Sunday Sundries

Today turned into an unexpectedly long day and now I'm still dealing the emotional after math of Game of Thrones, so you get one thing tonight. One!

A friend posted a video on Facebook about a mbira but it didn't look like a mbira. It's called an array mbira and sounded nice, but it made me long for 'normal' mbira music. In my searching to find some, I came across this video.

It is so beautiful. It's one of my new favourites. Sadly, this version isn't available for sale anywhere! It's only the radio edits which are all electronic music. The single he released is still nice but it's not this one *sigh* 

No Sundries

Between threats of nuclear war and the protests in Charlottesville, it has been a rough weekend for many in the States. Further afield, rioting broke out in Kenya after it was announced that President Uhuru Kenyatta won his re-election. Twenty-four people, including a 9-year-old girl, have died in the rioting. Here at home, more evacuation orders have been given as the result of the wildfires.

So, I have not witty comments to make or fun items to link to tonight. Instead, here's a video from Playing for Change.

If you are so inclined, you can learn more about the work they do on their website.

Sunday Sundries

1. Summer has finally arrived in Victoria. It showed up just in time for the first day of summer. Yesterday, it decided it was ready to skip straight to the August heatwave for a ridiculous 30C. I don't really 'do' heat, so I am very happy that the forecast calls for the temperature to drop back into the 20s. I can finally stop dunking my head in cold water every two hours.

Me all weekend

2. Wednesday was National Aboriginal Day here in Canada. Two big things came out of this day nationally:

1. Starting next year, it will be called National Indigenous Peoples Day which is a much better word to use to refer to this group of people than Aboriginal.
2. Hector-Louis Langevin's name will be removed from Government offices. Hector was was one of the Fathers of Confederation and did much good for this country. However, he was one of the architects of Canada's Residential School system so I will not cry over the removal of his name.

I attended a presentation and discussion at the Royal BC Museum on repatriation. It was an interesting discussion with both members of the First Nations communities and museum staff who liaison with the FN communities regarding repatriation of items in the BC archives.

3. I am going to see PostModern Jukebox on Thursday. If you don't know who PMJ are, they take modern popular songs and perform them in various music styles from the 1920s to the 1960s. I am so excited! They just recently released this video of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" as an old-school torch song.

Ah-maze-ing.

4. I went for a hike on Saturday around Royal Roads, also known as the home of Xavier's School for Gifted Children. Deadpool was there recently but no one was in when we stopped by. I was an amazing walk but I was very grateful that the majority was amongst the trees or beside the ocean.

Looking south across the Esquimalt Lagoon towards the Olympic Mountains (Washington State)

5. The work project is done... well, it's moved into stabilization which means I'm back to a normal work day with a few floor walking/support sessions. I can actually take my lunch breaks again!

Sunday Sundries

1. Happy Mother's Day. Here's to mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, those who have cruelly been denied motherhood, mothers to babies who will never grow up, aunts and siblings who took on the role of mother, biological mothers to adopted babies, and all other forms that motherhood may take.

2. I found myself absent-mindedly singing along with the music in London Drugs today. If I have to have this stuck in my head, so do you.

I don't know which was worse: that I still knew all the lyrics after 30+ years or that I became aware of my singing because I was on-the-spot dancing along to it. Thankfully, the aisle I was in was empty.

3. This may be my new favourite video (language warning):

Story time! My cousin from Cork moved to New York in the early 90s for a job working on early voice recognition technology. After a couple of weeks, he was politely told that he had to stop testing the system because his accent kept throwing off the reading. I laugh every time I tell that story. (What does a Cork accent sound like? Well, I'm happy you asked!)

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

I have so many things to talk about and catch you up on. Random nonsensical post?

On my Endgame in Ireland post, Carolyn pointed out there was another Irish documentary on Netflix called “The Irish Pub” which is a look at the (mostly) rural pubs in Ireland. Carolyn will be happy to know that I watched the documentary and I’ve been in two of the pubs they featured. It does suffer a wee bit from rose-coloured glasses, but it was still enjoyable. Sadly, pub culture is dying out in rural Ireland thanks in part to a zero-tolerance drinking and driving policy. Still, if you find yourself in Ireland, make sure you plan a night in a smaller community (preferably off the tourist trail) and park yourself in the local pub. You will not regret it.

Nine-year-old me in front of a pub in Kilkenny.
I've blanked it out but that's our family name above the door!

Learning that the Star Trek cast love Dubsmash was one of the highlights of my past week.

Star Trek was my gateway nerd so this brings me so much joy on multiple levels.


