Last night was my first choir concert in about 15 (?) years. I had forgotten how much I truly LOVE to perform. One of my friends was in the audience and commented on how happy I look when I am singing. My secret? I am happy. Really truly perfectly absolutely happy.
I think have written briefly before about joining a choir here in London but just in case you are new to my blog...Lips is a women's choir (http://www.lipschoir.co.uk/) that performs pop songs. We have two magnificent women (Jess & Kat) who arrange absolutely brilliant pieces for us to sing. Make no mistake, the songs might be pop but the arrangements are at times incredibly complex. We sing two acapella songs that are mind blowing.
The best part of Lips is that it is the most positive supportive group of people I have ever been around. No divas, no rock star wannabees, no music snobbery just good people. You know those boring moments in rehearsal where the Director is working with another section? Well, it is not unusual when the section finally gets their part nailed that the whole choir breaks into spontaneous applause. No rolling of eyes, no cranky attitude that you are slowing things down. Applause.
The after party was also a blast. I don't think we are invited back to the club we went to. Ever dealt with a drunk and disorderly women's choir? The bouncers hadn't either. In most clubs you just stop the music, turn up the lights and move people to the front door. Except, if Lips is on the dance floor. No music? No problem! We have a couple dance medley's in the repertoire so we'll just sing our own music thank you very much. And who doesn't want to hear Fleetwood Mac's The Chain once they've had a few drinks? Better add that in too. Chaos. Beautiful.
I heard a rumour that there might be a recording of the show...I'll make sure to post it. If you can't wait, check us out on YouTube (http://youtu.be/K9vwMbc0dJY). Yes, those are kazoos, we are serious musicians.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Amsterdam
Of all the cities I have visited very few have ever received an "I would live here" rating. Amsterdam definitely makes that very short list -- Dublin and London are the only other cities if you were wondering. The combination of fashionable people going about their day to day business on roughed up old bicycles amid a very orderly canal system is rather romantic in my mind.
I definitely enjoyed the distinct lack of gas powered vehicles on the road. There are bikes absolutely everywhere (and rarely a helmet seen). Mostly they favour something a bit on the rusty side, cruiser style, with a black milk crate on the front. Apparently this deters theft as there is nothing worth stealing. You can also get a very cool version of a bicycle which has a bucket in the front...perfect for the kids! And, on date night, just have your girlfriend perch side-saddle on the rear luggage rack. Voila! Transport for two. If she is a keeper she'll hop off on the up part of the steeper bridges...run along side and then just hop back on at the top.
My hotel was just around the corner from Anne Frank's House overlooking the Keizergraacht (King's Canal). I woke up and fell asleep to the same church bells that Anne wrote about so long ago in her famous diary. The house itself, like anything connected to the Holocaust, is a sobering and grim experience. Anne's father, Otto, the only survivor of the 8 hideaways, was adamant that the rooms remain empty and I think that makes the experience all the more powerful. Seeing the pictures of Hollywood stars pasted to the walls in Anne's room reminded me how I did the exact same thing at her age (not actually pasted to the walls...but taped to the back of my bedroom door).
I did a few not-so-serious touristy things too...a tour on a Segway, a cruise on the Canals, and a bike tour out into the countryside sans helmet (which was actually acutely uncomfortable for me having almost scrambled my head in that altercation with the bus a few years ago). The bike ride was amazing once I relaxed about my lack of safety gear. We rode south along the Amstel River out into the country side to a windmill and then stopped into a farm. The farmer was quite a character and I ended up talking to him for quite a while -- Grandma & Brenda you are going to love this bit -- in the barn while we checked out his most recent calf and his herd of dairy cattle. Who knew the smell of a barn full of cattle held such a nostalgic scent? He has about 40 head of cattle which produce enough milk to support his cheese making operation. He is also one of 5 remaining clog manufacturers in Holland and we got a demo of how they make the clogs (from poplar) on these two old German machines. Other than the milking shed, I don't think I saw a piece of equipment that was less than 40 years old. His whole "farm" is less than 5 acres and that includes the house, barn, shop, etc.
