Sunday, June 27, 2010

In which the lock stitch was discovered...

Hello again from a very unreliable blogger! I am really getting frustrated with how poorly I am keeping up with myself... But I am always a) too busy, or b) too tired to actually write on my darling little blog... as you may have noticed, I have a tendency to write A LOT at once, so taking the time to write it all is no small thing.

Anyways... I wanted to thank all those who came to our housewarming party. It was great fun and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for coming!!

Before I mention what I did on the weekend, I need to make everyone aware that befriending a bar-maid is not always the best idea. I went to visit Michael at his restaurant on Thursday... It is a GORGEOUS place! With SUPER expensive food!! It is elegant and really posh and the people who sit there to eat wear really nice evening clothes! Anyways - I was bored on Thursday night and so decided to head over to Michael's restaurant to visit him and keep him some company.

He did a complete double-take when he saw me (... silly man! I am not that good looking! *wink*) and he was really surprised and happy, which made me happy in turn as well. Unfortunately, because he was working, he could barely take the time to speak to me at all. But he did suggest that I get myself a drink. So I sat down at the bar.

Do you know just how dull it is to sit at a bar alone and unaccompanied? Did not think so... most people generally try to avoid it. Anyways - I was just as bored at the bar than I was alone at home (though I at least had the occasional glimpse of Michael's wonderful smile when he looked my way - he makes me so happy!). So I decided to talk to the bar-maid.

She was sooo nice! She was absolutely amazing! She used to be a model, which was cool, because we talked about modeling and travel and it was really an enjoyable evening. So why do I suggest not to befriend a bar-maid? Because I only ended up paying for 1 apple martini. However, I got a glass of Baileys on the Rocks on the house (the bar-maid offered) and, when someone decided they did not want that glass of Chianti after all, the bar-maid asked whether I wanted it or whether she should throw it out... Needless to say I ended up slightly tipsy... Luckily, Michael kept sneaking me food and yummy deserts, so I was fine. But I did sleep like a log. I completely passed out within minutes! XD

Other than that, updates on the weekend. I spent the weekend sewing, actually. I dedicated my weekend to it, as it is the last weekend I will have for a while. My next 2 days in a row off are only as of July 10th. *pout* Stupid schedule! Anyways... I started my wonderful weekend by meeting with my mum and buying 9 meters of the most amazing purple fabric! I love that stuff! I am now wishing I had bought the entire roll, because the fabric is honestly THAT great! And it is perfect for my cosplay too! It came on a brand-new roll and it was on sale at get 3 meters for the price of 1. I got 9 meters. I really wish I had more!!

So I cut my pattern into the fabric while watching the Doctor Who season finale. I have to say, I love their take on the meaning of "Something Old, something New, something Borrowed and something Blue" - you know, that old saying that goes around at a wedding. It was awesome. I want a TARDIS as my "something blue" too!! Much better than a blue garter any day! XD

So the fabric is cut and the sewing will soon be on its way! This costume will be AWESOME!!! The fabric drapes beautifully and I love the way it falls! I am ecstatic about it!! I also whipped up a cute little Renaissance caul out of leftover fabric in about 10 minutes. Did not turn out too bad actually...

Oh! And most importantly... I finally got the instructions to my sewing machine back! Su-su (that's what I have baptised my sewing machine) is now functionning better than ever before! Also, I have finally discovered which dial I had to move to succeed in making an overlock stitch! No more fraying fabric! HUZZAH!!
Needless to say, I spent a lot of my weekend re-stitching some of my costumes that had started to come apart at the seams. The overlock stitch is wonderful... I love it! It makes me squee... though my awesome purple fabric makes me squee even MORE!

Now, before this page gets covered in squees, I will violently change the subject to two things that happened today...

First: tomorrow is the final Air Canada exam... at 6 a.m. That means getting up at 4 a.m. I have to have 80%... It was supposed to be on Wednesday... AAAAAH!!!!! I soooo do not feel ready! God help me and let me pass: I love my job! Please, please, please! I hope I make it!

Second: the stupid bus kept breaking down!! We broke down a grand total of 5 times so that a 1 hour bus route took almost 2!!! The bus just stayed in the middle of a street at rush hour getting honked at, while I was sweating up a storm inside it, wishing nothing more than to get out... But I could not! Because "it is dangerous to go out in the middle of a street!" said the bus driver. Well, I am an adult and I feel quite ready to take the risk, thank you very much. Anyways, I did make it home in the end... I am just appalled that they let buses drive when the engine keeps breaking down.

And with that... I will go study for tomorrow's exam... otherwise I will freak out and not be able to go to bed early.

Cheers!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

In which Naria is presenting her duct-tape self.



Here is the dress form I nearly got a fatal concussion for! XD
The stuffing was about two dozens of those newspapers that are given out for free on the metro and that nobody reads, but they're all over the place anyway... I figured that stuff needed to be put to good use! XD


I like to hug myself... you should seriously try it sometime! XD



Happy that I was victorious over the dress form!

