29 December 2007
Festive Vintage Bargains
J. is in NS this week, visiting with her family, and so popped down to the city yesterday for a short overnight visit. We did our usual round of lunch, shopping and spa visit, which was all very nice. I also introduced her, yesterday and again this morning, to the delights of Halifax's vintage clothing boutiques. We hit four different places, and J. came away with a pile of fantastic things for next to no money (while these shops aren't terribly expensive to begin with, they're all having half-price sales at the moment). Her finest find was most definitely a black silk Ralph Lauren evening gown, priced at $20.50. I myself snagged an Italian merino wool sweater for $11, a lovely tailored wool jacket for $5, and a beaded evening bag for $2. As J. exclaimed in the dressing room at The Clotheshorse this morning, "I'll never buy retail again!" Haha!
27 December 2007
She Is Gone
Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated this morning. Christ - I can't believe it.
Her country will probably dissolve in chaos now...and it's the last thing she'd have wanted. :-(
22 December 2007
New Books and Houseguests
One of the many things I like about this time of year is that the newspapers are full of retrospective book reviews, pointing out new titles whose releases passed me by. This morning, I was getting caught up on some reviews and found Trading in Memories: Travels Through a Scavenger's Favourite Places by Barbara Hodgson. It chronicles her travels across Europe and North Africa, visiting flea markets, graveyards and used bookstores - which, naturally, are some of my favourite haunts as well. Looks fascinating... *adds to Amazon wishlist*
My parents are arriving tomorrow. After several years of entreaties, they (and my uncle) are coming to spend Christmas with us in Halifax this year. I'm a bit nervous of the massive hostessing burden I've taken on (sit-down dinner for five on Christmas Eve; buffet for nine on Christmas Day), but I've been planning for weeks now and hopefully all will be well. I'm starting the baking today - I'll do the mince pies and shortbread this morning, then carry on with eggnog cheesecake this afternoon. There will be no shortage of food in this house over the coming week, I can tell you.
My parents are arriving tomorrow. After several years of entreaties, they (and my uncle) are coming to spend Christmas with us in Halifax this year. I'm a bit nervous of the massive hostessing burden I've taken on (sit-down dinner for five on Christmas Eve; buffet for nine on Christmas Day), but I've been planning for weeks now and hopefully all will be well. I'm starting the baking today - I'll do the mince pies and shortbread this morning, then carry on with eggnog cheesecake this afternoon. There will be no shortage of food in this house over the coming week, I can tell you.
19 December 2007
Go East, Young Woman
Today, I confirmed that I will be going back to the Far East this winter, for my work. Yay! You may recall that this time last year, I was in Hanoi, Vietnam, attending the annual meeting of the project I manage at work, and had a short stopover in Hong Kong on the way home. Our next annual meeting is scheduled for 25-29 February 2008, and this time it will be held in Iloilo, Philippines (which is home to one of our project's partner universities).
I booked my flights this afternoon, so everything is set. It turned out that the cheapest routing for this trip is via Japan (as you can't fly direct to the Philippines from Canada). So on the return trip, I have arranged to have another two-night stopover, in TOKYO! Woo hoo! I can't tell you how excited I am - I have always wanted to visit Japan. Obviously, two nights will only just allow me to have a taster, but that's OK - I'll take it.
I plan to spend at least a little time over the Christmas break poring over guidebooks and making plans for this trip. And the last week of February is perfect - the weather is so miserable at that time, and the post-holiday blahs are in full swing, so it will be wonderful to have something like that to look forward to. Plus, the Philippines will be lovely and warm at that time of year
I booked my flights this afternoon, so everything is set. It turned out that the cheapest routing for this trip is via Japan (as you can't fly direct to the Philippines from Canada). So on the return trip, I have arranged to have another two-night stopover, in TOKYO! Woo hoo! I can't tell you how excited I am - I have always wanted to visit Japan. Obviously, two nights will only just allow me to have a taster, but that's OK - I'll take it.
I plan to spend at least a little time over the Christmas break poring over guidebooks and making plans for this trip. And the last week of February is perfect - the weather is so miserable at that time, and the post-holiday blahs are in full swing, so it will be wonderful to have something like that to look forward to. Plus, the Philippines will be lovely and warm at that time of year
16 December 2007
All Ready
I'm ready for Christmas now. Trimmed the tree, decorated the house and put up all the outdoor lights today. And yesterday, I finished the last of my Christmas shopping. Spent a lovely afternoon curled up on the sofa with eggnog and the newspapers, while a snowstorm raged outside, the fire crackled in the grate, and the lights shone on the Christmas tree. Very cosy.