There was also some shopping time in the lovely boutiques in between the canals which included the discovery of an artist named Mariska Meijers (http://www.mariskameijers.com/screenprints/) who I got to talking with in her shop before I realized it was her shop. I now own a copy of her Royal Delft with Apples. She was a corporate lawyer in Singapore before she gave it up to move home and pursue her art career. Maybe I'll find an inner artist yet.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Bluebell Wood
Yesterday was spent on a lovely wander through the woods between Tring and Berkhamsted. I won't even pretend that I have a clue where I was most of day but our guide, Paul (http://www.ukwildadventures.com/), did a great job of showing us around even though the weather was a bit damp. Okay, it was more than damp, it was downright wet and muddy! But, no surprise to those who remember me as a child, I actually really didn't mind the mud at all. There is still a bit of thrill to be had when you are allowed to play in the mud.
The highlight of the hike was a meadow of bluebells. They looked like a carpet of bright blue on the forest floor. Quite other-worldly and so picture perfect you would almost think it was some clever Disney trick. Mother nature really outdid herself in this instance. Everything was accented by some rather adorable little ones running around with umbrellas in colourful raincoats and rubber boots. I imagine to them it must seem as though they had been let out to play right in the land of make believe.
It really was great day out. I find it a bit exhausting to deal with such a big city all of time and a few hours in the quiet was just what I needed. I enjoy living in London more than New York but, in both cases, I am/was living in the heart of a large urban centre which, while exciting, is constantly moving...vibrating with energy and noise. It is exhilarating most of the time but in my mind "home" is still the wide open prairies. When people ask me where I am from I usually describe it as just like the TV show Little House on the Prairies. People usually laugh but then they can describe it back to me in detail. They always ask if the people are really that nice and wholesome...and it always makes me so proud to be able to tell them that they really are.
The hike was concluded in a wonderful little pub along the canal called the Rising Sun (http://theriser.net/). The publican himself, Nigel, gave us a very engaging education on ciders and perries - cider is made from apples and perry is made from pears. I think I am totally converted to cider drinking now that I have tasted some of the best in Britain. The rum cask aged one I ended with was spectacular! Definitely a great recommendation from one of the regulars.
Well, I guess I should go and try to get the mud out of my hiking pants. I managed to get it up to my knees...and then there are the places I wiped my dirty hands...remember when your Mom used to make you strip down at the door when you came in from playing? Still applicable after all these years.
The highlight of the hike was a meadow of bluebells. They looked like a carpet of bright blue on the forest floor. Quite other-worldly and so picture perfect you would almost think it was some clever Disney trick. Mother nature really outdid herself in this instance. Everything was accented by some rather adorable little ones running around with umbrellas in colourful raincoats and rubber boots. I imagine to them it must seem as though they had been let out to play right in the land of make believe.
It really was great day out. I find it a bit exhausting to deal with such a big city all of time and a few hours in the quiet was just what I needed. I enjoy living in London more than New York but, in both cases, I am/was living in the heart of a large urban centre which, while exciting, is constantly moving...vibrating with energy and noise. It is exhilarating most of the time but in my mind "home" is still the wide open prairies. When people ask me where I am from I usually describe it as just like the TV show Little House on the Prairies. People usually laugh but then they can describe it back to me in detail. They always ask if the people are really that nice and wholesome...and it always makes me so proud to be able to tell them that they really are.
The hike was concluded in a wonderful little pub along the canal called the Rising Sun (http://theriser.net/). The publican himself, Nigel, gave us a very engaging education on ciders and perries - cider is made from apples and perry is made from pears. I think I am totally converted to cider drinking now that I have tasted some of the best in Britain. The rum cask aged one I ended with was spectacular! Definitely a great recommendation from one of the regulars.
Well, I guess I should go and try to get the mud out of my hiking pants. I managed to get it up to my knees...and then there are the places I wiped my dirty hands...remember when your Mom used to make you strip down at the door when you came in from playing? Still applicable after all these years.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Tea Time
The weather is beautiful in London these days. Warm sunny days seem to be the usual these days. Definitely not typical for England. In fact there is a pretty serious drought going on here and there is already water rationing in some of the most severely hit areas.
