Nina

Say hello to Nina. She's a 10 week old purebred Shih Tzu. Came home Sunday.

... oh and the pink bow-tie was not my idea.

Who's your daddy?

UN observation post on Israel/Lebanon border.

Ruffled Feathers

Seems like the Brita commercial I talked about here might have ruffled some feathers. It now sports a disclaimer:

Municipally supplied water has been treated to make it safe for drinking

The whole commercial looks quite ridiculous now. They should just pull it.

Disgusting

This is just plain disgusting. The news business is so ugly. Ugh.

Random Observation

I'm finally catching up on Desperate Housewives: Season 2 and I have to say this. This show has turned into a glossier version of the Jerry Springer Show. Behind the pretty picket fences and flower-lined yards, these people are living like trashy low life. Also, I can't figure out why all the gay writers in Hollywood can't write a decent, realistic gay character on a mainstream show. Andrew is SO NOT like any gay guy I've known. He's a complete contradiction.

As much as I loved Season 1, I can't wait for this show to get the axe.

Domestic Bliss

I'm loving the new condo. The colours are starting to work. I can feel the space speaking to me. Accent colours are starting to pop out of everyday objects. I'm loving the spaciousness. My last apartment (which cost about the same) felt like a shoebox in comparison. I'm loving the wide-open east views. I'm loving the wrap-around kitchen. I'm loving my new home office. I'm loving the little park downstairs. I'm never moving out of this place.

Fear-Mongering

Just watched a Brita commercial. The tagline goes something like this.

"Water for your tap and toilet come from the same source. Brita - for water than is 98% pure".

I see so many things wrong with this reasoning, I don't know where to start. Are people really that stupid or paranoid (or both)? Isn't it obvious that all water ultimately comes from the same source? When I see a tagline like this, my initial reaction is - "omg, we're wasting drinkable fresh water in toilets." Not - "I'm drinking toilet water."

Am I weird, or is that commercial just a blatant example of fear-mongering?

True Colors

Here's Virginia Senator and likely Presidential candidate, George Allen. He's referring to a desi from his opponent's camp shooting a documentary film. I get a kick out of watching conservative bigots slip up and show their true colors. Just one of the many reasons I dislike the Republican party.

Forgotten

Amongst all the syndicated reruns of Seinfeld, Friends, Sex and the City, Simpsons, Family Guy and "Law & Order: Special Criminal Victims Disappeared Without a Trace in CSI Miami", one show is conspicuously absent. Ally McBeal.

The show was funny, sassy & original. Calista Flockhat brought something fun & fresh to the screen. I could sure use some Ally reruns.

Speaking of Calista, has anyone seen her lately? I think she went on another diet and disappeared into thin air. Someone please feed her a Tic-Tac so we can catch a wisp of her. Honey - if they can't see you, they won't hire you!

Newflash

This just in. Krispy Kreme opened their latest donut shop in ... guess where?

Hong Kong.

Wonder if they'll have green-tea donuts.

Technicolor Nightmares

Help! I'm going insane!

A few hours wandering around the empty rooms of my new condo have convinced me that the muddy, depressing shade of yellow on the walls has to go! I wish there was an 'erase tool' for wall colours but there isn't. You actually have to paint over with another colour - of your choice. That sounds easier than it is. There are only about a bajillion different shades to choose from.

It gets better. Whatever shade I choose has to go with the dark wood floors and the snow-white doors and kitchen cabinets. And did I mention the bathrooms? Black tiles with greenish veins. Yeah. My brain feels like a blender at a vegan juice bar - with assorted multi-coloured fruits being thrown in to create an odd-looking cocktail. Arrrrghhhh.

I have all of tomorrow to scour the paint stores for chips that work, try out testers and be ready for when my budget-painter arrives on Wednesday morning. I have actually had nightmares with colour wheels hovering menacingly over my bed and my condo being critiqued on a TV makeover show.

Ugh. Too much stress. I think I'm just going to settle for a basic peachy beige that'll accentuate the wood floor. Nightmare-be-gone.

Condo Update

I am now the proud owner of (allegedly) 1100 sq ft of living space in Toronto. It's not a little parcel of Canada, but it's a place to live, as long as I keep shelling out the monthly fees. Doesn't feel the same as when I bought my last place. Maybe because it's a condo. Maybe because I've done it before.

