haven't done this in a while...

So like many other fanboys, I pre-ordered my copy of Modern Warfare 2. I wanted the special edition that comes with the night-vision goggles and all, but I wasn't ready to fork out $150. In hindsight, I probably should've picked it up with the NVGs, but oh well. I finished the game after two weeks of playing after work. I was rather disappointed with the ending, actually. I guess it leaves it hanging for MW3. I wish I could play online.

Tonight, I decided to sit down and play a game I downloaded earlier this year, that I never touched. I turned on Mega Man 9 to take a break from all the effects and complex gameplays; just two buttons, a direction pad, and nothing but fun. Or so I thought... Much to my chagrin, this supposed classic game beat me down and then some.

I didn't remember the original Mega Mans to be this hard. Mega Man 9 is harder than any other game I've played lately. It's so repetitive, tedious, and sucks up all your focus. It was actually stressful to play it cause the slightest mistake at the wrong time meant redoing all that you just did. I couldn't pass any of the levels.

What was supposed to be a nostalgic moment soon became a moment of frustration and helplessness... The fun ended with me cussing at Mega Man for not being able to jump high enough or being able to slide like Mega Man 4 could...

Needless to say, my time's been going more towards video games lately. But once the holidays start, I'll hopefully lay off the Xbox and get more productive til Montreal. I wish I knew what was in store for this year's break. Ugh... 2009 went by way too fast. It felt like yesterday that I was in Tremblant skiing. At least, it'll be a White Christmas this year, as we're supposedly getting dumped on tonight. Let's make a snowman.

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...

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

super nintendo sega genesis, when i was deadbroke i couldn't picture this.

I took a walk around town after work for about 1.5 hours to see Christmas lights in the heart of the city. Nice to see all the decorations up. All that's missing now is freshly laid snow. Soon enough. Soon enough...

Been playing some Xbox here and there lately. The new dashboard on the Xbox got a lot of hype, but I'm pretty disappointed with it. Not so much with the interface, cause the interface is cool. But more about the fact that Microsoft completely ripped off the Wii's Mii's. Microsoft called it Avatars, which is fine, but the sounds, the face selections and features are all so Wii-like it digusts me. It's very cutesy and cartoony but the Xbox's player demographic is hardcore gamers... I would've expected something like a Grand Theft Auto character style instead. Le sigh...

Eshwin came over last night with Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. My new roommate Jon, Eshwin and I just played two player for a while, and the graphics are cool and nice, but at the same time, it lacked fluidity. The moves felt really limited, compared to Soul Calibur 4, but once you find out how to do them, it's actually not too bad. It wasn't until we tried the Story Mode that I realized how well thought out this game was for a fighting game. We haven't beat the game yet, but so far, the plot beats the story modes of many fighting games I've played. I'm happy with it, overall. Not as good as Soul Calibur though.

My mind's been heavy with thoughts and my heart's been heavy with emotions lately. Weird that I'm not heavy in weight though... No? No? Dry. It's not that I'm lonely; I gave up something great to be alone. It's not that I'm sad or unhappy; I have fun doing what I do every day. It's not that I'm feeling empty; I have much to live for, I have goals and all. I think it's more that I can't get something out of my mind. Mayhaps I should listen to some Billy Ocean...

HEY! YOU! YES YOU! GET INTO MY CAR!
Get out of my dreams! Get into my car! Get out of my mind! And into my life!

Ah... I'll say it once more. Where would I be without the 80's...?

my thanks, for all that you do.

I did some major cleaning last night after some shopping to prep for the new roommate — who just moved in today and is soooo awesome. Good pick, Fred Hon, good pick. I packed my summer clothes into the suitcase I bought for LA, and took it into the basement storage. In there, I saw my Christmas tree that I got as a gift last year, around this time. I quickly set it up and put on a Christmas CD to get myself into the Christmas mood. Made me so excited...

After that, I went through my shoebox of cards and letters. These cards and letters I've accumulated from a very young age. I think the oldest letter I still have dates back to 1990, when we first moved out of St-Gabriel-de-Brandon to St-Hubert, just outside of Montreal. I have since started collecting all the cards and letters people have given me. I went through each last night, most of them being birthday or Christmas cards. Some Valentine's Day cards.

Reading each of those cards and letters last night made me realize so much. That even if I wasn't a big deal in your life, I was still thought of. Whether we still keep in touch or not, or whether you even liked me or not, doesn't matter. The fact remains that you affected my life somehow, directly or indirectly. And I thank you all for being in my life. I don't regret meeting anyone of you. Whether you intended to or not, you've changed me life and have helped me become who I am now.

I took the time last night to take photos of some of the cards and letters that I've received and posted them on Facebook. I know I have more. I have yet to finish sorting out my room and find more hidden treasures, so I will post them as I find them. Hope some of you still remember the childhood we shared. Once again, thanks for the memories and for being a part of me. And I'm sorry if I never returned the favour...


Here are only a few of the photos. The rest are on Facebook.

Valentine's Day cards from my classmates in Grade 5, when I first moved to Kingston.


A postcard from Brooklyn, a postcard from LA, a birthday gift wrapping, a Nissan Skyline toy from Brooklyn, and a flyer for Tides Gallery Show.


Scrabble and birthday gift wrapping, a Christmas CD, a birthday card, some post-it notes, and an envelop which held a key.


Two out of four finger puppets for my birthday, and a Valentine's Day card


A dried out red rose from wedding and mini-mousepads with the newly weds's designs on them.