Kristy's venture into the artistic realm

Howdy folks!

Though, I strictly would like to state, that this is very different from being an artist...
you'll see! ;)

Here are some shots of some art projects that I've been working on. The first is a carving I gave my dear roomates Erin and Andrew for Christmas, the other guys are just doodles (I'll have to post some others, cause these aren't my favourites... but that requires more energy at 6am in the morning!!) ... these are 2 of my new favourite hobbies! Oh! And I've recently started taking a woodworking class (with power machines- ho ho ho!!) and am making a box with a terrifically enthusiastic colleague of mine. Yup, 23 (well, almost 24) turning 90 or so!

Enjoy! :)

Sun rise, sun set... does it at all matter?

I was once asked whether this drawing represents a rising or setting sun… I don’t the question was ever fully answered, however while walking home today I started thinking about it. Does there really need to be a difference? In our Western culture, we are bombarded by dualisms: black/white, good/bad, child/adult, etc. Using the sun as an example, a sunrise simultaneously leads to a sunset in a different locale, and of course a setting sun always follows a rising one, and vice versa. It got me thinking about our position amongst all this flux, of life’s changes and opportunities. Software programmer to volunteer in Nepal, or Vancouverite to Haligonian (trying hard to burn the CFA label), seemingly opposites in many ways, but perhaps unifying in a holistic sense as these experiences in part define our present identities.

Perhaps this is a tenuous and poorly articulated thought process, but the only way to reconcile such contradictions, it seems to me, is to achieve some measure of balance- the whole yin and yang phenomenon. The balance comes from living in the present. In this instantaneous state, it’s futile to ask whether the sun is rising or setting- it’s just there as its luminous self despite what has gone on in the past or what will subsequently happen. Perhaps this is what the Buddhists are trying to achieve, a state of mind where the past and the future define what is, but their exact details cease to matter, “now” is just what it is… the balance achieved by a single moment of time, infinitely complex and often overlooked by a tendency to determine “what will” or “what has”, but in a sense, our only true reality.

Did I mention I'm going to Nepal

After WAY too many sleepless nights trying to decide on whether to cease an opportunity to travel to Nepal (and most likely Northern India) with a new friend of mine, I've made up my mind. Nepal it is!!! I'm quite excited, but due to me being sick and just tired from too many sleepless nights (I'm the worst decision maker on the planet!!), I think I'll have to elaborate next blog.

Sorry for being such a tease, but quality over expedience is my brand new moto...

I guess I'm just adapting the commercial break to the world wide web! After these messages.... we'll be right back! :) ...

Kristy's Nova Scotia home

Now that I've successfully applied for a NS health care card (the "Medical Services Insurance" card doesn't have the same ring as the BC Care Card, but I'll get used to it...), I figure that this has indeed become a second home.

So, here is my new home address:

2359 Agricola Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 4B7
(902) 422-6429

So, there you have it for all that were asking for my address. Now if only I kept better records of all your guys' addresses in Van!!! :)

Kristy, meet -19oC (27oC with windchill) temps! :)

Who knew a gortex raincoat over a down jacket and 2 layers of wool was overkill?...

So, my usual 35 minute walk to work was perhaps a little extended today considering that I could barely move due to all the clothes I was wearing… A head to toe recap:

2 hats
Belaclava
Wool scarf
2 layers of wool shirts
MEC down jacket
Gortex raincoat
Cross country ski gloves
Wind/waterproof outer glove layer
Long underwear
Fleece pants
Gortex rainpants
Winter boots

Phew, exercise just getting all of it on (I really need to take a picture cause it's quite a scene!)!! But by the time I was on the bridge, where even despite the windchill and the frozen eyelashes, I was hot and starting to sweat! I was thinking… "Boy, Nova Scotia, is that all you've got??"!! Actually, before I get all cocky and such, I did rip down the sidewalk on my bum on a patch of ice, which was quite embarassing, but luckily no one's out and about at 6:20am. :) I'm sure my little Westcoast ass will get more where that came from.

So, now I'm thinking that perhaps I don't need the extra belaclava, pair on long underwear and leg warmers that I packed in my bag, just in case…

On for more adventures! :)
Tonight… a Orienteering event in the chil-ly night time… stay tuned! :)

Cheers and stay warm folks!
Kristy

An email from a proud American

Howdy!

