I'll stop the world and melt with you like a blister in the sun

Apologies for being a poor blogger this month everyone.

School whacked me in the face and I feel like I've been trying to salve a nosebleed ever since.

Rehearsals are going well and I really like the girls. We rehearse twice a week on the weekends. I've made pretty good friends with the director and it's so much fun working with a student director who is my peer; instead of being someone I'm supposed to learn from, we learn together.

School is going alright now. I'm still really digging my Irish Lit course and all the stuff that our professor brings to the table. The other courses are all great as well, I'm really glad about my choices, I just wasn't prepared for all the readings that I'd be doing.

So fun stuff:



I went to Igloofest last weekend. It's a Canadian thing, I suppose, to go dance to techno music outside in -13 degrees celcius. It was quite a strange novelty dancing around bumping into people in my big puffy jacket. A fun novelty, but I think it will just be a one time thing. Crazy Canadians.

Yesterday I went to go see one of my favorite bands! Nouvelle Vague made there way to Montreal. They're a french band led by two producers that do bossa nova covers of punk and new wave. The producers have said that they wanted to bring new life to the songs so they usually picked women singers who had never heard the originals. It is SO good. Made to sound like 60's French pop; they are such a great live presence band. One of the girls ran into the crowd and danced around with people, me included. The other, for a final song, came into the crowd with her mic while singing and got really dramatic for the song 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' and writhed around on the floor.

Tim and I are now an item, fyi. Dani called it. It's a good fit and I'm happy. And no, we will no longer be roommates, and yes, he is still in Vancouver.

Baaston, Virginia is for lovers, and the Concrete Jungle

Hold onto your butts, this one is long overdue and jam packed and probably not that articulate.



I woke up a little late for the ride share Emilia and I were to take to NYC. Emilia searched on a website where people offer a space in their car for a small fee - it's a pretty awesome system and faster than the bus for crossing the border. Anyway, I wake up late. So I stumble around my room throwing on layers as fast as I can, trying to pack last minute things, and shoving a bagel down I run out the door to the stop where we're supposed to meet. A woman from Montreal is taking her friend from France to NYC with a hired student tour guide. I sleep most the time and it's a pretty relaxed ride. We get to the border and I'm not going to lie, I felt kind of embarrassed to be an American during the border crossing. The people at the border try really hard to intimidate and they're so suspicious of everything. It made me nervous even though I didn't do anything wrong. On the car ride I felt like apologizing to everyone for how silly we were treated, I may have, actually. I don't remember.

Anyway, we get to NYC where we're scheduled to take a bus to Boston. We miss the first bus, but it was a free ticket anyway for a seasonal promotion. So we buy a ticket and we're on the last bus to Boston, on our way between the storms that are going on around this time.

We arrive to see Maeve! It was so good to see her smiling face, a friend from back home! She took such good care of us too. She had meal points and an extra bed for Emilia and I to share so we saved a lot for the day and a half we were there. She shows us Boston College, the city, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and this rad thrift store called The Garment District. If you ever get a chance, check it out. They have this large pile of clothes you can pretty much swim in and everything in it is $1.50 a pound. We also attended a truly enjoyable Christmas punk show. That was really exciting for me because I've been craving it quite a bit. Punk I mean. Also, just the feel of American, because it is different. I accidentally gave them a Canadian twenty at the entrance and got a little disgruntled. The guy looked at me and was like...yeah...we don't take that here. Also cool about Boston: the accents. Oh man. A successful romp in Boston was had and I'm so glad I got to see Maeve before she left for California Christmas.

Next was Virginia! What a pleasure to bus through other states and see the countryside for cheap. So so so good to see everyone in the fam that lives in the east coast because it's been a while. Kellen especially because I've grown rather fond of that cousin of mine. Virginia is really very beautiful, aunt Lana took such good care of us, Gordon was a lovely chauffeur and snow man maker, and the boys were good for entertainment. It felt like real Christmas. Not that the others were fake before, it's just I've always had the picture in my head that Christmas is snowy. We woke up at 11 to open presents (and I'm used to 6 with Emma), and both Emilia and I were overwhelmed by how kind our family was for being so thoughtful with their gifts. I felt like a little kid again. I got a Uke! After presents we made a snow man, and then Emilia and I made some latkas (part of Christmas with my immediate fam).

Throughout our week there we visited D.C. I got to see the senate and look in on the debates! That means I was watching John Kerry, John McCain and others from an observation deck like animals in a cage. Kind of felt surreal. Checked out some other areas, saw the big tree, the white house, etc. We went to a diner type resto in the D.C. mall so that Emilia could have an American shake.

