Oh, Jon Montgomery...

I just had to post this video. It cracks me up. And, he's a Manitoban!

The Novel Files: Lawrence Hill

Last night I finished reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, and it was absolutely fabulous! The man – who is Canadian, by the way – definitely deserved all of the hype and media attention he received after the novel was published. I especially love his attention to detail and the very obvious amount of research he conducted before writing. It is novels like this one that really make me want to continue trying to become a writer.

The novel is written in first person, and a woman named Aminata (“Meena”) Diallo is telling us her life story. She is African, and survived the slave trade. Meena was stolen from her village of Bayo, and transported to North Carolina. From there she lived in New York, Nova Scotia, “Freetown” in Africa, and finally, London. She was a very different slave, because she could read, write, and speak exceptionally well. It was these gifts that saved her life repeatedly. Parts of the novel are difficult to read, especially when Meena is on the slave ship heading to North America. It’s very difficult to read about people being thrown overboard, being branded, and being chained together, but it’s very important for people to understand how horrific the slave trade really was. Everyone should know what people suffered through in the past. Hill did a marvellous job of explaining the situation, and he did so in an honest and up front manner.

I don’t want to give away too much of the novel, but I will say that it is a marvellous story of love and survival. Meena exhibits amazing strength, and illustrates that the most important thing to do when faced with a horrible situation is to keep living. Pick up this book today, experience it, and pass it on to someone else. I think everyone should read it. It’s that good.

WARNING to female bus travellers...

Every once in awhile, one of my classmates comes to school and shares a story about a horrible experience they have had while riding the bus to or from school. Usually, I listen, comment on how weird their experience was, and thank God nothing out of the ordinary ever happens to me. Unfortunately, something happened on the bus on my way home from school Tuesday, and I was so scared that I feel I have a responsibility to blog about.

I was taking the bus all the way from downtown to the University of Manitoba, as usual. I am always on at the first bus stop, and off at the last bus stop, so I spend the hour on my Blackberry catching up on Facebook, emails, or anything else of interest. Yesterday I was doing the same thing, and didn't pay attention when a man sat down beside me. The bus started it's journey, and I peacefully zoned out.

As the bus ride progressed, I became aware that the man sitting beside me started moving closer and closer. Initially I wasn't concerned, as sometimes people need slightly more room to be comfortable. But, he didn't stop moving, and I gradually started to feel that he was invading my personal space. I politely asked him to move over a little bit, and after staring at me hard for a moment, he complied.

Around this time, many readers might be asking me why I didn't get up and move. I would have, but the bus was completely packed. I was stuck, and I decided to stick it out beside this individual who was beginning to set off warning bells in my head.

At a major bus stop, most of the passengers cleared out. There was only myself, the man beside me, and three other people remaining. Instead of moving away into a vacant seat, as most people would do, he stayed right beside me and started moving closer again. Just when I was about to ask him to move, he turned to me and said "hello." I didn't know what to say, so I responded curtly. He asked me if I was going to the university. Obviously I was, because that was the next major place the bus was stopping, so I nodded weakly.

Next, the man turned to me, and said "you are very beautiful." At that point, I was done. I loudly told him he was being inappropriate, and asked him to get up and move so I could sit somewhere else. Initially, he didn't move, but when I stood up he got out of my way. I quickly moved towards the front of the bus, pulled out my cell phone, and called my boyfriend.

This is where things start to get scary. He FOLLOWED me to the front of the bus, sat down across from me, and wouldn't stop staring at me. On the phone, I was able to convey to my boyfriend that I was in trouble. He said he was coming to my aid as quickly as possible. When the bus prepared to stop at it's final destination, I wanted to see if this man was actually following me. I stood up, as if I was preparing the exit the bus. The man stood us as well. I then quickly sat back down. So did he, and he was still watching me as I was talking on the phone. When the bus stopped, I got up and literally ran out the back door. I walked towards a group of people, moved off the sidewalk, and stopped.

