More tests, brought to you by my favorite librarian

Thanks to Library Bitch for this funny post !

You Are Ichabod Crane From "Sleepy Hollow." You're a deep thinker - most times logically. You're a bit of a neat freak and a wuss (hey, you do faint a lot!) but you do have the ability to overcome your fears and come out stronger in the end. And you never lose your head over things. (Gufaw gufaw!)

Take The Johnny Depp Quiz!

You're sweet, but not naive -- though you like to be babied like a child at times. You prefer to have a bad boy by your side, but sometimes have problems understanding why he has to run off to take care of business. You want to settle down, yet deep down inside, you are excited by the surprises life throws your way. Take the What Pulp Fiction Character Are You? quiz.

According to the "Which Big Lebowski character are you?" quiz:
Why don't you check it out? Or we cut off your Johnson!

ON ON !

The Beaver

Thanks to Kate in Virginia for posting on my guestmap !

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

100 things about my significant other (part I)

I dedicate this post to those who seeked love and found it, to those who seek love, to those who lost hope.
May this restore your faith.

Every time I blog, I share my entries with my s.o.

Every time, he complains that I don't blog enough about him.

This post is dedicated to him, 100%.

I will make a 100 things list, but in 2 parts.

1. My s.o.'s name is Dave. It suits him perfectly.
2. He is my significant other, lover, best friend and confident.
3. He is one head shorter then me.
4. He is the king of procrastination.
5. His heart could hold the world.
6. The first time I told him I loved him, I was a teen-ager. He said I was too tall.
7. Our first conversation was about me talking too much.
   
8. Dave is brilliant, but was never an A student because he couldn't hand in his papers on time.
9. He nevertheless wrote a brilliant comparison paper about Stendahl's Le rouge et le Noir and Tristan et Iseult.
10. Dave could never make a carreer out of it, but he would be a great carpet salesman.
11. As we speak, Dave is doing the dishes. For the first time in 3 days. It's his only shore.
    
12. When I went on a 6 months fellowship in Senegal, he spent all his vacations and lots of money to spend 2 weeks with me.
13. Dave is allergic to vacuum cleaners. I have to vacuum when he's not home.
14. Dave laughs at all my jokes. Even when they're truly awful.
15. I bought my first car because of Dave. He was studying and living 300km away from home.
    
16. Dave is the oldest of 2. He never had a sister.
17. He constantly claims to be asocial. Yet, he is rarely seen alone.
18. He has very strong ties to his family.
19. I once drove 6 hours to and back in one night, just to be with him.
20. Dave lives with me. He still buys me flowers once a month and takes me out all the time.
    
21. He likes to think a lot before deciding things. That drives me insane.
22. When we were in high school, his nickname was ''Lutin des bois" (Wood Sprite). It really sounds much less ridiculous in English.
    
23. He keeps on saying I should teach him to blog. Everytime I remind him, he decides it's not the time for it.
24. One night, we found a woman in crisis in the street. He suggested we try to help her, and actually carried her from the car to the hospital.
25. Though he was raised in a comfortably wealthy family, he feels compation for the world and care little for profit.
26. He has capitalistic tendencies though.
    
27. He has never been physically violent toward anyone that I know.
28. In 12 years that I've known him, I saw him yell twice. I must admit I was pushing my luck both times.
29. If he could, Dave would spend his whole life without doing any chore anywhere.
    
30. Though he was never baptized, he considers Jesus to be a great philosopher and patron.
31. He has the utmost respect for Gandhi and Bouddha.
    
32. His dream job would be to teach philosophy to children.
33. His nightmare position would be housekeeper.
34. Dave's shortest job was as a material handler. He was doing ok but hated the schedule. He stayed there 3 weeks.
35. He has been talking about going to work in Thailand for the last 3 years.
    
36. He is addicted to coffee, chesse and sherbet.
37. In 12 years that I've known him, I saw him drunk twice. He was really sweet and quite funny.
38. Silence with him is never uncomfortable.
39. He hates pop music in general, and heavy metal and rap in particular.
    
40. He is the most forgetful person I know (aside for myself).
41. He keeps on reminding me of stuff.
42. He is always considerate and respectful of me, and my rythm.
43. When we were 20, we dated. He left without saying goddbye because he thought I was miserable with him. I cried for months.
44. If I were to choose one person on which to be alone on an island with, it would be him.
45. I trust Dave with my life, but not with my crystal glasses.
    
