Tuesday, October 5, 2010

on the road

Quick snapshots of the Albanian countryside from our drive to Buddva, Montenegro a few weeks ago.  Hopefully they give you a small taste of what this country is really like.
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This is how many Albanians buy their meat,  these stands are set up all along the highway
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There are hundreds of thousands of these bunkers all across Albania.  Built by Hoxha to protect against a percieved threat of invasion from Italy
"It is said that when a prototype for the bunkers was presented to Hoxha, he demanded the architect to go inside of it. A tank was then ordered to open fire. The bunker withstood the shelling, the architect survived, and Hoxha gave the go ahead to build nearly a million replicas of the prototype all over the country." 
(from http://www.vagabondjourney.com/travelogue/bunkers-in-albania/)
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A common sight here, even in the capital city.
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Colourful painted houses are everywhere
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So many unfinished structures
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We stopped for lunch at a restaurant/"zoo"
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I love chickens- wait, is this a chicken?
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No, seriously, they're amazing
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I actually cried when I saw the bear, though.
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I think this is a lynx, or a bobcat.  I'm not sure what the difference is.
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I shared a moment with an owl.
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The toilets were not.  A hole in the ground is not my idea of fun.
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At least the cats got to roam around free

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Albanians love birds.  They have them in practically every store or restaurant I've been to here
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The remains of an old city wall
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Another common sight.
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I wonder what they were talking about
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One of the best things about Albania is that a Catholic church...
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...and a mosque can coexist peacefully side by side in a tiny village.
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A great way to pass time at the border
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A breathtaking view
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Albania really does have so much natural beauty.

Monday, October 4, 2010

10 things that make me happy

Greetings everyone, this is Rebekah, (but you can call me G.B.) the other half of Once Again To Zelda.  I'm not as gifted a writer as our dear friend Alex, so for my inaugural post on this blog, I thought I'd share a few things that have inspired Alex and I in the past.  Enjoy!
1. Ceramic deer, little birds, and wallpaper
2.  Blurring the lines between storage and display 
3.  Jazz on vinyl
4.  Henry Darger
5.  Vintage slips
6.  Organizing books by colour
7.  Kitschy art
8.  Pretty much everything about this picture
9.  Peacocks
10. Found Photographs

Being a Grownup

Hello again. Sorry for the loooong hiatus, school is kinda kicking my ass...

Moving along, last week I took a couple of big steps on the way to being a responsible adult. I have been an adult for, depending on what province you are from, either eight or nine years and I do a number of adult-like things on a regular basis; eat vegetable, order drinks at bars, say things like "I remember a time before Google", and tell jokes about Sinbad. But it is not everyday that I get all mature and responsible (unless you count working to support myself -- which I am not doing right this moment but I have done for an awfully long time).

I ride my bike, Lonesome Charlie, everywhere; all over downtown Toronto at all times and at all stages of sobriety. Last year I had a bad accident which involved me riding into a curb and flying over the handlebars and landing on my chin and spending the couple weeks with a distinctly Leno-esque chin (I may or may not have imbibed a couple of ill-advised pints of "Cool" lager at Sneaky Dee's) I was concussed but ok and while wearing a helmet wouldn't have hurt me it wouldn't have helped either because well, I landed on my face.

So, I was able at that time keep on justifying not wearing a helmet. Yes, I have ridden a bike in a busy urban city for five years and never worn a helmet. I don't even really have a reason why I didn't have a helmet; it wasn't esthetic reasons no matter how many times I joked that it was, mainly I think that I didn't have a helmet because I was crazy poor and thought that a cool-looking helmet would be upwards of $100.

But, all that is in the past now, my distant, immature, irresponsible past because last week I bought a helmet. I gotta say, I feel pretty good about my growing up.

Oh, and I also finally got a bell and found my lights for Charlie.

life lessons



A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
-Lao Tzu


I couldn't have said it better myself.  If there is one thing that this past year has taught me, it is that sometimes life has other plans for you, and it is best to just let them take you where they want you to go.  Just a few months ago, I gave away most of my belongings to relocate to Eastern Europe indefinitely.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I will be coming back to Canada in a matter of days, again, indefinitely.  Nothing in life is definite.  And that is o.k.  In just the last few days, our plans have changed several times, and they continue to change.  I am learning to trust that whatever happens will end up being the right thing.  So at the moment, I don't really know what's around the corner, but that's alright, because I am doing my best to just enjoy the ride.

Friday, October 1, 2010

fill in the blank friday


1.   True happiness is   having something to do, someone (or ones) to love, and something to look forward to.

2.  The most surreal moment of my life was  watching a stranger take his own life.

3.  My favorite texture is   silky, gooey, or a combination of both- like caramel.

4.  My signature color is  grey, probably.  Unless black and white stripes could be considered one colour.

5.  My signature style is  always evolving.  I have a huge collection of vintage dresses, but lately I just want to be in simple, comfortable clothes.

6.  If I could choose one store to spend my life savings at, it would be    dependent on how much savings I had... in a completely unrealistic scenario, I'd blow it all at Opening Ceremony or A.P.C.

7.  My best thing about autumn is   the leaves changing colour, falling, crunching under your feet.., and apple cider. 

timing is everything

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=12349&cid=Clocks&language=en-US
http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/my-tech-top-10-curated-by-hamish-robertson-of-vanity-fair-128095
http://www.designformankind.com/2010/09/weekend-mash-up-19/
http://www.studiopazo.com/
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2009/03/30/wallpaper-done/

http://www.unicahome.com/p50177/ameico/formosa-perpetual-wall-calendar-by-enzo-mari.html
http://www.e-potpourri.com/index.php/2008/01/09/minimalist-retro-wide-digital-watch-by-flemming-bo-hansen/

http://www.e-potpourri.com/index.php/2008/12/05/sebastian-wrong-desktop-font-clock-time-telling-typographists/
http://www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk/flip-clock---time-talks-3548-p.asp