We spent Friday night in Tantallon, as M. and L. hosted us once again for the famed Feuerzungebowle (a.k.a. the Flaming Cauldron of Booze). A. got this shot of the proceedings, which involve ladling hot wine mixed with rum, fruit and spices over a cone-shaped lump of sugar, and then setting the sugar alight:
We spent Friday night in Tantallon, as M. and L. hosted us once again for the famed Feuerzungebowle (a.k.a. the Flaming Cauldron of Booze). A. got this shot of the proceedings, which involve ladling hot wine mixed with rum, fruit and spices over a cone-shaped lump of sugar, and then setting the sugar alight:
10 December 2007
The Golden Compass
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of The Golden Compass, the film based on Northern Lights, the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Went to see it last night.
Verdict? Pretty good, though it could have been better. The visuals are definitely stunning, and those alone are worth the price of admission. Both the child actress who played Lyra and Nicole Kidman (as Mrs. Coulter) were absolutely excellent. Actually, it was a pretty stellar cast all around, though it would have been good to see some of these luminaries (like Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi and Christopher Lee) more. Daniel Craig was very good as Lord Asriel, but again, we didn't see him very much. Oh, and watching the credits at the end, I was very pleasantly surprised to hear the voice of Kate Bush - she composed and sang the theme song for the film, "Lyra", which was very nice to hear.
One of the greatest strengths of the books, in my opinion, is that - given they were written for teenagers - they are darkly philosophical. (Reading them for the first time, I kept thinking, "I can't believe these are for kids...this stuff is deep.") Unfortunately, and I suppose inevitably, alot of that depth has been jettisoned in the film. But perhaps the oddest thing about the adaptation is the way in which the controversial, "anti-Christian" material has really been whitewashed. In place of Pullman's unapologetic, unvarnished atheism, the film has much more of a general anti-establishment theme - so all those good Catholic parents, fearful for the souls of their impressionable kiddies, don't have anything to worry about. Quite honestly, though, I have no idea how any putative film versions of the second and third books in the series would be scripted. Pullman really has no use for organised religion, and that message comes through louder and clearer as the series progresses. Mainstream film producers obviously won't want to touch that with a ten-foot pole - so how to film the books without warping the original story beyond all recognition?
At any rate, it looks like all of us fans of His Dark Materials may not need to concern ourselves with such issues. The entertainment media reports today that the film has already been deemed a bit of a flop, having earned "only" $26 million in its opening weekend in the US. It seems set to do considerably better overseas, which is unsurprising as the novels have always been far better known outside North America (and where people have fewer evangelical hangups). A pity, really, as it's not a bad film at all - but in America, Pullman has never had the cachet of a JRR Tolkien or a CS Lewis, so perhaps it's to be expected. And if they can't make and sell a million Lyra action figures, will anyone in the business of making movies for kids be interested in sequels?
Verdict? Pretty good, though it could have been better. The visuals are definitely stunning, and those alone are worth the price of admission. Both the child actress who played Lyra and Nicole Kidman (as Mrs. Coulter) were absolutely excellent. Actually, it was a pretty stellar cast all around, though it would have been good to see some of these luminaries (like Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi and Christopher Lee) more. Daniel Craig was very good as Lord Asriel, but again, we didn't see him very much. Oh, and watching the credits at the end, I was very pleasantly surprised to hear the voice of Kate Bush - she composed and sang the theme song for the film, "Lyra", which was very nice to hear.
One of the greatest strengths of the books, in my opinion, is that - given they were written for teenagers - they are darkly philosophical. (Reading them for the first time, I kept thinking, "I can't believe these are for kids...this stuff is deep.") Unfortunately, and I suppose inevitably, alot of that depth has been jettisoned in the film. But perhaps the oddest thing about the adaptation is the way in which the controversial, "anti-Christian" material has really been whitewashed. In place of Pullman's unapologetic, unvarnished atheism, the film has much more of a general anti-establishment theme - so all those good Catholic parents, fearful for the souls of their impressionable kiddies, don't have anything to worry about. Quite honestly, though, I have no idea how any putative film versions of the second and third books in the series would be scripted. Pullman really has no use for organised religion, and that message comes through louder and clearer as the series progresses. Mainstream film producers obviously won't want to touch that with a ten-foot pole - so how to film the books without warping the original story beyond all recognition?