Devin convinced us to go to the Marine Museum, which was pretty interesting. Also visited George Washington's estates and then an art collective location that used to be a factory that produced missiles. Also, Target. That was kinda lame to get excited about but I was nonetheless. My favorite part of the trip was just exploring the Virginia woods just near the house with my cousins and their dog Toby. What a charming area. And I only had to wear a sweater! It was like spring when we left because all the snow was melting.

I'm so grateful to have spent Christmas with family and to get a feel for what it's like to live in the east. I'm a lucky duck, I tell you. I've got good people in my life. Thanks so much guys! It's a Christmas I won't forget.

Then it was on to NYC. Emilia and I get there and meet with Tim. Apparently the border was more of a jerk to him. Shessh. We get to our hostel and drop our stuff and then go walking around Manhattan to get a sense of the city. We were in NYC for a total of a week and Dani joined after two days of us being there already.

We did the basics: Central Park, Conney Island (so Emilia could take photos), MoMA (with a really well curated Tim Burton exhibit), MET, Broadway - Sarah Rhule's "In The Next Room" - my kind of play as I'm not a big musical fan, food, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bridge, Greenwich Village, NBC studios, Time Square, the humongous library, and Strand - a three story, plus a basement, of books selling for fairly good prices and probably the number one reason I would consider moving to NYC if I ever had money for it. I guess I did lots of touristy things but it's kind of necessary for that first trip if you've never been there.

We also stopped by ground zero and walked to the edge of the island to gaze at the statue of liberty. I was surprised by how powerfully I was affected walking by ground zero, of course I comprehend the gravity of what occurred but not in such a personal manner before. Much of it is gated and there is construction on the memorial but there was this large beam from the fire that had stayed in tact in the shape of a cross and had been relocated out of the area. It was really affecting me to read the little messages people had scribbled on it to loved ones. Its simplicity gave me some joy as well, because the area looks as if it will just turn into a huge tourist attraction. And that just scares me. But then again, I'm one of the tourists.

For New Years we were at a loss for what to do because Time Square sounded like a terrible idea. Last minute Tim said he was Canadian to a girl on the subway and got us into a cool party with a bunch of New Yorkers. Was fun to ring in the new year in that sort of environment instead of a tourist attraction where you freeze your buns off.

Adventures had, and super tired we make our way to the trains for our 12 hour ride. Whew! I tried to sleep as much as possible but it was a little difficult. I was loopy, for sure. I can't quite explain how calming it felt to return to the hut, it truly has become my home and I did miss it and Montreal in general. Danz had three days to see Montreal so I tried to put as much together as possible. We went to old port, went ice skating, ate food a lot, hung out with friends, went dancing, etc. It was cool to show someone around. In the midst of this I started school, though, so I hope she had a good time even though I had to dash to class sometimes to make sure I got registered.

Here is my next semester: Greek Mythology, Prose, Playwriting, Power and Conflict Resolution, and Irish Dramatic Literature. Can I just say I'm blown away by how cool my Irish Lit prof is? She's directing a McDonagh play and her profession is directing. So we're looking at plays from a theatrical perspective in an English course. It is perfect for me. Did I mention she is British?

Also this semester, I couldn't help myself so I answered a post for a needed stage manager. I'll be stage managing the Vagina Monologues for this semester. I can't tell you how excited I am. This is an amazing, poignant, and important piece for women and men alike. I've seen it performed twice at Sonoma and both years I was blown away. Before you start bemoaning how your relative is some crazed feminist who chants in your face or doesn't shave her pits please just check out the site if you don't know what the show is: http://www.vday.org/home
This year all proceeds will go to women in the Congo. The vagina monologues is part of the worldwide movement called V-Day, dedicated to ending violence against women and girls.

I've met with the cast and crew and I can tell it's going to be a really rewarding experience and one that I will return to in years to come. Some of you know how much I need large projects in order to thrive, so you understand how excited and energized this makes me. It's been a flurry of a week and the next is just happening! I wish things would slow down because this is, after all, the last of my undergrad.

Oh yeah, also doing belly dancing. I start tomorrow. Wud up. I love you Montreal.

One thing not to be so excited about, though I am excited for him: Tim leaves Friday morning for a Vancouver work adventure. The company he works for is moving him there for the Olympics for two months. I guess it's not that long but I'll still miss him. Guido (his twin) will take his spot for the time so it will ease the difference of him no longer being around. Plus Guido can teach me Uke!

We had a lovely little belated Christmas where we opened gifts and then went out for sushi all dressed up. So we felt like little kids and then grown ups in the same night.