in the mood...

Ashley

2006-11-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

This blog is dedicated to one of my best friends. Her name is Ashley Hayman, and today is her birthday! Ashley is now in Uganda working in an orphanage and she is coming home in less then a month!

Happy Birthday, Ashley! I love you very much and I can't wait to have you back!

quote

2006-09-20T09:25:00.000-04:00

Dan Postma, after realizing that people are generally not dumb and can figure things out without him explaining everything:

"Oh boy, how many people did I make an asshole of in front of myself?"

good people. good times.

2006-09-08T17:08:00.000-04:00

an excellent way to spend a saturday night
call 905 923 90 24 and save a buck or two on advance tickets

be there!

2006-06-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

check this out. it is going to be a great time, supporting a great cause!
and how often do we get to do line dancing, anyway?
so, june 10th is the day people!

Make me proud!

2006-05-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

Pride and shame are the two extremes of the same continuum. We are proud of some things, indifferent about others, and most certainly ashamed of things that are too close to us to be indifferent about, and yet do not generate that chest inflating, smile inducing, publicity seeking pride. We boast in what we are proud of, put it on display, make sure that everybody knows. It is not always a conscious effort, but an instinct, a reflex that surpasses even our own will. We boast in good jobs, in popular friends, in power to make decisions, in those pretty and witty significant others, in possessions… each has their own. We pursue those things restlessly, because they often are that best foot that we put forward, in relationships with both people and God.

On the other side there is an equally strong, if not a stronger reflex to be ashamed of things that do not add anything to what we are when they are put on display. No disciple volunteered to wash the others' feet before the Last Supper. Nobody wants to hang out with a geek. Nobody boasts in their dysfunctional family. Everybody wants to serve dinner for a charity event, but how many want to clean up afterwards? Unless, of course, somebody sees and recognizes our sacrifices and humble work of service, to make sure that our names go down in history and are eventually canonized. We often look at so many things in life the same way we look at the Canadian Olympic hockey team, with a single charge: Make Us Proud!, or else you be tossed into the lake of fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (or, as an alternative, I will find someone or something else that will)

And now some perspective:

I will not boast in anything: no gifts, no pow’r, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ: His death and Resurrection.
Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart: his wounds have paid my ransom.

I don’t want to boast in the fact that I need to ransomed, or that I am gaining from somebody else’s reward. I am proud of the fact that I am independant and I can do it. To genuinely let somebody know that daily I am by the hair pulled out of the suffocating swamp of everything that is the real me, it adds nothing to my profile. So, even when it comes to faith, I boast in my moral and self-righteous life-style and in the work of my church; not in the fact that I am a “sinful and selfish [wo]man. But God has put his hands on me.”

Christ is rarely my best foot to put forward. There are many things that reflect me so much better!

But do they?

How does one find a balance, so that the words of that song on a Sunday morning do not bear witness to one’s hypocrisy?

So...

2006-05-13T02:50:00.000-04:00

God is good and faithful!
He knows what he is doing, even when I don't (which in the grand scheme of things is awesome, since I would probably screw it up anyways :D). I am not afraid to fall.
I will sing with joy and rest in him.

I know, I know... I can almost see some of you gagging at this oh-so-tacky epiphany of mine. I remain unfazed. ;)
Periodically, it is just so good to realize anew the simple things in life, don't you think?

P.S.: It is almost 3am, and I am hyper! And craving pork chops and a fruit smoothie. Oh boy...

Choir Tour 2006: BC (April 28 - May 9)

2006-04-28T01:04:00.000-04:00

I get to sing this along with 43 gifted children of God... :D

Rejoice And Sing Out His Praises
(by: Mark Hayes)

I will sing to the Lord all of my life.
I will sing praises onto my God as long as I live!

May he be pleased with my song,
For he has made me glad.
I will sing and make music with all of my soul!
He is my song!

I will rejoice and sing praises forever!
I will rejoice and sing praises to God!

Praise the Lord, oh my soul,
All my inmost being, praise his holy name!
Praise the Lord, oh my soul,
And forget not all his benefits!
For he forgives all my sins,
And he heals all my diseases;
He redeems my life from the pit
And crowns me with love and compassion

He satisfies all my desires with all good things
So that my youth is renewed like the eagle's!

He is my strength and song!
I will rejoice!

(Based on Psalm 104:33-34; 108:1b; 103:105)

drama queen

2006-04-12T13:20:00.000-04:00

In five hours I will go to my very last undergrad lecture ever.
Very exciting. Very scary. Very nostalgic. Tear...

P.S. Comment on my last blog, people! Please! I know we all have things to say about this.

EDIT: So, the whole thing ended up being rather anticlimactic. The prof was 45 minutes late for my last lecture and walked in as I was walking out to attend a recital. We exchanged pleasantries, he gave me the review material and wished me all the best.

No drama for Mira.

Redeemer (a.k.a. Having a Say II)

2006-04-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

I have an assignment for my Strategic Management class: assessing the current and developing recommendations for the future strategic development of Redeemer University College. In short, this means describing what is good and what is bad at Redeemer now, and what/how it can be made better. Upon request, a copy of this assignment can be presented to the president (yeah, 'cause he runs the show ;)) and further up.

I already have a bunch of things of my own, but suggestions are more than welcome.

So, speak up, the nerdy and the oppressed!

having a say (a.k.a. bragging)

2006-04-07T12:19:00.000-04:00

I would just like to let everybody know that the Redeemer graduating class gift this year is (drum roll) new books for the library! And guess whose idea it was?*

Yay for making a tiny little impact. And hopefully for having a finance book that dates more recent than 1986.
--

*I know that I am probably not the only one to come up with the idea, but I will take the credit anyways, thank you very much!

frustration

2006-04-06T14:45:00.000-04:00

Why do some people who don’t know other people feel so free to have their noses (and mouths!) in those other people’s personal and professional business?

2006-04-02T11:30:00.000-04:00

As the Ruin Falls
C S Lewis

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love --a scholar's parrot may talk Greek--
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.
I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains.
- - -

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned...

