July 31, 2003
i never thought i'd say this, but after news from last night 'SARSstock' concert i have infinitely more respect for justin timberlake. it all started when i saw him play basketball in a celebrity fundraiser too, and he was surprisingly good. and last night at the concert, after getting water bottles thrown at him while performing, he said "if i was here to see AC/DC i'd be throwing water bottles at me too." and he acknowledged the fact that he was a little out of place at the concert. his reaction to the water throwing showed some real class, and for that i give him credit.
finally, the highlight of today's post. watching me finish the runTO 10K run!! me and bri finished at the same time so look for that. i'm wearing long black pants and after crossing the line, i look visibly tired. i know you've all been waiting for it, so without further delay CLICK HERE to see it! | July 27, 2003
well, i ran the 10K runTO thingy today and just like the last run that i did, it was really fun and very satisfying after you've finished. although my time wasn't great (i still gotta check my official time online when the times are posted), i did the whole run without stopping once! which is really quite the accomplishment for me, i didn't think i could do it. props to bri for coming out with me.
there were tons of people there! i saw around 10 people that i knew from various places, but mostly from school (UofT). i think there were about 10 000 runners, the most runners per capita ever. overall, very cool day. polaroid was a sponser, so they were standing around taking free photos for you to take home. here's the one i got. 
| July 24, 2003
i read an article today in the Metro entitled "Who's Feeling Rich?" and i thought it was really interesting. 50% of people earning over $200 000/year felt that they were "only getting by". where as 85% of people earning the average income of $58 000 felt that they were living "quite comfortably". i honestly think these stats are staggering and the best evidence that money can't buy happiness, in fact it seems to do quite the opposite.
the article continues to say that the group that earns over $200 000 (the article calls them the affluent group) says that they DON'T think they live lavishly. BUT 50% of this same affluent group also feels that it's not a problem spending $2000 a person on a vacation, $250 on a night in a hotel, $300 on a night out to a game or the theater or $100 on a dinner. not living lavishly eh? | July 21, 2003
so a friend of mine got engaged last week. and the story of how she got proposed to is quite possibly the most romantic story i've ever heard. it was pretty spectacular. so basically, my friend and her bf went camping during her birthday. on her birthday, he gave her some sort of pretty glass jar as a present. anyway, inside was a map of the camp area that they were at. her bf personally drew the map and the edges were burnt (to give it that treasure map kinda feel) and it told her to follow the map and meet him after sunset. the map directed her to a beach, where there were rocks that surrounded a little pond. her bf set up candles on all these rocks (surrounding the pond) and candles floating in the pond itself. he had a little treasure box just sitting there near the candles, attached to a fishing line set up there too. so she goes up to this little arrangement, and he comes behind her and starts whispering into her ear (about the first time they met, how much she means to him etc...) and he asks her to reel the fishing line. she does so, and it's connected to the lid of the little treasure box, and inside is of course a ring. he takes the ring, gets down on one knee and proposes.
my poor poor description probably doesn't do the whole situation justice, but it's the best i can do. the story was pretty amazing and romantic. i'm so happy for her. | July 20, 2003
i really like being busy. this way, the fun things that you get to do are that much more fun. a round of golf with the guys is more rewarding and relaxing. drinks with friends is more interesting. you appreciate fun times more when you're really busy doing other things.
that being said. i've been really busy. trying to juggle 4 different projects at work, co-ordinating photography and art for the school newspaper and studying MCATs has really bogged down my time siginficantly. but as i said, i don't mind, i like it. i took off from work a little early on friday to go play a tough par 3 course. this isn't a tiny little par 3 course where you can get away with a 9-iron and a putter in your bag (ahem, dentonia). most holes are about 130-140 yards (the way par 3 courses should be) and the longest hole there is 220 yards. 220 yard!! that's huge for a par 3. suffice to say, my crowing achievement for that friday's round was a par on that 220 yard hole. thankfully my newly found skills with the woods didn't escape me for this round of golf, i took a 3-wood into the wind and planted into, 220 yards away, on the green. a very tricky breaking putt to put it near the hole, and a tap in for par. it was sweet. overall, i didn't play particularly well, shot an 82. but i can't be displeased, i am afterall, still a beginner. on saturday, i wrote another mock MCAT, and though i didn't get my scores back, i'm slowly getting to where i need to be before the test. today, i went to my MCAT course and also picked up my brand new Nike dri-fit t-shirt for the 10K run. it's pretty damn sweet and i'm excited about heading down this weekend. if you're going, get the 8AM FERRY, cause that's the one i got. after dinner with my parents earlier in the evening, my story brings me to the here and now. time to do some more work. | July 16, 2003
things that Ivan likes that you may or may not know about. if you haven't tried or seen or done something on this list, go now! NOW!
