San Francisco Airport

Wireless internet is goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood. Went on a 4 hour tour of SF which was pretty cool. Nice to get around a bit although pretty much after that had to boot it to the airport. Scored an exit row seat with about 3 metres of empty space in front of me - stoked with that. I am going to be home so so so soon - hoorah! I also managehd to get something like 85 kgs back without paying excess - hoorah again :)

Time to go - it'll probably take a long time to clear US Customs (groan).

San Francisco

In my SF hotel lobby now waiting for a pick up. Thank goodness for free wireless internet in the US - I had heard of it but now I know it's not a myth. Thank goodness also for Bit Torrent, hahaha. Just kidding. Went out for a 3 hour tour and managed to rip off another 250 odd photos to add to my collection, so I ought to have a huge collection to add to the existing ones once I add in Boston, Harvard, and NYC.

Well, in a few hours I will be taking off from the US, and a few hours after that (well, more than a few) I will be landing and be home. My goodness time has gone quickly... Can't wait for annual leave to start accumulating up.

So this is probably my last post in North America; next time you see me I will be back home in NZ :)

Of Missed Flights and Other Things

I am stuck in Toronto airport having been subjected to all searches possible by US immi, and am now typing on a ridiculous Bell Canada internet kiosk being ripped off. Earlier today I missed my intended flight and it's associated connection. I was ripped off by a taxi driver. I was late getting in from NYC. I also left my coat in my apartment after I had locked the keys inside. Can anything else go wrong? Let's not go there. Heading for San Fran tonight and looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed, for the first time in a long time (pillows and carpet aren't a long term option). OK this internt credit is almost out - and I need to board to SF. More blogging later - quite possiby when I arrive back in NZ...

NYC 2

We're on the way home tonight...
600+ photos taken.
1 passport lost.
2 people gone home already for work today.
1 rainy day in NYC.
3 people wanting to go to Phantom.
1 friend to meet for lunch today.

It's going to be hectic - but I still can't believe that we are in NYC right now :) Truly surreal...

More blogging later...

The Roadtrip

Alright, long time no blog.
This has been the most eventful road trip in the world.
Anuj and I ran into trouble with the local law enforcement about 2 hours into our road trip after issues with the local McDonald's at White River Junction. They are bad people (the people at McD's - more later).
Mazzy lost her passport, next month's rent money and her ticket back to Canada.
We're not going to DC any more.
Went to Boston and Harvard two days ago, and it was AMAZING!!!
Spent yesterday and today in NYC. Last night we were at a United Nations party at the Hilton Hotel down by Times Square. Sounds cool, eh?
Tonight we are heading down Broadway and looking to find a cheap show to see - it's full of 'em and down by Times Square is amazing.
And I have literally hundreds of photos to share when I get a chance to catch my breath. Better fly...
Comment here or email me!!

US Roadtrip Part 1

OK, so we are in the middle of nowhere in the US. We were oringially meant to meet up and leave at 4 from Montreal but that was delayed after both me and Anuj left our Washington home tickets at home and had to go retrieve. Eventually left, almost ran out of gasx in the middle of nowhere and now ended up in Comfort Inn for USD78 for 5 people (including free breakfast - yay!)...

Really tired - went to bed at 5am this mornign and got back up around 8.30am...so I am not myseelf as Mazzy has been telling me. :-o

MelT email me if you want my phone number, we will make contact tomorrow...
Or you can contact someone I'm told is called Rickesh... (whatever that means). Off for food, over and out - expect Mazzy to blog about 5 minutes after me...

I am wondering...

...who has viewed my blog profile 159 time?!

I Miss...

I miss 22, my family, my home, my friends at home, my car, warm weather, my room, nature, Courtney Place, the harbour, golf, work, people at work, restaurants, cafes, beaches, blue sky, sun, the wind on my face, the rain in my hair, the Super 12, the cricket, Sky TV, comfy leather seats, beds that aren't on the floor, the smell of salt air, Ngauranga Gorge, open doors and open windows, the feel of home.

