Sunday, March 23, 2008
San Zhi
I am definitely going to mark this as one of the places I need to see before I die. San Zhi is an abandoned housing complex located just outside of Taipei, Taiwan. It's rumored that several fatal accidents occurred during construction which caused the development company, as well as the locals, to believe the site was haunted. Another speculation was that the developer simply ran out of money and halted all construction. The pods were built in the 1980s and were targeted as a holiday location for the rich of Taipei, however, there is very little conclusive information about San Zhi.
The Flickr site below provides some stunning shots of the complex along with a little blurb about it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yusheng/sets/72157594518737058
Creativity
While J was away on business in January, I tried to think of interesting and fun things that the little person and I could do together when I stumbled upon private knitting instruction through the Toronto Craft Alert site. Little did I know what a treasure I had found! The instruction went very well (unlike my ability to catch on to knitting!) and we discovered that K taught other classes such as felting, crocheting, watercolor painting and needlecrafts (to name a few).
Since then, my husband and I have taken the little person to see this wonderful artist every Saturday morning. It is really amazing is to see what the little person creates and be witness to her exploration of creativity. K is such a talented and lovely person, as is her husband. We feel so fortunate to have met them and find it such a treat be in their presence.
Since then, my husband and I have taken the little person to see this wonderful artist every Saturday morning. It is really amazing is to see what the little person creates and be witness to her exploration of creativity. K is such a talented and lovely person, as is her husband. We feel so fortunate to have met them and find it such a treat be in their presence.
Ah, the Norwegians sure know how to celebrate!
Tonight, the little one had some challenging questions about Easter such as:
- Why is it an Easter bunny and not an Easter bird? (After all, bunnies don't lay eggs, right?)
- How did Easter start?
- Does the Easter bunny only give presents to children?
Of course, you're going to have to look up the answers yourselves but I wanted to share an interesting finding with you about traditions in my favorite country, Norway.
In Norway, in addition to cross-country skiing in the mountains and painting eggs for decorating, a contemporary tradition is to solve murder mysteries at Easter. All the major television channels show crime and detective stories (such as Agatha Christie's Poirot), magazines print stories where the readers can try to figure out who did it, and many new books are published. Even the milk cartons change to have murder stories on their sides. Another tradition is Yahtzee games.
(Courtesy Wikipedia)
- Why is it an Easter bunny and not an Easter bird? (After all, bunnies don't lay eggs, right?)
- How did Easter start?
- Does the Easter bunny only give presents to children?
Of course, you're going to have to look up the answers yourselves but I wanted to share an interesting finding with you about traditions in my favorite country, Norway.
In Norway, in addition to cross-country skiing in the mountains and painting eggs for decorating, a contemporary tradition is to solve murder mysteries at Easter. All the major television channels show crime and detective stories (such as Agatha Christie's Poirot), magazines print stories where the readers can try to figure out who did it, and many new books are published. Even the milk cartons change to have murder stories on their sides. Another tradition is Yahtzee games.
(Courtesy Wikipedia)
Friday, March 21, 2008
It's hot in here
We stayed up until 4 am yesterday watching Hell's Kitchen. (Gee, I hope it isn't sacrilegious to admit that today...) We just couldn't break away from the profanity and torture. This show is not for the weak of heart - the humiliation the hopefuls endure is an ego-crushing boot camp designed to annihilate a person's spirit, psyche and any semblance of passion they may have had coming into the show. Tempers flare, tears flow, cat-fights ensure, dreams are shattered, people smoke incessantly and food gets spit on, yet...it's wildly entertaining.
Gordon Ramsay is a celebrated chef, author and successful restauranteur, as well as the most vicious and degrading man to grace the scene. His style is harsh and one may wonder if the contestants aren't somewhat masochistic to put themselves through it all but I suppose the idea of heading up a brand new five-star restaurant with a guaranteed six figure income is quite an incentive for some. Oh yes, not to mention the satisfaction of proving to the viewers (and perhaps, their families and themselves) that they're worthy of it all has some obvious appeal as witnessed through hard work of the participants.