2006-04-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes life changes faster than I can follow. In just a few weeks I will be done with my very last set of undergrad exams and will enter a whole new stage of life. The other night, while sitting at Timmy’s and singing our choir music in three parts (yeah, baby! we sound hot! somtimes), two of the coolest people and I started writing up lists of things we want to accomplish this summer. I know, the happy time is miles away, but I need to have something to at least look forward to. So, here goes:

- pray lots
- read lots
- swim lots
- sing lots
- tithe with my money and my time
- see my mother
- visit New York City
- get a real job and renew my legal status in Canada
- enjoy my summer job as much as I did last summer
- move downtown
- get my G1 and learn how to drive (eep!)
- go wilderness camping
- get a sweet tan
- go rock climbing
- witness one of Rachel’s …funny? stories
- go to Simply Scoops ice-cream shop in Port Burwell. Great place and great people. You should all go!
- go strawberry picking
- see the Atlantic ocean
- go fishing
- learn a sport (for crying out loud, it is about time!)
-grow a fruit/vegetable, even if it is one single plant
- revive Fruit of the Spirit Club (a.k.a we like wine! club), so untimely deceased
- go to a drive-in, ‘cause I’ve never been
- try the cuisine of at least three new countries
- write a story/song or translate something (it’s been too long)
- see a musical on stage
- take music lessons, not sure in what exactly yet
- impress Dr. T. (please, God! Once is all I’m asking for)
- go to the Beaches Jazz Fest (you should also all go, because it is awesome!)
- exercise (to make sure that all that swimming, and camping, and rock climbing are as enjoyable as I remember them to be)
- go scuba diving
- be happy

I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Ideas, anybody?

giving in

2006-03-10T18:19:00.000-05:00

Four jobs I’ve had

William’s Coffee Pub – coffee pourer and muffin server
receptionist
teaching assistant
waitress

Four movies I could watch over and over again
The Sound of Music
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
You Got Served (only for the dancing, I promise)
Phantom of the Opera

Four books I could read over and over again
Anne & Serge Golon: The Angélique Series (my guilty pleasure)
The Chronicles of Narnia
Psalms
Brothers’ Grimm fairytale collections

Places I’ve lived
Kyiv, Ukraine
Toronto, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario

Places I’ve been on vacation
Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Italy, Canada (if vacation is very loosely defined), United States

Four favorite foods
chocolate
seafood
chicken/pork
fruit

Websites I visit daily
gmail
BBC news
outrageousaccent.com
cs.redeemer.on.ca/moodle

Four favorite kinds of beer
Guinness
Rickard’s Red
Creemore Springs Premium
Rickard’s Honey Brown

Four favorite non-alcoholic drinks
coffee
diet or vanilla coke
green tea with jasmine
French Vanilla cappuccino

Four favorite musicians
Sarah Vaughn
Gershwin
Jo-Jo Ma
Tallis Scholars

Four places I would rather be
the end of April
sleeping
a beach on an ocean
Canada’s Wonderland

Four most recent books I have read
Max De Pree - “Leadership is n Art”
Richard Bach – “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”
Richard Bach – “Illusions”
Ezra

Most recent movies I’ve seen
Shawshank Redemption
Flightplan
Little Mermaid
Amelie

What’s on my desk: ahem. Almost everything I own.

the Good, the Better, and the Beautiful

2006-01-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

I realize that I have not blogged in a while, and to return into the groove only one topic is worthy: my trip home. This little miracle was made possible because of some very cool people whose love and care for me blow my mind on a daily basis. You are all amazing and I am endlessly grateful to you all.

So, to spare the details (or to delay them) here are just some of the highlights:

the Good
- the Canadian government that processed a number of my requests in record times (and by record I mean 3.5 hours instead of the regular 3-5 weeks)
- a flight-attendant who found me a different seat on a 7 hour flight, preventing me from losing my mind or getting off the plane well before it landed

the Better
- my unspoiled surprise 'guest' appearance in my house after not having been there for a year and a half. cheers to those who keep secrets well!
- the fact that you cannot completely forget your mothertongue

the Beautiful
- my family
- my friends (on both sides of the planet)
- having two Christmases half-way across the world with two sets of wonderful families
- performing arts

- fairy-tale movies from my parents' and grandparents' generation
- a funikulyor driver feeding sunflower seeds from her hand to the birds on her way down
- people in their 50s and 60s waltzing to accordion music at a subway station on a snowy January evening
- babies (their rapid appearance within my friends' circles)
- the joy of being back there and back here

15+ reasons

2005-11-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

A recent trip to Montreal with some very cool people inspired this list to convince those who are not yet convinced: GO!

For the second half of the list check out
Mr. Pistachio-Fight-NOT-Winner's blog!

What is hope?

2005-11-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

Someone said to me the other day that hope is only a social norm that helps us to accept our fate and the fact that our lives lack any kind of meaning or purpose. My hope is just a way to sweeten that bitter pill. The same person also said something very Nietzsche-like: show me the fruition of your hope and then I'll consider it.

My hope comes to fruition every day. But how do I show that? Is there a way to communicate it or is faith (and therefore hope) an intense, but subjective and lonely experience?

I don't know how to be a witness of hope.

Monday morning pet peeves.

2005-10-31T12:57:00.000-05:00

- when people don't trust me to do my job! how dare you?!! AHHHGGGGRRRR!!!
- listening to vocal warm-ups
- classes that are not worth going to
- forgetting every single piece of ID on my desk at home
- the fact that it is Monday after a very good weekend (where did it go? please, come back...)
- depending on others when it comes to my job, and even worse so for recreation. Don't take it personally.

- the fact that most of these don't really matter at all and half an hour from now I will not remember them, and yet at this particular moment of time they are making me wanna scream at the top of my lungs!!!

must have chocolate... now...

Should – Need – Like – Love

2005-10-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

This semester I am enrolled in a Leadership seminar taught by one of my favorite profs of all times (insert a sigh of admiration for prof. Susan Van Weelden. I want to be like her when I grow up.) The challenge of that class went far beyond academic and here is one of my most important (renewed) discoveries so far.

For our last class we had to do an exercise called Should, Need, Like, Love. It involved thinking through some of the major things we do throughout the week and classifying them into those four categories. I was surprised to find out that there were 2 people in the class of 13 whose daily activities fell mostly into the like and love categories. After a mass in class pouring out of about 12 anxiety laden, academically stressed and socially deprived hearts it once again struck me: I AM A HAPPY PERSON!

Most of what I do in my life I can put into the like or love columns. I don’t live for the future, I don’t do school to be successful in 10 years, I don’t read books only because I have to (ok, mostly.) When I am frustrated and drawing blanks while talking to a friend or doing homework I can ask myself what it is that I would rather be doing and honestly say: there is nothing else I’d rather do and nowhere else I’d rather be. Yes, I do doubt of whether I am in the right program, in the right job or even in the right country. But I enjoy it for what it is and not for what it might be 5 – 10 years down the road. I may be shortsighted, but I am happy. I know that what God meant for me to do and to be is here and now and I don’t want to be missing it.

