Monday, December 04, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Meester Sweese....
Nat: Who’s that guy over there signing autographs?
Nadia: I don’t know.
Nat: He was doing a t.v. interview earlier. Maybe he’s famous.
Nadia: He is, how you say, good looking.
Nat: Yeah in English we say “Hunky” you should use that word. It’s appropriate and not in the least out of date.
Nadia: He is hunky.
Nat: Perfect. Maybe we should get our picture with him.
Nadia: YES!
***Turns out this is “Mr. Swiss”. Or as Nadia pronounces it “Meester Sweese”.
http://www.misterschweiz.ch/
Hahahahahahahahaha.......
Nadia: I don’t know.
Nat: He was doing a t.v. interview earlier. Maybe he’s famous.
Nadia: He is, how you say, good looking.
Nat: Yeah in English we say “Hunky” you should use that word. It’s appropriate and not in the least out of date.
Nadia: He is hunky.
Nat: Perfect. Maybe we should get our picture with him.
Nadia: YES!
***Turns out this is “Mr. Swiss”. Or as Nadia pronounces it “Meester Sweese”.http://www.misterschweiz.ch/
Hahahahahahahahaha.......
Journey into the madness of my mind
Yesterday I almost went insane.
It started like any normal Saturday. I got it in my head that I wanted to make 80 homemade perogies for the YAGs poker night and for “Interns Thanksgiving: the American sequel”. I even remarkably found cheddar cheese (it’s white…. Not orange here and you have to ask for it over the counter like it’s an overdoseable drug).
Overdose I didn’t but the trickier part was finding bacon. Somewhere along the long line of perogy makers in my family, the addition of tossing bacon pieces on top of the cooked perogies became a vital step. So I’m searching around Manor (giant grocery store below a giant department store) and I finally find something that in my mind resembles bacon.
By 2:00pm the perogy factory that was my kitchen was fully committed. I am (brace yourself for a cliché) covered in flour and I can hear my mom’s voice in my head “Stop eating the filling!”
I am rounding the corner of completion and slicing up my bacon substitute and I was a little confused at why it was so hard to slice. I look at the package and realize, “I never even checked if this was ham.”
Suddenly my mind explodes and like a blurry montage/dream sequence from a movie I see the word “Chevallier” on the package. “Chevallier??? Doesn’t that mean horse?! Or is it cheveux? Or is that hair?” I just remember in grade 7 Madame Bowman laughed at me when I said that ‘my horse is long and blonde’ but I never figured out which one I used wrongly. I scream aloud. This was a little more expensive then usual and you can totally buy horse meat everywhere here! I scan the package for something ham-like and all I see is a pasture and a slice of meat. Panicking I see the term “Jambon de Bayonne” and I KNOW that Jambon is ham because I order jambon sandwiches all the time! But! A terrifying thought crosses my mind, what if Jambon de Bayonne is like a “Chicken of the sea” tuna scenario and it stands for “Ham of the pasture!” or “Ham of the racetracks!”
I CAN’T FEED MY FRIENDS HORSE MEAT! What’s more, I CAN’T HAVE JUST STUCK A PILE OF HORSE MEAT IN MY MOUTH BEFORE THIS EPISODE BEGAN!
As frightening images of Toby McGuire in Seabiscuit fly through my head I blast to my laptop and start typing in every word on the package: Grand Affineur, A sauveterre de bearn, Chevallier NOTHING!……. Finally, in size 5 font at the bottom I see “Ingredients: Jambon de porc, sel des Saline”. Porc. Porc. PORK. PIG! NOT HORSE! VICTORY!
I have since learned that Bayonne is the region that the meat comes from. You can learn more about the product that caused me seven minutes of agonizing pain and heart-racing terror here: http://www.jambon-de-bayonne.com/boutique/en/pages/histoire.htm
Oh, and I'm signing up for french lessons this week.
It started like any normal Saturday. I got it in my head that I wanted to make 80 homemade perogies for the YAGs poker night and for “Interns Thanksgiving: the American sequel”. I even remarkably found cheddar cheese (it’s white…. Not orange here and you have to ask for it over the counter like it’s an overdoseable drug).
Overdose I didn’t but the trickier part was finding bacon. Somewhere along the long line of perogy makers in my family, the addition of tossing bacon pieces on top of the cooked perogies became a vital step. So I’m searching around Manor (giant grocery store below a giant department store) and I finally find something that in my mind resembles bacon.
By 2:00pm the perogy factory that was my kitchen was fully committed. I am (brace yourself for a cliché) covered in flour and I can hear my mom’s voice in my head “Stop eating the filling!”
I am rounding the corner of completion and slicing up my bacon substitute and I was a little confused at why it was so hard to slice. I look at the package and realize, “I never even checked if this was ham.”