Of course, not all people are cut out for that kind of pressure. In the very first episode, Aaron, the 48 year-old retirement home cook, loses it even before they are given their first assignment. He's blubbering like the man-child that he is in the first episode, right up until Chef Ramsay calls him at the hospital and kicks him off the show for good. (Did I mention that he faints in that particular episode?) Anyway, he was beginning to annoy me with his total incompetence, extreme insecurity, profuse sweating and his childlike persona. (Gosh, that was heartless, wasn't it??)
[Giddy up]
Anyway, if you're looking for something fun to watch in reality television programming, I highly recommend it.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Garage sale at work!
Today was 'Clean Up Day' at work, followed by goodies and a GARAGE SALE! (Sweet!) As I've mentioned in previous posts, I live strongly by the motto, One person's trash is another person's treasure (much to the chagrin of my husband!). This garage sale was special, though, in that most of the 'trash' happened to be brand new promotional items from sponsors of our organization. I did very well and spent practically nothing (well, less than $8) and came away with some really awesome treats. For starters, I purchased three fishing rods for my posse at home since the little person has mentioned many times how she'd like to go fishing some day. I think this would be a great little adventure for us this summer and now, we've got some sporty pink rods to use! In addition to this, I got a ball cap for the little one to use whilst baiting hooks that says, 'Fisher Girl'. Ohhhh... ("It's all the rage", I was told!)
Unfortunately, I missed out on a Twinkie costume. Boo. I thought it was some kind of tacky yellow blanket or tablecloth. (Sigh).
In any case, I'm discovering that this place has a really strong social committee and the atmosphere appears to be quite congenial. Yesterday, the social committee went around and gave everyone a basket of goodies. We even had a little Easter celebration in the boardroom complete with fancy cupcakes, chocolate and gummies! There was also a very heated game of 'pin the tail on the bunny'. A representative from each department had to wear a bunny eye-mask, spin around and throw a jelly which they hoped would land in the vicinity of the tail. (Side note: Poor bunny was humiliated as his naughty bits seemed to get the most attention!) Winners? Why, our department, of course! Yay! We get a month of sponsored treats (one per week!).
It was great to see such a positive turn-out for both events. Already, this place is a million times better than the art college I was working at. The people are friendly, smile a lot and appear to enjoy working here. Plus, there seems to be incentive for upward mobility which certainly never hurt (in light of all my doomsday drudgery and boohoo-ing about finding fulfilling work). If I have to be in this particular kind of work, it may as well be here. (Coincidentally, this is what one might call a 'pink ghetto' job. For those of you who know where I'm employed, you'll understand what I mean!).
Unfortunately, I missed out on a Twinkie costume. Boo. I thought it was some kind of tacky yellow blanket or tablecloth. (Sigh).
In any case, I'm discovering that this place has a really strong social committee and the atmosphere appears to be quite congenial. Yesterday, the social committee went around and gave everyone a basket of goodies. We even had a little Easter celebration in the boardroom complete with fancy cupcakes, chocolate and gummies! There was also a very heated game of 'pin the tail on the bunny'. A representative from each department had to wear a bunny eye-mask, spin around and throw a jelly which they hoped would land in the vicinity of the tail. (Side note: Poor bunny was humiliated as his naughty bits seemed to get the most attention!) Winners? Why, our department, of course! Yay! We get a month of sponsored treats (one per week!).
It was great to see such a positive turn-out for both events. Already, this place is a million times better than the art college I was working at. The people are friendly, smile a lot and appear to enjoy working here. Plus, there seems to be incentive for upward mobility which certainly never hurt (in light of all my doomsday drudgery and boohoo-ing about finding fulfilling work). If I have to be in this particular kind of work, it may as well be here. (Coincidentally, this is what one might call a 'pink ghetto' job. For those of you who know where I'm employed, you'll understand what I mean!).
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Imbibing on the green
Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone (especially to MGDC - xo)!
"Erin go bragh!" or "Pogue mahone!", as an old friend used to say!
