2012, a Year in Review

January put me back in Kelowna for my final semester at the University of British Columbia. Within a few days I was experiencing a temperature difference of 50 degrees Celsius compared to Singapore, but it was good to be back among old friends.

In February I rediscovered the joy of being a coffee shop regular. Out here in Banff you can often find me in Starbucks, but back in Kelowna I staked out the Blenz downtown a few times every week. I would write papers there, chapters for Protagonize, meet up with friends, and sometimes just pop in to say Hi to the baristas I knew. Seriously.

With the arrival of "spring" in March, I did some online cleaning. This blog was completely redone, as was my Tumblr. Since then I've changed the background of my blog again, and have made even more changes to my Tumblr account. I now run two "tumblogs:" one of random things that catch my interest, and the other full of quotes and pictures of cities. Check it out!

In April I finished my time with UBC Okanagan and prepared to go a year without school. So far, so good, but I must say I miss the university life. To give you a taste of what I enjoyed in Kelowna, I shared a video promoting UBC Okanagan.

May proved that summer starts early in the Okanagan, Canada's only desert. I made my first summer playlist of 2012 and let you in on one of the musicians who made plenty of appearances on that list. Writing this now, in the winter, I long for another summer playlist but know that only wintery music can satisfy me. I'm an odd one like that.

I turned 23 in June and celebrated on the Island with a Janelle Monae concert, visit to the petting zoo, and gallivanting about Vancouver. I also found out I'd be writing bi-monthly blog posts for the Grid, which kept me engaged with urban issues in Kelowna. It was a tentative application, but in hindsight I'm very glad to have participated in that internship.

In July I was more than happy to enjoy my first summer in the Okanagan. Kelowna is a beach town, so I spent quite a bit of time at the edge of the water. I played beach volleyball, walked the boardwalk, fell asleep on the warm sand, and probably ate too much ice cream.

On impulse, I decided to move to Banff in August. I quickly fell in love with the mountain setting, and I'm still awed daily by the sight of Mt Rundle and Cascade Mountain. Everything has worked out well for me since arriving: I have good room mates and cheap rent, a well paid job I enjoy, a volunteer position with the Town of Banff, and all the fresh mountain air I could ever need. I know that I'm only going to be spending a year in Banff, but I know that I'll miss it once I leave.

September brought a small, but meaningful, milestone. I received my first ever public library card! Since September I've taken out a few books to read, some CDs, a Japanese film adaptation of "King Lear," and some books for story research. Yup, I definitely enjoy having a library card!

In October I became a little bit more Canadian by learning to curl. It's definitely a lot more fun to do than to watch, though I never got a chance to sweep. Unfortunately I haven't had a second try in the hacks since then, but I've continued to add winter achievements to my Canada resume.

In November I hitched a ride with a friend all the way to Calgary to see "Skyfall" in IMAX 3D. Yes, this is enough of an event to merit a post in my Year in Review.

I stopped blogging completely in December, with the exception of a single Music Monday post at the end of the year. However, I didn't blog because I was doing too much to sit down and write about it! I work retail, so everything was a lead up to Christmas. Luckily, I was able to nab a few days off before the big event to go snowshoeing with some friends. We staying in a log hut overnight, had steak for dinner, played lots of UNO. It was a good time!

And that's it for my Year in Review. 'Twas a good one, hope 2013 brings even more excitement and growth!

Music Monday - Next Year

Well, another year has come and gone. As I have the last two years, I'll be posting a "Year in Review" within the next week. But first, Music Monday!

I've posted live Jamie Cullum videos before, and I'll likely continue that trend in the future. This time I've got "Next Year Baby," a fitting song for the final day of 2012. A lot has happened this past year: graduated from UBC, moved to Banff, picked up two internships. I didn't travel outside of Canada at all, but instead went back and forth between Kelowna and Victoria, drove out to Banff, went snowshoeing in Glacier National Park, and visited Calgary a few times.

And next year? Well, I'm off to Hawaii in just over a week, more National Park adventures are sure to happen, I might do some travel abroad in the summer, and - fingers crossed - I'll be moving to Vancouver or Montreal in the fall.

Can't promise anything about drinking less beer, though.

Enjoy Jamie's performance below, and have a happy new year!

Music Monday - Supremacy, Skyfall

The internet is abuzz with posts about Bond, James Bond. I haven't yet seen the film (no spoiling it for me, you hear!?), but I there's a perfectly good reason for that: I've got tickets to see it on Wednesday in Calgary, on an IMAX screen! Stoked!

Now, Adele is getting a lot of attention because of the theme song she supplied. It's great. Better than great, really. It's more of a "classic" Bond theme, unlike some of the songs in the last decade. Apparently the film itself feels much like a "classic." But that's yet to be seen. Anyways, back to the music.

There's been a rumour going around that Adele was not the only artist being considered for the theme. Gossip will tell you that Muse was in the running, but Barbara Broccoli says otherwise. According to her, Adele was the first and only choice. The first song of Muse's recent album, though, is everything a Bond theme should be. It even has part of the "Goldfinger" theme in it, just like Adele's "Skyfall." The song I'm talking about is called "Supremacy," and it has gotta be my favourite Muse song. Ever.

To illustrate how perfectly this song goes with Bond, please watch the fan-made video below. Enjoy!

on the Grid - Renovating the Waterfront: Kelowna, Canada’s Downtown Parks Plan

As a waterfront city, Kelowna, Canada is heavily reliant on its shoreline. Okanagan Lake provides many things for the city, though the limited points of access pose a complex question when it comes to the provision of space. Competing for use of the shore are the tourism industry, public parks, boat launches, marinas, a logging mill, and the natural riparian environment.

Read the full post on the Grid.

Music Monday - Remember, Remember

For those of you who aren't aware, today is Guy Fawkes Day. Arguably, the only reason people even mention this nowadays (outside of Britain, that is) is the film V for Vendetta. It's a favourite of mine, not just because of the storyline, theme, acting, or cinematography. No, it's the music that I have the fondest memories of, particularly a cover by Cat Power of Lou Reed's "I Found a Reason." It's a chilling, emotionally powerful song. At least in my mind.

Anyway, I haven't got much else to say, so please enjoy the song and video montage from V for Vendetta below.