Holidays

Let's see...

Last night Leah and I met after work and went to the Festival of Lights, in Kensington Market. This festival/parade is basically a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Giant puppet-mask costumed actors stage various crazy scenes in the street, involving the cyclical life and death of summer and winter. Stilt walkers and fire-breathers do their respective things. And various shadow shows, costumed singers and paper-mache creations play out on rooftops and sidewalks. All of this is accompanied by the drumming of the crazy marching/dancing band that winds its way through the market.
We missed the grand finale in the park... Leah tells me that mostly it involves more drumming and the burning of giant effigies. Partly, this is a little too pagan for my liking, and partly it was freezing and I was hungry... so we went to Tastys and ate blue-cheese burgers.

The parade was fun - although it is a little scary when you overhear someone telling their kid that this is what Christmas is really all about. I am glad that we get to celebrate something a little more significant than the shortest day of the year.

After all of this, we went home and finished watching the Office. If you don't mind some pretty crass humour here and there (there are only one or two spots where they go way over the line), I highly recommend it. Hilarious, but with much more depth than anything I have seen on TV in a long time. (OK, so we haven't even had a TV for a long time, but trust me...)

In 4 hours I will be on Holiday.

Ouch

Today I burnt the mess out of my tongue whilst eating some delicious Tim Horton's turkey and rice soup.

Quick

This last weekend we were involved in a chaotic dinner event for new immigrants to Canada. Ironically (for me at least), we played the part of the Canadian hosts. It was fun.
Also, we had people over for dinner on Sunday, after church, to help us eat a lot of left over turkey.
For the rest of the weekend, we did dishes.

My silk-screened cards turned out OK, despite being a bit frustrating. It all comes down to having the right tool for the job - or in my case, never having the right tool for the job.

Also - The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom is a crazy book. I highly recommend.

I haven't decided if I fully recommend the TV show The Office (the BBC version - I have not seen any of the US version)... I will say that the few episodes that we watched last night were funny (and sort of not funny)

Happy Holidays

This is what it looked like waiting for the streetcar this morning...

Unfortunately, we are going to be quite busy the next few days, otherwise I'd be hitting up the giant hill at Cedarvale Park with some cardboard. Maybe if there is still snow everywhere on Sunday...

Some animal links...

Scientists discover what might be a new mammal - it is crazy that there are still things on earth that we haven't found yet.

Also, this guy creates some pretty neat things out of chairs and nikes.

December

So, three weeks until the holidays... I am looking forward to a week off. Somehow, 10 days of vacation a year seems a little unreasonable to be a socially acceptable and widely practiced norm.

We made a big breakfast this Saturday for 11 people... pancakes and fruit for everyone. It was just the warm-up for this coming weekend. Turkey for 10...

Hipster Bingo

Forget taking this to shows, I'm going to start playing at church...

Blazing Out Yo La Tengo

This seems to be turning into a music blog of sorts...

Anyway - for whatever reason, I seem to like songs that reference other bands/songs. Of course, the song has to be good too. (Check out Nada Surf's Blonde on Blonde if you want an example.)

So, how could I not like Playboy, by Hot Chip... I mean, the idea of rolling in your blinged out ride, with the Yo La blazing...

That is hilarious.

Havalina - Space, Love and Bullfighting

I forgot about this CD - I like it.

Bullfighter
The bullfighter had come to town, summertime he'd been laid down, the bull had took his winning crown, and left him lying on the ground, his wife and children hung their heads, the bullfighter wished he was dead. He couldn't stand the pain that day, and all his pride was torn away, the sky it was a bitter gray, and bitter were the things they'd say. Madrid, Madrid reach out to me, I'm down upon a bended knee, I need the fight to be set free, Oh Lord above have you cursed me. Wintertime had brought despair, and all the news had spread of what had happened there, the bull had nailed him to the floor, and though the pain was bad his pride was wounded more, the bull fighter was feel'n down, and though his scorn had passed he wore it like a thorny crown, he couldn't take another day, he went up to the highest roof and flew away.

Space and Places
I'm moving futher from the ground, I'm losing touch with things around, I'm finding out I'm needing you, I start to see the awful things, that I do, It's a big world, to fall in love girl, It's a warm night, it will be all right, even space has, empty places, everything has, time and spaces, everything falls out of places, leaving us their empty spaces.

Pluto
Out a ways in the solar system, Pluto lies so cold and distant 12345678, (9) planets from the sun, and right about here in the solar system, lie you and I so cold and distant, I guess you could say we're not having any fun. And the world goes by and life is grand and people fall and people stand, and the planets spin around again as you're reaching slowly for my hand. Out in space it's awfully cold, and only you can make me whole, things aren't always what they seem, and Pluto's caught right in between. Not quite a planet and not quite steam, Pluto's caught right in between. Some things they may fall apart, and sometimes love may break your heart, and sometimes I may lose my way, and Pluto is now yesterday.

Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Here it is not Thanksgiving. Here it is snowing like a dumptruck.

Genius

If I were ever lucky enough to own an iPod AND a scooter, I would definitely have to check this out...

CD Update

Here's another CD that is well worth listening to if you ever get the chance...
The Langley Schools Music Project.

I can't get the audio of this NPR story (about the album) to work - maybe you can...

Weekend Update

Saturday - I went to the Freedom Clothing sale... I didn't buy anything, but you should definitely check out the store if you like vintage/used/cut-paste design type clothing.
I then went to Mitchells and bought this CD by the Newsboys from a friendly South African lady. Yes, the Newsboys.
Saturday night was the biggest Indian food feast I have ever seen this side of a Miranda Stone concert. It was for Katherine's birthday. There was seriously enough food for two of everybody.

Sunday - We went to the Santa Claus parade. We also bought the Bell Orchestre CD and tickets to a Final Fantasy / Great Lake Swimmers show which is going to pretty much rule. Other shows drool.

Winter

Winter is officially here, with snow and all.

As we get closer and closer to the shortest day of the year, I ask why this particular day seems to drag on so long...

Let me know if you have any suggestions for my aforementioned CD list. (see previous posting)

CDs

Every now and then I try to think of CDs that I wouldn't mind purchasing... Here's the list right now, off the top of my head:

My Favorite - The Happiest Days of Our Lives
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
The Violet Burning - Faith And Devotions Of A Satellite Heart
Jolie Holland - Escondida
Iron and Wine - Any album
Innocence Mission - Befriended / Small Planes / Birds of My Neighborhood
Citizen Cope - The Clarence Greenwood Recordings
Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors

I'm sure there are more, which I will add if I think of them...

Wednesday

Half way through the week... not much to report.

Leah helped me to print some shirts last night for the Paintball game that some guys from church organized. I will post a picture or two on the IMMIGRANT Design site when I get a chance.

Urban Designs

I missed the Toronto Zombie Walk, but I still have a chance to check out this weekend's pillow fight.

Party People

If (and only if) you're in the right mood - the United State of Electronica makes for a pretty good listen...

Heroes

The Loitering Heroes show last night was fun. I think it was the best show I've ever seen them play. The new songs were good, and the band seemed to be playing more as a band somehow.

It was cool to run into Kate - and catch a glimpse of what is sure to be a strange and fun show... (there was a guy dressed as Teen Wolf..!)

I submitted a few logos for the New Orleans Restoration Fund design contest. Its good practice at something I haven't ever done much of - turns out its really hard to do well...

IMMIGRANT Design is back! There is nothing new to see though, but I should be adding some logo design and maybe some web design at some point... Also, I might have some ideas for some silkscreening projects, but who knows whether I'll actually get to doing any of them...