What a creepy looking character (he kind of reminds me of Charlie McCarthy meets Planet of the Apes).
I don't know what to make of this one...
Or this one...
"Erin go bragh!" or "Pogue mahone!", as an old friend used to say!
What a creepy looking character (he kind of reminds me of Charlie McCarthy meets Planet of the Apes).
I don't know what to make of this one...
Or this one...
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Red Letter Day(s)
Last week, I was in postal heaven! I received so many wonderful letters and treats in the mail that left me ohhhing and ahhhing. Our new neighbors even asked if it was my birthday because of all of the packages that were delivered one day.
Among the packages that arrived were two envelopes filled with vintage goodness. They were part of an ephemera swap that I had joined through Swap-Bot. There were vintage photographs and papers, old advertisements and ticket stubs, postcards and other miscellany. I don't know what it is about ephemera that I love so much but I think it's a combination of nostalgia and inspiration. I try to imagine what was going on in the pictures, how people related to each other and what stories they would share. I especially love looking at old advertisements as they are indicative of the gender roles and division of labour that existed during the time they were being circulated. Of course, I also love the beautiful artwork and the rich styles of clothing that accompany them. Another aspect of ephemera that I love is its tactile nature - touching the weathered pages of a book, feeling the typeset or letterpressed print on the pages, holding the tattered black and white photographs, feeling the superb craftmanship of a book spine or photo album - it's all very pleasing to me.
And what do I do with all this stuff? I often make little goodie packages for my friends who share a love for ephemera or I slip in bits of paper into envelopes of letters that I've written. Sometimes, I'll use the pieces to make cards, adorn packages or paste them into my journal. I consider them to be little treasures and often search for them wherever I go.
One of my favorite blogs is http://ephemera.typepad.com/ by Marty Weil, a freelance writer and ephemera researcher. It's a wonderful read for ephemera-enthusiasts or anyone who is feeling nostalgic.
Among the packages that arrived were two envelopes filled with vintage goodness. They were part of an ephemera swap that I had joined through Swap-Bot. There were vintage photographs and papers, old advertisements and ticket stubs, postcards and other miscellany. I don't know what it is about ephemera that I love so much but I think it's a combination of nostalgia and inspiration. I try to imagine what was going on in the pictures, how people related to each other and what stories they would share. I especially love looking at old advertisements as they are indicative of the gender roles and division of labour that existed during the time they were being circulated. Of course, I also love the beautiful artwork and the rich styles of clothing that accompany them. Another aspect of ephemera that I love is its tactile nature - touching the weathered pages of a book, feeling the typeset or letterpressed print on the pages, holding the tattered black and white photographs, feeling the superb craftmanship of a book spine or photo album - it's all very pleasing to me.
And what do I do with all this stuff? I often make little goodie packages for my friends who share a love for ephemera or I slip in bits of paper into envelopes of letters that I've written. Sometimes, I'll use the pieces to make cards, adorn packages or paste them into my journal. I consider them to be little treasures and often search for them wherever I go.
One of my favorite blogs is http://ephemera.typepad.com/ by Marty Weil, a freelance writer and ephemera researcher. It's a wonderful read for ephemera-enthusiasts or anyone who is feeling nostalgic.
Beware the Ides of March
I can't believe that three months have already passed since the beginning of the New Year! Where has the time gone? What have I done? Where have I been?
These past three months saw the beginning of a New Year and marked the end of one that was just amazing (the highlights of which were traveling, getting engaged and tying the knot). I've experienced the usual ups-and-downs that accompany the February blahs but have also gone through a range of emotions regarding finding out my 'identity' and my place in life. There have also been the slew of interviews I've been on, the starting-and-stopping of jobs, the removal of a tooth, several snowstorms, another birthday (sigh), meeting new people and watching the snow melt (sort of). The highlights, thus far, have been celebrating the videos that my husband directed, watching my little person learn and grow through her lessons with an artist and meeting a kindred spirit through an unlikely place of work. Oh yes, and then there are the tickets to Japan that were just purchased... now, THAT, is definitely exciting!