Speaking of dress forms and sewing... I was working on shortening the straps of a dress for my mum today. I hate store clothing! Professional stitched are a bitch to work with when you are trying to un-stitch the stuff! So I had to bullshit my way through it. I am a little disappointed in myself. I thought it would turn out better. But, then again, it is not my fault that I could not find the bloody seam that needed un-stitching.

Oh well...

Oh, and I take back what I said about my schedule with Air Canada! I now have my official schedule for the summer! It looks much (much, much, much, much!) better!! No more 3 a.m. shifts!!! Yay! (Though that is still subject to change - fingers crossed that is does not!)

And I have a few hilarious stories to tell of Air Canada. Yesterday, we were discussing PETC (pets in cabin) and AVIH (live animals in hold). We got a couple of yummy anecdotes out of it.

Story 1: Apparently, a few years ago, a woman tried to travel with her boa constrictor as her pet in cabin. Now, there are many regulations with regards to PETCs, one of which is that only cats and dogs are accepted for this. Also, the animals must be caged and the cage must not exceed size regulations. Also, the animal must be able to stand and to turn inside the cage. So a snake? I think not. Anyways, the woman showed up at the airport, with the huge snake wrapped around her neck. She was refused on the flight. She was making a fuss that she had paid for the ticket and all, but she was clearly told that she was not traveling with the snake. It took 5 days (and 5 times of her showing up at the airport) for her to be convinced that she would not be traveling with the snake any day soon. So the REAL Snakes On a Plane was avoided... XD

Story 2: There are many regulations with regards to AVIHs. Animals in hold have to be in the appropriate cages, quarantied at the airport for a bit, etc. Now, there is a reason for all these rules: we do not want any trouble with these animals (or the owners of the animals if they are dissatisfied with Air Canada's treatment of the creatures). One "container" which is completely unacceptable now is a cardboard box. Here is why:
A scientist travelling on a flight had checked in a box filled with live laboratory rats as AVIHs. For some reason, the box of rats was accepted, despite the rats being contained by no more than cardboard. Now, these were not dirty sewer rats, but the rats did chew their way out of the box... and came out in the Executive Business Class! You can imagine the freak out some passengers must have had. Even if they were "clean" rats, I would not enjoy having a rodent suddenly brush my legs while being on a quiet flight. Also, the aircraft had to undergo repairs as the rats nawed on the wiring and fusselage.

Story 3: There are also specific regulations on where and how the animals should be stored in the hull of the aircraft, so that no accidents can happen. Indeed, there is a story of a cage that was not properly strapped into the aircraft. If I remember correctly, the aircraft somehow skidded off the runway and into the field beside it. Nothing bad, no one was hurt, but the luggage (and animals) that were not strapped in properly all skidded to one side of the aircraft. The consequence of this was that, when the poor baggage handlers opened the hull of the steel bird, they were confronted with a very disgruntled loose tiger! Yes, the tiger's cage had popped open when the cage had hit some other cargo. I can just imagine the baggage guys going "nice kitty..." at the thing. The moral of this story: always make sure your cargo is held safely! XD

Story 4: As the AVIHs are being unloaded from the aircraft, the baggage handlers find a cage with a cat inside it. The cat was frozen to death. The manager got very freaked out by this, as Air Canada accepts responsibility for the animal that we put in the hold. So this is really bad news for us if the animal died in the course of the flight (we are responsible for feeding it and all... so we really do not want them to die). So the manager went out and bought a cat that was as similar as possible to the dead one and replaced the one in the cage with it. When the passenger picked up his cage, he was puzzled. "What happened? I had checked in a dead frozen cat?!" he wondered!! It seems Air Canada has the power to resurrect the dead. Please feel free to send us the bodies of your loved ones (as long as they are frozen) lol. No, but, seriously, who checks in a DEAD CAT as a "live animal"?? And why did the passenger put it in a cage? No wonder the manager freaked out!

I will stop the anecdotes there, as I am writing waaaay to much again. Seriously, I could replace Shakespeare (well - no, for obvious reasons, I cannot replace him. He is unreplaceable... but I can write as much as he could, because I do write a lot... just not nearly as well.)

And, before I forget, Bonne Saint-Jean Baptiste everyone!! Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

In which severe head trauma is imminent

Well, for those of you with facebook, this is probably old news, but that does not matter - the post goes up anyway! Yay!! (I figured I had to update my avid readers with something! XD )

So, here is the full account of how I nearly died.

On Sunday, I decided that, if I was to make a costume as extravagant as the Angel Sanctuary outfit, I was in desperate need of a dress form. Problem: they cost a fortune. So I followed people's advice and decided to make one out of duct-tape. Other than the fact that my feet started smarting really badly after a while, the whole process went well and smoothly.

I will not lie, it was quite warm in that duct-tape dress that was around me, as my roommate Vanessa struggled to make it into the perfect mould of my body. However, I would not have judged it as too warm. Many people have been pointing out that it was 30 degrees Celsius outside, but we had several fans going on inside and, for someone like me, who cannot produce her own body heat, I felt quite pleasant during the taping process...

