Thursday, October 30, 2008
Lang Lang Recital Concert: Love Love Love
It was like an anticipation for about a month and finally seeing Lang Lang performing live looking vouge and chilling the bones of everyone in the audience was the second greatest thing that had happened to me this month. The first of course was my trip to Montreal and that upgraded full suite at Embrassy Hotel.
But getting to the concert wasn't excatly what I have expected. Why? Because Queen B Madonna is also in town rocking Vancouver literally.
And when I said literally, I MEANT literally. Here was how I got to the recital from Richmond:
1. Tried Granville Bridge, very jammed, skit onto Bridgeport to try Oak Bridge.
2. Oak Bridge is literally NOT MOVING, gave up, try Knight Bridge.
3. Two Ambulances flew pass our very long line up, leaving me heart beating very fast by now, 1 hr countdown to missing the recital.
4. Finally got on and off the bridge, stuck on Knight Street, saw about like 5 car accidents, en route to Victoria Street, hit Kingsway full speed, slide down Main, jammed my way through Madonna fans' cars, very much IN PANIC.
5. MY savior JASON offered to drive my car to his place so that totally saved not only my $86 ticket to see Lang Lang and also I found my blood pressure finally starting to decrease since the moment I left Aberdeen Centre.
After all these, not only did I made it, I still got like 2o mins to spare to hit the lineup for the ladiesroom just to see how red my face was with all this rush. But next time I want to go to a concert in downtown, I will make sure it's not on the same night with Madonna. Never never never again.
But getting to the concert wasn't excatly what I have expected. Why? Because Queen B Madonna is also in town rocking Vancouver literally.
And when I said literally, I MEANT literally. Here was how I got to the recital from Richmond:
1. Tried Granville Bridge, very jammed, skit onto Bridgeport to try Oak Bridge.
2. Oak Bridge is literally NOT MOVING, gave up, try Knight Bridge.
3. Two Ambulances flew pass our very long line up, leaving me heart beating very fast by now, 1 hr countdown to missing the recital.
4. Finally got on and off the bridge, stuck on Knight Street, saw about like 5 car accidents, en route to Victoria Street, hit Kingsway full speed, slide down Main, jammed my way through Madonna fans' cars, very much IN PANIC.
5. MY savior JASON offered to drive my car to his place so that totally saved not only my $86 ticket to see Lang Lang and also I found my blood pressure finally starting to decrease since the moment I left Aberdeen Centre.
After all these, not only did I made it, I still got like 2o mins to spare to hit the lineup for the ladiesroom just to see how red my face was with all this rush. But next time I want to go to a concert in downtown, I will make sure it's not on the same night with Madonna. Never never never again.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Books: Not a girl's favorite but is every girl's once in a while remedy
Unless you are reading your newspapers everyday and is totally happy about it, there are actually books that are a delight to read and here is a few of them and why:
1. "How To Walk In High Heels" by Camila Morton
why: VOGUE called it the "MUST-HAVE GUIDE TO EVERYTHING IN A GIRL'S LIFE." This is the book that will NOT ONLY teach you how to walk in your high heels properly, look glam, be smart, play chess, write your very own business proposals, how to drive a car, cook a romantic dinner for two, blah blah blah, it's also one of the most haliarious book I've ever read that's funny, quick wit, and just as good as comfort food for the mind.
2. "A Year in High Heels" by Camila Morton
why: Well, after reading her first book, you will want more. Trust me. It's addictive.
3. "PLATO: A Very Short Introduction" by Julia Annas
why: It's published by OXFORD University Press, just about 100 pages or so, can easily fit into a lady's purse, and it is easy enough to understand whatever, whenever. When you can't find a free newspaper copy sitting around the cafe, this will be your savior, not to mention driving away unwanted strangers. ( no more acting being busy, you ARE busy in an Oxford's book.)
4. "Three Fates" by Nora Roberts
why: NORA ROBERTS is the reigning Queen of popular fiction literature in North America. She is perhaps the only living female novelist with enough books to fill an IKEA standard 6" tall 4 " wide bookcase and might still need a night table to put the fave ones by the bed in case insomnia hits home at 3am. This book "Three Fates" is about a family who inherited one of the three silver miniature statue of the "FATES", and how a bitchy antique collector agent is using all her dirty ways to try to collect the entire set. I have a soft spot for myths and this one has been on my night table stool since day 1.
5. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by Newt Scamander ( actually it's by J.K. Rowling)
why: This is as good as a collectable special book as a actual wit-filled relaxing read if you are a Harry Potter fan. And the proceeds of this book will go to Comic Relief, which raise money for projects that helps some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the poorest countries of the world. Give others the chance to learn, remember Karma.
Where I go to buy my books?
Duthie Books
2239 W. 4th Ave, Van BC V6K 1N9
Phone: 604-732-5344
Labels: Camila Morton, Comic Relief, Duthie Books, J.K. Rowling, Nora Roberts, Plato
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Seems like I've awoken from a long awaited dream. .
The past five days in Montreal seems so unreal that it hurts everytime I hear a leaf fall on the ground. . .
But life goes on, and after 12 hours of marathron sleep, I found myself back on my very steady feet and once again, very restless.
I still haven't figure out why. . .but something is burning within that I know I can't stop. . .I felt like someone else is in control of my life and there's nothing that I can do but to bow down to this invincible lost of self. . . this is how I felt everytime I hear my heart beats. One, two, three, four, five. . . like an endless song haunting me in my every waking moment. Unless I die, I will never escape from this deep echo of savage symphony.
Of course, life isn't totally out of control. Within all these madness I can still find myself weaving seamlessly into the literal normal life, doing normal things.
. . . although playing airplane chess at Blenz on a "thank god it's friday" friday night isn't . . exactly normal. . . but it calms me down, and I'm playing against the equally "I don't give a damn what you think I'm still going to do my own thing" Gigi. So two minus equals a plus, and all of the sudden, life felt good.
And life continues with a 2pm meeting on a perfectly warm and sunny autumn Saturday 40 mins drive away from the warmth of my own den. But this is exactly what I need: reality. To be on the ground, to be in focus, to stop letting my imaginations run without a conductor to stop me, to stay within the line, and burn all my energy on what needs me, not what destroys me.
If I'm not burning for what I care, I'll just be another supernova blast into forgotteness and forever lost.
Labels: airplane chess, Blenz Coffee, Gigi
Alot can happen during a 6 hour flight
I can't believe it, but here are the list of things that totally flipped upside down while I was watching Sex and The City (. . .again) on my return flight to Vancouver from Montreal:
1. Canadian Dollar to US Dollar flipped: $1 Canadian Dollar = 70 Cents US. I am totally cancelling that trip to Seattle.
2. A certain someone that I absolutely thought was totally out of my life was back in my life and I don't even know how it happened. I'm very much still in shock.
3. Kelvin sent a total of 4 new songs that are now in the folder for our third album. And this is pretty much the ONLY good thing that happened out of all these very confusing happenings.
4. Air Canada lost our trade show suitcase that had ALL our display in it.
5. My co worker's suitcase was thrown, dropped, and thrown again, damaging her lock and she could not open her case which contains some of the stuff that I've bought during the trip. How brutal.
6. I wrote another song after watching Carrie Bradshaw finally gets to marry Mr. Big. I think this comes more of a shock to Jason instead of myself because I have always got a hinch that I would have totally nothing else to do eventually and would just let inspirations run wild when everyone including Nicky had fell deep asleep.
7. . . . . .and something about finding out a huge federal dept that was kept unmentioned during the election. It's so depressing that I just don't even want to read the fine prints.
8. I'm now obliaged to attend the "Fairy Queen" tea party because my godfather have already booked me. Didn't he not heard me complain how I can't eat lately??
9. 86 unread hotmail emails. Allure, Vouge, Mexx, Body Shop, Guess, HR, Clarins, even Safeway are having promotional campaigns in November. Looks like that weak Canadian Dollar is worse than I thought.
10. 43 unread junk emails. Even Viragra is on a campaign. Sorry dear but I just deleted all your emails. Try the opposite sex you will have better luck.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Last Night in Montreal with the Gargoyles~~
It's been my pleasure. Thank you Montreal^^. . . Except maybe the weather wasn't exactly to my taste.
