Hey everyone,
I popped in to say hello, and spread the news that TESL Ontario (that's Teachers of English as a Second Language) has decided to publish my book review in their upcoming issue! Yikes! Ok, so it's not a huge huge deal, but I'm still very excited about it. It's an online newsletter, so there's a chance I might be able to post the link for anyone who is interested in checking it out.
House progress update: Last bedroom is in the process of being painted! Blinds and curtains have to be washed/fixed/altered/etc ... move-in day is looming!
In general: loved last week's new episode of Criminal Minds, although truth be told I'm just so glad reruns are over I'd probably love whatever they decided to do... Shemar Moore standing there without a shirt on? LOVE IT. (Do you know who's REALLY hot?) -> actually I'm always torn between Shemar Moore and Matthew Gray Gubler ... *sigh* such a hard decision. Thankfully, since I don't actually know either one of them, it's not really an issue. If only they'd let poor Hotch smile now and then - Thomas Gibson has a great smile, but he's starting to look like one of those statues on Easter Island ... his face is going to get stuck like that. By the way, did everyone know that the girl who plays JJ is from Oshawa?! Whoohoo!
Christy and I finally managed to get it together this weekend and get started on CSI:NY season 4...so far so good. I saw maybe 5 or 6 of the episodes when season 4 was on tv - I never got to see how the Taxi Cab Killer case got solved. My apologies to everyone out there who likes old school CSI and/or CSI:Miami better, but CSI:NY is the *ONLY* CSI worth watching!!
Alright, that's enough of that - oh ps, check out seriousopinion.com for blather written by yours truly.
:)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Too busy!
So I know much of the time I sit around and bemoan my boring, uneventful life ... this week, however, has been an entirely different story. Here it is, Thursday, and this week has just zipped by - feels like it should be Tuesday, not almost Friday.
House-progress is the #1 priority still, besides WORK (gets in the way of everything else), and I can say that the progress is coming along really well! One more bedroom to paint, which is being done this weekend! All of a sudden, it's going to be moving day! Of course the work won't stop after that, but it will be nice to get moved in and settled.
Work has been busy too, I've picked up a couple of extra clients, I've been writing for a blog called Simple Opinion, plus maintaining my regular slew of people ... like I said, busy! It's enjoyable work though, all of it - except when my students stand me up, that's no good. It happens from time to time, especially these two students I have ... they just don't show up. I sit there, and yes I get paid for the time, but it's quite annoying, not to mention rude.
I know everyone is complaining about this wicked cold snap we've got going on right now, but I'd like to point out that since the cold snap started, it hasn't snowed - or at least, snowed enough to warrant shovelling. I'd say that's definitely a bonus. The snow that fell the other day, the packing snow, just about did me in, I swear ... on the upside, it makes me feel better about not getting any exercise! Shovelling packing snow definitely counts as a workout!
Well boys & girls, I hope you all are keeping warm, keeping busy, and keeping moderately out of trouble. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will settled (at least a bit more) and can get back into the swing of posting more regularly.
Bye for now :) (behave yourselves!!)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Flashing Back - WAY Back...
My mom and I recently borrowed season 1 of Beverly Hills, 90210, and have been watching episodes here and there as time during the day permits. For those (like myself) who are freakishly old, 90210 first premiered in 1990 - 18 years ago. EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO! I was 8 years old, in grade 4, when this show first appeared on tv. Whew.
We're on the second disc of the season, 5 or 6 episodes in, and this is what I have (re)discovered so far:
1. Luke Perry was a lot hotter than I recall - apparently my taste in men has changed since I was 8. In my grade 4 class, I was the only girl who preferred Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) over Dylan McKay (Luke Perry). I don't know how I missed it the first time around, but Dylan has this total James Dean thing going on; HOT.
2. Coulottes don't look good on anyone, at any time. Same goes for black shoes with white socks, large floppy hats, broomstick skirts, cutoff jean shorts, and basically everything else the students (particularly the girls) wear on this show. Ditto for Mrs. Walsh.
3. Despite my previous point, it seems I was way more stylish than I thought I was in 1990. Sure, everything these people wore was hideously ugly from today's perspective, but from the '90s perspective it was great; and it's what I was wearing too. I used to LOVE my purple hat with the floppy brim and giant flower pin - say what you will, it was all the rage.
4. Teen TV issues really haven't changed, all these years later. Sex, drugs, drinking, breaking curfew, shoplifting, stealing boyfriends/girlfriends, fighting with parents ... it's all the same issues we've seen more recently on shows like The OC or One Tree Hill. Teenagers will aways be teenagers, regardless of what ridiculous outfit they might be sporting.
5. I definitely shouldn't have been watching this show when I was 8 - on the plus side, however, I think most of it probably went over my head. Let's face it, I was really watching it for the clothes.