But maybe, really, I am telling myself that because deep down I know I will be missing Montreal, I will be missing Canada, my friends here who are now scattered all over the globe. Coming to Montreal has opened up a hunger to travel for me, I think... But whether that means I will working 50 weeks a year and have a 2 week blowout, or am destined to wander the world like a nomad, remains to be seen...

Currently thinking...

That I've grown used to so many things in Montreal that I'll have trouble adjusting. Like the kiss-the-cheeks thing. I'll probably end up doing it by accident and getting a beating :-o

Sheila II

This worshipful post is dedicated to Sheila Z, of Somewhere-I've-Never-Heard-Of in the United States. You grace the world with your presence, or something...

:-o

Sheila

I was coerced into posting a post called Sheila. I even spelt her name right. I think I have opened a can of worms with my claim that I title posts after people who comment on my blog...what have I done? :-o

Connie

[I'm calling this post "Connie", because she takes the time to write comments and this is my response to her last one (which turned out to be longer than normal!]

Ahhhh Connie. Don't be jealous. There's nothing to be jealous about. My whole life so far had been neatly planned out and ordered, and that was fine with me. Then a series of things happened, and I ended up deviating from that path for a couple of months, ending up here in Montreal. It's opened up a whole new world for me - people, places, things to do, things to see, things to eat and drink, experiences. Each and every one of my senses has gone through something new, something different. It's the feeling of being alive. Now I'm going home to work as a lawyer, knowing that while I'm working late into the night, there has been another world out there that I tasted for the briefest of instances. And that I'll never have it unless I give up what I'm about to be.

So when I say I'm doing different things - it is really the things I always was going to do - it was being here in Montreal which was the "differentness". But Connie, if I can say to you. Don't "wait" for something to happen. Make it happen. Do something about it. Push yourself as far as you can, as much as you can. Feel alive.

Different

In 11 days time, I will be sitting at another desk, in front of another computer, with a different phone number and a different email address, wearing different clothes, doing different work, in a different country, in a different continent, in a different hemisphere, speaking a different language, to different people, who are doing different things, for different people, trying to achieve different purposes in different time frames, then going home to a different home, hanging out with different friends, eating and drinking different things, thinking of different times, wondering who the hell I really am.

I am nothing. I am everything. I am something. I am the ultimate chameleon.

8 Days and Counting

In 8 days time I leave here, amazing that time goes so quickly. I feel like there are so many things I haven't done while here (though I can't really name any of them!) - as though I will get back home and suddenly think to myself "oh, I didn't do blah". The sun is coming out, spring is arriving in Montreal. I no longer need to wear a jacket. And soon I will be heading home for my third winter in a row...

Just For You

22, I'm coming home soon. We did it. Missing you, thinking of you.
xC

eBay Item: 5756590534 (Ends 10-03-2005 16:19:04 SGT) - NEW Samsung E330C

eBay Item: 5756590534 (Ends 10-03-2005 16:19:04 SGT) - NEW Samsung E330C: "Item description (revised)
A NEW SAMSUNG E330C for sale. Comes with manual, charger, earpiece and original blue casing. Accept ONLY Cash-On-Delivery. Potential buyers are welcomed to make enquiries before bidding. Will ONLY entertain Singapore buyers. Deal in Singapore only. Strictly no Africans and Nigerians. Will NOT entertain any emails coming from outside of Singapore. NB: It is at your own risk that bid will not be honoured even if you win when non-Singapore potential buyers bid. Seller accepts ONLY meet-up deal"

That's bit rough... :(

For the Educated People Out There :-P

Odi et amo, quare id faciam fortasse requiris?
Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

I love this poem. So full of contrast, the sibilance, assonance and plosives. What a magnificent piece of pure artistry. Prize to the person who can tell me the title of this poem without cheating :-P

More Music

I seem to be on a bit of a roll with blogging today, but I'm listening to my iPod at work (shhhhhh!) and came across a great song I used to really love a few years ago - I even have the CD :-P Matchbox 20, or Twenty - I never which way you're supposed to write it. There's a nice chunk of lyric they have; I think it can apply to anyone. Everyone has different sides, different parts to them, and sometime we all have the crazy side come out :-P

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

Either/Or 2

Would you rather be alive, flying high up in the sky and touch the face of God, only to plummet into the bowels of Hell, or to never experience either but to just live on Earth?

