Phew!

I'm done! The conference was a success - or at least the reports I'm getting suggest it was. And now I'm free to enjoy the summer. It's surprising how something can really consume every waking moment (and even some of my sleeping moments too!). I hadn't quite realised what I was getting myself into when I agreed to chair the Local Arrangements for a 3 day conference for about 250 people. It was a big job - much bigger than I expected! But everything worked out well, and ran much more smoothly than I expected. Even the weather cooperated. At the beginning of the week the forecast was calling for 70% rain on the two nights we had weather-dependent activities planned....and both days the weather turned completely around and really couldn't have been better!

After the conference I took some time off to escape to the cottage. Knowing that after a full and busy week of being "on", I knew I'd need some time to be "off". I booked the cottage for the week immediately following the conference figuring that would be the best way to shut down and reboot. I guess this defines me as an introvert, eh?Ahh, the cottage is so wonderful! Peace and quiet, no routines, no obligations or responsibilities or rules. I slept when I felt like sleeping, read when I wanted to read, ate when and what I wanted to eat, watched movies, and listened to CBC Radio almost constantly. Such luxury!

My list of 'accomplishments' during my week of solitude:
1. Started & finished "The Secret Life of Bees"
2. Started "Anna Karenina"
3. Watched: "I've loved you so long", "Slumdog Millionaire", and "Everything is Illuminated" - three lovely movies for the cottage.
4. Also watched: Anne of Green Gables and the Sequel...because it's hard to knit and read subtitles (for 2 of the movies in #3)....and because it's also a perfect movie for the cottage.
5. Finished the strangling vines lace scarf I've been working on for far too long. And started & finished a pair of handwarmers from Joelle Hoverson's "Last Minute Knitted Gifts".
6. Went to the Annapolis Royal Farmer's Market bright and early on Saturday morning and came back only with a loaf of brioche.
7. Saw a beaver swimming in the lake and startled it (by accident, I promise) which made it slap it's tail on the water and then dive under out of sight.8. Kept the wood stove going on the one damp chilly day I had while I was there.9. Slept!

Now I'm back in the city, back to work and back to routine. After spending such an extended time planning for this conference, I'm actually really looking forward to getting back into my actual work. The question is....where to start!

Plan B

A forecast of rain showers put a damper on plans to camp this weekend (Plan A). And while the other 2 ladies may have been a titch disappointed, I wasn't. I was relieved. I've been spoiled by the luxuries of cottage life, and as a result I'm not much of a camper. I don't relish the thought of the close quarters of a tent, outdoor toilets, and creepy crawlies. I like to think I'm pretty down-to-earth, and many people are surprised to learn that I'm not a camper (nor have I been), but at the end of the day I'm very happy to be able to sleep in a bed and know that should I need it, the bathroom is just down the hall without having to go outdoors.

Okay, so instead of camping we came up with Plan B: dinner + a movie...Annapolis Valley-style.

Dinner was at The Port in Port Williams, NS. It's such a beautiful spot, overlooking the Cornwallis River where you can see the tides come in and go out, with this gorgeous panorama to enjoy on the patio with your meal.

Another panorama photo created using Canon Photostitch.
Click on the image to make it bigger.

The Port is a gastropub, which is a term that was new to me. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between a gastropub and a nice restaurant. The food is gourmet quality, using local ingredients (for the most part) and with live local entertainment. It's a lot like the Union Street Cafe in Berwick. The menu had a wide selection with some of the traditional 'pub' fare. I ordered the Valley Shepherd's Pie and enjoyed it very much! I guess one difference might be the prices. The price of my meal was very reasonable - only $12.95, which is fairly typical of most pub fare.

