1.30.2006

i forgot one more thing.

and considering that i will probably have to work there a lot more now that i am moving, i wanted to add one more reason to the list of why i love the restaurant:

everyone calls each other honey. i don't know how it started but i have a theory:

we have a regular couple that comes in for lunch, doug and peggy. peggy just stepped right out of a film noir movie and always says 'hiya honey' (or thanks darlin'). doug doesn't talk; we just know to keep the gin out because he averages five double gin and tonics in a sitting. i love them so much. anyway, i think tony and matt picked up on it and they say it all the time and now everyone does.

other nicknames: james and lou call me girly (but usually only if i am wearing pigtails or if i'm in trouble). james calls ryan, pumpkin and lou calls him mary (but then he always says, oh that's your mother's name - every time). i think the nickname 'batgirl' is almost dying out because jimmy quit and i never work with richard anymore. mike called me that one time last week, but it was only because he was impressed by my feat of strength and not because he was making fun of my glasses this time.

so i can't make myself too upset over all of this. mike has to let us rent the apartment because i don't know too many people who would be willing to babysit their landlord's kid for free and i am pretty sure i can get as many shifts as i am willing to work. so there!

i feel selfish and self-absoarbed with all these posts.

ten songs on the current playlist

haven't done this for a little while. i stole one song from jody's winter playlist. sorry, but it's a sister's right:

death from above - you're a woman, i'm a machine
franz ferdinand - outsiders
talking heads - first week/last week...carefree
pulp - do you remember the first time
beck - broken drum
nofx - bath of least resistance
beck - girl
death from above - little girl
nada surf - blizzard of '77
death from above - blood on our hands

okay - new seal hunt links

here's the annual petition to the mps; does this seem familiar to you?

anyway, stay positive.

also, here is some background info from IFAW.

1.29.2006

seal hunt

i will update, but i want to link back to my seal hunt posts from last year.
i have to figure out how to put a nice big link in the sidebar, but until then:

harp seals
seal hunt protest: less than success
split decision
seal hunted
seal hunt continues
more support for seals

i have to move.

this is good. i'm getting evicted, but this is ok. i think that sometimes, things have a natural sequence of events. mike - from work - is renting out an apartment in his house and i was joking the other day that i would move in because i hate my hobbit hole. and i find out, just now, that it wasn't really a joke. or it was the universe's big joke.

sorry. i'm a little taken aback right now. my writing is atrocious. but i wanted a change and i got it. life can be really terrifying but my blog is the last place i want to go postal, so i'm signing off.

thank you, jody! you always calm me down.

work rant

here it comes again. so because of all the years of frantic note taking at school, i have become quite a quick scribbler. unfortunately for me, louis realized this when i had to do inventory with him a few months ago and i have been stuck doing it ever since.

it's pretty funny actually - it just means coming into the restaurant at ten instead of eleven and sitting down with a notebook getting hand cramps because lou shouts out his stocklists like he's tweeking on speed. the best part is he eats while he goes, so when he gets to the fridge with all the prepped food, he crams carrots into his mouth while he is shouting so you can't understand a bloody thing he is trying to say.

anyway, i guess in a weird way, i feel special because if you are the only person the crazy-chef man doesn't yell at, it probably means you are doing something right. anyway, lou and james are just hilarious and i think they make the best couple ever: regardless of how might they fight at work. it's all fun drama. there is still a hole in the wall by the bar when james threw a highball glass at lou because he (for some strange reason) refused to tell anyone that the broiler was broken.

so, just because i am always too tired to blog about work after work, here are some reasons why i love my job (there has been enough hate):

sasi, tony, mendez, southan, nathan, roger, rajan - ALL the guys in the kitchen are amazing. no matter how hard my job gets sometimes, theirs will always be harder. it's very inspiring and humbling. sasi always has something to tease me about: first, he would call me the new girl and introduce himself and shake hands with me every time i would come in for a shift. he did this for two years! now all he does is speak to me in tamil and i only know what suni means. trust me, i can't really use the word that often. then after i got the note on my time card calling me for inventory sasi was joking that it meant it was my last shift (violently red note, mind you). so every time i went back into the kitchen last night he would pretend to start crying and saying 'why would they fire such a hard worker like you?'

whenever it isn't busy in the kitchen, lou and james give the kitchen guys 'english lessons': last night lou was explaining the different uses of the word 'prick'. james was explaining what a 'gag reflex' was and why it's so good if you don't have one. those two guys say the most dirty things. i'm no prude, but sometimes it just catches me off-guard.

