19 posts tagged “toronto”

if we can call them friends then we can call them on their telephones
and they won't pretend that they're too busy or that they're not alone
and if we can call them friends then we can call
holler at them down these hallowed halls
just don't let the human factor fail to be a factor
at all
-------
and we were tired of being mild
we were so tired of being mild
and we were tired...

i know we're going to meet some day
in the crumbled financial institutions of this land
there will be tables and chairs
there'll be pony rides and dancing bears
there'll even be a band
cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries
no currencies at all, we're gonna live on our wits
we're gonna throw away survival kits,
trade butterfly-knives for adderal
and that's not all
ooh-ooh, there will be snacks there will
there will be snacks, there will be snacks.
--------
so don't you,
don't you worry
about the atmosphere.

---------

andrew bird is a brilliant lyricist.
is that the right word? i almost wrote "write" word, like a bad pun.

i love puns, knock knock jokes, and free chocolate soy milk.
oh, and my housemate makes great cookies.

hi, my name's naomi and i'm still figuring out [life after post-secondary education].
my ties are still tight there, though; i'm dating someone still in college and teaching at my alma mater's inter-varsity group.

speaking of which.... tell me, why shouldn't we judge people [lest we be judged]? i'm trying to figure that out.
i certainly don't feel qualified for this.

and i certainly don't feel certain about all of [this] everyday, you know, the whole, Jesus Christ, God, Holy Spirit thing. i mean, i'm sure,but Jesus, i feel like i'm struggling here. i know your Goodness exists, and actually, you are only Good. sometimes i struggle to feel your love completely surround me.
but i know your truth exists in the scripture of Matthew 7:1-6 and most of scripture and that there are lessons worth teaching, and that every Bible story points to you, teaches about youuu, you, you, you're everything and in everything and with everything in this constant flow

i learn so much about this Truth and Goodness from our phone calls i take notes from, in pencil and in pen, point form and scribbles, i apologize for the delay in response, i need to get it all down, so i don't forget. so the Truth and Goodness can go deep down into my soul and brain and being.

"the only constant is change"
 i think heraclitus said it.

he also said this:
"you cannot step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you."

This river I step in is not the river I stand in.

i cross the bridge above often; for placement-related purposes, to my second favourite coffee shop, to go swimming, to visit some of my favourite neighbourhoods.

i am also metaphorically crossing this bridge daily, from one point of change to another, as new ways of being forcibly present themselves to me. many of the very recent changes that have been presented to me i am having trouble seeing as positive, and am finding it easy to mourn about loss in a very self-centred, inward-looking way. a close friend moving away. a forced step into taking more leadership&responsibility with inter-varsity. loss of immediate proximity of a mentor. loss of a favourite professor.  

change for all parties involved. change is never done in isolation. or affecting just one person.

i would like wrap up the loose strings of this post, so it could be cohesive, but am unsure if i can.

i know in my heart there is another constant besides change; that's the creator, jesus, spirit.. .
i know in my heart if i spend more time in reflection i can move away from my selfishness around change.. .
i know in my heart my time in university has been all about change, and i always survive.. .
i know in my heart there are some things about me that do remain, like love, and hope, and faith.. .

how did i let a month go by without writing? shame on me.

my face is feeling hot, i got burnt in montreal because i forgot sunscreen.

i just got home two hours ago from three days in montreal.

while i was waiting for the streetcar home from the train station, there were a handful of people speaking quebecois on cellphones & to each other, and it was quite surreal just returning from quebec.

the via rail is more comfortable, far quicker and more enjoyable than the greyhound bus. but more expensive, and you have to book beforehand. so i will not likely return to their services anytime soon. but this ride was certainly a treat. also, having snacks for purchase on board is dangerous. aaron and i had trouble saying no.

i wore my pink low-top chuck taylors the whole three days. bad, bad, bad, bad idea. by the middle of the second day i had a blister on my left foot & a limping right foot. hence why i took the ttc home from the train station because walking is painful and humiliating.

my oldest brother & i went because he had an orientation to go to new political science students at concordia, but this trip helped him decide he will not be going there.

i complained about my feet a lot & he complained about how difficult it is to find the metro a lot. coming from china everything is very helpful, says he. i joked just all things need to be dummy-proof for him.

tuesday was also effing miserable because it was hot as hell and we were trucking ourselves around old montreal, the plateau, etc etc. we stayed in a hostel that wasn't bad but nowhere as near as good as my top notch hostel in chicago. it was on a beautiful street though, rue saint-hubert.