After we finished dinner, we were off to see a double feature at the Valley Drive-In. A lot of people outside of the Valley don't know about this gem, which is really too bad because going to the drive-in is a lot of fun....depending on the movies playing, of course. Unfortunately for us, the movies playing this weekend were so, so, sooooooo bad! The Land of the Lost and Fighting. Ugh. But we made the best of it - either by sleeping or by popcorn or by simply enjoying the experience of going to a drive-in (minus any canoodling, of course). The thing I really like about the drive-in is that it does feel like you're stepping back in time for some unexplainable reason, and you get to enjoy a movie out-of-doors! ...See, I can rough it afterall! ;)

All you need is love.

Okay, so I'm going to make a confession that is going to inevitably lead to some taunting. As I mentioned it's been a crazy, crazy week full of conferencing and networking and people and being "on". Being an introvert (albeit with extroverted tendencies), this has left me with a desire to be reclusive this weekend and get a little "alone time" in.
So what have I done?
Nothing.
I've got my patio garden started, so the weekend wasn't a total bust, but aside from that this weekend certainly lacked any productivity. Instead I puttered and relaxed, and watched a movie. Here's where the confession comes in. The movie I watched is one that I've seen many times and each time it elicits the same emotional response - outright sobbing. The movie? I Am Sam.
Laugh and taunt if you will. I don't care. I still love this movie, and it's likely I always will.

I remember the first time I had seen this movie was in Toronto, in 2001, with S. It was the late show, I remember that much, because it was really late and cold (I think it was in January) when we walked back to our homes and I clearly recall being so incredibly emotionally drained from sobbing almost through the entire movie. But then, after a hard first semester, an emotional release was probably not a bad thing.

I had often thought about buying this movie, but I don't buy movies very often and I certainly don't pay full price for them if I can help it! So a couple of months ago I found the movie in a discount bin, ridiculously cheap...and I bought it. Since then, I've watched it a couple of times and enjoy it just the same, even though it makes me teary every time.

So what do I like so much about it? The underlying theme: All you need is love. The plot is about a mentally disabled man who tries to be the best father he can be for his daughter despite his lack of financial resources and his low IQ. All the while society is telling him that his best is not enough. The plot is heartwrenching (naturally), but also very well executed. All the while we're following Sam's plight, we get glimpses into his lawyer's life and see the other side of the dichotomy: a life of affluence and privilege, but without love. Also, when or if you watch it, look at how colour is used, specifically red, the colour of "love". I know full-well that this movie is highly criticised, and many of the critics complain of it being too manipulative and contrived, but who cares what the critics think! While I appreciate hearing what other people think, I can make-up my own mind, thank-you-very-much. Laugh if you will.

746.43

746.43 is the Dewey Decimal reference to Knitting.

I've finally gotten around to activating my library card. I've had it for months, and even popped in to my local library to check it out but, being pressed for time, I didn't actually activate my card. Well, this week I finally made a trip to the library close to work and got the deed done.

Of course I went with a purpose...I wanted a book! Thirty minutes later, I left with 3 books + 2 DVDs + 1 CD, and a request for another CD at another branch.
Here's what I borrowed:

1. Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
   
2. Simple Knits with a Twist by Erika Knight
3. Hats: A Knitter's Dozen
4. Syriana (2005)
   
5. Pride & Prejudice (2005)
   
6. Tafelmusik: Chants Sacrés et Profanes (2003)

I'm very pleased! Mostly because I found what I wanted AND I'm saving money! Two great reasons for more frequent visits to the Library.

On another note, let me rant for a quick minute aboout how disappointed I was with Pride & Prejudice. Perhaps it's because I recently watched the BBC (1995) mini-series version of P&P - all 5 hours of it! It was truly wonderful and I'm not ashamed to admit that I crushed on Colin Firth thereafter (though I think I'm over it now). This film version didn't do the book justice, and didn't hold a candle to the other version. It seemed to me that this version was almost schlocky with it's predictable filmography and cheap shots (ie. very unconvincing city scenes) and with Keira Knightly's so-called "classic beauty", but not so classic acting skills. Anyway, if you're going to see Pride and Prejudice, don't bother with the 2005 version. Instead plan to set a block of 5 hours aside some time to watch the 1995 BBC version.

