so this is christmas.

watch video >

This year for Christmas, my uncle in Montreal rented out two small chalets near Tremblant for the family for 2 days and 2 nights. We had so much fun... Christmas Eve, we spent having snowball fights and building snowforts on the frozen lake. Christmas day, we went to Tremblant to ski, came home to play drinking games and Black Jack, and headed for home and then a spa on Boxing day. I can honestly say that I haven't had a Christmas like that since I was a 9 or 10 years old...

It's been three years since the last time I've gone snowboarding and I was never good at it. I haven't skiied since a child either, so I decided to try my luck with the snowblades. In the above posted video at the beginning, I apparently had gone down a black diamond thinking it was an intermediate slope... I lost control and hit the snowbank, hitting my chin and my head was a little shook up, but otherwise, no major injuries...

It was great to be out in the countryside though; to get away from the city life. Driving through the mountainous snowy areas reminded me much of the drive from New York City through Jersey. That was a crazy drive last year with a 9 hour drive non stop through fog and snowstorm in the mountains... This year was a lot safer though.

Watching UFC with the bros and cousins now...

honline goes online.

My website got some updates. DEMOREEL now available, portfolio to come later. Will talk about it later. Must head to Tremblant for Christmas now. Merry Christmas everyone!! Eat lots, sleep lots, and rest lots! Cheers.

pretty lights.

Went to hip hop class Wednesdnay night and danced to some 50 Cent. Disco Inferno was the song. I had lots of fun on that song cause the steps were relatively easier than some of the previous classes I've been taking. The only thing with that song was that you really had to be thuggy to give it that style and agression, which I really lacked...

On my way home, I noticed that the Toronto Music Garden had set up Christmas lights there. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for those lights to come on. The first time I saw them on was about a month ago, just as it was getting colder out. I had the camera with me, but I got lazy, thinking that winter's just begun.

Wrong. Each time I walked by night after night, the lights were off. It wasn't until Wednesday night that they finally turned the lights back on, and lucky for me, I also had the camera with me. I took some photos, but not too many turned out nice because of the lack of tripod.

If I have time this weekend, I might go on an expedition around Toronto and take a few photos of the Christmas lights. I had a bit of dinner in Koreatown last Saturday and noticed there was a huge tiger at Christie Station. I didn't have my camera, unfortunately. Something about night lights really amaze me though.

Eight more workdays and it's off to Tremblant for me... So excited to get on them snowhills. It's been far too long since my last snowboard experience. 3 to 4 years now I think... Hopefully I come back in one piece.

I've posted the better photos I took. Click to view larger image. Definitely worth it.


Toronto Sound Garden Christmas lights


Toronto Sound Garden Christmas lights


Toronto Sound Garden Christmas lights looking straight up


Toronto Sound Garden Christmas lights looking up


Toronto Sound Garden Christmas lights and CN Tower


Queens Quay & Spadina


Christmas lights at my condo roundabout

say again...?

h o n l i n e says: (2:28:59 PM)
i wish i had my home emoticons

migz.ca says: (2:30:04 PM)
LOL

migz.ca says: (2:30:18 PM)
i read that as " I wish i had my homo erections"

standing for change.

Ben E. King's Stand by Me is one of my favourite songs. Back in the day when I used to go karaoke every month or so, I loved singing that song. My voice can't handle those high notes, but it's such a good karaoke song. Well... Such a good song, period.

The reason I bring this song up is because over the weekend, I came across this video on YouTube of Stand by Me, but this version was simply amazing and moving. It's for a documentary to be released on DVD and music CD Spring 2009. It's called Playing for Change: Peace Through Music. The people who sing and play the instruments in the song are all street musicians from around the world. Each are recorded separately, and are then mixed together. My favourite is Grandpa Elliott. He has so much character...

It must be so exciting for the people who work for the Playing for Change Foundation; meeting the musicians, hearing their stories and recording their music and traveling all over the world... I'd like to work for them one day, but I wouldn't know what to offer, since I'm no musician...

Seeing this makes me want to travel so much more. With the routine life that I have, time seems to pass by so much quicker, and there's so much in this world for me to see, to experience, to be part of. One of these days...

I'm posting both Ben E. King's version and the Playing for Change Foundation's version of Stand by Me.


Ben E. King - Stand by Me


Playing for Change Foundation - Stand by Me

long john silver.

Long johns. I don't like them cause they're so tight and they make me sweaty and itchy when I'm indoors. But as soon as I step outside, I forget about all the cons and look up into the sky and thank God for long johns.

I remember as a kid, I hated them. But when my dad had to drive my brothers and I to school in the morning, he would pinch our thighs. If he couldn't feel a second layer of material under our pants, he'd send us back inside to get those long johns on. Oh kids...

Been spending a lot of time working on my own things lately and I've been walking out with a smile every time. I've made some sacrifices in order to get myself together, and as bad as I feel about those sacrifices, I feel great about myself. I gotta be selfish from time to time in order to get what I want, ya know? And what do I want? Peace of mind. And how else could you get peace of mind in this nasty freezing weather were it not for long johns?

Thank God for long johns.

spread the love.

I feel a little spoiled today... I had good food, listened to some good music, hung out with some great friends, had some great drinks, and overall, if you don't mind me saying, it felt fucking GREAT!

I had pho for lunch, listened to some Coldplay all day, hung out with friends who have such a great sense of humour, and hung out at a place we haven't been to in a while... Great morale booster.

One thing that really surprised me was the walk home. I was listening to Death Cab for Cutie, and thinking about the fun I had tonight; it put a smile on my face. I felt so much positive energy. All of a sudden I look up and this lady was walking by and saw me, and smiled back, but not really looking at my. She looked like she was genuinely happy.

Maybe I misread her face, but I can't help but think that I somehow exuded some positive energy and made her feel better somehow. Either that or she was laughing at me cause I was funny looking... But if it really were the former, it really amazed me how people can pick up on these vibes... It made me think about how much I don't need anything else right now. Just myself, my family, and my friends. Nize.




Death Cab for Cutie - Your New Twin Sized Bed >