Today is my little sister’s 22nd birthday. I remember like it was yesterday when we used to pile all our stuffed animals and jump in them. I can’t believe that I have known a single a person for 22 years but I am grateful to have.
I had no idea what to get my mother for Mother’s Day. On Thursday, I decided instead of something superficial, I’d give her a night of entertainment, an experience. That’s how I live my life! Somehow I had managed to score tickets to the National Chinese Acrobats’ Saturday evening show at The Sony Centre. We had pretty decent seats for last minute.
We were actually much closer than this photo makes it seem.
The Acrobats were collaborating with the Kitchener-Waterloo orchestra, the same group that I had seen perform the Final Fantasy Distance Worlds concert for my birthday. The acrobatic stunts kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Man, did some of those feats make me nervous!
Even with all the visual distractions, I was really appreciating the classical works performed by the symphony. They played some classics like Stravinsky’s Firebird and Berlioz’s Hungarian March. It irked me a little when people clapped (although understandable) during some of the beautifully quiet string solos and passages. It was an experience that was both aurally and visually appealing. Mom enjoyed it, and I hope to take her to experience more of what Toronto’s entertainment scene has to offer!
Here’s a Youtube video I found of the acrobat troupe rehearsing.
My grandparents’ moved to Canada 30 something years ago and have lived in the same house ever since. Their home is filled with crazy trinkets. Some even have tags and packaging still attached. There is not a dull spot in their house which is void of colour or some form of craziness. They are the kind of people who have Christmas lights hung up all year round. There’s flowers on lamps (which is probably a fire hazard) and hidden birds everywhere. I decided with this wealth of strange things that I should capture some of it’s beauty in photos.
The winter holidays is a joyous occasion to gather with family, exchange gifts and eat a ton of delicious foods.It’s the time when regular people finally have time off from their jobs and get to relax. For unemployed me, It isn’t really a holiday and I find myself needing a holiday from the holidays.
Perhaps it’s the fact I’m unemployed and my family has a sudden need to bestow upon me the honor of staying at home to watch after the recently neutered dog, cook the turkey (of which I have no prior knowledge how to by the way) and various other tasks around holiday planning.
I rarely have a social life outside of family time and my friend’s (and boyfriend’s) hectic last minute holiday work schedules. The holidays are far from normal. Oh well, I’ll put up with the holidays since I got an iPhone and hopefully a $1000 camera out of it.
As for the turkey.. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes. Hopefully I don’t poison people.
Tiana Feng 