What my home will say about me...

So in the process of trying to find a new home, I've been learning more about who I am and who I've become since I first struck out on my own in Toronto several years ago.

1. I'm a city girl. This realisation caught me off-guard because I love the country, and I love wide-open spaces and uninhabited places. I love being alone and enjoying the quiet. But, I also really like being independent. I love the city because everything is accessible by foot - you can walk to work, walk to church, walk to get groceries/hardware/whatever you need. You don't have to pay to get somewhere. I can come and go as I please, and I like that. It's not so easy to feel isolated when you're downtown or within walking distance of downtown. And, as long as I'm single, I expect I'll need that.
2. I need outdoor greenspace - a balcony, deck, patio, front porch or backyard. I'm not a gardener, but I like having living plants around. The last 5 summers in Toronto, I've loved my balcony. I loved having the room to plant a couple hostas, some flowers, some herbs, and last year I even gave beets a try (though all I got were beet greens with reddish roots, but no beets). I loved being able to sit outside to read, or chat with friends. It was as valuable as another room to me and it's a "must have" for any new home.
3. I'm cheap. Actually, it's not that I'm cheap, it's that I don't want to be "house poor". I want to live somewhere where I'll be happy, but I also want to be able to afford a car and afford to do the things I enjoy doing and still afford to put a little aside for trips or big purchases, etc.
4. I'm lazy. Sort of. I don't want to go to the effort of having to take my laundry to a laundromat, so I must have onsite laundry. I've also learned how much I despise washing dishes, so I'm also hoping to find an apt. with a dishwasher (though it's not a must have). And I don't want carpet because it's hard to keep clean with a cat who sheds like there's no tomorrow.
5. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in my home. This hasn't always been the case, but I do enjoy cooking, and if I don't like my kitchen, I don't want to be there. I learned this with my bathroom in my old apartment. I was never happy with it. The tiles were in crappy shape and I never felt like I could relax and enjoy a quiet bath because I always felt like something needed to be fixed. That's what I'd feel with the kitchen. My kitchen needs to inspire me to cook, not inspire me to try to fix it up (or worse - order in!).
6. And this may be an obvious one - but my cat has veto power. If the place isn't Millie-friendly, then it's not me-friendly!

Random question # 1

How do people in Montreal still get fooled with random acts of craziness?


I just finished watching Just for Laughs Gags and they really cracked me up! Sometimes I can watch them without cracking a smile because they're just stupid, and not funny at all. Tonight I watched them and I was beside myself with laughter.


And then I started wondering......

I've seen so many episodes now (not that I watch them religiously, but they've been on TV regularly for years), that I would almost expect funny/strange/crazy things happen if ever I find myself in Montreal during the summer. So, how do the people of Montreal still get fooled? Do they not watch the show? The Gags people must be swarming the city. Can't they spot a hidden camera and staged gag a mile away by now?

Just a thought.

462 minutes

That's how much time I've spent on the phone from May 2nd to May 16th. Is that possible??
I suppose it makes sense. Now, it's not just my family who are long-distances, it's all my friends too!

It's a good thing I switched to a better long distance plan. When I first signed up with (Bell)Aliant's combined long distance and high-speed internet, I knew I'd have to find something better. The long distance plan was basically $0.05/min. Not good.

Let's do the calculations, shall we?
462 minutes x 0.05 = $23.10/2 weeks

So... let's compare.

Primus offers an unlimited evenings/weekends plan for 14.95 + 14% tax (2.09) per month.
That's $17.04/month.
AND, on top of that, to call the UK, it'll only cost me $0.02/minute, which is almost better than a calling card!!

No comparison.

On your mark. Get set. Giv'er!

Congratulations to my friend and her friend who successfully completed the Blue Nose International Marathon's 10k in the rain! It's quite an accomplishment!

Onboard! (Part 2)

I like to think that I'm not materialistic....but perhaps I am a little. I was not just touched by the warm welcome I received from my new co-workers, but I was also touched by the "things" I received.

The flowers - a dozen roses! (which I totally wasn't expecting!!)

A Nova Scotia tartan scarf. And a lobster on a stick. (A take-away favour from a Departmental meeting.)