I look forward to every coming hour of my life (Even on this grumpy morning ;)) and every hour realize that I am blessed without measure.

2005-10-06T12:38:00.000-04:00

Something I heard in a 3-hundred level business class while discussing body image issues.
"Well, in Europe it's different, I'm sure. They're mostly all farmers there."

Sigh...

Ouch...

2005-09-10T17:36:00.000-04:00

Does anybody know anything about fixing bikes, and more specifically brakes on bikes? As of this afternoon the back wheel brake on my beloved Schwinn is gone, almost literally. I have already flown over the handlebars twice today, also literally (yeah, kids, that what happens if you only use the front brake.) As fun as it is, I just don't think I can handle that.
Help?!

Adults should know better

2005-08-17T14:19:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite activities in the last week or so has been observing the children who are part of Redeemer's Summer Rays sports camp. They are absolutely unique and adorable! It makes me wonder what they will be like when they grow up. Superheroes in training! :D

All the counselors at the camp go by nicknames, and one of the guys unpretentiously calls himself Stewie. A six or seven year old girl came up to him after the introductions were done and innocently asked: "Are you like Stewie from Family Guy?"
My heart sank.
6-year-olds should now know about Stewie.
Off to a great start, kiddo.
Sigh...

Summer school

2005-08-15T12:57:00.000-04:00

This is the very first summer in my life when I am working straight through with only an occasional weekend off here and there. To those of you who have been doing it since grade 9 and 10 I can only say one thing: it's a tough go. Though, a few good things did come out of it. Even if God is still holding out what His idea for my life is, this summer I figured out some minor, but interesting details that may help me to at least look in the right direction.

I do:
- find service and physical labour immensely satisfying
- work well under pressure and like high stress jobs
- have a hard time balancing the priority I put on skill and effort vs. some personal qualities in people I work with
- have a tendency to be an anal perfectionist (sorry...)
- sometimes care too much (perpetuates the previous point)
- believe in stewardship more strongly than I thought I did (thanks, Dr. Goheen)
- try to put principles into practice; thus I am labeled a geek at work
- get easily grossed out
- involuntarily follow the rule: the more time is available, the less gets done
- procrastinate when I get an opportunity
- know that minor jobs are important, can make a difference (even if not on a global scale) and be very satisfying

I don't:
- handle well most office jobs
- know how most of what I am learning in my business program will ever be relevant in the real world; ironically, things learned in philosophy and religion classes already are. Go figure that one out...
- have much (ANY) tolerance for incompetence and bad attitude; too bad; it hurts some personal relationships
- train others well
- do a good job delegating
- perform well (at all) if I am bored/don't enjoy my job, even if it is no special challenge. I always hoped I would have the will to, but really now, who am I kidding?
- want to work on Sundays!
- want to graduate and be doing this for the rest of my life

You never said it was off the record

2005-06-25T03:16:00.000-04:00

Tonight was mostly spent sitting on the living room floor and chatting about everything under the sun. One of the best things about a night like tonight is the freedom that we share as friends to speak our minds. And is that freedom ever exercised...

"Yay, I'm not autistic!" – The Bohemian Laura Stewart

"And... then... we made crafts without permission!!!" – The Bolivian Mikey Arce

"What else starts with 'G' and ends with 'ayle'?" – The Lovely Rachel Legg

"We slept only one foot apart, but there was a wall inbetween" – The Unforgettable Melissa Kuipers

Best match to the word "phony": communism (from The Most-Lovable, though American, Gayle Doornbos); George W. Bush (from yours truly Eastern European). Guess who won that point...

Come on, Barbie, let's go party!

2005-06-11T11:18:00.000-04:00

The best part of my morning so far is meeting a middle-aged Dutch man wearing a shirt with bright pink lettering declaring: Barbie is a slut.

Recent

2005-06-08T11:26:00.000-04:00

Life went on, even if blogging didn’t. Here are just a few observations made in a hurry:

- God is amazing. He provides above and beyond what we need. Great is Thy faithfulness!

- I miss my friends… (those blogless too :))

- …and am thankful for some great new ones

- I don't want to be graduating, or thinking about graduating. So, stop asking me what I am doing after. I'm working on it.

- Convincing myself that I did get enough sleep only works for so long. And then it no longer does… And then I see triples. Watch out for sharp corners!

- TV (on DVD) is a great mindless way of unwinding and procrastination. It also tends to eat the time away. No good.

- Heat + humidity = misery

- Being in charge sucks

- Working with good people makes all the difference

- Physical labour is very satisfying

- When I am tired I talk way too much and become way too incoherent. Sucks to be you to be there at those times

- Words are one of the worst means of communication

- Small towns are suffocating

- Biking in traffic is just as frustrating for the bikers as it is for drivers. Please, don't hunk at us. We are doing our best and we don't want to die.

- Life is good

NeverBlog Land

2005-06-08T11:13:00.000-04:00

There and back again.

Hospitality

2005-05-20T00:41:00.000-04:00

Some time ago a few friends and I took a test assessing our spiritual gifts. Among other things, hospitality came up as one of them. It made me wonder: how are some people gifted with hospitality? Aren’t we all called to be hospitable? We are. But I think I am now starting to understand what it means to have the gift of hospitality.

I spent most of last week driving/bus-ing/train-ing/biking from Hamilton to St. Mary’s to Aylmer to Oshawa to Bowmanville and just about everywhere in-between. I was blessed and privileged to spend time with some of my closest friends and got to experience the amazing hospitality of their homes. As I visit friends in all the different places, I am continually overwhelmed with how easily some people invite you into their lives and share not just their homes, but them-very-selves. It comes so easily, so naturally. You don’t feel welcome, you feel at home. Manners, correct pronunciation and the level of grumpiness in the morning become almost irrelevant; no need for performance or meeting standards. My most recent trip was definitely one of such experiences. To share this kind of love and to show such acceptance to strangers is a true gift and a powerful ministry.

Thank you.

Христос Воскрес! – Воістину Воскрес!

2005-03-27T15:49:00.000-05:00

Christ is risen! – He is risen indeed!

Our hope is not in vain.

Open theism. Just thinking out loud.

2005-03-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

So. Humans have free will. Then, according to open theists, God does not 'know' everything that will happen in the future. More specifically, God chooses not to know in order to allow room for the oh ever so widely debated free will.

