Blog: Articles from May 2008

What’s with this sudden obsession about going green?

I’m not talking about environmentalism either. I’m talking about the new trend to infuse green tea into every possible drink. The Lipton green iced tea I understand (and enjoy). But Canada Dry green tea ginger ale?! Quoi? And all those specialty brands, like that Arizona chilled green tea (which I think tastes horrible)… it just seems like someone’s been planning this, as if there is some sort of invisible hand in the market determining the latest fads.

I know green tea is cool—after all, I drink it. It contains antioxidants and whatnot, so even if it isn’t a panacea like some claim, it is good for you. Yet now that it’s the trendy new drink, the contrarian part of me can’t help but feel bad for drinking green tea. I feel like I’m part of the bandwagon. No wait, that’s not accurate. I feel like I was napping comfortably in the wagon until one day, when it was stolen from its parking spot, kidnapping me in the process.

I‘m back in Thunder Bay. And although I had an unqualified awesome time with Lauren in Ohio, I am very glad to be back home. In fact, here’s a couple of reasons why:

Driving and driving with my music. Until today, I hadn’t driven in two weeks. It was nice to be chauffeured around everywhere, even as the Americans obsessed over gas prices that are fully a dollar less than they are up here (thank you, Toronto ). I actually got my G licence a couple of days before I went away, so this worked out well, because my new licence arrived in the mail. There is a new design now, one which I dislike compared to the old one. But what can you do?

Yet I digress. I miss driving with my music. Lauren has good taste in music; I‘m just used to plugging my iPod into the tape deck adapter thingy I have (yes, that’s a technical term) and listening to all my different types of music on shuffle. We listened mostly to a local radio station with ’80s and ’90s music, along with a couple of her CDs—some Fallout Boy, to whom I don’t really listen, and some sort of instrumental CD that emulates natural sounds. That one was interesting. I bought several classical music CDs at the Book Loft yesterday—they were only about $3 each. Considering last time I bought classical music CDs they were each $20, that is quite a steal.

What else? Oh, I miss my family and friends, of course. I consider Lauren to be one of my best friends, but I like spending time with my friends back here—especially because many of them have now returned from school away (I‘m losing all my friends to Southern Ontario! With three more months of vacation to go, I must make the best of it.

I miss Canadian money. I don’t care what you Americans say. Canadian money is uber-cool. I can instantly pick out what bills I need based on their distinctive colours. This speeds up transactions, making for happier salespeople and happier customers. With your American money, I have to sort out the bills and actually look at the denomination. I’m sure that those who are more practised at it (like Americans) probably don’t take that long to do this, so in the end there’s little net gain from the coloured money. But it’s still cool.

And yes, I know the Euro bills come in different sizes. Yee-haw.

But you know what I missed the most? Milk bags! Yes, I miss my whacky, strange Canadian bags of milk. I miss the special pitcher in which we place these bags. Those Americans who are ethnocentric enough to think that gallon jugs are the only acceptable form of milk distribution are missing out. Bagged milk is the neatest thing since sliced bread.

Yes, bagged milk is cooler than Miley Cyrus. Get over it.

Two days ago, Lauren and I went to the Columbus Zoo. It was amazing, and a singular experience the likes of which I have not had since the last time I went to see African Lion Safari down in Southern Ontario. The “zoo” at Chippewa Park just can’t rival the Columbus Zoo in scope or magnitude. We did indeed see lions, tigers, and bears, as well as many other animals. It’s hard to describe concisely. I could list every animal we saw, but it‘d get repetitive and boring. I’d much rather just put up a smattering of the 200 photos I took; that way you could see them too! I’m just too lazy to actually upload the photos yet—I’ll get around to it. Suffice it to say, it was awesome.

Today Lauren, Jessica, Michelle, and I went to the Book Loft in German Village. The Book Loft is a 32-room shop full of discounted books. When I say full, I mean overflowing with books. The corridors are narrow, and the walls are floor-to-ceiling shelves of books. The rooms have themes, different genres of books, with music playing in each room. And some of the prices are criminal. I … I spent more money than I probably should have, and of course, now I have to pack them all.

Tomorrow my plane leaves Columbus at 9 AM, and by 4, I should be back in Thunder Bay. I just finished packing. Next time, self, pack less clothing to make more room for souvenirs. It was a very tight fit, but I think I have everything. *gulp* I hope.

