Summer 2011

My sincerest of apologies for the current lack of the written word on my blog. I've been busy taking advantage of my summer holiday which, sadly, is over in about two weeks. Yes. Two weeks.

Where did it go? What did I do with my time? I will now attempt, to the best of my abilities, to recall how I spent my summer. For no other reason, really, than for my personal satisfaction, and to remember.

May-June 2011

- Summer School: Contemporary Poety (did marginally well...)
- spent time with an old friend, recently-turned-mother
- watched some Hot Doc productions
- found places to hang out at night with great views of the city
- went out to Century Room with some friends
- attended the launch of In Toronto Magazine at Roosevelt Room
- attended the UTICA gala
- attended Pero Expo at VoX International party
- attended cousins' First Communion...spoken entirely in Hungarian...
- went to good friend's house party for her boyfriend's birthday
- landed new job working at psychological centre...for a month.
- BierMarkt for friend's going away party... although she never did end up leaving...
- spent the day at Cherry Beach with the girlfriends
- continued my piano lessons!
- smoked the green and ordered a pizza to the top of a parking lot then headed over to the dirty Brunny (sweet random night)
- LEVENDES FC SAGAPO POLI!
- bike trip from home down to Lakeshore Blvd!
- Kensington Market with the bestie
- lunch at Vivoli's with the ladies!
- Brunny night...and green, oh the green.
- Gullo's birthday at This is London
- read under a tree all day at Trinity Bellwood's Park
- Prostate Cancer Walk for Papa Silva!
- Bike ride to Centre Island with the Bestie
- more casual baby visiting
- Visited the Nonna in Windsor for a week...joy.
- my special broke his wrist and I truly couldn't believe it

July-August 2011

- Dave and Buster's night...now that was some really awesome fun
- Oro Beach for Angela's birthday
- Drove the sister to the airport so as to begin her trip to Halifax...and never finish it
- "A Midnight in Paris"
- attempt number one in making Fettucini Alfredo...#hugefail
- K.O. after Century Room with the girls. The night ended way too late, or is 5:30 am considered early?
- Vivid's Pizzeria with my special (arguably best pizzeria in Toronto)
- Salsa on St.Clair with baby mama & Co.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt.2 !!!!!!!
- house party at Cheech's
- Breaking Bad. Seriously got into Breaking Bad. So much Breaking Bad.
- last night before the Greek boys headed off to Greece
- Skybar/The Guvernment
- Katrina's annual Taste of the Danforth Party (I got him back...best time spent all summer)
- My special gets a cleat in the knee and loses a chunk of it. Six stiches later and no summer championship he lost but was undefeated
- St. Lawrence Market with my special!
- Swimming with my special :)
- The CNE with friends and my special
- The Paramount
- The Brunny
- SMC Frosh Leader Retreat 2011
- Ana gets her wisdom teeth removed...again
- 'Pasta and Pizza' and Chinatown with my special!!

And there is it. The most sequentially accurate recollection of my summer's events. I mean, hey, I might've not had the most extravagent summer, but I spent it with him. And I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Ferris Wheels, Poutine, Cotton Candy

What is Twitter?

Where did Facebook go? How often do you use Facebook to contact people these days? Is it starting to follow in Myspace's footsteps? Statistically and financially no, however in my group of friends it would appear that Twitter trumps Facebook any day.

It's simple. Clever. If you can't say what you want to say in 140 characters, don't say anything at all. Only say what's absolutely necessary. Unlike Facebook, where anything goes. Twitter is more contained in that sense, however it does not stop those that use the social network to voice their opinion loud and clear...and in 140 characters.

It ain't gonna wait for 'ya!

The Help!

My mother's been updating me with more details and gossip from the book "The Help!". She can't get enough of it!

And now with Emma Stone starring in the upcoming "The Help!" movie, I'll definitely be able to acompany my mom in all her excitement.