Suddenly my mind explodes and like a blurry montage/dream sequence from a movie I see the word “Chevallier” on the package. “Chevallier??? Doesn’t that mean horse?! Or is it cheveux? Or is that hair?” I just remember in grade 7 Madame Bowman laughed at me when I said that ‘my horse is long and blonde’ but I never figured out which one I used wrongly. I scream aloud. This was a little more expensive then usual and you can totally buy horse meat everywhere here! I scan the package for something ham-like and all I see is a pasture and a slice of meat. Panicking I see the term “Jambon de Bayonne” and I KNOW that Jambon is ham because I order jambon sandwiches all the time! But! A terrifying thought crosses my mind, what if Jambon de Bayonne is like a “Chicken of the sea” tuna scenario and it stands for “Ham of the pasture!” or “Ham of the racetracks!”
I CAN’T FEED MY FRIENDS HORSE MEAT! What’s more, I CAN’T HAVE JUST STUCK A PILE OF HORSE MEAT IN MY MOUTH BEFORE THIS EPISODE BEGAN!
As frightening images of Toby McGuire in Seabiscuit fly through my head I blast to my laptop and start typing in every word on the package: Grand Affineur, A sauveterre de bearn, Chevallier NOTHING!……. Finally, in size 5 font at the bottom I see “Ingredients: Jambon de porc, sel des Saline”. Porc. Porc. PORK. PIG! NOT HORSE! VICTORY!
I have since learned that Bayonne is the region that the meat comes from. You can learn more about the product that caused me seven minutes of agonizing pain and heart-racing terror here: http://www.jambon-de-bayonne.com/boutique/en/pages/histoire.htm
Oh, and I'm signing up for french lessons this week.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Dublin!
The grass is always greener….. but seriously, in Dublin it’s actually greener, I think they may use chemicals.
My friend Aaron and I went to Dublin for 4 days. I like Ireland. I like the fact that the Irish, like me, enjoy the colour green and have short tempers. I like the way Irish children are completely incomprehensible, the way that people say “Emmm” instead of “Ummm” and the way that there are so many moments where someone would say something to me and I thought it was another language:
"Wug je lie yer lat far her er ta gooo?"
I just stare back like an idiot as my brain churns then finally realize after about 10 seconds that it was English and the leprechaun was just asking me if I'd like my latte to go....
Traveling with another designer is fun plus many moments of “Oh my goodness, is that Comic Sans on that bus?” “It totally is!!! What were they thinking??”
We managed to mix “culture” and “fun”. Some highlights included:
1. Took a bus tour through Wicklow country and beyond and got to see where Braveheart was filmed and drink whiskey on a cliff over looking the Guinness master’s property! (The wind was INSANE and our tour guide told us that the day before, some women was blown off a similar cliff 700 feet to her death so whatever you do “Doon oopen yer u’brella”)
2. Drank my first pint of Guinness on the roof of the Guinness factory with a 360 degree view of Dublin.
3. Enjoyed all that Temple Bar had to offer (AMAZING district FILLED with art and music and fantastic food).
4. Saw my brother play rugby with the Canada team and they all played SO well!!!!! GO NUMBER 6!!! “Did your brother just start a fight with that guy” “That guy totally deserved it.”
5. Saw the homes of Bono, Enya, and Val Halen. (Do you suppose they have potlucks?)
6. Toured ancient graves and an old monastery. (So beautiful)
7. We saw an Irish play (called “This is not a life”)
8. Saw Borat (which was disappointing……. Pause…… NOT!).
Pictures coming soon. Note: Susan I found a pub called Bodkins!
My friend Aaron and I went to Dublin for 4 days. I like Ireland. I like the fact that the Irish, like me, enjoy the colour green and have short tempers. I like the way Irish children are completely incomprehensible, the way that people say “Emmm” instead of “Ummm” and the way that there are so many moments where someone would say something to me and I thought it was another language:
"Wug je lie yer lat far her er ta gooo?"
I just stare back like an idiot as my brain churns then finally realize after about 10 seconds that it was English and the leprechaun was just asking me if I'd like my latte to go....
Traveling with another designer is fun plus many moments of “Oh my goodness, is that Comic Sans on that bus?” “It totally is!!! What were they thinking??”
We managed to mix “culture” and “fun”. Some highlights included:
1. Took a bus tour through Wicklow country and beyond and got to see where Braveheart was filmed and drink whiskey on a cliff over looking the Guinness master’s property! (The wind was INSANE and our tour guide told us that the day before, some women was blown off a similar cliff 700 feet to her death so whatever you do “Doon oopen yer u’brella”)
2. Drank my first pint of Guinness on the roof of the Guinness factory with a 360 degree view of Dublin.
3. Enjoyed all that Temple Bar had to offer (AMAZING district FILLED with art and music and fantastic food).
4. Saw my brother play rugby with the Canada team and they all played SO well!!!!! GO NUMBER 6!!! “Did your brother just start a fight with that guy” “That guy totally deserved it.”
5. Saw the homes of Bono, Enya, and Val Halen. (Do you suppose they have potlucks?)
6. Toured ancient graves and an old monastery. (So beautiful)
7. We saw an Irish play (called “This is not a life”)
8. Saw Borat (which was disappointing……. Pause…… NOT!).
Pictures coming soon. Note: Susan I found a pub called Bodkins!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Halloween
Halloween is a time to get creative. With limited resources and a politically charged atmosphere I decided to go as something frightening and relevant: North Korea. 