I'm enjoying my terrace (British for balcony) but missing my yard. There is something about spring that makes me want to get my hands dirty. Must be all that farming blood running through my veins. Here they would call a yard a garden. But the gardens that I have seen are all really little more than a tiny patch of space (12 feet x 20 feet would be pretty big) and doesn't really allow for any sort of gardening like Canadians are used to. I often think of how big my Grandma's garden on the farm was when I spent my summers there! And that was just the garden not the yard. I actually have a picture of Grandpa & Grandma's current yard, looking out to the barn, on my computer screen at work and have been asked several times if ALL of that is our land. I think they think my Grandparents are rich. When I tell them how much land my Uncle farms their eyes get a little bugged out. In Canada land is measured in sections and in England it it measured in square metres. Very different scales of reference.
People who want to grow their own vegetables have an allotment. This is like a plot in a community garden. Allotment gardening is serious stuff over here. People are on lists for years to get an allotment. At first when I would see allotment gardens I could not figure out what was going on. It looks like horrible mess to me. The plots don't seem to be laid out in any sensible manner and there tend to be garden/tool sheds which range from fanciful doll houses to rotten lean-to's. Weeding doesn't appear to be such a priority, in general, English gardens -- be they flowers or vegetables -- are far less tended than I am used to.
Not much of note happening these days for me (other than the sun bathing). I have started collecting a proper English tea set from Fortnum & Mason. You could substitute expensive for proper in the previous sentence if you wish. Thanks to my recent visitors, I received a very nice gift certificate in the mail a few days after they left and I quickly invested it in a pretty little cream and sugar set to go with my new tea pot. I have added a few other bits and bobs too. I can report that a proper cup of tea, made with proper English tea, is available to any future visitors. But you'll have to drink out of very improper mugs...because I'm still saving up for the tea cups to match!
I'm enjoying my terrace (British for balcony) but missing my yard. There is something about spring that makes me want to get my hands dirty. Must be all that farming blood running through my veins. Here they would call a yard a garden. But the gardens that I have seen are all really little more than a tiny patch of space (12 feet x 20 feet would be pretty big) and doesn't really allow for any sort of gardening like Canadians are used to. I often think of how big my Grandma's garden on the farm was when I spent my summers there! And that was just the garden not the yard. I actually have a picture of Grandpa & Grandma's current yard, looking out to the barn, on my computer screen at work and have been asked several times if ALL of that is our land. I think they think my Grandparents are rich. When I tell them how much land my Uncle farms their eyes get a little bugged out. In Canada land is measured in sections and in England it it measured in square metres. Very different scales of reference.
People who want to grow their own vegetables have an allotment. This is like a plot in a community garden. Allotment gardening is serious stuff over here. People are on lists for years to get an allotment. At first when I would see allotment gardens I could not figure out what was going on. It looks like horrible mess to me. The plots don't seem to be laid out in any sensible manner and there tend to be garden/tool sheds which range from fanciful doll houses to rotten lean-to's. Weeding doesn't appear to be such a priority, in general, English gardens -- be they flowers or vegetables -- are far less tended than I am used to.
Not much of note happening these days for me (other than the sun bathing). I have started collecting a proper English tea set from Fortnum & Mason. You could substitute expensive for proper in the previous sentence if you wish. Thanks to my recent visitors, I received a very nice gift certificate in the mail a few days after they left and I quickly invested it in a pretty little cream and sugar set to go with my new tea pot. I have added a few other bits and bobs too. I can report that a proper cup of tea, made with proper English tea, is available to any future visitors. But you'll have to drink out of very improper mugs...because I'm still saving up for the tea cups to match!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Hyde Park
Today was a good day for a nice long walk. Up until today I had never actually been in Hyde Park. Sure, I had been on the periphery a few times and knew where it was in location to some other spots (for example my favourite department store, Harvey Nichols, is very close) but I had never actually ventured forth to explore.
Given that I knew people rode horses in the park -- there was some benefit to reading all those cheesy historical romance novels -- I guess I should have been prepared for how big it is as you obviously need a bit of space if you are going to enjoy a decent ride. Or at least I suppose you need some space but I don't know much about genteel horse riding being that I'm from the Wild West. I looked it up and the combined area of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens is just under 640 acres or about 1 square mile.
It has just about everything you can think of for a park: lakes for rowing, paths for bikes, paths for people, paths for horses, rose gardens, flower meadows, trees, ducks, statues, monuments, fountains, etc. The Children's playground looks particularly impressive and I do wish that one of you lived here so I could borrow an appropriately aged child for the afternoon and "supervise" them on the pirate ship.