C'mon guys, leave some comments here would ya? :-P

Either/Or

Would you rather have everything that money can buy and nothing that money can't buy, or everything that money can't buy and nothing that money can buy?

Not so simple, huh?

Time

It's a funny thing. Sometimes things go so quickly; sometimes it goes so fast. Having a great time just slip through your fingers just like that is not so good; but neither is the waiting game.

The Scientist

Introducing one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands - The Scientist, by Coldplay

Come up to meet you,
Tell you I'm sorry,
You don't know how lovely you are.

I had to find you,
Tell you I need you,
Tell you I set you apart.

Tell me your secrets,
And ask me your questions,
Oh, let's go back to the start.

Runnin' in circles,
Comin' up tails,
Its only science apart.

Nobody said it was easy,
It's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard.
Oh, take me back to the start.

I was just guessing,
At numbers and figures,
Pulling the puzzles apart.

Questions of science,
Science and progress,
Do not speak as loud as my heart.

Tell me you love me,
Come back and haunt me,
Oh, when I rush to the start.

Runnin' in circles,
Chasin' tails,
Comin' back as we are.

Nobody said it was easy,
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be so hard.
I'm goin' back to the start.

Oh-ooooh...
Aaaah...

The Power of 50 Words

When I was in College (High School), we had to do an exercise where you wrote a short story in exactly 50 words. I remember mine came to me in a flash of inspiration in front of the tv watching cricket back in 1998. It ended up being voted the best story, which I was quite pleased with, and I've always remembered it. I thought I would share it.

We see each other simultaneously. I smile. She smiles back. My heart skips a beat. Angel of my dreams, we're meant to be. You're The One. Let's travel the world together, get married, have babies. Then retire in Hawaii. Sun, sand, sea. I love you.

I blink. She is gone.

Of Song Lyrics and Other Things

I c a n ' t s t a n d t o f l y I ' m n o t t h a t n a i v e I ' m j u s t o u t t o f i n d T h e b e t t e r p a r t o f m e / I ' m m o r e t h a n a b i r d . . . I ' m m o r e t h a n a p l a n e M o r e t h a n s o m e p r e t t y f a c e b e s i d e a t r a i n I t ' s not easy to be me / W i s h t h a t I c o u l d cry F a l l u p o n m y knees F i n d a w a y t o l i e A b o u t a h o m e I ' l l n e v e r s e e / I t m a y s o u n d a b s u r d . . . b u t d o n ' t b e n a i v e E v e n h e r o e s h a v e t h e right to bleed I m a y b e d i s t u r b e d . . . b u t w o n ' t y o u c o n c e d e E v e n h e r o e s h a v e t h e right to dream I t ' s n o t e a s y t o b e m e / U p , u p a n d a w a y . . . a w a y f r o m m e I t ' s a l l r i g h t . . . you can all sleep sound t o n i g h t I ' m n o t c r a z y . . . o r a n y t h i n g . . .

Of Rollercoasters and Similar Devices of an Up and Down Nature

I am but a shell, a shadow of the former me. Inside flows no blood or warmth, but the echoes of a cavernous hollow. For it has all been wrenched in a brutal realisation. The construct of Gods is but mortal; a fact hastily forgot as the mob cuts it to ribbons.

Why is life so unfair???

It has beaten me again, an ant in storm, the lone fish in a tsunami. It beats me down down down, relentless. And now I know, for I am but nothing in the grand picture of the world, a grain of sand on the shores of the beach, a leaf in a forest of trees. Leave me be, O cruel world.