You can't see it well, but Kim-Jong Il is on there, along with massive amounts of plutonium, Kofi Annan holding UN sanctions, Nuclear warning signs, communist flag, and arrows pointing to China and the Sea of Japan, but not to South Korea, because that would pretty much give away my costume completely. I went to "Intern Halloween" which I intend on posting some photos once I scrounge some up! Aaron went as a Swiss 20 dollar bill, Dave was some guy from Sin City who looked like a scary Charlie Brown, Mike was an Office Zombie (that one hit close to home), Nadia was the devil, Melissa was a witch, Caroline was the Corpse Bride, Nikki was a Sexy Leopard ("Are you like a dog bunny?" -Dave), Meg was Micheal Jackson circa: Thriller, Yaron and Elena were a photographer and Yoko Ono, and Farhad was an egg.
It was a fun night!
You can't see it well, but Kim-Jong Il is on there, along with massive amounts of plutonium, Kofi Annan holding UN sanctions, Nuclear warning signs, communist flag, and arrows pointing to China and the Sea of Japan, but not to South Korea, because that would pretty much give away my costume completely. I went to "Intern Halloween" which I intend on posting some photos once I scrounge some up! Aaron went as a Swiss 20 dollar bill, Dave was some guy from Sin City who looked like a scary Charlie Brown, Mike was an Office Zombie (that one hit close to home), Nadia was the devil, Melissa was a witch, Caroline was the Corpse Bride, Nikki was a Sexy Leopard ("Are you like a dog bunny?" -Dave), Meg was Micheal Jackson circa: Thriller, Yaron and Elena were a photographer and Yoko Ono, and Farhad was an egg.It was a fun night!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Weird
Today I saw myself on the bus. Okay well not exactly. I saw a woman who looked EXACTLY like me only she was about 65. It was surreal. Same body shape and build as me (with only a few gravity related differences), same hair (only completely white), same shade of lipstick (Yves Rocher’s ‘Sugar Sass’), and same “Trendy without being offensive” sense of style.
We caught eyes and it was so…. familiar. We even both rolled our eyes at each other when a girl came on the bus wearing hot pants and elf shoes and I may be dreaming this, but I’m quite sure I also heard a muffled nose gaffaw come from her too. I am KNOWN for my muffled nose gaffaws!
It was like looking in a mirror; a crazy time machine mirror.
When my elderly doppelganger was getting off the bus, she looked at me and smiled as if to say “Hang in there, you’ll age nicely” OR as if to say “I have a daughter who looks just like you who dances at the Moulin Rouge”……
I guess we’ll never know.
We caught eyes and it was so…. familiar. We even both rolled our eyes at each other when a girl came on the bus wearing hot pants and elf shoes and I may be dreaming this, but I’m quite sure I also heard a muffled nose gaffaw come from her too. I am KNOWN for my muffled nose gaffaws!
It was like looking in a mirror; a crazy time machine mirror.
When my elderly doppelganger was getting off the bus, she looked at me and smiled as if to say “Hang in there, you’ll age nicely” OR as if to say “I have a daughter who looks just like you who dances at the Moulin Rouge”……
I guess we’ll never know.
Monday, October 16, 2006
My identical twin is a stripper......
C= Older female employee who works in the same building as me.
C: Natalie, I have to tell you something. I saw you on Saturday night dancing.
Me: Huh?
C: Well I thought it was you. I was out with some friends at a club and I saw this girl dancing really suggestively and she looked just like you. Same height, same build. I was actually really disturbed! But then I bumped into her and she started speaking French and well, we all know you don’t speak French…!
Me: That’s weird, so what club was it?
C: Uh…. Well. The Moulin Rouge.
Me: The trashy strip club?
C: Yes, I was there celebrating a birthday with some friends, they wanted to go there.
Me: So, the ONLY reason that you knew it wasn’t me was because she spoke French… It had nothing to do with the fact that I’m not exactly the kind of person who would dance at a strip club….???
C: Well…. She looks a lot like you. What you do on the weekend is none of my busi-
Me: I don’t dance at strip clubs!
C: Well your identical twin does!
Me: I’m going back to my office now……
***Backs away slowly
C: Natalie, I have to tell you something. I saw you on Saturday night dancing.
Me: Huh?
C: Well I thought it was you. I was out with some friends at a club and I saw this girl dancing really suggestively and she looked just like you. Same height, same build. I was actually really disturbed! But then I bumped into her and she started speaking French and well, we all know you don’t speak French…!
Me: That’s weird, so what club was it?
C: Uh…. Well. The Moulin Rouge.
Me: The trashy strip club?
C: Yes, I was there celebrating a birthday with some friends, they wanted to go there.
Me: So, the ONLY reason that you knew it wasn’t me was because she spoke French… It had nothing to do with the fact that I’m not exactly the kind of person who would dance at a strip club….???