Any weight-loss progress I was making has well and truly stalled. You could even say it’s backed up a bit, although, thankfully, not all the way back to the starting line. There are no excuses to give and now claims of “I don’t know why.” I know exactly why and it’s my fault. I haven’t been paying attention when it comes to what I’ve been eating since about mid-June. Funny how two months of eat-all-the-things can muck up weight loss. Shocking!

My gym attendance has been consistent and I have noticed that my cardio endurance has continued to increase so that’s a tick in the win column. As for the eating, I’ve been paying closer attention the past week and plan to continue with it until I leave, but it’s a low priority at the moment so if I find myself getting home at 7:30 pm with no leftovers or food prepared in the fridge, I’m not going to beat myself up about ordering takeout.


The Independent has somehow able to cobble together “Top Great Reasons to Visit Monaghan”. I was surprised there were 10 reasons to visit Monaghan!

Nine-year-old me took this picture! Just kidding. Monaghan Town in 2011.
My uncle was all proud that they finally had a stop light. A STOP LIGHT! Just one.
I love you, Monaghan. Never change. Well, maybe one more stop light.

The Royal Family is coming to BC and the Yukon for the last week of September which has a lot of people excited. I’m best described as apathetic about the monarchy. If I was to wake up tomorrow to the news that they had been removed from Canada’s Head of State status, I wouldn’t shed a tear. On the other hand, getting rid of them doesn’t save us money as we’d then have to invest in the creation of a political entity to replace our current system of Governor General and Lieutenant Governors.

A lot of their time will be spent in Victoria because we have Government House. Government House is more commonly known as the home of BC’s Lieutenant Governor, but it is also the residence of the Royal Family when they’re in BC.

To help Cely you imagine their visit, they will sit at this table to eat their meals.
To be honest, I love visiting Government House... I'm just indifferent to the Royals.
Hopefully, that won't hurt my chances to land the Lieutenant Governor gig. ;)

It’s also 5 blocks from my house.

Not going to lie, I’m happy I won’t be here for all the added people milling about when I try to go for an evening walk.

Friday night, I am going to a Rodriguez concert. If you haven't seen "Searching for Sugar Man" then that name probably means nothing to you, but if you have seen "Searching for Sugar Man"... I'M GOING TO A RODRIGUEZ CONCERT!!

Finally, the one month countdown to Tanzania has begun! To celebrate, my two favourite Tanzanian musicians. The first video is X Plastaz, a hip-hop group from Arusha. The second is Z.Anto, who was big in the BongaFlava scene when I was there.

Tusker beer, here I come!

Friends, Music, BBQs and Summer

This was supposed to be the summer of no plans. Between a work project and a pretty big fall trip planned, my plan for the summer was to prep for my departure.

But then friends were all "let's go here" and "let's have a BBQ" or "I'm coming to visit."

In other words, it has been a summer full of that utmost first-world problem: I need a weekend from my weekends!

I know, totally doesn't suck and I should really just get over myself.

I haven't even had a chance to talk about a friend coming to visit, visiting the bug zoo, hiking out to Mystic Beach (in the rain, with a hangover), attending the Phillip's Backyard Weekender to see A Tribe Called Red, reciting poetry in a pub bathroom, or drinking too much.

Our picnic view

A wee bit wet but no worse for wear!

I completely missed telling you that "Noah" had his kidney transplant earlier this month and his recovery has been going so well, he was out of the hospital almost a full week before doctors projected. Also, I've been sending him awesome photos like this:

EDIT: Noah's recent tests are showing markers for possibly rejecting the kidney so he's back in the hospital. So some parts of this summer aren't as awesome as they could be. Guess I'll have to keep making crappy motivational jokes with my desk toys.

I attended multiple birthday BBQs because that's what you do when you're birthday falls in a summer month, apparently. I'm not complaining, I just didn't know it was an unwritten rule.

Speaking of BBQ, I got a lovely Texas care package in the mail from Cely.

BBQ FOR DINNER EVERY NIGHT!!

I also saw Ghostbusters. Loved it like Chris Hemsworth's Kevin loved himself.

How saxy! Be still my treble clef!

I spent a day walking around Victoria Snapchatting my version of our local history.

And I wrapped up this weekend by attending a Michael Kaeshammer performance. If you are unfamiliar with Kaeshammer, he's a German-born Canadian pianist known for his jazz and boogie-woogie style. His live shows are very interactive; if the music thing hadn't worked out for him, he could have made it as a comedian.

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Ugh...

I just finished watching tonight's episode of Game of Thrones. If you want to know my response, click here. It's not really a spoiler but it kind of is so you may not want to click if you haven't seen the episode yet and desire to have your heart ripped from your chest and held, still beating, before your eyes as you die.