Sugar Shack, Afterthoughts

Prior to meeting one of my best mates, Mazzy, I was reading up on her blog. I remember she was blogging about how she felt shortly after returning from an AIESEC conference in Chicago. Basically how she had met some great people but was missing them already, feeling up and yet so down, happy but sad as well. Well, at the time I thought that it was a bit strange... A couple of months later we said our farewells to Maja, from Poland. And again we were all so sad, and this time Maja expressed it much better. While we will all cross paths again, she said that this would be the last time she would see all of us, at the same place, at the same time. She's right. The time I have in Canada is precious. It will always have a place in my heart. The people I've met and formed lifelong friendships will always have a place in my heart. It saddens me that I will have to leave so soon, it feels like I have just arrived. The oft-quoted sinking in the pit of the stomach has blossomed in mine. Sugar Shack was a classic. I had the most fantastic time, I met such wonderful people, and I was introduced to a completely new culture. They are the memories I will treasure my whole life. But right now, I'm feeling overcome by a deep wave of sadness. If I had one wish right now, I would have a Groundhog Weekend and it would have been the weekend just gone.

Sugar Shack, the Finale

Just arrived back home from Sugar Shack in Sherbrooke. Our ride disappeared back to Montreal in the wee hours of the morning for whatever reason, so we were stuck having to make our own way back. Thankfully I was with Nabil, who had lived in the city and had relatives who hosted us for the most magnificant lunch and really took care of us. We jumped on the bus, fell asleep, and ended up back Montreal only a couple of hours ago. The winter has receded slightly; the weather is fluctuating around 0 degrees these days. I managed to be the AIESEC paparazzi again with something in the region of 200 photos again. I'll post a selection of these up when I get a chance (I've had maybe 5 hours sleep in the last 3 days). If you were photo'd by me (and chances are you probably were if you went to Sugar Shack), give me an email or leave a comment on this blog and I'll be sending out a huge email to everyone with a bunch of photos. Food and sleep are calling me, although I suspect I will be up for a little while yet... I would also like to say a massive thank you to AIESEC Sherbrooke for hosting an amazing weekend, Astrid for sorting out my registration, Gabrielle for hosting us, Shady for being so great when we had finding-a-bed issues, Jean-Nic for being Jean-Nic. A+.

Sugar Shack 2

Morning after - it`s 8.20 am after we were all supposed to meet at 7.30. I guess this is typical of AIESEC that of the 50 odd people, less than 10 of us turned up on time... we wait and we wait. There is talk of "punishments" which sounds very interesting I have to say - especially since it`s not me who will be punished! Today is all AIESEC stuff so I could very well sleep through the whole thing given that I was up til 5am this morning - the pre-party, the club, then the after-party. Ah it is good to be alive :) Later today we will be getting into a bus and heading to the sugar shack. It`s not sounding good - as Esther put it, it`s not about fatty food, but fat :-o Lots of photos were taken last night by me again, the trusty paparazzi :)

Cabane a Sucre

It's 8.30pm on Friday night, I'm typing on a French keyboard at the University of Sherbrooke. Sugar Shack here we come! Just had dinner at the local Subway and then going out tonight, more tomorrow and then a rest day on Sunday. Roadtripping with Talicia (Brazil), her sister Vivi and Amir (Egypt) - great fun despite Talicia being on the phone half of the trip trying to get directions here. OK better go since I`m typing on one of those university lecture computers and everyone is watching me type this out :)

Hockey One, Hockey Two!

Tonight I went to my friend Olivier's hockey team playoff. Fantastic! I have followed the NHL on and off for the last 12 years (I was drawn to it when I came over to the US as a kid for a problem solving competition back in '93). But to see a real live hockey game is simply amazing. In fact, we watched two - his one and the teams after. I took a tonne of photos, hilarious really, because we were in a virtually empty stadium. I even went right down to the plastic panels rinkside and was taking up close photos of players as they were checked into the plastic inches from me! I'll get those photos posted up as soon as I get a chance. For the second game, Olivier and his team had gotten changed so we sat in the stands drinking beer and yelling at the two teams playing. His team was quite funny, although they mostly shouted in French. One guy kept yelling out "Shoooooooot" every time anyone got the puck - hilarious! There was also a bit of in team antics going on too. One of the players was a girl, and apparently she had just broken up with her boyfriend earlier in the week who also played on the team. But apparently noone knew til after the game when there were a few tears shed :( But apart from that, I had a fantastic night. If there was one sport in the world that I could play it would most definitely be hockey. I've got ice that runs through my veins :)

New Suit

Went out to Cote des Neges to pick up my suit - which was a fair way away, I needed to catch 3 lines of the 4 in the city. It came out gorgeously and I was very pleased, the tailor had done a brilliant job. Black with light silver pinstripe, 3 button single breasted. The trouser pockets were a bit different from normal, more like a jeans pocket cut than the traditional pockets. They came out well though, in the end. The treadmill is getting closer...

