| 2009 in music, part 1 |
[16 Jul 2009|07:07pm] |
(Two enormous LJ-cuts ahead...)
This year's been a stellar year for music so far. I enjoyed compiling the giant list last year (which I realise I didn't publish here, but I've just done it now), but the sheer size of that is probably too daunting for anyone to peruse, so I figure I'd split this year's edition into two halves, this one being January to June. Unfortunately, it's almost as bloated! The list once again includes "older" music that I've only just come across this year.
Same spiel as last year, with minor changes:
Almost all tracks or even albums should be available on elbo.ws, hypem, or a good Google search.
Albums numbered or with ** are standouts, and as a starting point, I've generally marked two tracks per album with ×. Think of it as..."Try these first! If you don't like any, maybe this artist isn't your thing." I've tried to cut down on using these to prevent a repeat of the clutter from last year. Do note that every track I've linked, marked or not, are ones I like and still recommend!
So here we go! In another change from last year, I'll be placing my top picks first, then the rest alphabetically. Yes, I know it's a little backwards, but there's no suspense!
( Top 9 )
( The rest, A-Z )
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[19 May 2009|08:00pm] |
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So I realise I kinda just left my last entry on a negative note, and I really shouldn't have...
I had a terribly boring first four days in Vancouver. But then I realised that I needed to use the same resolve to explore that I had in New York and Toronto, and surprise, surprise, I immensely enjoyed my last two days. I vow to further take advantage of all that Vancouver has to offer the next time I'm town, because sitting at home and moping is not the way to go! It's not right to know your hometown of 17 years LESS than two cities which you've spent four months each in.
I may be back in Waterloo now with a full course load and already having to apply for a September job (yikes!), but that's alright. Life must move on...
I must say though, New York feels like a wonderful dream that just passed by.
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[25 Apr 2009|04:25pm] |
Back in Vancouver.
Sigh...it's like my new life was just ripped out from under me. I suppose things go back to normal now.
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[21 Feb 2009|11:37pm] |
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Will Get Fooled Again - Max Tundra |
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After working yet again today (ugh), I now have 42 hours of overtime saved up (yay) from just the past seven weeks. Assuming I can take an entire week off, where should I jet off to? :)
San Francisco ($250 roundtrip) is definitely in my price range and also a priority (I have friends there), though even places as far as London and Madrid ($550) are affordable! Any suggestions?
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[09 Feb 2009|11:13pm] |
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Hazel - Junior Boys |
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Having not had hot water in my apartment for four days and counting now, I've definitely learned to appreciate the little things. At least my fridge is back to working condition, despite some spoiled food, and the moths are mostly gone, thanks to my roommate cleaning things up a bit. And at least the water tonight wasn't as freezing cold as it was last night, so I got to take a sub-one-minute shower and managed to wash 80% of myself until I realised I couldn't feel my feet anymore! (The water doesn't drain very fast from the shower, so we're always showering in a puddle. These past few days, it's been a very cold one.) Next day I'll do the other 20%. My poor roommate can't take it, he hasn't showered in three days...
Despite all of this, you know what? I still love my apartment. :)
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[05 Feb 2009|11:10pm] |
See the guy in red to the left of Stephen's shoulder? That's me! :D
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[20 Jan 2009|11:30pm] |
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Rave On - M. Ward |
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I've abandoned this poor thing. Oops.
So yeah, I'm already in my third week here now, but hello from New York City. I love the exploring, the lights, the picture-taking, my apartment (not so much the moths or the leaky radiators), the subway (not so much the waits), and even my somewhat shady neighbourhood. And this city never sleeps- I was out at 1:30 am once and plenty of people were walking around, with hundreds of taxis passing by. There are a bunch of other Waterloo co-ops here, three of whom are my co-workers and one of those three is my roommate, and I've enjoyed their company.
I've already been present for two pretty historic events- the plane landing in the Hudson River (I took pictures of it at Battery Park after they fished it out), and the inauguration. It's amazing how Bush seems to have become a punchline, and how much vitriol people seem to have against him. (Oddly, this is the second time in a row I've had a fellow co-oper like Bush, for some inexplicable reason. Hmph.) But anyway, whoo President Obama!
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| Giant music sampler |
[19 Dec 2008|04:42pm] |
I'm bored, so here's a giant list of the music I've discovered this year, at least what I can think of!
Almost all tracks or even albums should be available on elbo.ws or a good Google search, but I've included links anyway- mostly YouTube, others Songza or random blogs. Some are videos, some are just audio; some are album recordings and some are live.
All of the following tracks are wholehearted recommended! However, ones with × are standouts, and the same goes for albums with ** (around half of the list - consider it a "top 20"). If you must, skip to those, although I've kinda gone overboard with starring stuff, but please take a few days or weeks or whatever and go through everything. :P
So here we go, in almost-alphabetical order:
Air France - No Way Down (EP)
Whispy electronic music with "vocals". Very sunny music that just kinda...bursts, with the exception of the opening track.
Try: "June Evenings", "Collapsing at Your Doorstep", "No Excuses"
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (2009)**
Literate, occasionally thought-provoking, spine-chilling stuff, with a healthy dose of whistling and Stringz. This is all as usual, I'm happy to report, and it'll be on my best-of for next year!
