Today was charmed. I had a wonderful time with Chris, we met around 2 and spent the day at a gallery on the east side of Princes Street called the Fruitmarket Gallery. The artist showing was Toby Paterson, a painter/installation artist, who works with pretty limited color and a lot of geometric marks. The work was cool, some pieces stood out and others blended in for me. Chris and I had a really nice chat in the gallery cafe and then left to hit some shoe stores looking for trainers. No success there, but we had awesome sandwiches at this small tea house (the same place Mike's friend was showing photographs) and then we went to the Filmhouse to see the new Jean-Pierre Jeunet film, Micmacs, and It was phenomenal. It was definitely one of the most beautifully shot films I've ever seen. It was about arms dealers and their misuse of power, etc, but it mostly followed this one man and his assorted family of uniquely talented people who set out to teach the arms dealers a lesson. It was just so perfect. I had such a wonderful time; hanging out with Chris is really easy, I'm looking forward to a really solid friendship.
I stopped by Benny and Daves on the way home to check out what was going on in terms of the Olympic Canada vs. America ice hockey game. I was surprised to see about 50 people packed into Benny's room all glued to the tv. It was about 50% Americans and 50% Canadians so the tension was high. I couldn't care less about ice hockey, I just wanted to get home and fiddle with photoshop and images, but I got trapped in a corner and it was nice to be around friends for a moment. The US was down 2-1 with 24 seconds on the board, when they managed to score. It was ridiculous, everyone flipped out. When I decided to head home, moments before overtime began, people commented on my timing. I prefer sports with more exposed skin.
Had a jolly chat with Adam on the tellyphone tonight, we're two peas in a pod when it comes to our senses of humor. I feel like I'm settling into a really nice niche in terms of making friends. I'm really happy where I am right now.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Merriment and Wonder
The previous post is for yesterday!
Today the theme of good vibes and happiness played out even further. I woke up at 10, early for someone who championed like 8 drinks the night before, I'm sure the caffeine had something to do with it, but I had all this energy and the sun was shining and it was just such a beautiful awakening! I heard Julie in her room and we sat in bed for a moment recapping the hilarity that was the night before and then we decided to climb Arthur's Seat, which is the mini-mountain that I can see from my bedroom window. We made breakfast first, omeletes and beans and toast and then hit the road for the peak! We walked through a really cute area of town, past the Edinburgh Uni housing and up to the base of the mini mt! the climb is mostly steep stone steps which makes it easy to get up, but it's quite steep so I was panting shortly after we started. It felt so good to move my body though! The sun was brilliant and I hope my skin appreciated the chance to soak up the Vitamin D it desperately needs.
WE MADE IT TO THE TOP! in about 45 minutes and I got to feast my eyes on the most beautiful 360 degree view of Edinburgh. It's just wonderful. The water stretches out on one side, and the city sneaks up close to it. It was such a wonderful moment to be up there at the top. Julie is an awesome addition to my life here, I'm so glad she's my flatmate. She's a really cool person, really into the more natural aspects of living and being. We had some good chats. We headed back down the mountain in a different direction and spent a total of about 3 1/2 hours total walking and hiking and walking. It was a really great way to spend the afternoon.
When we got home I called Eric because yesterday we made plans to go back to this used bookstore on the way to the Grassmarket. It's such an awesome bookstore....books floor to ceiling and it smells just exactly the way you would expect a used bookstore to smell. I discovered an awesome section of Occult books and I found this great one called Beautiful Painted Arrow. It's a collection of Native American stories and advice and lore on the way to live. There are instructions on meditation and exercises for harmonizing your spirit and soul. Must have. I also got a small book called On Bullfighting, by a Scottish writer. The first sentence captured me.
"O that mortal science were in as fair a way of improvement, that men would cease to be wolves to one another, and that human beings would at length learn what they now improperly call humanity." -Ben Franklin, 1780
The first time I went into this bookstore I bought Breakfast at Tiffany's and Li Po and Tu Fu. The latter is a collection by two of Chinas greatest poets. It's really great, I think I'll read it and send it to Chardin. It seems like something he would enjoy.
Stopped at Real Foods as well, the miniature version of Ellwood Thompsons. Bought peanuts, popcorn kernels, and tempeh. Julie and I are going to make a peanut sauce, tempeh, cous cous, mushroom, broccoli, grean bean concoction of deliciousness. Yummy yum yum. Then we're going to make homemade popcorn and eat apples and watch movies. Today has been the best day ever. I feel wholly productive and valid and I love myself.