Given that I knew people rode horses in the park -- there was some benefit to reading all those cheesy historical romance novels -- I guess I should have been prepared for how big it is as you obviously need a bit of space if you are going to enjoy a decent ride. Or at least I suppose you need some space but I don't know much about genteel horse riding being that I'm from the Wild West. I looked it up and the combined area of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens is just under 640 acres or about 1 square mile.
It has just about everything you can think of for a park: lakes for rowing, paths for bikes, paths for people, paths for horses, rose gardens, flower meadows, trees, ducks, statues, monuments, fountains, etc. The Children's playground looks particularly impressive and I do wish that one of you lived here so I could borrow an appropriately aged child for the afternoon and "supervise" them on the pirate ship.
Queen Victoria's memorial to Albert is also very impressive but I think they frown upon people playing on it. It is right across the street from Royal Albert Hall where A, N and I all agreed we really need to go to a concert. Maybe we'll go to the Proms this summer. We do need to go back to the Park to see the Rose Garden in bloom and tour Kensington Palace when it reopens later this month. So much to see! We are going to try to do or see something every two weeks (fortnightly if you are English...they actually still say that here) which is touristy or interesting. I think it is a great goal and I don't think we can possibly run out of things.
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| Albert Memorial |
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| Royal Albert Hall |
I have to admit that our 5 mile walk has tired me right out! All that fresh air, and perhaps a few too many pints watching the rugby yesterday (Go Wales!), have got me thinking a pre-dinner nap is in order!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
London 2012
Something about shopping with the girls is universal. Yesterday I met up with a couple of girls from work for a bit of shopping at a mall. A mall the size of West Edmonton Mall but no repeat stores (http://uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity/). They do have them here (malls) but they tend to be way out in the suburbs. With the exception of the absolutely cool new red Chuck Taylor's that I bought (aka Converse Runners), I would say that I actually prefer shopping on the high street. I guess because it is different than at home. Also because I am starting to realize that I really dislike giant crowds of people!
The best part of the trip was that the mall is next to Olympic Park! There are a couple of viewing platforms in the mall and you can actually get a good view from the train coming into the station too. I'm going to have to learn a few synonyms for big. Everything here is big if you grew up in Saskatchewan but the Olympic Park sets a new standard for big.
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Most of London, myself included, are struggling to come to terms with just how we will deal with an extra million people a day trying to get around. The transportation system here already operates at maximum capacity most of the time. Any little hiccup causes widespread chaos in the system and once things begin to break down it doesn't matter if you are in a car or on a train. Our Company actually has a separate committee that is charged with making sure we can still keep operating during the games. It is a real concern that people won't be able to get to the office. Our main office is well away from central London but the area it is in will be hosting the Canoeing events and many of the practice locations for various teams. We do have an investment office in the City and that might be quite a challenge. Generally, every Olympic visitor is likely going to pass through the financial district on their way to the Olympic Park. Yikes. My own tube station, Angel, is likely going to be impassable at certain points in the day.
Right now, I'm thinking that I should be able to get up to the office at Potters Bar in the morning (provided I leave early enough) but getting back home might be impossible later in the day. So, I'll probably try to get down to our office in the City mid-day. I'll finish up my day there and then probably just walk back to my flat...about 2 miles. This will all be happening while we are trying to finalize 2nd Quarter earnings so there will be no option to just book holidays. But I understand why people want to leave!
It will be interesting to see what happens! Regardless, I've got all my Canadian gear ready to go and I am preparing to cheer as loud as possible. I might even have to get a Canadian flag for my balcony. And, if any of you can get tickets you are welcome to come and sleep on my floor!
The best part of the trip was that the mall is next to Olympic Park! There are a couple of viewing platforms in the mall and you can actually get a good view from the train coming into the station too. I'm going to have to learn a few synonyms for big. Everything here is big if you grew up in Saskatchewan but the Olympic Park sets a new standard for big.
