7/365: "sobriety"

my dad was clearing out some holiday detritus today and i found this sitting by the backdoor. it amazes me how people can go through so many bottles of beer (no, my dad didn't drink this all!).
the morning started off with a huge stomach ache from last night's dinner of wings, my dad's awesome mac+cheese and wedges. i had to teach little grade 2s today and had a hard time getting them to settle down. so i ended up having to bribe them with a contest/quiz and with skittles as the main prize (they loved it. must now by packages of skittles.)
i am now downing probably my 4th cup of coffee of the day and finished an entire package of this, in purple yam flavor. yum.
today is my friend leslie's quarter of a year birthday celebration and cannot wait. this is definitely going to be an awesome ending to the day. *play that BEP song here. harhar.*
have a great weekend, everyone!

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6/365: shovels

living in markham means lots of snow. which means lots of shovelling. which i do not mind at all. in fact i love shovelling. and i wish i was still young enough to own a shovelling business. similar to a lemonade stand. that would have been cute.
harhar.
keep warm, everyone!
ps: this was supposed to have been published yesterday, but completely forgot!

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5/365: love letters

being in a long-distance relationship has its ups and downs. we've had more ups though since we've found ways to work with it. one of them is letter writing. i have a folder full of emails from john which date back to 2006, but nothing beats good old snail mail and opening your mailbox and finding an envelope addressed to you with that familiar penmanship.

i think he's mastered the art of letter writing. no, he doesn't do things from scratch, but he picks the best cards and writes the best letters - they're not too sappy, but very inspiring, encouraging, funny and random.

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three markets

one very cold wintery day, john and i went on a day date to take pictures. i wanted to share some of them with you. going on this date reminded me how lucky i am to be living in toronto. and how especially lucky i am to have him here for a few months (he's from north carolina).

the day started off with breakfast at the mill street brew pub at the distillery.
i am still in search for the perfect eggs benedict (i know, i won't find it a pub) and i don't like that they used peameal bacon. i think it's a little gross. but i have to tell you, nothing beats ikea for breakfast (in price and even in taste hehehe).

the first market was, you know it, st. lawrence market. we didn't buy anything, but there were so many meat stalls i wanted to buy ground beef. next time i'm going back to get cookie cutters.

next we took the train to chinatown. i love chinatown, with its cool funky clothes, their spread of herbs and vegetables, and their bakeries. i am a hugest fan of egg tarts. i first had them in grade 9 when my friend's grandmother baked some. it was heaven in a tart tin. i also love bubble tea. my favorite is taro with tapioca.
and by the way, if you want inexpensive dishes, servers, kitchen cookware with a restaurant aesthetic, check out tap phong. you'll love it. you'll also find cheap chinese takeout boxes in many colors (never buy at michael's. they are overpriced there!)

of course you can't not go to kensington market, where you're welcomed by the scent of incense and the smell of vintage and old leather.

sometimes i complain that there's really nothing to take pictures of, but he reminds me that a good photographer always finds the perfect opportunity, wherever you are. john is one smart (and adorable) cookie.
our next day date is this sunday. we're taking a letterpress workshop at bookhou and we are so excited. we're hoping to find a nice cafe along dundas street west. if you have any suggestions, let me know!
you may find more pictures here.
have a good day everyone!

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4/365: bike rack (?)

instead of going through the underground and taking the streetcar back to work, i decided to walk during my lunch break. on my little jaunt i saw a line of these bike stands? racks? and loved the shadows the sunlight made with them.
blargh, i thought, i don't have mr. smith (my camera) with me. then i quickly remembered jarvis (my iphone). who says i have to use a dslr to take my 4/365 picture?
i know, it seems a little eerie, it looks almost like a crucifix, but then i thought, where there is shadow, there is light. i don't know where i got that from but it sounds like a song line. no matter how bad your day seems, you can always draw good from it.
i don't know if it's the dose of vitamin d from the sunlight, but whatever it is, today i am feeling light.
and happy. i hope you are too.