46. He loves to play chess.
47. He taught me to love Mozart's requiem.
48. He is the reason I beleive in soul mates and reincarnation.
49. After I'd been gone away for 6 months, he asked me to live with him.
50. He commited to me despite my recent job conditions.

I will sorely miss him when I leave.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Missed connections and layovers

Thank you, gentle readers,
for all the support and encouragements you've given me over the last few months.
They contributed greatly to my mental survival.

Friday

4:30 AM
So I made it to Dorval airport on time.
Cigarettes : 3 (On the way to the airport)

I actually was early enough to have breakfast and read the whole Quebec Bar Journal, which I normally never take the time to read. At the US customs, the guy is as thick as the Websters, but not as brilliant.

- Where ya goin', Maam ?
- Baltimore, sir.
- What for, Maam ?
- Job interview, sir. For an international position.
- You gonna work in the United States, Maam ?
- No sir, it's an international position. Overseas.
- But you'll be working in the US, Maam ?
- No sir, I just told you it was overseas.
- In what country, Maam ?
- I don't know yet, sir, I haven't had my assignment yet.
- So you won't be working in the US, Maam ?

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !

At the Canadian security, I get searched though I haven't beeped. The girl tells me she has to search an additionnal 25% of the travellers. If she doesn't, she gets fired. She mentions she'd rather sell donuts.

Coffee : 2
Bagel & Cream cheese : 1
Security announcements : 6
Annoyed Beaver : 1

6:45 AM
My first flight was to Newark, with a 30 min layover and connection to Baltimore. It was my first flight on the small aircrafts Continental calls airplanes. It was the smallest thing I'd ever been on, with my head litterally resting against the ceiling when standing up and my knees being cranked against the seat in front of me when sitting down. TG for exit rows !
Cigarettes : 0
Coffee : 1
Muffin : 1
Security Briefing : 1
Destroyed knees : 2

8:45 AM
Arrival in Newark, I make my way to my boarding area. All's good, the flight is still announced on the screen. I figure, this is good, I'll be patient and wait for it to be called in. 15 minutes later, wondering why it's so long, I enquire. The flight departed !
Security announcements : 1
Connections missed : 1

I make my way to the customer service desk. I need to take the 1:30PM flight. I meet there a fellow passenger from the Montreal flight. He missed his connection too. We have a cigarette (outside) and a snack (inside).

Call to my interviewer : 2
Cigarettes : 2 (Outside)
Coffee : 1
Muffin : 1
Security announcements : 5
New friends : 1

11:00 AM
My friend takes his flight to NC. I wander around aimlessly.
Cigarettes : 0
Coffee : 0
Muffin : 0
Security announcements : 25 !!!
Bored Beaver : 1

1:20 PM
My flight is finally boarding. I'm almost desperate with boredom and fatigue.
Satisfied Beaver : 1

1:50 PM
The flight is deplaned due to technical difficulties. Me and 2 other passengers (sleep deprived as well) are laughing all along. I think I went close to insane. A girl from Arkansas has a hard time with my Tomato/Pesto/Bocconcini sandwich.

Call to my interviewer : 1
Cigarettes : 0
Juice : 1
Sandwich : 1
Disillioned Beaver : 1
Security announcements : 6

2:45 PM
The flight is boarded. We're still laughing. The flight attendant is laughing too.
Cigarettes : 0
Coffee : 0
Muffin : 0
Security briefing : 1

4:00 PM
I almost forgot my luggage by the carry-on pick-up and got it blown up. Blame it on sleep deprevation. I finally made it to the Wyndham, dropped my luggage and made my way to the office. I'm very nervous.

Cigarettes : 2 *relief*

7:00 PM
The interview went well (I think they pretty much had made up their minds before I even came). I spend the evening with my manager at the Hard Rock Cafe in Baltimore.
Cigarettes : ?
Calls home : 4
Jobs obtained : 1

****************************************************************
 Saturday

I sleep in. I'm dead. I take my flight to Cleveland and my connection to Montreal without too much trouble. Some unauthorized birds visit the boarding area in Cleveland.

I get home to find Dave has planned dinner for us. He even bought Mousseux. We hang out at my friend's place a bit later.

****************************************************************
 Sunday

I start emailing friends and family about the news. We give my in-laws the news.

