Celebration

Since school has started, it has been one hectic ride. Fortunately, I have amazing friends who plan the best therapeutic adventures. As a consequence, I am suffering from withdrawal of fine dining and continuous laughter! While we are all growing up quickly and paving the way to our separate futures, time has stretched and strained our relationship but has yet to break it. I am thankful for today; our ability to strengthen our relationship through our differences is a blessing.  After today, I realized that you cannot take friends for granted, special occasions are to be celebrated and iced soy lattes tickle my stomach. 

This smoked Montreal meat sandwich was massive, but scrumptious.

At the Crema Cafe.

On accident: he was bringing over the rest of the jasmine tea.

.

Cheers,
-t

thoughts (fall)

The summer has passed and it seems like we’ve moved onto different lives. Humid summer days are long gone and cooler sunny days have arrived. New (and lingering) people arrive with the breeze as it brings in new chances and familiar feelings.

Busy days bring about careful planning and appreciated company. Rapid daylight contrasted with drawn out evenings. We curl up in thick sweaters and wool socks; fingers curled around large porcelain mugs, or the stem of wine glasses, allowing time to pass in a hazy daze. Our hair falls over our eyes  as we breathe out white smoke, our skin skin smells of cinnamon, candles scents, other herbs and coal. We make distinct sounds of rubber hitting concrete as us city dwellers travel along the streets.

These changes are slow and creep up on this large city. Sometimes too busy to acknowledge the change in seasons, we forget how to adjust. How can one even adapt if one does not expect? We breathe, in and out; in, out, in, out. But do we breathe with ease, or are the breaths short and rapid? Merely gasps.

We always forget the things we ought to never forget.

James Vincent McMorrow

Last night I had the privilege to see James Vincent McMorrow perform. I really wasn’t sure what to expect but he proved to be another talented artist. He hit every high note beautifully and you could hear and see the passion he has for his music. Though he seemed a little stiff at times, he still sang the crowd into an Irish trance. His band members were also nothing short of spectacular and you could see that they were one big family; always poking fun at each other and looking out for each other.  And not to sound too fan girl-like, but on top of being a spectacular artist, he has a great sense of humour—he really got the crowd laughing several times!
Anyways, here are a few photos from last night. I apologize for the lack of quality but I hate using flash at these small venues. I dislike the idea of distracting or blinding the performers! (click photo for a larger view)





On another note, maybe some of you guys have noticed that I’m slowly transforming my blog into more of a photo blog as well as a place for words. I hope to continue with this slow, but definite change despite this semester’s schedule. Hope you guys stick around!
-t

Nostalgic Saturday

Lately, I have been making routine visits to Starbucks; this morning was no different.

Met up with an old high school friend and decided to read, draw and so forth on the second floor patio of a Starbucks in our neighbourhood. Needless to say, I took some photos to remind me that it is alright to slow down and relax a little in between my hectic schedule. (click photos for larger image)

Can you spot the bee?!

Her name is J.

Have a sunny Saturday!

-t

Friday: Day Off

It must be my lucky day today because the weather this past week has been cool and cloudy. However, today has been nothing but beautiful and what better way to spend my day off then to wander the city? I started my Friday off with a caramel macchiato, accompanied with a chapter of "Sport Psychology for the Athletic Trainer: Roles and Scope of Practice"--no joke. I proceeded downtown to browse the bookstore and ended up with Haruki Murakami's After Dark and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Both of which I am excited to read despite the ridiculous amount of reading I already have for school.

Sometimes, I need a period of time to myself where I can allow my instincts to drive me to specific places; to slow down and absorb everything, taking pictures of the small details and rediscover faith in humanity. Sometimes, all I need is a few hours of silence to assure myself that everything will be alright. With that said, here are a few pictures from today's venturing.

Hope everyone's having a great Friday as well!

