Welcome, Winter

The winter is here. How do I know? This morning I woke up to a nice thick blanket of white over everything outside, with flakes still falling - really quite lovely actually. If that wasn't enough of a clue, the walk to work through slush and puddles might've reminded me what a Toronto winter looks like. And if THAT wasn't enough the walk home from the cinema with a frozen nose and an "extreme cold weather warning" on the radio would certainly do the trick. Yes, folks, it is winter in Toronto. Tonight it's going down to -15'C with the windchill. Oh how I've missed the windchill factor.

I saw JUNO again tonight, another free screening (went to accompany my brother who had an extra ticket) and another free t shirt - different style this time. The movie was just as good as the first time. I laughed a lot and oohed and awwed all the same. Definitely worth seeing... twice.


Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends and family. I had sushi tonight with my brother after the movie and though it wasn't as traditional as turkey, we enjoyed one of our favourite dishes in honour of our dual nation's holiday... hmm, does that even make sense? Anyway, you get the point.

I was reading my friend Nick's blog earlier this week (THE EAST COAST SOUND) and though I'd add on a list of some of the things I'm currently doing, as he did on one of his recent posts.

At the moment I am:
Reading - "Pattern Recognition" by William Gibson
Watching - Heroes, Survivor China, and re-runs of Fraser and Seinfeld
Listening to - Girls Aloud "The Sound of Girls Aloud"
Sleeping - Fairly well, though I really ought to try to get in before before 1am if I can... speaking of which, it's getting late.

G'night all.
x

free movie week part two: juno

another free screening: JUNO

i really, really liked this one. funny, touching, cute... yes, i really liked it. i am not sure when it opens nationwide, but it's worth seeing. probably more liked by girls than guys, but my dad came and he laughed and enjoyed it a lot more than anticipated. so go see it.

note: it helps if you have a big heart.

free movie week part one

AMERICAN GANGSTER

just got back from the free screening i mentioned earlier and yes, i liked this film. it's quite long, but quite good. then again, i like gangster films, i like films set in new york, and i like denzel washington and russell crowe, so how could i not like this one, right? but it was good. some pretty brutal scenes (with respect to shooting/violence) but good nonetheless. see this film on screen.

AND i ran into my good friend meg, who was also at the screening... it's been nearly three years since i've seen that girl! yikes. i really have to start making a better effort to get together with old friends now that we're all in the same city again.

operation get me out of here: update

i stopped by one of my local pubs today to fill out an application and drop off my resume. working at a pub was a major part of my big plan, because tips in toronto are oh-so-generous if you have a friendly smile and always remember to say "i'm so sorry" when you spill something... anyway, after standing in that particular pub today, surrounded by the dullness of a friday afternoon at a pub in north toronto, i realised that is not the place for me. halfway through filling out an application for a job that may or may not even become available before january ("yea, people are coming and going all the time" according to the bartender), i told him i'd bring it back in another day once i had all the phone numbers for my references sorted.

truth: i will not be bringing it back in another day.

so, i'm back to the drawing board. well, not really. i'm still looking for a job. did i mention that i went to a staffing agency the other day and apparently made a good impression because i got a call from them that afternoon with a job for the following day. unfortunately i couldn't do it because of volunteering at the gym.

speaking of which... if i want a proper job i won't be able to volunteer anymore. if i can't volunteer anymore, i won't have a free membership to the gym. if i don't have a free membership anymore i will have to pay for one and that means signing some sort of lengthy contract which i am not too thrilled about doing. signing a lengthy contract could potentially mean me staying in toronto much, much longer than planned. and by 'much much' i mean a few extra months. BUT if i stay with things the way they are now, volunteering, working out for free, and no job, i won't have the money to get back to england - EVER!

i think the realistic goal for the big move is may/june. the vacation in january is still on and i'm hoping to make it last 3-4 weeks. that way i can make sure i spend enough time with all of the wonderful friends i have over there AND a little time with my family.

and of course, i am looking for a job that does not require me to work beyond 20 january... or one that will let me take a month off after working there only a couple months. sounds good to me.

wishful thinking or realistic goals? you decide.