We're on the second disc of the season, 5 or 6 episodes in, and this is what I have (re)discovered so far:
1. Luke Perry was a lot hotter than I recall - apparently my taste in men has changed since I was 8. In my grade 4 class, I was the only girl who preferred Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) over Dylan McKay (Luke Perry). I don't know how I missed it the first time around, but Dylan has this total James Dean thing going on; HOT.
2. Coulottes don't look good on anyone, at any time. Same goes for black shoes with white socks, large floppy hats, broomstick skirts, cutoff jean shorts, and basically everything else the students (particularly the girls) wear on this show. Ditto for Mrs. Walsh.
3. Despite my previous point, it seems I was way more stylish than I thought I was in 1990. Sure, everything these people wore was hideously ugly from today's perspective, but from the '90s perspective it was great; and it's what I was wearing too. I used to LOVE my purple hat with the floppy brim and giant flower pin - say what you will, it was all the rage.
4. Teen TV issues really haven't changed, all these years later. Sex, drugs, drinking, breaking curfew, shoplifting, stealing boyfriends/girlfriends, fighting with parents ... it's all the same issues we've seen more recently on shows like The OC or One Tree Hill. Teenagers will aways be teenagers, regardless of what ridiculous outfit they might be sporting.
5. I definitely shouldn't have been watching this show when I was 8 - on the plus side, however, I think most of it probably went over my head. Let's face it, I was really watching it for the clothes.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Musical Houses
I was in my new house last night. Or, I should say, what will be "my new house" once the renovations, painting, etc has all been completed. While this is certainly not my first time moving (4 years of out-of-town university) it is definitely my biggest move to boot. It's a bit of an upheaval, really, preparing to move your life into a new home, having to make all these decisions and hope that what you're deciding is really a good idea. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't stressful, or that these days I'm sleeping like a baby ...
For those of you who haven't been following the Musical House Saga, a bit of background information: I grew up in the home I'm in right now; classic Scarborough bungalow, two parents and an older brother. Our maternal grandparents lived across the street in a classic Scarborough bungalow of their own.
While I was away at university, my grandfather passed away from cancer, and my grandmother was not well enough to stay on her own. So, since my bedroom at home wasn't being used, she moved into my room. However, this still left an empty house, and when I would eventually return home, I would have nowhere to live! My brother, who had been in the basement bedroom in our parents' house, moved out and into our grandparents' house; I moved into his room in the basement. (Still following along?)
When he and his fiancee got married this summer, they bought my paternal grandparents' house (which had been inhabited by my father's sister, her husband, and their four-year-old daughter) and moved a few intersections over. This, again, left an empty house, which brings us up to the current situation: I am in the process of moving into the house across the street. (Confusing, I know!)
There have been lots of renovations been going on, and it's all been terribly exciting, but it's been an emotional process as well. It's very strange to move about a house where you practically grew up, and be in the midst of all these changes. I understand, from a logical perspective, that houses cannot physically contain your memories of people, and that changing a home does not actually change your memories, but once in a while I have found myself wondering what my grandparents would think of all the changes; would they be offended? The rooms are all so different, from the colour of the walls, to the flooring, to some of the furniture - it hardly looks like the same place.
For example, I don't know if they would like that I made what used to be a dining room my office, and painted it a bright blue colour - that would probably be a bit much for their tastes. At the same time, though, I think it's hilarious that the shade of green I picked for the kitchen is very similar to the colour the kitchen was originally, some 50 years ago. I suppose some things get changed in a completely different direction, while other things come full-circle.
It's stressful, and tiring, and exciting, and it's been a big rollercoaster with lots of planning and lots of work. I'm really looking forward to the finished product, and taking care of what was, during my childhood, such a beautiful and happy home. Despite all the changes, the memories still remain perfectly intact.
For those of you who haven't been following the Musical House Saga, a bit of background information: I grew up in the home I'm in right now; classic Scarborough bungalow, two parents and an older brother. Our maternal grandparents lived across the street in a classic Scarborough bungalow of their own.
While I was away at university, my grandfather passed away from cancer, and my grandmother was not well enough to stay on her own. So, since my bedroom at home wasn't being used, she moved into my room. However, this still left an empty house, and when I would eventually return home, I would have nowhere to live! My brother, who had been in the basement bedroom in our parents' house, moved out and into our grandparents' house; I moved into his room in the basement. (Still following along?)
When he and his fiancee got married this summer, they bought my paternal grandparents' house (which had been inhabited by my father's sister, her husband, and their four-year-old daughter) and moved a few intersections over. This, again, left an empty house, which brings us up to the current situation: I am in the process of moving into the house across the street. (Confusing, I know!)