Apparently, my brain registered the temperature as wonderfully and comfortably warm, my body, on the other hand, decided to violently protest. When the time came to cut me out of the dress form, my head started spinning. It was genuinely terrifying! I did not know where up or down was and the living room of my apartment was, quite literally swimming before my eyes... I could not tell where I was for a moment. The odd sensation is really hard to describe, but I think the closest feeling to it would be how your stomach churns when you are in an elevator that does not run smoothly. My stomach was, indeed, churning from all the vertigo my dizziness was causing. It felt like I had been on a high-speed merry-go-round or something...
Anyways, my ears also started ringing. So loudly that I could not hear what my roommate was saying to me, though I did register that she was trying to speak to me.

Then, I was lying on the floor, with not the slightest clue of how in the world I might have ended up there. I had fainted. It had barely been a few seconds, but it was a definite loss of consciousness.

Now, the dizziness and the creepy blackout of the event is my side of the story. But my roommate also told me what she saw. Apparently, my face drained of colour. Not only did I go entirely white, but she say my lips had turned the colour of my skin (which is frightfully pasty even as we speak because I do not get enough sun!)... which must have made me look like death warmed up. No wonder she was alarmed. Although, she deserves a medal: she handled the situation beautifully!

She says I started hyperventilating. I do not have any recollection of this. She says she was trying to give me advice to breathe (but I guess this was the part where I could no longer hear her from all the buzzing in my ears). And then I went down. I fell to my knees first and then forward. Luckily, Vanessa saw danger coming before anything could happen: my head was on a straight crash-course with the corner of our coffee table. I would probably have bashed my skull open and THEN we would have had a major problem... But Vanessa caught me just on time an gently guided me to the nice, carpeted floor. Accident avoided. I think she did a great job and has a lot of merit for saving me from a bloody disaster!

Apparently, I tried standing up several times and could not be convinced to stay down once I had fallen... I do not remember this either - I was lying perfectly still when I regained consciousness. However, my brain did register that I was lying dangerously near the coffee table and I was amazed that an accident had been avoided at all.

Seconds later, I was cut out of my dress form and felt much better in less than ten minutes. Now I feel fit as a fiddle (though exhausted from the day's training!). It was just a super scary situation... this has never happened to me before. But, I must say, it was rewarding: I now have a great (and ultra-cheap!) dress form to work with! YAY!!!

In other news, Michael is hanging on to his job well, which means he does not need to go back to Toronto for the summer! This makes me super happy!
On the other hand, my schedule sucks. I have six consecutive days of work (no days off in between), at which I start my shift at 4 a.m..... this means getting up at 2 a.m. *sigh* I wish I could have the evening shifts because
a) I am nocturnal... I am very active at night and have loads of energy, no matter how tired I feel... however, I am NOT a morning person at all!
b) The evening is when all the international flights are leaving - thus, the most interesting part of a day... it sucks that I have to miss out on it!!! *cries*

Also, during observation at check-in today, I had my first real jerk of a passenger. He said something along the lines that we did not take good care of our customers because we were taking too long. He also said that he could do what we did much faster without even having to touch the keyboard. Well, I have news for him: if we do not touch the keyboard, we cannot verify his information and thus cannot print his boarding pass. Ergo, he would NOT be flying if we did it "without touching the keyboard" as he said. He said he was a frequent flyer and new everything of airline travel... obviously not. I would like to see him try to check himself in with our system (not the airport kiosks)... and, if it was so easy, why did he not check in with kiosk in the first place... *sigh* Some people will never cease to amaze me...

Anyways... that's all for now. My brain is reeling with information about how to execute a check-in... but that is not of interest to any of my readers... if I have any...

And thus, goodnight!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

In which Michael stabbed himself in an impossible way...

Crap! I have been neglecting my blog again! I am so sorry! Please, please, PLEASE understand: it is because of my work! I love working for Air Canada, I really do! However, because of the riddiculous hours (i.e. getting up at 5 a.m. all week) my brain has been waaaay to tired to come up with anything witty to post. Not that I did not have anything witty to say, in fact, I have loads of catching up to do... but it was just not possible for me to post with an overtired brain (I was seriously overtired: I did some weird dance in the middle of the Trudeau airport terminal... Chanelle giggled... I felt... weird...)

So. The first week of training with Air Canada is over. It was okay - very interesting for sure. However, I cannot wait to be on the floor and actually DO the stuff I have been learning. On Friday, we had an awesome module about dangerous goods (how much you are allowed to bring on board, what is forbidden and how to handle stuff) and about passengers who are not allowed to fly (for various reasons). We also had a small history of terrorism, to show that some terrorists are usually not at all suspicious (see the UNAbomber). Some cases were rather shocking (notably the Lockerbie bomber who placed a bomb on his pregnant wife and sent her on a Pan Am flight 103... 270 people died as a result!), others were well known already (I had seen a few cases on the show Mayday, that plays on the Discovery Channel... got to love Discovery! XD )

Speaking of Mayday... during lunch break, my colleague Chanelle and I went to the Burger King at the terminal to eat. As we sat there, we started discussing the show and which episode we liked best. We also discussed the plane crashes - which were the worst in aviation history in our opinion and why and what exactly happened during the crash. We got a lot of worried looks from some nearby passengers (we were not exactly whispering): it was HILARIOUS! I am certain that a couple of passengers now live in fear of losing the tail fin of their aircraft. Not that the actual accident is anything to laugh about... but the weird stares always make me laugh...