it really gives me the oppertunity to practise tolerance. i have learned that when people are mean and rude to you, it's either totally not personal, or they are emotional vampires. at queen's pasta, it tends to be the latter. they want you to be rude back because they want you to exert that energy. the nicer you are, the more upset they seem to get, so by that point it's funny. but a lot of the time, people just can't stay rude to someone who is being really nice to them. well, at least that's what the dalai lama tells me and i find this to be true in many cases.

most of the friends that i have are people at work (the other friends i have, i just never get to see). and it is also strange, that most of my friends that i knew before i worked at the restaurant, have gotten a job there at one time or another. i tend to be very shy and very introverted, but you have to really push the enthusiasm when you are there. now, i have met hundreds of people from my neighbourhood with wonderful regulars who i totally adore (especially frances, who used to be a nun and an english teacher. she comes in and drinks a lot of white wine. then she'll do the crossword with me and she lends me so many books. she also comes in just to bring people little gifts like flowers and sometimes...french fries?)

ok, just a few more. lou and tony (head chefs) say the sweetest and nicest things to me. tony says that i'm like his daughter and he always tries to get me to eat meat. i don't like the nagging, but it reminds me of what my grandmother does and i know it is out of love. i can't eat really anything at the restaurant because even the pasta has egg, so sometimes he makes me awesome sri lanken food, which i like even more. and lou sings a lot and he sings loudly enough that the whole restaurant can hear. and they both call me lovely jessa - now who wouldn't like that!

now everytime i have to work a brutal function or i get stuck with all the dishes upstairs, i just have to remember this list. okay, i've bored you enough for now; it ended up being a much longer post than intended. i guess, because sometimes the things you think you can't stand, just eventually turn out to be really funny.

some never leave


DPW_040802_00491A_S
Originally uploaded by jessalauren.
winter is seriously sad and i miss the garden, but the wonderful thing is that the european starlings are still singing their songs. european starlings are considered an invasive species and i can certainly see why: they take over the bird feeder; they bump the smaller birds off and hog the space for themselves, but in reality, it makes it easier for the smaller birds because they take advantage of the wasteful clumps of seeds that the starlings drop as they hastily and greedily monopolize the feeder.

i am not trying to draw an analogy between starlings and human behaviour because starlings are doing what they have to do. in a way they help the little birds, and i can always put out more seed.
what i love absurdly about the starlings, is that all of their songs are different: not only from group to group, but they go off for a little while and then they return with new songs that they learn from other bird species. they learn these new languages and playfully call back and forth; new songs every day. the ones in our backyard always sound like they are mimicking the car alarms with their intermittent and inconsistent sirens.

everyone hates the starlings, but they are adapting to their alienation. you can't blame them for what a bunch of looney romantics did because they wanted to make the world a more beautiful place (keep reading - it might make sense). it's mistakes like these that bring about evolution; but this is not to be confused with intentional harm - something found all too often in our world.

all i know is that the starlings stay steadfast through the winter. they keep me company until the garden comes back. (but i still see the hawk. it was hunting pigeons infront of st. cecilia's school the other day; i don't think it caught anyone).

but anyway, here is what the experts say about starlings:

Description

* Stocky, black bird.
* Short, square-tipped tail.
* Pointed, triangular wings.
* Long pointed bill, yellow in breeding season.
* Shimmering green and purple feathers in spring.

* Size: 20-23 cm (8-9 in)
* Wingspan: 31-40 cm (12-16 in)
* Weight: 60-96 g (2.12-3.39 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar.

Sound

Song is a rather quiet series of rattles and whistled notes, often containing mimicry of other bird species. Flight call a purring "prurrp." (jessa's note: this is total bull because they are loud and incessant; they are the most gossipy birds i have ever seen and they are definitely not quiet. it's probably because they have to compete with the noises of the city)

Conservation Status

Introduced into North America in the 1890s, the European Starling quickly spread across the continent. It is a fierce competitor for nest cavities, and frequently expels native bird species. It is believed to be responsible for a decline in native cavity-nesting bird populations, but a study in 2003 found few actual effects on populations of 27 native species. Only sapsuckers showed declines because of starlings, and other species appeared to be holding their own against the invaders.

