Ok... so I should update this thing...

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18062217.post-1148130039178213672006-05-20T05:59:00.000-07:002006-05-20T06:00:39.190-07:00Ok... so I should update this thing...Ok – so I’m not nearly as diligent at this Blog thing as I would so dearly have liked to be. My sister-in-law is great at remarking how little is actually on this blog. Does anyone read it? Well – this one’s for you, Christy… and anyone else… whoever you are. I am a married man. Yup. The wedding was so great. You can check out Rebecca’s blog for details on the actual event. (Rebecca thinks that’s a lame thing to do, and that people want to know my thoughts on the subject, and that I’m such a husband already. “Stop typing what I say! What did you just type?”) Ok – this is my blog – not hers – so I’ll say this: it was a night I will never forget. It was exactly what I wanted – including having my brother Steve go all Alpha-male on me over dinner, and watching my poor Grandmother wither down to just under 3 ½ feet as the “show” glided into hour four… Has the experience changed me? Subtle ways, I suppose. I’ve grown over a foot and my hair is grey now. Come on now… that’s not true. The subtle ways, yeah, that’s true. There’s a calmness, a “settled” feeling. As our shit comes up, we seem less afraid to deal with it, thinking, “oh, this will be the end of us”. Also, as Christian remarked – “there’s no rush”. I suppose that lends itself to the calmness. Rebecca and I had a consultation with an organizational expert yesterday, and she’s bringing her “team” with her next week to help us sort out our apartment. It’s our first project together as a married couple. It’s pretty exciting, actually. We are two people who crave organization, but we become overwhelmed by the enormity of the piles and the scattered files that seem to have accumulated in our years of moving and constant transition. Getting this place “functional” will be a huge relief to both of us. In the years that we’ve been together, I’m not sure we’ve ever had a system for the office. I’ll let you know how it goes. Back in Toronto now. I had a little holiday to London and Oslo. It was originally going to be our Honeymoon – but plans changed… One week in London by myself, seeing various museums and galleries and hanging with Aran Brownlee and his excellent girlfriend, Kelly. They made time and space for me, which was so awesome, considering the last-minuteness of the whole affair. Originally, the plan was that Rebecca would go with me to London, and the two of us would stay there for a night, go to Paris and see France. However, Rebecca’s schedule on the film meant that she would have to meet me in Oslo. So, not wanting to be completely disarmed in a country where I spoke not word of the language, I was on my own in London. Thankfully, the hostel was accommodating, as were Aran and Kelly. I don’t regret that Rebecca couldn’t be with me… she doesn’t do well in museums, and I could spend the whole day in them. And did… While perusing the various museums (Vicotia and Albert, National Gallery, Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery, etc…) I discovered the Audio Tour. A great way to see an exhibit or collection, especially if you’re easily distracted, as I am, or if you can’t read the impossibly small printing on the cards that accompany the various masterpieces which adorn some of the finer galleries. Also, as Milo March would say, “I’m an Auditory Learner, darling”. Stayed a couple of nights at the Piccadilly Backpackers – a hostel right in the heart SoHo. I would recommend it if you’re traveling with someone and can get a private room. It’s a huge place, and the dorm-style rooms, though clean, do seem a bit sketch-ville. I got a room to myself, and was glad of it. It’s bare-bones, the “free breakfast” is slim, a seven a.m fire alarm was unwarranted (though it did provide a glimpse of a gaggle of towel-clad Spaniards) and the showers require protective footwear (if you know what I mean…). But, the location can’t be beat, and the price is fair… Also, the Australians at the desk are very helpful. Saw “the Sultan’s Elephant” while in London – a French puppet troupe, bringing four-story tall puppets, operated by cranes and tractors and little guys with poles. There was an elephant and a girl puppet as well – they marched these things through the streets of London, followed by a live band on a truck. It was quite the thing. Aran, Kelly and I went and watched the Finale on the Sunday, which included the girl being adorned with Goggles and being put into a rocket before being “launched” – very cool shit. Smoke filled the square, and when the rocket was re-opened, the girl has magically vanished. Kelly remarked that it would have been a very clever way to bomb London. This was a thought I had shared. Talk about innocence lost… Went on a walking tour of old London. It was a bit of a rainy day, so I ended up being the only one on the tour. “The Blood and Tears” walk – saw the place where Sweeney Todd’s and the Pie Shop stood. Saw the place were one of the prime Jack the Ripper suspects lived. Saw where they hanged William Wallace. Saw the print shop where David Bowie worked when he wrote Space Oddity… The tour guide was excellent – very funny and very well-researched. Aran and I had some late nights boozing. Particularly my last night, in which we polished off a bottle of J & B, mere hours before I was to be on the train to get to the airport. Of course, the trains in London were Fucked, and I missed my flight to Oslo. The airline blamed the train, and I had to buy a whole new ticket. This, of course, put a serious dent in my travel plans, as I had hoped to take a detour to Amsterdam following Oslo, and see if Mr. Flores could “break me”. Sadly, I spent 11 hours in Stansted Airport getting over my hangover, and cursing the Stansted Express and their “signal failure”. Arrived in Oslo and was met at the airport by the Norwegian hosts, who took very good care of me. Rebecca arrived the next day, ill, and proceeded to infect me with her cold. We both decided that this was not to be considered our “honeymoon” since both of us spent a great deal of time incapacitated. Oslo is a beautiful city. We stayed in one of the oldest parts of the city, near the royal palace and the national gallery. Derek assures me that there’s a Hamburger truck that appears on the square late at night, but he is unable to provide any proof of this. The Columbian team of Improvisers were a highlight to the festival – they were so good, so charming, so physical, and were all excellent dancers. (Cecilia was spotted at the centre of a circle of transfixed the Swedes, demonstrating how hips were designed to move…) Philipe showed me some magic tricks, which I will never remember… Rebecca and I spent an evening back in London before returning to Toronto. Christian and his wife Jenny took us for dinner and showed us their place – a lovely flat which they are planning on leaving as soon as they buy a place… good luck to them. All in all – a great trip. A lot of walking. A lot of talking. Next week: Acapulco.Bruce Horakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08178680108268905775noreply@blogger.com0