It's freezing...
A bit of winter excitement for us right now as the temperature has dropped to around -50 C with the wind chill. This morning I wore two pairs of socks, long underwear plus two pairs of pants, a t-shirt, a sweater, a polar fleece and then my winter jacket, two pairs of mitts, two scarves, two hoods and a tuque. I left only the smallest crack around my eyes so I could see. In fact I don't think it was so much the cold that threatened my walk to work as my lack of vision.
Because of the blizzard yesterday there were a lot of deep snow drifts, so I sort of stumbled down the side walk. I felt safe though because I put on special ice grips over my boots before I left my house. I had been given these ice grips to test them for the Ice and Fire carnival I will be dancing in on the 16th. When I finally got to work with really only one minor delay caused by man with his snow blower on the sidewalk the walk had seemed pretty uneventful. However just after stepping inside I realized the ice grips were missing. My first thought was they did not pass the test for the carnival dancing and then because they weren't actually mine I decided I should do some back tracking and look for them. The sun then was much brighter and since they were black I figured it wouldn't take too long. That is until I realized that I had lost them just outside of my house about when I had been hurdling through a series of knee deep snow drifts. Perhaps it isn't fair to judge their inefficiency on the deep snow. In any case I got my fair share of exercise and cold weather this morning as I ended up having to walk to work twice.
In some ways the blizzard wind was actually much colder last night when I went to my dance class. While waiting at the bus stop I sort of hid in some bushes to stay out the wind. Then when I got downtown I walked down the street with my scarf covering my entire face and my mitts over top. I walked close to the buildings to stay in a straight line and moved quite quickly so as not to get too cold. Maybe I should have stayed home, but it seems much more exciting to be out in a storm.
Having finally caught some bugs on the weekend they have officially been identified today by the exterminator as bed bugs, so the next fun step is having the apartment exterminated.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Detective work
My roommate has now gotten two bites during the past week so the battle continues. I have to say the situation is really starting to bug me. I feel antsy all the time and am taking on strange habits like:
- spending hours vacuuming all the corners and crevices of the apartment,
- avoiding touching the floor with socks or bare feet at all times,
- wearing 'bug fighting shoes' (crocs from the dollar store) when walking around the apartment,
- vacuuming my sheets before going to bed,
- collecting small black dots and pieces of lint as specimens,
- hanging my pyjamas in my closet during the day,
- keeping a chair for my backpack so it doesn't come in contact with the floor,
-spraying on bug spray before going to bed ( actually that has only been my roommate so far),
- taping the legs of the bed and putting them in tin cans,
-sprinkling Borax in the carpet and on the mattresses,
-spraying Raid around the edges of the rooms and on the mattresses
- and most importantly developing a close relationship with the washer and the dryer
We'll see how long my sanity lasts :)If we can find and an identify the bug the the landlord will get exterminators until then we will have to find inventive ways to catch some.
My roommate has now gotten two bites during the past week so the battle continues. I have to say the situation is really starting to bug me. I feel antsy all the time and am taking on strange habits like:
- spending hours vacuuming all the corners and crevices of the apartment,
- avoiding touching the floor with socks or bare feet at all times,
- wearing 'bug fighting shoes' (crocs from the dollar store) when walking around the apartment,
- vacuuming my sheets before going to bed,
- collecting small black dots and pieces of lint as specimens,
- hanging my pyjamas in my closet during the day,
- keeping a chair for my backpack so it doesn't come in contact with the floor,
-spraying on bug spray before going to bed ( actually that has only been my roommate so far),
- taping the legs of the bed and putting them in tin cans,
-sprinkling Borax in the carpet and on the mattresses,
-spraying Raid around the edges of the rooms and on the mattresses
- and most importantly developing a close relationship with the washer and the dryer
We'll see how long my sanity lasts :)If we can find and an identify the bug the the landlord will get exterminators until then we will have to find inventive ways to catch some.
Bailando
On s’était dit beaucoup sans avoir dit un mot.
Ses gestes me racontaient l’histoire.
Mes oreilles étaient devenues sourds.
C’était l’odeur du passé et du présent
Je m’imaginais dans un pays inventé
Mes pas me donnaient cette vie
Je faisais l’écho du chant
En évoquant la langue de la danse
Petit á petit il ne fallait presque plus toucher
L’équilibre se sentait dans chaque respiration
C’était un jeu ouvert et croisé
Au sol se traçait la carte des sons et des émotions
----------------------------------------------------
Last Thursday I discovered free Argentina tango lessons downtown Regina once a week until mid-February. It was like winning the lottery because that night not only did I get a chance to learn a dance I have been dreaming about for years, but I also learned about an opportunity to take part in a procession at Regina's Ice and Fire Carnival. Then I was invited to attend a weekend workshop put on by New Dance Horizons with the guest artist Ravi Khalsa.
