Saskatchewan

It's been a long long week.  On top of packing and moving everything into storage every night after work, I also spent the last week at work wrapping things up so I could take 2 weeks of holidays.  

I spent the whole weekend moving and moving and cleaning and moving and cleaning some more.  I even managed to help out at a car wash on Sunday, between the cleaning and the moving, of course.

It wasn't until Midnight on Sunday that I found the time to start packing for my road trip.  And after 4 hours of sleep and 12 hours in my Subaru I have arrived at Fargo, ND.   My bed awaits,  I leave you with this:

Saskatchewan . . . 

So flat you can see your dog run away from you for days.

Except maybe my dog, who would be running towards me.  

That look says it all:  Your leaving, and your NOT taking me with you, I know it.

I'm sorry for leaving you at home Max.  I know you'll forgive me.  You always do.  That's why I love you the way I do.

Becky

Charlie

I bought a new lens on the weekend.  Its called the AF NIKKOR 50 mm f/1.4D.  I think I'll call it Charlie.

Charlie has a large aperature and so he gives a very shallow depth of field. 

He is good at taking portraits and loves to take great pictures of dog noses.

Charlie: I think I'm falling for you.

Off the Bookshelf: Stuffed and Starved

I just finished reading Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel.  His bio on the back of the book says that Patel has worked for the World Bank, interned at the World Trade Organization and consulted for the United Nations.  If anyone would have a grasp of how things work on a global scale, I think it would be this man.  Since my job connects me with the food industry I was interested in Patels global view on global food production, how I fit in and how I am affected as a consumer.

This book really opened my eyes.  Here are some things which I have learnt:

• essentially all markets are monopolized (corn, coffee, wheat) by a few companies,  97% of the tea market is owned by 1 company.  This means that there is essentially no free market to encourage competition and thus lower prices for the consumer.  A select few companies have all the power and control and dictate to both the consumer (us) and the producers (the farmers) the prices.  These companies are governed on the principle of making money for their shareholders.

• food aid to other countries is essentially another "market" for US farmers.  This aid introduces a new type of food to the country needing aid and changes the diet of the people.  It changes the crop production choices of the farmers living in those countries.  Often there are conditions and policies attached to food aid which negatively affect the farmers living in those countries.  Also, farmers work very hard and often deal with environmental factors, but it is the polices of government which have the greatest detrimental impact on farmers.

• colonialism is so passe, economic control is the way to go

• all the excess additives in our food are for the manufactures benefit and are added for reasons such as: improving "taste", extending shelf life, allowing for transport under various temperatures.  

• Many farm laborers experience modern day slavery.  They are imprisoned, beaten, or paid little.  It is estimated that between 25,000 to 40,ooo people in Brazil are working in conditions amounting to slavery.  In 2003, farm inspections resulted in 4932 people being freed from slavery.  This is also happening in North America.  In 1997 there were seven successful prosecutions of slavery involving tomato pickers in Florida.  These workers haven't had a wage increase since 1978 and earn about $10,000/year.  They were beaten, chained and locked inside a truck at night.  

The forces of globaliztion are huge, as are the trans-national companies which operate.  However, Patel offers some solutions for us at an individual level.  Here are some which I like:

• eat locally and seasonally
• support locally owned businesses
• buy fair trade products

While so many issues of injustices are on a global scale and often involve large trans-national companies or are systematic in origin, I believe in the power of individual action.  I feel as individuals we need to make choices regardless of whether this action grows into a part of a larger collective action.  

Plus: locally grown food tastes good, supporting locally owned business creates connection with those in your community and buying fair trade products makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

With love,

Becky

Baking with Bakerella

I love baking and instantly fell in love with Bakerella's blog.  She is absolutely amazing.  

This is her latest post:

The french fries are sugar cookies and the burgers are made from brownies and cupcakes.  

How cool is that?!

 I can't wait to try this out!

~b~

Jackfish Lake Monster

Jackfish Lake has a monster.