I'll have the keys in a few hours, and then the mayhem begins. The process of uprooting & rearranging my life. I move next week. It was stressful the last time. I hope it's easier this time. And more fun - cause I get to redecorate the place :)

Hot Cross Buns

A tragic side-effect of growing up in a former colony are the vestiges of colonial culture that make absolutely no sense to a developing mind. Like old English nursery rhymes.

"Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns, If you have no daughters, give them to your sons, one a penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns"

After 30 years of existence, I finally know what the fuss is all about. Discovered at a bakery in St. Lawrence Market. Five minutes in a warm oven yields a delicious, crusty treat scattered with sweet raisins and the obligatory cross on top. I doubt this is the original English version, but hey - it's a hot cross bun!

We Are The World

Came across this interesting video that features an ensemble cast from Bollywood. It seems, from the red ribbon, that it's some kind of AIDS benefit. Could the readers in India enlighten us?

Montréal

City Hall
Originally uploaded by fotoluvr.

Montreal in pictures

Au Revoir

A hidden benefit of living in Canada is that you can visit another country without a passport. Québec, a mere 4 hour train ride north-east of Toronto, is culturally a world apart. Montréal is where it all comes together - a clash of Anglo-Saxon and French culture that explodes in majestic, tree-lined avenues, elegant parks and a joie de vivre that makes it the most vibrant city in Canada. I just returned from a very pleasant three days in that city and will surely be back for more. Meanwhile I have some French to brush up on.

The Devil Wears Prada

It's summer in Toronto, the city is awake, the tourists are back, the days are long and I have little reason to stay indoors. I am going to Montreal in a few hours. Packing is underway.

This is quickly turning into a movie review blog. That's not by design. I write about anything that's on my mind and this summer, movies are about the only thing I can focus on without distraction.

Last night I watched "The Devil Wears Prada". A slick, stylish well made movie with a lot of substance. Everyone looks gorgeous. Everything looks beautiful. The story resounds. I later found out that much of the "Sex and the City" team worked on this movie. It shows.

The movie is about a bright, exceptional young girl who gives up Stanford Law to leave her mark in the world of journalism. Instead she lands the job of second assistant to an icy high-priestess of fashion publishing, a job a million fashionistas would die for. She hates the scene, but, like anyone right out of college, is determined to prove herself and survive. She soon realizes the only way in is by being one of them - a Chanel-clad fashionista. Everything else takes a back-seat. This job could open doors for her. It's a cause worth sacrificing one's personal life, family and friends for. Or so it seems when one is 25 and living in the halls of power. The glamour, the parties, the celebrities. It's addictive. Will Andrea join the ranks of the clones, or will she walk away and pursue her real dreams? Read the book or watch the movie.

"That's all."

Requiem for a Dream

Just finished watching it. I am seriously disturbed. Words fail me.

Prime

Is it true that we peak in our 20s, and it's all downhill from there?

I just finished watching the movie "Proof" and it got me thinking. My academic life certainly went that way. My professional & personal life is heading that way too. Maybe I need to set more modest goals for myself.

Sobering Thoughts

Now that the festivities are over, it's time to reflect a bit. I consider myself immensely fortunate to be in a city and a country that espouses equality for all. It's not everywhere in the world that you find all tiers of government, law enforcement, public services, education and healthcare organizations come out and march in solidarity with the queer community. I never saw anything like this during my 8 years in DC.

The parade began with a sombre reminder that there are parts of the world today where people are persecuted, tortured or killed for who they are. Today we enjoy the fruits of many years of activism by brave individuals who swam against the tide and earned us a legitimate place in society. What took years to achieve could be undone in a matter of months. We must never take these rights of granted. Every new generation needs to remember that.

What does it mean to have a "Pride" parade in this day and age? A pride parade is a continuous reminder to the world that we exist. That the majority heterosexual population cannot afford to ignore us and erode away our rights. That we've been around for a long long time, and that we'll continue to be around forever. Today, at least in major Western cities, no one's afraid to strut around and be themselves in the gay ghettos. However, it takes a certain courage to uphold the same ideals when suddenly you're not in the majority anymore. It takes courage to show your face to the world. That's what Pride is all about.