Saturday, September 30, 2006
Rowing at "Head of the Trent"
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Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
Annual rowing regatta at Trent University. It's the biggest sports event of the year for my alma mater - and the first time I've ever watched any of it. But hopefully not the last! :)
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Coriolanus
Yesterday, with friends Marianna and Aamer, I went to the Stratford Festival to see the last performance of the play Coriolanus, starring Colm Feore.
I’ve been thinking about this play all day today.
It is a very dark play, violent at times, but there are also moments of humour and tenderness that balance it. Feore played the role of Coriolanus with an energy and athleticism that surprised and mesmerized me. He was amazing. Martha Henry plays the role of Volumnia, Coriolanus’ mother, with dignity, wisdom, and perfection of timing and expression.
In many ways, Coriolanus is a political play. It was fascinating to see the character of Coriolanus remain essentially unchanged in his naivete and pride in refusing to play politics (or to appeal to the common people, whom he scorns), while the masses, easily manipulated by expediency or by Coriolanus’ political enemies, change from one extreme to the other. There are some real and fascinating arguments for and against democracy in this work. Lots to think about. And I know there would be so much more meaning to glean if I saw/read it again.
I hope you had a chance to see it.
Marianna in Stratford
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Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
Showing off branches of a tree they say grows only in Kazakhstan. Ha! :)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
First TSO concert of the year
I went to my first TSO concert tonight ... so cool. Beethoven 2nd and 6th Symphonies, plus 5 beautiful songs by Mahler. Visited goosebump territory several times. The drums in the 6th Symphony were Mr. Fidget's (Aamer's) favourite. ;-> They were awesome.
I loved watching the orchestra play together, particularly the violins. From where I sat, the light glinted on every bowstring, and the near-unison in the motion of the bows reminded me of seeds sprouting as through fast-motion film. You might not know what I mean; it's crazy analogy that I can't really articulate well. But if I could show you ... nah, I'd probably still be the only one who saw the similarity! :->
Anyway, Beethoven = cool.
Kitlers
Again, thanks to Andrea ... this one proves that you can find anything on the Internet, including cats that look like Hitler ("kitlers"):
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Blogging the bump
Okay, so if you work with me or have seen me at all this summer, this will be old news. But for everybody else, BIG NEWS!!! I mean really big news!!!! (That I finally have permission to tell!!!!) My sister-in-law, Lisa, is expecting - TWINS!!!!! A boy and a girl will make their world debut in February. Joe and Lisa are so excited, and I am thrilled at the chance to be an auntie!!!
Here's a photo of Lisa + bump on August 24th:
And another from today:
The bump is growing nicely!!!!
You may congratulate me on my auntie condition at any time. :)
Soya field
Soya field
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
This is how I imagine Provence must look like.
Wind turbines
Wind turbines
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
Today I went to Shelburne, Ontario to check out these wind turbines. Actually, there are too many wind turbines to count. They're spread over quite a wide area. At one time I counted up to 30 turbines in every direction. Very cool. Or hot. I guess it depends what you use that energy for.
They are minimalist, but massive. Sometimes you hear a faint sound, like the sound of a jet passing far above you. Pretty sure it was a wind turbine, though. :)
Took tonnes of photos today, but was experimenting with the manual controls. So most didn't turn out. But this is okay because I learned a lot.
Newly-planted trees and shrubs
Newly-planted trees and shrubs
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
We went to contribute, and went away feeling like we’d been given a privilege.
Lorie and I each got up at an insane time for a Saturday morning to arrive at the tree-planting location for 9:00. Okay, okay, we didn’t get there until 9:30 … but they truly didn’t seem to mind. Then once we got there, we were promptly directed to the nearby town of Erin where we could try to find a public washroom before we started our work. Unfortunately, the only place that seemed to suit our requirements was the quaint (and divine-smelling) Holtom’s Bakery (established 1946). And you can’t just use a public washroom without buying something from the place of business, can you????
Let me tell you, on a Saturday morning around 9:45, Holtom’s Bakery is the place to be! The apple fritters were still so warm that the large chunks of apple seemed to melt in your mouth.
But Lorie and I were in the area to save the planet – or at least help it a little – by planting trees. So we hustled back to the farm.
There, Amy from WeCARE and Heather from the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (two very cool/fun twenty-somethings) filled us in on what we were doing. The farm had a little stream that basically looked like a ditch. In the spring, meltwaters would fill this stream and eventually flow south as part of the Credit River. The surface of the ditch was mostly covered in grass that had been meticulously mowed by the landowner. We were planting trees and shrubs to shade the water as it flows past (to keep it cool and therefore hospitable to fish and their eggs). There had been a variety of trees and shrubs provided to us for planting. All are indigenous to this part of Ontario. Some shrubs, like the elderberries, would provide food and habitat for birds and other animals.