*sigh*

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in other news:
DAN IN REAL LIFE

certainly worth seeing. family togetherness, lots of love, some dancing, some bowling, and just a feel good sort of movie.

movies

one of my favourite things to do in my spare time (which i have a LOT of at the moment) is go to the cinema. now, generally i enjoy a trip to the cinema even if the movie is horrible (for instance, when emily and i went to see SHOOT EM UP last month - terrible movie, but the combination of clive owen as eye candy and emily as great company, made for a very nice evening). but some films make the trip that much more worthwhile... below are the movies i have seen recently and my viewing recommendations.

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SHOOT EM UP

dont waste your time, not even on dvd... if its on tv one night in a few years, MAYBE take a peak during commercial breaks of whatever you're actually watching that night. the worst part of this film is the cheesy accent paul giamatti has put on. honestly, i dont even know why he bothered.

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THE DARJEELING LIMITED

yes, see it. i really like wes anderson's films, so i am a bit biased here. but really, it's quite good. see it on a big screen because the scenery is lovely.

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ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

erm, this is a tough call. the film has a nice soundtrack (Beatles tunes sung by the film's stars) and some visually pleasing elements, but the plot is a bit... overdone. there's a very simple love story buried underneath a lot of other stories. i can sort of see what the director was trying to do, especially with some of the images that go along with certain songs, but i didn't buy it.

however, JIM STURGESS is a fox and made the long film very, very enjoyable.
(note to Bono: please don't attempt to act or put on an american accent ever again.. please)

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THE HEARTBREAK KID

cute, funny, but its certainly not necessary to see it on a big screen. ben stiller is his usual funny self, his dad is also quite funny, but yea, not fantastic.

The longer I stay...

The more time that passes here at home, the more items I seem to have left behind in England... they are now either in the safe hands of my dear friend Allison, or they are in some pile of rubbish in the South of England. More likely than not, they are in the latter. The sad tossing of many loved items of clothing and books came about after five pints on a relatively empty stomach.
This sad reality (that my black trousers are NOT going to be resurfacing from the heaps of piles in my bedroom in Toronto anytime soon) has inspired me to compile a list of rules for people moving halfway around the world:

Rule # 1 - NEVER attempt to pack when drunk or hungover.
After drinking loads of beer in London, and taking an hour long tube and train ride back to Brighton, one would think that I would have my wits about me to pack the entire contents of my bedroom... think again.
I started by neatly folding all of the clothes I had already decided to keep and after about twenty minutes of that felt the need to pass out.
Two hours later (and only 3 hours away from my estimated time of departure to catch my coach to Heathrow) I was nauseous and in need of a clean toilet to be sick in... charming, I know.
After that I forced myself to toss about half of the clothes I had decided were coming home with me, and the same with books, shoes, etc. I even left my newly acquired Coca Cola glasses for the trash. :(

Thankfully, Allison listened to me being weepy and offered to hang on to some of the irreplaceables that I wasn't willing to lose. Thankfully, Bernardo also helped us get my three massive bags to the coach station. Thankfully, I made it to the airport in plenty of time to catch my flight home.
This leads me to my second rule....

Rule #2 - Don't mope about being home.
If you moan about being somewhere that you aren't thrilled about being, you'll never get settled, you'll be forever unhappy, and nothing will make you smile. Just make the most of the situation you're in and start working towards a goal that will get you back to where you want to be - hence me looking for a job to get me enough money to get back to England.

xx
P.S. Saw Shoot 'Em Up tonight with Emily. Bad movie, WONDERFUL night out with my favourite girl. If it wasn't for the lovely Clive Owen I don't think I would've made it through the gruelling 93 minutes that was that film.