8.23.2010

Hilarious



Poor Sally

During my daily visit to my favourite tea shop, I became involved in a rather engaging conversation with the staff, who we'll call Sally and Sue. They told me that last week a crazy man came in, didn't buy anything, but instead told Sally about a girl who was a recent victim of a grisly murder in Shanghai. Sally, who is Korean, was afraid that the story was meant to serve as a foreshadowing of her own fate, so after he left she phoned the police. A police officer came to speak to Sally and Sue, and they both thought that he was absolutely gorgeous. Sue said, "He had blonde hair, large blue eyes, and he was younger than me--but I can look, can't I? I'm not dead!" Sally added, "He was sooo good looking." Sue told me to look out for an officer with badge no. 500. Desiring to indulge her, I replied that I certainly would.

Sue went on to say that the mall is full of creeps. She told me that there used to be a regular who was pretty cute and nice, so naturally she encouraged Sally to make some romance with him. Sally complied and went on a date with the man at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He always wore a cap, but on their date he took it off--as any gentleman should--and Sally discovered that he was balding. She didn't mind, though, because she still thought that he was cute. After their date, however, Sally began to receive numerous text messages from him, all of which were about sex. "He was a sex addict!" Sue exclaimed. Having learned her lesson, she vowed never to urge Sally to date a customer again.

Austin's First Birthday Party

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Today my supervisor accidentally called me Tanya, which was kind of depressing. I don't even look like a Tanya.

8.11.2010


He felt morally conflicted, for the Cadillac possesses many attractive features but is not environmentally friendly.

8.09.2010

One of the great things about being alone at home is that I can listen to music at an incredibly loud volume.

8.06.2010

I stumbled upon a music video on YouTube by a Scottish singer named Amy MacDonald (I have no idea who she is and can't even remember what led me to this video) and discovered one of the most honest and inspiring YouTube comments I've ever read:

"20 Years ago i have met a girl like Amy. She was not very attractive (and not a Star)

but she had sung some Songs and I married her.

Singing is a part of human beeing and is essential to propagate true words."

8.04.2010

My encounter with Sara Angelucci


Sara Angelucci, Marianne/Fire, 2000, c-print mounted on aluminum
and laminated, CCCA.

Today I met Sara Angelucci, who is a well-known Toronto-based photographer. I am aware of her work because for a period of time I was trying to familiarize myself with the photographers listed on the website of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art. I was pleased when I saw that she had selected my favourite photograph of hers to put on her business card.

Anyway, she came in to the library at the Art Gallery of Hamilton to do research on her next project, and since that is where I work I had the opportunity to talk to her. It was exciting! She told me that she had dinner on Saturday with the very person whose photography is the focus of my thesis: Edward Burtynsky! She told me that beginning September 16th there will be an exhibition of Burtynsky's photographs at the Nicholas Metivier Gallery in Toronto, and it will include his latest work on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico alongside his shipbreaking series from Bangladesh. I can't WAIT to see this.

Then my boss, Tobi, who is the curator of Canadian historical art, came in and invited me to have lunch with her and Sara. It was thrilling! We ate at the Café at AGH, which has delicious, fresh, and beautiful food that is made with much love. Helena, who owns the Café, is extremely passionate about food--healthy, organic food specifically. Well, it turns out that Sara and Tobi really love talking about food, too, because that's all we talked about the entire lunch.

Sara told us that when she was in Urbino, Italy, she ate pasta that was so delicious that she started to cry. Tobi said that when she was on vacation--I can't remember where--she and her friend discovered a hut that offered the most divine combination of chicken, rice, peas, and beans. They would drink on the beach and then stumble over to the hut to eat that dish--everyday, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Helena told us that when she and her husband went to La Cantina in Hamilton for their anniversary, she sent her order back twice. Just moments earlier Tobi had recommended La Cantina to Sara. After hearing Helena's story, Tobi advised Sara not to go there, and Sara replied that she never will.

8.02.2010

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

--Robert Frost

Harald Sohlberg

Harald Sohlberg, En blomstereng nordpå (Flower Meadows in the North), 1905.


Harald Sohlberg, Storgaten Røros, 1904.

Harald Sohlberg (1869-1935) was a Norwegian Neo-romantic painter. The "psychic vibrations" of his landscapes attracted the admiration of Lawren Harris, a member of the Group of Seven, when he and J.E.H. MacDonald (also of the Group of Seven) attended an exhibition of Scandinavian art at the Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo in 1913.

The paintings at this show portrayed the Scandinavian landscape as both rugged and mystical. Drawn to this particular conception of the landscape, The Group of Seven began to incorporate Scandinavian themes in their paintings of the Canadian landscape.


P.S. The paintings accompanying this post are not meant to serve as evidence of the rugged Scandinavian landscape...I just like them.