It’s been an awesome two weeks. It’s one thing to talk about going to visit someone and another to actually do it; I certainly don’t regret it. I’ve had a blast. For one thing, I needed the vacation. But living in someone else’s house in a foreign country for two weeks makes you evaluate how you live your own life. I know America is similar to Canada; both are developed countries with high qualities of life. But there are differences, on both the macroscopic and microscopic levels of daily living. I have enjoyed the radical break in routine from what I consider my “normal” schedule. I’ve done things outside my comfort level, had new experiences, and made new friends.

Part of the most difficult part of my life—and it’s difficult mostly because I make it difficult—is trying to be social without really being social. I need interaction with people; otherwise, I get lonely and melancholic. But I dislike crowds, parties, large herds of people who exude room-sized auras of interaction. I prefer smaller, more intimate groups that do not let me get lost in the psychic shuffle of the room. I hate ending up next to the potted plant. It’s a nice plant, sure. But afterward, I feel unfulfilled and lonely and—well, melancholic!

So while I do need to be more sociable, I also have to try different types of sociability to see what’s right for me. I’m not much of a party person. And while I did acquire a fair bit of merchandise while here, shopping is still not an expedition for me; it is a task. I do like reading, which I think is part of the reason I am strongly connected to the Internet as a medium for interaction. After all, it is through deviantART that I met Lauren, which is what led me here to Ohio, where I am now typing this thought.

Yet I digress.

This trip has not whet my appetite for further globetrotting adventures. I‘d love to come back and visit again, of course, but I’m not suddenly in a hurry to go visit other places, see the world, etc. In fact, if anything, I am looking forward to an extended stay at home, with my bed, and my TV, and my books, and my friends. I want to sleep. I need to work to make money that I spent on the trip. This was a great break, but now I’m ready for a break from the break. A reality check, sure, but a pleasant one.

I have stepped outside the cave, my friends, and seen the source of those shadows on the wall.

Lauren, her mom, her friend Briana, and I went to Cincinnati today to see BODIES… The Exhibition. It was fantastic. The human body is just so wonderfully complex and amazing. It’s almost enough to make me believe in Intelligent Design.

The exhibit went through each of the body’s systems and structures. Since it used real preserved bodies, everything was realistic and amazingly detailed. I find the digestive system the most gross, the reproductive system the coolest, and the brain the most interesting. The digestive system reminds me of how we are, at some level, still just apes. We ingest meat and plants, turn them into paste, suck the nutrients out of them, and then eject them from our body. The process is disgusting at one level, although just like with everything else in the body, it is also amazing: so many complicated organs, tissues, and cells working together to make sure that we get the energy we need to survive. The reproductive system, with its dichotomous division of labour, is really cool. For women, the entire experience of carrying a life inside oneself must be astounding. For males, well … every sperm is sacred!

I find the brain the most interesting organ because of the mysteries inherent in its function. Scientists have divined so much about the brain’s operation, but so much more remains unknown. It is closely linked to who we are as individuals. Our brain stores our memories, regulates the rest of our body—the most minute chemical change alters how we perceive the world and how we act. At one level, we are a series of electrons zipping about chemical pathways in our brain.

I seem to have lost my train of thought, so I think I’ll stop now.

Today began with a party. Lauren’s friend Becky’s graduation/birthday party, specifically. I tagged along in order to once again step outside my comfort zone and … well, interact with people. And it wasn’t that bad. There was lots of tasty food that was bad for my teeth (the best kind), and I didn’t feel too awkward.

But going to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian overshadows any of that. I‘ve am somewhat ambivalent toward Disney. The company has the capacity to produce terrifyingly horrible movies (like what’s up with this Beverly Hills Chihuahua thing? ) and some amazing movies, like the Narnia series. I love ‘em, and I hate ’em. Such is the contradiction of corporate America.

After emerging from the darkened theatre and another visit to Narnia, it is hard not to be impressed with the genius of the producers and C.S. Lewis. The story is romantic, but it also has enough adventure and fantasy to appeal to children and adults. At points I had to laugh—just a little—at the obvious Christian undertones, which I find simultaneously amusing and endearing. Maybe it’s something to do with Liam Neeson being a big fluffy lion. He’s just so adorable, and cute, and lethal—oh, and he’s also God, and you better have faith that he’ll show up when he knows you need him, and not a moment earlier.