Mi Vida en Fotographia

Keep In Touch

I once heard a quote that went along the lines of: keeping in touch with old friends is a sign of a strong character.

Interesting. I must agree.

It appears it is more common to lose touch than to keep in touch these days, which is somewhat ironic considering all the technological media we have claiming to keep us "connected".

How connected are we really? Does chatting online for twenty minutes count as remaining connected? Do skype dates keep us connected? And without the internet and all it offers communication-wise, would we make the same effort to remain pals?


Just some thoughts.

What's Going On?

It was on the George Stroumboulopoulos Late Night Show that I learned Canadians are among the world's leading best "sitters". We love to sit. We lounge. We waste a copious amount of time on social networking sites. Hakunamatata. It is Friday the 13th and perhaps that may be the reason for all my friends deciding to stay indoors tonight. Or perhaps it is the sudden rain that started about fifteen minutes ago. Some "have work in the morning", others "haven't spent much family time lately". Really though, I think the reason they've all chosen to stay inside is because they are professional "sitters".

What are all my friends doing at this very moment? Melting into their couches and watching '90210' or catching up on last season's 'Dexter'. I don't have much to say for myself, I mean, how am I spending my time any better sitting at my laptop typing this out? My only defense is that my intentions were not to do so tonight.

I wanted to out with some guys 'n' dolls to go watch 'THOR'(which came out May 6th). I was even planning on suggesting heading out to a pub afterwards to enjoy a couple 'a' beers. Sadly my good intentions never received the oppurtunity to play themselves out.

Relationship-lovers, lazy slugs and club rats are what make up my scattered, and numerous, circle of friends. If they're not sitting, they're out at clubs dishing out money they don't have and making memories that will never be. If they're not at "Revival", they're at home in front of their TV set, or attending to their significant other's magnanimously important needs.

Makes me want to throw up.

Anyhow, that's all I have to say about that.



Oh, speaking of Friday the 13th...

"Numbing Ourselves to Social Interaction"

Iphone4, Blackberry, Android Phones, MacAir, HP, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, BBM, LiveProfile, SMS Texting, Conference Calls.

The more intertwined society becomes with technological adavances the more anxious we become in our anticipation for the next big, new thing. The more we await a new form of technology to accesorize our rarely-satisfied selves, the more we completely disregard what we have in the present moment: ourselves and those around us.

As new forms of communication become the norm, we are simply blown away by their efficiency and performance. Like kids in candy stores, we cannot get enough. Once mommy allows us one we want another and another and another and another.

But what about in the meantime? What about that friend that you text on a day-to-day basis, when was the last time you went out for coffee? What about your colleague that works on the 14th floor that you'd like to get to know, when was the last time you talked face-to-face? And what about your old highschool friends--if it weren't for Facebook or Twitter, would you ever plan any lunch dates?

Most likely not.

And the strange thing is, these media forms aid in forming a sense of interconnectedness between people. If you have a medium with which you can keep tabs on, but not relationships with, those you know, why not? How great is it to be able message a cousin that lives overseas to congratulate them on their recent marriage engagement? How convenient is being able to Skype with your parents as you go to school aboad? But how long would these cyber relationships be able to keep one completely satisfied?

There is something about the authenticity of face-to-face interaction. Not only are you given the opportunity to listen to what one says, you are able to decipher for yourself every facial expression and body gesture. If you want to reach out and hug that person you can. If you feel the need to gently brush the hair out of their face you may do so.

It is the physicality of interaction that is lacking among those who become completely absorbred with technological communication and social networking. This is not to say that while in a conference call with your colleagues and boss you should really be thinking about ways to touch one another, I merely mean that there is so much more that goes on in a conversation held in person, than through a mechanical device.

We need to take it back to basics. That's how I feel. We need to be able to look one another in the eye and say exactly what we mean to say, instead of heading back to our desk to email each other about we wish we could've said in person. Enough of this "sexting" and "twirting". Let's get raw, let's get dirty, and let's have a bloody good conversation.

That is all.