I don't know how to handle these emotional episodes of Game of Thrones now that the series is entering territory beyond where the books are at. How did the non-book readers do this for five seasons?

In an attempt to make myself feel better about what happened in a fictional world tonight, I present "Random Things That Have Been Rattling Around in My Head".

First, if you ever need to Rickroll someone but, like, in a classy way (I'm sure that's totally a thing), I present Postmodern Jukebox:

I encourage you to go check out more of their videos on YouTube.

While I was sick with teeth pain, I was up at all hours which meant that I was actually awake when the Hillsborough verdict was announced. I'm guessing that few of the people who actually read this blog - hi Mom! - but I tried to write about it and it turned into this long depressing paragraph and I'm not ready for that after tonight's Game of Thrones. If you want to know more, here are the Google results. What I did want to share was the video of the crowd singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the memorial.

I mean, YNWA makes me cry on a good day. I was bawling - but in the best possible way - while watching this. (By the way, 'seeing a LFC game and singing YNWA' is totally on my bucket list. Someday!)

I have seen Captain America Civil War. Seen it more than once, actually.

Hello, my name is Andrea. I'm a little obsessive over movies.

I stand by my original assessment that I like Winter Soldier better, but in the way that I like rashers better than streaky bacon. They're both bacon and I'm not complaining if you put either of them in front of me. Bacon in any form = fantastic. Captain America films = fantastic.

Having said that, I do have a complaint. (Just one, mind you.) The map of the Wakanda people - Blank Panther's tribe. Keep up - clearly shows them in what is South Sudan/Ethiopia. In that region, one of the most predominant languages in Nuer. It is even spoken in Ethiopia. But no. They have T'Challa and his father (T'Chaka) speak Xhosa with each other. Xhosa is spoken in a region of South Africa.

Google Maps says you can drive this in 69 hours.
Google maps is ridiculously optimistic.
I've seen those roads.

Yes, many of the languages spoken in the area of the mythical Wakanda are Bantu (I will note that Nuer is not a Bantu language) and Xhosa falls in the Bantu family, but French and Italy are both Romance languages but speaking one doesn't mean you speak the other. AND THEY SHARE A BORDER!!

Still, I doubt there are many people in the theatre pulling apart the movie because it used a real language that occurs nowhere near the real location that a superhero movie gave to a fake people.

Hello, my name is Andrea. I'm a little obsessive over movies.

I lied, I have another complaint. When [someone] doesn't want to hear [that other person] say [something], why did he try and escape? Why not just, oh I don't know, stick his fingers in his ears and say "la la la, I can't hear you" repeatedly?

Despite this, I did come away from the movie very excited about the Blank Panther movie set for release in 2018.

More of this? Yes, please!

I have signed up for another year of GISHWHES because I have no shame and/or dignity.

My sock monkey hat is ready and raring to go. Bring on August 1st!

I think I've done enough cheering myself up since watching Game of Thrones that I can head to bed. It's a long weekend in Canada so I plan to enjoy my last day off!

Socialising Like a Normal Person

I have been writing a lot lately. However, as none of it has been blog related, you'd never know it based on what's been happening here! I have also finally been enjoying a social life since the craziness of the work project and Christmas have finally settled down. It's been really nice to remember that I have friends. Like actual don't-just-live-in-my-text-messages-or-Facebook friends.

It's been nice to remember there is a world beyond my apartment, my office and the walk between the two. Walks to Government House, nights out at pubs, lunches with friends, movie nights that are actually planned in advance, coffees dates, and walks along Dallas Rd, Oh my goodness, I have a life!! I even went out for Valentine's Day!!

I went out with another single friend to watch overly hairy men tromp around on an oversized screen, but whatever. I went out for Valentine's Day!

So random catch up post.

1. In amongst all this socialising, there's been a lot of TV watching. I have two recommendations that I want to share with everyone.

Galavant

Agent Carter

(Also, follow Hayley Atwell on all the social medias. I dare you not to fall in love with her. I want to be her new best friend. We'd probably need bail money. Lots of bail money.)

2. I was hoping to give a review of a pedometer I bought shortly after Christmas. Pretty much the review was going to go something like this:

But then it went missing. I knew it was somewhere it my apartment. Sure enough, it turned up! On top of my washing! After the washing had gone through the washing machine.

I'm going to get a new one because I really did love the little thing. It's not the fanciest pedometer out there but it had a built in game and the more you moved the more energy you got for the game. Really, I just a giant 8 year old; I loved the game and now I'm going to pout about my destroyed pedometer.

3. I got the nicest complement from a friend at work. Nice... and wildly in appropriate. She works in HR. I love my office.