So, I bought some "One less car" bike stickers for my current fundraising activities, and the supplier guy (who is American) wrote me this in his email (for the context, he was asking about my use of "cheers" to sign off emails). Pretty extreme, so I thought I'd share. You've gotta kind of feel for the Americans who aren't being even remotely accurate represented by their country's policies...

nways, here it goes...

"I thought "cheerio" was just another Brit version of
"cheers", but used for for signing off a letter, whereas "cheers" is
what you say when making a toast in a bar, restaurant, lounge, indoors
or out, anywhere, anytime, (and for almost) anything. By the way, that
("Anywhere Anytime Anything") is the title of a compilation CD of many
of Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn's best songs over a three
decade career. Some of my favourite (public/famous) people are from
that great northern dominion. Your flag is a badge of honor, whereas
ours is a mark of shame (which is why so many American travelers to
other parts of the globe purposely wear a Canadian maple leaf flag
patch sewn on their backpack or jacket sleeve. It is a helpful
deception to try to "pass for Canadian" rather than a member of our
arrogant, self-indulgent, condescending, narcissistic, militaristic,
zenophobic, under-educated, angry, out-of-control, TV & shopping
addicted, mesmerized by violence of all forms, bullying, insecure,
raucous, apathetic, bloated, windbag of pseudo-ideas, fast food, Last
Superpower, dying empire of a nation that we, the privileged of USA
were born into. It's a burden to be the in flesh representative of
such a fear, despised, loathsome empire. I got pretty carried away
trying to elaborate on the hideous underbelly of my country's bad
points. It's good points are many of its people. Among its bad points
are (alas) many (OK, some) of its people.(the ones who chant like
neanderthals: "U-S-A! U-S-A!" with rising hostility and
foaming-at-the-mouth mad dog fervor while waving their little plastic
Made In China U-S-A flags at football games and while they
counter-demonstrate against peace vigils, rallies, actions. Oh, I
could elaborate, but it gets to be self-indulgent just thinking about
and bemoaning my less-informed, less-intelligent, more
racist-sexist-homophobic, pseudo-"patriotic" citizens f the shrinking
pro-Bush, pro-war, SUV-lovin', BASCAR race cheerleading fellow, duped
and programmed Americans."
– [on-line supplier guy] (who should be doing more constructive things at the moment)

And since we're on the topic of cooking... :p

I'm down on thematics (from all the joyful data analysis crap, I mean "stuff", I've been working on...)

Another occasion of the unfortunate person trying to make dinner, occurred back around Christmas time. The hungry soul got home from a data-analysis type day (oh, joyful, joyful times!) and was quite hungry. So the at this point, the hungry person trying to make dinner decided to steam up some seasonal vegetables, so she turned the oven on to preheat. Well, soon enough, the hungry person trying to make dinner turned around and smoke was POURING out of the oven and taking over the kitchen. In addition, the 2 [insert word "bloody" here...] smoke alarms decided to chime in and join the party! So the hungry and now terrified person trying to make dinner freaked out and opened up the oven to find a roomate's Christmas bread loaf blackened to a crisp. The now-coal-like loaf soon was flipped into the back yard and the hungry and terrified person trying to make dinner (but practically dying from smoke inhalation) frantically tried to turn the smoke alarms off, but was too short [exclamations not suitable for PG blogs would be otherwise inserted here]…. After a while of this kind of chaos, the practically dying, hungry and terrified ex-cook paced back and forth through the house trying to figure out how to tell her roomate about the roasted bread loaf sitting in the backyard in the pouring rain.

In the end, the loaf was just a trial run and Amy, the roomate didn't really care about its wellbeing. But the still-frantic but recovering, still hungry and terrified ex-cook learned even more lessons that day (like perhaps cooking just isn't her thing) and now always checks the oven for randoms before turning it on.

But as Kristy, I'd like to say that I, on the other hand, really am a good cook and people comment on my meals and leftovers all the time! It's unfortunate in this world of telecommunication that I can't attach some reference letters to this blog, so you'd actually believe me, but you're just going to have to come to Halifax to judge for yourself! :) Consider yourselves invited!!

All's for now.
Kristy

Did I mention I'm a cook??