Back to Freezing

Walked from home to McGill again. The weather has turned brutally nasty again. I couldn't feel my face or legs even half way into the journey - and it only is a 10 minute walk! You would have no idea what this kind of weather is like - it just sounds really cold, it's just a number...until you experience it yourself!

Picking up a suit later on which I'm quite looking forward to; watching ice hockey tonight with my friend Olivier who is playing in his league's playoffs; Wednesday night Alias and CSI: NY :)

New Zealand TV

Having spent a solid 12+ at the office, I got home and flicked on the tv. Randomly surfing through the channels, I stumbled across - would you believe - Jay La'gaia dressed up as a New Zealand cop. He was going to a Mongrel Mob gang base and questioning the "fullas" in there. I'd forgotten how much I am missing home. I'd also forgotten how bad NZ acting and TV is. But what it was doing on Canadian TV - French Canadian TV at that - I have no idea.

Which reminds me - I was at the bank a few weeks ago when the bank teller says to me that she has seen a New Zealand movie. Great, I think, she's thinking of Lord of the Rings. How wrong I was - she was refering to Once Were Warriors! Then she started talking about how scared it made her and wanting to know if all of NZ was like that... Looks like you've got your work cut out for yourself, Tourism NZ... :-o

[For those of you who don't know, Once Were Warriors is a movie about Maori, the indigenous people of NZ. It follows a family who live pretty close to the breadline, in a pretty violent environment. It's extremely graphic, and covers for touchy subjects like suicide and rape.]

Whew, that's enough heavy stuff for one night I think.

Virtual Canage

Everyone seems to be beating up on poor Digs today. Can't you fellas give the guy a break? Trust the Australian to kick him when he's down :-P

Men in White Coats

I was just making a coffee when a thought struck me. You know how governments and corporations are always developing new things, whether they be weapons or knowledge or chemicals or way to do things bigger and better and faster? And you imagine that there are little men with white coats who go around experimenting? I've just realised that basically that's what I'm doing here in Canada, less the white coats. Researching, a mouse amongst the real researchers here - contributing something, to someone. Just a completely different take on things. By the way, I'm not developing any weapons :)

Sugar Shack

This weekend a bunch of us are heading east to a place known as Sherbrooke for an event known as Sugar Shack. Basically it is maple syrup season, so the locals have big festivities where you eat and drink lots, and everything is covered in or cooked in maple syrup. I'm sure the first couple of bits are great but after that probably lose their appeal very quickly! I think there's an economics phrase for it, like diminishing enjoyment or something... I have to say one thing I have noticed in Quebec is that there aren't any scale-breaking-sized people (unlike the US) - despite having these Sugar Shack festivities and that poutine I blogged about earlier (you know, French fries with cheese and gravy on top...). Amazing. I wonder how they manage to avoid it. :)

Thanks, Dody :)

For giving me some pointers and so helping me to clear up a backlog of unarchived posts :)

Back Online

So my blog was being difficult for the last few days. Something to do with when I customised it, but the updates I would put up wouldn't actually update - I believe it was something to do with me cutting and pasting hard code in rather than making it dynamic. Anyway, it seems some random person posted a comment seconds after I had kind of fixed it, how bizarre...

Transformation

The last couple of weeks have begun my transformation to a corporate suit. I've picked up a couple of nice suits, been looking for shoes, shirts, ties. I think of time in terms of units. It's almost time for me to get on to the treadmill, I can hear it churning. I can hear the patter of the feet of my friends already on it. I can hear it singing my name. And I go willingly; this is what I have been looking forward to for quite some time. The Corporate Battlefield, the Business Factory, the world of suits, jetlag and Blackberries - I greet thee and embrace thee.