As I told a friend who brought up the whole topic, this idea really pulls the ground from right under my feet. Maybe it's just me, but I have a lot of assurance in knowing that God has 'the plan,' and not a bunch of alternatives and emergency tactics, and that this plan of His, though fully known, does not necessarily rob me of my free will (though sometimes I almost wish it did).

One of the major arguments of the open theism seems to be that if someone knows the outcome of a choice, the very notion of choice itself is automatically eliminated. And in human terms it makes perfect sense. But this is when we need to bear in mind that God exists on an entirely different ontological level where time, for instance, is not a dimension of life. In fact He is the Creator of time, and not subject to it. Considering that the limitations of time are exactly what makes the combination of terms ‘all-knowing’ and ‘free will’ in the same sentence somewhat oxymoronic, if these limitations are out of the equation, it doesn't have to be the case.

Furthermore, I think there is a difference between God knowing and God intervening. (Somehow I feel I am stepping on very thin ice here and that this ice is about to crack. Oh, lack of articulation!) God knows our choices, the products of our free will, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that He wills these choices through the very act(?) of knowing what they are going to be.

It also seems that open theism lacks consistency (some things God knows, and wills (i.e. prophecies that are fulfilled) and some others He chooses not to foreknow. What about Judas then? Did he have free will in betraying Christ?

And it makes me very uncomfortable claiming that as a human being I can surprise the Omnipresent, Almighty God, who somehow decided to put so much into my sinful hands without knowledge of how it will turn out and what would happen to my poor soul.

Anyways, this is just some initial response to the idea. Maybe I’ll change my mind when I find out more about it. Any suggestions regarding sources are welcome.

Embarrassing moment of the day

2005-03-21T17:57:00.000-05:00

Bus 41 (Mohawk). People get on and somehow keep peculiarly looking in my direction. They shrug their shoulders and eventually move on. After about 30 second reaction delay time I realize that I am singing out loud. And not just humming, but singing “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”
Yeah.

Today...

2005-03-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

Today is a good day. The flowers-and-sunshine-on-my-pillow kind of day.

Today the world makes sense.

Today God is so obviously smiling.

Today people are nothing but encouraging; coffee is perfect; nicotine cravings are no more.

Today there is Joy (the way C.S. Lewis means it).

Today is 5 weeks since my last cigarette.

Today I got my mom’s letter; full of old news as it is, it will be carefully read at least twice more.

Today the guitar is perfectly tuned.

Today will bring good dreams with colours and flying.

Today is almost over. But it will be back tomorrow.

Today is another day that the Lord has made.

dumb

2005-03-05T23:19:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I really wonder what I am even doing at university. Cliché, but so incredibly true and relevant for the moment.

Art or not really? Who's to say.

2005-02-21T20:10:00.000-05:00

Many hours spent in discussion of what makes something art never produced a convincing answer in my mind. And a recent visit to the AGO only intensified the question. What makes a drawing a ‘piece of art’? Even more importantly, what makes it special, sets it aside from other art and worthy of a space in an Art Gallery? Here are some of the criteria suggested to me by a variety of people:
- Creativity and novelty. Art is supposed to be original, creative, pushing the lines of familiarity. Art is reactionary to what is known; a step ahead of the present. But in that case the phrase ‘art is timeless’ seems to lose its meaning.
- The statement. For example the Group of Seven art. I don’t really like it (I know that I am running a risk of being stoned for these blasphemous words since I am on Canadian soil, but I had to get this of my chest). But I do appreciate the statement, a search for the meaning of a distinctively Canadian artistic identity.
- Perfection of technique. DaVinci focused on the smallest details of both the technique and the content of his paintings. Defining art by such criteria would mean putting to shame many of the new artists who consider gluing a BigMac to an art stand and signing it to be the next step in art history. Basically, a great portion of Data Art (sp?) is sent down the drain.
- Being a means of communication. Baroque art: a painting is a means of expressing emotions through everything from the size of the piece to the amount of light used to facial expressions of the personages.
- Aesthetic appeal. But isn’t beauty in the eye of the beholder? For some the art of Monet may be defining the aesthetically pleasing (I may or may not be one of those people), but some don’t find it all that beautiful. Does it therefore diminish its artistic value?
- Art becomes art when somebody says it is. Well, no comment.

And that is just visual art, painting. The sculpture, theatre, music, etc. can make for a whole different discussion. The question of Christian art stands on its own as well.

I have to admit that choosing what I personally call good art I usually go with simple beauty of a piece and/or the depth of its statement (arrogantly assuming that I am ‘reading’ it right). So if anybody has a better insight or suggestions on where to look, please share.

Another fascinating thing I learned from my roommate***

2005-02-08T01:13:00.000-05:00

So this is what happens when boy meets girl...

CRITICAL STAGE STUDY
(tried, tested, and true!)

1. Denial / Defensiveness √ includes rise of feelings
a) denial to yourself
b) defensiveness
c) denial to others
d) lying

2. Nervousness / Anxiety
a) sleep disorders
b) food abnormalities
c) sharp intakes of breath and / or minor panic attacks
d) speech impairment

3. Over-analyzation
a) yes / no ???
b) stalker instincts arise / severe avoidance
c) positive / negative feedback
d) your movements and actions

4. Acceptance / Admittance
a) sneaky entry into conversation
b) out of denial
c) slow release of information
d) comfort level rises

5. Extreme Highs and Lows
a) happiness depends on person
b) severe mood swings
c) random outbursts of joy
* first personal, then public (occasionally a mix) *

6. Organization
a) “accidental” bump-ins
b) memorization of schedule
c) secret planning of events
d) drop all activities when interrupted
e) change plans at last minute and planning around person

7. THE TALK!
a) inevitable
b) leads to an extreme emotion
c) affects your mood, sleep habits, ability to function and life in general for weeks after
d) i) ends critical stage study
- see stage study part II (released 2004)
ii) start back at stage 1 with new potential
iii) begins new stage
- see V-R-T (Post-Critical Stage Study)
iv) possible continual subsequent talks

Disclaimer!
* possible to be in more than 1 stage at any given time *
* possible to skip and retreat stages, but important to complete eventually *
* if you think you’re not in a stage, you are in denial!! *
* only a guide, use with discretion *

NOTE:═ DO NOT GET STUCK IN STAGE ONE!═ DANGER!═ RELEASE YOURSELF!

***study conducted by the ladies of dorm 32 (2003-2004)

...I simply remember my favourite things...