Each of the Pevensies carry with them a particular temporal burden. As the youngest, Lucy has the most faith, but her siblings don’t always believe her intuition. One criticism I have of this film is that it has too little Lucy. She plays an important role, but it’s so small in comparison to the others. Much of the time she seems like she’s away from the main part of the action—and while I‘m not an advocate for child soldiers, I would have just liked to see more of her. Edmund is strong in his own right, but he struggles to stay out of Peter’s shadow. He gets a nice final jab at the White Witch in this film. He’s also the quickest to support Lucy when she claims to have seen Aslan, and he faces down the entire camp of Telmarines when he carries Peter’s proposal to Miraz. Susan is on the cusp of womanhood; we see her deflect a boy in London and then flirt with Prince Caspian. She questions her commitment to Narnia. I think Susan’s story in particular is rather sad, since she never does get to return to Narnia. I have a soft spot for her. Peter likewise is growing older and fighting new battles against bullies.

Speaking of battles, the battle scenes were violent in this film. I don’t know if it was the weather or the fact that some of the battles took place at night, but I found that aspect of the film much darker. It must be the whole loss of innocence theme. I’m thinking, “This is a Disney film. And we’re showing these kids hacking away at human beings.” At the same time, I can’t help cheering with Susan delivers a well-timed punch in the midst of battle, or when Edmund takes out a couple of guards and then escapes on the back of a giant eagle. It’s the little things that help.

If you spend too much time analyzing the themes and the messages of the movie, however, you’ll get bogged down in all the moral weight and you won’t enjoy the action! The White Witch’s scene is essentially a “don’t do drugs” message; Aslan wants you to have faith. This film is like an ogre: it has many layers. Peel them away at your own risk. I enjoy the fact that in our increasingly-barren wasteland of entertainment there are movies that still have deep themes. But I also appreciate it when such movies are packaged in a compelling narrative filled with great special effects, acting, and a worthy score. It leaves me with this sensation of actually having not wasted 2 hours watching photons bounce off a wall. Now that’s satisfaction.

I woke up today to Lauren knocking on my door, telling me that her mom wanted me to go see a doctor about my eye. So against my will I acquiesced, although I’ll admit it’s probably for the best anyway. I went to see an optometrist, Dr. Henry, who was very nice. He gave me free samples of eye drops and an ointment and said that if I needed a follow-up visit next week, he wouldn’t charge me for it. So I survived my foray into the American healthcare system. :P

Later that evening, Lauren had some of her friends over for a games night. We played Taboo with Nisha and Jessica—I‘ve never played that before, but I really enjoyed it. I got to listen to lots of fun stories from Jessica too. Michelle, whom I met yesterday, arrived about twenty minutes later. She joined us for a second game of Taboo, then we went downstairs to play DDR. Now, I’m exceptionally bad at DDR. I’m not great at much in life, and DDR—or any form of dancing, actually—ranks pretty high on this list. Part of it is a distinct lack of regular practice; if I actually bothered to acquire a proper DDR game and practised regularly, I could probably pick up some reasonable skill. In general though, I just lack rhythm. So when Lauren tried to teach us the electric slide afterward, I got absolutely lost.

Nevertheless, I had a good time. It was probably the most sociable I had to be in a long time, and I’ll be stretching that comfort level more tomorrow, when I go to the birthday/graduation party of one of Lauren’s friends. I‘m not entirely sure this much human interaction is good for me. I’m sure that other people can handle it. But it’s like alcohol tolerance. Some people can hold their social interaction better than others. And now I’ve gone off on a tangent and I don’t remember what I was talking about….

Oh yes, now I remember: about the existence of Sasquatch…. I think it’s possible for such a cryptid to have survived for such a long time and gone undetected. Possible, but not probable. We’ve inhabited the New World for about what, 20,000 years now? And in all that time, the best we can come up with are some footprints and the world’s first YouTube video?

Now, if Sasquatch is real and intelligent, I could totally see it intentionally hiding its existence from us, then laughing as we try to figure it out. I could even see it staging the Patterson-Gimlin film for its amusement. It’s probably in some sort of secret Cryptid Society that meets once a week, where it and Elvis and Nessie play poker and share stories of how they toy with the rest of we humans.

The fact that apes rose to sentience on this planet must be some sort of great big cosmic joke … and humanity is the punchline.

Lauren and I were feeling better today. We went back to her dad’s house, where we waited for her friend Michelle to show up. In the mean time, I started reading Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. Lauren absolutely loves this series and has been recommending it to me for some time; she’s re-reading Eclipse right now. My friend Laura also shared her experience with it yesterday. Since my non-fiction book is kind of depressing, I decided I should read Twilight while I’m here.

