Yesss

Okay, 1) I leave for Vancouver in 11 hours so I should be getting ready and 2) it's seven months till Christmas but this is important:

This is going to be the first time in a few years that I'll be looking forward to Christmas. Hooray!

Itinerary

Fourteen days left between me and Europe. I think it's time to reveal my itinerary and ask for pardon for the upcoming absence (although I have been very MIA this month anyway).

I'm being super ambitious, hitting at least 14 cities in a 48-day span. 17 of those days, I'll be on La ferme de Noé to the north of Marseille and Aix-de-Provence, building housing for animals and farming and harvesting and cooking and engaging in other earth-friendly shenanigans (and hopefully also those not very friendly to my liver). The not-so-secret hippie in me is basking in the glory of the thought. Marseille, Aix and Arles are all within the arm's reach of the farm.

From then on I'm heading off to Genoa, Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice in Italy. Reading cautionary tales of Venice has made me wary, but I'm open to falling in love with the sinking city. So we'll see. Bern and Lucerne, Switzerland: Lucerne is my dad's favourite place in Europe, so I know I'll be captivated by its charm. Belgium will be housing my amazing twin sister (yeah, really) for three months, so I'll be visiting there on my way back to Paris! I hope to hit Antwerp (yay for wool), Brussels and Bruges (In Bruges being one of my favourite scripts ever). Then I'll head back to Paris before hitting home base in Toronto.

I know, right?

Time to go buy a travel case for my ukulele.

ps. I may or may not have been playing Hot 'n Cold by Katy Perry on my ukulele. Whatever.
pps. I have a lot to say about the suicide of the former president of Korea, and even more to say about the exhausting trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Then there's the North Korean tests, the UN response. There's just so much around me and far from me, and my head is turning in every which direction. I want to gather my thoughts and understand what they want, and still not make excuses.

some absence

For the past few days I was realizing that I haven't posted anything at all in May, and so here I am. Toronto, student living and music seems to be the constant muses in my life so that's the path we shall travel once more.

I have moved into my temporary residence for the month of May, a lovely old house in the Annex with a confused landlady on the first floor and two sweet roommates. After living a year in a basement--the epitome of student living: white walls, tile floors, creeper looking through my window from the backyard (yes, indeed it's true)--it's strange to wake up to sunlight in the morning. Even on the cloudiest days I'm waking up thinking it's naught but sunshine outside. I imagine getting sunburnt, and it's an exciting notion, and there's definitely a deck on the third floor to do this on. I can see the CN Tower to the south and Casa Loma to the north.

I have 21 (!!!) big days left until I leave for Europe--I will also have to write about that one, and how planning the trip is the second best part after actually being there. I have lots that I'm leaving in Toronto though: Beirut, and a sunny house (despite its lack of a living room my roommates and I do fine in our common sitting nook) least of all; but I'm holding my breath. I do wish Toronto would stop in its tracks until I come back. I want to miss nothing.

It's definitely spring.

Albums that I've been listening to: Horn of Plenty, by Grizzly Bear; Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, by Wilco; For Emma, Forever ago, courtesy of Bon Iver (sounds of Wisconsin); Boxer, The National (I will be sorry to miss them this Thursday! But Timber Timbre at Over the Top Fest is no less of a substitute); Actor, the new one by St. Vincent (even better than the last). My ukulele wants to learn a song or two.

So I'll go do that. See you soon.

Record store day.

Consider this a punch in the face for the interwebz.

Tomorrow - Saturday April 18th - is Record Store Day, with vinyl-only releases from my lovechildren some amazing musicians such as Andrew Bird, The Gaslight Anthem, Iron and Wine, Flight of the Conchords (yes, I know), Talking Heads, GRIZZLY BEAR (note the all-caps), and even a split from Sonic Youth and Beck. Since I'm not the coolest or the hippest of all music fans, as evidenced by my lack of a record player, I won't be taking advantage of much else other than the magical 10% off pretty much everything but the tickets at Soundscapes.

If you're in Toronto, go drop by at Soundscapes, Penguin Music, Criminal Records or Sonic Boom. I heard from a little birdie that Sonic Boom is also hosting a show in honour of such a day.

And speaking of records, here's a sweet little track written by Jens Lekman...



Are you sick of me swooning over Jens yet?

ps. May go to Vancouver for the first week of June, right before Europe. May do a show in Muskoka in August. May go to Koreatown for lunch tomorrow with my awesome sister. Stay tuned!

West side story

Lots have happened recently! For one, my parents sold their house in the suburban Toronto, packed up their stuff, and moved to the suburbs of Vancouver, bought a condo in Coquitlam and moved in within a three-week time span. It was extraordinary. Now I have a reason to visit Vancouver in the snowy, hailing months of Toronto (which apparently includes April), but the suddenness of it all really struck home. All of a sudden I am without a place to go for Easter.

But because Jens Lekman seems to be the theme of my life when things matter, and he wants me to "come to Vancouver" and "zig-zag the world", I guess I'll just have to go to Vancouver now.

Time to befriend a commercial pilot.