C: Well…. She looks a lot like you. What you do on the weekend is none of my busi-
Me: I don’t dance at strip clubs!
C: Well your identical twin does!
Me: I’m going back to my office now……
***Backs away slowly
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
Independent woman
Today I dropped a spoon in my toilet.
You may be wondering what I was doing with cutlery in the bathroom. If any of my old housemates read this they’ll probably bring up the “washroom popcorn incident”… Honestly, you track ONE piece of popcorn into the bathroom on your sock and for months you get accused of eating food where no food should ever be eaten…..
But it’s not like that. It’s quite simple really. My kitchen sink is clogged. Very clogged. I’ve tried boiling water, chemicals, plunging, wire coat hanger, crazy aluminum snake, I even went all “old school plumber” and unscrewed all of the pipes under my sink and cleaned them out. Grossest thing in my life but you know why? It’s because Beyonce Knowles inspired me to be an independent woman, fix my OWN sink, buy my OWN rings—
NO! It’s because it’s too expensive to get a plumber here! I bet Beyonce Knowles has never dry heaved after scrapping an indistinguishable lumpy something from 40 year old sink pipes. I bet Beyonce has never had to use a giant Tupperware bowl as a sink and when the bowl gets heavy has to take the bowl to the toilet and dump the bowl but didn’t see that there was a spoon in the bottom of the soapy bowl but heard a “clink” when she dumped the bowl in the toilet and then had to reach in the toilet and GET the spoon because the LAST thing she wants is for the TOILET to clog because THEN where would she dump the soapy kitchen water?????
In conclusion, today I dropped a spoon in my toilet.
You may be wondering what I was doing with cutlery in the bathroom. If any of my old housemates read this they’ll probably bring up the “washroom popcorn incident”… Honestly, you track ONE piece of popcorn into the bathroom on your sock and for months you get accused of eating food where no food should ever be eaten…..
But it’s not like that. It’s quite simple really. My kitchen sink is clogged. Very clogged. I’ve tried boiling water, chemicals, plunging, wire coat hanger, crazy aluminum snake, I even went all “old school plumber” and unscrewed all of the pipes under my sink and cleaned them out. Grossest thing in my life but you know why? It’s because Beyonce Knowles inspired me to be an independent woman, fix my OWN sink, buy my OWN rings—
NO! It’s because it’s too expensive to get a plumber here! I bet Beyonce Knowles has never dry heaved after scrapping an indistinguishable lumpy something from 40 year old sink pipes. I bet Beyonce has never had to use a giant Tupperware bowl as a sink and when the bowl gets heavy has to take the bowl to the toilet and dump the bowl but didn’t see that there was a spoon in the bottom of the soapy bowl but heard a “clink” when she dumped the bowl in the toilet and then had to reach in the toilet and GET the spoon because the LAST thing she wants is for the TOILET to clog because THEN where would she dump the soapy kitchen water?????
I DON'T WANT TO BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN BEYONCE!
I just want water to drain properly from my kitchen sink!!
In conclusion, today I dropped a spoon in my toilet.
Write a song about THAT Beyonce.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
To DO LIST
To do list:
1. Stop selecting “Swaziland” instead of “Switzerland” when using drop down country menus.
2. Learn French phrases for “Don’t touch me!” and “Can I pet your dog?” (and not mix them up in the heat of the moment)
3. Quit watching “Shake Ton Booty” on French MTV
4. Shut blinds, THEN undress
5. Undress, THEN get in shower (I’m not a morning person)
6. Stop buying and/or stop eating delicious tasting lip gloss
7. Rename office cat from “Sugar Baby Kissy Boots Officer Cuddle Napkin the Fourth” to something shorter and more comfortable for everyone in the office to say.
8. Update my blog consistently.
1. Stop selecting “Swaziland” instead of “Switzerland” when using drop down country menus.
2. Learn French phrases for “Don’t touch me!” and “Can I pet your dog?” (and not mix them up in the heat of the moment)
3. Quit watching “Shake Ton Booty” on French MTV
4. Shut blinds, THEN undress
5. Undress, THEN get in shower (I’m not a morning person)
6. Stop buying and/or stop eating delicious tasting lip gloss
7. Rename office cat from “Sugar Baby Kissy Boots Officer Cuddle Napkin the Fourth” to something shorter and more comfortable for everyone in the office to say.
8. Update my blog consistently.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Weapon of Choice
"People ask me all the time 'So what does your sister DO in Switzerland?' and I usually respond with 'She fights AIDS with with graphic design- GEEZ get off my back already.'
...... People always ask nonchalantly and I retort really seriously with that answer like as if you're an X-man for AIDS and your weapon is graphic design."
-Shayla 2006
...... People always ask nonchalantly and I retort really seriously with that answer like as if you're an X-man for AIDS and your weapon is graphic design."
-Shayla 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Cheese and Aliens
Yesterday I went to Gruyere with Jean and Carmen and we had a lovely day of cheese, aliens, castles, cows, slugs, and every stereotypical "Swiss" thing that you can think of. More to come later.....