There have been lots of renovations been going on, and it's all been terribly exciting, but it's been an emotional process as well. It's very strange to move about a house where you practically grew up, and be in the midst of all these changes. I understand, from a logical perspective, that houses cannot physically contain your memories of people, and that changing a home does not actually change your memories, but once in a while I have found myself wondering what my grandparents would think of all the changes; would they be offended? The rooms are all so different, from the colour of the walls, to the flooring, to some of the furniture - it hardly looks like the same place.
For example, I don't know if they would like that I made what used to be a dining room my office, and painted it a bright blue colour - that would probably be a bit much for their tastes. At the same time, though, I think it's hilarious that the shade of green I picked for the kitchen is very similar to the colour the kitchen was originally, some 50 years ago. I suppose some things get changed in a completely different direction, while other things come full-circle.
It's stressful, and tiring, and exciting, and it's been a big rollercoaster with lots of planning and lots of work. I'm really looking forward to the finished product, and taking care of what was, during my childhood, such a beautiful and happy home. Despite all the changes, the memories still remain perfectly intact.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Real Women Have Curves
These days, with Hollywood studios cranking out sub-par movies starring "actors" like Paris Hilton, the real gems can be hard to find. Stage-play-turned-film, "Real Women Have Curves" is a movie that made me sit up and take notice.
Starring America Ferrera and released in 2002, "Real Women Have Curves" follows the Garcia family, with Ana (America) as the daughter trying to find her identity between the pressures of her Mexican family and her American surroundings.
While Ana has to contend with a job she hates in order to help support her family, and a strong (unsupported) desire to further her education, the heart of the story lies in her relationship with her hormonal mother, who seems to live for nothing except to break her daughter's heart. Ana's mother constantly tells her (and other people!) that she's fat, she will never get married if she doesn't lose weight, that she could be beautiful if only she were skinny, and so forth. It is hard to watch, as even when Ana juts her chin defiantly at her mother's words, it is obvious they hurt her underneath.
At the crux of this issue is Jimmy, a non-Mexican boy who thinks Ana is beautiful, and encourages Ana to view her body as sexy and powerful. He encourages her to feel proud of her body, and to embrace it rather than feel embarrassed about it, as her mother thinks she should.
I loved this movie for its humour, but I loved it more for its purpose. Everywhere we look, women are confronted with images of the perfect body. Women like Keira Knightley are held up to be perfection, the ideal, despite the fact that very few women in the world would be able to be that thin without developing an eating disorder. Magazines, television shows and movies tell all of us that in order to be beautiful, sexy and powerful, we need to shed a few pounds and fit into smaller jeans. In order to be attractive and desired, we should starve ourselves until we look "right." Nevermind how many of those images are airbrushed, or how many of those actresses or models are probably on the verge of a heartattack from anorexia or bulemia; all that matters is the outward appearance.
Ana's mother says horrible things to her daughter in this film; but really, she says things to Ana that most of us say to ourselves. We spend more time breaking ourselves down than building ourselves up. We spend more time comparing ourselves to other people instead of loving ourselves for who we are and what we can be. It's so easy to point out what we hate about ourselves, but it's so hard to point out what we love. Most of us fall short of that so-called "perfection" - but who decided what "perfect" means anyway? When did we stop focusing on being a healthy weight and start focusing on hurting ourselves, inside and out, to live up to other people's expectations?
To quote from the movie: "Like my grandmother used to say, "There's no better dressing than meat on the bones.""
Starring America Ferrera and released in 2002, "Real Women Have Curves" follows the Garcia family, with Ana (America) as the daughter trying to find her identity between the pressures of her Mexican family and her American surroundings.
While Ana has to contend with a job she hates in order to help support her family, and a strong (unsupported) desire to further her education, the heart of the story lies in her relationship with her hormonal mother, who seems to live for nothing except to break her daughter's heart. Ana's mother constantly tells her (and other people!) that she's fat, she will never get married if she doesn't lose weight, that she could be beautiful if only she were skinny, and so forth. It is hard to watch, as even when Ana juts her chin defiantly at her mother's words, it is obvious they hurt her underneath.
At the crux of this issue is Jimmy, a non-Mexican boy who thinks Ana is beautiful, and encourages Ana to view her body as sexy and powerful. He encourages her to feel proud of her body, and to embrace it rather than feel embarrassed about it, as her mother thinks she should.
I loved this movie for its humour, but I loved it more for its purpose. Everywhere we look, women are confronted with images of the perfect body. Women like Keira Knightley are held up to be perfection, the ideal, despite the fact that very few women in the world would be able to be that thin without developing an eating disorder. Magazines, television shows and movies tell all of us that in order to be beautiful, sexy and powerful, we need to shed a few pounds and fit into smaller jeans. In order to be attractive and desired, we should starve ourselves until we look "right." Nevermind how many of those images are airbrushed, or how many of those actresses or models are probably on the verge of a heartattack from anorexia or bulemia; all that matters is the outward appearance.
