c'est l'halloween

Edward Scissorhands:






Borat:




Catwoman:


Raggedy Ann/Doll:


Ice Queen:







brian in the top 5 of the costume competition



(more on facebook)

handful of dust

i know there's comfort in your bed/it's warm and soft inside/ but all the visions that you dread/and all the blankets cannot hide/come with me and we will go/to the coolness of the dark/where daylight never shows/and your nightmares never start/come outside, come outside/hear the calling of the night/come outside, come outside/while the moon is full and white/come outside, sings the night's lullaby



It's nearly Halloween, and we don't have a pumpkin yet. I also don't have a costume. This, my friends, is not good. I've been chained to my desk and staring deeply into my computer screen for the past week. And yet, here I am now as well. It looks like 2 months of taking it easy are beginning to catch up, and I've found myself in the classic student predicament of work negligence = work overload. But nothing should get in the way of Halloween.

I simply don't think it's a holiday that people should give up on. When you're a kid it's for the candy, when you're an adolescent it's for the parties (and okay, the candy too), and when you are a young adult it is for reminding yourself to have fun (and candy). And, you better believe if I have children, I will be stuffing them in miniature pumpkin and ghost costumes at the first available Halloween. A chubby baby in a pumpkin suit is arguably one of the cutest things in existence.

As if to remind me that there is a world beyond my desk and the blinking pixels of my computer screen, the temperature has dropped, the wind has started to blow, and event promoters have started to collage the city with their Halloween party posters. It's time for everyone to get out of the house!

I can't help but wax nostalgic over autumn nights past, wandering in the forests of the suburbs, sitting down by the lake on a friday night with the wind whipping at our jackets. Now it's about finding a place that feels special, adventurous, unique, in the context of a city. A little different.

The other day was a welcome break; Brian and I went with a bunch of other students out to a local Irish pub for happy hour, and surprisingly good (though sketchy) free food. It's nice to gossip over a pint, and speaking of which, every MIT student's favourite 301 prof is coming to give a speech on sports journalism as spectacle next weekend. Is that road trip worthy, Larkin?

Let the costume hunt to begin!

"wild on parliament hill"

Ottawa is a lot like Jennie: serious but friendly, proper yet informal, and dignified with a not-so-hidden crazy side.

The weekend began with a visit to the National Library and Archives Canada, where I was researching the oh-so glamourous topic of biological warfare (I am far too paranoid already to be writing a paper on the subject), and we discovered the matrix of security and information that lies inside those marble walls. Seriously, that place is intense.







Jennie also took us to a math society event, where we discovered secret math handshakes, saw genuine mullets (not the "trendy" euro versions), and debated the ultimate question: are female comedians funny?

The lights over the Rideau canal twinkled, as we realized that Jennie has to be the only person I know who had not yet heard (let alone heard to death) Fergie's "London Bridge"...gasp!





Caught a rain-soaked glimse of touristy Ottawa in the Byward Market, and crawled out of the rainstorm into an Irish pub to dry off beside a great big fireplace.
Pumpkins were everywhere, reminding me that time is running out for costume ideas for my 3rd favourite holiday.





Friday night we headed to a pizza party, played with cap guns, hooks, and toothpicks before going to the most Canadian bar I have ever been to, followed by an all-night diner.








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In other news, our building was on fire last night. I heard a strange voice coming from a loud speaker, and I am ashamed to admit I immediately thought only of Lost season 2 and the hatch. After snapping out of that, Brian and I grabbed our "what would you take in a fire?" items and ran down the stairs. By the time we reached the ground, there were already at least 4 fire trucks, and firefighters were entering the building. We still don't know what caused the fire, but apparently it was contained to one apartment, 2-3 floors above us, and was put out quickly by the looks of things. Thank goodness no one was hurt. Strange events have a way of happening in this city, I tell you.



We also went to see Marie Antoinette. Brian summed up his review by saying "I feel like I'm watching The Simple Life," and my opinion didn't differ greatly. Mind you, others have strongly and convincingly defended their love for the film. I'm not a huge fan of Sophia Coppola; I find her characters cloying, sticky, lethargic and nauseating...or maybe that's just Kirsten Dunst's characterization (in her entire filmography). The film is pastel-hued "cotton candy for the mind" as Edward Comor would put it, and good only for a guilty voyeuristic clothes-scoping indulgence. Then again, I can't think of a better actor to coax an audience reaction of distaste/indifference towards a character than Dunst. Alright Coppola, it's time to move on.

And on that note, on to another week

books, career paths, and other nerdiness

This is my last burst of procrastination before I finally give in to the next piece of work I've put off too long. My last-minute methods (which were shared by many of my peers, most infamously by Dave Joyce) are still being put to good use, it seems. Above is part of the neverending stack of books I'm working with, and although they are interesting, they are slowly beginning to take over my life.

