Oh Summer, where art Thou?

The end of term can't come fast enough. I already know that I'm going to come out of the summer broke, but it will be entirely worth it with what I have planned. And just what do I have planned, you ask? Travel. Lots and lots of travel. Here's quick peek at what's to come.

Moving back to Victoria, for a couple months at least. I can't wait to get back home, because Vic is such a great place to be in the summer. Depending on my job situation, I could have a tonne of free time on my hands, so island exploration could happen in bulk. I'll only have about two months there, though!

Shortly after moving back to Vic I'll be jet setting to Turkey with my family on a two week vacation. I've never been to this part of the world before, so I'm using Greece as my most approximate measuring stick. The last family trip we took was to the Czech Republic, and it was a blast. Hoping this will be even better!

Only a few days after I return to Vic from Turkey I'll be hitting Vancouver for the double-header Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars concert. So much anxious anticipation! That said, my summer will likely be peppered with visits to Vancouver and Richmond. That's the joy of living on an island with amazing transportation service.

Summer Seattle Trip will be happening again this year hopefully. We didn't get much of a chance to explore downtown Seattle on the last excursion (someone took a few hours too many in Nordstrom Rack), so that will be top priority this time around. Besides, I'll be trying to keep my wallet tightly closed at this point because of what happens next.

In July I'll be moving to Singapore for at least four months. While there I can assure you that I'll be making trips to the surrounding area. High on the list? Thailand, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, and Borneo. I'm hoping that NUS and UBC will throw some more funding my way to make all this indulgence possible, hah.


Victoria photo by CodyMaH, Turkey photo by kanikey, Vancouver photo by ericr33914, Seattle photo by photoboy1002001, Singapore photo by superdupersumo

Cut for the Cure, 2011

As promised, here are the before & after photos from yesterday's Cut for the Cure fundraising event. The last number I heard was $11,395 but that will be climbing upward still. We've got a truck full of bottles that still need to be cashed in and some cash donations to count up. You can also still donate online here. So, here they are:

Not as long as it would have been, because I trimmed it up before going to Mexico. Didn't want to have a tan line across my right eye, y'know?

At this point my boss was yelling at me to get up and run so that I could save what remained of my fauxhawk. This was my reaction face.

C'est fini! And terribly cold. Threw on a toque almost immediately after this photo and didn't take it off for most of the day. Wind chill is killer without hair, y'know?

a Few of those Favourite Things

I've been watching my friend Annie Cristina do it for a while now, and, like a good many of the things on my blog, I decided to steal the form of the post from her. Hah! It's a reciprocal relationship, I swear. So, here we are: some of my favourite things at the moment.

Kimchi

I really don't know what to say about it. Describing it to people always makes it sound bad. Well, if you don't know, kimchi is a Korean staple, and is typically cabbage leaves (sui choy as far as I know) pickled/fermented with garlic and spices. I usually use mine to make stir fries or soup, and kimchi soup is a definite favourite thing.

The batch I made today included baby bok choy, spicy pepperoni, shitake mushrooms, onions, more garlic, and tofu. I considered adding some noodles, but there was already too much goodness to handle.

Adidas ClimaWarm Fleece Jacket

It's rare that I go a day without wearing this fleece at least once. While it may officially be spring in the Okanagan, we're still fluctuating between warm-ish 8 degree days with sun and colder -5 degree days with snow. I'm never sure what's going on outside, I just throw my hands in the air and accept it.

What I like the most about this fleece, I think, is that it's somewhat fitted, so I can wear it under a jacket without much bulk. And yes, I will layer jackets over jackets; I'm an island boy, and I still don't cope well with cold. Hence I'm moving to Singapore for a while.

Janelle Monae

Seriously, how many times has this woman appeared on my blog? Answer: not enough.

Despite having only one full length album out, Janelle never ceases to surprise me. I've been following her for a few months now, and I must say that I was thrown into a fit of hysterics when she announced a Vancouver date on her next tour. So I've got my tickets, and I'm counting the days until I get to see something like this live.

Stash Acai Herbal Tea

I always thought myself to be a hocho man, 100%. Turns out I have a bit of a soft spot for tea, as well. Last year I started into various chai blends (vanilla chai tastes like Christmas), but recently I've switched to herbals. My fave right meow? Acai.

I'm still not sure how to say it, but that doesn't stop me from drinking about a cup a day. And this is in addition to my hocho habit. And my double-double habit. And Pepsi habit. So, new favourite thing: caffeine!

Green Metropolis (by David Owen)

This semester I started my studies in urban geography and community planning in earnest, and a lot of what I'm reading and learning about absolutely fascinates me. A lot of it really rocks my boat, too, especially coming from British Columbia.

For example: Manhattan is one of the models for environmental sustainability and city growth. Huh. I'm only one chapter into the book, so I haven't gotten into his arguments quite yet, but my interest has certainly been piqued. Here's hoping it's as good as the cover makes it look!


Finally, and I know some of you have seen me spam posting this on my Facebook page, I'm participating in a head-shave on Friday (gulp!), with the pledge money I raise going toward the Canadian Cancer Society. I'm very apprehensive, as I have never shaved my head, and washed my toques in preparation to cover my near-baldness. So optimistic, eh? It would be rad if you could pledge a little toward my goal, or just write some words of encouragement. Thanks!

photos by Marc Matsumoto (c) [ No Recipes ], Adidas, Janelle Monae, Mexycan, David Owen