Holiday Soiree Venue

The theater is to be our dancefloor, but this is still subject to debate, I think.

The bar....

The atrium will be the dining area, ideal for schmoozing and rubbing elbows with the higher-uppers.

I volunteered to help plan the company holiday party this year and today we visited the Living Arts Center in Mississauga to check out the venue. Very nice. I think HR did a great job. I took some photos to get an idea of layout and where to set up the dancefloor, the bar, the Christmas tree and all the other holiday stuff.

No Go

Wednesday was the only day I could attend Fashion Week. 8 P.M. was Andy The-Ahn's show and I was really looking forward to it. I was guaranteed good seats and no line-ups. At 5 P.M. wednesday I was bombarded with work: urgent and had to be taken care of asap, no exceptions. By the time I left the office, Andy's fashion show was over. Sigh. I sometimes feel that I've chosen the wrong occupation, but when I returned to the office today, I realized how much I love science and hence, my job. Fashion is fleeting and I am simply a spectator. Science, on the other hand is forever moving forward, and I consider myself a major player. There is always the spring Fashion Week.

Lions and tigers and runners, oh my!

This was a really fun 10K run held at the Toronto zoo on saturday morning. I organized this little team building exercise for my company. While we had a couple of dropouts, the rest of the team pulled together and finished the race, some of them running a 10K for the very first time. The course was hilly and a little challenging but the distraction of the elephants and giraffes looking on made it all worth the effort!

Election!!!

I almost did not make it in time before the polls closed. I did my usual tuesday 6K run after work, but then decided to check my e-mails in the office just before heading home. Big mistake. There was a trail of emergency e-mails on my outlook (you know, the ones with all the big red exclamation points) that required immediate attention. Got stuck at work managing the "emergency", then came home. Fought through the highway traffic, got home, ate dinner then made a mad dash to the community center to cast my vote. I did not want to miss the opportunity to exercise my rights as a citizen. Especially after my work colleague told me about "voting" in Iraq during the time Saddam Hussein was in power. Apparently they were all required to "vote" but there would only be one candidate. It was such a farce. I'm lucky to be in a country where I do have a choice and know that my vote will count.

Autumn Palettes

I love the rich and earthy tones of fall. These images were taken with my new D60 Nikon on our way to Tews Falls. Monet would be proud.

Indian Summer

This may be the last year that I get to enjoy an indian summer with my beautiful German Shepherd, Roxxi. She is 13 and a half years old and has cancer. So we packed up a nice picnic lunch and set out on the Bruce Trail to enjoy the outdoors. It is officially fall, but I am glad for the summer-like conditions we had for the whole Thanksgiving weekend. I do have a lot to be thankful for, and one of them is that I get to spend some downtime with my most faithful and bestest friend.

Sick Day

I am in my housecoat and PJs today, nursing a hot cup of mandarin orange & honey tea. My one eye is swollen shut from a nasty allergic reaction last night. I was out for a short run after work with some fellow running enthusiasts when a bug flew right into my left eye. It got stuck there for awhile until I finally grabbed a hold of it and took it out. Anyway, by the time I got home, both eyes had become irritated and when I woke up this morning, I couldn't open my left eye! I did think about wearing an eye patch to work, I always thought Daryl Hannah looked really cool with it in Kill Bill. But driving would have been more challenging. So here I am.

Fabulous Images of Nuit Blanche 2008

Here are some of the phenomenal art installations from Nuit Blanche this year. There were over 190+ locations scattered all over downtown Toronto. Interactive, participatory and even some impromptu displays keep this event exciting and fresh year after year. My friend Ben was kind enough to let me upload some of my favourite scenes from his collection. Merci beaucoup, Ben!

For more Nuit Blanche 2008, visit his site: http://blog.benjaminwong.ca/?p=99.

Photo Credits: Sir Benjamin Wong

Triple Booked

I missed Nuit Blanche (again!) this year because of previous committments. I had to attend a DB party on saturday night at one end of the city, while Nuit Blanche was happening at the other end. I did consider going afterwards, but that would mean no sleep before the Run for the Cure event on sunday morning. I promise never to miss another Nuit Blanche event, EVER!! I bet it was really, really awesome. I'll see if I can bum off some photos from my photographer friend (who recently published his Nuit Blanche photos last year in Toronto Life!) so I will truly appreciate what I've missed....

All Creatures Great and Small...

Over 30,000 runners/walkers participated in the Run for the Cure, even pets showed their support.... I was waiting for my friend Mary to show up for the run. This was the sight at Nathan Phillips Square just when the race got started.
Thank goodness this was only a 5K course, and no time chips! I was able to do a leisurely run, take photos while catching up on the latest news with Mary.

Postcards from Santorini

I plan to retire in the Mediterranean somewhere. I have narrowed my choices down to three: Nice, The Algarves and Santorini. I don't ever recall seeing any clouds or rain the entire two weeks I was in Greece. And the seafood....drool, drool, drool!

Photo Credits: Alex T.