Once Michelle arrived, we left for the North Market, which is an indoor market. The wares are mostly food, with a couple of booths selling cooking utensils and whatnot. We had lunch there; Lauren and Michelle both had Indian food while I tamely bought two slices of pizza. After lunch, we meandered around the Short North area for a little (alternatively substituting the meandering for walking, pacing, sauntering, and what-have-you). It reminded me vaguely of downtown Thunder Bay, if downtown Thunder Bay had wider sidewalks, more traffic, more people, and buildings built on overpasses. We found this neat little store called Loot, which was home to much eclectic merchandise. Lauren bugged Michelle with a black sheep puppet. I bought a cute little Beethoven doll that plays a piece neither Lauren nor I could identify.

We returned to the North Market to buy some pastries for dessert. I got a custard Napoleon, Michelle got a strawberry torte, and Lauren bought an Amadeus torte (very chocolatey) for her dad and an “Omega cake”, which was a cake and buttercream all covered in hardened chocolate, for herself. We saved these pastries for later, so I bought a waffle cone, with a scoop of raspberry sorbet and passionfruit yogurt, to satisfy my immediate craving for sugar. We rendezvoused with Michelle’s mom outside the market—she and Michelle were going to a talk in the area, so it was convenient for them that Michelle had joined us for our expedition. Lauren and I went back home.

Lauren’s gotten me watching Grey’s Anatomy now. I already watch House, which is also set in a hospital, although I mostly watch that because of Hugh Laurie’s humourous acting. Grey’s Anatomy is more like a train wreck in progress—you watch because things are so messed up. I‘ve only seen about four or five episodes, but I’ve enjoyed those.

Tomorrow Lauren’s having friends over in the evening to play board games. I’ve organized my Ohio photos on Flickr as a special set, so you can keep tabs on them through that link. Hopefully I’ll finish VSNS Lemon soon so I can work on redesigning my site. One of the things I want to do is pull photos from my Flickr account onto my site, so I can display them as a “gallery” in my site but keep them hosted and organized on Flickr.

I fully intended to blog every day while I‘m in Ohio. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. On Saturday, Lauren and I went to a one-year-old’s birthday party for a family for whom she babysits. The party took a lot out of me (because I’m not a very sociable person), although the children were absolutely adorable. Afterward, we went to see Made of Honor. It was your typical romantic comedy: cute, pretty well done, solid. It’s hard to be original with those. I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling too well by then, and I was far too tired to blog.

On Sunday, we went over to Lauren’s mother’s house for breakfast. We ended up just hanging out there all day, napping in front of the couch, which was fine with me, because I was tired and not feeling very well. I felt bad for coming down to visit Lauren and then getting sick. Ironically, our situations would be reversed two days later.

Monday was fun. Lauren took me to Easton, which is this town centre shopping mall type area. It reminds me of Victoriaville if Victoriaville were still classy and not rundown. There’s a large indoor mall with lots of stores, then many stores in the area outside. I bought some souvenirs at a shop called the Global Gallery, which is a not-for-profit free trade shop. Then we went to a Gameworks arcade. Lauren trounced me a couple of times at DDR. We tied each other at table hockey. Then we played some skeeball. After the arcade, we had lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen, where we split an Italian sweet & spicy sausage pizza. It was yummy. After that, I went to Build-a-Bear and built a teddybear as a souvenir (not saying for whom! ). Someone kindly photographed Lauren and I in front of an indoor fountain. Lastly, Lauren and I walked around outdoors before heading back to her car and going back to her dad’s for dinner (yummy fish).

Today I woke up with a fairly irritated eye. Luckily, Lauren’s mom is a nurse and she had some eyedrops that have helped clear it up. It’s still watery, but it isn’t red anymore. Now Lauren isn’t feeling well. The two of us, her brother, and her mom went bowling, and that was enjoyable. The States doesn’t have 5-pin bowling, of course, so it was 10-pin. I hadn’t played in almost a year, so I didn’t do very well. Afterward we went for supper at Bob Evans, then we came home. We didn’t do much today, but it was still tiring. Apparently tomorrow I’m going to the North Market with Lauren and her friend Nisha, who is in town for a respite and wants to catch up with Lauren (and meet me!).

I’ll blog again soon, and even if I don’t, I’ll add some more photos.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2126/2479891276_ff5186d3b9_m.jpg|Lauren and I|inline right}}I couldn’t sleep. I was supposed to get up at 4:30, so I should have slept, but I was far too excited. The morning would bring several firsts—first time flying alone, first time flying to another country, first time taking a connecting flight, and of course, first time meeting someone I’ve known only online. I finally managed to get to sleep after around 3:30, but my dad promptly woke me up at 4:30. I rolled out of bed, got ready, packed the last of my stuff, and we were out the door.