Anyhoots... as for Michael's stab-wound...

On Thursday night, Michael had his first day of work at a restaurant downtown. I was really happy for him, as he has finally found a job and that means he does not have to go back to Toronto for the summer (I really do not want him to go!! - though I agree he should spend at least some time there to see his parents...) So I was really proud of Michael and, because he was working hard, I took a nice long nap coming back from training at Air Canada. When I woke up, it was 9:30 p.m. and I still had not heard from Michael. I was starting to be concerned and texted him.

An hour later, Michael gave me a call. He started the conversation like this: "Now don't freak out..." Okay. That's off to a bad start. The guy is supposed to know me. You do NOT tell me not to freak out! I immediately think of the worst case scenarios!! And guess what - that DOES cause me to freak out... Bad start to a conversation... Silly Mike!
So, I was trying to stay calm, trying not to imagine stuff (I thought he had been mugged, or arrested, or I do not know what!) and asked what was up. "I am being driven to the hospital," he said. To which the freak-out REALLY started.

It turns out he had been taking out trash at the restaurant, and the glass stem of a wine glass was poking out of one of the garbage bags. As he lifted the bag, the glass stem poked a bloody (literally!) hole in his tummy!! What the hell? He will need to start wearing armoured vests to work, I think...

Anyways - having a hole in your abdomen from a shard of glass is certainly much worse than just having a sore throat, so despite Michael's attempts to convince me to just go to sleep and rest for work the next day, I went to see him at the hospital. It sucked: I could not stay with him very long, as I decided to take the last subway home. Needless to say, I hardly slept that night. Poor Michael did not get out of the hospital until 14 hours later, that is to say, at 12:45 p.m. I got a text message at work around noon that said: "I am finally out and I have three stitches!" I am not sure that was supposed to make me happy, but it did reassure me.

Now Michael is perfectly fine. It just worried me A LOT when it happened... *sigh* But I am glad it is nothing worse.

Oh, and COSPLAY news! I have decided that, since I have missed Anime North (again! *cries*) I would definitely go to Otakuthon (the Montreal Anime Convention in August). And, in order to make up for me not going to AN, I decided to make an awesome, ostentiatious and stunning cosplay. So, I am going to dazzle people by cosplaying Jibril (the Archangel Gabriel) from Angel Sanctuary. Specifically, I wish to cosplay the artbook version of the character (I have been in love with that picture since I was ten years old!). Here is the picture of the cosplay I wish to make. It is rather over the top, but I really want to do this! I already have the wig too!

Anyways - so that was my week. I do not have much more to say, unless I wish to confuse the few readers I have with airport codes and aviation lingo... but yeah, Air Canada is loads of fun, Michael should be more careful around sharp objects, and I have finally started a new cosplay! Yay me!! I think that life is the best it could be right now...

So here is hoping that next week will allow me to blog some more!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

In which AC called

Before I elaborate, I just wish to say that I had a wonderful weekend. I studied hard and arduously (no, really! I studied airport codes until I could no longer speak: drilling myself with flash-cards and all!), but I still had fun.

Indeed, I went to China Town on Saturday... we had Mongolian hot-pot. It was really good! Loads of squiggly squid! XD And I also made some small purchases which I had wanted to do for a while... Shiro and Kuro (two Monokuroo boo pigs - a black one and a white one - that are on a round throw pillow simply too cute to resist) and Moka (a big black Mokona that is always smiling and insanely cute!). I will have to post pictures of them at some point, as I am sure many of you think all this was Chinese (it was Japanese, just so you know! ;-P )

Anyways...

YXY (Whitehorse), ORD (Chicago), MCI (Kansas City), FCO (Rome), PVG (Shanghai), etc... Overall, I believe I know about 70 airport codes by heart now, as well as airline codes. Because I so got the job! Yes! I am, at last, working for Air Canada! I joined the family trade.

Unfortunately, I am not with in-flight. That is to say, I am not a flight attendant. *sigh* I wish I was... their uniforms are wonderful! But I think that I will apply again (and achieve my goal) next summer, after I have finished my bachelors. It will be much easier to concentrate on being a flight attendant then. I really want to do it. I went to try on uniforms today and I went by the in-flight training center and I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!!

Until then, I will be a CSSA. Customer Sales and Service Agent at the Montreal Trudeau airport. That is to say that I will be working check-in, baggage tags, kiosks, special needs passengers, etc. Unfortunately, I will no get to do gates, as this is a privilege only permanent employees have at the moment. They seem to believe that if temporary agents learn to work gates, then their jobs will be threatened... which is nonsense really... considering we summer temps are there to allow the perms to go on vacation... *sigh* It puzzles me sometimes...

