Oh Canada

So I've been back in Canada for 5 days and I haven't posted a thing yet.

Explanation: My dad has recently changed internet server and now, i cannot access it through my laptop; I have to use my his computer. So I can't put up any pictures, and obviously, I spend less time on my dad's pc than I do my mac.

So I will try to remedy the problem, although I am quite certain nobody from Australia actually goes to see my blog. And my family in Canada doesn't need news from me right now, cause I'm here with them.

Since I have arrived, I must say, I have been feeling very very good.
I saw Vanou, which is like going up for air for me in a way. We've been doing what we usually do, and I have also gone around downtown, which is nice.
And now, December looks like December. The holiday spirit has suddenly hit me with all the snow around. I cannot wait to go and celebrate christmas with my family tonight.
How fun this will be!!!
I have been waiting for this for two years.
Too bad my sister and my hubby aren't here, that really would be the icing on the cake.

To all a Merry Christmas!

Species Loss

I was watching the news this morning before going to work, and suddenly, there it was.

The first 35mm professionnal project I loaded and focus pulled all on my own.
This commercial was a landmark for me.

It was a surprise because I didn't think it was going to air on TV. It was first meant to be featured on website for animal and nature conservation, then as a promotion before movies during the preview period.

It was so cool, you know? To see it all finished.
It looked fanatastic and it was very funny.

It was exciting.

Another Day

There's nothing like christmas time to piss you off when you are working at a restaurant. Long days, long nights, double shifts everyday, running around like crazy, the kitchen swamped, people getting drunk and therefore ruder by the minute.... eh merde. I am almost regretting my BA....

Today started well.
Got up, was tired of not sleeping the night before (it was 39 degrees the day before, so about 30 at night, with no fan...)but I spoke to my mom and she told me the flights were ok for Allen to make it to Canada!!! I am sooooo happy!!!
So that gave me somwhat of an energy boost and I went down to Jolleys and started a very busy lunch shift. People were nice and all, a couple even asked my boss to be served by me specifically. That's always nice.

The shift ended and I was on call for the evening shift.
Went and ran some errons in the city.
Called in.
My boss said they didn't need me.
I went to have a drink with other non-working co-workers.
After a few drinks, my boss calls me on my cell.
They had a wave of bookings and they really needed me to come in straight away.
By this point, it was 6h30, I hadn't eaten all day, and those drinks had gone straight to my head. Oh boy. I ran out of the bar and got a dinner that I ate on the run while my friend dropped me off at work. Let's say that first hour of work was particularly interesting in the state I was in.
But man oh man. Everyone came in at the same time and the shit hit the fan.
I was supposed to come in to help out until the rush was finished, but it never finished. I closed the restaurant with the others.
Now I am completely flat out.
I'm going to bed, because I have three other double shifts back to back in the days to come.

If you are going out this time of year, and you are having fun, and you are eating good food and drinking good wine, please, oh please, think of the hard working waiting staff. They never have days off around christmas and new years to enjoy a night like the one you are having. They are working three times as hard.
Please, say thank you.

(And a good tip always helps.)

Eh merde.

Aujourd'hui, j'ai fait une très très très grosse BA.
J'ai appris en entrant au restaurant que Yana, une collègue, est retournée d'urgence à Singapour parce que sa mère vient de mourir du cancer. C'est vraiment terrible.
En plus, un autre gars à la job part cette semaine pour aller travailler dans un autre resto. La semaine qui commence sera une des plus occupées de l'année.
Mes boss sont dans la merde la plus totale, parce qu'avec moi qui part le 15, ça fait trois temps plein qu'ils perdent d'un seul coup. Alors, bon.... Je ne pouvais pas les laisser comme ça, d'autant plus que ça voudrait dire que mes amis se tapperaient des journées de fous toute la semaine, et encore plus folles la fin de semaine.

Alors, malheur, grand malheur, je reste une semaine de plus pour les aider.
Eh oui, Marie-Pier à la rescousse. Vous auriez dû voir les yeux de mon boss s'agrandir quand je lui ai dit que j'essaierais de partir le lundi d'après et que je pouvais bosser toute la fin de semaine...Il était trop content. Mes collègues aussi.
Bon. Tant que je ne rate pas de jours avec Vanou, ça va aller.

Au 19, tout le monde!

One week

If everything goes well, in one week today, right this second, I will already be in Sydney, preparing my departure for Hawaii...then Vancouver....then Toronto...then Montreal.

Ah, Montreal. You are so far far far far away.

I can't wait to see you.

La Manse

Hier soir, Allen est revenu du désert. On avait planifié cette soirée depuis sa fête - un de ses amis, Bjorn, nous a proposé d'aller souper dans un restaurant Français à North Adelaide, juste à côté de chez nous. Le restaurant vient d'être rénové, le menu a changé, la liste des vin, améliorée. L'ami d'enfance et coloc de Bjorn, Tim, est le chef de ce restaurant.

