A very long weekend...

So this was a very busy Victoria Day long weekend for me, and it didn't even involve fireworks.

Friday evening some friends and I attempted to see the new Star Trek film again, this time in IMAX!!!--but the show was already sold out. So we opted for X-Men Origins: Wolverine instead. I'd heard bad and mediocre reviews, and wasn't expecting much, but it wasn't horrible. Not particularly great, but not horrible. Hugh Jackman did a great job with what he had to work with. Liev Schreiber also did a good job with even less to work with. Ryan Reynolds shone as Deadpool for the 5 minutes he had onscreen, even if they took a few liberties with the character. I choose to ignore what they did with him in the climax, and instead hope for an entertaining spin-off flick at some point. (I'm a fan of the "Merc with a Mouth", especially when he's in the hands of a good writer, and I think Ryan Reynolds is well-cast as the wise-cracking ass-kicker.) Gambit was okay, but he could have been removed from the story entirely with no effect (all he really does is get in the way).

The plot itself is pretty dumb: an early scene has a group of mutants, including Wolverine, doing black ops for the US military. They dismantle the private army of an African diamond trader within minutes, just to get the hunk of meteorite he's been using as a paperweight. Really, I think one guy with a suitcase full of $100,000 US could have done the job more easily and with less mess. Ah well, they can't all be Iron Man.

Saturday was a day spent in restaurants. I went for lunch with some friends from my undergrad D&D days whom I only see about twice a year (one of them, who lives in Calgary, was in town for the weekend). Then I went out for a friend's girlfriend's birthday at Ivanka's in downtown Burlington. A very classy, and intimate place. Afterward we hit a Tim Horton's, the only coffee place that was open.

Sunday was a day spent in costume. In the morning some friends and I attended a Promenade and Picnic with the Toronto Steampunk Appreciation Society. We browsed St. Lawrence Market in Toronto for antiques, and I found some interesting pins for my military-style jacket. One Russian dealer had a table full of old Soviet Red Army surplus, so I picked up some goggles and a KGB box-style flashlight. I also found an old Kodak folding camera. I'll post photos soon. The evening was the usual LARP thing.

Monday was a day of labour. I spent much of the morning weeding and mowing my lawn, and discovering the army of mosquitoes that have occupied my backyard fence. I've noticed several spiders have weaved webs all around the outside of my house. Although I almost tore them down, I realized that each web trapped several scores of mosquitoes. Whereupon I calculated that every mosquito the spiders get, is one less in my house. Thus I forged a verbal contract with the arachnids: stay outdoors and you are free to feast on as many mosquitoes as you wish.

Unfortunately, the spiders aren't able to deal with so many of them so I might be forced into drastic measures. Perhaps the use of Raid or some other weapon of mass insect destruction.

In the afternoon, some friends and I went hiking in Christie Lake Conservation Area in Dundas. We spent a lot of time exploring the ruins of Crooks Mill and the dam of Christie Reservoir. I'll put up photos of those soon as well.

My return

It's been a long time, almost two months since my last post. While I've had longer hiatuses in the past, few have been as tumultuous.

Since my birthday, I've dealt with coming to terms with the death of my grandmother, my last grandparent. She was in her 90s, had a host of medical issues, and passed away peacefully, but she was always a looming figure in my life, especially during my childhood. I still sometimes forget that she's gone, but I remember how many people's lives she touched. A saying I once heard goes "Live your life so there will be standing room only at your funeral." Those words were never so true as for my grandmother.

Somehow, in this time, I've also managed to finally find a new job. Although I had numerous periodic gripes about my work, I did like my job very much. But being so close to friends and family in my hometown, the distance was palpably felt. A sense of urgency to get back there manifested a few years ago, motivated primarily by several severe illnesses and afflictions among members of my family, and the deaths of several friends' parents. This instilled in me a desire to be closer to my family, especially as my parents get older, and I've finally succeeded.

That the new job pays better, offers better vacation, seems more interesting and no longer requires me to work nights or weekends, is just the icing on the cake.