Highlights of the coming up week:
Show tomorrow, Monday, the 22nd. Chris's band Meursault, with Xiu Xiu...both bands are fucking TIGHT! and I get to see Chris again!
Tuesday, Tarkovsky film, Mirrors, showing at the Filmhouse, hopefully going with Adam from class! Should be great!
Friday, Chris and I are hopefully going to go and see the new film by the director of Amelie.
Hopefully this week will turn out as great as it looks on paper. I am full of love.
Today the theme of good vibes and happiness played out even further. I woke up at 10, early for someone who championed like 8 drinks the night before, I'm sure the caffeine had something to do with it, but I had all this energy and the sun was shining and it was just such a beautiful awakening! I heard Julie in her room and we sat in bed for a moment recapping the hilarity that was the night before and then we decided to climb Arthur's Seat, which is the mini-mountain that I can see from my bedroom window. We made breakfast first, omeletes and beans and toast and then hit the road for the peak! We walked through a really cute area of town, past the Edinburgh Uni housing and up to the base of the mini mt! the climb is mostly steep stone steps which makes it easy to get up, but it's quite steep so I was panting shortly after we started. It felt so good to move my body though! The sun was brilliant and I hope my skin appreciated the chance to soak up the Vitamin D it desperately needs.
WE MADE IT TO THE TOP! in about 45 minutes and I got to feast my eyes on the most beautiful 360 degree view of Edinburgh. It's just wonderful. The water stretches out on one side, and the city sneaks up close to it. It was such a wonderful moment to be up there at the top. Julie is an awesome addition to my life here, I'm so glad she's my flatmate. She's a really cool person, really into the more natural aspects of living and being. We had some good chats. We headed back down the mountain in a different direction and spent a total of about 3 1/2 hours total walking and hiking and walking. It was a really great way to spend the afternoon.
When we got home I called Eric because yesterday we made plans to go back to this used bookstore on the way to the Grassmarket. It's such an awesome bookstore....books floor to ceiling and it smells just exactly the way you would expect a used bookstore to smell. I discovered an awesome section of Occult books and I found this great one called Beautiful Painted Arrow. It's a collection of Native American stories and advice and lore on the way to live. There are instructions on meditation and exercises for harmonizing your spirit and soul. Must have. I also got a small book called On Bullfighting, by a Scottish writer. The first sentence captured me.
"O that mortal science were in as fair a way of improvement, that men would cease to be wolves to one another, and that human beings would at length learn what they now improperly call humanity." -Ben Franklin, 1780
The first time I went into this bookstore I bought Breakfast at Tiffany's and Li Po and Tu Fu. The latter is a collection by two of Chinas greatest poets. It's really great, I think I'll read it and send it to Chardin. It seems like something he would enjoy.
Stopped at Real Foods as well, the miniature version of Ellwood Thompsons. Bought peanuts, popcorn kernels, and tempeh. Julie and I are going to make a peanut sauce, tempeh, cous cous, mushroom, broccoli, grean bean concoction of deliciousness. Yummy yum yum. Then we're going to make homemade popcorn and eat apples and watch movies. Today has been the best day ever. I feel wholly productive and valid and I love myself.
Highlights of the coming up week:
Show tomorrow, Monday, the 22nd. Chris's band Meursault, with Xiu Xiu...both bands are fucking TIGHT! and I get to see Chris again!
Tuesday, Tarkovsky film, Mirrors, showing at the Filmhouse, hopefully going with Adam from class! Should be great!
Friday, Chris and I are hopefully going to go and see the new film by the director of Amelie.
Hopefully this week will turn out as great as it looks on paper. I am full of love.
Serendipity!
I've had just a wonderful and memorable and happy 48 hours. Probably some of my best hours yet spent in Scotland.
First let me start with the fact that I have been alternating listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and the Magnetic Fields for the past few days and I'm very happy with this.
Yesterday, through SCENIC, the student organisation I went on a bus trip through the Highlands of Scotland. We went to a town called Oban on the western coast of the country. It was absolutely stunning. We saw Loch Lomond and the water was more still and reflective than glass. I struggled to get nice photos through the bus windows. We walked around Oban for a few hours, it's such a quaint, picturesque town. I fell in love. It's right on the water, somehow the colors just seemed more saturated. The blues were stunning and everything just seemed to glisten.
On the bus trip back the conversation was flowing, even though we were all tired. I spent the majority of the day with Jaime, Rebecca & Shannon, and Kyle and Eric. It was just a beautiful day.
