Filed under: the ussh. | Tags: Authors, Books, Cuba, Ernest, Fiction, Floridita, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway, Life, Travel, Writing
I look sad because I had waited all day for this photo and the camera was about to die.
Hemingway is probably one of my all time favourite authors, and this blog I stumbled across today sums up why:
His writing has been described as sparse, but I think efficient is a better word. He managed to convey in his short declarative sentences the emotion, the feeling, the very sense of the place he was writing about. More than any other writer, he gave me a feeling that I knew the place he was writing about. Be it Spain, Africa, Italy, France, or his beloved Florida Keys, he captured the essence of what those places must have been like to me.
True dat. When Elena and I were in Cuba, we decided to take a day trip to Havana. Part of the tour included stops where Hemingway hung out and wrote. I had never been so excited in my life.
The hotel where Hemingway wrote much of "For Whom the Bell Tolls".
Hemingway made Cuba feel like one of his novels—every single part of it. From the fisherman to the marketplaces, or the bars to the parties—the trip became one huge Hemingway novel.
"Floridita", a bar that Hemingway frequented.
Filed under: Travel | Tags: 2009, Cuba, Culture, Don McKellar, Guantanamera, Music, Song, Tourism, Travel, Video, Vimeo
I was showing my parents the pictures from Cuba and forgot about this video. It’s a band playing Guantanamera at a road-side stop on the way to Havana. The lead singer was loving the spotlight I gave him, and his attention was solely on my camera lens. I guess it was his 15 minutes.
This song was everywhere in Cuba—it’s the country’s most popular song, and it associates with Cuban culture. I can’t get enough of it. I remember first hearing it in Don McKellar’s movie Last Night.
*I’ve linked the video because I know when Facebook imports this post, it’ll screw up the formatting and embedable media.
Filed under: Interesting | Tags: Cuba, Guantanamera, Life, Music, Video, Youtube
It was so sunny today; an awesome change from the cold bitch slap to the face we’ve been having. I had this song running through my head all day.
Cheap thrill lately: Leaving work knowing that the sun is still up.
Filed under: Travel | Tags: 2009, Airport, Clothes, Cuba, gawker, Luggage, Packing, Time Lapse, Travel, Varadero
Gone to Cuba for a week! Enjoy the cold suckahsssss. Above is a time lapse video of me packing!
I got lazy and didn’t want to add any music. This is the first time I’ve done a time lapse, so shut up.
Filed under: the ussh. | Tags: 2009, Clubbing, Cuba, Dance, Drinks, Family, Firkin Pubs, Guvernment, Nightlife, toronto, Travel, Valentine's Day
My cousin has been visiting from back home for about three weeks now. Her brother was here two months ago, and I had managed to take time off to hang out with him and show him around. By show him around I really mean get unbelievably drunk. I wasn’t able to do the same so soon; she had arrived with her parents literally two weeks after he went back to Australia. She’s managed to see things, and for the most part she enjoys staying indoors, so me being busy with work and school hasn’t kept her from stitting around and doing nothing. She leaves tomorrow, and it’ll probably be another year until we see each other again. It’s sad really; I don’t have any family here, and it’s hard being isolated and having to grow up on your own without them.
Depressing goodbyes aside, we had a pretty good finale weekend. Friday night had us getting drunk at Last Temptation on something called polar bears; a shot that literally tastes like an after dinner mint. Saturday night had us doing something I never do; we went clubbing. My cousin’s friend was also visiting from Australia and he managed to get us in because of some product launch his cousin was doing at Guvernment. I’ve never understood why people want to wait in line for an hour, pay obscene amounts of cash for cover, and then more obscene amounts for drinks. All while leaning against a bar with music that makes it hard to hear anyone say anything, and watching fat girls dance provocatively in the dark. We hung around for a while and went to the different stations and ordered different shots. Mostly polar bears. Ducking out at around 1 am, we headed to a firkin pub at Front and Wellington and tried to chug down as much cheap beer as we could in an hour. 2 pitchers and 2 pints. The girls were falling asleep in the booth, so it was up to me and Kannan, my cousin’s friend, to do most of the drinking.
