The Don Mills

She was in my leather pirate themed jacket as she was waiting for the subway train on the upstairs platform.

The two old men in their own world sat perched on their accordion suitcases playing a familiar waltz with so much composure masking their disappointment that no one was dancing.

Her heart ached to dance and bring joy to them and those standing around. Instead, she found 5.27 in change and dropped it into the open violin case.

One of the men looked at her and said "thank you lady" in a rustic Russian accent. His eyes were so gray, but were framed by his cheekbones in such a way that they revealed kindness and a hard life.

"you're welcome" she replied in Russian "and thank you sir".

As she leaned against the wall composed of the tiny muticoloured tiles, she imagined he came up the stairs and looked her in the eyes. He knew what had to be done and asked her to dance. There was plenty of floor to waltz and the setting could be romantic.

But there was no him and she didn't know the man who walked up the stairs. He never even looked her way because he was so preoccupied with his cellular device. She thought a prayer for him and asked the Lord to give him a really good day, him and his most loved ones. I hope he has someone to love today.

After all it was Valentines Day and he didn't have any flowers in his hands.

The wind began to pick up. This meant the train was almost here. She stood back as all the people began to crowd near the platform. I'll catch the next train if this one is too full.

However, everyone fit so well in the spacious vehicles that she even got a seat.

The song from the platform was still playing in her mind she didn't want to replace it with her petty music. So she just observed her surroundings.

A mum and her newborn tied to her chest. She fed her (the child had a pink bow on her head) cheerios from a thin plastic bag in her purse. The woman, maybe 30, was so preoccupied with her child that anyone who looked at her only saw just that. Her worn out clothing did not stand out and her patched up, faded and oversized wind breaker did not draw your eye.

Beside her was a young man. He was quite handsome if you took the time to notice the details of his appearance. Sandy blonde hair, brown eyes, and a strong jaw line, he was no older than twenty six. He had with him a hockey bag and he wore a track suit and nike runners. While not her image of a well-dressed bloke, he wore his clothes well. An athlete.

He was reading.

She couldn't really see what until he would flip to the next page.

wait for it.

Love in the Time of Cholera.

wow.

impressive.

voted most beautiful woman who ever walked this planet

I'm sure that if I had poise like Audrey Hepburn, I would feel like a completely different person.

I get that sometimes.
When I see someone like her, I try to keep them in my head and impersonate them.
Last month it was Cathy H. (Carey Mulligan) , now its Audrey (or maybe just her character in B@T).

It encourages me though, to be a better person I mean. I guess that's kind of strange but it gives me that extra grace and self-confidence when I need it.
I guess that's why role models such as the two mentioned are good for the naive mind.

Anyways, I ended up being her (dressing up like her is more like it) after a long morning costume struggle (which caused me to miss math class...oops)
listening to the soundtrack from Breakfast at Tiff's.

Ever since then, I have NOT gotten this song out of my head.

Acis & Galatea

Not as good as Iphigenie en Tauride, but still great nontheless.

I sneaked these pictures for my mum to see the costumes.

Once again, Elgin Theatre is beautiful.

If you would like to see this opera, you can! ($13 for next friday)

ships for scholars

filling out all of these applications makes me really want to go tree planting again.
too bad it's practically winter.

Irish accents are so yum.

"she doesn't even go here"- mr.muia/mean girls

I feel so honoured to have been chosen to be apart of this experience. It's really changed my outlook on myself, my fellow grads, teachers, and school community.

Camp White Pines was a marvelous & successful three-day trip and the lack of voice I have left proves it. :D

AND i was so overwhelmingly warm & fuzzy inside when I realized that my mission of the week- befriending the grade 9's- was a success!

So I Just wanted to share with you guys a letter I recieved in my warm-fuzzies envelope:

camp colourless trees

Going to White Pines tomorrow- but hoping that dayquil will drug me up enough to function properly.
I'll update about how camp was.

Anyways, while I was sniffling back my runny brain- I somehow found this funny and i couldn't stop laughing: The Alot


For a look into the future: I bet this will be the new fashion outfits. Just watch. I'm sometimes right when it comes to these things- I was with burets, lace, pocketwatches and pearls.

hold me, never let me go until you've told me..

Saturday Sept. 18th,
my friend Jenn and I went to go watch a TIFF showing of Never Let Me Go (in theatres soon)

*spoilers-don't read if you haven't read the book or know the story-*

Although I have not yet read the book I plan to as soon as I have some spare time. Although the majority of the time it's like it that the movie is not as moving as the novel itself- I found the movie to be beautifully hauting. As a long-time anticipator for this movie I was definetely not dissapointed.

If I had to critique anything however, I would say that it lacked some depth. But extending a movie to three hours or so could fix this. I felt a little lacking in Andrew Garfield's character Tommy as he was never really shown alone so it was hard to see why he did some of the things he did. As well with certain scenes, it makes you wonder if pregnancies are possible- whereas in the book you know that they are sterile.Also my friend and I discovered how they cut out the scene where Cathy loses her tape & in the movie she also dies a.. virgin, basically.

On the other hand, cutting certain details was the right choice as some audiences don't appreciate sitting through three-four hour movies.


Overall however, I fell in love with Kazuo Ishiguro's brilliant theme of time- and how there is only a short lifespan we are given (see interview below) whether it be 30 years or 90.
The directors who brilliantly portrayed it & whose proper style provided a nice contrast and balance to a story which could have turned into a mindless melodramatic tear jerker if not handled correctly.

The beauty of the music, acting, strength of the characters, sets & design, screenplay were only a few to name of what I loved about the work. It satisfied me (and a crying 500+ packed theatre) with a rush of emotions that only few movies can.

Brilliantly Haunting. I won't be surprised if all three win oscars- Mulligan, Garfield, or Mark Romanek(director). [Keira Knightley was amazing as well- but my vote's on Carey]

TRAILER

& Interview with Kazuo

Chemistry with Mr.Kwon

Let's get down to business- to defeat the Kwons.

make my day: featuring the singing stranger.

got the idea to note said stranger from a friend's blog: (i shall insert link here soon- or i'll try)



It was a warm summer night and I was standing at the bus stop waiting for the 7B. Across the street turning in on the intersection was a man alone in his SUV. Take note that this moment lasted a 5 seconds in total.

This encounter however, was noteworthy:
my mind glided over startled- confused- amused and settled on humoured.
I laughed at practically everything the whole way home.

He was yelling singingsinging "HEY, HEY BAY-BAY, I WANNA KNO-OW IF YOU'LL BE MA GIRL"
... completely off key and everything- he sounded like a cat whose tail got caught in a door.



It was really hard to restrain myself to not sing along with him.