Try: "Oh No"×, "Masterswarm", "Natural Disaster", "Fitz and the Dizzyspells"× live renditions
from Armchair Apocrypha (2007): "Plasticities", "Armchairs"×, "Spare-Ohs"
from The Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005): "Sovay"×, "Fake Palindromes", "Skin Is, My", "Measuring Cups"
Annie - Don't Stop (2009)
Pure pop music right here. Unfortunately, the leaked version feels like half of a great album; maybe that's why Annie's gone back to the studio and pushed the release back half a year! Some great tracks below.
Try: "My Love Is Better", "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me"
from Anniemal (2004): "Heartbeat"×, "Chewing Gum", "Greatest Hit"
Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling**
Canadian folk-popster, sounds even better live. Neat instrumentations, but very accessible. She's got a very classic sound.
Try: "In the Night"×, "Snakes and Ladders"×, "I was a Daughter", "The Pilgriming Vine"
Beach House - Devotion**
They do evoke the image of a beach house...but of an abandoned one in the winter. Beautiful chamber pop, but not everyone's cup of tea. Don't let that deter you.
Try: "Heart of Chambers", "You Came to Me", "Gila"
and a separate single: "Used to Be"×
Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Experimental folk/rock/Americana...hippie? Kinda hard to describe...listen for yourself. It's the immediate kind of music though.
Try: "Gold for Bread", "Furr", "Black River Killer"×
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (2007)**
Quiet, wintery music ("bon iver", bon hiver...get it?). Very haunting, and it's perfect to curl up to. I can imagine the fireplace.
Try: "Skinny Love"×, "Re: Stacks" (as heard on House), "For Emma, Forever Ago", other live renditions
Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue
Indie rock leaning on pop and punk. Catchy, but some tracks may annoy before it grows on you. In a good way. Oh yeah, they're Canadian, that's a plus.
Try: "Barnacle Goose", "Hummingbird", "I Need a Life"×
Brazilian Girls - New York City
Random blend of world music in an electronic/dance style. One of the three members is a girl, and none are Brazilian, but hey, the lyrics bounce around in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese...sometimes in the same song.
Try: "Good Time"× (hey, I'm living close to this neighbourhood), "Losing Myself" (multilingual!)
Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning - Something for All of Us...
This sounds very BSSish indeed, but that's not a bad thing. It leans towards the wall of sound style, lots of fuzz, and plenty of guitar rockers.
Try: "Hit the Wall", "Churchers Under the Stairs"×
from Broken Social Scene (2005): "7/4 (Shoreline)"×, "Fire Eye'd Boy"
Calexico - Carried to Dust
Kinda Latino-folk, country-rock? Jazzy, soft, quirky, even "Western" at different times, an interesting listen.
Try: "Two Silver Trees", "Inspiración", "House of Valparaiso"
Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
This kinda sticks out on my list. I'm sure you've all heard at least some of this- TV, radio... Good music, better than the last record. Beware of cringe-inducing lyrics ("Lost!").
Try: "Cemeteries of London", "Strawberry Swing"
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours**
Danceable electronic music delivered with an Australian accent. Catchy, summery, and continuous- the tracks bleed into each other.
Try: "Lights and Music"×, "Hearts on Fire", "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found"
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park**
My favourite record of the year. Each listen rewards some new subtlety. Fall-time folk/rock with smidgeons of electronic stuff, with a haunting voice to go along.
Try: "No One Does It Like You"×, "Phantom Other", "Waves of Rye"
The Dodos - Visiter**
Frenetic guitar and craaazy drums. It's folk rock, but that's a deceiving label. It's intensely addictive (I'm listing 5 tracks here!), and will sweep you right in.
Try: "Red and Purple", "Fools"×, "Winter", "Ashley"×, "Undeclared"
Dosh - Wolves and Wishes
Frequent Andrew Bird collaborator with some interesting electronic sounds and heavy drumming. Dynamic music makes up for few lyrics.
Try: "If You Want To, You Have To"
from The Lost Take (2006): "Um, Circles and Squares", "MPLS Rock and Roll", "Everybody Cheer Up Song"
School of Language - Sea from Shore**;
The Week That Was - The Week That Was**;
Field Music - Tones of Town (2007)
I might as well group these three together. Field Music makes insanely catchy indie pop/rock, but they're on hiatus now. Two-thirds of the band have done solo projects (with each other's help) this year- School of Language leans more on the rock side, while TWTW veers further and creates a narrative of paranoid music. Both are great, but one is slightly better- figure it out yourself!
from Sea from Shore: "Rockist (Part 1)"×, "Poor Boy", "Rockist (Part 4)", two others on Myspace
from TWTW: "Learn to Learn", "The Airport Line", "Scratch the Surface"×
from Tones: "A House Is Not a Home"×, "In Context", "Working to Work", "Sit Tight"
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes**
My second favourite record of the year. Timeless, melodic music with vocal harmonies and strong, evocative lyrics. You can just see the mountains. And the hippiedom.
Try: "White Winter Hymnal"×, "Ragged Wood"×, "He Doesn't Know Why", "Blue Ridge Mountains"
Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs**
Four British guys doing Krautrock-inspired electronic music. Repetitive, almost nonsensical (in a good way!), but with massive swagger. Very fun to listen to.