Happy Hallowe'en!

I don't typically spend much time or effort on Hallowe'en. I'm not the type who enjoys dressing up in costume, and I don't see the point in going crazy with decorations for a single evening. I do, however, enjoy seeing the young ones dressed up in their costumes, especially those kids who really aren't in it for the candy so much as they are in it to show off their costumes.

On the other hand, my apartment is conveniently located beside the one entrance of our building where trick-or-treaters go for candy. So, in the spirit of the evening, I carved a pumpkin. A real pumpkin, not like the gourd I carved last year (though I'm still quite pleased at myself for that one!).
My pumpkin is a jolly fellow. He's not at all scary or haunting. So, as per my own tradition, instead of scaring little children, I do my best to scare myself. I rented a scary movie. I should've known better to wait until Hallowe'en night to rent a scary movie, most of the ones I had on my list to rent had already been rented. It was slim pickens! So instead, I had to go with the recommendation of the teenage Blockbuster 'associate' (or whatever they call themselves).

But rather than tell you directly what I rented, I'm going to give you another obscure hint (yes, I've already given another hint) and see if you can guess :There! I've given you two hints. Can you guess what scary movie I rented and watched this evening?

Weekend Indulgences

1. Waking up early (yes, you heard me - early!) to enjoy a leisurely morning, which this morning meant reading in bed and occasionaly dozing, and then once I actually got up and dressed making a dash to the corner to TimHorton's for a chocolate chip muffin.
2. Listening to CBC radio 1 and taking the time to read through my email and my list of blogs and get caught up, not to mention doing a bit of "window shopping" on eBay and craigslist. - Found nothing of immediate interest.
3. Going to Whole Foods to pick up some grocery items I really don't need and taking advantage of their gourmet samples. Today I picked up the remaining Indian/Nepali spices, as well as a few other things - a baguette to go with the really tasty pesto I bought at WF last week, juice, and some produce.4. Making the time to do a little cooking. I usually do my main cooking on the weekends and freeze several meals for weekdays, or stock the fridge with cooked foods for the rest of the week. Today I finally tackled a recipe from my Nepali cookbook - Kauli Chana ko tarkari or Chickpea Curry. I think the cookbook might have a typo, Kauli is the word used for cauliflower, and according to online sources Kabuli Chana is the word for chickpeas. But who am I to argue... (Note to self: use less chili powder and more cumin next time I make this curry). 5. Enjoying a good meal. Either homemade or take-out. Today I stuck with my grocery purchases and the chickpea curry. (Trying to save a few pennies and I went out with S. to Sun Lok for Chinese last night).
6. Cleaning or purging something - whether it be an overfull laundry basket that needs to be tackled (wash, dry, fold and put away), or some papers that accumulated in a pile over the week. Today I purged my fridge. I got rid of the the spoiled spinach I had put off using, the expired milk and the leftover mouldy tomato sauce that got pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten. I almost hate to admit it, but I enjoy doing housework on a Saturday. There's something refreshing about it. And I often find I'm too tired and unmotivated to clean during the week (that is, unless I'm procrastinating from doing something else).
7. Relaxing to a good movie at the end of the day. This weekend I rented two: Cape of Good Hope, and Eve and the Firehorse. Tonight I watched the former - Cape of Good Hope - and quite enjoyed it. It was uplifting and thoughtful, but not too heavy. There were several sub-plots that all wove together throughout the movie, that worked with the underlining message: Love connects us all. I laughed and I cried (only a little). The music was excellent too. I think I'm a sucker for movies set in Africa with good music.

8. Staying up late to blog. :)

Tuesday night at the OFRB

Once in awhile the Ontario Film Review Board opens their theatre to the public to rate a film. I went on Tuesday as part of a fundraiser for United Way (pay $5 to be the first to see and rate a movie). It's a bit of a gamble because you don't know what film you're rating until just a few minutes before it starts, but being a part of the process makes it all worth it.