Other Names

L'étourneau sansonnet (French)
Estornino pinto (Spanish)

Neat Facts

* All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds released in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s. A group dedicated to introducing America to all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works set the birds free. Today, European Starlings range from Alaska to Florida and northern Mexico, and their population is estimated at over 200 million birds. (jessa's note: i know it's crazy, and it's so detrimental, but isn't there something terribly romantic about that...or maybe i mean terribly dimented. i am sorry, but i still haven't learned to appreciate shakespeare.)

* Although the sexes look very similar, they do show some subtle differences. The male tends to be larger, more iridescent, and have longer throat feathers, but some females can be larger, more glossy, and have longer feathers than some males. During breeding when they have yellow bills, the base of a male's lower mandible is blue-gray, while the female's is pinkish. The male's eyes are a uniform deep brown, but the female has a narrow, lighter colored ring around the outer edge. In confusing cases, some males four years old or older can develop a faint ring in the eye, and some older females can lose it.

* A female European Starling may try to lay an egg in the nest of another female. A female that tries this parasitic tactic often is one that could not get a mate early in the breeding season. The best females find mates and start laying early. The longer it takes to get started, the lower the probability of a nest's success. Those parasitic females may be trying to enhance their own breeding efforts during the time that they cannot breed on their own.

Sources used to construct this page:

1. Cabe, P. R. 1993. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). In The Birds of North America, No. 48 (A. Poole, and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
2. Koenig, W. D. 2003. European Starlings and their effect on native cavity-nesting birds. Conservation Bioloy 17: 1134-1140.
3. Sandell, M. I., and M. Diemer. 1999. Intraspecific brood parasitism: a strategy for floating females in the European starling. Animal Behaviour 57: 197-202.

1.27.2006

tenzin delek

From Students for a Free Tibet:

January 26th marks three years since twenty-eight year old Lobsang Dhondup was executed by Chinese authorities and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's death sentence was upheld. Both men were wrongly arrested and convicted for their alleged involvement in a series of unsolved bombings in Eastern Tibet. Following an intense international campaign by Tibetans and supporters, Tenzin Delek's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Sadly, we were unable to save Lobsang Dhondup, but we can still do more for Tenzin Delek.

The day was marked by organized vigils, informational tables and other events in many different communities. SFT has designed a new Free Tenzin Delek postcard to help increase the global pressure on the Chinese government for his release.


Click here
to order Free Tenzin Delek postcards.
A small donation of $5-10 dollars is requested to help cover postage costs and to support our Free Tenzin Delek campaign, please click here to donate online.


What you can do:

1. Write your Foreign Minister/Secretary of State
Click here for addresses and sample letters for the EU and individual governments.

2.
Contact your Congressional Representatives/Member of Parliament
Click here for a sample letter and click here for tips on how to set up a meeting.

3. Write to the Chinese government
Click here for addresses
and a sample letter.

4. Educate others about Tenzin Delek's plight
Click here to order postcards (please include your mailing address)
Download a petition to raise awareness of Tenzin Delek's release

5. Support the campaign to free Tenzin Delek Rinpoche
Make a donation to Students for a Free Tibet so that we can continue our work for the life and freedom of Tenzin Delek. With your support, we can continue to support the hundreds of SFT chapters around the world, create more materials, stage demonstrations and keep up the pressure until Tenzin Delek is free.

6. Spread the image of Tenzin Delek
Raise awareness for Tenzin Delek's release by showing China that the world is watching. Help make sure Tenzin Delek's image is everywhere. Download an image of Tenzin Delek's face. (You need Acrobate Reader to view these)
Send us photos of Tenzin Delek's image with you, or that you have put in different places, especially with recognizable landmarks, so that we can show the Chinese government that his image is everywhere.

The Chinese government's decision to commute Tenzin Delek's death sentence was a
welcome victory for Tibetans and the tens of thousands of people worked to save his life. It is a testament to the power of international grassroots pressure, and shows how effective we are when we take action. However, Tenzin Delek remains a political prisoner and we will not stop until he is free.

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Campaign

Background Take Action Downloads Images & Action

1.24.2006

at least high park won...


and this is why i never want to move.