Everyone is invited to the Carnival on February 16th in Victoria Park, Regina !
On s’était dit beaucoup sans avoir dit un mot.
Ses gestes me racontaient l’histoire.
Mes oreilles étaient devenues sourds.
C’était l’odeur du passé et du présent
Je m’imaginais dans un pays inventé
Mes pas me donnaient cette vie
Je faisais l’écho du chant
En évoquant la langue de la danse
Petit á petit il ne fallait presque plus toucher
L’équilibre se sentait dans chaque respiration
C’était un jeu ouvert et croisé
Au sol se traçait la carte des sons et des émotions
----------------------------------------------------
Last Thursday I discovered free Argentina tango lessons downtown Regina once a week until mid-February. It was like winning the lottery because that night not only did I get a chance to learn a dance I have been dreaming about for years, but I also learned about an opportunity to take part in a procession at Regina's Ice and Fire Carnival. Then I was invited to attend a weekend workshop put on by New Dance Horizons with the guest artist Ravi Khalsa.
Everyone is invited to the Carnival on February 16th in Victoria Park, Regina !
Sunday, January 06, 2008
!Ha llegado los reyes a Regina, Saskatchewan!
Yesterday we had a Spanish supper to celebrate Epiphany. There was lots to eat from Paella to hot peppers, a tortilla de patata (Spanish omelette)with some ensaladilla rusa (similar to potatoe salad), cured ham, olives, corn nuts, pineapple juice, wine and an attempted Roscon de reyes. !Feliz día de los reyes!
Yesterday we had a Spanish supper to celebrate Epiphany. There was lots to eat from Paella to hot peppers, a tortilla de patata (Spanish omelette)with some ensaladilla rusa (similar to potatoe salad), cured ham, olives, corn nuts, pineapple juice, wine and an attempted Roscon de reyes. !Feliz día de los reyes!Thursday, January 03, 2008
The travelling bed
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to try and be more positive and this includes references to the city and the people of Regina. Yesterday in an attempt to end (I hope) the battle against the invisible bed bugs I bought a new bed.
Since moving here I have greatly improved my vacuuming, washing and bed making skills. I have also furthered my knowledge in medicinal creams be it for allergic reactions to my mysterious bites or the rash that has developed below my right eye. I have also had the opportunity to learn the phone numbers for the health line, the pest control and the location of the nearby medical clinic. I have developed a greater awareness for detail and can easily find small pieces of red sweater fuzz on my bed sheets and identify that they are not actually bed bugs. I have also started a new protective pyjama fashion that involves tucking my pyjama pants into my socks and my pyjama shirt into the waistband to leave as little skin exposed as possible.
In fact the bites reminded me of the Camino and some of struggles I overcame during that journey and that is how I can actually be positive about the experience.
Bringing my new bed home turned into a bit of an adventure as well because I attempted to do it on my own on foot. It was only a twin size mattress, but with the wind it was a little difficult to steer. To the traffic it must have appeared as though a mattress had grown feet as I walked with it across the street. As I got to the other side, to my luck a couple in a white pick up truck had pulled over and offered to help. The man went out of his way to carry the mattress from his truck, up the stairs and into my apartment. Next I had the frame to carry which was a little heavy, but quite easy to manage. Finally a little less enthusiastic I went back for the box spring. Slowly I inched it forward a few feet at a time and as I crossed onto my street a man in a Sasktel van pulled up and helped me carry it the rest of the way home. So now not only do I have a new bed, but a positive experience of the friendly people in Regina as well.
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to try and be more positive and this includes references to the city and the people of Regina. Yesterday in an attempt to end (I hope) the battle against the invisible bed bugs I bought a new bed.
Since moving here I have greatly improved my vacuuming, washing and bed making skills. I have also furthered my knowledge in medicinal creams be it for allergic reactions to my mysterious bites or the rash that has developed below my right eye. I have also had the opportunity to learn the phone numbers for the health line, the pest control and the location of the nearby medical clinic. I have developed a greater awareness for detail and can easily find small pieces of red sweater fuzz on my bed sheets and identify that they are not actually bed bugs. I have also started a new protective pyjama fashion that involves tucking my pyjama pants into my socks and my pyjama shirt into the waistband to leave as little skin exposed as possible.