Try: "Knickerbocker"×, "Uh"×, "Dishwasher", "Pussyfooting"
from Transparent Things (2006): "Ankle Injuries", "Collarbone"×, "Sucker Punch"
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Talk about a 180 from Supernature! From electronica/dance to light, breezy acoustic music. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some highlights. The lyrics are rather disturbing, check 'em out.
Try: "Happiness"× (about joining a cult), "A&E" (about an overdose), "Caravan Girl"
from Supernature (2006): "Ooh La La", "Ride a White Horse", "Number One"×
from Felt Mountain (2000): "Pilots (On a Star)"
Gotye - Like Drawing Blood (2006)
Experimental pop/rock music with a dark tinge. All the tracks are quite different, almost in genre.
Try: "Hearts a Mess"×, "Learnalilgivinanlovin", "Thanks For Your Time" (a rant about being put on hold)
Guillemots - Red
Windowpane was pretty brilliant, but Red is a bit of a disappointment (great first half, then...). Still, some great highlights though from a pop band with limitless energy and emotion.
Try: "Kriss Kross", "Get Over It"×, "Clarion", "Falling Out of Reach"
and from Through the Windowpane (2006): "Trains to Brazil"×, "Made Up Love Song #43"×, live renditions
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive**
A solid rock record, laden with fun storytelling, riffs and stuff you'd find in classic rock. People call them a "bar band", and I concur, despite never being in a bar...
Try: "Stay Positive", "Constructive Summer", "Sequestered in Memphis", "Lord, I'm Discouraged"
from Boys and Girls in America (2006): "Stuck Between Stations", "Chips Ahoy!"
Hot Chip - Made In the Dark**
Quirky dancable electropop. Pulsating at one moment, poignant (and not dancable) in others.
Try: "Ready for the Floor"×, "One Pure Thought"×, "Made In the Dark"
from The Warning (2006): "Over and Over"×, "And I Was a Boy From School", "Look After Me"
Jamie Lidell - Multiply (2005)**; Jim
Former electronica artist turned funk/soul singer. You'd never think he was a white British guy from that voice, or even the music. Catchy stuff, I can't believe I didn't find this earlier!
from Multiply: "Yougotmeup", "Multiply"×, "Newme"
from Jim: "Another Day"×, "Out of My System", "Hurricane"
Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here
Broken Social Scene-ster gone alt-country. He's got a nice raspy voice. Also, some rather Ontario-centric lyrics if you delve into his albums.
Try: "Out of Time"×, "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington", "Sorry Lori"
from Idols of Exile (2005): "Fire"×, "I'll Bring the Sun", "Hangover Days" (an old live rendition with Feist)
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
I never got into Rilo Kiley, but Jenny Lewis' solo stuff is pretty good. Good ol' fashioned alt-country/classic romper.
Try: "Carpetbaggers" (feat. Elvis Costello), "The Next Messiah"×, "Acid Tongue" via Myspace
Jim Noir - Jim Noir**
Immaculately crafted psych/electro/60's pop with an overarching (but not mentioned) narrative about an astronaut lost in space, recalling his memories. Very underrated, extremely cohesive album; this is my #3 for the year.
Try: "All Right"×, "Don't You Worry"×, "Happy Day Today"×, "Same Place Holiday", "On a Different Shelf"
from Tower of Love (2006): "My Patch"× (Grey's fans may recognize), "Eanie Meany", "Key of C"
Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers
Okay, this is straight-up country music, and I normally hate country! There's something different though (other than "she's Canadian")...she's frank, occasionally wry, and a step above the rest.
Try: "The Cheapest Key"×, "Asking for Flowers", "I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory"
from Back to Me (2005): "In State"×, "Back to Me"
The Lodger - Life is Sweet
Jangly, catchy indie pop. It's pretty straightforward, but enjoyable enough.
Try: "The Good Old Days", "Falling Down"
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
Hyperactive Welsh kids with loud indie pop. It's both wordy and exuberant. They've released a second album this year which I haven't checked out yet (We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed).
Try: "Death to Los Campesinos!"×, "You! Me! Dancing!", "My Year In Lists"
Love Is All - A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night
Continuing on the loud, brash indie pop, but this one leans more rock/punk, has lots of saxophone, and they're Swedish. Some may find this girl's voice annoying. Oh, it might be good driving music.
Try: "Give It Back"×, "Movie Romance", "Wishing Well"
Lykke Li - Youth Novels
Minimalist, dancable Swedish pop- sometimes airy, sometimes bass-heavy. The four singles below are so strong that the rest of the album seems to pale in comparison, but try it anyway if you can.
Try: "Dance Dance Dance", "Little Bit"×, "I'm Good, I'm Gone"×, "Breaking It Up"
M83 - Saturdays = Youth
French electronic group with major 80s vibes and a love for shoegaze (think layered wall of sound). The songs are oddly about teenage angst. Huh.
Try: "Graveyard Girl"×, "Kim & Jessie", "Couleurs"
Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
Riff after riff of electric guitar shredding at blistering speeds. This is like noise rock on a sugar high. I can never get through the whole album in one sitting, but it's so ridiculous (like the title) that it's awesome.