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Picture Time
All of this is within five minutes of my house...... And by 'house' I mean 'flat'... and by 'flat' I mean 'shoebox with a bed'
Funny Email from My Dad
Hey Nooo,
I was looking at the blog site and it crossed my mind that Homer Simpson probably named the Italian train system. Remember: “Luke! You can’t name him Luke! The kids will call him Puke! Now ‘Bart’… let me see… Aart, Bart, Cart, Dart, Eart. Now that works”.
So I’m imaging a bunch of Italian guys.
“So, wotta we gonna calla the train?”
“How aboutta Italian Train System?”
“Whatta you nuts or something? Da kids’ll call it Pitalian Pain Pystem.”
“How aboutta Trenitalia?”
“Letta me think aboutta that. Hmmm. Aenitalia, Benitalia, Cenitalia, Denitalia, Eenitalia, Fenitalia. Thatsa gooda name! We gonna call it Trenitalia and I don’ta wanna here no arguing, you get what I’ma saying???”
And the rest is history!
I was looking at the blog site and it crossed my mind that Homer Simpson probably named the Italian train system. Remember: “Luke! You can’t name him Luke! The kids will call him Puke! Now ‘Bart’… let me see… Aart, Bart, Cart, Dart, Eart. Now that works”.
So I’m imaging a bunch of Italian guys.
“So, wotta we gonna calla the train?”
“How aboutta Italian Train System?”
“Whatta you nuts or something? Da kids’ll call it Pitalian Pain Pystem.”
“How aboutta Trenitalia?”
“Letta me think aboutta that. Hmmm. Aenitalia, Benitalia, Cenitalia, Denitalia, Eenitalia, Fenitalia. Thatsa gooda name! We gonna call it Trenitalia and I don’ta wanna here no arguing, you get what I’ma saying???”
And the rest is history!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Stories from Italy
A few blogs ago, I promised a few stories from my trip to Italy. I will not disappoint. First up:
How Carmen sprained her ankle. By Natalie
Upon arriving back at our hostel, on the last night we realized that power had been lost on the entire block. It was pitch black in the hostel and we had to get to our room on the second floor. We successfully navigated but Courtney, Carmen and I decided it would be in our best interest to take a bottle of wine to the beach and drink out of plastic cups like we were distinguished socialites on vacation. So we head out of our dark room into the more dark hallway. Down the corridor, I’m leading the pack (still unclear how I got that job). I pull open the door to the stairs and there is a man standing there with his cell phone light flashing in my face. I yelp, Carmen screams and 5 seconds later Courtney reacts. We nervously laugh for a moment, but then actually laugh because the man seems nice and it was funny that Courtney has such a startlingly slow reaction time. The man holds his light for us as we go down the stairs and all of a sudden Carmen makes a noise like she’s about to laugh and then tumbles down the stairs.
Nat: “Oh my goodness! Are you okay?”
Carmen: “Ow”
Nat: “We need ice”
Courtney: “There’s no ice in Italy! We’ll have to get Gelato”
Nat: “But Carmen will eat it!”
Courtney: “Good point. Carmen, how did you fall? Did you trip?”
Carmen: “I just lost focus because I was thinking about how funny it would be, since we’re in an old hospital and all, that when Natalie opened the door, and saw that guy, she should have yelled ‘DIE ZOMBIE DIE’!!!!!....... And I thought that was really funny. And I was laughing in my head so hard that I fell.”
Only slightly paraphrased conversation.
We still went to the water…. But we drank wine on a bench and it’s like 3 weeks later and Carmen is still limping. Moral of the story, always yell “Die Zombie Die!”……
Story #2: Would would buy this?
How Carmen sprained her ankle. By Natalie
Upon arriving back at our hostel, on the last night we realized that power had been lost on the entire block. It was pitch black in the hostel and we had to get to our room on the second floor. We successfully navigated but Courtney, Carmen and I decided it would be in our best interest to take a bottle of wine to the beach and drink out of plastic cups like we were distinguished socialites on vacation. So we head out of our dark room into the more dark hallway. Down the corridor, I’m leading the pack (still unclear how I got that job). I pull open the door to the stairs and there is a man standing there with his cell phone light flashing in my face. I yelp, Carmen screams and 5 seconds later Courtney reacts. We nervously laugh for a moment, but then actually laugh because the man seems nice and it was funny that Courtney has such a startlingly slow reaction time. The man holds his light for us as we go down the stairs and all of a sudden Carmen makes a noise like she’s about to laugh and then tumbles down the stairs.
Nat: “Oh my goodness! Are you okay?”
Carmen: “Ow”
Nat: “We need ice”
Courtney: “There’s no ice in Italy! We’ll have to get Gelato”
Nat: “But Carmen will eat it!”
Courtney: “Good point. Carmen, how did you fall? Did you trip?”