When we got back I decided that I wanted to go dancing, as usual. I convinced Jaime to come out and we met with Rebecca and headed to a pub called Rush. It's a tacky student attraction, but they serve drinks for one pound every night. So, I had 5 drinks. The deal is just too tempting. Irn Bru and vodka? Yes please. We left then, and headed to a club called the Hive. The Hive was hideous. It was packed with pre-teens and the music was shite. It was an eclectic mix of Greenday, Journey, Blink 182, and the Blackeyed Peas. No thank you. In the midst of the writhing teens who were probably out celebrating a mates 18th birthday I was backed into a conversation about my favorite band by an oversized, sweating giant with a polo shirt. I declined from talking about the subject, and he looked at me, confused and then shouted over the drum and bass..."well, is your favorite band Greenday?" I think I said "I can't do this," and walked away.
We left then and went around the street to Sneaky Petes, a club with a tiny dancefloor and decent music. Fraz and Collin were there, Mike's friends who took Jaime and I snowboarding and they are great! This is where the story gets really good. We had been at the club for about 20 -30 minutes when I look up and who is standing directly in my line of sight? CHRIS! Chris Bryant!
The friend that Sandra went to and artist gathering with and introduced me to over the internet, we've been communicating for months now, but hadn't yet managed to follow through with a plan. I'm sure my jaw dropped to the floor! I was so shocked and excited to see him!!!! And boy is he CUTE! He was nervous, which was adorable and we danced together the rest of the night...I pulled out all my really successful dance moves, like the robot arm, etc. It was a really good time. I sort of lost track of everything, all my other memories are hazy somehow, it's weird. Jaime was there, and I remember Chris calling us sisters. Anyways, hours passed and it was such a good time, and we all left together because we live in similar directions, it was me and Jaime and Chris and a friend of his. We ended up stopping on the corner of TollCross and talking for another 30 minutes, it was just simply so wonderful. I still can't believe that we found each other inadvertently. I love serendipitous moments!
First let me start with the fact that I have been alternating listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and the Magnetic Fields for the past few days and I'm very happy with this.
Yesterday, through SCENIC, the student organisation I went on a bus trip through the Highlands of Scotland. We went to a town called Oban on the western coast of the country. It was absolutely stunning. We saw Loch Lomond and the water was more still and reflective than glass. I struggled to get nice photos through the bus windows. We walked around Oban for a few hours, it's such a quaint, picturesque town. I fell in love. It's right on the water, somehow the colors just seemed more saturated. The blues were stunning and everything just seemed to glisten.
On the bus trip back the conversation was flowing, even though we were all tired. I spent the majority of the day with Jaime, Rebecca & Shannon, and Kyle and Eric. It was just a beautiful day.
When we got back I decided that I wanted to go dancing, as usual. I convinced Jaime to come out and we met with Rebecca and headed to a pub called Rush. It's a tacky student attraction, but they serve drinks for one pound every night. So, I had 5 drinks. The deal is just too tempting. Irn Bru and vodka? Yes please. We left then, and headed to a club called the Hive. The Hive was hideous. It was packed with pre-teens and the music was shite. It was an eclectic mix of Greenday, Journey, Blink 182, and the Blackeyed Peas. No thank you. In the midst of the writhing teens who were probably out celebrating a mates 18th birthday I was backed into a conversation about my favorite band by an oversized, sweating giant with a polo shirt. I declined from talking about the subject, and he looked at me, confused and then shouted over the drum and bass..."well, is your favorite band Greenday?" I think I said "I can't do this," and walked away.
We left then and went around the street to Sneaky Petes, a club with a tiny dancefloor and decent music. Fraz and Collin were there, Mike's friends who took Jaime and I snowboarding and they are great! This is where the story gets really good. We had been at the club for about 20 -30 minutes when I look up and who is standing directly in my line of sight? CHRIS! Chris Bryant!
The friend that Sandra went to and artist gathering with and introduced me to over the internet, we've been communicating for months now, but hadn't yet managed to follow through with a plan. I'm sure my jaw dropped to the floor! I was so shocked and excited to see him!!!! And boy is he CUTE! He was nervous, which was adorable and we danced together the rest of the night...I pulled out all my really successful dance moves, like the robot arm, etc. It was a really good time. I sort of lost track of everything, all my other memories are hazy somehow, it's weird. Jaime was there, and I remember Chris calling us sisters. Anyways, hours passed and it was such a good time, and we all left together because we live in similar directions, it was me and Jaime and Chris and a friend of his. We ended up stopping on the corner of TollCross and talking for another 30 minutes, it was just simply so wonderful. I still can't believe that we found each other inadvertently. I love serendipitous moments!
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