Shortly after Lorie and I arrived, Amy found a teeny tiny salamander among some of the potted shrubs. She was really great about showing it to all the volunteers and explaining – in a really interesting and engaging way - its distinct ecological requirements. I of course ran to get my camera.
In total, 133 trees and shrubs were planted, wood chipped, and watered that morning. It was really great to be out in the country. Lorie and I agreed that because we were digging and planting, we felt more connected to nature than we would have done just by hiking or camping. Afterward, Amy BBQ’d up some hamburgers and sausages for all of us, and we sat in the grass, enjoying the feeling of accomplishment. At one moment, we heard a trilling sound coming from the wooded area across the road. Amy identified it immediately as a tree frog. (I’d heard the sound before and assumed it was a bird – this is one of the nice side benefits of hanging around people who know more than you do!) We all stopped to listen – and became aware of so many sounds of nature (crickets chirping, birds singing, etc.).
Before I knew it, it was time to go home – but not before agreeing with Amy and Heather that we would try to coordinate more efforts in the future!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
A model for Toronto's waterfront
Sometimes we are unable to solve a problem (or to demand a solution from our governments) because we can't envision the solution. This article from today's Toronto Star might help us in the regard of planning our waterfront:
STOCKHOLM—To wander through this city's newly rebuilt waterfront is to have a glimpse of what Toronto could be.More here.
This new neighbourhood, Hammersby Sjostad (City on the Water) is energy self-sufficient, environmental, architecturally diverse, connected, vibrant and exactly where we should be headed in the years ahead. Whether or not we'll get there remains to be seen, but so far the signs are bad; lack of political leadership and an entrenched bureaucracy will make it extremely difficult.
Still, there's much to learn from Stockholm, a city of 1.5 million built on an archipelago of 14 islands. Certainly, the physical resemblance between the two waterfronts is striking. Both were once industrial harbours that fell into disuse. Both are also close to the heart of the city, easily reachable by public transit.
The big difference lies in the attitudes each city brings to the project. Planning in Stockholm began in 1990 and construction is well underway. Already 7,500 people live in these new areas. By 2015, when complete, there will be up to 25,000 residents and 10,000 workers.
"The key is integrated planning," explains Erik Freudentahl of the Hammersby communications department. "Our objective was to lower the environmental impact by one half. We built our own wastewater plant and district heating, which services 80,000 homes. Combustible waste from the area is recycled as heat and organic waste is used to produce biogas."
There are also solar panels on buildings to heat water, a new streetcar line, an Envac underground garbage collection system and high-efficiency fridges, stoves and dishwashers.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Men with hats
I know other men who like to dress up ... but they're all gay/transvestites.
I'm just saying ...
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Scariest mannequin ever
Scariest mannequin ever
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
On the Danforth.
Seriously. Freaks me out.
One great gay man photographing another
Kevin taking photos
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
This past Sunday, my friend Kevin and I took our Nikon D50s to the Danforth (Greektown) and had our own little photo safari. Here he's shooting a statue of Alexander the Great (you can see his photo in the post below).
Hanging out with Kev is wonderful. We can be so light and silly together ... and yet we can also talk seriously about a whole range of subjects that are meaningful to us.
And the man has impeccable taste! (of course)
Kevin's amazing photography
Alexander
Originally uploaded by Donnay.
This is just one of the amazing photos Kevin took on Sunday. His work wows and inspires me.
time is at a premium!
GAAAAHH! Not keeping up with blogging!!!!
So much going on lately, all of it good – spent time with many dear friends on the weekend, at a pub with the “Aussie posse”; over dessert with friend Aviva hearing about her travels to Europe; trolling the Cabbagetown Festival with friend Nicole; checking out the Danforth with my buddy and photography partner Kevin; catching up with gal-pal Leslie-Ann … also taking a couple of courses (photography, Photoshop) that are very informative.
Some photos below … I hope you enjoy them!
Eclecta
Monday, September 11, 2006
Now this is LOVE!
Now this is LOVE!
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
I was away for 13 hours today, and as soon as I came home and took off my shoes, Sabrina did this.
Disgruntled
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Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
This little guy was wearing this expression when we were walking past him. I ended up stopping his dad and asking if I could take a photo. The thoroughly unimpressed expression did not change the entire time! It was priceless.
I think it's great because it's so utterly honest and real.
I love this photo for some reason
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Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
This little girl was part of a group of children demonstrating some Filipino dancing.
Alison and Brendon at the Foggy Dew
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Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
Australian pals at a pub last Friday night. Brendon was recently returned from a month-long hiking trip in Newfoundland! Great to catch up with everyone!