Alas, as a temp, I do not get to wear the full uniform. Anything with an Air Canada crest is not allowed, as we do not have to pay for our uniforms at all. We get two bottoms and four tops from Air Canada, of our choice, so long as they do not bear a crest. So I picked skirt, a trouser, three blouses and a shell. I think that will do nicely.

As for work - I love it! So far, I am still in training. I have classes every day (from 7 to 3, but I have to get up at 4 a.m. to make it on time!) to learn about policies, security and computer programms... However, I also have half-an-hour of on-the-floor observation every day! I am looking forward to being on the floor! As of June 30th, we will be starting O.J.T. (on the job training)... I cannot wait! I am really excited!! *squee!*

Anyways - the people are really nice in my class. I met a girl, who almost did become a flight attendant, but who had to leave training because of a height requirement. Poor thing! She would have been a great flight attendant too! But she is really nice! I really appreciate her! The others are really awesome too! One girl actually studied opera at the same school as Michael and is currently in a show with the choreographer of the McGill Savoy Society!!! Small world!

I am really, really enjoying work. Everyone at Air Canada recognizes me as my mother's daughter. I got really funny comments about it. Others see my last name and know I am related to my infamous father (who liked to be the bratty one at the airport during his career here). And, today, we got a speech from the union, which means that the union V.P., my dad's girlfriend, visited our class. It was hilarious!

All this to say: I love my new job! I would love in-flight even more... I can feel it, but, until I am finished with school, this temp CSSA position is ideal!

And Michael went out to find a job today! Cross your fingers: hopefully he gets it!

I am looking forward to seeing you come to my airport counter soon!

Cheers!

P.S. If am not posting as frequently, it is because it is hard to post when you are tired after work (yesterday I was kaputt!)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

In which Les Miserables is reviewed...

Before I start my review, I must explain why, in all my excitement and joy about having seen this wonderful show last night, I did not blog about it immediately. It is because, when I came home after Les Miserables, I was really exhausted. Why? Because the upstairs neighbours felt it was necessary to try and rechoreography the musical STOMP. I am not kidding: it sounded like they had hired a marching band to walk back and forth over our heads at TWO in the freakin' morning!! Needless to say I barely slept. Michael believes they were having a fight up there. I do not care: I was so tired after Les Miserables due to this, that I was forced to stay away from my beloved blog! *sad face*

And now, on to the review.


Les Miserables, originally a book by Victor Hugo, was adapted into a musical (in 1980) composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg with Alain Boublil, and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer

Les Miserables

IT. WAS. AWESOME!
* warning, spoilers ahead for those who do not know the story of Les Miserables... and it is a shame if you do not know it... so google it NOW!!*

Presented for the Festival des Francofolies de Montreal (in other words, the Festival of French Language of Montreal), Les Miserables has come to Place-des-Arts from June 8th to June 19th. The fabulous production is, for the most part, the same cast as the cast that presented the show in Quebec City, for the 400th anniversary of the city.

This means that many talented singers were on stage, notably Gino Quilico, famous Canadian Baritone. He starred in the role of Jean Val-Jean and sang beautifully. That man has a fabulous stage presence.
Other performers were not quite as well known, as this is a very Quebecan (I do not know if that is the proper word...) cast. However, all singers were very gifted and talented. Notably, the young boy (Emilien Neron) featured in the role of Gavroche was very impressive (and super cute! he had the knobbliest knees!): he is presently attending Felix Leclerc school, but is very gifted in theater as well as music.

As I had already seen this production of Les Miserables once before (when it was featured in Quebec City), I wish to first mention the differences that I spotted between the newer production and the old one. In all truth, as good as the first one was, I believe I preferred this newer version. They have emphasized the drama fabulously with a few minor changes to the staging.

What were the changes? The major changes could be found in the many death scenes of the show. Yes, for those who like musical theater because it is mostly happy, you are mistaken if you do not think Les Miserables is a total tragedy. In fact, I believe it to be the saddest musical in the history of mankind (only very few characters survive).
So the death scenes were changed and made (although it seemed impossible) even more dramatic than when I saw it in Quebec. Eponine had refined her death scene to make it frighteningly realistic... she collapsed much earlier and maintained a steady tremble of agony through her last song (I cried... A LOT!). The young actor in the role of Gavroche flabbergasted me in his death scene, being just as realistic as Eponine and absolutely heart-wrenching in his performance.
But the really dramatic deaths were the students at the barricade and Javert's suicide. The students all got shot, but, instead of immediately falling to the stage floor, as they did in Quebec city, all the shot men came and stood, injured, in a line at the front of the stage. When their leader, the student Enjolras, waved the flag at the soldiers and got shot in turn, then they all fell at once and the light faded to red and then to black... that had quite a grim effect, but the dramatic impact was AMAZING!!!
As for Javert's suicide, the backdrop of Paris had one of the many bridges crossing the Seine. As Javert advanced on stage, singing his suicide song, another Javert appeared at the top of the bridge. They moved together like two shadows until the end of the song, at which point the Javert at the front of the stage disappeared in the wings and there was a moment of silence. During that silence, the Javert on the bridge turned his back to the audience and jumped. It was amazing and had a great effect on the audience, who were not too sure whether they should clap at this point or just be shocked.