Its true.

It silently slipped past me as I was sitting on the beach.

Its about 5 feet in length and seems to have a green beak.

It quite possibly could be dangerous, for all I know.

Now wait a minute.

Hold on.  

It's only my son.

Have a great weekend!

Becky

Interlude

Today I enjoyed some music and dance at the Galleria Bowl.  

It was to celebrate National Aboriginal Day.  

The Bison Burgers lured me over there.  The music and dance made me stay.

Caution: Lots of Sharks

The last time I went to the dog park I got rained on.  And not just a little sprinkling, just to feel refreshed.  I mean drenched.  So drenched in fact that my clothes were plastered to my body weighing me down with every step I took.  The water poured into my eyes blinding me and the cold rain gave me a brain-freeze - from the OUTSIDE IN.  

That's just wrong.  

And that has nothing to do with this post.  I just thought I'd let you know the terrible weather I have to endure.  Its all part of being a responsible dog owner, you know.

What really happened the last time I went to the dog park is this: I leisurely strolled along the waters edge while Max bounded to and fro (where ever his little nose led him) and often ran up the paths into the forest.

Eventually he found one path that piqued his interest and he didn't seem to want to return to me.  I got curious, so I dove in after him and ended up on an abandoned path.  We were off, into the unknown.

I followed the old path for a bit, up the riverside and through the trees.  I was hoping to find a nice trail we could walk on.  But the beavers had beaten me to the unknown location.  There were fallen trees everywhere.  My sense of adventure quickly depleted as I surveyed the scene and determined that tree climbing was definitely NOT what I had signed up for.  

So I turned around to head back to the river where everything was wide open and as I was heading back I found this:

And then my crazy imagination abandoned all reason and the path and the forest looked like some drifters hangout and the fallen trees had been cut down not by beavers but by a nefarious individual to fuel his fire for meals - probably of cute dogs from the dog park, or gasp their responsible owners.  And then I thought:  he probably in the forest RIGHT NOW and he probably WATCHING ME THIS SECOND.  And I imagined him standing there just in the shadows of the trees watching me and my discoveries with eyes that ever so slightly bulged out.

So I decided that I was done with adventure and I wanted to go home.  I turned around to follow the nearest path I could find back to the water, and immediately found this:

And decided that what is worse than a nefarious drifter is a nefarious drifter who is also neurotic.  And I was outta there.

The End

Love, 

Becky

PS  I think I'm gonna call this guy an NND.  Can you guess what that stands for?

Sunset

This is my favorite time of day:

Every time I see this, I become captivated.  All of my jumbled, complicated thoughts seem to fall away as I become aware of the beauty in front of me.  It seems as if time slows down and a quietness envelops my soul and I cannot help but to stand in awe, regardless of how many times I have seen a sight like this.

And as I begin to feel the stillness in the air, it suddenly vanishes as the day quickly slips away and the night begins.

Weekend Plans

I don't know what I'm doing yet this weekend.  But the weather is looking nice and if it involves sitting on a deck drinking some of this:

And barbecuing this:

Along with a bit of this:

Then I will be one happy woman.

Sushi

My coworker often picks up sushi to eat at lunch time.   It always looks so good, so today we decided to drive over to Charlie's Seafood Market and pick some up. 

 I tried a Tempura Dynamite Roll, and a California Roll and decided to be adventurous and try some Eel Nigiri.  The Eel Nigiri basically looks like a ball of rice with a small slice of eel draped over top which is wrapped nicely with a small strip of seaweed called nori.

I found the sushi to be quite satisfying and filling, however, I found it to be lacking something.  Don't get me wrong-the sushi was great!  It just didn't have any flair in its presentation.  

You see, the last time my coworker ate sushi at work I was very impressed with its wonderful presentation:

I think the fake grass adds a certain je ne sai quoi, don't you?