Carmen: “I just lost focus because I was thinking about how funny it would be, since we’re in an old hospital and all, that when Natalie opened the door, and saw that guy, she should have yelled ‘DIE ZOMBIE DIE’!!!!!....... And I thought that was really funny. And I was laughing in my head so hard that I fell.”
Only slightly paraphrased conversation.
We still went to the water…. But we drank wine on a bench and it’s like 3 weeks later and Carmen is still limping. Moral of the story, always yell “Die Zombie Die!”……
Story #2: Would would buy this?
And.... do YOU notice anything funny about this sign? The Train system is called "Trenitalia".
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Knowing Me, Knowing You AHA!
Sometimes in life, you need to make your own party.
The weather was pretty crappy this weekend for “The Fireworks”. I use that term in quotations because it’s a big deal in Geneva. People set up hours ahead of time to get good seats by the lake, or you can pay 36 Swiss Francs for a chair.
I really like fireworks, especially the ones that look like diamonds sparkling but for some reason, watching them this week I was unsettled by the fact that millions of dollars are spent to light up the night sky like Southern Lebanon, only it’s set to Celtic music and we all go back to our homes safely afterwards.
They were the biggest fireworks I’ve ever seen.
It was still crumby outside and Mike, Carmen and I were waiting for the Circus Girls to arrive at Secheron. The traffic was insane, so we waited for a little while and then decided to get the party started, in the parking lot of the gas station. It was like a tailgate party, only sans tailgate and with Diesel fuel pumps instead! I brought wicked hot chocolate and Carmen brought fruit (nectarines are apparently the illegitimate love child of a peach and a plum…. Did you know that?)….. People were starring at us like we were insane, especially when I pulled the whip cream out of my bag. But we just chalked it up to a secret “Canadian Tradition”.
Captions generously provided by Carmen.
And it was delicious.
Another great thing that happened that night was the discovery that not all British Comedy shows are stupid. I like “Keeping Up Appearances” (My name is Bookay! B-U-C-K-E-T) and “Kiss Me Kate” is bearable, and “The Office” is phenomenal! And the same night as the party, we watched “Knowing me, Knowing You- With Alan Partridge”. VERY FUNNY. It gets the “Natalie Stamp of Approval”... Which looks a little something like this:
The weather was pretty crappy this weekend for “The Fireworks”. I use that term in quotations because it’s a big deal in Geneva. People set up hours ahead of time to get good seats by the lake, or you can pay 36 Swiss Francs for a chair.
I really like fireworks, especially the ones that look like diamonds sparkling but for some reason, watching them this week I was unsettled by the fact that millions of dollars are spent to light up the night sky like Southern Lebanon, only it’s set to Celtic music and we all go back to our homes safely afterwards.
They were the biggest fireworks I’ve ever seen.
It was still crumby outside and Mike, Carmen and I were waiting for the Circus Girls to arrive at Secheron. The traffic was insane, so we waited for a little while and then decided to get the party started, in the parking lot of the gas station. It was like a tailgate party, only sans tailgate and with Diesel fuel pumps instead! I brought wicked hot chocolate and Carmen brought fruit (nectarines are apparently the illegitimate love child of a peach and a plum…. Did you know that?)….. People were starring at us like we were insane, especially when I pulled the whip cream out of my bag. But we just chalked it up to a secret “Canadian Tradition”.
Captions generously provided by Carmen.
And it was delicious.
Another great thing that happened that night was the discovery that not all British Comedy shows are stupid. I like “Keeping Up Appearances” (My name is Bookay! B-U-C-K-E-T) and “Kiss Me Kate” is bearable, and “The Office” is phenomenal! And the same night as the party, we watched “Knowing me, Knowing You- With Alan Partridge”. VERY FUNNY. It gets the “Natalie Stamp of Approval”... Which looks a little something like this:
"Knowing me Alan Patridge, Knowing you 'insert name here' AHA! AHA!"
Goodbye.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
VIVA ITALIA!
Interns do ITALY!Courtney, Nikki, Nadia, Carrene, Natalie, Carmen spend four days in Levanto Italy.
Bonjourno!
Okay, I know I haven't been posting enough. But you see, I'm not going to have internet at my apartment for another 12 days........
So all updates are essentially done at work, and not that I can't justify blogging during work hours it's just that....... well I can't.
BUT
Last weekend, I went to Italy. Cinque Terre to be exact. I went with Nadia, Nikki, Natalie (me), Carmen, Carrene, and Courtney (yes, you couldn't come on the trip unless your name started with N or C).....
We took a train from Geneva to Milano, and then from Milano to Levento (which is where our hostel was). The hostel was beautiful, nothing like I imagined (What I imagined: small, foggy, hot room with rubber mats on the floor, and a small square window with bars, and a single toilet in the middle.... okay, I IMAGINED a prison cell).... But this was very nice!!! HUge room with 3 bunk beds and two giant closets and a bathroom with a shower and a toilet and a beday (I don't think anyone used that though)....
