The rumour mill is spinning quite the interesting story. Even if this isn't true, it's still very entertaining....

I think by now we've all heard that Pronger is requesting a trade because he supposedly cheated on his wife. But here's something new! the girl that Pronger allegedly cheated on his wife with is... *drumroll please.... some CityTV personality named Christie Chorley
http://www.citytv.com/edmonton/personalities_11461.aspx

Also, his wife (who's richer than him) apparently cheated on him too.

Hey guys,

If I haven't already emailed you, I'm sorry! You're not on my gmail contact list...

My kung fu club is holding a fundraising BBQ. It's just $10/ticket, we're raising money for my brother Stephen's trip to Malaysia representing team canada in a worldwide tournament. (And also some other ppl from our kung fu club that you don't know...)

It's gonna be at BORDEN park, site 3. (The address is 112 ave and 73 st), on sunday, JULY 30th from 2pm - 5:30pm

RSVP asap so I know how many tickets to get from my instructor. I'm expecting a lot of you to come and show your support! It won't kill you to have some good ol' fashioned BBQ in your stomache. And every meal should be followed by a water balloon fight.

You can bring anyone you want, as long as they dish out the 10 bucks. In fact, I encourage everyone to bring at least one person I haven't met. That way we'll meet new ppl too!

Thanks.

This is the tale of a girl born and raised in Edmonton venturing into Boston to find an apartment all by her lonesome. Warning: this is very detailed so at times very boring.

My flight is at 2pm edm time, I get to the airport at abt 12:15. Since those damn terrorists have wreaked havoc on security policies, I have to check in 90 minutes before the flight. Finally it's time to board the plane and I start to think about when I leave at the end of the summer for roughly 4 months before I come back for christmas break as opposed to this 4 day trip. I get a little emotional at takeoff and think to myself, as some kids in the background say "wheee," jeez... there are seven yr olds on this plane that are handling themselves better than you. We land in Minneapolis where I am getting on the connecting flight. The aiport may as well be a mall... there's a roots, body shop, sunglass hut, etc, etc. On this flight, a nice lady sits down next to me, she's from a town next to Boston. She and her husband are coming back from a good ol' American vacation. They went to yellowstone, the grand canyon... and some other places I hadn't really heard of... It's an endearing experience, she's the nicest person I've met on a plane. I arrive in Boston 11pm local time, I'm mildy impressed that there is a line up for the cabs (very organized). I check into the hotel, they've given me a room with 2 twin beds instead of the one queen bed I reserved. I keep the room because it's $20/night cheaper, it indirectly reminds me that I am alone.... It's now midnight but still just 10pm back home so I can't quite fall asleep... I watch some bad tv and feel utterly alone. No one to share sarcastic comments with, laugh at stupid commercials with or even to just sit beside. I start to doubt my earlier decision to not have any roommates 1st yr. What a horrible feeling to go to sleep with....

Friday morning rolls around and I walk to the school to talk with the registrar about an I-20 form for a student visa. She's a total bitch, it's a shock because everyone else at the school is so nice. My paperwork is wrong but she gives me an extension because she's going on vacation so she won't be looking at it anytime soon anyway. I meet up with Tarra, a girl who's in my class to theoretically get a head start on the apartment search. Her first appointment is at 1pm... it's 9:45am..... we decide to walk into a realtor's office a few blocks from the school. The lady talks to us abt some price ranges but seems reluctant to show us anything. She says they will be at the housing clinic tomorrow... Tarra and I find a park, we sit and talk for a bit. Then we meet up with a girl whose name I've already forgotten and her mom. We all go to starbucks and when they head to their appointment, I ditch them because it's too far from the school for my liking.

I walk along newbury street (like whyte ave but exponentially superior) until it's time to meet up with Duy at 1:30 for lunch. Afterwards we head over to Beacon Realty for our 3pm appointment. They show us 6 units in 2 buildings. They all look basically the same to me, tiny dorm like apartments with a "kitchenette." They range from $900-1100/month. Duy and I walk over to the malls nearby and do some shopping in an air conditioned environment, then a little more in the scorching sun while walking along newbury. We head back to our respective hotels to drop off our purchases and for a very short rest before the dinner.

My feet hurt and I want to sit in the hotel room longer but it's time to head back to the school.. I'm relieved that I'm not under-dressed, everyone is very casual. Some random conversation occurs with ppl whose names I've forgotten. They give everyone a planner... yay! Turns out Kendall and her dad are staying in the same hotel as me, on the same floor. We all walk back together which is nice because it's now dark out and I'm not quite sure how dangerous Boston is.

We get to the school at abt 8am and I have a muffin. After hearing from the realtors, some students looking for roommates talk abt their places. I decide to check out an apartment that 3 girls are currently living in and looking for a 4th roommate. The place is pretty nice, its only flaw is that it only has 1.5 bathrooms. Call me crazy but I think the number of ppl living in an apartment should be no more than the number of bathrooms x 2. I still decide I want it because the 3 girls are taking up the bedrooms and leaving the living room to be lived in for only $600/month. But another girl wants it too and she asked first so I take it as a sign that I am not meant to have roommates 1st yr. Plus at least I am escaping some DRAMA later on.. cause you know with 4 girls in one apartment, there's bound to be plenty of that. I head back to Beacon Realty and sign a 1 yr lease with option to sub-lease so I can come back for the 3 month summer. My place is abt 2 blocks from the sch so I won't have to partake in too much public transport except maybe to buy groceries.