By the way, here's the news :

I'll be leaving Montreal in 3 weeks, direction Baltimore, where I'll spend 2 weeks for prep and logistics. This leaves me little time to sublease my place, sell my car and move all my belongings to the cottage, but I'll manage. Dave rented today a gorgeous appartment in Little Italy. I managed to annul my lease. Someone is already placing a bid on my car.

The most difficult part will be leaving Dave behind, but we hope that with combined vacations, personnal days, and R&R, we'll be able to see each other 4 times a year. Nevertheless, being away from him will be painful, as this has all happened very fast and is destabilizing him on the eve of the automn classes at university. I must admit I feel kinda guilty.

September 24th, I leave for Guinea Conakry with my assigned Audit team.

November 4th, we'll start the audit in Cameroon.

I'll be home for X-mas and will leave again early january, destination unknown.

I might go to East Timor, Senegal, Zambia or Tanzania. If I'm lucky, I'll be close enough to visit my friends in Africa.

No matter what, the blogging will continue.

ON ON !

The Beaver



My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

I woke up but still snoozed twice.

This post is dedicated to Dave and my mum, who constantly show me the meaning of true love by waking me up, even at ungodly hours.

We set the alarm at 3:30AM.

As it rang, Dave sprung on his feet and went to the kitchen. I struggled with my own confusion. Was there a fire ? Was I dreaming ? Somewhere in there, I think i snoozed.

At 3:37, Dave came back to bed.

At 3:38, the alarm went off again. I think I vaguely remember snoozing.

At 3:45, Dave sets to get out of bed (I’m still eyes wide shut, and pretending this isn’t happening.)

At 3:46, I understand he wants to bring me coffee, I protest, and get out of bed.

At 3:55, my hair is done and I’m having coffee and writing this.

At 4:04, I’m done with my coffee and getting dressed.

At 4:06, I’m dressed and trying to call my mum to reassure her so she won’t wake Dave up a second time.

At 4:09, she calls.

At 4:12, I’m having breakfast (and writing this post).

At 4:24, I’m done and putting my shoes on.

At 4:30, I’m on my way to the airport.

The Beaver


P.S.
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Who is your "Lost" alter ego?

Cricketina, this one's for you :)
Hope that hurricane doesn't spoil more of your time !

Got this one from http://straightfromthecask.blogspot.com


Who is your "Lost" alter ego?
created with QuizFarm.com

I scored as Charlie. Sweet, adorable and caring but with a bit of a bad habit.

The Beaver


P.S.
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

It's a catastrophe !

I just got home from the hairdresser. I go there once a year, usually because my hair desperately needs a trim.

Today, I went there to get a nice, professional haircut for the interview for the job of my dreams.IT’S HORRIBLE !

Did she want to take revenge my neglect of her business ? did she get carried away by her enthusiasm to cut my locks ? did someone pay her to f* up my haircut and mess up my interview ?

I look like I had an accident with a lawnmower.
I look worse than when I cut them myself in Senegal.
I feel like there is nothing on my head.

Even the handyman at my place noticed it.

It’s so short, I can’t even tie it up to hide the misery.

OMG - is it acceptable to wear a hat for an interview ?

The Beaver

P.S. Thank you, StraightfromtheCask in France and VVH1 in Bentonville, AR for posting on my guestmap ! Watch this space for some French entries, very very soon :)

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Ode to Snail Mail

I hate snail mail.

I keep on forgetting to write.

When I think of it, I keep on being dissatisfied with the contents and/or my handwriting.

When I’m finally happy with it, I keep on forgetting to buy stamps.

When it’s stamped, I forget to mail the stupid thing.

By the time I remember to mail it, it’s so outdated, I have to start again.

I hate snail mail !

The Beaver

Thank you, Dyczar from Charlottetown (PEI), Hector from the UK and Rob from New Jersey for posting on my guestmap !

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Pain.......

This morning, the alarm went off at 6:30. We got out of bed at 8:00.

This was rewarded by breakfast at the Egg Planet (not EggPlant!) and I then drove my s.o. to work.

I consider this somewhat of a success because it’s the earliest I’ve been up since April.

Tomorrow, I’m flying to Baltimore at 6:45AM. That means I need to be at the airport a 4:45AM. That means I need to wake up at 4:00AM.

I think if I don’t miss my plane, my goal will be seriously close to completion !

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Need motivation ?

I'm doing 9 things and going 12 places.
I started small. The total amount of entries on a list can go up to 43.

I got this idea from Nina's Dementia in VA Blog.