I am also very impressed with the creative use of wasabi to seal the fake grass to the side of the container:

And if I were a judge for the Iron Chef I would declare this dish the winner, based solely on its plating: the use of red and black in the tray, the "greenery" to add interest to the plate, and especially the use of wasabi sauce which shows the chef is willing to be creative with the items at hand.

Bravo! Well done!! 

Truly deserving of an Iron Chef title, if you ask me.

Good-bye Samsung, Hello iPhone 3GS

I have been wanting the iPhone for over a year now.  But I'm finally off my Sasktel contract and quite frankly I hate being stuck in a contract- I hate any type of forced commitment.

Then I read an article by a photographer named Koury Angelo who had an exhibition called Perspectives which was solely on photos taken from his iPhone.  Here are some of his photographs:

He's used an app called CameraBag to get that cool vintage look.

I checked out the Apple website and was estatic to find that they are finally releasing a new version of the iPhone! It's called the iPhone 3GS.  It has Voice Control and the camera can now shoot video!

I have been waiting and waiting for the new version - its getting release on June 19th, the countdown begins!  

Good-bye Samsung, Hello iPhone!!

 

Door

On the weekend I went to a dance recital that was held in one of the high schools in Saskatoon.

Does anyone else find the sign a bit odd?



Why would they call the photocopier room the "Duplicating Room"? Are there other things which require duplication besides paper? The title seems fit for a room in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

And not to be picky, but isn't the translation a bit off too?

It seems that the french translation is correct: Photocopieur.

But it is not a true translation of the initial title. Should it not be: Photocopieur Chambre or Duplication Chambre?

I will refrain from making any snide comments about our education system at Hogwarts, I mean Saskatoon.

Riverbank Ramble

Last night when I took Max to the dog park I decided to walk along the riverbank.  I wanted the solitude and always find that being by the water quiets my soul.  

As I was slowly walking along the beach contemplating my life in general, not noticing the beauty surrounding me, Max was rushing up and down the riverbank.  He would splash into the water, and then promptly commence lapping up the water with his tongue.  All the while he had a huge smile on his face, so the water would drip right out his mouth.  He would then barreled up and down the sandy beach, his paws smacking the wet sand.  And then off he raced, up the trails that led into the trees before finally returning by galloping down the riverbank and plunging back into the water.  He definitely knows how to enjoy every moment of his life.

I found the walk to be quiet and peaceful and after a while I began to enjoy watching my dogs silly antics.  I even noticed the ducks bobbing on the water just out of reach.  I noticed the squishiness of the ground as I walked over some grass deep with water.  I enjoyed the smell of the impending rain.  I saw the dark clouds of rain ahead of me and the setting sun behind me.   I heard the softly blowing wind start to blow the leaves in the trees a little more urgently.

I began to stop thinking about the What If's and the Whens and I began to look ahead and wonder what was around the next turn.  I began to enjoy the moment and my curiosity returned, along with my hope that I would see something truly spectacular when I got around the bend. 

I never did see something spectacular around any bend that I walked past.  It was always just another bend that I saw.  Despite that I don't think my curiosity will ever diminish and I hope that my hope to see something truly spectacular around the next bend will never stop because sometimes its only my curiosity along with hope that keeps me going.

Now What

The past few weeks have been filled with a few notable events.  I finally finished my degree and convocated last week.  And I turned thirty.  And then I gave my notice to my landlord.  I just want to live in a place that I can feel I can spend the next two years at and provide a good home for my family.  

Right now I am living in uncertainty that I will find another place in this area, so my son can attend the same elementary school and where my dog will be allowed to live with us.  To complicate matters, I need to get away.  I need to leave Saskatoon.  I need to go somewhere new.  I need to explore, to experience, I need to travel.  So I'm packing everything up, and throwing it in storage, and hopefully before I leave, or when I get back I will be able to find a good place to live.

I feel like I'm playing Yahtzee and didn't like any of my dice, so I threw all my dice back into the cup and gave it a big, big shake.