.JPG)
Most of London, myself included, are struggling to come to terms with just how we will deal with an extra million people a day trying to get around. The transportation system here already operates at maximum capacity most of the time. Any little hiccup causes widespread chaos in the system and once things begin to break down it doesn't matter if you are in a car or on a train. Our Company actually has a separate committee that is charged with making sure we can still keep operating during the games. It is a real concern that people won't be able to get to the office. Our main office is well away from central London but the area it is in will be hosting the Canoeing events and many of the practice locations for various teams. We do have an investment office in the City and that might be quite a challenge. Generally, every Olympic visitor is likely going to pass through the financial district on their way to the Olympic Park. Yikes. My own tube station, Angel, is likely going to be impassable at certain points in the day.
Right now, I'm thinking that I should be able to get up to the office at Potters Bar in the morning (provided I leave early enough) but getting back home might be impossible later in the day. So, I'll probably try to get down to our office in the City mid-day. I'll finish up my day there and then probably just walk back to my flat...about 2 miles. This will all be happening while we are trying to finalize 2nd Quarter earnings so there will be no option to just book holidays. But I understand why people want to leave!
It will be interesting to see what happens! Regardless, I've got all my Canadian gear ready to go and I am preparing to cheer as loud as possible. I might even have to get a Canadian flag for my balcony. And, if any of you can get tickets you are welcome to come and sleep on my floor!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Westminster
Big. Very Big. High. Very High. Those were my first thoughts as I walked into Westminster Cathedral but, as usual, first impressions of these sorts are a little hard to put into words. Big and high don't really describe it at all.
My friends at Wikepedia tell me that the cathedral was built between 1245 and 1517 with the western towers added in the early 1700s. Okay. I really can't comprehend that amount of time in terms of how long ago that was and how long it took to complete. I wonder what my brother, who manages big construction projects, would think about a 325 year project time line? Makes my 2 year bathroom reno look pretty tame!
It is a who's who of tombs and graves. Although, you have to look close because some have fine print noting where the person is actually buried...as in not in Westminster. Early tourism? I started looking a little closer when I "saw" Shakespeare's grave marker. Which would have been cool if I hadn't already stood in another church, in Stratford-upon-Avon, and looked at a grave marker for Mr. Shakespeare! I was rather surprised to see Chaucer's tomb...especially since that first thing that flew into my mind was the Wife of Bath's tale which, according to my high school English teacher, was pretty racy stuff for the time. Maybe the church was more liberal back in the day.
Having spend the previous day trolling through the Tower of London (I will never tire of the Crown Jewels), and just arriving from Buckingham Palace (arriving for the changing of the Guards...by accident!), it was interesting to see all the Royal burials. M&M, my girlfriends in from Winnipeg for a little visit, and I wondered if the Queen might end up here in the end too. Ignorant Colonials that we are, not one of us knew where a modern monarch might be buried these days?
We also agreed that it must have been terrifying for Catherine to walk down the aisle there just last year. I wonder how she managed to look so calm and serene!
My friends at Wikepedia tell me that the cathedral was built between 1245 and 1517 with the western towers added in the early 1700s. Okay. I really can't comprehend that amount of time in terms of how long ago that was and how long it took to complete. I wonder what my brother, who manages big construction projects, would think about a 325 year project time line? Makes my 2 year bathroom reno look pretty tame!
It is a who's who of tombs and graves. Although, you have to look close because some have fine print noting where the person is actually buried...as in not in Westminster. Early tourism? I started looking a little closer when I "saw" Shakespeare's grave marker. Which would have been cool if I hadn't already stood in another church, in Stratford-upon-Avon, and looked at a grave marker for Mr. Shakespeare! I was rather surprised to see Chaucer's tomb...especially since that first thing that flew into my mind was the Wife of Bath's tale which, according to my high school English teacher, was pretty racy stuff for the time. Maybe the church was more liberal back in the day.
Having spend the previous day trolling through the Tower of London (I will never tire of the Crown Jewels), and just arriving from Buckingham Palace (arriving for the changing of the Guards...by accident!), it was interesting to see all the Royal burials. M&M, my girlfriends in from Winnipeg for a little visit, and I wondered if the Queen might end up here in the end too. Ignorant Colonials that we are, not one of us knew where a modern monarch might be buried these days?
We also agreed that it must have been terrifying for Catherine to walk down the aisle there just last year. I wonder how she managed to look so calm and serene!
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