First Halifax Sushi

A few days ago I went for my first Halifax sushi. I was told to go to Hamachi House, as they had the best sushi in the city. I went. It was delicious. And ridiculously pricey. Fancy dinner pricey (well, not quite, but you get the idea).

Miso soup costs (wait for it)... $3.50.

I won't be eating miso soup until Christmas. I will miss it, but I can't justify spending that much on it.

That said, it truly was delicious. We got there, and somehow it was announced that I was from Vancouver and had scrupulous taste when it came to sushi. The waiter said that lots of people thought the food was amazing. He mentioned the Winnipeg Ballet, and that they said it was the best sushi they had ever had. I scoffed (Winnipeg, sushi, bah). Eventually, though, I gave it second place in terms of favourite sushi places. Hamaei (oh how I miss you) is still my favourite, but the fish was perfect and fresh, the rolls tasty and interesting (they add flakes from tempura to the spicy tuna and salmon rolls! So good!). The soy sauce was weirdly salty (I know, it's soy sauce, what do I expect?). Still - when y'all come visit me in Halifax, this is one of the places we will go.

Word I'm thinking about

Bliss.

Midnight's Children

Midnight's Children is the next book I have to read. I did a book trade, but not one where books were physically exchanged by anyone. A friend at the library agreed that he would read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay if I would read a book he suggested. He first said The Brothers Karamazov, but retreated after he saw the look on my face.

So I finally have a copy. We went on a tour of campus yesterday, and I held everyone up by buying the book. As we were leaving, I said: Never take me to a bookstore. Good advice, if you want to be anywhere else anytime soon.

Gastropub

Had a really great day yesteryday. We went for a beautiful hike, and out for dinner afterwards. I was told we were going to a pub, and I commented: Oh, this will be my first pub. In Nova Scotia.

Then we got there, and I thought: Never mind.

The Port Gastropub.

It was delightful. But not what I was expecting. I shared the Digby Scallops wrapped and baked with apple wood smoked bacon and served on greens with citrus butter. I almost died. Scallops and bacon can be horribly disgusting, but this was ridiculously fresh and tasty.

And I had my first lobster! Well, since getting here. I had a lobster clubhouse. It came with a mountain of fries. That makes up for the lack of mountains here (I had a local mountain pointed out to me from a lookout yesterday. Do you mean that hill? Mound? I could not in good conscience call it a mountain.)

And today it is raining and I don't mind.

Whoah

A lady was arrested for not returning her library books. Wow.

Link via Jezebel.

Huh.

There are bagpipes playing outside my window.

This = awesome, and makes me want to watch Braveheart again.

I love the library.

I love the library.

I chatted with Xine, and she seemed scandalized that I hadn't been to the library yet. So I went. And it made me feel eight thousand times better about the world (not that I was feeling bad, just tired of my own company).

Weird things though: the DVDs are all labeled along the top of the spine, thus concealing the big, pretty, designed title that I'm used to looking at. AND! The dvds are only three day loans. Three days! I'll have to get used to that.

What I got:
The Event - I love Don McKellar.
Entourage: Season 3, Part 1 - I love Ari.
Inland Empire - I love David Lynch.

And a book! Acceptance, by Susan Coll. Because it's all about college applications, so it felt fitting.

Here I am

So, no camera yet, but I've decided to give everyone a taste of my new life. Via macbook camera "photobooth". Do you know how hard it is to take pictures with that thing, when they aren't of yourself? First, my main room in 365 degrees, then, a picture of the "quad". I feel so collegiate. The campus is eight thousand times prettier than UBC insofar as buildings go, but minus the mountains and ocean view.










So yeah. It's a little bland at the moment. My room needs some va-va-va-voom, I think. I wish I had my sewing machine... Making curtains by hand sounds meh. I also want to find ornate frames to put around the mirrors I've got. I wish I knew someone with a car.

Also: no ikea in Nova Scotia. What will I do?

Home again

Or rather, for the first time.

It's true. I've arrived.

Weird.

I'm eating pistachios from the airport, because it's late and I don't know where anything is.

Song of the summer

I've been listening to this song on repeat for days. I love it. I have christened it song of the summer, 2008. Funnily enough, New York agrees with me.

Lauren Luke

I was wandering around youtube looking for instructions on how to best put eyeshadow in the crease of one's eye, when I found Lauren Luke. She is apparently one of the most popular youtubists (don't know what the correct term should be), and she is so charming and lovely to watch. She has a whole slew of video tutorials featuring gorgeous makeup.

The BBC did a little featurette on her that I found so adorable. I love when she refers to herself as "us". I also love that she's totally normal-looking and down to earth but at the same time absolutely gorgeous.

I love makeup!

I need a camera.

Any recommendations for digital cameras that take really nice pictures and won't break the bank?

I'd love to get a digital SLR, but I think it is a bit out of my price range. So: if you have any suggestions for either DSLR or point and shoot, let me know. Please and thank you.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Words to describe Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Winning, sultry, amusing.