Ana's mother says horrible things to her daughter in this film; but really, she says things to Ana that most of us say to ourselves. We spend more time breaking ourselves down than building ourselves up. We spend more time comparing ourselves to other people instead of loving ourselves for who we are and what we can be. It's so easy to point out what we hate about ourselves, but it's so hard to point out what we love. Most of us fall short of that so-called "perfection" - but who decided what "perfect" means anyway? When did we stop focusing on being a healthy weight and start focusing on hurting ourselves, inside and out, to live up to other people's expectations?
To quote from the movie: "Like my grandmother used to say, "There's no better dressing than meat on the bones.""
Friday, January 2, 2009
Starting Over
Do you believe that things happen for a reason? Even if that reason is so unclear, or what happens to you is painful? Is it possible?
I thought I had everything figured out for myself. I was working as an Early Childhood Educator while finishing my Teacher of ESL program at Centennial College. I was going to stay at the childcare centre until I finished my (still unfinished) last remaining TESL courses, graduate, and go on to the next phase of my life.
One sunny Friday afternoon, however, Fate intervened, and I found myself laying on my neighbour's lawn, screaming in pain, having wrecked up my ankle by falling off the curb. In that brief, extra-graceful moment, everything changed, and I had no idea what I was going to do.
My ankle did not heal very well, nor very quickly. It wasn't broken, but there was bad damage to the ligament and I was on crutches for a while. I progressed from crutches to an air cast, and from the air cast to a lace-up brace that still, 4 months later, I wear more often than not.
Financial resources dwindling, I had to start looking for work. I'd had to leave my job at the childcare centre when I'd injured myself; such an injury is not exactly conducive to running around with children for 8 hours a day. Suddenly, nothing was as clear as it had been before. I was scared, and unsure what I was going to do for work. I was still trying to finish school, so I needed something flexible, and I wanted something that was related to the TESL field, if possible.
Because I wasn't a TESL graduate, I didn't qualify for the plentiful teaching jobs in the GTA. However, I did find two companies who hired me to do online ESL tutoring, via Skype, to students in Korea and Russia. I also started working at Centennial's Ashtonbee campus, working with some ESL students. In addition to all this (yes, there's more), I'm also working with a company called My Smart Hands, which does sign language instruction with parents and their babies.
The fact is, no matter what you think you have planned for yourself, you can never be too sure of how it's going to turn out. Hurting my ankle was painful, the recovery has been frustrating, trying to find enough work to pay my bills has been stressful, but it has all happened for a reason: I'm capable of far more than I ever thought, and I can take steps toward want I want out of life, if I'm willing to do what it takes.
I still have two credits to go, which means that I will be graduating with the April 09 class. How many more things will change before then? What else am I capable of that I never dreamed possible? What are YOU capable of?
I thought I had everything figured out for myself. I was working as an Early Childhood Educator while finishing my Teacher of ESL program at Centennial College. I was going to stay at the childcare centre until I finished my (still unfinished) last remaining TESL courses, graduate, and go on to the next phase of my life.
One sunny Friday afternoon, however, Fate intervened, and I found myself laying on my neighbour's lawn, screaming in pain, having wrecked up my ankle by falling off the curb. In that brief, extra-graceful moment, everything changed, and I had no idea what I was going to do.
My ankle did not heal very well, nor very quickly. It wasn't broken, but there was bad damage to the ligament and I was on crutches for a while. I progressed from crutches to an air cast, and from the air cast to a lace-up brace that still, 4 months later, I wear more often than not.
Financial resources dwindling, I had to start looking for work. I'd had to leave my job at the childcare centre when I'd injured myself; such an injury is not exactly conducive to running around with children for 8 hours a day. Suddenly, nothing was as clear as it had been before. I was scared, and unsure what I was going to do for work. I was still trying to finish school, so I needed something flexible, and I wanted something that was related to the TESL field, if possible.
Because I wasn't a TESL graduate, I didn't qualify for the plentiful teaching jobs in the GTA. However, I did find two companies who hired me to do online ESL tutoring, via Skype, to students in Korea and Russia. I also started working at Centennial's Ashtonbee campus, working with some ESL students. In addition to all this (yes, there's more), I'm also working with a company called My Smart Hands, which does sign language instruction with parents and their babies.
The fact is, no matter what you think you have planned for yourself, you can never be too sure of how it's going to turn out. Hurting my ankle was painful, the recovery has been frustrating, trying to find enough work to pay my bills has been stressful, but it has all happened for a reason: I'm capable of far more than I ever thought, and I can take steps toward want I want out of life, if I'm willing to do what it takes.
I still have two credits to go, which means that I will be graduating with the April 09 class. How many more things will change before then? What else am I capable of that I never dreamed possible? What are YOU capable of?
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