And now I'm waiting for the dice to fall out to see what will happen.  All the while, I am suppressing the panic which wants to rise to the surface and cry out: What have I done?  

I just wish I could feel excited about the unknown.  Excited for the chance at new possibilities, the chance for a change, but there's something to be said about the safety and security of things that remain constant.

The End of A Birthday Week

Its the end of my birthday week. 

My favorite part was when some friends from university walked over to my work to drop off a birthday package.  Only, they neglected to tell me they were coming over.  Sure, they vaguely asked me if I was going to be at work, and so I replied: Sure, I'm going to be here all day.  Or something along those lines.  And then I promptly left and went out for lunch with some co-workers.

So they headed on over on a long long trek, through the blowing wind and snow, past the ferocious pack of dogs nipping at their heels, as they darted through a dark alley to get to my side of the university.

Okay, it wasn't snowing, it was just windy.

Oh, and the dogs are rather cute and were probably barking a friendly hello. No ferocious nipping of human ankles occurred to the best of my knowledge.

And the dark alley is actually a bicycle path.

But everything else about the trek is true, except the other parts I made up.

When my friends arrived at my work they found out I wasn't there.

So they left me a package and return wherst they came from.

And when I returned from lunch I received a call from the receptionist:  Some friends had stopped by at lunch and delivered a package.

What was this package?  I wondered. 

 Could it be a card?  After all, it is my birthday. . .  or perhaps its a birthday present . . . or could it be a bomb disguised as a birthday present?  Gosh!  They possibilities are endless.

I could not take the guessing and suspense any longer.  I dropped what I was doing and went upstairs to find out what was in this package.

To my delight I found out that they had dropped off the standard "Birthday Muffins from Tim Hortons - 12 Dozen Assorted Edition".

Well!  Imagine that!  I was delighted to find out that my three friends had travelled all that way to share this with me on my birthday.

But wait . . .  what is that little white dot that is in the muffin in the middle?

Let's take a closer look:

Why, it's the traditional candle in the muffin candle!

I went over at coffee time to partake in the above mentioned and photographed muffins with them.  And enjoyed every minute of their company.

toasted

On Saturday morning I made scrambled eggs for my son and I.  He was in charge of making the toast.  

He asked me what the dial for the toast color was all about.

So I told him that some people prefer the have their toast a little bit "toastier", hence making the toast darker.  (okay, I didn't use the word hence).

He mentioned that he had always thought it was slightly racist.

I wonder what else goes on in that head of his?

The Big Three-Oh

On Monday I turned the big three-oh.

I spent the better half of the month of May making this card and sending it out to a few good friends.  This is the outside, it is just a plain, blank card.

This is what the inside said:

Like my shameless plug about my blog?

I handed my cards out at work, dropped them off in mailboxes, and mailed them from Vancouver to Toronto, and a few places in between.

I thought it was funny.  Plus, it makes up for the three times in my life when we had to move on my birthday.  I still remember eating cake at a kitchen table with boxes piled up to the ceiling. 

Okay, probably not to the ceiling, I was only five or so at the time, but the pile DID seem really high. 

Sorry, back to my thirtieth.

I started off the day by singing happy birthday to myself on Facebook.  It went a little like this:

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday,

Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee

Well, I'm happy to say that my card idea worked.  I received many birthday wishes.  I especially enjoyed the individual singing.  It seems to me that when only one person is singing happy birthday to me, they never finish the song.  I think they start listening to themselves sing and trail off when they realize how aweful they sound.  They usually end by apologizing at how horrible their voice is.  Don't tell them, but I enjoyed every song, horrible voice or not, I reveled in the attention.

So, I ended my big day by working late and as I was driving home I realized that I had locked my keys inside the house.  How could things go so terribly wrong in a few short hours?  I sure hope this isn't indicative of how the next few years are going to turn out!

What ever happens in the future, I hope I can have this much fun celebrating my fortieth:

With Love,

Becky