The man walked by a moment later. I initially thought he was going to keep walking, and that I was being paranoid. Then, he stopped looked around, spotted me, and started walking towards me. I put out a hand, which basically said "get the hell away from me." The man took a step backwards, turned, and walked across the street. When he reached the other side, he stopped, turned back, and started staring at me again. I was terrified. Why was this man still watching me? By this point, it was clear that he was following me.

Thankfully, my boyfriend arrived a few moments later. I am fairly sure that as we were driving away I saw the same man walk by again, except he had taken off his hat and put the hood of his jacket on. Talk about scary. In hindsight, I know I should have told the bus driver immediately. I didn't, because when something like this happens a person naturally assumes they are being irrational. Most people also don't want to make a fuss, because it is possible they are wrong. I should have followed my intuition and said something right away.

I will be filing a police report about the incident, because it is possible this man has done this to someone else before me. He may also do it again. I want to stress how very important it is that women listen to their intuition. It's better to be safe and wrong than in danger and right. There are all kinds of people out there, and not everyone is a decent, honest person like you and me.

It is always an interesting experience when taking the bus. Make sure to pay attention to your surroundings, and always be aware of who is sitting beside you. I am lucky that nothing worse happened that day, but I was truly terrified by this experience.

End of an Easy-Bake era...

I can't cook. In fact, i've never been able to make anything that resembles food. When I was little, my mom bought me an Easy-Bake Oven in the hopes that it would prompt some sort of love of cooking. It didn't. I used that oven all the time, but never desired to expand my cooking knowledge. It was one of my favourite possessions as a child, and I was always ready to make little cakes for friends and family. If I still had it, I would probably still use it. Not a real oven... that would be crazy.

It is with sadness that I announce the death of Ronald Howes, the inventor who created the Easy-Bake Oven. He was 83 years old, and in addition to the oven he also worked for the defense department developing weaponry, developed a nontoxic Play-Doh, and created various glow-in-the-dark compounds. A pretty well-rounded resume if you ask me.

The Easy-Bake Oven was introduced in 1963. Initially it used a light bulb as it's primary heat source (which is what I used when I had one), but in recent years an actual heat source has been introduced. By 1996, more than 16 million ovens had been sold all over the world. The oven comes with small packets of pastry mix and round cooking pans, but tons of extra add-ons are available. I think at one point you could even buy an Easy-Bake mixer, but I wasn't far enough along in my culinary career for one of those. T0day you can buy the oven for $24.99, but of course, the ingredients packets range from $5-20. That's where it get's pricey.

Who knew that a light bulb-powered baking toy could become so popular! I remember that my friends always could make those crazy, double-decker cakes like the ones in the picture. I never could figure that part out. When I think back, I actually had many great times using that little oven! My childhood best friend - Allison - and I would get together on the weekend, have tea parties using my grandmother's old tea set, and of course, have cakes and cookies fresh out of the oven. I would make them for my family, and usually eat about half the cake batter before it even hit the oven. Thinking about it definitely makes me feel nostalgic. Rowland Howes stumbled upon a great idea, and I commend him for it.

However, I close this blog post with a very important question. I know many little girl's had Easy-Bake Ovens, but has anyone ever heard of a boy who had one?

Am I good enough?

At some point, every young person asks themselves the age old question: “am I good enough?” This question could be referring to anything. Maybe some guy is thinking about proposing to his girlfriend, and he has no idea if she’ll accept. Or, a woman could be applying for her first entry level position after university, and wonders if she will ever be able to compete against everyone else who has the same education and the same extracurricular experience. For me, the question of “am I good enough” popped up in my mind earlier today. I was working on a school assignment, trying to use reading week to get some work done, and it hit me. What if I never actually make it as a writer? What is all this is for nothing?

I’m sure some people are wanting to smack me upside the head and shout “grow up” in my ear right about now, but hear me out before you start to judge. It’s a hard, cold world out there, and no one really cares if i’m any good or not. One of the journalism instructors at RRC – Duncan – made a point during one of my first classes that really stuck with me. We were asked to write a biography about another student. My opening line was horrible, and I wrote down the date, time, and hospital where the person was born. Duncan told us that besides our mothers, no one really cares where and when we were born. It doesn’t mean anything to them. As harsh as that sounds, he’s totally right.