It's a cool idea. You write up a list of things you want to do, and a list of places you want to go. As you progress on your lists, you add entries. Other users can cheer you and you can cheer them as well.

Users who completed a goal can answer questions.

It's a cool support system.

So what are you putting on your list ?

The Beaver

Thanks, Anya in Serbia, for posting on my Guestmap !

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

What kind of blogger are you?

Found this cool little test on MQ's Home-Maker Diary

I am a Pundit Blogger!

My blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few.

Yeah, right :S

Let me know : what kind of blogger are you?

The Beaver

P.S. I just realized with horror that I never thanked Siti from Singapour and Mimi from New York for posting on my guestmap. So here you go : I apologize, and I thank you both !

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!

Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

About optimism and busy schedules

Friday was a good day. The morning was spent hanging out over crêpes with my colleagues of the Mountain Conservation Patrol.

I spent the afternoon trying to arrange my flight to Baltimore.

That evening I picked up Dave at work and we went to the movies - we ended up seeing The 40 year old Virgin. I had low expectations and ended up quite pleased. It was a good laugh.

Satur-day was a bit bleh. It rained like it only rains in Montreal, so Dave and I stayed in, watched Angel's season 2, read, and did other relaxing activities.

In the evening, we had a dinner party at Krishna's, to celebrate her departure to Tanzania. K is a former colleague from Bar school. She landed an articling position at the Arusha International tribunal. This is amazing for her, as she has a L.L.M in international law, and has a very complete fascination for the issue raised at the tribunal. The dinner was pleasant and provided some interesting connections. I met there people who :

• had been body-guard to the actual RDC president ;
• had been to Senegal ;
• had lived in Argentina ;
• had lived in Thailand.

It was fun to meet travelled people. Amongst other things, I learned about something that any-body who lives/works far from home should know about. I learned about Voice Over Internet Protocols. For a flat (reasonable) fee, you can have unlimited phone calls to home, and you can take your number anywhere with you. This means I could leave to the Bora Bora Islands, and be reachable on my 514 number.

Check out the services !

• Primus
• Teliphone
• Babytel
• Vonage

Sunday was mostly spent recuperating. Dave was out with Friends, so I hung out and had dinner with my mother.

Monday was good. I hung out with K (she's flying on wednesday) and had a girly talk. We're in similar situations, with our careers and boyfriends, so it was good to talk with someone who understands.

I then met up with my mum to go shopping for a top to wear for my interview. I actually HATE clothes-shopping for myself (hate, hate, hate.) I always feel like what I like doesn't fit me, and when something fits me, I usually hate it. The thing is, I'm chubby, and my mum has a tendency to favor larger sizes, which make me look like I'm wearing a potato bag. Guess why I usually stick to jeans ! I think I need half-sizes or something. And to make matters worse, I'm very tall, which means pants usually are too short on me. We ended up at Reitmans' where I found a petroleum blue blouse that I loved and nice chic black pants. I'm really not a color/pattern person, so that was a good compromise. I always end up buying my stuff there. I really should stop going to other places.

After that, we made for the Cinema Excentris where we saw Saraband, by swedish film maker Ingmar Bergman. If you can put your hands on this movie, by all means, do see it. It's rough, disturbing at times, but it also carries beautiful sentiments. Liv Ullman is beautiful and intense. Just seeing her makes it worth it. We don't have enough movies where seniors are the center. I think I like Liv because her character reminded me of my mother.

I then had a late dinner with Dave at a small italian place on Fleury st. It was the occasion for us to talk, prepare for what's ahead, and confront opinions on what will happen next. Bottom line is, he supports me, I support him, he's worried about me, I'm worried about him, and we're worried about us. Bottom line is, we love each other very much and want to keep it that way.

Today, I'll hang out, clean the house, pick up some documentation on auditing at my mum's work, and train with Dave in the evening. On thursday, I'm getting a haircut. Joy. (can you feel the enthusiasm ?)

ON ON !

The Beaver

A few fun tests to try

After all this heavy job-hunting business, I thought I'd stir up a bit of fun for you guys :)

I tried the tests and posted the results :) If you're bored, try them and comment me the results !


what freaked version of hello kittie are you?
(Suggested by Adam)


How much of an evil genius are you ?
(From a link found on A Voice in the Wilderness)

I am 59% Evil Genius.

Evil courses through my blood. Lies and deceit motivate my evil deeds. Crushing the weaklings and idiots that do nothing but interfere in my doings.