In Search of a Soul

...is the title of my latest book purchase.

In Search of a Soul, by Raymond Moriyama

I bought it last night at a Public Lecture given by Raymond Moriyama at Pier 21 in Halifax. He was invited to speak as part of the Nova Scotia Architect's Association's 75th anniversary celebrations.

When I saw this event advertised, I was excited to finally have an opportunity to hear Moriyama in person, and possibly even meet him. After spending so much time with his work, I'm starting to understand a bit more about the process, and about how Moriyama connects the mind, body and soul into the architectural design of his buildings.

His topic for this lecture was "sustainable architecture". And he talked mostly about the design of the Canadian War Museum, and the subtle details of the museum's architecture which reflect the stories of war. It was absolutely fascinating. For example, did you know that the windows along the hall are morse code for CWM (Canadian War Museum), and "Lest we Forget"? Did you know that the pool of water in the Remembrance room was designed for sacred reflection (not a wishing well to throw change in), and an invisible water source drops a drop of water ever twenty seconds into the pool - twenty seconds being the breathing cycle in meditation? And at exactly 11:00, Nov. 11th, the lighting hits the window to the room where the tombstone of the unknown soldier resides, and illuminates the tombstone perfectly? ...and so many more stories!

Sitting in the auditorium I became very aware of the fact that I was out of my league. I was probably the only non-architect in the room! I did, however, discover an untapped resource of single men! Who knew?! I should be hanging out with architects more often!!

After the lecture, we were invited to an exhibit hall to see an architectural exhibit and for a wine & cheese reception. I had a feeling this invitation might have been for the architects specifically, but they weren't checking credentials so I crashed the party. Raymond Moriyama was there to sign copies of his book "In Search of a Soul". I waited in line, and when it was my turn, I introduced myself as "not an architect but an archivist". His response was autographed below:

"Be a great Archivist!"

I will.

Gingergrass and the quest for a green curry

I'm not going to write restaurant reviews, however I do want to write about my restaurant experiences in my new city.

I'll admit, I was a little concerned when I moved to Halifax that I would be moving to a more homogenous culture, with not as many opportunities to sample international cuisine. And I LOVE ethnic food of all kinds!

So now I'm on a quest to try ethnic restaurants in and around Halifax.

Tonight I tried Gingergrass Thai & Vietnamese. It was enroute to the public lecture I went to this evening and from the outside I thought it might be a casual place where I could grab a quick Thai dish (like Pho Hung or Green Mango). Once inside, it was cle ar I had made a mistake. I could tell they weren't going to be cheap. So I decided to make the most of it and have a nice dinner, even if it was by myself.

Since moving to Halifax I've been hoping to find a suitable replacement for Salad King. You see, I LOVED the green curry from Salad King. I'm hoping to find another good green curry. So, guess what I ordered? Green curry (mild), and a Perrier to drink. Not 2 minutes later my server returned to say that they didn't have any Perrier, would I like bottled water? I said no, a glass of water would be fine. Several minutes later, the cook came out and said the green curry was already made and she wouldn't be able to adjust the spices. She strongly recommended I try the yellow curry instead; the green curry will be too spicy for me. I reluctantly agreed - afterall, it's the green curry I wanted. When my dinner came, they also brought a small bowl of the green curry for me to sample. It was good - spicy, but not intolerably so. The yellow curry just didn't cut it for me. I agree, it was sweeter and less spicy, but the flavour of the curry was too Indian for me. It tasted like they combined an Indian curry with a Thai dish. Next time I would definitely go for the green curry instead.

So, after I finished I thought I would order the Thai custard for dessert. It was reasonably priced, and I still had another 45 mins to kill, so I figured having a leisurely dessert would be the way to go. Again, not 2 mins later, my server returned to tell me they didn't have any custard. What? I didn't get a single thing I ordered from the menu. Not the perrier, not the green curry, not the custard. The servers were friendly enough, but really!...why bother having a menu if you're not going to have the dishes it lists!? And to boot, I had to pay for the rice, after she told me she thought it was included.