We explored the 5 cities and I'll put up some of my favorite pics below... You get to each city by train and it's just totally magical. To learn more about Cinque Terre go here: http://homepage.sunrise.ch/homepage/avong/cinque_terre/
Okay, I know I haven't been posting enough. But you see, I'm not going to have internet at my apartment for another 12 days........
So all updates are essentially done at work, and not that I can't justify blogging during work hours it's just that....... well I can't.
BUT
Last weekend, I went to Italy. Cinque Terre to be exact. I went with Nadia, Nikki, Natalie (me), Carmen, Carrene, and Courtney (yes, you couldn't come on the trip unless your name started with N or C).....
We took a train from Geneva to Milano, and then from Milano to Levento (which is where our hostel was). The hostel was beautiful, nothing like I imagined (What I imagined: small, foggy, hot room with rubber mats on the floor, and a small square window with bars, and a single toilet in the middle.... okay, I IMAGINED a prison cell).... But this was very nice!!! HUge room with 3 bunk beds and two giant closets and a bathroom with a shower and a toilet and a beday (I don't think anyone used that though)....
We explored the 5 cities and I'll put up some of my favorite pics below... You get to each city by train and it's just totally magical. To learn more about Cinque Terre go here: http://homepage.sunrise.ch/homepage/avong/cinque_terre/
My favorite city was Manarola. Mostly because I took this picture.... It was so colourful.
I really enjoyed walking everywhere and trying not to look like a stupid tourist but still looking like a stupid tourist, "Oh wow!! Look at that!! Isn't that CUTE?? There's a cat sleeping in that pot! Oh gosh, get the camera! Look, there's some GELATO! Who wants Gelato? Let's get a picture eatinv Gelato here. SIr? Scuzi! Scuzi!! Will you taka a pictura ofa me and my friends eating GELATO!!!!?????" (Slightly paraphrased).....Okay, that's all I have time for today, but I'll post more on Italy and keep an eye out for the following features... "How Carman Sprained her Ankle..." "Who would buy a shirt that says 'Sex Bomb?" and "Riding the Trenatalia".
Thursday, July 20, 2006
P.C. is my middle name.........
Comment of the day. Said by Chris:
"Natalie, in this office we prefer the P.C. terms. So it would be great if you could in the future avoid saying things like 'I set my browser font to retard size'."
"Natalie, in this office we prefer the P.C. terms. So it would be great if you could in the future avoid saying things like 'I set my browser font to retard size'."
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Baby Bear
I got this email from my sister:
Someone's been sleeping in YOUR bed Goldilocks:
This is my newest cousin Caleb. I love how they barricade him with pillows. If he was in Switzerland, there would be no barricades.... There would probably be a gate of spikes and perhaps a rabid tiger sleeping beside him and the blanket would be made of raw chicken. (See appendix below on the low safety standards of Switzerland)
Someone's been sleeping in YOUR bed Goldilocks:
This is my newest cousin Caleb. I love how they barricade him with pillows. If he was in Switzerland, there would be no barricades.... There would probably be a gate of spikes and perhaps a rabid tiger sleeping beside him and the blanket would be made of raw chicken. (See appendix below on the low safety standards of Switzerland)
Monday, July 17, 2006
Natalie Does Jet D'eau
So Saturday morning I made a two item task list.
Buy Tweezers.
Get as close to Jet D’eau as possible.
I’m happy to report I did both.
The “Jet” is a fountain in Geneva that kind of got there by accident. I guess originally, a fountain was set up as a necessity to relieve excess water pressure while a reservoir system was being installed. But everyone liked it so much that it was made a permanent fixture. I actually saw it in the airplane as we were landing in Geneva and it’s right across the lake from where I l
ive so I set out in that direction. 20 minutes and a 4 dollar bottle of water later I was there (*beer was the same price as water…). There’s this meter and a half “bridge” that takes you out to the jet, but in true Geneva style (See Appendix), there is no fence… or anything ensuring that people don’t fall off. I went out there when it was totally packed with tourists and this idiot in front of me was pushing a stroller (seriously unsafe). However, once you get to the jet, there is a spiked fence stopping people from going right up to the jet that is throwing 500 liters per second 140 feet into the air at a speed of 200 km/hour.
Appendix: There is a startling lack of safety systems here. Maybe I’m just too Canadian and I’m used to a lot of safety rules like helmets, seatbelts, and sunscreen. But here, children are out on their bikes without helmets and the other day as I was waiting for the tram I see this woman careening at an impressive speed down my street (which is a hill that ends in a busy intersection) on a manual scooter and I think “Oh wow, looks like she’s taking one of those “My Buddy” dolls to work with her…. No, no wait. That’s not a “My Buddy” doll, that’s a child holding on to the back of her legs without any form of protection.
You can buy alcohol everywhere… Our work cafeteria, vending machines, corner stores and it pretty much operates on the honor system (I think the drinking age is 16). On that note, there are no restrictions on where you smoke or drink. I remember in the airport in Toronto every other P.A. announcement was reminding people that there is no where to smoke in the building whatsoever. As soon as I landed in Amsterdam every other announcement was pretty much “Just a reminder that you can only smoke in the designated smoking areas, as well as restaurants, bars, cafes, any place with a table- actually we’ll tell you what, light up wherever you’d like and if it’s in a wrong spot we’ll let you finish the cigarette and then tell you of a better place to smoke your next one.”