In finding my place in this life, I've struggled with what I'm supposed to 'do' (career-wise). People say that what you do for a living shouldn't define who you are but on some level, I believe that it does. To me, what a person does for a living does represent some extension of that person. For some, it signifies what that person is interested in and in some cases, what they're passionate about. It may indicate that what they are doing or where they are working is considered worthy of the eight hours (or more) spent each day. It may also provide clues to what that individual sees as important outside of work (ie how they choose to live) by the amount of money they are being compensated. Or... it may signify nothing.
If a job gives you no sense of accomplishment or pride, or is simply a means to an end, then how can it provide some insight as to who you are or what you value (including one's self)?
I wish that what I did for eight hours a day represented the me that I see as creative, passionate, happy, alive, proud and not embarrassed, sad, and unfulfilled. Often times, I ask myself what exactly it is that I think I should be doing or what I see myself doing. I've researched so many different vocations and have even taken courses towards them but without much luck. It always seems that I'm on the cusp of finding which path I should take but then find myself on some other tangent. Practicality has often dictated what kind of jobs I've ended up with. Inevitably, due to financial reasons and the need to secure a position with benefits, I end up in the same sort of job lamenting about the same ennui. It's really quite a vicious cycle.
I keep hoping for some kind of epiphany to happen or that "a-ha!" moment that you hear so much about. I am even in the process of meeting with a Life/Career Coach to sort myself out, though, I am finding that much of what we've talked about are things that I have already processed through my own self-discovery. (Still, it can't hurt, can it?).
I guess I'm afraid of being one of those people who never realizes their dream or fails to use those talents that are bestowed upon them and finds themselves at age x having spent a large part of their working life being unfulfilled or wasting time. I hope this incubation period ends soon so that I can finally do what I'm 'supposed' to.
On a more positive note, I'm happy to report that the other aspects of my life are quite satisfying and fulfilling. I'm with a partner who supports & loves me, makes me laugh, cooks (particularly important for those of us who are resistant to it!), takes great care of my little person & I, is passionate about life, shares the same values & hopes for the future as I and who is also my best friend. Similarly, I get to spend my days with an amazing little (medium-sized?) person who is healthy, creative, intelligent, kind, a little precocious, incredibly humorous and continues to teach me about love, life and more importantly, myself. I am always grateful for what I have and the fact that I still have the desire to expect more out of myself and the initiative to do so.
Can you think of anything more permanently elating than to know that you are on the right road at last?
(Vernon Howard)
These past three months saw the beginning of a New Year and marked the end of one that was just amazing (the highlights of which were traveling, getting engaged and tying the knot). I've experienced the usual ups-and-downs that accompany the February blahs but have also gone through a range of emotions regarding finding out my 'identity' and my place in life. There have also been the slew of interviews I've been on, the starting-and-stopping of jobs, the removal of a tooth, several snowstorms, another birthday (sigh), meeting new people and watching the snow melt (sort of). The highlights, thus far, have been celebrating the videos that my husband directed, watching my little person learn and grow through her lessons with an artist and meeting a kindred spirit through an unlikely place of work. Oh yes, and then there are the tickets to Japan that were just purchased... now, THAT, is definitely exciting!
In finding my place in this life, I've struggled with what I'm supposed to 'do' (career-wise). People say that what you do for a living shouldn't define who you are but on some level, I believe that it does. To me, what a person does for a living does represent some extension of that person. For some, it signifies what that person is interested in and in some cases, what they're passionate about. It may indicate that what they are doing or where they are working is considered worthy of the eight hours (or more) spent each day. It may also provide clues to what that individual sees as important outside of work (ie how they choose to live) by the amount of money they are being compensated. Or... it may signify nothing.
If a job gives you no sense of accomplishment or pride, or is simply a means to an end, then how can it provide some insight as to who you are or what you value (including one's self)?