As always, the music was beautiful. The stage was fabulously set and the choreographies were amazing (notably "Master of the House" with the Thenardiers had a fabulous choreography and great acting). The costumes were amazing and the performers great. The only unfortunate thing was the use of microphones. It is understandable, as the crowd was huge, and the orchestra small... but the person managing the sound sometimes forgot to turn on the mics, which took away from the show a little.

But otherwise it was a stunning feast for the eyes and, especially, the ears. It was also a total tear-jerker and a beautifully heart-wrenching production. I believe it had a very cathartic effect on me, and I always enjoy when a show does that.

Unfortunately, the whole musical was in French, which sucked for Michael, as his understanding of French is fairly minimal as of yet. However, even he shed a tear for Eponine and Gavroche, so the music and the visual were THAT good. Even he was moved. It was awesome... but sad.

*sigh* Now I REALLY want to sing Eponine on stage someday. Michael believes I would honestly be a fabulous Eponine. I wonder if he is just saying that because we are dating... or if he really believes I have it in me to die one of the most tragic stage deaths known to musicals... (oh, and I LOVE her songs!!!)

Anyways... Les Miserables made me SUPER DUPER HAPPY (after many tears, obviously). I had a wonderful evening last night, first going to a super fancy restaurant at Place-des-Arts, which has beautiful Opera costumes standing on display outside it. It is called the Seingalt, after Casanova, who was the Lord of Seingalt... Anyways, the food was AMAZING and the restaurant wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed dinner with Michael and my mum and it was really fun. I could do this every night!

In other news... I have a pretty french manicure. Yes, you all had to know that! XD

Thursday, June 10, 2010

In which the annual checkup happened...

I. Hate. Medical. Exams.

Do not get me wrong: I love my doctor. She's super nice! But the annual check-up always makes me very uncomfortable and feel very awkward. As much as I like my doctor, I hate it when she starts making small-talk from between my legs... waaay too awkward! And I am not a prude by any means!! And I hate cotton swabs too... it feels more like an attempt to impale someone than anything else.

Okay enough said. Just letting you know that I hate these yearly check-ups. But they are necessary, as the Canadian government does not allow the pill to be prescribed for over a year in order to ensure that women go to their annual check-up. At least my prescription got renewed, which is a good result from this check-up.
Also, considering my mum's breast cancer, I was told I should start checking for that more frequently... especially considering that I never used to check at all. (It has a tendency to be the very last thing on my mind...)

So yeah. Hate having to go to clinics. It never is fun.

Other than that: weather sucks. 15 degrees Celsius is not nearly enough for a cold-blooded snake like myself to keep warm. I spent most of the day wrapped tightly in a blanket. There was no sun for me to sunbathe and warm up my veins, sadly. I was freezing!! In June! *pout*

And I had to get up SUPER early (5:15 a.m.) in order to ensure that I would catch my train out of Montreal (because that's where my doctor is) on time (because the train schedules suck). I freaked out somewhat when I got to the subway that was supposed to take me to the train, as there was a "slowdown of undetermined length due to a system failure." I could have murdered someone. But I got to my train in time in the end, and all went well. I spent a nice morning with my mum... went to my bloody check-up... and then discovered a wonderful series (that I had heard of but never watched) called Lie to Me, which I quite enjoyed. I like how they use famous examples of liars in the series: it makes me giggle (especially when George W. Bush or Sarah Palin are featured).

Then I took the train back and took a MASSIVE (and well deserved) nap. And all of this was followed by a horror movie. Michael and I watched the original John Carpenter's 1980 film The Fog. It was great. Though now I am a little freaked out... I cannot bear to look out of the windows into the dark. Irrational fear, I know; but my imagination does tend to run away with me. *sigh* Why do I watch horror movies if they creep me out so... I do not know - but I have a fascination with ghosts. I have spent the rest of my evening reading up on ghost ships. A surprisingly large amount are just off the Canadian East Coast. Now I really want to go to the East Coast and see some ghost ships for myself (though I know I will be unutterably terrified should I see one).

It seems that I am a big scaredy-cat, but that I thoroughly enjoy it all at once. Oh well... it gets my imagination going - and those who know me well know what that means! *wink*

P.S. Les Miserables tomorrow! I am sooooo excited! And I just can't hide it! I'm about to lose control and... okay, I'll shut up. Anyways, I am really looking forward to it. I've been a bouncy ball of excitement about it all day!! Huzzah!! Do you hear the people sing...? (shut up, Naria!)