Boarding at Thunder Bay was pretty easy. It was early in the morning; everything seemed too bright but not very loud. It was cold outside. I also happened to be the only guy (the only 6’4“ guy) standing around outside in the freezing morning air in a windbreaker, T-shirt, and shorts. I was going to need that gear when I got to Ohio, though.

The flight to Minneapolis was on a small, somewhat cramped aircraft. I was over the right wing, in an aisle seat. I put my iPod on and sat back to read my airplane book: Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda by Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire. I don’t know much about that period of history, so I figured this was a good chance to learn.

I cleared customs in Minneapolis just after getting off the plane; that was much easier than I expected. Seems a Canadian passport does help! Minneapolis’ airport is huge compared to Thunder Bay. Mindbogglingly, leg-burningly huge. It has so many more gates … I had to cross an entire terminal (just one of the many buildings in the facility) to get to my departure gate, and my legs were sore by the time I got there (I was worried I would miss my flight). I didn’t miss it, of course, and boarded with plenty of time to spare. The plane was larger, although I found the seats even more cramped. I got a window seat this time, which was neat, because I could actually see out the window. I find the entire concept of flying a fascinating example of technology manipulating our understanding of physics—we are defying gravity. It’s amazing!

We landed in Columbus on time. I’m not sure if it’s because I hadn’t slept, or it was only noon and I felt like it should be later because I hadn’t slept, but it felt like the flying had aged me. I was tired. As soon as I was off the airplane, I started looking for Lauren, but I couldn’t see her. She had promised me a very ostentatious sign, so I kept an eye out for that. With no sign of her, I went to claim my checked luggage. Once I had that, I proceeded to get thoroughly lost in the terminal. Eventually I gave up, found a pay phone, and phoned Lauren (first time I‘d ever done that). She was apparently at the luggage claim carousel where I had been minutes earlier. :P I returned to the carousel, and there I was confronted with the first physical sight of a person with whom I’ve formed a strong emotional connection over the past two years.

For anyone who has never done something like this, it’s hard to describe the sensation. Prior to going on this trip, many of my friend expressed reservations about whether I would really enjoy meeting Lauren in person—they hoped it wouldn’t be ”awkward.“ While I understand the source of those reservations, I never shared them—I couldn‘t, not after chatting with Lauren on AIM and via webcam for so long now. I was more worried about the logistics of my flights than that I wouldn’t enjoy my stay with her. Still, seeing her holding that sign and then hugging me for the first time was when it finally sank in that I had gone to another country to meet someone I’d known only online. Even though I knew we emotionally synced, it was still a surprise to confront her in person—but not awkward. It was a particular flavour of strange and wonderful all mixed into a single package.

We proceeded to get lost trying to find where Lauren had parked (as if I knew). I snapped a photo of Lauren, one of her in her car, and some part of the airport from the parking lot while waiting for her to get her car started. Finally, we were on our way, and I was seeing a foreign city.

Like Minneapolis, Columbus strikes me as so different from Thunder Bay. It’s not alien, but it is grander—larger than life. It’s like Toronto in the sense that Columbus has absorbed surrounding cities, transforming them into suburbs. And I do mean suburbs—winding roads between perfectly kempt lawns of vibrant green grass. And every house looks so similar. Oh, and all the mailboxes are in a gang.

Lauren took me to her house, where we had some lunch and she serenaded me with her talented piano playing. We played some games of chess, I met her dad and brother, and we just sort of hung around the house. Toward the evening we went out on an expedition to find Lauren some matting paper, while I needed to get a phone card. In the course of this expedition we ended up in the nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter. For my Thunder Bay friends, let me take the time to explain the difference in magnitude. Visualize our Wal-Mart, if you will. Our Wal-Mart is a puny pomegranate seed compared to this behemoth. It has thirty-eight tills. It’s … huge.

Oh, and I will take this moment to also interject that I had forgotten Americans lack milk bags. I opened the fridge only to be confronted by this gallon jug of milk. Talk about culture shock.

After some ravioli for supper and the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica, I sat down to write this. I‘m going to try to blog as much as possible, both to let my friends know how my vacation is going and to preserve these memories for myself. Those not following the Facebook album can see the photos I take as I upload them to my Flickr photostream.

So after my first day in Columbus, I’m still under the influence of that ”whoa, this is so crazy" feeling I got when I landed. And it is crazy, and wonderful, and I‘m having a great time. I love having Lauren as a friend, because we always manage to introduce new and exciting dimensions to our friendship, yet it still feels comfortable. Relationships that endure and flourish through change are some of life’s most precious commodities.