Today I gave my first class presentation, and was nervous as hell, but at least received the occasional polite nods from my classmates. The class is mostly second year MA students, all of whom seem to have really interesting backgrounds. Their experiences--from working in political documentary filmmaking to touring with contemporary dance shows, to the general savoir faire gained from already living at least a year in Montreal--give the class an air of culture, but without pretension. I'm fascinated with these people because they seem to do so many cool things, but have no traces of arrogance or even flippancy; they really love what they do. Not a bad environment to learn in, I have to say.

Took a brief break from procrastinating to check out my friend Mark's new band "The Bodies'" debut show at L'escogriffe. As frontman (lead vocals and keyboard), Mark combined rocky horror theatrics, powerful soul ballad skills, punchy keyboard hooks, and a definite sassiness. I was suitably impressed. And he had sweet red eye makeup as well.

Speaking of makeup, now that I live in a city, and this city has makeup stores...it is too easy to feed my addiction. It's to the point where the entire staff of MAC on St. Laurent knows me by name, and I'm seriously considering working there for a bit after I graduate.

One of my classmates explained "Well, I'm 29 now and I'm doing my masters after trying to be a rock star for a couple of years." Funny, I may be doing the inverse.

And, back to the subject of nerdiness, I'm going to visit Jennie in Ottawa this weekend, where she will show me around her new favourite hangout, the national archives.

Oh, and here is my first non gazette :( article

And by request, my brother on my dad's vintage dirtbike. Also, check out Jonathan's amazing pics here:

Yours in geekiness...

veritaserum

A couple of gin and tonics, and it all starts to pour out. Throughts swim too quickly in intoxicated waters. I am sapped [sic] of motivation to work.

Last week, right before I walked by the above mural, I saw a man do coke from an old whiteout container via a straw. He kept glancing back at us sketchily. I also learned that moon cakes are made from lotus flowers, and the hunt is on to find some.

Every time we have people up to visit, I remember how much food there is to choose from in this city, and I feel like I eat half a city's worth of food.

It's so nice to have your recent past come back to you, like an air that blows through the open door, when friends come to visit.

My days of student journalism are not yet over, it seems. I've started writing for Concordia's paper, the Link, which by no means compares to The Gazette, but does have some reliably feisty and provocative articles.

I'm hoping a blues band (that just happens to be seeking a singer)will miraculously fall into my lap. Chances are I'm going to have to seek one out more actively, however.

If I get this scholarship, I think another trip to Tanzania will be in the works. More on that later.

TV on the Radio show was a barrel full of spastic, soulful fun. As was a long-awaited trip to Foufounes electrique (electric buttcheeks0, the intriguing biker-esque bar with a giant spider over the entrance.

There's something for everyone around here.

musical interlude

Please bear with me as I re-create my blog. A fix-up was long overdue, but I am by no means an expert in the realms of web design, or even template manipulation. Soon it should be all finished.

Just ate some $2 chow mein with peanut sauce from a window vendor on st. laurent. A few of us (just a few) from the program have decided to keep it real and enjoy life aside from books as well. Thank goodness there are some fun-lovers around here.

But seriously, I have to get down to biz with my schoolwork for a bit.

Boucher and Trav are coming for the weekend... can't wait!

I started my first guitar lesson today. Very productive.

calm vs. storm

I have officially delved into the beginnings of my research. This has been prompted mostly by looming scholarship applications, more than a newfound sense of responsibility. I'm still not an organized person, but at least my unorthodox methods of work have gotten me to this level of academic study.

I am surrounded in books about HIV/AIDS and I am trying to explain why my study plan deserves a research grant. Whether or not I end up receiving this scholarship is not really the point, however. By being forced to clarify my intentions, I am reminding myself why it is so important to me to study HIV/AIDS in Africa and the media.

Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa explains his reason:

“I wanted to do these lectures for all those little girls and their mothers whose lives have been torn from their moorings, and whose future is in the hands, at least in part, of those who have always pretended to care, and have never really cared.”

I don't think I have cared enough, to be honest with you. I think for many people, it can be very difficult to tie your emotions and your passion (and your time and your money) to something that seems half a world away. It wasn't until last year, when I really began to think about everything in my life, everything I had to contibute to this world, and it became slowly clearer to me that it only makes sense for me to lend any of the priviledges and skills I have been afforded to do something about the worst socially, economically and politically-tied health pandemic we have ever seen. Thus, I begin my research.

At the same time, international tensions are at a very scary point. I feel it's important to stay close both to the news, as well as the people you love. I don't mean to sound too scary...the state of things just makes me think, that's all.

Speaking of loved ones, Thanksgiving weekend was a much-needed retreat into all things familiar. I got a chance to hang out with a my cousins, who I adore and wish I could see more often. Long walks, sitting around, and systematically addicting my family to LOST was a pretty big difference from sitting at my desk in Montreal, doing readings and food shopping. It's good to go back, but it's nice to be here too.


Pumpkin market in le plateau


vine-covered house near the market

Thanksgiving in cottage country with the whole family


My cousins