Ah, yes, something I’ve been meaning to add to my blog. An interesting story that I send out to a buddy of mine a while back that was a little entertaining…

The background of this email chunk is that whenever I cook, I inevitably make way too much and end up having left-overs for days. And since I cook usually every night (unless I still have stuff left from the previous night), it builds up so I thought I’d be a nice person (like I pretend to be) and give some carrot-cashew nut loaf and roasted vegetables to a buddy of mine in Halifax since I thought they were tasty.

I’m responding to his comment that it was good, but the texture was strange. I totally didn’t think about this before giving it to him, since vegetarian food generally is a little different texture wise.

Then I thought back to making in, here’s my reply…

“I'm glad you can stomach it! Yah, I agree, the carrot cashew thing was a little weird, texture wise. I think I may know why... Once upon a time, an enthusiastic, but not always on the ball, cook decided to make a new recipe. Since this enthusiastic cook was in a new kitchen where vegetables are steamed using a pot and a strainer, she happily constructed the make shift strainer and placed in carrots for a hopefully soon-to-be delicious nut loaf. Well, no sooner did the enthusiastic cook sit down after washing the dishes while waiting for the carrots to steam, did she smell smoke. Oh, no! So the enthusiastic cook (maybe you've realized by now that the word "cook" my be overly optimistic- perhaps "person attempting to cook dinner" is a better term- further more, enthusiastic is no longer true, so that word needs to be adjusted as well) rushed into the kitchen where the make shift steamer was smoking- not steaming. So the poor person attempting to cook dinner quickly learned that it's very important to use lots of water when steaming vegetables. She also learned that it sucks to destroy friends' pots and that new pots are quite expensive. So, ending on a Disney note, though the no-longer-so-optimistic person attempting to cook dinner had to settle with not-quite cooked carrots for her new recipe, it was a somewhat happy day in the sense that many lessons were learned that evening. For the record, I'm, I mean the despaired person attempting to cook dinner, is not always such a clutz, just may appear that way in too many circumstances...”

Oh, the lessons in life… :)

Introducing the Otesha Project (duh, duh, duh-duh!!)

Howdy!!

I've gotta put a plug in for this, not just cause I'm doing it (which in itself means it must be cool, eh? Relative to buying new bike tires eh Kristy?... It's all relative at this point…!!) but because it's a really cool thing. So please, bear with me...

The Otesha project is a grassroots and youth-based environmental outreach and education group that does cycling tours using creative skits and presentations to promote the ideas of sustainability and social justice. I'm a member of the 2007 Cycling Tour and Presentation team - Maritimes region! That means in the summer (July 1st to the end of August), I'll be cycling in a mobile community made up of about 15-20 other Canadian youth.

What is really cool about this project, in addition to the fact that it blends cycling and environmental education, which are awesome, is that this group really walks (or should I say cycle) the talk! We will be eating as much local and organic foods as possible, the Otesha team shirts are all printed on re-used shirts, and the Otesha policies are also very though-through to ensure that their practices are as green as can be. As Kermit the frog said, it's not easy being green, perhaps, but it definitely can be done and is not really all that difficult if we consider our small everyday choices and what a difference they can make. That's the basic premise of the Otesha project right there, we will be using consumerism and all the things we do on a regular bases to show how simple things add up to make a significant positive difference to our good old buddy, the planet!

Anyways, I'm currently in the midst of planning fundraising activities including a pub night (since I live in Halifax after all!), a bowlerama, making recycled 1-sided notebooks with some of my art on the title page, some greetings cards with KW's nifty designs on the front and writing letters to environmental organizations and companies that may want to support me and the team. A lot of work really, but could be a lot of fun as well (and hopefully fruitful!)

Nways, no more selling this project, cause I'm sure it must be sold! Plus, I'm sure you'll be reading much more about it in the near future as the tour dates come up.

Cheerios and have a love-the-environment kind of day! :) (I think working at Environment Canada is really getting to my blood!...)

Kristy

It's beginning to feel a lot like winter...

Everywhere you go… do do do-do

The barometer indicated that it was -7oC this morning down from იoC a little while back and the fingers sure felt it! But no snow yet- the West though sure has their share. I'm convinced that Zoom can handle the cold and the snow, but the ice makes the poor little guy cringe.

So, maybe in the next episode of Kristy's all-so exciting (the joys of domesticity) life… new tires for Zoom! :)

I know, I really keep you guys on the edge of your seats eh…!!! I'm really trying to live life on the edge, but (can I say "bloody" on the world wide web…?) data analysis doesn't lend itself well to that type of thing.

