyway.
Next up: Ikea tomorrow (mom and I slept in today instead), maybe Juno with Ceci on Saturday, dinner at Alex's on Sunday, countdown with Ceci on Monday, and that's the end of this year!
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12.16.07 :: This one goes out to the one I love...
Actually, this one goes out to the, oh, maybe 3 people that read skim my blog a few times a month:
MCBC Services have been cancelled today!
So yes, please crawl back into bed into dreamland. Or continue staying awake to study for that impending exam. Your choice.Write comments -:- Read comments -:- Restore screen
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12.12.07 :: Ohhhhh...
Blew off most of yesterday to go Christmas shopping with Niette and then with Becca and mom (yes, I'm still doing largely Buy Nothing Christmas). Ended up redeeming my HMV gift card from Niette for Rosie Thomas' These Friends of Mine. It is one pretty album! She's got some kick-butt awesome friends (namely, Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer). I'm jealous. :oP
Anyway, the liner notes are not lyrics, but her notes on how each of the songs were created (a few done in the span of 10 minutes!) or ended up on the record (like my new favourite, "Paper Doll", which is Denison's song). Her quirky personality definitely shines through, and who knew she sounds a tad like Sugar Baby from YTV when she talks (gorgeous singing, though)! A great refreshing album, perfect as wintertime lullabies on a bright, sunny day after a blizzard.
If you want to download a free copy of Denison's version of "Paper Doll", go here. He's got 30 free tracks for you to download on the occasion of his 30th birthday, which was last year! Crazy!
These folks make me want to make songs and knit and sip coffee and sit around jamming. Anyone want to get together and do this on this side of the border...?
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12.10.07 :: Food and Travels
This is definitely the month of Korean food. Too bad I forgot the camera tonight, with the boys. The soon dobu had a raw egg that you crack in and all! Next week: more Korean food, this time with Rachel!
Backtracking (as I usually do), Brenda's open house was great. Ceci and I were there 4 hours! The tea was superb (an herby mint tea), the shortbread was beautiful, and the cheeses were delectable. The mac, cheese and squash was interesting too, and what a moist carrot cake! It's so cool how most of the foods were Ontario-made/produced. Brenda is such a cool person! I'm glad she came to counsel us WAY kiddies back in the day (and continues to associate with us... haha).
And it was fun spontaneously going to Ceci's haunts (which came before Brenda's open house). I'll have to get her to take me on another tour of Toronto sometime. Maybe when Mel gets back, and we'll invite Archana along too... yeah, that sounds about right. ;o)
Anyway, I should really disappear for the next few days to read my face off (as my Facebook says). It's me and OT for the next few days...
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12.4.07 :: Randoms
I should be reading for the BI reading assignments due this Thursday, but I've so far filled my time with:
- Jotting down plot bunnies for a Supernatural fic that I've been toying with (likelihood of publishing it: 0.00001%... but one still needs to get rid of the plot bunnies in one's head, as every fic writer knows)
- Reading up on bands on Wikipedia (for example, Waking Ashland disbanded, Stephen Christian from Anberlin has a psych degree, and there are some crazy, messed up wiki entries for the band member profiles for the guys in Underoath)
- Listening to all of these bands/people: Majandra Delfino (also known as Maria from Roswell; sounds somewhat contrived), Ryan Lallier (formerly of Waking Ashland), Jonathan Jones (formerly of Waking Ashland; his solo stuff is jazzy and piano-based, belonging entirely in holiday elevator music for a new generation), We Shot The Moon (Jonathan's new band... not too different from Waking Ashland)
- Playing FreeCell like mad!
- Checking people's blogs and working on mine
And, yo, I do love CSS's music. Edge featured their "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" track on their Steamwhistle Indie Spotlight last night while on my drive home. Dance(ish)! On Edge! What?! But anyway, it's that song on the iPod touch commercial. Their music is so catchy! And Lovefoxx's voice suits the music so well, and the Brazillian accent gives it that playful touch. Not to mention the time when they launch into Portuguese. Love it.
You know, if their music wasn't so catchy with pretty smart-ass lyrics, I'd just think they were a dirty band.
This has been another cyberspace-clogging moment, brought to you by the fanfic/social justice/writing/music-obsessed me.
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12.1.07 :: Something's coming
Ceci and me finally sat down to brainstorm about our place of outlet for the social justice dreams that we have. Stay tuned... material will hopefully go live soon. :o)
Another great grocery run this morning. It was hard deciding what to choose with a budget of roughly $18 for 3 people, but these are the very choices that the poor have to make. I was reminded of my privilege of luxury items that the poor don't get to enjoy. No Second Cup coffee. No Twix bars when the lectures are running long. No pasta salad and a patty for lunch. These little things make a difference, you know?
Well, I'm off to church to reheat 20 pies for DinnerONE.