Try: "Transformer"×, "Shea Stadium", "Ruler"
Okkervil River - The Stage Names (2007) / The Stand-Ins**
Shearwater - Rook**
Might as well group them together. Okkervil River is an indie rock band- catchy, loose, wordy, and an absolute pleasure to listen to. The two albums listed comprise a "double album", both are excellent (first is stronger though). Shearwater is a spinoff band but completely different- haunting and still. Both are definitely worth your time.
from Stage Names: "Our Life Is Not a Movie Or Maybe", "A Girl In Port"×, "Plus Ones", "Unless It's Kicks"×
from Stand-Ins: "Lost Coastlines"× (seriously awesome), "Singer Songwriter", "Blue Tulip"
from Rook: "Rooks", "The Snow Leopard"×, "Century Eyes"
Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue**
Just another amazing indie-rock record from Montreal, what else? I absolutely love this record. It's got the right amount of emotion and propulsion, and a great listen.
Try: "Bye Bye Bye", "Good Friend"×, "Feedback in the Field"×, "New Kind of Love"
Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)**
I was never really into them, but this- a surprisingly accessible album- really struck me. It's not "out there", it's...intricate.
Try: "15 Step", "House of Cards"×, "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"×, "Reckoner", "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
Ratatat - LP3
An electronic music duo whom I swear could totally soundtrack movies. This is an entirely lyric-less affair, but very hooky and immediate. Their videos are...weird, but at least go for the music.
Try: "Mirando", "Flynn", "Shempi"×, "Falcon Jab"
from Classics (2006): "Wildcat" (awesomely ridiculous)
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
That title is quite odd. The music and the lyrics aren't dirty at all...but the sound is. Dirty, white-noisy synth/punk music. This is best played loud.
Try: "Aly, Walk With Me", "Dead Sound"×
and a single: "Black/White"×
She & Him - Volume One**
Actress Zooey Deschanel (yes, she can really sing) and one of my old faves, M. Ward, team up for some classic 60's/AM-radio pop. It's a simple but enjoyable record, and no, I'm not ashamed to like it so much.
Try: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"×, "Black Hole", "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today", "Change Is Hard"×
from M. Ward's Post-War (2006): "Chinese Translation"×, "Requiem", "Rollercoaster"×
from Volume Two (2009): "Lingering Still"
Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Save for the one (their first) English song on this album (not included here), chances are you won't understand a word (it's half Icelandic, half made-up language). And that's okay, cause the music speaks for itself. It's other-worldly, takes its time to build, and is utterly captivating.
Try: "Gobbledigook"×, "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur"
from Takk... (2005): "Glósóli"×
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings and All**
An excellent, catchy indie folk/pop record laden with horns and strings. The lyrics draw many images of childhood, and I love letting my mind zone out (and go back ten years) to this record.
Try: "Bag of Hammers"×, "Swimming Pools"×, "Big Kid Table"×, "Feet Asleep", "Travel"
from Like the Linen (2005): "Chivalry"
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Dense experimental rock with various influences. It took me awhile to get into them, but the critics seem to love them. A lot. Me, I'm not so sure (I'm late to the party), but they're definitely pushing musical boundaries.
Try: "Dancing Choose"×, "Golden Age", "Family Tree"
from Return to Cookie Mountain (2006): "Wolf Like Me"×, "I Was a Lover" (very weird), "Dirtywhirl"
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
They may have been overhyped, but this is catchy indie rock, a Frankenstein of classical and African music. It's a solid record once you see past the hype.
Try: "A-Punk"×, "Oxford Comma", "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
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| Job match |
[27 Oct 2008|04:33pm] |
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New York City, here I come...again. Only this time it's four months instead of one day. Here's the company: http://www.wirelessgeneration.com
I'm excited, apprehensive, conflicted, optimistic, scared...all at the same time.
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[28 Sep 2008|07:33pm] |
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Dancing Choose - TV on the Radio |
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I know I was never a part of this myself, but I couldn't help noticing...
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/wariolandshake/review.html
A couple lines down from the screenshot of the game:
"An inhabitant of the Shake universe, a Merfle, pops out to inform you that its queen has been captured."
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| Cooking |
[10 Sep 2008|08:05pm] |
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Rockist Part 4 - School of Language |
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Success with pasta, rice, and chicken with store-bought marinade so far. I'm on a roll. :)
What shall I try next...? I've got some frozen basa filets, more chicken breasts, ground beef, teriyaki marinade, lemon and herb marinade, soy sauce, oyster/hoisin sauce, random veggies, among other things all lying around. Aaand of course some backup frozen food, mac and cheese, and the security of walking across to street to a bunch of restaurants!
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[23 Aug 2008|09:34am] |
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Heart of Chambers - Beach House |
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Back in Vancouver for two weeks starting last night. It's good to be home, but I'm not all that happy to be back. For one, I miss Toronto- I got quite attached! And I miss the freedom of the Metropass, no family obligations for four months, and wandering around with my friends over there. But I think it's just the dread of this awesome summer ending in two weeks and having to go back to school that's affecting my sentiments.
I won't have another "free" (as in co-op term) summer for another two years. I also have learn to cook within two weeks, fix up my messy schedule, and make a decision on how to fix up my rather dismal (in my standards) CS course showings- stay as a CS major and tough out twice the amount of CS courses, switch to Math/CS, or the big question mark.
And...I liked having a full time job! It felt so normal. The company and my co-workers were all very nice, fed us lots, and were accommodating.