Actually, my plane doesn't leave for another 18 hours, but I'm already missing my Embassy suite, my gigantic fridge ( that we have so far been using it to store our beer), my hot tub, my 2 ( yes, 2) plasma HD TV, and my free wireless internet. ( I use a cable at home, laugh all you want but it's faster.)
But really, it's been a wonderful trip being able to breathe the aire of this beautifully romantic city full of artsy archicultures with its intruding histories, lovely local people that are just the sweetest on Earth, elecentric expressocafes, alluring night bars, newly turned color maples, the upbeat metro subways. . .if this isn't love that I'm feeling, then I don't know what is.
Well, love did came like, for about two hours yesterday when I saw this prince charmingly hot barista representing JJ Beans BC in the barista completition. So what happened? Well, my booth was close enough to the stage that I was able to go to his practicing machine station, stood there, cast my shadow onto his 2% milk bottle, and he turned around and made me a double shot expresso WITH his own self-roasted coffee beans. He called his beans "Spendie" after his name "Spencer". I called it "A'mour" and I swear I can wear it as perfume. Too bad that he doesn't go on the floor at any of the JJ Beans cafe anymore, he just roast beans for them. Too bad indeed. . .
After the trade show was over, Nicky and I crashed the Centre Eaton, Promenades Cathedrale, Complexe Les Ailes, and the Rue St. Catherines. How tired were we? Words doesn't even describe it. I was so tired, I ordered a pepsi when we finally sat down for dinner. (....I need to feel forever young again.)
So here are my plans for the remaining 18 hours:
1. Finish all our beers in the gigantic fridge AND the plate of super salty chicken wings that's been sitting on our gigantic kitchen counter for the past 2 hours.
2. Watch more TV on the HD plasma, especially the one in the bedroom that's hanging from the ceiling.
3. Wake up at 6am, take an hour long bath in the hot tub.
4. Eat a very full complmentary breakfast and stuff myself up as much as possible so I can skip lunch and spend my every waking moments crashing all the shopes all over again and in between must visit St. Paul St at Old Montreal for a decent cup of double shot expresso.
4. Catch my plane home.
Wow. . . .busy busy busy. Love love love. lol~~
Labels: Complexe Les Ailes, JJ Beans, Old Montreal, Promenades Cathedrale, Rue St. Catherines
Monday, October 20, 2008
Good Morning, Ogilvy
Day 2 in Montreal
It's great to be insomnia when going on trips because getting to party until dawn and to wake up in time to see the sunset in the unfamilar city was just what I need for inspiration. Especially here in Montreal with all the beautiful Victorian era style building and the sleepless Gargoyles. Sorry Jace, I tried, you just have to bear with me with all the crazy new stuff. . . xoxo~~
Breakfast was awesome. For the first time ever, I actually FINISHED all of it:
Two eggs sunny side up
a few bacons
two sauage links
two pieces of cantalopes
some cold ham
coffee, coffee, coffee
Bravo bravo. And it lasted until dinner. Food, however, is the least important part for today. Today, we explore. And so we did, traveling in NYC style: cabbing.
So the best of the first four hours of our morning was spent in luxe "window" shopping at Holt Renfrew ( 1300 Rue Shedbrooke) and "actual literally shopping" at Ogilvy. ( 2 blocks from HR on Montagne St). Don't get me wrong though, Ogilvy isn't any less expensive than HR if not cheaper. Lady Nicky liked Olivy better than HR. Ogilvy's got Louis Vuitton, HR didn't. ( . . . .did I hear eye glasses falling onto the ground and shattering into pieces. . .?? . . .I thought so. . .) Not only did she liked it, she loved it, and she loved it so much, she dropped $800 there during our one hr stay.
Note to Dohon: Don't worry she dropped it on a Louis Luitton. Deep breath, mate, deep breath.
As for me. . . . Geurlain perfume. . . . .50ml. . .don't ask. . .lust at first sight is the hardest to withold. Condemn me ONLY when you have never been lured by lust.