2005-02-04T15:37:00.000-05:00

After a week of being sick and still making my way to school every morning through snow and bitter cold (ok, maybe I am dramatizing a little), life is finally picking up. And this morning I was thinking about all the things that I love about it. So here they are, in no particular order, and by no means exhaustive:

1 God, my Creator and Saviour
2 my family
3 The Word of God
4 the Church
5 surprises
6 camping trips when you go so far from everything familiar that you wonder if civilization and all its ‘achievements’ are just a product of your imagination
7 night conversations
8 fog (here comes the mystery)
9 jazz, especially live
10 books that keep you up till morning
11 pictures (here’s to all the good times!)
12 hugs
13 dogs, the big ones
14 cellos (and all other string instruments)
15 worship, the kind that pleases our Lord
16 chocolate
17 black coffee in the morning
18 cozy and fun socks
19 TRAVELING – anywhere, anytime!
20 foreign languages
21 being a student
22 random adventures
23 choral music performed in beautiful churches
24 baths after a long day
25 butterflies
26 maps
27 sleeping outside
28 teddy bears
29 candles and incense
30 beaches, preferably with no people
31 angels
32 handwritten letters
33 old cathedrals when there is nobody else there (or at any time, really)
34 singing
35 take-off and lending in an airplane
36 sushi and other sea food
37 rollercoasters
38 lilies of the valley
39 the color green
40 pomegranates
41 finding perfect gifts for people
42 huge windows
43 folklore
44 open spaces
45 listening – to God, people, music, nature...
46 mountains – declaring the glory of the Lord!
47 chivalry, the dying art
48 cognac
49 understanding (having that moment of epiphany when a light bulb goes on in my head and world starts to make sense)
50 waking up to bright sunlight or sunrise and hearing the birds sing
51 musicals (The hills are alive with the sound… hmm, ok, I’m done)
52 formal attire, especially evening dresses
53 elegance in things and people
54 honesty, even if I don’t want to hear it
55 chamber music
56 orthodox churches and iconography
57 the sound of falling water
58 fast motion (driving, flying, etc.)
59 encouraging and uplifting my friends
60 being able to express myself
61 strawberries
62 new beginnings – starting a book, a semester, a friendship
63 the moments of perfect peace – they are worth waiting for
64 receiving mail
65 walks in the pouring rain and watching the lightnings
66 ”silver white winter that melts into spring” – if somebody already said it better…
67 my grandmother’s baking
68 oriental cultures, as little as I know about them
69 wise advice
70 finishing something that I worked hard on and am satisfied with
71 having plants or pets where I live. People are not meant to be the only living form. This applies to only to the zoos and Canadian North
72 green tea with jasmine
73 small towns in Europe – it sometimes seems that time is not a dimension of life there
74 thoughtful art
75 horses
76 feeling whole; like after communion or a nice chat with God
77 daydreaming

something fascinating to do with your roommate...

2004-12-21T01:21:00.000-05:00

oh boy...

Duh. You are "But WHY's the rum gone?!"
You're not the smartest one in the bunch, but
you're sweetly appealing and you don't let
disappointment get to you. Everybody
identifies with you, because let's face it, why
IS the rum gone?

Which one of Captain Jack Sparrow's bizarre sayings from Pirates of the Caribbean are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

ok, this one is a bit more encouraging. not all hope is lost even for me!

Tarzan!

What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla

to Friends!

2004-12-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

I got accused of having unrealistically high expectations for people. Not for the first time. Probably not for the last either. But I am sick of hearing it and trying to convince myself that maybe they're right, and I need to come down from my little castle on a cloud and get real. "Too many romantic French novels" - my mother's diagnosis.

Is it necessarily a bad thing though? Having high expectations for people definitely has the potential to come back and bite you when people don't seem to meet them. And then your whole world falls apart. Stuff happens. But I don't believe that taming our dreams and settling for less is a solution. I know it's a cliché, but I'm not talking about "the relationships" that lead to a wedding, seven children and a goldfish for a pet. Those are a whole different topic. I mean "normal" friendships that are meant to be our source of fellowship, encouragement and challenge.

I think we all have certain expectations for the people we proudly call Friends, whether we admit it or not. To name one, we want people to accept us for who we are. Otherwise what good are the relationships when you weigh every word and action, knowing how fragile and dependent your friends' opinions are on those? To expect that unconditional acceptance, isn't that a great standard?

Maybe my expectations are a bit ...overboard. Point taken. But for me one person who comes even close to meeting them (or at least makes a valid effort in that regard) is dearer than a whole squad of half-hearted (or even sincerely interested) acquaintances peering into my life now and again and disappearing just as fast as they came, no matter how good they make me feel at the moment. People like that are rare, but they are the ones that influence us the most, listen the best, laugh the easiest, advise the wisest and show Christ's glory and love more genuinely than any preacher ever could. May we all have, recognize and value friends like that.

The Crisis in Ukraine: A Historian's Perspective

2004-11-23T20:23:00.000-05:00

The Ukrainian crisis today brings to mind events in Poland in late 1988 and in 1989. Under the pressure of the popular democratic movement Solidarity the Communist rulers of Poland agreed to negotiate with leaders of the democratic forces and undertook to conduct an honest parliamentary election. In order to ensure that the election would be truly free, the Communists allowed the democrats access to the mass media, including TV. In the election the democrats won a convincing victory and the Communist establishment accepted the nation's verdict. In August 1989, Poland had a government headed by one of the opposition leaders. There was no violence, no arrests, no revenge.

Two years later, in August 1991, the parliament of Soviet Ukraine issued a declaration of independence and in the following December, that declaration was ratified by popular vote. At the same time Ukrainians elected their president in a vote which was generally considered to have been free. Post-Soviet Ukraine has seen several setbacks in the process of democracy building, but even as late as this year, Ukraine stood out among the post-Soviet republics (with the exception of the Baltic States) as the only one in which elections provided real choices between candidates. Yet, it was becoming clear, as the 2004 election approached, that the outgoing president, Leonid Kuchma, and his entourage, with the active support of Russia, were determined to secure the victory of their own chosen candidate. The media was heavily controlled to favor that candidate. No candidate won a majority in the October 31 ballot, according to the official count, although the opposition has charged electoral fraud in favor of Viktor Yanukovich. It became necessary to have a runoff vote which took place three weeks later, on November 21.