1) Good Eats, a show hosted by Alton Brown on the Food Network 2) Sweet Culture, a chinese dessert place at Hwy 7 and Kennedy 3) Kristin Kreuk 4) Two hot girls making out with each other 5) Rickard's Pale on tap 6) A really really good chicken pot pie 7) Hitting a really good drive, with a really good driver 8) Driving stick, when you've only driven automatic 9) Grazies, an italian restaurant at Yonge and Eglinton 10) Waking up to a 'camp morning' 11) Humus, with fresh warm pita 12) Kom Jung Yuen, a chinese restaurant on spadina, south of college | July 14, 2003
man, i went to the driving range today and i was on fire. i honestly hit about 60-70 balls and i'd say about 90-95% were relatively straight and about 250 yards. it was unreal. someone let me out on a golf course soon.
|
if there's one thing i really don't like about the canadian society it's our insistence on striking every time there's a small problem. you can't go 2 weeks without one group or another having a labour dispute and i'm having difficulty understanding why it happens so frequently. sure we all pay our union fees, and we might as well get something out of it ever so often, such as increased pay or better benefits. but we come across as a bunch of lazy ass whiners. nothing we ever get is good enough. "teachers in alberta get paid more than us, we want more money!" "nurses in the united states get tax benefits! where are our benefits?!?" i mean everyone works hard. whether it's at your job or at school, most people's lives are busy. even the people you see pulling in 6 digit salaries work hard for their money. those investment banker who get salaries over half a million, i bet he/she works harder than 99% of the population. rarely does money and success come at a free price, that's just not the way it works.
people need to realize that the real problem is learning to invest and save properly, not how much money you make. as i said, it's slowly becoming a staple is western culture to strike whenever the going gets tough. that's a poor reflection of our society. i argue that a good majority of workers who strike are getting fair wages and equal benefits. they just need to learn to prioritize their money and save when they can. so in the end, all i'm saying is, stop complaining and start working. | July 13, 2003
well, now that the lakers have the best center in the game, the best 2-guard in the game they now also have arguably the best point guard in the game. and even if you don't think he's the best point guard, payton is at least top three in the league. add to that, soon-to-be hall of famer malone at power forward and you've got one stacked team. i thought the yankees were bad, this is far far worse. i swear, if they inserted me as their small forward, they'd still win the championship. the only team that could have competed was the spurs... if robinson stayed, and kidd signed with them. but alas, robinson is gone and kidd stayed with the nets. the lakers are the 2004 nba champions.
| July 12, 2003
*HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!*. so exciting! =P have a fantastic 21st. i'll be there tonight to celebrate the big day!
| July 08, 2003
the bijani twins died today during a surgery in an attempt to seperate them. for some reason, this story really touched me. God bless them and their family.
| July 07, 2003
wow. i'm giving some thought to giving up on this medicine thing. here i am at work. spending my time doing two things. the first is doing work. the second is looking up med school admission requirements. there's something very demeaning and condescending about the way the authors of the med school websites write about admission requirements. and it's all very very intimidating. i'm beginning to wonder if it's all worth it.
| July 06, 2003
hey, all you single people out there. this is for you. i think every single person out there always goes through various phases. phase 1 is the one where you'll cherish and love the fact that you're single. you can check out girls (or guys if you're a girl, or a guy into that kind of thing) guilt free. no restrictions and responsibilities. more money. more free time. there are, many perks to being single, i think everyone can admit that.
but of course, you go through those phases where you think about what a great thing it'd be to be with someone. that would be phase 2. sooo you have to spend some more money, or you have to stress out sometimes thinking about your significant other or you can't freely check out other people. so what right? when you're in a good relationship, the comfort and excitement of being with someone can't be beat. it can be a very nice feeling. i'd say i'm usually in phase 1 when i'm single. i'd have to say that right now, i'm in phase 2. | July 03, 2003
HOLY $#%^!!! kariya and selanne are now colorado avalanche!! and hatcher is a red wing!! full story here.
kariya signs for 1.2 million dollars. i am in so much shock.... i hate the leafs. 1.2 million dollars?? not only can we afford that, we can probably pay him an extra 3-4 million a year EASY! the entire management team including pat quinn are all here to torture us. we are never going to win the stanley cup at this rate. i can't put coherate sentences together because i'm so pissed at the stupid leafs. the only way we can make up for this is if we sign some good talent. if we don't sign 3 out of the following 4 players: devries, wesley, federov and lindros. i will cry like a school girl. | July 02, 2003
congratulations vancouver. it's a great day for canada. i've always been a big supporter of olympic games in canada, despite the fact they are often not financial successes, they do a fantastic job bringing together the citizens of that city and the country as a whole.
man. i've got a ton of things to say and even more to show. but i'm tired. no thanks to two fools, *ahem* simon and herb *ahem*, who kept me up until after the sun starting rising last night. my ranting and raving will have to wait until tomorrow. | |
03/01/2003 - 04/01/2003 04/01/2003 - 05/01/2003 05/01/2003 - 06/01/2003 06/01/2003 - 07/01/2003 07/01/2003 - 08/01/2003 08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003 09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003 10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003 11/01/2003 - 12/01/2003 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004 01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004 02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004 09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005 01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007