I'll just skip the entire "getting 30 kg of stuff into the trade show venue from our hotel and setting it up and arranging our tables and out of breath at the end of that" coz as you can see, it's so over in one run-on sentence. Back to sightseeing. Another cab, another neonlight, another mall, another coffee (. . .my 4th one actually), and we found ourselves having our fine dining at:
Macdonald's.
We ordered a entree of "Poulet de South Ouest" and a tapa dish of " Poulet de le Nuggets". And we didn't finish it. We are not trying to turn ourselves into Ashley and MK Olsen. But eating that super gigantic breakfast ( in my CURRENT point of view, and for those who know me, you already know that I've done SO MUCH BETTER!!! I REALLY TRIED!!!) really filled us up like some energetic batteries that never dies. Btw, I've only seen so far ONE Macdonald's on Rue Sainte Catherine. Mapquest your Macdonald's if you can't live without them.
After we got back to the Embassy, I finally get to try the massaging hot tub that takes 30 mins to fill up. To my surprise, it cleared away my lingering headache faster than Advil liquid gel. I totally will take more bath as much as I can during the rest of my stay. Don't expect pictures of it, I don't do 18A and over.
Lots of love, Kaila~
Labels: Macdonald's., Montreal, Ogilvy, Rue Shedbrooke St
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Good Evening, Beautiful Montreal~
A 10:40am flight isn't exactly early, but it is quite the wake up call this morning when all three of my alarm clocks played symphony at 0600 pacific time. With my recent restlessness, it wasn't so hard to leave the comfort of my den, but I still slipped into the shower to wake up properly. Actually, it was a second shower in about 4 hours. Saturday night isn't really a "go to sleep early" night for the norms of the norms and certainly not for me when LOCUS is on a "crunchier than crunch" recording schedule.
Note to Kel: For the first time in like a month I did fell asleep for the most peaceful 20 mins on your sofa. ( . . or Bryce's sofa. . ? Daniel's? . . . .whoever it is, thank you~~)
Finally arrived at YVR, grabbed my Lady Nicky ( my co-worker and roommate for 4 days in the Grand Deluxe Embassy Hotel by Hiltons), got my Pumpkin Spice Latte Double Foam Double Whip (. . .yes. . .WHIP, DOUBLE), got my VOUGE Novemeber issue, got totally ready and felt actually happy, and the unthinkable happened.
I was told to take off my boots while going through security.
WOW.
Note to all fashionistas: Trust me when I say match your socks whenever, whatever.
After that very shocking drama ( in my point of view), we boarded AC 194 ON TIME, and sat very comfortably in front of each of our very own very individual touch sensor flat TV screen, and I found myself enjoying Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of Crystal Skulls, followed by The Sex and the City MOVIE. Repeat: individual touch sensor flat TV screen and watching The Sex and the City. Almost forgot I wasn't going to the NYC.
And when I say how much I appreciate instant chicken noodle soup, I'm being at my most honest ever. It was pretty much the only HOT "entree" on board. The conversation my band was having about how if Macdonald's certain burger would stand up to the completition against the fancy downtown burger parlers? I think at least Macdonald wins against the half hot half cold so called COLD deli meat sandwiches they served on board. I pity the woman that ordered it, paid for it, and ate the bread only. . . .
Once we got out of the very chaotic Trudeau airport we can't help it but felt. . . silent. On a Sunday evening around 7pm there was literally NO ONE on our block of areas near our Embassy.. . . How lonely the gargoyles must be on top of all the Victorian era style beautiful bulidings. . . . I can almost hear them sigh. . . . .( . . . .no, it was me. . . .when we got lost around our block. . . )
Eventually, it was a late dinner @ Tatami Sushi, dining on top of a bowl of fish tanks listening to soft lounge jazz/house music, a walk around the St. Jean Pierre, a quick pick me ups at a local cafe, and a very hot shower back at the Embassy. Everything seems so artsy and beatiful in Montreal, I better catch up on some culture with VOUGE tonight before I go to sleep. Lucky I bought the BC version. I can't read French.
Labels: Air Canada, LOCUS, Montreal, Sex and the City, Tatami Sushi, The Embassy by Hilton, Vancouver, VYR
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