With Elena working, Valentine’s Day wasn’t exactly what I was hoping it to be. She didn’t mind, but I told her I’d make it up to her when we get to Cuba. 4 more days!
Filed under: the ussh. | Tags: 2009, American Apparel, Baby Rib Men's Brief (3-Pack), Bargains, Clothes, Cuba, Deals, Fashion, Nylon Taffeta Swim Trunks with Lining, Online, Shopping, Store, Travel
Wash your hair you stinking hippie!
Yeah, I’m just going to say that with this week being hectic already, I opted to buy the remainder of whatever clothing I needed online. If you’re my friend on Facebook, then you already know from my status that I purchased underwear online last night. I’ll tell you why:
1. American Apparel had a deal again. It was $36 for a pack of three, “slashed” from $41.
2. I needed a new pair of swim shorts; the ones I purchased for my Halloween costume are white, and poses the problem of being see through when I come out of the water. Nobody wants to see, as one review on the site put it, my “triangle of no”. Maybe they do?
The shorts were $36 also, and if you remember my costume from halloween (or just look at the picture above), you’ll know what shorts I’m talking about. Again, the shipping was free.
You can’t go wrong with slashed prices and free shipping. Trends and hipster backlash aside, it’s good quality material and I like the colours. I could care less if it was made on this continent.
Filed under: Interesting | Tags: American Apparel, Bargains, Cuba, Deals, Fashion, February, Internet, Sales, Shopping, Travel, V-necks, Weather
As the lead up to Cuba begins, I’ve had to do some thrifty shopping in order to update my summer wardrobe. It’s weird that I’ll be wearing shorts and t-shirts for a week, especially at a time when I’m stocked up on long johns and wool socks.
I’m not THAT cheap, but I like a bargain when I can get one. I also don’t really shop at American Apparel. In fact, I’ve probably only bought something from there twice.
Last week I was browsing their online store and found this: a 3-pack of short sleeve v-necks for $51, with free shipping. I figured I might as well. It was the whole $66 marked down to $51 that got me. Okay, and the free shipping. I’ve been telling everyone I know about the deal, at least everyone that I think would wear v-necks.
Filed under: the ussh. | Tags: 2008, 2009, assignments, Back to school, Chinese, Cuba, Food, Martinis, strike, Vacation, Work, Writing, yorku
Wow, my eyes just speak "trashed".
The shitstorm is over and we’re all back at school now. When one shitstorm ends, another begins; when two shitstorms collide, we have the perfect shitstorm. I’m in the middle of my typical Sunday homework smackdown, and I decided to excuse myself to spruce some things up around here. You might notice the change in theme. Sadly, wordpress doesn’t allow free customizations of their layouts, so I have to stick to what they have. Look at that grass, it’s kind of comforting, no?
I’m also waiting for that burnout. I’m scared I’m going to run into a block; forget what words are and how to use them. It’s mainly because I’m constantly writing. No, I’m not trying to sound like some pained artist, it’s what I have to do all day. I write for my job. I write for pleasure. I write for school. I’m just worried I’ll run out of words to use.
Today marks six months of Elena and I being together. Last night we stuffed our selves to the brim on Chinese food and wine, and then wasted the night away drinking martinis. It was good fun, just the two of us. The best thing in the world is stumbling around in a food coma; every step is so difficult and heavy. Oh, and Elena is the best thing in the world too. Sometimes. JK JK JK JK.
Cuba in two weeks!
Filed under: the ussh. | Tags: Alcohol, Cuba, Drink, February, Fun, Mexico, Party, Prices, Sun, Travel, Vacation, Weather, Work
I’m in dire need of some sun. I spent a good half hour today trying to find deals to trips down south, somewhere warmer. I’ve taken some time off in February, and hopefully Elena and I can get away for a while. It’s so goddamn cold outside, and I really just have this desire to sit. Do nothing. Drink. Eat. Sleep. Prices aren’t too bad, and I’m hoping she can get seven days off. A whole week! I’m still having trouble deciding where to go, but I think it just might be Mexico.