Earlier on Tuesday, they rated Charlotte's Web (a wonderful movie, said the Chair of the OFRB). Tuesday night we rated Smokin' Aces.

Smokin' Aces has a lot of big names - Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, Andy Garcia - but don't let that fool you. It was a terrible movie!! What is funny is that the Chair of the OFRB introduced the movie by saying something to the effect of : it's got Ben Affleck so it should be good for a laugh or two. How wrong she was! It was anything BUT funny. And completely NOT what any of us were expecting. First of all there were so many expletives the OFRB reviewers couldn't keep up (their lights kept flashing on and off as they ticked off what was said, and when), there was a lot of implied violence and lots of fake blood, there really wasn't much for a plot - no suspense, no character development. But being a part of the process made it worth it. I would do it again.

Here's what I learned about film rating:

• The Ontario Film Review Board was the first board to start rating films in North America in the 1920s.
  
• The OFRB rates up to 3 or 4 films a day, everything from Charlotte's Web to "adult" films
• The OFRB reviewers post their comments/observations on the OFRB website
  
• A PG film is allowed to have 3 "f***s"
• Directors know how to monopolise on "implied violence", ie. lots of blood, but no actual visible violence (as demonstrated in "Smokin Aces").
• Distributors want the rating to be low because a low rating means the movie will be available to the largest market (ie. more people can see a 14A film than a 18A film). They will appeal a decision to try to get a lower rating.
  
• A film reel is usually about 20 minutes long, and you can tell when a reel is about to be changed when you see a black dot in the upper right hand corner.
  

Another TIFF come and gone

For the third year in a row I purchased a festival pass for the Toronto International Film Festival. In my opinion this is really the best way to do the festival. You purchase the pass in July and when, at the beginning of September, the festival organizers announce the line-up you simply go to the box office to exchange the pass for 3 tickets to films picked by the organizers. You don't know what films you'll be seeing when you buy the passes in July; that's part of the fun (and the ease) of doing the Festival this way. The organizers pick the films for you so there's no guessing what movies will be good and waiting in lines wondering if you'll get a ticket for those films. It's all very easy and (so far) their choices really haven't let me down.

Over the last 3 years I've started to see a bit of a pattern. Each year 2 of the 3 films have been foreign language films; 1 of the 3 films has been shown in the Visa Screening Room (Canon Theatre); and 1 of the 3 films has been shown in the Ryerson Theatre. For most of the films, there's been an Introduction or Q&A with the director and/or actors.

My first year, we saw the the The Sea Inside, with the lead actor and director watching the film with us from one of the boxes in the Canon Theatre. This film won the Oscar for Foreign Film for 2004.

Our line-up for this year wasn't too bad: Le Voyage en Armenie (French/Armenian); Jindabyne (Australian), and I Am the Other Woman (German).

Of the 3, my favourite was the first, simply because I thought the storyline was interesting, heartwarming, and well played out though at times a little absurd. I always enjoy stories about people on a journey of self-discovery, though the director spoke about the theme of identity and didn't want the story to be about going back to what was, but to embrace what is - the new Armenia; and the lead character whose ethnically Armenian, but grew up in France and knew nothing of the country or the culture.

I should also mention that while we were waiting to get into the theatre to see Le Voyage, we saw Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean leaving the theatre. It's the first time I've actually seen a/the Governor General, though I live less than 5 minutes away from Adrienne Clarkson.

Other celebrities I've seen during the Film Festival : Christina Ricci, Dustin Hoffman (both seen at the Friday night Holt Renfrew party), and Laura Linney. The latter was sitting about 5 rows ahead of me at Jindabyne, a film she was staring in. Afterwards she and her co-star answered questions.

Jindabyne was enjoyable as well. Slightly depressing storyline, and I found Laura Linney's character iritating (but I think this is what the director was going for), but overall it was well-played and a good pick.