In fact the bites reminded me of the Camino and some of struggles I overcame during that journey and that is how I can actually be positive about the experience.
Bringing my new bed home turned into a bit of an adventure as well because I attempted to do it on my own on foot. It was only a twin size mattress, but with the wind it was a little difficult to steer. To the traffic it must have appeared as though a mattress had grown feet as I walked with it across the street. As I got to the other side, to my luck a couple in a white pick up truck had pulled over and offered to help. The man went out of his way to carry the mattress from his truck, up the stairs and into my apartment. Next I had the frame to carry which was a little heavy, but quite easy to manage. Finally a little less enthusiastic I went back for the box spring. Slowly I inched it forward a few feet at a time and as I crossed onto my street a man in a Sasktel van pulled up and helped me carry it the rest of the way home. So now not only do I have a new bed, but a positive experience of the friendly people in Regina as well.
Celebrating the New Year
This year I adopted a few new traditions to celebrate the arrival of 2008. As the bells chimed midnight in Spain I gathered my family together in our kitchen to eat 12 grapes and to make 12 wishes for the new year. It’s a good thing it was only 5pm our time because by the fifth chime my mouth was very full. I think I’ll need to train a bit more before going to Spain. In any case my dad requested that next time we get small, seedless grapes.
Traditionally I spend the evening of the 31st at my friends’ Jenn & Kurt’s place for their annual house party. Every year there seems to be more and more people and at midnight champagne was served, hugs and kisses were shared and balloons and streamers flew through the air.
When I got home according to Columbian tradition I broke an egg into a glass of water and put it under my bed to try and in order to get a peek at my future in the upcoming year. Let me know what images you can see in my egg…
Following conversations with my Columbian friends I recommend a trip to their country for New years if you are at all superstitious. Besides an egg you can also tempt fate by putting three potatoes under your bed before you go to sleep. One should be left as is, the second half peeled and the third completely peeled and in the morning whichever potatoe you find first will tell you how much money you’ll get in the next year. If your hand first finds the naked potatoe you will be rich.
However if travelling interests you more than money then pack a small suitcase and when the clock strikes twelve pick it up and run around the block.
For a more adventurous custom start your evening wearing a pair of new yellow underwear on backwards and then turn them around as the new year begins. The Mexican or Spanish variation involves wearing new red underwear to bring you good luck in love in the new year.
Another friend from Haiti mentioned house cleaning after midnight for a clean start to the new year, but that is not quite so appealing.
My family has started our own tradition which involves celebrating a new culture every year on January 1st. From Japanese to Spanish this year was French. It is not just about trying new food, but also new costumes. My Dad has posted some of the photos from our crêpe making party on this link
This year I adopted a few new traditions to celebrate the arrival of 2008. As the bells chimed midnight in Spain I gathered my family together in our kitchen to eat 12 grapes and to make 12 wishes for the new year. It’s a good thing it was only 5pm our time because by the fifth chime my mouth was very full. I think I’ll need to train a bit more before going to Spain. In any case my dad requested that next time we get small, seedless grapes.
Traditionally I spend the evening of the 31st at my friends’ Jenn & Kurt’s place for their annual house party. Every year there seems to be more and more people and at midnight champagne was served, hugs and kisses were shared and balloons and streamers flew through the air.
When I got home according to Columbian tradition I broke an egg into a glass of water and put it under my bed to try and in order to get a peek at my future in the upcoming year. Let me know what images you can see in my egg…
Following conversations with my Columbian friends I recommend a trip to their country for New years if you are at all superstitious. Besides an egg you can also tempt fate by putting three potatoes under your bed before you go to sleep. One should be left as is, the second half peeled and the third completely peeled and in the morning whichever potatoe you find first will tell you how much money you’ll get in the next year. If your hand first finds the naked potatoe you will be rich.
However if travelling interests you more than money then pack a small suitcase and when the clock strikes twelve pick it up and run around the block.
For a more adventurous custom start your evening wearing a pair of new yellow underwear on backwards and then turn them around as the new year begins. The Mexican or Spanish variation involves wearing new red underwear to bring you good luck in love in the new year.
Another friend from Haiti mentioned house cleaning after midnight for a clean start to the new year, but that is not quite so appealing.
My family has started our own tradition which involves celebrating a new culture every year on January 1st. From Japanese to Spanish this year was French. It is not just about trying new food, but also new costumes. My Dad has posted some of the photos from our crêpe making party on this link
Happy New Year ! Bonne année ! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Frohes neues Jahr !
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