-t

Coffeehouse

The sky was gray.  It was a dirty gray that draped over our heads as the people scurried around the city, hoping to avoid the potential rainfall. Cars sped past the great buildings which loomed over the busy streets. Downtown always seemed to run at a quicker pace as businessmen juggled their smartphones and briefcases while the women broke out a sweat to keep their composure while balancing their morning coffee while fiddling with their leather purses. Cyclists forget their hand signals as cars attempted to weave through the traffic. Streetcars slowly trudged past pedestrians and lights flickered from green to yellow to red as flashing numbers reminded people to run faster. And while all of the hustling and city noise ran at a constant outside, the coffeehouse in which I sat in muffled it all. I watched as elderly men and women prayed to get to the streetcar stop in time; as couples watched the flashing number only to continue crossing; as a cyclist at a red light reached over to open the newspaper stand to only find it empty.

I sat by the window, back facing the only two men in the coffeehouse with me. Steam rose from the black porcelain cup and my cell phone didn’t make a sound. In fact, no one made a sound. The handle of the cup was just big enough for my index finger to loop through leaving my other three fingers and thumb to support the weight of the cup in my hand. Occasionally, I checked my phone for any new messages and I’d alternate between phone and coffee, coffee and phone. I placed the cup in front of my phone and then behind it. I kept rearranging their positions slowly and quietly. And between the fidgeting, I continued to watch them pass me by—pass the coffeehouse without another look. I forgot the time, the date, the reason why I ended up in a coffeehouse in the first place. Regardless I felt safe, hidden with my old and repeated thoughts as opposed to the foreign ones. Loneliness and depression accompanied acceptance and peace as time passed by in that small coffeehouse.

Morning crush

I woke up to quiet snores and when I rolled onto my side, I saw him. His loose brown curls splayed in all directions and his bare chest slowly rose and fell with each slow breath. His long legs poked out from under the worn, thin blanket. He had the face of a child; his long eyelashes fluttered as he began to stir out of his drunken stupor. We smiled and broke the early morning silence with quiet conversation. He pulled the blanket, which he unintentionally took more of, and draped it over my bare midriff. He placed his arm around my waist and pulled me closer as we continued to share stories. And as we whispered to each other, he gently tickled my lower back. The longer we talked, the easier it became to forget his age. And that’s when it all happened.

Productive Friday?

After spending a morning at the mall, I decided to wind down with music and my sketchbook. I mean, what better way to de-stress then to let your creative flow run freely? Anyways, just a few photos because I love the lighting in my room when the sun just hits past my neighbour’s house and drapes my room with soft lighting.

Experimenting with markers, charcoal, pencils and pencil crayons.

Starting new sketch…

The container of chlorine

I cannot recall a time when swimming has not been a part of my life. I started very young and like many infants, despised it. I cried and ran away (at least, that is what my parents told me) and they eventually stopped signing me up for lessons. But after a good year or two, I began my swim lessons again and that is when swimming became a part of who I was and am today. Years of swim lessons and almost five years of teaching and guarding later, I have learned so much from the sport. This past year I have slacked a little and stopped swimming as much due to school and other personal reasons but recently, I have picked it back up and could not be happier.

That initial shock of the cold water hitting your skin; the sound of small splashes after each kick; the feeling of gliding through the water; the muffled sounds of everything underwater; the strong scent of chlorine that clings to your hair and skin. I love it all. And today's swim was nothing short of a great workout. So here I am, winding down with a cup of homemade iced coffee, a nutritious banana and a novel.

Cheers,
-t

Blue

I had borrowed a novel from a friend to read during my trip to the Caribbean. Rebecca Solnit's A Field Guide to Getting Lost was spiritual, philosophical and a great joy to read. There were sections which described the distance of blue as a colour of longing and desire. And when I was on the top deck sunbathing, my view for hours was completely blue (as depicted above) which triggered me to write about my view on the distance of blue:

I see the distance of blue; the blue that contains all our desires and dreams. It is a blue that fades as it stretches away from our sight. The blue is a canvas which spans and surrounds all of us; a constant reminder that we are away and stranded in a place of delusioned peace--man-made and temporary. However, permanence can be achieved but it takes more effort and strength than one can ever imagine. It is the type of strength that is mustered and saved for when it is needed most.

-t