This is the first summer which I felt was too short, even though it was four months instead of two! I'll miss the festival hopping, concerts, wandering around downtown for hours, food, skydiving, trips to the US, night out to Second City, freedom... I have things to look forward to too at Waterloo, but for now they seem stark in comparison. This would be a great opportunity for time to slow down to a crawl like it used to for me every summer. -_-
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| Jumping out of a plane |
[29 Jul 2008|06:50pm] |
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It's great to write yet again about the thrill of my life. I still can't help but grin when just thinking about it, or even looking up to a nice blue sky. Excuse the conflicting tenses in this following long, stream-of-thought passage.
I was anxiously looking at the weather forecast all of last week, and all signs pointed to havoc on Saturday. When Saturday came by and I departed my place at 8:40 am, with a 70% chance of thundershowers and a quick downpour already in Toronto, I called up Skydive Toronto and they said there was a high chance that they wouldn't get any planes off the ground that day. Fortunately, I was "coerced" into buying that $19.20 round trip ticket to Churchill (near Barrie) and back. :)
After departing Union Station at 10:10 am and arriving at Churchill at 11:55, I tried calling up the place to get picked up from the Go Bus stop. Oddly enough, the 1-800 number wouldn't work when I was standing on one side of the street, despite full reception, and that caused a bit of a panic...but eventually we got picked up 15 minutes later. Good, cause it was 2 km away in some random direction.
Upon arriving, we were brought into a hangar with a few people hanging around, some staff and some not. I confirmed my reservation, was told that planes were still grounded and many people had cancelled (though some did wait, including one couple who came at 7:30am), and we were brought into a training video room, being warned that the 30 minute video was old and would skip for up to a minute and a half at one point of the DVD.
Boy, that was really an old video. We were greeted by a lawyer-ish guy with a long, long, long, long beard who warned us about the risks of skydiving (including death, of course), filling out waivers, and stuff like that. Then he went skydiving and we watched as his beard flapped in the wind.
The second part of the video featured the golden line (not verbatim): "In the sake of political correctness, it should be noted that skydiving masters can be male or female. However, I will just refer to one as 'he' in the following material." But anyway, we learned about the importance of jumping out of the plane in the arch position.
After the video, we were given a clipboard full of waiver forms that took almost an hour to go through. Plenty of autographing. We also chose our skydiving package too- we forwent the solo package, $42 for photos on top of video (for me, since only I got video), and the extra $70 to go up to 12000 instead of 10000 feet. By the time we finished, it was almost 2, and we bought some lunch that they were barbequing. Mmm.
So. Now comes the waiting. We sat around, wandered around, analysed this weird wooden contraption we had been sitting on, played a smidgeon of ping pong, sat around some more, watched the ominous clouds come and go...and leave for good. Then 4 pm rolls along and we watch as some of the staffers go up for a dive.
In the meantime, an instructor approaches us and gives us our ground training briefing. Turns out the weird contraption was a plane mockup where we were to practice sitting (comfortably, cause it's cramped and the flight takes 20 minutes to reach altitude), shuffling towards the door, and jumping out of. She told us the basics: when jumping, fold your arms in and arch immediately. Wait for a tap on the shoulder to extend your arms, then fall for 40 seconds or so. Wait for a tap on the wrist to check your altimeter for 6000 feet, wave your arms once (notify anyone in the skies that a parachute is being deployed), then pull the ripcord (in our case, an orange golf ball). After being given the handles to the parachute, do a few spins if the instructor is willing, take in the view for a few minutes, then prep for landing. Raise your knees, extend your legs, flare the chute, slide in.
We practiced a few times. Our instructor mentioned that extra training can help if you become addicted to the sport like she did...heh. (She said she only intended to do it once, but has now done over 1600 jumps.) After we felt slightly more comfortable, we went outside to watch some diving action.
We didn't see the staffers that went up for half an hour, until they were falling towards the ground again. The conditions were much better, but the winds were rough. More waiting. They attempt again at 5:30, and finally give the okay.
The couple from 7:30 am finally gets to go up at 6 pm. I overheard something about them having paid much earlier but missing out twice already due to weather, and felt lucky that we were probably about to go up on just our first visit. While we watched as they went up, we were called to meet our instructors and my cameraman (all of whom were packing their parachutes; getting paid to jump and multiple times in a day too!), and suit up. The shivers of excitement start coming, but I stayed cautiously optimistic.
Then I have a videocamera shoved in front of my face. Awkward answers start pouring out. :)
We were guided to our very small plane, where the five of us cramped together with barely any moving space, us two facing the back of the plane. Takeoff happens in our unpressurized airplane, and I look out both the window and the tiny crack in the door as the fields zip by, and by 10 minutes, we were flying over Barrie and Lake Simcoe. Our altimeters tick up slowly towards the 10.
We break through the thin layer of smog and humidity, then the clouds altogether. Craaaazy high, and I couldn't quite believe what we were about to do. (5.5 CN Towers in height!) I began to get slightly nervous (though still in complete denial about getting to jump).
We turn around and get buckled up to our instructors, put on our helmets and goggles, and the plane door is opened. WHOOSH! An 80 mile per hour draft blows in. I could hardly hear anything, and saw a thin layer of white clouds over a tiny cityscape. I'm ushered out first, my arms are folded in- "ready, aaaand, jump!"
