Convenience is Key

Yesterday I spent entirely too much time trying to get to Ikea. I swear by the public transit system, its just that Ikea is far and I was going by myself. Ikea really isn't all that fun by yourself but not many people wanted to go to Ikea because all my friends are more settled than I am and I wanted to go early.

Long story short I ended up getting the bed I picked out at Ikea from some guy off craigslist for less. Plus, free delivery. Yeah bed! It is still a mattress on the floor with all the parts scattered about because I'd rather paint before I set it up.

Today was spent talking with the landlord and paying first months rent, going to an orientation of sorts (ended up being geared for freshman, but hey, I found out that Snoop Dog will be at orientation on the first day and got to listen to the president who is one rad lady as far as I'm concerned), window shopping for a hair straightener (I'm sorry, but it has been too long that I've been without), researching banks, and watching a fantastic documentary in the evening through the world film festival.

Have I mentioned the world film festival? Montréalers (and perhaps Canadians in general) know how to live it up during the summer. I love the buzzing evening atmosphere: open restaurants with tables on the sidewalks, bikes, closed off streets, and the film festival going on in the heart of the city.

Thus far I've seen three films: The Escape - a Danish film on a journalist who escapes from a terrorist group with the help of one of its members. Searching for Dragone is a documentary on Franco Dragone (theater director known for work with Cirque du Soleil); a highly entertaining character because he has a temper and I love seeing how different people work in the field I'm interested in. The director of the film got up from the chair right in front of us and answered questions afterwards, I would have liked to say something but he and everyone else were speaking in French. The last two that I saw included Diario del Fin (Diary of the End) - a hauntingly beautiful short film on a woman with a bleak future. Pictured above. The short film was just before the documentary film on Iraqi children in Baghdad: Diary of the Ash City. Many of the children interviewed exuded such insight, intelligence, hope, and innocence when it came to daily explosions and the sectarian war that I kept thinking they'd hired actors. I'd really like to look into more of what the creators have to say, as they were putting themselves and those they interviewed into a lot of danger.

I found out this evening that the YMCA just around the corner provides free swimming hours to the public from now through December - FANTASTIC! I'm wedged between a darling library (pictured below) and the YMCA so I'm all set for winter, kids.For pictures and info on my neighborhood: imtl.org