Mexico City

Hi, it's been awhile.

I just got back from Mexico City. It was so amazing and I felt so lucky and grateful to be there.

 I was there to speak at a conference with the Creative Director of Adbusters, Pedro. And I stayed a bit longer, because it's Mexico and who wouldn't?

It was funny, I knew that the conference would be putting us up in a hotel for the nights of the event and that it would be really nice and everything would be taken care of, and the nights that I stayed after, I'd have to figure out for myself. I knew I'd be going from that to something that could be the total opposite. And in a way it was, and in a way it wasn't because everything I did and got to experience was equally nice in different ways. But this was the place that I stayed at after the conference. It was really beautiful.

And so these are the things I saw:

So many beautiful, massive, great structures.

This was creepy and fascinating at the same time. All those circles are cds hand drawn with markers and they each have a mix where you play it on this cd player from the early 2000's in the middle of the room.

This was here. I rode in this boat with old couples from Ecuador and Colombia. The one man who could speak a bit of English had a lot of sunscreen on his face, so much that his skin didn't absorb it that well and there was this layer of white over his already very pale face. I kept wondering how long the sunscreen would take to absorb into his face.

They gave everyone a flower as a gift before you got on the boat.

The colors.  So vibrant and warm.

 We were walking along and all of the sudden Pedro stopped me and we watched this bird peck at all these little toys and do these tricks, including this one where he out a mini sombrero on this baby doll and then he picks out your fortune. I love fortunes!

Said fortune. Basically it said that I shouldn't spend any money and thank god I got this fortune because after I do everything it says in it (which includes praying to all these gods every day for 3 months and some other things), I will be immune to all consumerism. Ha, thank you, bird fortune.

Animals everywhere. Stray ones.

Sleeping ones.

 Beautiful plants and trees. Lush ones.

Dry ones.

Manicured ones.

This was one of the nicest moments for me in Mexico City. I had already been walking around for hours in the sun and had so much more to see, but I couldn't will my legs anymore and they felt like they were going to collapse under me. So I just slumped down in this park to rest for a second and I saw this tall pole with what looked like a man on top of it (but I wasn't quite sure because he was so still and almost looked like a statue) and there were these men in these costumes at the bottom of it just milling about. I wondered what they were doing and couldn't make sense of it. One by one they started going up the pole and sitting on the square at the top and doing something with the ropes, and then a song started playing and they were wheeling round and round and then all of the sudden they released and came twirling slowly down. Their faces were sleepy and serene, and I thought of when you're a kid on a tire swing or being flung around by someone bigger than you and the sensation, of air passing your face, of everything blurring around you, and how nice that is. And I was also kind of in awe that things like this exist in a chaotic city, something that is traditional, from a time past, and is still performed as a way to make a living. It was a sight for tired eyes.

I met so many nice people here as well. All so kind and strong. They deal with so much shit here and it makes living in Canada seem like biggest piece of cake in the world.

I loved you Mexico City and I hope you'll have me back sometime soon. 

Hi, Paris:

Been busy and away.

But here I am and here is what I've been doing:

I just got back from a month long trip to Europe. Went to 3 places (or 4 if you want to be really detailed), Sète, Paris, Switzerland, and London.

Sète:



Went to Sète to see a music festival with Tom.

Then we went to Paris.

Saw things in Paris:


This was a strange piece, it was a video of a woman stroking a sleeping black man's face.

Went to the tennis museum and learned that whenever Rafael Nadal comes to the French Open, that he must spend a day in Disneyland Paris. Also learned that tennis museums in Paris (well there's only actually one) are art museums (there was a jazz photography exhibition going on at the same time - huh? It was nice though).

Oh look that guy with the glasses is looking at me. We were in Paris for Bastille day and ate mexican and watched the fireworks by the eiffel tower for like 10 minutes.

Walked around a lot. This is probably us trying to look for Jim Morrison's grave in Père Lachaise and not finding it after walking in the opposite direction a couple of times. When we did find it, it was, haha, a grave that didn't really live up to its hype (like...at all). Although it had a small fence.

A lot of nice window displays in Paris. This is for a store that sells candles. And candles only. The long ones (which, are people really even that into?) It's amazing/nice that these kind of stores can exist in Paris...and that these people can also take a summer vacation.

This kid.

This was across from that really famous falafel place, L'as du Fallafel. I was standing in a big line waiting for falafel (THAT HAS EGGPLANT! Okay, falafels should always have eggplants in it) and even though this place has the most charming sign (but I guess not charming enough because I, haha, went to L'as du Fallafel like 3 more times while I was in Paris and never decided to try this place, even though it was right across the street and the same price), they didn't have nearly as big as a line, or even any line at all sometimes. I'd be so bummed if I was that owner. Or maybe it isn't as bad as I think and they get a lot of business because of L'as du Fallafel. Anyways.

Ate a lot of good things:

Paris consisted of me just basically starting my day by finding a restaurant I heard about and from there, walk around (most likely to a bakery or chocolate store or an insanely over priced clothing store) and walk around some more and then go to a park and sit. ha. It was really nice. Honestly.

Went to Rose Bakery. I hate to say this because I really enjoy the cookbook (although, admittedly, I haven't really even cooked much from the cookbook, I like looking at it more than I do cooking from it), but the place is kind of overrated. I am sure there are a lot of things that make it great, especially if you live in Paris, it's a nice break from all the heavy food and is unpretentious and all that, but I dunno, it was whatever. Although I am sure if I go back to Paris, I'd probably go back there anyways, cause you know, soft spot and all.