After I walk out the doors of Red River for the last time, no one cares if I succeed or not (I know you do, mom and dad, but you don’t count). There are thousands of other young people just like me who want the same thing... to make a living off of their writing. They might be better than me. So what do I do? Give up, hang my head and go get a “real” job?

I made a decision when I decided to take journalism in college. I said to hell with what everyone else thinks, and threw the safe route out the window. I’m almost finished my first year, and I have no regrets. Sure, i’m exhausted. Some days I am so tired I want to drop everything and run. Other days, like today, I feel that my head is so full of information it will explode. But I haven’t given up yet.

To answer my own question, this isn’t for nothing. Even if I don’t make it as exactly the kind of writer I want to be, I will find something that works. The world is hard, it is cold, but people make it every single day. I can be one of those people. I guess this blog is really no more than an attempt to talk myself out of being stressed out and frustrated. And... it worked.

Getting ready for Europe

Overall, I would consider myself a slightly cautious, not overly exciting, afraid to take that perilous leap kind of person. The extent of my craziness would probably be riding the Zipper at the Red River Ex fifteen times because my friends wanted to take bets on which round would make me throw up. I am a less than average snowboarder. I flat out refuse to go rollerblading on residential streets, because I just KNOW that one of the small pebbles will lodge itself between one of the wheels on my skates and I will meet my untimely death in the middle of the road. Either that or one of the cracks in the road will eat me and that will be that.

No, I am definitely not one to do anything crazy. Or even slightly crazy. So the decision to go to Europe for two months this summer was possibly the craziest decision I have made in my twenty-three years of life.

In ninth grade, my junior high school planned a trip to Greece, complete with a four day Mediterranean cruise. Unfortunately, that was also the year that a group of Canadians went to California, and two students and two teachers met their fate in the form of a very large tidal wave. It was a horrible, tragic accident, and no one would allow their students to travel after it. Our trip was cancelled immediately.

In tenth grade it seemed my luck was changing, and my choir planned a trip to Italy. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. We paid our damage deposits, started learning basic Italian phrases, and even purchased our absolutely hideous matching jackets. But of course, three weeks later…. cancelled. It seemed that my destiny was to get close to Europe but never quite make it there. I would be forced to live my life as one of those weird high school history teachers who have a serious love for the subject, but are never really into what they are teaching because they haven’t experienced it!

But I was determined. Sure, I would probably lose my job, get sunburned beyond recognition, and return to Canada flat broke with no prospects. Or, on the other hand, I could accidentally become a drug mule, be thrown in an overseas prison, and never be heard of again. That’s a worst case scenario. But nothing could deter me from my goal. I was packed, ready, and prepared, armed with my guidebook in one hand and my camera in the other.

The Novel Files: Dan Brown Madness

I have always love history, and I was excited to read The Da Vinci Code when it first came out a few years ago. I did not buy into the cult belief that it could actually exist. Instead, I looked at it as a piece of beautifully researched and crafted fiction. I read Angels and Demons as well, and was looking forward to The Lost Symbol, which I finished over Christmas.

Brown does a lot of research, and the amount of factual information he includes in his novels is incredible. His characters aren’t bad either, and you can’t help but love the nerdy but fantastically intelligent Professor Robert Langdon. The way that Brown connects reality with conspiracy theory and myth is also impressive. One could easily be swept away by his convincing stories if they aren’t careful.

The movies for The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were masterfully done, and I tip my hat to director Ron Howard. The story lines did stray from the original novels, but that didn’t bother me. I am not one of those people who believe a book and its sister film need to be identical, and I have never had a problem absorbing them separately in my mind. The only real issue I had with the movies was the choice to cast Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. Hanks is a fantastic actor, don’t get me wrong, but I pictured someone different. Take Harrison Ford in the early Indiana Jones movies, and put him in tweed and loafers. Someone like that. I understand that Hanks was probably chosen for a very good reason, and while I watched the movies he grew on me, but I still think someone a little younger and sexier would have been better.