But I will still miss all the friends I made in my five years at my previous employer, who were nice enough to throw me a farewell party. I will definitely miss being the "token male". Thanks for everything, you guys!

What happens...After Forever?

Me & Floor Jansen

Well, my new favourite band of the moment, After Forever (MySpace), came to the Funhaus in Toronto for an intimate but exciting show.

The opening act was Montreal's Unexpect (MySpace), whom I can only describe as the Dillinger Escape Plan kidnapping Arcade Fire and forcing them to perform Phantom of the Opera or be ground up by a chainsaw. A very twisted and interesting sound, to be sure.

After Forever themselves performed majestically, rocking the hell out a cozy venue like Funhaus. Actually, it was nice to be in a club like Funhaus again: exposing ductwork and rafters in the ceiling; single, small bar with few taps; one pool table. I missed the ambience of low-rent goth-industrial clubs like Vatikan and Necropolis.

Hometown History

So this weekend I finally went to the annual reenactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek, a significant event in the War of 1812. I lived about 25 years of my life in Stoney Creek, but had never been to this event, so I took a day off work to finally catch it.

There was a number of vendors in period costume selling period items, but the real draw was the reenactment itself. There were two battles, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. These videos capture parts of the evening battle:

Read two books and call me in the morning

Last night, Dr. Vincent Lam, winner of the 2006 Giller Prize, did a special author visit at work. This was part of our Asian Heritage Month celebrations (which I mentioned briefly last month).

Dr. Vincent Lam, Toronto emergency room physician and Giller Prize-winning author.	The Giller Prize-winning Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures.

Although running a bit late (thanks to the notorious traffic situation of the Greater Toronto Area), no one seemed to notice or make a fuss about it. Dr. Lam began with a brief introduction about himself, then read sections from "Winston", one of the stories in Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. To be honest this is one of my least favourite stories from the book, but it is one with several conflicting emotions (concern, paranoia, suspense, humour) and probably best illustrates the various aspects of the working lives of medical professionals that Lam endeavours to communicate throughout the book.

Afterwards, I read some audience-submitted questions to Dr. Lam, which he answered with candor and good humour, after which he signed books, including a couple for me. Deranged Squirrel (who brought her sister K along), MadJenny and The Blogless One also came out on their night off to see Dr. Lam.

Dr. Vincent Lam signs my copies of his book.	The signed title page.

I found Dr. Lam to be an incredibly nice and approachable person, and wish him every success with his next book.

The mirror has two faces

So I just got back from seeing two bands that are ostensibly from the same scene, but with vastly different approaches. Italy's Lacuna Coil and the Netherlands' The Gathering. Both are female-fronted European goth-metal bands, but couldn't be more different.

We got there too late to see the first opener, Stolen Babies, and only caught the last two songs of In This Moment's set (again, both female-fronted metal bands, but not goth-metal).

This was The Gathering's first night on the tour, replacing their countrymen Within Temptation--whom I would have preferred to see, but The Gathering were quite good. They have more of a slow-paced, somber alternative sound than a true metal sound (though their earlier stuff is heavier). Here's an example; one of their more popular songs, "Saturnine":



Also interesting is how, well, normal The Gathering are. They dress quite casually--jeans and shirts, no weird hairstyles. Like my sister (who was with me) said of lead singer Anneke's outfit, "That's something I would wear". They were very humble in appearance and mannerisms. The guitarist, René, looked like a shy geek (complete with glasses) and the bassist, Marjolein, gave these cute little golf claps to the audience. At one point, Anneke mentioned how their last stop had been New York City: "It was nice, but also, not so nice," she stammered. "But tonight is like bliss for us."