This dessert was out of control. An apricot tart with caramel sauce. Two favorite things. Together. On this plate. Yeesh.


I, haha, realize I didn't really eat much french food while in Paris. And that's okay.

What I really loved about Paris and got to do more of this time that I didn't last time I visited, was to just take it more easy and actually sit in a park - for a long period of time (like long enough to take a nap and then some kind of long). And there's so many! And they're all so nice and I wish there were more parks here in Vancouver. Serious lacking of good parks here.

What's missing in this picture? Me in a rowboat on this river. Tom and I had gotten to this park and went there to go hang out and go rowboating (I think Tom only agreed to because we had gone to the Tennis museum before this). When we got to the park, we were at the opposite end of where you rent the rowboats, and we walked for about 45 minutes before finally getting to the spot to find out, oh bummer, we're closed. Oh well.



haha.

Oh Paris I hope I see you soon. It was really nice.

People ask me why I like Paris so much. And I couldn't really say. Other than that I did and it felt good to be there. My answer is a bit more defined now. Paris is what results between the new and old coming together, and I like that result. I also like that it is a place that appreciates leisure, that celebrates it and thinks you're kind of weird if you don't.

Ha hrm I don't think that really explains much either.

Anyways.

#21

Week off time:

Ate this inaptly named candy ("Melon Almond Candy", Almond, yes, Melon, no). But it was delicious (slightly sweet, chewy, gummy, and almondy, yum). Someone tell me where I can buy these in bulk (the store I bought them from only sells them in tiny packs of 4).

Did an illustration. More on this later.

Sean had a show at Anti Social.

He drew on the walls with pencil.

Played with the google translator app on Andy's iphone. I don't remember what language that is. Some kind of African language.

Other things that I did not pictured: Saw Onra and Dâm-Funk, dragged myself to go see DESTROYER (as you can tell from my use of all caps, I was very glad that I went, got to see many friends and Dan Bejar be totally chill and awesome), went crazy at Nuba and had white sangrias, played chess and lost three times in a row, saw an entertaining but admittedly very flawed and awfully cheesy movie, and played Little Big Planet and unlocked a weird/fun level with crazy Avatar looking things.

Oh man it was swell. Now it's back to work week time.

HK and Singapore

Yooo,
So last week I went to Hong Kong and Singapore for a little over a week and here's what it looked like:

I first went to Singapore to visit my dad for a few days. In keeping with one of my new years resolutions (hang out with nature more), I went to this small island off of Singapore, Pulau Ubin and hung out there for a day.


Bike that I rode around the island with. fyi, I rented it from an old guy who was getting no business (or so I thought, and thus felt kind of sorry for), and this bike, as like chill as it seems, was shaky (in a not good way).


A few dogs running around the island. I almost ran over a lizard with my bike as well. Almost!

Note to self and anyone who walks around in Singapore for more than 10 minutes: wear sunscreen and a hat or have a sun-burned face and have all people in Singapore look at you weird because Singapore Asians do not get sunburned (they know better than to walk around in the sun all day unprotected, or even, at all).

Then I went to Hong Kong and stayed with my aunt on Discovery Bay:

Discovery Bay is...from what I can see, a place where all the somewhat rich to very rich and lots of non-chinese people live in. It's an "environmentally friendly" island. Meaning that no one on the island is allowed to own a car (kind of impressive). They are however, able to own a golf cart. My aunt said, the golf cart only costs 100,000 (or something like that) Hong Kong dollars (HK dollar to 1 CDN dollar roughly: 7 to 1). But that the licence is 1 million Hong Kong dollars. 1 MILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS?! And apparently also the golf carts, at least the newer ones, are solar powered and don't even go that fast. 1 millon dollars to hang around the island on a golf cart. My cousins (the sons of my aunt) said that a few years ago (they are in high school), would sneak out at night and steal these golf carts (apparently it's really easy because the owners leave their keys in the glove compartment) and ride around the island on them and (I am directly quoting them) "drift". lol.

Okay. Went to Ocean Park. This trip to Hong Kong for me was definitely the most tourist-y I've been in all the times I've been to Hong Kong. Usually I just hang out with family, shop, and eat, but I dunno, I did that last time and got sick of it fast (the shopping, eating part), and there's a few tourist things in Hong Kong that I haven't seen (i.e, the pandas in Ocean Park), and I am there, so might as well. And, haha, erm this is a benefit of being me on my dad's side of the family, I am the only girl cousin/niece, and I am one of the youngest, and so my older cousin paid for Ocean Park (which, is eep, like 30 dollars to get into). Thanks Alvin!


A big reason why I went to Hong Kong. To see my cousin get married. It was interesting, the first wedding I've been to ever. I didn't really understand what was going on because it was all in Chinese, but I am glad I got to see it.

Got peaceful on my last day in Hong Kong. Tian Tan Buddha. The first time I saw a large scale Buddha was in Nara with Jane (here). I think I was only really interested in going to Nara because of all the deer running around and seeing the Buddha was kind of an afterthought. When I saw it though, have to say, it's quite moving. Instant calm and humbleness from standing before something just so massive both literally and metaphorically. I am not really much of a religious person and I never really think much of monuments, but once seen in real life, it's like oh, man, yes.

Then I went on a plane where I sat next to a baby who kicked me periodically and liked to play with stickers and stick them on her mother and on my tray.

Ones with little happy faces on them.
:)