The big rush of adrenaline comes, and I feel nothing but speed. My face starts rippling, and my goggles immediately dislodge themselves from the impact. Oops. I look around and I'm falling through a layer of cloud, then see a fleeting blur of the ground. Moving around is initially awkward, but an absolutely unique experience- supported by nothing, being pushed up hard by the wind due to the arch position (arms and legs extended upwards, hips down, forming a more aerodynamic curve). It was easier to wave my arms and legs up as it was moving them down. I couldn't feel the instructor, who was probably at least twice as heavy as me, on my back at all.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel the taps on my shoulder, and alternated keeping my arms in and keeping them extended due to my confusion (which you can see in the video). I play up for the camera a bit, get a few incessant taps on the wrist which I initially forgot the meaning about, then realise it's already over. I check my altimeter, forget to wave off, and deploy my parachute.
Contrary to popular perception, you don't get jerked up when your parachute deploys. We immediately slowed down, I take a breather and adjust my goggles, and take hold of the lower handles. Unfortunately, we couldn't do any spins as we had jumped a little too far off from the field and my instructor had to guide us back, but I took the extra falling time (spins make you fall faster) to look around and take in the spectacular view.
After a nice landing, sliding in on my butt, I collapse and immediately express my wish to do it again (someday). We're congratulated on making our first jump, unbuckled, and given certificates.
But whoops! Missed the bus back to Toronto by a hair, and the next and last one was in two hours (9:30 pm). We were each given a nectarine and a box of chocolate almonds to stave off hunger. Paul finishes his in two minutes, I finish mine in 45. :P
To make the most of the situation, we sat around outside and watched people dive (mostly solo students) until sunset. Laughed as one got scolded via walkie-talking for messing up his landing, marveled at the experienced ones who did loops with their parachutes. We get back to Toronto at 11, eat dinner at 11:30, and I get back home at 12:30.
What a day.
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[27 Jul 2008|10:36pm] |
I went skydiving!! You can find a video (too lazy to YouTube it) and photos on Facebook. Absolutely amazing, so fun, definitely hoping to do it again. :)
Lengthy, detailed post within the next few days, hopefully tomorrow.
For now:
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[04 Jul 2008|08:15pm] |
Continuing from my last entry, I took Monday off and went to the US for four days (Saturday to Tuesday) with a friend. It was a cheap Chinese tour, so we whizzed by everything really fast, but we had a lot of fun and got to see a whole lot.
The first day was supposed to be a tour of Boston, but some people on the bus had border troubles, so we went directly to our hotel. In the morning, we went to Harvard, passed by MIT, and took a mere 10 minutes at the Quincy Market, which was closed cause it was so early on a Sunday morning. That was more than made up for by the sheer amount of things to do in New York City- walk around Times Square, go on a harbour cruise, and go up 30 Rock (I stumbled upon the NBC store downstairs, and I am now the proud owner of a Dwight Schrute bobblehead!). It was a rather stormy day at random times, but definitely very enjoyable.
The third day was a quick stop in Philadelphia, then a few hours visiting the Smithsonian museums in DC. The last day was a stop by Penns Cave, then back home.
Stayed in fancy hotels, bought stuff, took over 600 photos...yeah. I'll miss that!
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| Canada Day |
[01 Jul 2008|11:51pm] |
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mood |
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exhausted |
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Woke up in Baltimore at 4:30 am, found myself in a cave at 8, ate lunch somewhere in NY, saw Basia Bulat at Toronto's harbourfront at 8 pm, missed the fireworks at 10 due to a subway jam, and am back now.
Whew. Work tomorrow morning, back to the daily grind. More details when I'm more coherent.
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[12 Jun 2008|10:00pm] |
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mood |
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indecisive |
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Small dilemma: keep my current schedule for fall, which has 1 hour of class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 6 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or drop Advanced Chinese for Calculus III and make it 2 MWF, 4.5 TTh?
Basically, Advanced Chinese or Calculus III? Lax and demanding schedule or slightly more balanced schedule?
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| The National/Modest Mouse/REM live in Toronto |
[09 Jun 2008|07:37pm] |
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mood |
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 shocked |
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music |
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Mr. November - The National |
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Mindblown.
Here are some videos of The National, and a couple pics of all the bands under the cut. (The videos may still be processing, if so, check later.)
( Read more... )
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[15 Apr 2008|05:27pm] |
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mood |
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mellow |
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music |
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Why Do You Let Me Stay Here - She & Him |
] |
I can't believe that I'm moving out in a week. The weather's perfect, it feels like summer, there's plenty of hanging-out, new friendships are flourishing, and despite exams I'm enjoying myself immensely. The exams themselves aren't even that bad; I've learned to get past the nerves, study hard, and not worry too much. My friend and I were just talking today about how we wouldn't even mind more exams if we were staying longer.
It's like last August all over again. Life's being great yet I have to brace myself for another overhaul. I'll be flying home for a week and a half, yet I'm finally calling this place home (both this city and this res) and I have to leave it behind. Then it's off to Toronto and another new crowd, new (and first!) job. I'm sure things will be well again in due time, but I feel like I'm leaving some sort of utopia. Everyone's leaving though, so that makes it a little easier to swallow, but I'll have to say my farewells to people as they're leaving or I'm leaving, to some temporarily, to some probably forever (those ones I'd probably care a little less about :P).