It is clear that the power holders in Kiev decided not to follow the 1989 Polish example. According to virtually all observers, the voting on November 21 was not free and the count was falsified on an enormous scale. The results from the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk were statistically impossible, giving Yanukovich at least 97 percent of the vote. Had the vote count been fair and honest, Viktor Yushchenko would have emerged as the clear winner. By supporting a falsified count, the Central Electoral Commission is failing to perform its legal duty, however.

In a situation like this, a law-abiding citizen has to ask whether he or she is obliged to obey an authority that is engaged in breaking the fundamental laws of the state. Thousands of people are now demonstrating in the capital of Kyiv and in other cities and towns of Ukraine in order to defend their democratic rights and the state constitution. Especially impressive is the participation of the younger generation, including university students, which is understandable because they are the people who were young children in 1991 when democracy seemed to have been coming to Ukraine. They feel that their struggle for fair elections is legitimate even if it appears to be in opposition to the established authorities.

A historian knows that there are certain turning points in history when resistance to the ruling powers is justified and indeed is a moral duty of the citizen. Nobody questions the decision of Charles de Gaulle to defy the French parliament and the head of the French state, Marshal Petain, when they established a collaborationist regime in France in 1940. Looking back at Hitler's rise to power, many people now understand that he should have been resisted as early as 1933, even though his appointment as chancellor of the German state was consistent with legal formalities. These examples are not to suggest that President Kuchma or Viktor Yanukovich are comparable to Petain or Hitler. But they do provide historical support, just as in a different way does the case of Poland in 1989, to those who believe in the supremacy of a law that respects the fundamental human rights of the individual and the sovereignty of the nation. The decision is now in the hands of President Kuchma. It is not too late for him to uphold the integrity of the law.

Roman Szporluk
Myxajlo Hrushevs'kyj Professor of Ukrainian History
Harvard University

Happy Birthday, Ukraine!

2004-08-27T00:31:00.000-04:00

The National Anthem

Ще не вмерлa Украiнa, нi слава, нi воля.
Ще нам, браття украiнцi, усмiхнеться доля.
Згинуть нашi вороженьки, як роса на сонцi,
Запануем i ми, браття, у своiй сторонцi.

Душу й тiло ми положим за нашу свободу,
i покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду.

Станем, браття, в бiй кривавий вiд Сяну до Дону,
В рiднiм краю панувати не дамо нiкому;
Чорне море ще всмiхнеться, дiд Днiпро зрадie,
Ще у нашiй Украiнi доленька наспie.

А завзяття, праця щира свого ще докаже,
Ще ся волi в Украiнi пiснь гучна розляже,
За Карпати вiдоб'eться, згомонить степами,
Украiни слава стане помiж ворогами.

Павло Чубинський (музика - М.Вербицький

Ukraine has not perished, neither her glory, nor freedom,
Upon us, fellow-Ukrainians, fate shall smile once more.
Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun,
And we too shall dwell, brothers, in a free land of our own.

We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom,
And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Kozak nation.

We'll stand together for freedom, from the Sian to the Don,
We will not allow others to rule in our motherland.
The Black Sea will smile and grandfather Dnipro will rejoice,
For in our own Ukraine fortune shall flourish again.

Our persistence and our sincere toils will be rewarded,
And freedom's song will resound throughout all of Ukraine.
Echoing off the Carpathians, and rumbling across the steppes,
Ukraine's fame and glory will be known among all nations.

Lyrics: Pavlo Chyubyns'kyj, Music: M. Verbyts'kyj

http://kerchmax.tripod.com/symbols.html - On Ukraine: basic, but informative.

Update

2004-08-24T20:03:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to blogging. If you are reading this, it means that you haven't completely given up on me just yet. Thanks. So here is what's been going on.
- I am alive and well, though many have lost hope.
- The 4 weeks at home were a blast. Now I'm back and still processing the truckload of news so carelessly dumped on my head. Thanks to all the contributors.
- This summer I set a new (at least for myself) record of moving in and out: 6 times!
- Today is the Independence Day of Ukraine.
- My best friends in both of my worlds got married.
- For the first time in my life I had a (relatively) full-time job. As a result, again, for the first time in my life I yelled at a sixty-seven-year-old woman and preferred extra sleep to a spontaneous trip to Toronto. Still very embarrassed for both. Yeah, I've never been so ready to go back to school...
- Cut my hair.
- Got a tattoo.
- Fell in love with the beautiful city of Montreal. Why wasn't I born French?
- My (younger!) brother made a note that looking at the bill when you are not paying is poor taste. The glorious days of being an older sister are nearing the end. Or maybe they're just starting, but with the emphasis on "sister" as opposed to "older".
- I never ended up traveling around Eastern Europe.
- Kids started addressing me "madam" (Frau, женщина, etc). The very first time I heard that, it made me feel 20 kg heavier and 20 years older.
- My temporary roommate is laughing by herself in the living room.
- I finally own some good Ukrainian and Russian music.

Places

2004-05-13T13:22:00.000-04:00

Looking forward to going home in July. My anticipation, seeing some very European people lately and the abundance of these maps on different people's blogs made me recall all my travelling and travel related adventures. Good times!
Have to admit that I did cheat a bit checking out my countries on the list. In some of them I have only seen one city or spent one day. But then again, my feet have touched the ground, so the claims are legitimate.
Next travel destination(s):
-the rest of Eastern Europe (relatively realistic for the summer; now have to find new company though);
-Northern Europe (would take tons of work, but nothing is hopeless);
-Australia, Nepal and South Africa (yeah, right! keep dreaming!)

create your own visited country map
or write about it on the open travel guide

A little something

2004-04-20T00:56:00.000-04:00

First of all, this weekend was marked by the death of my dear computer (yes, the loyal one from the last post). As it is now pronounced clinically dead, I mourn not only my inability to communicate with the cyber world, but also the loss of quite a few courses worth of notes and papers, including some that would be of value for the still upcoming exams. Man...

On a happier note, today during one of my study breaks (more emphasis on "breaks" than on "studying") I came across the following. It presented a bit of a variety and seemed amusing. Oh, did I ever love these things in high school! So here you go:

A puzzle (as seen in Raymond Smullyan's book)

Suppose there are two identical twins: one is a chronic liar, and the other always tells the truth. The truth teller is absolutely accurate in his beliefs, meaning that all true propositions he assumes to be true, and all the false ones to be false, while the other twin is completely inaccurate. The trick is that both twins will have identical answers to the same questions. If asked if it is true that 2 plus 2 equals 4, both will reply "yes". So how can you tell one from the other asking only the "yes" and "no" questions?

