bittersweet wondering.

I am living in a cardboard box. With the move date less than a week away, it’s almost impossible to recognize our beloved apartment. We are in the middle of packing and the place is a complete mess. As I put all my belongings away in boxes, I can’t help but feel a tad sentimental. I usually can’t wait to get out and move on, but this abode has been the home of many wonderful things and I am finding it surprisingly hard to let go of it. Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to settling in our new niche, but the transition will be one to grow into slowly. I think of the feeling of home this place gave me, being freshly transformed into a flight attendant and leaving it at the wee hours of the morning to catch a flight, the return of a birthday trip that became an engagement celebration, the wedding planning and the preparations on the morning of the big day…all memories that I cherish and take with me. I can’t wait to start this new venture. Minus the boxes.

With this feeling of change, I have realized that I am starting to eminently miss my career as an FA. I flew to Montreal a few weeks ago and I truly sensed I was lacking something important when I stepped on that plane. I felt like an impostor. There was something so familiar and somehow comforting about the smell of the cabin and the frenzy that happens before departure. And I miss that. I treasure the excitement of arriving at the front desk of a hotel, going to your room for the night, enjoying the little piece of quiet and alone time and the discovery of a new city and its people. I am delighted when I meet passengers and hear their stories. I love making someone’s day with a simple gesture. This job is made for me…..only a little over a month to go and I will back in the great blue skies!   Deplorably, there is one pivotal detail that affects me more than I would want to at this point: the raise in airplane accidents in the last few months. They average to about 2 a month now and that scares the hell out of me. I want to go to work without having to worry about my ‘office’ diving straight into the ground. Somebody please make sure those aircraft are operational!

On the same matter, I noticed that I haven’t really told you about my current day job since the week I started.  At first, I was slightly hesitant about the whole thing but it turned out to be a great disposition for the few months before my big return to my real life. I guess everything does happen for a reason after all.  The staff is very convivial and it is a verrry relaxed environment and the workload is minimal compared to what I am used to in this position.  I have a fairly normal schedule that never changes (not sure yet if that is a positive or negative) so I can make plans and stick to them and it allows me to get back to my roots, hence this blog.  How often do we get to try something else out just for a few months?

Just as if the world wasn’t crazy enough already, the Pope has announced during his visit to Africa that he is against the idea of condom use to help in the prevention of AIDS.  What the f***?!   Ok, this is no surprise coming from the Church, but I still have trouble believing that people are denied a tangible solution to a problem that is devastating the country just because of religion.  Africans imperatively need a better education concerning their sexuality and societal ethics and the Pope’s statement just takes them back to a time where we did not have the resources to teach and help those countries; to deny them this opportunity could be desastrous.  I don’t need to mention that this has raised many protesters’  ire.  This is a fight that needs to be won!

Another thing that irritates me; apparently fur is back! In a time where faux-fur has become the norm and PETA has all kinds of famous people campaigning against the use of carcasses as coats it is quite surprising that Lundstrom is making a comeback in the fashion industry with this article. I almost fell off my chair. There is NO reason why anyone should be wearing fur these days unless you live in the far north and hunt to survive.  Wake up people: fur is DEAD!

On a lighter note, Winnipeg now has their own rock festival. I must admit that this is good news to me as that city has the most beautiful summer weather and this adds to their cultural curriculum that is already pretty impressive.  Too bad this said Festival has to be Rock On The Range. The lineup is pretty horrible except maybe for Rancid, Rise Against and our own Billy Talent. Hoepfully by next year they will get some true rockers to play before the headlining bands.

That’s it for today darlings.

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sugar coated.

Yesterday I had the honour to be part of a private Sony showcase for a band called The Respectables.  I have known them for a very long time, one member personally, as they have been playing in Quebec for over a decade now (known as Les Respectables). I have always been a fan of their music not because it is the best out there, but because their energy on stage mixed with frontman Seb Plante’s cocky attitude make for a really fun show. Their tunes are catchy and danceable and sometimes that’s all you need.
Up until now I had only heard them sing in French (they catered to a Quebec audience) while I know that in their beginnings their songs were mostly in English. They have now gone back to those roots (hence the change in the band’s name from ‘Les’ to ‘The’) and the new album recorded at Willie Nelson’s studio in Texas will be coming out in April. I am certainly looking forward to hearing and seeing more of them in English Canada in the near future!

Also, last night was the kickoff night of Canadian Musicfest and Tattoo Rock Parlour had a special soiree that was filled with ‘industry people’  but most importantly included Inward Eye performing a late night gig. I could not wait to see this band play and they did justice to the hype surrounding them. Great punk band from Winnipeg, like you seldom see; pure and raw. Music these days, I find, is too polished and prearranged so watching these guys was very refreshing. Check them out: http://www.inwardeye.com/

Today, my friends from Montreal invade the city. I will keep you posted on what happens next as the week unfolds and music takes possession of our souls.

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