Take the
Evil Genius Test
@ FualiDotCom

Which Character in Harry Potter are you ?
For 40 % I am Luna Lovegood! Honest, sensitive, and loyal, it's tough being the only person in the wizarding community who knows Rufus Scrimgeour is a vampire!


what annomous object are you? (18 yrs+)
brought to you by Quizilla

you're a remote control!

What type of beauty do you possess? (20 questions + 7 results + pretty pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

DEFIANT BEAUTY - You are unique, original, and an
individual. You are also courageous and
ambitious. You are not afraid to take risks if
it means you will gain something. You thrive on
success and praise. You are a non-comformist
and prefer to do things your own way. You also
like to work by yourself rather than with a
group. Your ultimate goal is to reach true
success in whatever your chosen field is.

ON ON !

The Beaver


P.S. Thanks, Neil in Scotland, for posting on my guestmap !

When the ball rolls, IT ROLLS !

Whoa......

Today : 12PM :
Good God, I'm freaking out ! I frantically looked for, and found (*relief*) my passport. My mum will loan me the money for the ticket, and I have a travel agent looking for my plane ticket. If only I could get price approval, I'd be handy dandy !

Today : 4PM :
After all, my potential employer decided to take care of flight and accomodations. I got my e-ticket and an email from my would-be boss predicting that i'd will be out of North America by the end of September.

AaaaaaAAAAaaaaHHAAAAAAA !!!!!!

This is moving so fast, I can't breathe (litterally) *hyperventilates* !

And I thought my life was boring !

The Beaver


P.S. Thanks, Steve in Wisconsin, for posting on my guestmap !

Quick update on my job search

Freaking out like a mad-woman !

After 5 phone interviews, (the last 2 occured yesterday) I'm finally asked to fly down to Baltimore for a in-person interview for that Field Auditor position.

This smells really good. I'm so optimistic ! Apparently, the fact that I have a legal background more than an accounting background is more an asset than a pit fall !

I can't beleive this is happening ! (Yes, 007, it is YOUR organization !)

Of course, it doesn't forebode well for my love or personnal life, as I'll be away from home 6 months at a time. Dave seems to be willing to accomodate me as long as it doesn't last more than 2 years. I hope I don't lose him over this.

Don't worry, guys, if I do get this job, I'll keep blogging. If anything, I'll have more to blog about than I have in the last couple months, with travelling around and all...

*keeps fingers crossed*

ON ON !

The Beaver

Tangible actions in my job hunt

Today, I :

1. called the Armed Forces recruiting office about joining the Reserve. Maybe they can take me in the meantime. Left a message. Got a call back, and apparently,the process is the same for the Reserve. Bottomline is, there's nothing else I can do.
2. called Maisonneuve CEGEP about giving some college level technical classes and/or participating in their international programs. She just came back from vacation and wants me to call back next week. Emailed her my resume.
   
3. called the attorney at Simon Personnel about that application she did for me 2 weeks ago and never called me back about. She's on vacation. I'll have to call again.
4. checked on www.legaljob.ca but found nothing I could apply on.
5. checked on Shore and Associates' website and sent them my resume.
6. met with my mum and K., a colleague of hers which I assisted with event organization pro bono a few months ago. My mum and I came up with a list. K. said she might be able to help me get a short term contract with CECI.
7. called two friends who work at different levels at CSST. One couldn't help me directly but did provide some interesting advice. The other one is on vacation til the 22nd.
8. Called Oxfam Quebec, my contact was on vacation for the next 2 weeks, but his assistant was willing to schedule a meeting upon his return.
   
9. Called the Pearson Center for Peace-Keeping, my contact is on vacation til monday.
10. Tried to call my ex-boss twice at BP, but to no avail. Sent him an email instead, begging for help.
    
11. Called my attorney-friend who is quitting his job and got him to refer my resume.

When all this was done, I got a phone call from that American Organization that I was trying to get in since April. Apparently, they really like my resume and want to hire me. They just don't have anything for me YET, aside from an International Audit job that would involve 6-week long international travel 6 times a year (BRING IT ON ! I'm the TRAVEL Beaver !) I should expect a phone interview within the upcoming weeks.

I'm so excited, I can't hold myself !

ON ON !

The Beaver

Thanks..

Last night I was so exhausted, I actually forgot to post my PS.

So here it is : Thank you Voice for posting on my guestmap.

Thank you gentle readers, for being so regular :)

The Beaver

About motivation

Motivation is a difficult thing to have.