Probably most of you have seen this one before, but for me it was a nice little break from English/Accounting/Ref. Theology read.

Happy studying to those who are still slaving away. Patience is a virtue, or so they say...

Changes

2004-04-13T02:45:00.000-04:00

School is done. Yay! on the one hand, but on the other I know I will miss it. Starting no earlier than sometime in July, of course. Papers are written, packing up is not for another week or so (oh shutter!), exams not till Wednesday. Combined with a headache and a terribly antisocial mood, all these bring me to my quiet chamber and face-to-face with an old laptop which has been (in most cases) a loyal helper for quite some time now. Blogging... Have nothing coherent, let alone valuable to say at the moment, so I thought I'd go with the trend and attempt a more aesthetically interesting look for my blog...

A half an hour argument with the template. Another revelation of how strongly I dislike computers and of why exactly that is the case. But looks like no damage done. Some fixing-uping with the newly added links... Done!

Any comments and/or suggestions on the colours, links, etc. are welcome and appreciated. Everything will look different in the morning...

Good night!

Inbetween the worlds

2004-04-05T06:27:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, I first came to Canada about 2.5 years ago to go to school and get out of my bubble. When I went home after my first year living in Toronto, I experienced a very unexpected reverse culture shock, which was almost more "shocking" than the original Canadian one. First, it took me a while to revert back to my mother tongue (and that's after 17 years of speaking it!). Inability of my brain to recall the words such as plate, elevator, heels, etc. in any language other than English was a bit puzzling for me, as well as for those watching me struggle through a simple sentence. Secondly, the visual appearances of the people were an unexpected site too. Finding your "baby"-brother being 2 inches taller than you is ... yeah. Guess who gets to hold the remote now...

But what surprised me the most was a change in my relationships with the people. When I left the place where my life was, I subconsciously expected the world (or at least my world) to stop spinning for that year, so I can pick up right where I left off once I get back. Well guess what! Never happened! Life went on, people were growing up, graduating, getting married. And I was not a part of that life anymore. I know that it probably makes perfect sense, but to me that revelation came like a tidal wave that ruined my world. Nothing was the same, and I was torn between dwelling on the nostalgic used-to-be's and trying to recoup and build new castles. Don't get me wrong, the friends were still there, my mom still lectured me on wearing a sweater in the evenings, grandma still made my breakfast... But something was different. The dynamics of life changed, and not being a part of this progressive change I couldn't quite put my finger on what exactly has changed and had a miserable time trying to catch on.

It's been a while since then. I grew to realize and accept that the show must go on, no matter where or who is watching it. But here's a problem. People say that home is where the heart is. So where is the heart? I always thought that the heart is where family/friends are. Doesn't work like that anymore. A part of me is there, going for late night walks with my mom, sitting with a few old friends around the bonfire, playing guitar and eating baked potatoes, staring at the stars all night long and making up excuses for each others moms to why we never called after midnight. Another part is here, lost in the insanity of university and dorm life, meeting new people, developing new friendships that over the last couple of years became just as meaningful. So where is home? Though I still do think of our good old apartment with the view on the river as home, I realize more and more, that the fuzzier this image becomes and a new one (RUC and my place here for the moment) gets clearer, the more I grow apart with the teenage years friends and develop deeper relationshis here, the more difficult it will be to say where the home is.

Satisfaction

2004-03-23T03:39:00.000-05:00

I had a very academically productive day. After days like this I realize again and again that no matter how much I complain about school work, I am a student for life. I receive such satisfaction in understanding! It is a great relief when the pieces of a puzzle that have been crowding up my head since the beginning of the semester are finally forming a remotely recognizable picture! If anybody has any suggestions on how to learn to transform this picture into a decent paper without going through the agony I experience every time doing so, they would be greatly appreciated.

Speaking of understanding, I think I am finally ready to admit that Religion is not my thing (there's only that much powerpoint I can take). So my minor is under re-consideration, again. Any ideas?

P.S. If anybody sees Laura Stewart tomorrow, show her some appreciation, people! She's one of a kind :)

2004-03-15T00:44:00.000-05:00

I have finally figured out how to add links to my blog. Yay! Now I just have to figure out when I'll have the time to get around to actually doing that. Maybe one of the points in my Student Senate elections platform should be adding another day to every week, or rather to every weekend. Hmmm.

About the "deep" people, whatever that means

2004-03-05T02:41:00.000-05:00

Just a late night thought. What makes a person "deep"? What exactly do we mean when we refer to somebody in this way? Are we not all made in one image?

Some people seem to mean intelligence, some extreme "spirituality" (personally, I don't like that idea, but that's a whole different topic). Sometimes I wonder if we are all of equal "depth". And if not, what makes the difference?

I found that the more I get to know some people, the deeper they seem to get. It's a bothersome conclusion: means that with the shallow people I just don't take the time and make no effort to dig. Reminds me of the fairy-tales, where the true treasures are often hidden where only few will look.

Passion. Yes, again.

2004-03-01T01:05:00.000-05:00

I know that everybody has heard, read and seen so much of it lately that people are getting sick of the topic. But I just want to say a few words about the movie and what it did for my heart.

I went to see it on Wednesday, almost accidentally because I was not planning on doing so any time soon. I'm glad I did though, because it was not ruined for me with all the reviews, opinions and comments. Yeah, I have to say that I didn't enjoy it whatsoever and was ready to walk out about 30 minutes into the movie. To my disappointment (or luck) I was sitting in the middle of the row and was unable to get out.

I was not at all ready to see what I saw. Having an overly emotional week in general, I ended up bawling and convulsing for the first half of the movie and was able to pull myself together (if you can call it that) only for the end. But the point is that it definitely hit home, at least for me. Like most RUC students I knew the story, could recite it in my sleep and was not expecting to see anything new, but another "Jesus" movie. When we hear the story, it is told with such ease: "after being beaten, and spit on and humiliated, Jesus took up the cross and went to Calvary, where He was crucified to pay the price for our sins... blah, blah..." And with the same ease it is received. But as a product of our very visually stimulated culture, I don't think I could ever really picture it. And the Passion pictured it for me, and did so almost too well. Truly, a picture tells a thousand words."The blood spilled and the body broken for my sin" has a whole new meaning for me now. Would I be able to endure for Him 1/10 of what He endured for me? The answer to that question makes me miserable. My pride makes me upset and angry when people throw a sarcastic comment my way. At what point would I have given up? Sooner then I am even able to admit. Will I ever love some one half as much as He loves me?