I wish that what I did for eight hours a day represented the me that I see as creative, passionate, happy, alive, proud and not embarrassed, sad, and unfulfilled. Often times, I ask myself what exactly it is that I think I should be doing or what I see myself doing. I've researched so many different vocations and have even taken courses towards them but without much luck. It always seems that I'm on the cusp of finding which path I should take but then find myself on some other tangent. Practicality has often dictated what kind of jobs I've ended up with. Inevitably, due to financial reasons and the need to secure a position with benefits, I end up in the same sort of job lamenting about the same ennui. It's really quite a vicious cycle.
I keep hoping for some kind of epiphany to happen or that "a-ha!" moment that you hear so much about. I am even in the process of meeting with a Life/Career Coach to sort myself out, though, I am finding that much of what we've talked about are things that I have already processed through my own self-discovery. (Still, it can't hurt, can it?).
I guess I'm afraid of being one of those people who never realizes their dream or fails to use those talents that are bestowed upon them and finds themselves at age x having spent a large part of their working life being unfulfilled or wasting time. I hope this incubation period ends soon so that I can finally do what I'm 'supposed' to.
On a more positive note, I'm happy to report that the other aspects of my life are quite satisfying and fulfilling. I'm with a partner who supports & loves me, makes me laugh, cooks (particularly important for those of us who are resistant to it!), takes great care of my little person & I, is passionate about life, shares the same values & hopes for the future as I and who is also my best friend. Similarly, I get to spend my days with an amazing little (medium-sized?) person who is healthy, creative, intelligent, kind, a little precocious, incredibly humorous and continues to teach me about love, life and more importantly, myself. I am always grateful for what I have and the fact that I still have the desire to expect more out of myself and the initiative to do so.
Can you think of anything more permanently elating than to know that you are on the right road at last?
(Vernon Howard)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
A community for people who have a passion for the postal system
Sweet.
I keep hearing about Postal Pop. Time to investigate.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
OCAD Book Arts Fair
Every year in December, book artists, printmakers, papermakers, and private press printers gather at OCAD to show their work and demonstrate their skills in OCAD's Central Hall and Printmaking studios. The university community and general public are welcome to come and watch artists at work making paper, printing from litho stones, screen printing, hand typesetting, book binding, wood engraving, etching and much more. Many items are available for sale, providing unique ideas for holiday gift giving. Admission is pay-what-you-can.
I took the little person with me and we had a wonderful time. We visited each and every table to admire the beautiful craftmanship and even purchased a few little items. We were fortunate enough to be treated to our own private little demo of a lithograph being printed in the Printmaking studio. It was a great experience for us both!
[I think in another life, I was meant to be a printmaker]
The talented and lovely Akemi of Kozo Studio was there peddling her wares - pins, magnets, gorgeous prints & handmade books, Christmas cards and printing blocks. Also on display was a copy of, "The Anthology of Printmakers Coloring Book" which is a fundraising project she organized in support of OCAD's printmaking dept., as well as a health cooperative for artists which I mentioned in a previous post. Very nice...
Saturday, December 1, 2007
City of Craft
I went to City of Craft yesterday. WOW! What a great event! It was so much more than a regular craft fair as it featured craft-based installations, demos, and free workshops, alongside a curated craft fair filled with contemporary, stylish, and offbeat handmade goodies. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about great local classes, studios, resources, and craft based projects and at the same time, provide inspiration.
Everyone was incredibly friendly and dare I say, stylish. It was a great venue for people-watching and meeting the people behind all of those lovely Etsy stores I'd been admiring! The Toronto Zine Library was there with a little tent set up where you could peruse all of the zine goodness they house. They also had little zine mystery packages for sale which had a number of zines enclosed. There was a screen printing demo set up in one corner of the event and an amazing house made entirely of donated hand-knit items was on display courtesy of StreetKnit (an inventive endeavor to bring awareness to issues of homelessness in the city).
This was City of Craft's first event and what a success! I can't wait until they host another venue...
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Special delivery
When I called my husband from work to see if I had received any mail today, he said that a big envelope had arrived! (Joy!) I was so excited to get home and see what goodness had been delivered. (Little did I know what kind of glorious treat I was in for!)