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

In which the nail polish stains remain

Darn it! Stupid nail polish!!! This is the last time I do my nails at home! Next time, I will go and pay for a manicure instead! That way, I can avoid any unfortunate accidents, like the one earlier this week. The dark nail polish stains are really frustrating. No: I swear! They glare at me through the otherwise flawless white of the stained shirt, I can even hear them cackling evilly: "he he he! we've got this shirt good: she'll never get us out!" Urgh!!! Bloody nail polish! Die!!! I am seriously considering taking some paint thinner to my shirt and seeing if that has any effect. So far, all bleach and other stain removing products have simply resulted in a lot of teeth-gritting from my part, as the stains are still quite as clear as they were before... *angry pout*

Okay... now that tantrum is over... I think. I still would appreciate any advice of ANYONE out there who knows how to remove nail polish from a shirt! It would be much appreciated and you would be blessed by my eternal gratitude! (Not that this is worth much to many people out there. But just think: you will have made someone very happy and will probably have an easier time at the gates of heaven when you die as a result of your great charity... lol - okay, I do not know about that last part, but I WILL be thankful!)

Other than that... I have been rereading old texts and stuffs (yes, "stuffs!") that were stored on my computer. I am pretty darn good author, if I may say so! lol However, I found a story today that I wish to finish and found my self faced with the horrible black abyss of... Writer's Block!!! Noooo!!! I. Detest. Writer's. Block! It is just not fair!! When someone is creative and needs to find an outlet in writing for the imagination, having a total brain-freeze over what to write next is the worst thing ever! Right now, my mind is popping with great cosplay ideas and original character ideas (for drawings)... but nothing textual comes to mind. Stupid brain! I have not drawn anything in half a century and now it feels like being creative and drawing!? Not fair! I want to write today!! *pout*

Wow... okay... that was tantrum two. Sorry about that. In other news, I have been having awesome costume ideas and, now that I have a job, I will finally be able to pay for FABRIC!! HALLELUJAH!! So now my brain is being flooded with various ideas of various fabrics... I just hope I can find the ones that I want!

Speaking of money and work, though. I have just received the study guide for the test I have to take on Monday. 39 pages. I kid you not! Some parts of it are really easy. Others request for you to memorize places like the location of Lesotho on the map of Africa. *nervous gulp* Africa is really hard to remember (the names of the countries are difficult enough... why do I have to remember the locations too?!) I need to pass this exams with 80%, so I am getting really nervous and thiniking I should start studying. But my unimaginative, writer's-blocked brain would much prefer watching the Lord of the Rings....

I feel like wrapping myself up in a cocoon and sleep until tomorrow... Maybe Africa will look like it had less countries in the morning. Oh well.

Oh! But I am going to see Les Miserables on Friday! Huzzah! I am so looking forward to that! More updates on Les Miz after I have seen the show!

P.S. Yesterday, anniversary celebration with Michael was great! We totally overdressed, went out to eat and saw Shrek Foreverafter in 3D. It was LOADS of fun! I hope we will have many more years to come! <3

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

In which Naria succeeded in finding work!!

I am so sorry blog! I did not mean to neglect you as I did! But I am finally done with all the work on the new apartment and, seeing as I have found a job, I am sure I will have plenty to blog about in the next few days... months... until the end of the summer...

So what kind of work did I find? Well, after a gruelling interview that went almost too well for me (I tend to NOT think of it as a good sign when I socialize with the interviewer... usually that means death for me...), I scored in finding work. A week after my interview I get a call from Air Canada, offering me a full-time temporary post as Customer Sales and Service Agent at the Montreal Trudeau airport! YAY ME!! I cannot believe I finally made it into the family trade! My dad worked with AC for 33 (or was it 36?) years, my mum is still working for that lovely airline as a grooming manager and my dad's girlfriend is an active member of the union and also a Customer Service Agent at the airport (yay! that means I get to work with my dad's girl friend! lol). Not to mention that my aunt in Germany works for the Lufthansa and has been working for them for years (she is a purser and team manager for the Indian flight attendants). So, how cool is that? I am following in the "family trade" and I predict loads of travels ahead (there really are great benefits to working in an Airline...). I am looking forward to having a uniform! (I miss uniforms, ever since I have been out of high school... that's what six years of wearing a plaid skirt can do to you! XD )

Anyways - so I am no longer without a job! I cannot wait to start with Air Canada! There is one last step for me to go through and that is a written test. I have to study a guide that was sent to me and take a test on Monday at 7 a.m. If I pass the test, then I start training. Otherwise, I can say goodbye to this excellent job offer. However, I believe that I can pass that test - considering I have never failed a subject before. HUZZAH!! (Don't get me wrong: thinking about the test still gives me the creeps... like with every bloody exam I have ever had to take!)

In other news, modeling is really starting to pay off for me. I have been contacted by a few photographers who are willing to pay for shoots and I have also joined an agency that works for magazines. With any luck, my career in show-bizz is taking off!

I am also filled with new costume ideas. I have missed Anime North, but that does not mean I have to miss Otakuthon in August. I have promised my friend that I would be there anyway, so I have to come up with a great cosplay to dazzle her and others. Air Canada being full time and paying well, I can actually buy fabric now! YAY!! I have so many ideas for costumes: from original characters to characters I have always wanted to cosplay... *sigh* so many things and so little time!