montreal is far more hilly than toronto.

both nights we found patios to drink on and told funny stories from childhood & adolescence, pertaining to subjects like poop. and when we weren't talking about bodily functions, we were arguing about something --- i've learned (and known for a while)-- i am not a great defender of my faith. in fact, i'm not a great defender of much at all. my opinions are formed loosely around how i feel, my intuitions, my gut, trust, and faith in something Bigger & Outside of me. i've found (and am frequently frustrated by) that this does not make me very eloquent and in fact makes me stutter and end most sentences in incomplete thoughts. meanwhile, my oldest brother can defend anything to the death that he might even have the slightest opinion on. so that & the beating sun tired me out quite well.

we ate great bagels & drank quebecois beer & tofu dogs & poutine & lattes & pastries & chinese food & fries & apples.

i really loved the staircases to the houses in the plateau. i found them so romantic & dreamy.

by the end of the three days i had realized we had played a game of "spot the american apparel" ..&&if there was an aa in sight, that certainly meant we were in a hip area. we found four,... so i guess we didn't get 'em all. heh.

anyway, i'm just exhuasted at this point & think i prefer travelling a) in the winter & b) when there is a local tour guide/friend or friend of friend in the city.

but montreal was great. i'm glad i went.
but vraiement, j'adore toronto.

& now i have a long list of chores to do tomorrow since i'm home, home, home!!!

okay so, some awesome shows coming up..
11 feb: vampire weekend; horseshoe
2 mar: evangelicals; el mocambo
4 mar: josh ritter; phoenix
6 mar: jason collett; lee's
17 mar: justice; sound academy *
20 mar: caribou; lee's
16 apr: hot chip; phoenix

* though i really would like to see justice live, i'm not sure i want to see them at the docks/i wonder if the crowd would totally suck. eeeew.

out of all of these, hot chip is a must!

someone come with meee!

last night,
i bobbed my head to beach boy covers
of songs i didn't know (but bands i did)
and drank my last beer for forty-six days.

briefly , accidentally &unexpectedly
met up with two like-minded souls 
that make my heart warm so intensely my smile can't leave:

and finally, whilst riding my bicycle home
down college street, twelve-thirty am,
tongue out catching snowflakes
heard my name called out,
and i waved to a friend.

toronto, now i'm not sure how i'll leave you after all.

I guess sometimes you just need a mirror held up to you.
How is it that I could be so 'fuzzy' about a decision when such significant things were occurring that were obviously pointing me one way? Too often I let my doubts, fears and selfish wants get in the way of, well, life. I can so easily write off things that are quite possibly things God is calling me into. shh... wanna know a secret? you're one of the first to know,.... i'm going to zambia in july

It's really scary trying to follow Jesus, but I highly recommend it.

I'm back to listening to Regina Spektor. I know what that means, and I don't like it.

I'm too tired to make this post more reflective or elaborate, so goodnight.
Can't wait to start my day tomorrow with a beautiful americano & a gorgeous 5K bike ride! Seriously, I got on my bike today and started giggling. I'm infatuated.

"I do not exist," we faithfully insist
while watching sink the heavy ship of everything we knew
if ever you come near I'll hold up high a mirror
Lord, I could never show you anything as beautiful as you
-messes of men, mewithoutYou

pipe dreams of co-ownership of a bunny paired with less tolerance for meaningless& ignorant speech.
shitty at-home hair dye jobs and a deep fascination with how much i can live my life controlled by fear.
bad chinese food with tired parents.
yesterday's paper & a burn from a spilled americano.

some new music tonight and back to the old routine tomorrow morning.

last night i dreamt of no-water tazo chais.
ahh Starbucks, stop stealing my dreams!

i'm at my parent's house right now.
i feel like a nomad when i'm here, i drop my crap off in whatever room i'm transplanted to, and just sleep.
always in a bed that ruins my back for the first half of the day.
i forget I have to quiet my voice for baby, and watch too much tv.

i'm tired of my cliche rantings about home.

they move on the 28th to London, and i fly to Alberta on the 26th.
i kind of feel like a jerk about missing helping them move.. they have a lot of work left to do.

i come back to Toronto on the 1st of january.
i'm not sure i'm ready for 2008.
but i don't have a choice.

fantastic venue, beer in hand, surrounded by people, singing "my heart out" to Don't be so mean Jellybean.
good night. concert attended alone #4537041.

and oh, my, God, I love the weather. beautiful cold.