Not to mention how I'm gonna bring home all this stuff!
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[01 Mar 2008|01:55pm] |
It's been a looooong week, especially after coming back from a very enjoyable reading week. Got to meet friends, meet ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) windmelody for the first time, eat lots (I think I gained back a bit of weight, which is great!), stare at mountains and the ocean some more, walk outside without worrying about hypothermia, and just relax. Luckily, no jet lag (both trips too!), but plenty of work this week to cause some sleepless nights.
I had three interviews this week that all bombed, and as expected, I was not selected for any of them. Rankings just came out yesterday: you're either given a job offer, a rank, or no rank. Unless you receive the latter, you have to rank the job as well. I was only ranked for one of my five interviews, and fortunately it was the one I liked the most. (I thought another one went really well too; I was slightly disappointed not to receive a ranking for it.) However, I'm a little nervous since even though I gave it the best ranking I could, most first year students do that for every job they get ranked for, and unless the company ranked me really high, I'll have to go through the whole job search cycle again. Since I no longer have any back-up jobs, that is a looming possibility.
Reading week flew by, this one dragged and continues to. Bleh.
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[16 Feb 2008|11:48pm] |
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music |
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Basia Bulat - In the Night |
] |
Back home again!
...I'm not used to seeing the ground. Concrete, grass, and all. No two-foot layer of snow, or snowbanks taller than people, or snow in general! And it's so warm! I haven't felt temperatures above freezing (or rather, -10) for quite some time now.
It's so...foreign! I need to go lie down.
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| Interviews |
[14 Feb 2008|12:48pm] |
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music |
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Guillemots - Kriss Kross |
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I've had two job interview in the last week, and the interviewers of both companies were intrigued by the fact that I had a background in Photoshop and Flash. Yesterday, I was requested to bring in samples of design work. Having left most of my more "professional" things back at home, I was forced to print out a few forum signatures... Strangely enough, they liked it! O_o
Is this really something I want to make a career out of? Funny, cause I came here for computer science and I'm applying to all these CS jobs, but I've been picked for interviews more because of my graphic design background moreso than for programming, which I'm hoping to gain experience in. Double-edged sword, I guess.
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[03 Feb 2008|08:38pm] |
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music |
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Jamie Lidell - What's the Use |
] |
Wow, it's almost been a month since my last update...
Things are all normal again, except I'm flying home again in two weeks. So much for normalcy, heh. I've settled on living on-campus with my roommate again next year, and we'll be joined by someone else we don't know. Hopefully not messy or much of a partier.
The next thing that shall worry me is...a co-op placement! I really dropped the ball here; I applied for only 20-odd jobs, whereas most people applied to at least 30 (some even going to the maximum of 50). I've been rejected for five jobs so far, and I have one interview lined up; here's to hoping I get a few more out of my small pool of pending applications left.
Now for some happier news, I suppose. I've finally found a church I think I can settle in, and the process of meeting new people all over again begins. Oh, and I think I'm starting to pick up playing squash as a habit. That, and going off-campus to splurge and spend a lot of money on dinner after playing. Yikes. :P
(As for this music...I can't believe I haven't listened to Jamie Lidell until now, almost 3 years after his album came out! So much for being on top of things. To those of you who haven't heard of him, go check out his album Multiply. It pulled me out of that rut I was in for a couple of weeks, just cause it's so cheery and upbeat.)
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[10 Jan 2008|08:27pm] |
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mood |
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down |
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Lately I've been feeling rather fatigued, and perhaps as a result, mildly depressed and with little appetite. I'm finally catching up on my sleep after that debacle of a flight (sat beside a loud snoring dude) and jet lag, but it's still taking me upwards of an hour to fall asleep every night.
The fretting is also starting to kick in. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing in a second term of taking psych; I can't think of another elective to take, cause I'm taking econ, and I refuse to take accounting again. Finding a co-op job is worrisome and the course that comes with it is adding to my workload, and I need to find housing for next year. Before I left Christmas break, I had some idea of who I wanted to ask to join up with me, but coming back, I'm seeing a few other facets of people's personalities that make me...not want to. With that comes drifting friendships (from old to new), and I feel left in the middle of mild friendships with everyone and no one I can really confide in. Maybe it's just the irritability/lack of sleep talking.
I can take solace in the fact that I finally have a church to attend to though! I've been looking for ages.
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| I'm home! |
[23 Dec 2007|10:15am] |
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mood |
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 hungry |
] |
Well, it's certainly been an awkward couple of days. My parents couldn't recognise me at the airport because my hair grew out so much (they couldn't recognise my roommate either cause of this) and because I lost so much weight. Then within a two-sentence exchange, I realised that nothing had changed at all.
It's a little weird to be consistently and pointlessly lectured to again after four months of...not being lectured and faring well. But they're parents, they care, and they mean well, though it does tell me that nothing's really quite set in for them (I'm mainly talking about my mom here, so specifically her) yet. I'll admit I've been a little harsh to them these past couple of days, and have generally been a black hole sucking all the excitement out of this "reunion." It's hard not to revert to my old, somewhat dour self when everything that spurred it is still here, but I'm trying.