I know that some people are not impressed with the movie and criticize it for this and that. And it does have its better moments, as well as the not-so-good ones. But for me it made a difference. I was touched much deeper than I can express and it made me fall on my knees at His throne. Again, but as for the very first time. Watching somebody going through such an agony so I wouldn't have to and realizing how often I completely ignore that person and play the game by my own rules was very painful, but necessary where I was at.

But my Redeemer LIVES!!! I cannot describe how much the meaning of these words changed for me on that Wednesday night. Singing that song at Friday's HotSpot was a whole new experience. He endured. He LIVES and I live in Him. With my broken heart, my sin, my weakness. By the grace and love that I will never be able to grasp. I LIVE IN HIM!

My Saturday night saga

2004-02-12T03:19:00.000-05:00

I have been asked this a number of times and I am finally ready to tell the story of my big-city adventures. I have been a little touchy on the subject for the last few days. I don't think it's good for my self-esteem. But hey, maybe somebody will be a little entertained by my saga, while taking a little study break. I just hope that I am not the only one who has been in a situation like that (cause that would probably kill my self-esteem completely). So here it comes...

On Saturday we went to see Teitur in Toronto. Good stuff! As I left Rivoli shortly before 1 am, I've decided that since I am already in TO, might as well do something useful. Since "something useful" was located in Scarborough, that's where I directed my steps. And everything would have been fine, had I not missed the last(!) subway that would take me back downtown (by about 7 minutes). A little puzzled with the new circumstances, I have decided that the bus would be the best next (and the only one) option. By the time lucky me got to the pick up stop, all that lucky me could see was a colourful ad on the back of the bus, leaving and taking my hopes to get home into the unknown far away. My "puzzlement" was replaced with a slight concern... My watch showed 2 am. Optimistic, as always, I noticed that the glass subway shelter I was in was only reasonably cold (as opposed to extremely cold outside), I set down intending to stay there for the next few hours, for cab was not affordable ($3 in my pocket would not get me far), and walking for not really an option.

However, I had to change my mind rather soon. A man who's been staring at me for the last few minutes suddenly started moving in my direction, simultaneously making considerable jumping leaps, producing a sound usually made by parents trying to motivate their children to behave via imitating a beast under the sink, and closing more rapidly than I felt comfortable with... My concern turned into the well contained panic, but the plan of action had to be reconsidered immediately, for I had no intention of keeping company to the mentally handicap homeless man for the next few hours.

The answer to my dilemma came with the bus, which was going nowhere near where I wanted to be, but away from my undesired companion. And that was good enough for the moment.

... I got off once a familiar street name was shouted out by the driver... Walking north seemed promising enough, for I had a vague recollection of the location of the streets and a Tim Horton's (Hallelujah!) where many high school class hours were enjoyably spent. An eventless 45 minute walk in the freezing cold was a success: I knew where I was. You would not believe the joy a large black coffee can bring.. mmm...

Attracting some attention (people who know anything about Scarborough would sympathize) at Tim's didn't bother me much, because it was one of the safer places to be at the time. After 2 hours of venting on the napkins (produced quite a novel), I was offered a ride downtown. My mom always taught me never to get in a car with strangers. Sorry mom...

A young man gave me a ride downtown, where I, to my great disappointment discovered that the Go station is not open for at least another hour and a half. The emptiness of the streets did not add any encouragement either. Oh well... I spotted a hog-dog booth down the street and ran there to ask whether there is any place around where I could spend these lonely hours. There was none. As I was about to leave, a man in the booth said that I am welcome to stay there and keep him company. A fire of the propane grill was definitely a sign that somebody "up there" was watching over me. The next 2 hours were spent smoking and having a rather interesting football discussion. For the first time in a few months somebody pronounced the name of my team correctly! Definitely a divine intervention...

From then on nothing particularly interesting happened: Go bus, Hamilton, home (sweet home!), and my pillow for the next 6 hours.

The moral of the story... well, you should've figured it out by now. And if not, my explanation isn't gonna help any. But God is good, and that night was a huge test of faith if nothing else and a proof of His faithfulness. I am loved...

P.S. Forgive my poor grammar. And I hope that nobody will ever be in a situation like that, 'cause it really does suck.

2004-02-09T03:21:00.000-05:00

Teitur...
I went to see him play on Saturday night at the Rivoli in Toronto with Rachel Epps and Jason Legg. He was great! That concert was definitely the highlight of the last few weeks of my life.
Every morning I wake up to the radio, and consistent repetition of the same 10 - 12 songs is probably the reason why I get out of bed: to turn it off! The lack of creativity and novelty in pop music nowadays could really make one think that "it's all been done before" and "there is nothing new under the sun." And it is true in a sense. But it is very encouraging and refreshing to find an artist every once in a while, whose music and a way of self expression differ from about everyone else's. And Teitur is definitely one of those for me. His unusual tunings and the use of different techniques for the guitar, as well as poetic and actually meaningful lyrics show just how much the modern pop culture (and music in particular) lacks.

Besides, he is just a nice guy, a little shy, who was incredibly surprised by the support and cheer of the audience. People knew a lot of the stuff by heart, and the artist was clearly pleased and appreciated the audience just as much as we appreciated him. We even got to talk to the guy and shake his hand. Cool! Due to the lack of an album (I don't own one yet) and a better idea, I got his autograph on a cigarette pack... oh, well. I think Jay is gonna write an article about him, so I'll say no more about the event.

We were so excited to go!! Hopelessness caused by a girl at the bar who said that the show was sold out was quickly replaced by great joy when we realized that she was wrong. We ended up having some of the best seats. Not bad for 8 bucks...

Anyways, the trip was well worth it, though a little dimmed for me with all the quite unbelievable adventures and challenges I experienced attempting to get back to Hamilton (they made for a good laugh in dorm 11 once I did get back @ 10:30 in the morning on Sunday. Maybe I'll blog about them some other time). So, thank God for Tim Horton's, good people and wonderful music.

2004-02-07T02:06:00.000-05:00

Today I went to the Go Fish! Missions week closing concert, and it was quite a pathetic spectacle as far as attendance goes. I mean I know, it's Friday night... But still. It was rather disappointing to see our aud less than half full. And by the way, the concert was pretty good. I was very impressed with the Angler's Chat. They played one of my favourite songs, Peace of God. Definitely made my night :)

2004-02-06T02:12:00.000-05:00

kudos to me.. :) i finally did it!