On s'est mis sur notre 36. La Manse est un beau, très beau resto, dans une immense maison à deux étages sur la rue Tynte. L'intérieur m'a fait pensé a BAZZ, à Saint-Lambert, une autre maison tournée resto. Il y a un foyer dans chaque pièce. L'atmosphère est très 'homy', et le décor est superbe. Très élégant, très urbain, très hip.

Mais oh la la, le souper.
On eu droit au menu dégustation 8 services. Le somelier nous a recommandé des vins si bons que j'ai bu tout ce qu'on a versé dans mes verres (et c'est peu dire, d'habitude, le vin, pour moi, c'est pas fort). Allen a eu la version végé, bien sûr...

Mais Oh, My God. Ça a dût être un des meilleurs repas que j'ai jamais mangé. Sinon, LE meilleur repas que j'ai jamais mangé. C'était hallucinant. Allen a découvert une passion pour les truffes blancs italiens. On parlait beaucoup entre les services, mais dès qu'on attaquait un plat, tout d'un coup, plus un mot. On dégustait en silence sans le savoir. C'était si bon que ça. Les saveurs étaient intenses et bien agancées. Tout était si bien balancé, si bien présenté, chaque assiette était comme un petit trésor.

On a eu tellement de plaisir. On a parlé, on a rit, on a beaucoup bu. À la fin de la soirée, Tim est venu s'assoir avec nous pour prendre un verre. On a jasé. Il m'a offert une job. On verra en janvier. On était encore dans le restaurant à 1h45 du matin. C'est pour dire.

Ah, quelle magnifique soirée. Il faudra répéter ça.

Quiet happiness

So I am setting up the restaurant this morning, and it's 10am. I open the large glass doors and a nice breeze sweeps in. It is 25 degrees, dry, sunny, and there is not a cloud in the sky. The ducks and swans are quietly swimming in the river. It feels like a nice morning in june. The old bells of the church down the road start to ring.

I turn around and see the christmas tree that's just been put up. The smell of pine reminds me of Christmas, even if it doesn't look like it. I pause a second, and I realize that by this time in two weeks, I will be in snowy Canada. I'll be shopping on Ste-Catherine street with my best friend. I will be cooking Christmas goodies with my mom, and playing cards up at the cottage with my cousins. I smile and I think that today, it doesn't matter how long and hard my day is, because I will soon be out of there, on holiday, happy, back in Montréal.

The Aussie Countdown - TOP 5

Ok, here we are. Top 5. I'm sure you are very excited.

5 - BLACK BOX FLIGHT RECORDER

In 1954, Dr. Warren from Melbourne University put together what he called an ARL. A flight memory unit that would record the instrument readings and the pilot's voices during a plane flight. This indistuctible box has come in handy in discovering the causes of crashes. And then helped ailines worldwide not to repeat the same deadly mistakes. Yep. Looove Dr. Warren.

4 - HILLS HOISTS

We've had one in the back yard since I was a kid. You know, those big square clothe lines? That turn? Yep, Aussie. 1948. The new design took the post-war world by storm.
Every kid in the 50's has hung on it and spun around, to the dread of their mothers.


3 - VEGEMITE

Now this one completely astounds me. I cannot believe people here actually like this stuff. Come on. Black salty yeast spread? Man, lots of kids must have been force fed this crap for them to be still eating it today, cause it's absolutely disgusting. Nobody in their right mind would just taste it as an adult and like it. My theory is, if you haven't been brought up on it, you can't possibly like it later. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Anyway. Some guy probably accidentally invented it in 1922.

2 - THE BARBIE

And by barbie, I mean barbecue. Now this is not an invention, it's more of an icon. No Aussie party or gathering is not complete without a bbq. On the beach, in the bush, in the backyard, you name it. All the time, all the time. Bbq, bbq, bbq. I actually have one on the tiny balcony of my shoe box appartment. That's how important a bbq is in a household of an Aussie.

1 - Drumroll...... can you guess what it is? THE FLIP FLOP

And yes, here, they call them thongs. The most convinient pair of sandals you can find. They slip on really easy, they can go in the water, they are very comfy. You can find them everywhere, in evey supermarket and every drugstore. You can actually find some for less than one dollar. You can also find a lost single thong on every beach in Australia.

So here you go. The top 20 Aussie icons, discoveries and inventions. Hope you enjoyed it or that you learned a little something. Did any of them surprise you?

The Wednesday Night Blues

It happens when Allen has been away for a week and a half, and I know it will be another 5 days until I see him. I start missing him.
I do like living on my own, but after a week and a half without the hubby, it gets tougher. So yeah. I can't sleep, I am bored and I miss my man.

It is so hot outside. Our cooler is at my father in law's, and I there is no way I can think of that can actually make me comfortable enough to fall sleep. I miss my cool and dry basement in Canada. It might be weird reading this considering you must all be freezing your asses off in your beds at night this time of year, but try to remember those moggy-too-hot-to-handle nights in august....they sucks.

I would kill for a fan right now.
And for a sleeping pill.