Each of the three novels takes place in a variety of locations. The Da Vinci Code begins in Paris at the Louvre, and ends in London (in the movie version). Angels and Demons takes place in Rome, and travels to the Vatican, Piazza Navona, and Castel Sant Angelo, to name a few. Something important to note is that many famous locations in Rome had to be completely re-created, as the crew was not allowed to shoot in places like the Vatican and Piazza Navona. The Lost Symbol is set in Washington, DC, and moves through many important settings, including an epic moment at the Washington Monument.

Personally, I recommend both novels and movies to anyone who is interested in either history or travel. The cinematography alone is worth watching the movies for, and the novels are fast-paced and intriguing. You definitely won’t be wasting your time by picking up anything that has Dan Brown connected to it, and it may even prompt you to plan a trip to one of the locations he writes about.

If I ever get a chance to meet Dan Brown, i’m going to give him a big hug, buy him a beer, and say “good job, dude.”

Facebook & Twitter: The new form of GPS

I can’t remember when, how, or why I set up a Facebook account. It must have been at least three or four years ago, or possibly even longer. To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember what life was like before Facebook. There was MSN Messenger, which I probably started using in sixth grade. Before that, there was the telephone. And no, I don’t mean cell phones. I’m talking about landlines. Remember those? Facebook has turned into an empire, and a person can do virtually anything social through this medium.

Twitter, referred to by some as the “mini-Facebook,” has exploded all over the Internet in the last few years. It is essentially a huge, constantly moving forum. People all over the world are communicating with each other every minute, every second, every day. Both of these social networking mediums are insanely popular, and many people seem to either love (or hate) each one. Therefore, I’m going to ask some people why they use (or don’t use) both Facebook and Twitter, and see what they think it means for future communication.

The first person I decided to talk to was myself, because frankly, it’s easy. I do not use Twitter, but am on Facebook every day. The reason why I choose Facebook is because I feel it is more personal. I can access more of a friend’s information, and learn more about the current events in their life.
Strategically speaking, it would be a dream if every corporation in the world could have access to every single person’s Facebook page. It would basically be like millions upon millions of free surveys. They could learn what people like, what they hate, what they are interested in, and most importantly, where they spend money. This would be a huge advantage, because it would answer the question of “who is our audience?”

Many of my family members use Facebook, but none of them use Twitter. When I asked why, some said because it’s still “too new.” Others replied that they just “haven’t got around to it yet.” This is interesting. It took my family years to get onto Facebook after it became popular. Initially, they were opposed to it as well. Therefore, maybe people become more comfortable with technology the longer it is around. I don`t know what this means strategically, but I suppose that once a person signs up for either Facebook or Twitter, they will most likely be using it for awhile.

To find some Twitter-ers (I just made that word up) to talk to, I looked towards my classmates. Last term, we were asked to sign up for a Twitter account in class, and then blog about it. I signed up for mine like a good little girl, wrote my blog, and proceeded to forget the account existed. (It`s either blog or tweet... I don’t have time for both, and I choose blog!) Many others embraced the new technology, and others already used it.

They find Twitter helpful for a variety of reasons. First, you can keep up on what everyone is doing, and it can be quicker than Facebook. Second, you can learn about what virtually ANYONE is up to, including Barack Obama and Ellen DeGeneres. Sure, you could try adding them on Facebook, but most people I’ve talked to feel that Twitter is much easier. Last, if you sign up to follow the Winnipeg Free Press, or any other news source, you receive constant updates about what`s going on in the world. Overall, you can basically connect to everything and anything you want to.

I think that Twitter is a HUGE tool for any sort of corporation or company. It isn’t as detailed as Facebook, but a followers list can reveal a lot about a person. Also, what people feel is important enough to tweet can tell you a lot about what they actually value.

Here is an interesting side note, but it ties directly into what I am writing about. I was watching Operation Repo with my boyfriend last week, and in one episode they were going to a mall to repossess a moped bike. Part of their job is to track down the vehicle, but in this case, they checked Twitter. The girlfriend of the owner of the bike tweeted which mall they were at, and the time stamp attached to the tweet told the Repo guys when they arrived. The bike was repossessed (with a struggle, of course) and Twitter saved the day! Afterwards, one of the men explained that they are starting to use both Facebook and Twitter as a strategic tool to repossess cars more effectively. Many people publish their whereabouts or evening plans on one or both of the sites, making it very easy to find their vehicles!