It's even tougher to maintain.

When I found out that it would take 18 months for the Canadian army to actually get my security check done, I freaked out.

I stopped training,
gave up the job hunting,
locked myself up ....

...and blogged. By many ways, it kept me alive.

But today, I got my motivation back !

It happened without me noticing.

I patrolled the mountain last week and we had to undo an illegal camping site. That involved climbing (well, more like scrambling) down a cliff and scrambling back up with the tent packed on my back.

The next day, I understood I'd taken muscular pain to a whole new level .

Then I realized, if I was to join the Army, even in 18 months, I'd need to get my s*** together, because this was pretty close to military training.

So I called the gym and made an appointment to review my training program.

I went there, got a pep talk, and before I knew it, I was back on the treadmill, and doing all that cardio I needed to do.

Today, I endured 2 hours of punishment.

Tomorrow, I'm sitting down and making that list of things to do in my job search. I have one month before EI cuts me off, and I'm not going down without a fight !

It's amazing, what a little physical pain can do !

ON ON!


The Beaver

100 Things about The Beaver

I wrote 100 things about myself three years ago - and most of them are still true. I thought this would be a perfect introduction.

I have updated the list on July 1st, 2007.

1. The Beaver is the official Canadian mascot. I got my nickname the Beaver Hare when I got baptized by the Senegal Sunday Hash House Harriers.
2. My true name will never be published on this blog, but you can call me Marie.
3. Before the movie came out, I was a huge Tolkien fan. I read The Lords of the Rings in a week.
4. My Hobbit name is Tigerlily Sandydowns.
5. I'm 6 feet tall, so I don't look like a hobbit, though my feet are hairy.
6. My Elven name is Tári Eärfalas.
7. I weigh more than I should, so I'm definitely not an elf.
8. I play Dungeons and Dragons. And no, I do not take myself for Tári Eärfalas, the 16th level elven mage/warrior.
9. I started going out to clubs at 16, stopped at 23 and started again at 27.
10. I hate drinking beer.
11. I love wine.
12. I do not use drugs.
13. I'm addicted to Ice Cream.
14. I stole an ashtray at a hotel when I was 16.
15. I was born one hour too late to be born on the first day of spring.
16. I've been 25 years old for the last 4 years.
17. I'm older then I look.
18. I was born in Montreal. The doctor who supervised my birth was Congolese (RDC).
19. My eyes are blue when I cry, grey when I'm bored, and green when I'm in love.
20. My hair used to be platine blond as a baby. Now it's venitian blond.
21. I have no tatoos or piercings. I'd love to develop the nerve to get a tatoo though.
22. I own 5 pairs of shoes and always wear the same pair.
23. I died my hair red once. Nobody noticed.
24. I would never shave my head.
25. I own 2 pairs of jeans and 1 cargo. I never wear anything else, except for work.
26. My worst fear is to loose everything.
27. When I'm home alone and it's dark outside, I get paranoid that a stalker will come and stare through my windows.
28. If I could, I'd go into space. And be afraid.
29. I wouldn't bungee jump even if you paid me to.
30. I'm very loyal to my friends.
31. If I could choose my own death, I'd die for love.
32. Last time I thought of committing suicide, the thought of causing pain to my loved ones was enough to stop me.
33. I'm jealous of those who manage to lead fulfilling lives. I try to let them inspire me.
34. I'm a very carnal person. I love to touch and be touched. But not by just anyone !
35. When new people come in my life, I get all happy and excited.
36. I studied the piano for 10 years and professional singing for 3 years. I've done a few shows but was never in a band.
37. I never had a favorite band because I got introduced to pop culture only at the age of 18. Really like Pink Floyd though.
38. I kill plants. Don't give me something in a pot, because despite my best efforts, in a few weeks it'll be dead.
39. I'm obsessive compulsive about ice cream, sci-fi series, and blogging. My short attention span usually saves me from being truly addicted, though.
40. I like to read thrillers that are well built and correspond a a political reality. Like Robert Ludlum's for example.
41. Horror movies freak me out.
42. I've never hurt somebody with intent.
43. If evil means Every Violet Instantly Lives, then I'm evil. If it means Every Villain Is a Loser, I want to join the club too.
44. I have a tendency to go skinny-dipping when ever possible.
45. I only go to McDonald's to use the toilets.
