C'est tres bonne!!!!

Newly found directors that I'm completely excited about: The Dardennes brothers.
Mmm. Okay I only just saw my first of their movies on the weekend -- Le Fils (The Son). But by spending much of my time reading movie reviews (I recommend www.lookingcloser.org or www.phantomtollbooth.org for great Christian movie reviews!) I know that their other movies --- Rosetta, La Promesse, L'Enfant --- are equally as acclaimed. And, well, I loved The Son, so I am very much looking forward to exploring their other stuff. Watching The Son, I just sat there in rapture through most of the movie because it is exactly the type of art that I love: SHOW, don't TELL. Everything about the movie is so natural and the acting is phenominal. It's not a completely easy movie to watch --- you have to be patient with it and allow it to tell you its story in its own time. And it doesn't leave you with this cliche, neat and packaged ending -- it's complex and unsatisfying. Yet it's satisfying in it's "unsatisfyingness". The journey is entirely worth it. It restores my faith in film that can be a work of art as well as carry such deep meaning for Christians and non-Christians alike.
Now if only I could do something that creative and meaningful.

manicured little hands in everything

I was listening to the radio on the way to work this week and I was bopping my head to a song that was fun and summerish. Then the song ended and the DJ person said something along the lines of "and there we have the new song from Paris Hilton!" I almost drove off the road.
Curse you Paris Hilton for putting your voice to something that's summerish and boppable.

the big man in town

So as I was walking to work from my car today (it's a little bit of a hike from the parking lot to work) I saw a group of men wearing business suits standing around a parked car chatting it up. Across the street a police man was sitting in one of two unmarked police vehicles. It was a curious site, especially in this area of town, but I soon forgot all about it.
About two hours later, my coworker Paulette noticed the A Channel News van driving up the street. It would be the first of many TV news vans that started parking all along our street... City TV, CBC, CBS, OMNI... you name it. Why, do you ask, were we suddenly flooded with press on our lowly little street in downtown Cambridge?
Stephen Harper was in town.
Yep, turns out the big PM was at the David Durward Centre today to announce the sum of money that they are offering to the people who contracted hepatitis C in the tainted blood scandal.
One of my coworkers figured out why all the press was here, and after a parade of black cars cruising down the street confirmed it, Paulette, Amanda, and myself decided to walk up there and see if we could get a glimpse of the Prime Minister. We sat outside the Durward Centre for about an hour, waiting for him to get out... but there were lots of policemenand men in suits and glasses to keep us entertained. Talk about a feast for the eyes. Mmm mm mm. Then at about 12 o'clock the cars all gathered around the door and the body guards started talking more in their cool little earpieces, and then there he was! Stephen Harper! He stopped before he got in the car and waved at the small group of us that were gathered (at a safe distance away --- the police made sure of that), and we waved and clapped and some man yelled out,"Thank you for going to Afganistan Mr Harper! You're a good man!" Then the PM got in his car and the parade of shnazzy looking black cars rolled out.
And we went back to work.
I love the little moments of excitement we have at work.

You'd think I was rich...

Oh my word. In a month I will be living here.

down with stuff

Getting ready for Los Angeles is making me feel materialistic.

boom

There is a big thunderstorm going on right now. I wish that I could be out right in the middle of it and not have to worry about getting electricuted or pnemonia. Also, I hope that the power goes out. Because then maybe I can go home.

!! Great Big Show !!

This is GREAT BIG SEA!!!!!!!! In real life!!!!!!!! Last night Trish and I went to the Molson Amphitheatre to join the we-love-Great-Big-Sea masses for a night of hardcore music!!!! It was so fabulous.. completely unforgetable. Their vocals are even better live, and the energy of the crowd was so amazing! We were their second/third largest show --- such a rush. My throat is sore now, but man, was it worth it. I loved every minute of it, including the drunk people in front of me.

My family. My life.

These pictures were taken over the past couple of days as my entire extended family on my mom's side gathered for my Opa's funeral. The pictures in Tim Hortons are with my cousins from South Dakota. The time spent with family made me so thankful and blessed for the people that God has given me to love and to be loved by. I couldn't ask for a better group!

The Lord gives...

Today my Opa went to be with God.
I will miss him very much but I am so thankful that his pain is gone and I know he's much happier now.

I love you Opa.