I am a huge Woody Allen fan. Even when he's bad, to me he's good. Thankfully, in this instance, he's just good. I'm finding his new movies so interesting in that he's moved away from Manhattan and is instead writing cinematic love letters to European cities. Barcelona was my favourite city when I traveled to Europe, and this film showcases why, with its gorgeous architectural shots and cityscapes. The cast is also gorgeous and fabulous. I have always loved the way Scarlett Johansson looks (wow), but her acting skills can sometimes leave something to be desired. In this film I can see why Allen likes working with her so much. She comes across much more naturally than in the past, and I love to imagine him directing her - I think their dynamic must be hilarious. Penelope Cruz, though, steals the film.

I love these modern films Allen is making, the ones where he isn't front and center (or even present on screen). They seem so much more accessible - and beautiful - than his other work.

Loves it.

4/5 stars.

Now: Instead of Halifax, can I please move to Spain?

First Goodbyes

So I've said my first goodbyes. Which feels really weird. For the past two weeks people have been asking, "Are you feeling nervous? Excited?" My response was a shrug. Not really. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm not feeling too much of anything. I think I'm a little bit in denial, and that is starting to crack as I say goodbye to more and more people.

It started with Xine after work the other day. She was leaving, and I was loitering in the stairwell chatting, and all of a sudden I had the realization, "Oh wait. This is the last time we're going to see each other for at least four months." So I forced her to hug me, even though she's not a huggy person. It was delightful. And sad.

Today (my second to last day at work) a few people said goodbye because they won't be there tomorrow. I realized how much I'm going to miss it. The West Van Library has been a really fantastic place to work, and I've been there for over five years.

Hmmm. So I'm still not feeling altogether strongly about the fact that I'm leaving, but I'm having brief moments of realization that things will change drastically, in just five days.

I wish teleportation would hurry up and be invented, already.

Everything is everything

My brother and I drove around town listening to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and it really felt like summer. We agreed that it is one of the best albums of the 90s, and I think that the music video for Everything Is Everything is one of the best videos ever.



I'm totally into my old music right now, because I have to finally upload my CDs before I head out across the continent. Yay for Wu-Tang Clan, Danny Elfman, and Hole.

The West Wing

I took the first season of The West Wing out of the Library last week. I have finally emerged, blinking, from my cozy den of television glory. Life seems a little bit grayer now that I have left my good friends at the White House. They are all so funny, and smart, and kind, and lovely, that I really miss them. I know they're television characters, and not real, but still... I love them. Will you marry me, Josh Lyman?

The only upside of leaving them behind? There are still six more seasons to watch. Yay.

5/5 stars.

888

Yay! Lucky day!

Dim Sum and Ikea

That was the heading on the mapquest directions I sent myself to get from my house to Shiang Garden and then to Ikea. I love Richmond. It's true. So again, yes, again: dim sum. This time with pictures.

Richmond is yellow. The colour of egg tarts and Ikea.

Shiang Garden. Classier than the last place, no?


A really delicious fried thing involving ginger, century egg, and prawns. I don't usually like ginger all that much, but it was just the most perfect hint of flavour. Lovely.


Can you tell it was delicious? Fried flour rice roll with soya sauce.

I'm going to miss Richmond. Almost as much as I'll miss Vancouver. I love that it exists. Please don't sink into the ocean after an earthquake, Richmond!

New sheets

I have no idea what my room in Halifax is going to look like, so I decided, for the first time in my life, to buy white sheets. I love the way they look, and I figure they go with everything. I've been on the lookout for months. At first I thought I wanted just all plain white, but plain white duvet covers don't seem to exist, so I found this lovely one at Ikea. It is a textured pattern. This photo is very close up, so the pretty shapes (like cells!) are fairly small, pebble sized. I really love the pattern. Very organic modern.

My dad has a blog

photo by Jim Friesen / Little-Eye-Studio

My dad has a blog! I'm so excited!

He is an amazing photographer, and I love him, and you would like him a lot if you met him, so you should go check it out. The photo above is taken from his first photography post, and he has another website where you can check out other photos. Do it!

I'm still working on him to get an Etsy page. But yay! Big e-steps, daddio! I'm so proud of you.

Wish I were here

A few years ago I took a trip to Los Angeles with my favourite girl, and we had a splendid time. I want to go back. This week I am craving amazing burritos, red sunglasses, and, most of all, The Getty Center. In the so-called "City of Angels", this really is how I imagine heaven, if it exists:
It's so peaceful and full of light and art. I was genuinely in awe. It is probably my favourite place on earth, so far. If you're in LA, go. It's free. Go.

An off-shoot of heaven will hopefully be exactly like Universal Studios. Minus the lines.

I also had my picture taken with Betelgeuse. Unfortunately I look worse than he does, so I won't share it.

Every day

Every morning there is a lovely little question waiting in my inbox. Today's is simple; How do you want to feel today?

My answer: I want to feel the way I do when I’m floating in a large, salty body of water. Totally relaxed and totally supported. Supple.

Powerful shushing action

You're not really a library student until you've got a Librarian Action Figure on your desk. Now I have mine. This is Nancy Pearl, world famous librarian. She's written wonderful books on books: Book Lust, More Book Lust, and Book Crush (among others).