46. I've been doing my laundry by hand by choice for 2 years. It doesn't bother me.
47. If I were to belong to a subculture, I'd say I'm a hippie, man.
48. I want the war in Iraq to stop.
49. I beleive in reincarnation. I'm sure that every person that's meaningful in my life today, I met in a previous life.
50. I want war not to exist altogether, but at the same time I know it can't happen.
51. am not fundamentally a violent person.
52. My favorite movie of all times is La Belle Histoire. It tells the great adventure and examines with a magnifying glass the love at first sight that happened between two individuals who met and loved two thousand years ago. Now in comtemporary times, their love remained intact. Two thousand years of hardship for one second of eternity. The director is a frenchman called Claude Lelouch. He's a genius.
53. I understood I truely loved Dave while watching this particular movie with him 10 years ago.
54. I beleive in soul mates. I found mine and live with him.
55. I beleive in love at first sight. However, I don't beleive it lasts forever.
56. The longest relationship I've been in lasted 4 years. I'd know him since I was 17.
57. My favorite song is "Come what may" from the movie Moulin Rouge. I like it because it speaks of unconditionnal love.
58. I secretly watch reality shows. And actually shed a tear. And actually feel shame for the whole thing.
59. My favorite food is Chicken French Guyana - style. It involved bamboo sprouts, onion, and a molasses-based sauce which my mother buys in France. The only 2 people that I know who can make it are my mum and my cousin. I haven't had it in 5 years and now i'm a vegetarian so....
60. My favorite cocktail is the hard-on, a shooter that the barman at Ozio could make : it involved bailey's, kalua and tia maria.
61. My favorite smell is the smell of humid moss in the North of France. Shorltly behind is the smell of bakery cooking.
62. My favorite color is blue. I think it's because I love blue skies and water. Or maybe I love them because they're blue.
63. My favorite moment in the day is sunset.
64. My least favorite moments in the day are going to bed and waking up.
65. I'm hyperactive.
66. The most broke I've ever been was when I had lemons and water for dinner. I never asked anyone for money though.
67. I used to own a 1991 Corolla. She's had everything redone, so I expected her to last at least another 5 years. My plan was to drive her until she fell apart on the road - but now that i travel 100% I managed to sell it.
68. I've never been to jail and don't plan to, being an attorney and all...
69. The shortest period of employment was a receptionist gig when I was 16. The standard was receiving 500 calls a day. I quit after the first 2 hours.
70. My dream job would be to be a private detective and wear a trenchcoat a la Dick Tracy. My other dream jobs would be to represent Canada at the UN general assembly, to be a chocolate-taster at Godiva, or an Ice-Cream-taster at Haagen Dasz.
71. The worst job I could ever get would be President of the United States. (ohhh the responsibility...) It would be worst then picking up garbage.
72. I hate selling stuff. I once begged someone not to buy something I was selling. It really was a crappy product.
73. (yes, that's me, chewing on a pipe!) When I was a little girl in Burkina faso, I had a pet chimp called Cheetah, how original! She was kinda sweet and very bent on trying to remove stuff from our hair. Anyway, it's cool to say I had a monkey as a kid, but my mum would tell you it was a whole lot of work keeping the garden clean. Eventually she became nuts and was taken away (not my mum, the monkey).
74. When I was 7, I used to play-pretend star wars (as in episodes 4-5-6) and I always was Leia and Nick and Nico (my neighbors in DKR) would be like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker and double casted as the Emperor and Darth Vador.
75. I used to dream that Peter Pan came to take me with him. I still do sometimes.
76. I never had any brothers and sisters. So I'm very close to my parents.
77. When my dad died 3 years ago, most of my friends didn't know what to do with it, so they just didn't react. I don't blame them, but would have loved to have someone who would just come by and hang out with me, even in silence... This taught me that when we lose someone we love, it takes a lot of time to grieve and accept the loss. And that no matter how horrible it is at first, it turns out fine in the end...
78. I still miss my dad.
79. I consider myself lucky to have had the parents I had. They taught me about honor, justice and loyalty.
80. I talk to my mum every two weeks. I see her twice a year. It's not enough.
    