Although the food I had there was decent, and I liked their sample of green curry, and the servers were nice enough, my experience at Gingergrass wasn't worthy of a repeat visit anytime soon. There are other Thai/Vietnamese restaurants to try. And I will.

Onboard!

Totally.

Today was my first day of my new job, and to say that my new co-workers made me feel welcome would be an understatement.

When you find a vase of beautiful red roses in your new cubicle, and you're presented with your orientation package of 2 thick binders WITH a mug and a Nova Scotia tartan scarf, and your supervisor takes you and your new team out for lunch - you know you're welcomed! And all my co-workers seem to be super-nice, friendly, and there to answer any questions!

Oh and did I mentione the 2 conferences they registered (and paid) for me to attend before I was even on the payroll?!

I'm onboard.

Exploring Halifax (route 1)

Today was a lovely day to do a bit of exploring in my new city. I don't know Halifax well, so it's been nice to take some time to wander around and get my bearings. The weather today was perfect for exploring - sunny and clear, with a cool ocean breeze.

I decided the best way to start exploring was to get on a bus and go. I picked a bus route - the bus route that runs from my apartment to work - and followed it from the beginning to end. As it turned out, the end took me across the MacDonald bridge to Dartmouth. Perfect! This meant I had an excuse to take the Ferry across from Dartmouth to Halifax. I love Ferry rides - no matter how long or short!

(I have to say, the MetroPass is turning out to be a fantastic deal! For $60 a month, I have unlimited bus and ferry rides. And when a bus fare is $2, it doesn't take long to break even!)

So here are some photos from my afternoon, first from the Ferry, then from wandering around downtown.

The Halifax Waterfront

Georges Island
Historic Properties and Cows (Ice Cream!)
More of Historic Properties
The Ferry Terminal, and Theodore Tugboat in the background
And of course there were several ships in the Harbour.

By this point, it was well past lunchtime, and I was getting pretty hungry. I debated popping into a pub for fish & chips and reading through some of the tourism brochures and free weeklies I picked up, but instead decided to walk along the waterfront. I was pleasantly surprised to find a BeaverTails! But BeaverTails are no lunch! So instead I went next door (you'll see a woman standing at a counter on the right) for a lobster roll.

My first seafood since moving to Halifax. I'll admit, it wasn't the greatest. The lobster was too salty, and the bun tasted a bit stale. But the novelty of buying a lobster roll on the waterfront was worth the price I paid.

While I was eating, a deaf man approached me with a little brochure.

It's actually pretty handy, and I happily gave he $2 for it (I hope that was sufficient), and signed "thank-you".

After my lunch, I wandered up to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and practically tripped over this grate. It's a gorgeous piece of detail and I couldn't help but to take a photo (as crazy as some may have thought me). There's a lot of this detailed workmanship everywhere, if you look for it. And finally, my last photo of the day: Pete's Frootique! I'm pleased to find a suitable replacement for Whole Foods, and so close to my new workplace.

Current status: moving

Here's a summary of the events of the last week of moving.

I packed my boxes. (Thank-you AO for the boxes, big and small.)
And on April 26th, the movers came and loaded the tail-end of a tractor trailer with my stuff.
It took 3 men about an hour to load the truck and complete the paperwork. It was done by 2pm, leaving me with time to kill before my flight the next morning.

To keep myself busy and distracted, I went to see the Emily Carr exhibit at the AGO, browsed the CBC boutique on Front Street, then headed back to Bloor to the Korean grocery (PAT) to stock up on the perfect green curry paste.

By the time I got "home" (though there was not much left to make it home), it was time for me to turn in my keys to my landlady.

At my apartment - my very empty apartment - there was nothing to do but wait out the night. It's interesting - I left Toronto with almost exactly the same amount of luggage as when I first arrived: a suitcase, an overnight bag, a laptop and a storage bin. Except this time I'm also leaving with a cat. My flight with WestJet was due to leave at 7:15am, so I arranged for a taxi to pick me up at 4:30am. There was not point in waiting at the apartment, when I could be at the airport. So I packed up Millie in her carrier, and managed to shuffle the remenants of my seven years in Toronto to the airport. And thus ends the Toronto chapter of my life.