Monthly Archives: April 2011

Today was my last day at work and I feel like my (sort of) holiday can begin in earnest. The last week has been a steady mix of work and play and sick and not sick, so here are some of the play!

(If you can’t see the characters displayed in this post, consider downloading the FNLG font.)

♥ I was listening to the March 8 broadcast of Sne’waylh on Co-op Radio: if you’re curious to hear what hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ sounds like and what you can learn in FNLG classes, you can listen in here.

♥ One of the songs featured in the broadcast mentioned above is ‘Sto:lo Strong’ by Inez Jasper, which you can hear a short clip of on her website or in the broadcast above. 🙂

♥ Another place you can hear hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is at the Museum of Anthropology. At the entrance to the Multiversity Galleries, there’s a recording in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ welcoming visitors here; a written version is displayed on the wall in front of you so you can see what you’re hearing. I was there with a couple of friends on Tuesday and was stoked to discover I could understand about half of it without the translation.

♥ Alright, it’s quite obvious I’m in love with the language, so moving right on to another love: baking! Have fresh batches of peanut butter cookies and shortbread, the regular kind with chocolate chip, and the chocolate chip kind with orange zest. Oh, so good.

♥ Discovering how large Calhoun’s really is — those doors are deceiving! All dark wood furniture and lots of space, Calhoun’s serve some decadent desserts, including a light tiramisu that a friend has been encouraging me to try for years.

♥ A friend introduced me to How I Met Your Mother and I’ve been steadily devouring them. Currently midway through Season 2 — don’t spoil anything for me!

♥ Also same wonderful friend and her boyfriend who heard I was sick and made me a super satisfying, delicious get-well soup. 🙂 You guys are gems.

♥ Finally writing letters and emails to all my friends who have been waiting for my responses in the last several months. They have been patient, patient people.

It’s another beautiful Thursday of another beautiful week, and these are the things that have been sustaining my heart:

♥ Finding strawberries that actually taste like strawberries. Did my world just turn upside-down? Nope, that whoosh was the sound of me eating the whole box in one sitting. Mm, mm!

♥ Opening the notes that my Speakeasy volunteers left me. Totally heartwarming and now posted in a row across the top of my desk so I can see them whenever I want.

♥ When the wind blows, it snows cherry blossom petals. The drifts of sakura lacing the ground.

♥ Doing crosswords, particularly the daily one in the 24H (a free newspaper, for those of you outside Vancouver).

♥ The glow of ink as I press a highlighter across a white page. Yellow is my favourite.

♥ I’ve been gazing at the full moon for the last few nights and thinking how wonderfully full it is, how entire without hesitation.

♥ positively present is a lovely blog that one of my best friends pointed me towards, which posts thoughtful, inspirational and comforting messages almost every day.

♥ Best of all, seeing my oldest friend yesterday. We traversed Pacific Centre, Granville Island and UBC. I can’t recall the number of times we got distracted by something and forgot our previous topic of conversation, moving right on to something else. With some people, the important thing is not so much the content of conversation, but the fact that the talking is happening; it doesn’t matter if we haven’t been in regular touch lately, but we’re still able to pick up where we left off, and it doesn’t feel like much time has passed at all. Sometimes it shocks me to think that we’ve known each other we were five and have been friends for well over half our lives now — and then I’m fiercely glad for it.

Also, she bought me bubbles. Hehehehe. ♥

You’ve got to look for the things you love when you’re in the midst of exams and papers you really don’t:

♥ The skit my friends and I did for our FNLG final presentation at the Musqueam community potluck last Thursday was a success — everything went smoothly and people laughed in all the right places.

♥ The Speakeasy year-end event went off splendidly last Friday, much to my relief and delight. The food was good, there was plenty of fine entertainment, and the company was marvellous. But I knew that last bit was going to be true anyway.

♥ The ohanami (cherry blossom viewing) picnic my Japanese friend organised last Saturday. We enjoyed ourselves down the avenue of cherry trees just outside Vanier, on Lower Mall.

Anne's White Way of Delight, transported to UBC

The above snapshot was taken a few days before the actual picnic, which proved a grey, but fortunately dry, day.

We didn’t realise this until we finished, but we were sitting right under a bird’s nest — no wonder there was an angry crow who kept cawing at us! My apologies, Mama Crow.

♥ Listening to an awesome, mood-lifting playlist I just compiled, while studying. (The first time I’ve put a playlist together. Shocking, I know.)

♥ The delights of a well-stocked fridge and pantry. After whining about getting groceries, I rediscovered the joy of having food at hand. Especially tortilla chips and salsa. Mmm, salsa!

♥ Playing the piano in the Marine Drive ballroom on mornings when the sun is shining and I can see the blue and green world outside.

♥ This cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ done by the talented fourteen-year-old Birdy:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNzCDt2eidg]

And most excitedly…

♥ My best friend from home is coming to town next week! I have exactly a day to convince her to relocate to Vancouver. Any suggestions on where I can take her?

Also, recommended vegan dining spots are greatly appreciated as I’m not in the least bit vegan, but would like some places to go where we can eat together!