At any rate, it looks like all of us fans of His Dark Materials may not need to concern ourselves with such issues. The entertainment media reports today that the film has already been deemed a bit of a flop, having earned "only" $26 million in its opening weekend in the US. It seems set to do considerably better overseas, which is unsurprising as the novels have always been far better known outside North America (and where people have fewer evangelical hangups). A pity, really, as it's not a bad film at all - but in America, Pullman has never had the cachet of a JRR Tolkien or a CS Lewis, so perhaps it's to be expected. And if they can't make and sell a million Lyra action figures, will anyone in the business of making movies for kids be interested in sequels?
06 December 2007
College Christmas
Went tonight to a holiday 'do laid on by the alumni association of the university where I did my undergrad. It was held in the President's Lodge, and both C. and L. came along with me. I've only gone to this event once before, but it's quite lovely. There was plenty of drink, lots of scrummy nibbles, and a splendid performance by the Chapel Choir, who favoured us with four carols.
The organisers of this event are very clever, in that it deliberately echoes College Christmas - a tradition that I and many others so loved as an undergraduate. The university laid on the loveliest Christmas celebration, which was always held the Sunday after classes ended for the term, before exams began. It started in late afternoon with a candlelit Lessons & Carols service in the College Chapel (which warmed the cockles of even my agnostic heart). It was followed by Formal Meal in the dining hall, into which we all trooped in our black academic gowns, fidgeting during the Latin grace before tucking into turkey dinners. (And no, I'm not kidding - outsiders haven't nicknamed that place "Hogwarts" and "Narnia" for nothing.)
But the very best part came afterwards, when the annual Christmas meeting of the college literary society convened in the main lecture hall. We'd all get a bit tipsy on the (admittedly rather cheap and nasty) mulled wine while listening to holiday-themed readings. The roster changed annually, although certain readings were considered sacred. The normally-pompous and terrifying Professor H. would reduce me to tears every year with either "The Happy Prince" or the "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde. One of the chapel wardens would read "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas, while a deep gravelly-voiced don could always be relied upon to recite "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".
To me, during those wonderful years, College Christmas always marked the true start of the holidays. I love that even as an alumna, I still have the chance to experience a little of that special feeling again.
The organisers of this event are very clever, in that it deliberately echoes College Christmas - a tradition that I and many others so loved as an undergraduate. The university laid on the loveliest Christmas celebration, which was always held the Sunday after classes ended for the term, before exams began. It started in late afternoon with a candlelit Lessons & Carols service in the College Chapel (which warmed the cockles of even my agnostic heart). It was followed by Formal Meal in the dining hall, into which we all trooped in our black academic gowns, fidgeting during the Latin grace before tucking into turkey dinners. (And no, I'm not kidding - outsiders haven't nicknamed that place "Hogwarts" and "Narnia" for nothing.)
But the very best part came afterwards, when the annual Christmas meeting of the college literary society convened in the main lecture hall. We'd all get a bit tipsy on the (admittedly rather cheap and nasty) mulled wine while listening to holiday-themed readings. The roster changed annually, although certain readings were considered sacred. The normally-pompous and terrifying Professor H. would reduce me to tears every year with either "The Happy Prince" or the "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde. One of the chapel wardens would read "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas, while a deep gravelly-voiced don could always be relied upon to recite "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".
To me, during those wonderful years, College Christmas always marked the true start of the holidays. I love that even as an alumna, I still have the chance to experience a little of that special feeling again.
03 December 2007
Best. Deal. Ever.
I've had a bit of trouble recently, trying to renew my Saturday Globe and Mail subscription for the next year. I duly paid my $147.01 online, but no paper materialised this past weekend, and there was no online record of my renewal. So I decided to give them a ring, and speak to a human being about it.
But first, I pulled up my account details online, just to have them handy. Imagine my astonishment when I discovered that I am all paid up, after all! (click to enlarge)
No, you're not seeing things - according to the good folks at the Globe's Customer Care site, my subscription doesn't expire until Thursday 1 January 2499. That means I can now look forward to just over 491 years of Saturday delivery, at the paltry sum of less than $0.006 per issue!
SWEET!!
But first, I pulled up my account details online, just to have them handy. Imagine my astonishment when I discovered that I am all paid up, after all! (click to enlarge)
No, you're not seeing things - according to the good folks at the Globe's Customer Care site, my subscription doesn't expire until Thursday 1 January 2499. That means I can now look forward to just over 491 years of Saturday delivery, at the paltry sum of less than $0.006 per issue!
SWEET!!
02 December 2007
White Christmas
Just in from this year's holiday show at Neptune, White Christmas by Irving Berlin. This is the first year we've gotten tickets for the holiday show (as it's never included in the main subscription package, for some reason), and we were glad we did. It was quite nostalgic and very entertaining - if a kick line of tap-dancing chorus girls can't make you smile, you're probably dead. ;-)
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