Nways, more adventures to come… I can only hope!!! :)

Cheerios folks!
Kristy

ps. I'll add pics of a decked out cyclist later. It's kinda fun wearing pretty much as many layers possible that will still allow my to move! ;)

It's beginning to look a lot like ... Vancouver!

Hello West coast home!

All in all, and A class visit. Got to catch up with lots a friends, had a fantastic time with my family and 2 year old Mylene (my 2nd cousin who's tooooo cute!), my immediate family, who are so much more lovable than I remember them... what happened??? ;)

But I'll start from the top... Boy was it exhilirating to see the Rockies from the plane. Funny, you really miss their presence when you're gone. I was practically jumping up and down from my seat on the edge of the middle row of the plane. I think the people next to me thought I was seizuring! But they're beauties!

Back at the Williams' home, then Gingerbread bake-a-thon day! Though we didn't get as many cookies done as in the past, it was a great chance to catch up with buddies who I haven't seen in too long, and hear stories of those who are away. It was pretty cool..

Even Dad partook in the festivities!

And got to eat yummy sushi and even Dim Sum!!! Yum, yum! How I missed my ethnic foods while in Halifax. Did I mention on a previous post that I tried eating sushi here one night... They put hot sauce on the salmon sashimi????!!! To disguise the taste of atlantic farmed salmon...??? I don't want to know. So that was awesome!

Then Christmas, seeing aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, little ones, dogs, singing Santa Clauses and all! We all had a great time. I have my grandparents a carving from a fallen branch of the Halifax Commons, the public space of Halifax, as a spirit stick. My uncle said "a great hobby for a tree hugger". And yes, it is, thank you very much.. but I prefer "air snuggle" these days... :)

Then Silver Star!!! Yahoo! I don't remember a funner family holiday! It's about our 10th time going up and had a blast. Dad and I hit the cross country ski slopes (mastered the blacks, may I add... with a feather in the hat and a snowy bum!!!) and discovered a few uncharted trails (a yearly tradition in itself) while Mom and Bry relaxed and enjoyed themselves too! For as long as I remember, New Year's eve has consisted of celebrating Mom's new year's bday, so goodtimes all around with the fam!

So, a great 2007 Christmas! So good in fact, that it made me wonder why I was coming back to halifax... dum, dum, dummmmmmmm.

But that will have to wait for another blog, cause time for bed! :)
Night! :)

Before the storm... or should I say Vancouver

Either way, really... they both seem to be synonomous these days...

Anyways, this blog should have been written a while back, about 3 or so weeks to be exact, but a year gone by... whatever, it's going to happen. And happen now it will. And plus, now that I know that this blog is actually read by some loyal friends, than it inspires me all the more to update it more than once a month or so. We'll see how long this inspiration lasts, since it is the end of the first week in January, after all.

So, please bare with me... The day was Dec 21st, 2006 (don't worry, the next couple blogs should take us up to this year), and was my last day at work before my flight back to Vancouver for Christmas and all that good stuff. I decided that since I was still riding my bike and/or walking to work with quite mild temperatures, did I mention it was almost Christmas...?, that I'd take a few pics of my walk and day to give a glimpse into the life of me (which isn't that exciting, but I felt like being an acting-photographer for the day)... Here she is:














So, here she is... my little Halifax from MacDonald (of course) bridge that I commute over everyday. Beautiful views, but it also gets very windy, after all, this is the Atlantic ocean. The pic on the left shows the skyline, what maybe 10 or so large highrises. :) I love it! And the pic on the right is the Halifax Navy base, with all their boats. I was hoping to pass a Navy guy dressed in motif with a Timy's coffee in one hand while going over the bridge, but no such luck, although any other day, I would have been pleased!

Anyways, the next 2 are from work- my view and desk. Wow, my life is so interesting... this is why I don't blog that often!!! :)














Yup, I've got a map so I know where the hell I am and when people talk about somewhere in the maritimes, I don't stand out as much as a dreaded CFA (Come from Away), that's what they call us... That's why I feel so guilty that I'm not a huge fan of Keith's beer... it's a HUGE no-no in this part of the world!!!

Anyways, sorry for the boring post... I promise I'll try to live more on the wildside in the future!! Stay tuned kids! :)