4. I went to a Tragically Hip concert on February 4th. The Hip is one of those bands that I have loved since I first discovered there were radio stations other than CBC. It was a fantastic night and my crush on Johnny Fay (the drummer) is still going strong after 25 years. My only disappointment is that they didn't play Music at Work. You know what that means...

However, every other song on my "I hope they play this" list was played. YAY!

5. Lonely Planet has a new Tanzania edition coming out June 2015. I know at least one person who reads here who might be interested to know that.

Ireland 2014: Donegal Town

If you were to tell me that I could only visit one county in Ireland for the rest of my life, no questions asked, I would pick Donegal. I don't have any family that lives there, there's no 'big' tourist destination to recommend, it's just a beautiful county and worth the effort to visit. My original love for Donegal started with family trips in the 80s and 90s to the Bunbeg/Gweedore area, but a trip to Donegal Town on my own in 2011 renewed my love for the area. And it was in no way influenced by finding a great restaurant and a fun pub.

After settling into the hostel, we headed back into town to visit the Friary ruins before supper. The ruins sit just at the edge of town on Donegal Bay and the grounds now house a cemetery. (Note: this is often referred to as the Abbey, however, historical records call it a friary, the sign posted outside of it calls it a friary, and the Franciscan order that once occupied it calls it a friary. It's a friary!)

The friary was founded in 1473. In 1588, the site was taken over by English forces and turned into a fort. When it was taken back by English forces a few years later, it once again functioned as a friary until 1601 when the powder kegs in the basement blew up during a siege by English forces.

Efforts to rebuild the friary were abandoned in 1607 after the Flight of Earls. The friars, then moved to various other friaries in the surrounding counties, most notably in Co. Sligo.

We played a quick game of Hide-and-take-a-picture to work up our appetites for the lamb shank dinner I had been talking about for three years and then walked up to the Olde Castle Bar only to learn that they were out of the lamb shank.

*sigh*

We order an appy to split, fresh Donegal Bay mussels in a white wine sauce. I'm not someone who takes pictures of food I've ordered in a restaurant because I'm usually too busy stuffing it in my mouth, but these mussels were so good. I may have groaned after I ate the first one.

Heaven in a bowl right there!

These were some of the best mussels I have ever had in my life. Thank goodness they give a slice of bread with the meal to sop up the broth because otherwise I would have licked that bowl. I can't remember what I order for dinner that night (I think it was the chicken with colcannon) but those mussels... I'm drooling just thinking about them!

After dinner and a stroll, we wandered over to the Reel Inn for some live music and a few drinks. That night, the music was Frankie on vocals and guitar with John (the owner) on the accordion. I remembered them from last time I was there and at the end of the night, Katie and I got to talking with Frankie. He wasn't playing the next night but he would be playing our last night in town, and yes, he would play the song that I requested.

Frankie (guitar and vocals) and John (accordion)

I awoke the next morning to find Katie barely able to breathe she was coughing so much. When she did stop coughing, she had to whisper as she had no voice. Linda's husband, Andy, kindly drove Katie to the clinic so she could get checked out while I lazed about writing postcards. I wandered into town to meet Katie at our appointed time and after a bite to eat, we set out trying to organise a tour for the next day. I don't think I have ever found friendlier or more helpful staff than we did at the Donegal Tourist Office. We did some shopping for souvenirs, stocked up on snacks, tried to find a internet cafe that apparently doesn't exist anymore, then walked back to the hostel for a nap. What can I say? Our late nights were starting to catch up with us.

As we were heading back into town for dinner, Linda (hostel owner) asked if we knew about the path along the water so we didn't have to walk along the road. Um, no. We didn't. She gave us directions and what should have been a 10 min stroll along the roadside, ended up taking close to 30 mins because we had to keep stopping to take pictures. We were almost too late to order dinner at the restaurant because of our picture taking!

Walking along the path it quickly became very apparent why we never saw locals walking along the road.

The next day was our tour out to Slieve League and Glencolmcille - I'm saving that part of the day for its own post - before we found ourselves back to the Old Castle Bar for that lamb shank I had been craving for the last three years. So, indulge me, Katie took a picture for me to remember it by.

We also played with our drinks.

I love you Guinness!

We rounded out the night with another stop at the Reel Inn and ended the night seated at a table with Frankie and a few other tourists singing songs and exchanging stories before Frankie gave us a lift to the hostel.

The next morning was breakfast at the Blueberry Cafe where I used very inappropriate language in front of children and we thought we were hilarious by staging it to appear as if our bags were eating breakfast.

Honestly! Can't take me anywhere!

After breakfast, we caught the bus to Galway to continue our adventure.