1.10.2006

a special visit

i was really sad about never being able to see bob's hawk again and he flew right over our house today; i'm not crazy - ryan saw him first! and i am absolutely sure it is the same one, because he has really scruffy feathers and this butterscotch-coloured belly. all of the other red-tails that we have seen in the area haven't been this golden colour.

my new classes

i think i am going to enjoy this semester a lot. i have four new classes and three of them are philosophy courses, which is a nice majority. even the psychology class that i wanted to switch looks like it's going to be rockin'.

mondays i'm taking the biological basis of behaviour with professor al mapp; it's only a 2000-level class, so i can sit back and relax. and i realized in high school, to my surprise (and thanks to my awesome science teacher, hugh), that i really like biology and i have a good memory for it.

tuesdays i have topics in contemporary philosophy with professor jean baillargeon and it seems that the topic is pragmatism, which i just finished taking last semester with professor henry jackman. jackman's class was all william james, though and this class is rorty, putnam and no james in sight.

thursday is conversations in african philosophy which is awesome because i have never really studied anything other than western philosophy. professor esteve morera is awesome, too (awesome seems to be the word of the day). then i have moral philosophy and the topic is prudential good. professor susan dimock is passionate and really interested and opinionative. she did her thesis in autonomy which is one of my personal interests. but she singles you out and of course, it was me! me. me. me. (delusions of persecution)..

fourth year is exciting, because instead of studying only historical philosophy, we are becoming aquainted with current trends and new emerging modes of thinking.

(this is a picture of york's observatory - it is probably my favourite building, eventhough i have never been inside, and everytime i walk by i have to say 'quick: to the observatory' - not that i talk to myself. no. never do that.)

1.09.2006

long journey home

i'm back from the longest housesitting sprint of all time. not only has it been six weeks, but it has been six weeks of super-saturated time; exams came first then christmas and chirstmas shopping; work was crazy because there were so many functions and group parties, not to mention new years and all the prep work. this time of year is insane for everyone no matter how you look at it: you either partake, or partake through osmosis. so it feels weird because it has been six weeks, which is already a long time, and so much has happened; it feels like months, or only a few days.

here are a few reasons i am glad to be home (this might be a short list):

+ i missed my dogs like you wouldn't believe. i still came by the house to see them, but it's not the same; there's nothing like being woken up in the middle of the night because bailey is snoring too loudly.

+ my huge bathtub! i've said it before and i'll say it again: it takes up half of my apartment.

+ i don't have to be paranoid about breaking teacups (i like mine, but i'm noncommittal)

now, this is why i want to go back to bob's and change the locks:

+ he's only five minutes away from my place, but he has birds living in his trees that i'm lucky to see once a year in my backyard.

+ there's something nice about using the washroom without knowing that someone can always hear what your doing.

+ the incessant stomping that is the essence of a basement apartment.

+ i think this was in my last list but: windows, windows, windows!

+ bob's house is so close to work. actually, it's close to everywhere i want or need to be. i can even get to school in an hour because i don't have to wait for the dupont. and now all the dupont busdrivers are different, so i never know what i'm going to be in for.

i could go on, but i know that it could be a whole lot worse. i'm looking forward to seeing all the new faces on the bus, buying a new birdfeeder and getting my fishtank back in balance. (four died because (ahem) someone was overfeeding them. but you can't get mad at someone who made a mistake while they were doing you a huge favour. put it this way: the four that are left are twice as big! that was uncalled for; my favourite black molly died.

1.07.2006

guess what i saw


six weeks - housesitting at bob's.

1.06.2006

the strokes

well, i guess i am not as big of a fan of the strokes as i used to be. i had a feeling they were coming out with a new album, but i wasn't really thinking of it until ryan brought it home. i have to clarify: he hates the strokes and thinks they are pretentious and cocky, but he suffers through the embarassment because he is a nice guy.

i only just started listening to it; the first song to be exact. so far, not so ok. but i'm being too quick.

i'm only upset because julian didn't pick me.

1.05.2006

what is happening?

do you ever have those moments where you actually question your own existence as a person? like this, for instance: i sent out so many emails in the past two weeks and no one has replied to them; it's like i'm not even here anymore.

i want my essay mark from henry jackman's class (this seems lame, but in an inexplicable way, it's very important. it feels like the whole mood of last semester depends on it); i still don't know if some of my friends had a good christmas (maybe i really don't have any friends. when was the last time i saw them before christmas); all i am getting are these crazy existentialist newsgroup letters from the same people, over and over again. this must be a sign. can i bring myself to unsubscirbe to this group and risk never getting an email again?

it just makes me crazy that i know some people get offended when they send you a forward or a multiple-addressee email and no one responds; well, these were personalized. i even said to myself, 'hey! instead of writing everyone's email address on this one tacky email, how's about you write each person an individual message, because they are individuals and will appreciate the individuation'.

anyway, i feel miserable at this time of year. couldn't you tell by my template change?
i just want my essay mark.