81. When I was 10, I witnessed a coup and political instability. My reaction was to keep busy and do stuff at home.
82. My mother tongue is French. I learned English at age 10 through immersion at an american high school in Burkina Faso that lasted 3 years.
83. Racism and sterotypes make me angry.
84. My temper got me in trouble more then once.
85. My temper got me out of trouble more then once.
86. My father was adopted. He was beleived to be of Irish descent. My mother is French of France. Her family is beleived to be of Viking descent.
87. I love learning new languages. I wish I could learn Gallic, or Breton, or Ancient Egyptian, and not have to tell people why I'm studying a language deemed dead or useless.
88. That makes me 50% Celt and 50% Viking. Which means in pre-medieval times I would have fought naked and covered in ritual tatoos, but weilding a huge battle-axe. It explains a lot about my temper.
89. I cuss when I'm angry.
90. Though I may feel the urge once in a while, I could never bring myself to bring an end to one's life of my own initiative. If I killed someone accidently, I don't know how I'd deal with the guilt. I might kill to protect my loved ones though. It might kill me, too, in the process.
91. I don't respond well to threats. I deal well with constructive criticism.
92. My weapon of choice when fighting is biting.
93. I'm a hot-head ascendant travel freak.
94. The list of places I'd like to visit is very long, but amongst others : Thailand, Australia, New-Zealand, Guadeloupe, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Singapour, California, Barcelona, Mexico, the Grand Canyon...
95. I went to Paris over 10 times and never went to the third floor of the Eiffel Tower.
96. I've lived in Canada 12 years and the furthest East I went is Miscou Island (New-Brunswick) - Furthest east is Toronto.
97. I went to London twice and never saw Buckingham Palace.
98. Now I live nowhere - I am a NOMAD - and I am desperate to settle down - but WHERE? The world is SO great !
99. If I had to pick a place and a time to live, I'd be a 19th-century poet. (This one's Nelligan, a French Canadian poet of the golden era of poetry.)
100. Every word I put down here is meant to be read by the world.

The Beaver

The world of Ice Cream consumption in Montreal

Dave and I are unconditionnal lovers of ice cream. We wanted to present you with a true guide to Montreal's ice cream, but unfortunately, LaPresse was faster and published a top 10 for Montreal's vanilla ice cream makers.

I don't like vanilla ice cream, but, never the less, I will comment.

1 - MEU-MEU, 4458, rue Saint-Denis; (514) 288-5889.
My comment : Meu Meu rules ! I really like that little ice-cream place. Their shop is very unassuming, and they always come up with funky, interesting flavors.

2 - HAVRE-AUX-GLACES, 7070, Henri-Julien, marché Jean-Talon; (514) 278-8696.
My comment : I'm not familiar with their products, I'll have to try them. The fact that they are located in Marche Jean-Talon does create positive prejudice.

3- HÄAGEN-DAZS, oui!
My comment : I always liked HÄAGEN-DAZS, but I'm surprised that they make it before non-industrial ice-cream makers. Good for them, I guess.

4 - RIPPLES, 3880, boulevard Saint-Laurent; (514) 842-1697.
My comment : I'm not familiar with their products, I'll have to try them.

5- Le Bilboquet, 1311, avenue Bernard Ouest; (514) 276-0414.
My comment : I'm actually quite pleased that Bilboquet is so far behind. Though in Montreal they are considered iconic, I've come to avoid going to their boutique mostly because waiting 45 minutes to have an ice cream cone will ruin my fun. And for sorbet, I definitely prefer Meu Meu.

For true lovers of Bilboquet Ice Cream, we found a place on the South Shore where you can enjoy the cold creamy tasty stuff without having to deal with the line up and with the added benefit of visiting Old Longueuil, which can be quite charming. (Longueuil Ice Cream Parlor, 39 rue Saint-Charles Ouest).

6- Les Petits Plaisirs d'Andrea, 5235, boulevard Saint-Laurent; (514) 495-3999.
My comment : I'm not familiar with their products, I'll have to try them.

7- Pile ou glace, 7084, boulevard Saint-Laurent; (514) 273-3999.
My comment : I'm not familiar with their products, I'll have to try them.

8- Roberto, 2227, rue Bélanger Est; (514) 374-5653.
My comment : I heard great things about this ice-cream maker, I'll have to try his stuff.

9- Breyers à la vanille naturelle.
My comment : Horror ! *shudders*

Overall, I'm surprised that Ben&Jerry's did not make it in the top 10. My second personnal fave for Ice cream is "Les Delices de l'Erable" (Maple Delicacies) and I can't believe their wonderful, delicate, tasty, maple based gelato didn't make it in the score. Oh well, I'll have to write my own survey on ice cream, based on pistachio this time.

On on !

The Beaver

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Enjoy !

The Beaver