To end this post, I just want to say that I think Facebook and Twitter resemble a 21st century tracking system. This is fantastic for people who want to know who to market to, but for the rest of us, it could be a disadvantage. My only advice would be to set privacy settings high on Facebook, and watch who you allow to follow you on Twitter. Don’t get me wrong, I love using Facebook, but I recognize that there can be a downside if one isn’t careful.

Whatever happened to Nora Jones?

I decided to look up Norah Jones after I saw her perform on The Colbert Report a few months ago. As it turns out, Jones is a singer/songwriter with a very interesting background! She was born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar in Brooklyn, New York. The part that really interested me was that Jones' father was Ravi Shankar, the famous Indian sitar player. It was Shankar who taught George Harrison of the Beatles to play the sitar. Her half sister is Anoushka Shankar, who still plays with their father today.

It's always interesting to learn how people are connected to one another, especially when famous parents have famous children who have made an individual namde for themselves!

Magazine keeps on giving...

Eventually I will stop posting these links each week, but for now, it looks fantastic as part of a portfolio. My fellow interns and I were busy again this week, and here is what we wrote:

http://www.historysociety.ca/bea.asp?subsection=ext&page=spl

My boys...

I'm procrastinating, and trying to pretend that I don't have any homework to do. It's not working very well, but here's a video I was watching earlier. Yes, it's the Beatles again, but both John and Paul are just SO CUTE!




(P.S. maybe now is a good time to mention that I have grown up with a picture of the Beatles in my kitchen. Seriously. My entire life, John, Paul, George, and Ringo watched me every morning as I ate breakfast. My mom started playing me their records before I even remember it happening. As a result, I am just as addicted as she is. Thanks mom!)

Whatever happened to Edith Piaf?

I was watching the movie Public Enemies the other day, and the actress who played Billie Frenchette caught my attention. I knew that I had seen her before, but couldn't pinpoint where. So, the the trusty BlackBerry was pulled out, and another fascinating Google search began.

I first searched for the movie. On its web page I found the name of the actress. Marion Cotillard. I knew that I recognized her! Cotillard won an Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Edith Piaf in the film La Vie En Rose. I haven't actually seen the film (though I will now), but have heard the 1946 hit song. Curious, I clicked on a link for the actual Piaf, which led to yet another interesting Google trail.

Edith Piaf was born Edith Gassion in 1915 in Belleville, Paris, France. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding her life, and even biographers have had difficulty putting together all of the pieces. She grew up in a brothel her mother owned in Normandy, and was raised by prostitutes. In 1933, Piaf was discovered by Louis Leplee, who owned Le Gerny nightclub off the Champs-Elysses. He persuaded her to sing (despite her extreme nervousness), trained her to perform (even though she was only 4"8) , and told her to wear a black dress on stage (which would later become her trademark attire).

Leplee was murdered in 1936. Piaf was accused as an accessory, but was later acquitted. During the Second World War, Piaf frequently entertained German forces in Occupied France. Many considered her a traitor because of this, but she did help a number of people escape Nazi persecution.

After the war ended, Piaf toured Europe, the United States, and South America. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show eight time, and at Carnegie Hall twice. Piaf achieved everlasting fame by performing a series of concerts at the Paris Olympia music hall between 1955-1962. The music hall was founded in 1888 by Joseph Oller, the creator of the Moulin Rouge. Other famous individuals who have performed there include Jimi Hendrix, Judy Garland, Luciano Pavarotti, the Beatles, and Madonna.

Piaf died in 1963 at age 47. She is buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery, the same cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried. Their graves are among two of the most visited. Below is a video if her singing her most well-known song, La Vie En Rose...

I love learning about interesting people, and Piaf was no exception. It is especially interesting learning about famous individuals from other countries. Sometimes we don't hear about someone in North America, but overseas, they are huge. Who knows what Google will lead me to next!