I also miss my friends, both those at Waterloo and those here. It's a little weird to wake up back in my bed, especially since I actually prefer the one in my dorm, and it's weird not to have a bunch of people right there to talk to and hang out with. Not to mention how there's time zones to consider when using MSN! As for friends here, I snuck up on one who was at work yesterday and had a nice long chat, and I hope to meet as many other friends as I can in these two weeks.
Back on the weight topic, we went to my dad's restaurant yesterday. Five employees commented on how skinny I looked, and I wasn't even standing up. (Four to my face, one behind my back to my sister, who was working that day.) Weighed myself today, and depending on what my starting weight was, I've lost anywhere between 11 to 14 pounds. I was already slightly underweight to start with back in September, and now my BMI's in the "can be considered for anorexia diagnosis" range. Though I know I'm extremely skinny and I want to gain weight, so um, no. (Not like the BMI scale is something to live by.) But eek. At least two giant meals so far have shown a visible difference...
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| Streams |
[13 Dec 2007|06:01pm] |
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mood |
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 bouncy |
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music |
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A&E - Goldfrapp |
] |
Here at Waterloo, most students are in co-op, and placed in one of two separate streams alternating four months. (Four or eight months studying, then four working, four studying, four working, etc., until fifth year, where everyone spends the final term together.) While it's nice and all, it comes with the unfortunate downside of not seeing friends you've made in first term for five years. And so I've had to say goodbye to my breakfast/lunch buddy of this term, who I'll see again in 2012. It's a shame, we met so randomly in class ("Hi there." "Hey. I'm hungry, wanna go for lunch?"), and just ended up hanging out together nearly everyday.
This has gotten me thinking...all these attachments and the networking that I'm doing is really gonna be hard to let go of by the time 2012 rolls around, especially if I move back to Vancouver. How I'll possibly cope has yet to be determined, but to know that the company you've been enjoying and spending all your time with is gonna be hundreds of kilometres away (and that you'll probably never see them again) kinda sucks.
On a less depressing note (it's certainly an odd entry to make while cheery, but I'm fine, I swear! :P), I've got two exams left, and I'm heading home in 8 days. Homesickness never came back after September until now, but it's only natural in this time of year. Yay Christmas!
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[23 Nov 2007|10:59am] |
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mood |
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satisfied |
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On my quest to gain weight, I've been splurging on bagels and donuts at Tim Hortons. And then there's the hot smoothies and the peppermint hot chocolates...where have you been all my life?! Mmmmmm. (Seriously, try them. Ask for a hot chocolate with a peppermint tea bag. Or get a hazelnut hot smoothie.)
And yet I seem to be losing even more weight now. That's odd, and not a good development.
It feels so much like Christmas now. There's snow on the ground, it's like -11 outside, and having drinks that smell like candy makes it so awesome.
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[23 Oct 2007|12:06am] |
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mood |
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amused |
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First of all? Awesome Heroes ep. Second...did anyone else catch this? *screencaps*
Best. Mistake. EVER.
( Minor Heroes 2.05 spoiler )
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[21 Oct 2007|02:02am] |
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mood |
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productive |
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I used to pass this apartment building a million times within an hour while having driving lessons this past summer (right turn around the block, left turn around the block...). And now a plane just crashed into it. o_o
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=3bd62189-575b-4899-aca2-4376b40e23f7&k=81015
When I go back to Vancouver for Christmas, I wanna go see that gaping hole for myself... My parents drove by the scene to take a look for themselves. Anyway, I really feel bad for everyone involved and affected. Must've been really really scary to witness!
Speaking of going back to Vancouver for Christmas, I find myself not really looking forward to it as much as I should. I've grown so used to living here that I think it'll be strange being away from it for not just a weekend (like Thanksgiving), but for two whole weeks. Sitting at home with nothing to do...not my kinda thing. (It'd be better if my family actually did something for Christmas.) Booking tickets is a bit inconvenient, as my last exam is on December 19th, and the good flight out of Waterloo is on the 20th, but if the last exam is rescheduled due to snow, it'll be on the 21st.
I'm also finding myself to be much more of a morning person that I used to be. Slept at 2:30 last night, and woke up before my alarm at 9 this morning, feeling fresh and awake. And I also seem to be able to get a decent amount of work done at twilight hours. Hmm. Let's try a repeat of this tonight...
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[05 Oct 2007|11:13pm] |
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mood |
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tired |
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Ah, fall.
The leaves are turning technicolour and falling, the squirrels are gathering nuts, and chipmunks, ducks, and Canadian geese run rampant.
Why is it 30 degrees outside, with smog alerts and humidex values?!
Because of the hot weather today, I was dying for a Tim Hortons Iced Capp. Went to the student centre and they were sold out, so I walked two minutes further and got one. Anyway, as I was walking back to my residence, I finished it. (Pumpkin spice, mmm.) I passed by a garbage bin and dropped the container in, then kept walking. Suddenly, I hear a loud clamouring sound behind me- a squirrel crawls out of the garbage bin; apparently I dropped my container on it.
And the other day, I passed by a tree and a squirrel randomly started screeching at me. It just kept staring and screeching...I stayed there for a minute, then walked away.
Hmm. Anyway, I'm in Toronto for Thanksgiving.
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