Lacuna Coil was the complete opposite. They were very theatrical with very showy PVC outfits and a fairly impressive light show. The two lead singers, Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, were incredibly dramatic in their stage presence and rapport with the audience. During one duet, Andrea was on his knees while Cristina towered over him. Of course, being Italian they were gesticulating wildly all the time. Here are some pics from my phone:

Lacuna Coil in blue Doppler Shift.	Lacuna Coil in red Doppler Shift

Here's Lacuna Coil playing Jimmy Kimmel Live:



So, it was a pretty cool night, even if both bands stuck pretty close to the recorded versions of their songs and didn't really mix things up much.

Shuffle Meme

OK, for this web meme, get your iPod or equivalent mp3 player, set it to shuffle, and answer these questions in order with the song that comes up.

How does the world see me?
Arcade Fire, "No Cars Go"

I'm apparently a place inaccessible by most vehicles. Maybe I'm a mountain!

Will I have a happy life?
Jane's Addiction, "Been Caught Stealing"

I guess I'm going to prison for fraud.

What do my friends really think of me?
The Sword, "Freya"

I wait in Valhalla for the souls of warriors slain in battle? Is that a metaphor for being a shoulder to cry on?

Do people secretly lust after me?
Beck, "The New Pollution"

Only women who like their men dirty. Grrowwwl.

How can I make myself happy?
Luca Turilli, "Black Dragon"

I have to get in touch with my draconic heritage and fight evil. Great--apparently I'm Eragon. :-(

What should I do with my life?
Les Miserables soundtrack, "Confrontation"

I need to have a dramatic confrontation with my nemesis. Am I Jean Valjean or Inspector Javert in this equation?

Will I ever have children?
Oasis, "Wonderwall"

I am, and they're apparently going to save me from depression.

What is some good advice for me?
Coheed and Cambria, "Devil in Jersey City"

Don't pick fights in Jersey City. Good advice for anyone who isn't one of the Sopranos, really.

How will I be remembered?
Dimmu Borgir, "Nocturnal Fear"

Can't get any plainer than that. My ancient Mesopotamian gods will give everyone nightmares.

What is my signature dance song?
HIM, "Your Sweet 666"

A goth metal love song. I guess that does sum me up fairly succinctly.

What do I think my current theme song is?
The Arrogant Worms, "Sam, the Guy from 'Quincy'"

'Cause I won't stop beating (or in this case, exhuming) dead horses!

What song will play at my funeral?
Rhapsody of Fire, "Emerald Sword"

Clearly there is too much epic and symphonic metal on my iPod. But, Vikings have the best funeral rites!

What type of women do I like?
MC Hawking, "Fuck the Creationists"

Well, I certainly don't like ignorant or overly credulous women, that's for sure. I assume that the F-word here is being used as a dismissal, not an invitation to sexual intercourse.

What is my day going to be like?
Gin Blossoms, "Follow You Down"

It's a crap shoot.

'At thirty, the wit...'

At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty the wit; at forty the judgment.
- Benjamin Franklin

Well, yesterday I reached another milestone: my 30th birthday. I celebrated with some friends from work including Librariana and her family, MadJenny, and the Deranged Squirrel (who's posted photos at her blog). The Hedda Dabbler clan have posted a video of me slaughtering a pinata. Here I am confronting my nemesis:



Here on the stage of history, we witness the duel between two great warriors. The False Prophet versus the Pinata.

Thanks to Deranged Squirrel for hosting and JL for helping prepare (and if you got your own blog, you'd get a link too!). And thanks to everyone who came and all well-wishers.

"Do you think," said [Caesar], "I have not just cause to weep, when I consider that Alexander at my age had conquered so many nations, and I have all this time done nothing that is memorable?"
-Plutarch, Parallel Lives of Greece and Rome

Since birthdays are supposed to be a time when you ponder your current life situation, I wonder if I've done as much with myself as I could have by now. I've always felt pulled in multiple directions, and as a result, that I haven't gone anywhere. Right now, I'm in a position of incredible financial comfort and secure employment, but I feel like I'm waiting for things to start. I want to settle but I don't want to settle where I am. It's like I have what I want but not where I want it.

Ah well, I hate Februarys. Most depressing of months. Thankfully, this year Daylight Savings Time starts in March.