Same goes with drinking. Drinking a bottle of wine in a public part here is not just for hobos (actually, there are no hobos here either… it’s too expensive to be homeless here).
All that to say, it’s a very safe place here but I still don’t do anything stupid like swimming in the lake by myself at midnight or taking rides from strangers. Actually I was teased a bit because the first few days here, I insisted that I had to be inside my flat by 10:00pm because I was nervous… See folks that’s what 4 years in Hammertown will do to you.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Entry number one
Hello! Bonjour!
Here's my first entry on The Natterhorn. I have successfully made it to Geneva. The flight over was long and I had a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam. I tried to sleep but it wasn’t very successful despite trying to BORE myself to sleep by watching the in flight movie (16 Blocks starring Bruce Willis and his fake mustache)...... I was greeted at the airport with a "Welcome to Geneva Mr. Bono" sign which made me laugh quite hard… And people were looking presumably wondering “Bono’s coming?”….. No, just Natalie.
So I started work first thing Monday morning. It’s Friday as I’m writing this and I think my body is finally getting used to the new time zone.
My “Flat” is small but I’ll make it work. My television’s only new source is the BBC which is pleasant, indeed. Work is going well; I like the people that are here!! Everyone is being kind and helping me find my way around. I actually take a tram to the United Nations each morning and catch a bus from there to work! Everything here is a little different, in one way or another, but many things are still the same. I still fear getting hit by a car, now I have just amended that to a fear of being hit by a motorbike or a tram as well.
Things I have noticed so far:
1. People say “Toilet” instead of “Washroom” or “restroom”. I realize this is also a primarily British thing but it’s thrown me off none the less…. In my family, saying “I’m going to the toilet” is essentially the equivalent of saying “I’ve gotta take a wiz”. Both of which would get an unapproving tisk from my momma.
2. Many women don’t wear bras. Not sure what this is all about, but I’ve labeled this phenomenon “Bra-ptional”. I do not plan on ever “culturally immersing” myself in this way.
3. In Geneva, Che Guevara has his own line of school and home office accessories. I might splurge on the revolutionary pencil case because I think the binder would be a little intrusive.
4.I really want to improve my French. So I thought the best way would be to start watching subtitled English television. But I’m very limited in my selection. But I’m proud to say that I know how to say “That’s so ghetto”, “I gotta job!”, and “You in the tube top, you gotta git yerself a betta weave” in French thanks to a subtitled episode of Jerry Springer.
That’s all for now, I don’t have internet access at my flat yet, but once I do, my updates will be far more interesting and I’ll put up some pictures…… Because everyone loves a picture.
Miss you…
Here's my first entry on The Natterhorn. I have successfully made it to Geneva. The flight over was long and I had a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam. I tried to sleep but it wasn’t very successful despite trying to BORE myself to sleep by watching the in flight movie (16 Blocks starring Bruce Willis and his fake mustache)...... I was greeted at the airport with a "Welcome to Geneva Mr. Bono" sign which made me laugh quite hard… And people were looking presumably wondering “Bono’s coming?”….. No, just Natalie.
So I started work first thing Monday morning. It’s Friday as I’m writing this and I think my body is finally getting used to the new time zone.
My “Flat” is small but I’ll make it work. My television’s only new source is the BBC which is pleasant, indeed. Work is going well; I like the people that are here!! Everyone is being kind and helping me find my way around. I actually take a tram to the United Nations each morning and catch a bus from there to work! Everything here is a little different, in one way or another, but many things are still the same. I still fear getting hit by a car, now I have just amended that to a fear of being hit by a motorbike or a tram as well.
Things I have noticed so far:
1. People say “Toilet” instead of “Washroom” or “restroom”. I realize this is also a primarily British thing but it’s thrown me off none the less…. In my family, saying “I’m going to the toilet” is essentially the equivalent of saying “I’ve gotta take a wiz”. Both of which would get an unapproving tisk from my momma.
2. Many women don’t wear bras. Not sure what this is all about, but I’ve labeled this phenomenon “Bra-ptional”. I do not plan on ever “culturally immersing” myself in this way.
3. In Geneva, Che Guevara has his own line of school and home office accessories. I might splurge on the revolutionary pencil case because I think the binder would be a little intrusive.
4.I really want to improve my French. So I thought the best way would be to start watching subtitled English television. But I’m very limited in my selection. But I’m proud to say that I know how to say “That’s so ghetto”, “I gotta job!”, and “You in the tube top, you gotta git yerself a betta weave” in French thanks to a subtitled episode of Jerry Springer.
That’s all for now, I don’t have internet access at my flat yet, but once I do, my updates will be far more interesting and I’ll put up some pictures…… Because everyone loves a picture.
Miss you…
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