In yet some other news, I have accidentally spilled some dark red nail polish on a white shirt of mine that I really like. That stuff is IMPOSSIBLE to get out!!! I am getting really frustrated about it, because the flecks of red are really tiny, but the top is of such a pure white that they are still really obvious. It makes me look like I was near an accident site and some blood spray hit me. And, so far, no amount of bleach has gotten the stuff out! And believe me, I have dropped BUCKETS of bleach on the spots (the shirt cannot be any whiter than it is, so I am hoping the bleach will affect the nail polish stains). So far, the stains are still as red as ever. If anyone knows a trick to get rid of nail polish stains, please tell me! I am getting really annoyed by this! Thank you!

Last but not least, I had loads of fun last Friday. My parents (both set of 'em) came over to visit the apartment, along with the family of my new roommate, Vanessa. Michael's parents could not make it, unfortunately. Anyways, I baked a yummy cake and we had a wonderful dinner. After everyone left (so at around midnight), Vanessa and I got dressed in a sexy schoolgirl get-up and went out to Club Sin, a cool little fetish party in downtown Montreal. It was really fun: I got my picture taken A LOT! It was a pleasant surprise and really flattering to be asked by professional photographers if they could get a shot of me *vain hair toss* lol I am looking forward to next month's party.

Oh, and one last thing. (I keep adding stuff, don't I? I am so sorry!) Michael and I HAVE to do something for our anniversary. We have been together for a full year! Huzzah!! And living together has not killed our love either! Even more huzzah! Our anniversary is already long passed, but we did not have any money to spend, so we decided to wait in order to celebrate. But our landlord just gave us back some money today, so I think it's time for Mike and I to go out... maybe see a movie, as it is cheepy Tuesday... So I am going to stop typing and get ready for a nice outing. Happy (very, very belated) anniversary to Michael and myself!! *party streamers fly*

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Finally some pictures!!

All right... so I do not have much to say at the moment, other than the fact that I still have not heard back from Air Canada and it is making me very nervous indeed... I soooooo want this job. I cannot even find words to express my nervousness or my disappointment. As a result, here are some of the pictures I promised (alas - none of them are from Germany, because I am not using my computer... I'll post those soon too!)

Here are some shots of the past week (blackout and cat-eyes):


My eyes really ARE like those of a cat! No photoshop involved!!


This is a shot of the blackout and where we hung all our clothes out... Unfortunately, the flash was so darn good it does not even look dark anymore! But I swear we needed flashlights!


The jeans on the dish-rack...


One photo without flash. Michael was holding the candle... THIS is how bloody DARK it was when we were hanging our laundry! XD

Conclusion: we should invest in a drying rack for clothes!

Friday, June 4, 2010

In which there was a hilarious bonding moment

It is always good to bond with people, especially with your new roommate. Now, do not get me wrong, I have been good friends with Vanessa for a while, but we have not yet had a proper, new-apartment-celebrating moment that would put an official stamp on the roommate situation. You got me: just moving stuff does not count, otherwise, I would have 5 roommates by now, just counting everyone who helped out.

Last night, though, the occasion for such a bonding moment presented itself. LAUNDRY!!

Now, you may wonder: "How in the world is laundry a time for bonding?" Let me elaborate. Since our return from Germany, Michael and I have not had the time to do laundry, so the dirty socks and stuff kept piling up (luckily, we have an infinite number of them, so there was always something clean to wear)... and we had decided we would wash stuff once we were moved in. We tried doing a batch on laundry on Friday... only to find out that the washing machine was broken!

So we called a repair guy who came over yesterday and fixed the bloody thing. The machine was working again and the laundry time could start. We had so much laundry that it took several hours to complete three batches...

Now, you are wondering "and where is the bonding in this"... be patient: I am getting to it.

At about midnight, we decide to start on the fourth and last batch of laundry (the third batch we threw into the dryer). After about half an hour... everything went dark! There was a blackout in our apartment! When we looked out, we saw an angry lady from the neighbouring apartment run out accross the street, to where some construction was taking place... I guess the construction guys hit a line or something, because the power was out in several locations...

Anyways - luckily, batch four of laundry had just finished... but the clothes in the dryer had not dried completely yet and the clothes in the washing machine were soaked! We just could not leave them there!

So, with the help of a flashlight and an electrical fake candle to light us, we started hanging out clothes to dry. It sounds easy... but it is not when your are plunged into an oblivion of darkness and you do not own anything even remotely similar to a laundry line or a laundry rack.

Thus, we started hanging clothes wherever we could think of: off shelves, off counters (I even put some jeans out on the dish-rack!), off lamps and chair and off the shower-curtain pole... It looked like a bomb of clothing had exploded! We took some pictures. The camera, unfortunately, has such an amazing flash that the room looks completely lit, but I SWEAR it was dark! The photos yet need to be uploaded, but the place looks hilarious!

So that was my special bonding moment with Vanessa. We giggled like silly little schoolgirls, trying to find new, innovative and creative ways to hang our laundry in the dark. It may not sound quite as awesome as it was... but it was awesome and hilarious.

I promise (cross my heart and hope to die) that I will post loads of pictures soon!