The package was AMAZING! It was for the Super Quick Swap I had signed up for through Swap-Bot. There were beautiful pieces of vintage fabric, oodles of ephemera (including lovely clippings, a black and white photograph & other darling antiquities), envelopes with adorable food characters, a recipe for chickpea cutlets that sounds delicious, and a gorgeous Taschen book of Pin-Ups (I've wanted this for ages! How did you know?!)! There was also a lovely handwritten letter enclosed telling me about my wonderful and cool partner.
If you are reading this, dear swap partner, a million thank yous for your amazing package! If I never swap again, I will be satisfied having received your superb melange of ephemeral goodness... (Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to staring at all of my wonderful treasures...Ohhhh... Ahhhh...)
The package was AMAZING! It was for the Super Quick Swap I had signed up for through Swap-Bot. There were beautiful pieces of vintage fabric, oodles of ephemera (including lovely clippings, a black and white photograph & other darling antiquities), envelopes with adorable food characters, a recipe for chickpea cutlets that sounds delicious, and a gorgeous Taschen book of Pin-Ups (I've wanted this for ages! How did you know?!)! There was also a lovely handwritten letter enclosed telling me about my wonderful and cool partner.
If you are reading this, dear swap partner, a million thank yous for your amazing package! If I never swap again, I will be satisfied having received your superb melange of ephemeral goodness... (Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to staring at all of my wonderful treasures...Ohhhh... Ahhhh...)
Friday, November 16, 2007
Coptic Binding
Last Saturday, I went to an all-day workshop on Coptic Binding offered by the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild. It was such a great experience! I didn't realize that it would be so labour-intensive!
We began from scratch and started with two pieces of wood, three huge sheets of paper, binding thread and an apron full of bookbinding supplies. Louise Granahan taught the workshop and took us through all of the intracacies of coptic binding. We began by shaping the wood through grating and sanding it. We then learned how to make signatures with the sheets of paper. This involved folding the papers, splitting them carefully and then, keeping them together in folded groups known as signatures. From there, there was drilling (we needed to put holes through the wood to accomodate the stitching), puncturing (we needed to create a template and then, puncture holes into the signatures) and lots and lots of sewing. Louise provided a tutorial for each stitch to get us on our way.
Of course, there were many more steps in-between that I haven't touched on. Luckily, Louise provided us with handouts at the end of class to guide us through the process once we got home. In the end, we all came away with beautiful little books!
Below are some pictures taken at the workshop:
And here is my little creation:
Ta da! Not too shabby - if I do say so myself! :)
We began from scratch and started with two pieces of wood, three huge sheets of paper, binding thread and an apron full of bookbinding supplies. Louise Granahan taught the workshop and took us through all of the intracacies of coptic binding. We began by shaping the wood through grating and sanding it. We then learned how to make signatures with the sheets of paper. This involved folding the papers, splitting them carefully and then, keeping them together in folded groups known as signatures. From there, there was drilling (we needed to put holes through the wood to accomodate the stitching), puncturing (we needed to create a template and then, puncture holes into the signatures) and lots and lots of sewing. Louise provided a tutorial for each stitch to get us on our way.
Of course, there were many more steps in-between that I haven't touched on. Luckily, Louise provided us with handouts at the end of class to guide us through the process once we got home. In the end, we all came away with beautiful little books!
Below are some pictures taken at the workshop:
And here is my little creation:
Ta da! Not too shabby - if I do say so myself! :)
Monday, November 12, 2007
Guess who's seeing Stevland Judkins tonight?
J & I are taking the little person to see Stevie Wonder tonight!!! (J thought it was important for the little person to see the legend at least once in this lifetime). I can't believe we're going! Tonight is the only Canadian stop on his tour!
In honor of the festivities tonight, I'll leave you with this amazing footage of Stevie live on Sesame Street:
In honor of the festivities tonight, I'll leave you with this amazing footage of Stevie live on Sesame Street:
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