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3/365: journals

rooting around for a receipt that i stashed away in my bin, i saw my journals and thought i'd show you.
besides coffee, i cannot live without a journal. it's a habit that i formed at the age of 10. on days when i am mad or annoyed, you'll see me writing away furiously.
my first journal or diary was given to me by my godmother. it was the epitome of girliness: pink and scented pages. i used to begin every entry with a "dear diary". and, i am ashamed to admit this, it was almost always followed by either something really awful and petty about someone ("she wouldn't share her stickers with me!) or about a boy crush ("oh my gosh! he was staring at me!").
over the years the journals evolved to kitty cats, polka dots, flowers, and then moleskines.
i used to buy only journals with lines, but found as i got older than un-lined journals can be so liberating. now my journals do not begin with a "dear diary", but in medias res. my entries are not as petty as before, but reading through each journal i can see that it's still all very me.

ps: it's nice to see that my taste in journals have changed.

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2/365

this is my workspace.
this is where i make my messes.
because of holiday parties i've had to tidy it up and this is the neatest it has ever been.
i finally finished the homasote board. it took my dad just as long to hang it up.

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365 photo project + a bucket list for 2010 + 1/365

1/365 - from john - a shinzi katoh lunch container, in my attempts to save money and pack lunches to work.

i'm back to work! the trains are full again and it's nice to be of use and working. hehe. eating late, sleeping late and waking up late was nice, but the i-slept-too-much headaches were quite frequent over the holiday break. it was a lovely break though, which included:

• at least 10 movies (dvds and cinema - i am all movied out) - sherlock holmes and up in the air were awesome. i was crying even after seven pounds was done
• bowling
• hakka food for the first time
• the AGO
• christmas parties
• IKEA breakfast and dinner (50 cent hotdogs!)
• lots of hot chocolate
• lots of japaleno havarti and grapes

being a lover of lists and bullet points, i have decided to do another bucket list to welcome 2010. it won't be as long as my previous list as there are lots that need to be carried over from the last year! and here they are:

• travel to one of these countries this year: austria, france (yes, again!), japan, philippines
• try something different from the menu. like, udon noodles instead of my usual bento box.
• go to a wine bar
• complete the 365 photo project (you can also find the link on the left side of my blog), as inspired by jona, karyn and anabela. i also signed up for a photoblog.
• buy a camera bag to help complete the 365 photo project
• learn to skate
• go to church more often
• pay off most of my credit card
• make something and sell it
• take a drawing course
• really celebrate my birthday (i'll be a quarter of a century old!)
• take care of this blog. i'm not really good at replying to comments and updating. i shall improve on that. (but i finally changed the blog around and i am very pleased with it. i also updated my blogroll and added a few things on the sidebar.)
• smile more, complain less
• drink more water, lessen aspartame intake
• write more letters
• get abs. not gross abs. but womanly abs. hehe.
• save up for world youth day 2011, in madrid!

for those back to work, i hope there's still lots of holiday cheer leftover.
have a good week everyone!

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a parisienne inspired weekend

being inspired by joanna's awesome parisienne posts has led me to do something similar: take pictures and experience things that remind me of paris. however, going this year has proven fatal like eating a lay's chip:

betcha can't eat just one = betcha can't go just once.

but unlike a lay's chip, paris is actually very good for the senses and for your overall well-being. :)
so what better way to begin than in montreal, quebec right? you would think that these pictures were taken in paris!

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a day at the farm

hello friends!
it was such a beautiful, warm weekend. the aunt and uncles are here, it's full house and i'm loving it.

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japan sushi+high park

a bento box from japan sushi has become a saturday ritual. if only they had those stamp cards. like, "buy 5 get a 6th meal free".
$6.99 for a bento box that includes 4 sushi rolls, 6 tempura pieces, salmon teriyaki (or beef or pork or gyoza), rice, salad, noodles & soup. so good.

japan sushi
482 bloor street west

after lunch, john and i went to high park. it was the first time in many years that i've been thisclose to nature. nature meaning bugs, really really tall trees and dirt paths.
teehee i also saw lots of mallard ducks. it reminded me so much of make way for ducklings.

high park
take the train west (green line) and get off at high park.
and follow the people. normally with cameras or picnic baskets.

i hope everyone had a great weekend.
ps: i finally got my 50 mm lens and i am SO happy with it!
pps: the slr still frustrates me though. i really should read the manual.

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