I feel relieved that I have an apartment for sept 1. And it's only like 1pm! While signing the lease, Darren is signing his also so we decide to have lunch together. He's from BC, and the canucks were 9th place in the west (thereby missing out on the playoffs while edmonton clinched the last spot). He's a bit of an oiler hater but tones it down so I don't feel the resentment I did when I spoke with him briefly during friday night dinner. I walk around for a while sort of shopping/killing time. Finally the blisters on my feet tell me it's time to head back to the hotel room, I watch some tv then head down to the McD's just down the street. I'm back with time to spare before the puck drops for game 6. Since I'm breaking the previous superstitions established including: sitting on the floor and watching the game on CBC, I feel compelled to wear my oilers hat. Clearly, the luck was enough to offset the superstitions since the oilers won 4-0 all because of my headwear.

Having a busy friday and saturday, meeting some of my classmates really helped me get over the homesickness I had thursday night. But I'm still glad to head to the airport early sunday morning. On the flight from Boston to Minneapolis, I meet a couple guys that seem to be around Stephen's age (high sch types) but get a little envious when they mention their trips to Italy, Greece, and other exotic places. Turns out they're writers, one is doing a little book of 100 interesting things/possible things to write a story about. I tell him abt the time I saw a dead bunny in the snow and the ensuing bunny nightmare I had, he says "well, that's number 36 right there." The guys were the most interesting ppl I've met on a plane.

While walking through the Minneapolis airport again, I'm dissapointed when I get to the gate and no one else is wearing any oiler garb (I'm wearing the hat now). Still I'm glad the trip is almost over since I'm just not good at flying.. headaches like crazy.

I get home and everything is just as I left it, I'm sure that won't be the case by the time I come back for christmas..... I think abt something a guy originally from edmonton, now going into his 2nd or 3rd yr at the sch said to me: It's an odd feeling when you live in a city that isn't your home for the better part of a yr. You get back to edm and some things have changed so it isn't home as you remember it.

Hey guys! Just to let you all know, my cousin's Marble Slab is NOW OPEN! It's in the north side so for all of you who live in that area... yay for you. It's at 165 ave and 97 st. Check it out, later days.

Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town?
I keep, keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

The Graduation Song - Vitamin C


I thought that the one hit wonder by Vitamin C is totally relevant to my leaving for Boston.

I've been thinking about how music can affect us, how a song can remain forever attached to a certain feeling or event in your life. This all started cause I was looking for burnt cd's, ones worth so little that I wouldn't care if I forgot them at work. I found a couple from back in the day.. circa '99 and when I listened to them there were a few one hit wonders.... But it was just so crazy that upon hearing those songs your conscious mind had long forgotten, all the old memories are stirred up. That song you loved so much, you would listen to the radio the whole day just waiting for them to play it. That song you identified with cause you felt like you were goin through the exact same situation the lyrics were outlining.

Someday "Jo's Summer '06 Mix" will bring about reminiscent feelings...

Here's the songlist for "Jo's Mixed CD Y2K"
1. Silverchair - Anthem for the yr 2000
2. Blink 182 - Adam's song
3. Destiny's Child - Say my name
4. Gob - I hear you calling
5. Greenday - Time of your life
6. Lauryn Hill - Can't take my eyes off of you
7. Outkast - Ms. Jackson
8. Joe f/ Mystikal - Stutter
9. R. Kelly - I wish
10. Lit - Miserable
11. Our Lady Peace - Life
12. Papa Roach - Last resort
13. Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
14. All 4 One - I swear
15. SoulDecision - Let's do it right
16. Everclear - Wonderful

I think losing Roli has gotten nearly everyone in the city of Edmonton very emotional. But I'm gonna state now that I think he's gone, and holding your breath waiting for a game 3 miracle start to happen might prove dire. Of course I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I am.

Calling everyone a bandwagoner is not gonna make anything better. After all, who's to define "bandwagoner"? If it's someone who hasn't stuck with the oil the ENTIRE season, then I think a lot of us are guilty of being one. I'm not saying bandwagoners are my favourite people, they entice you into talking about the game only to utter some lame "oil sweep" comment; so now you've wasted several minutes of precious time tryin to actually talk about the game with what may as well be a doorknob. BUT I love the atmosphere it's created in the city, we all have a pseudo thing in common. I think it's wicked awesome that I can have a 5 minute conversation with an absolute stranger just because I said I liked the oilers pin on her jacket. Bandwagoner or not, we all want the oil to win so let's just stop with the "I'm a better oilers fan" insults.

If anybody has superhuman healer hands, now is the time to step forward. Roli needs your help. According to MacT, he won't be back for the series... Granted, he didn't play a great game but the chances of our copper and blue winning with Conklin or Markkanen is slim. What the oil needs now is a miracle. And Pronger's only one man.

Hmm, the things I'm gonna miss about Edmonton... gonna get me reminiscing before I even leave... I'm gonna miss my house, my family (specifically home cooked meals), my friends, my (dad's) car, kung fu, and of course the oilers. And the intangibles, like knowing if you ever got in trouble, there's family around to help you out.

I still don't know when I'm leaving, "end of August." I'll probably go to NY to visit my aunt before sch starts. I'm lookin forward to the housing clinic, gettin an apartment so there's one less thing to worry about.

I'm tryin to keep work to a minimum, just enough to curb boredom. I wanna enjoy my last summer in Edmonton.

Goin to all the little festivals in the city. Like "capital ex" formerly known as klondike days, I already got tickets to see All-American Rejects when they come out for that.
And Heritage Days held at hawrelak park where you can walk around and take in all the pseudo culture.
Street Performers and Taste of Edmonton, yum.

Family dynamics

Whether you like to admit it or not, your family plays such an important role in the development of your character. We're born naive; everything your parents tell you is truth. It never occurs to you that your parents could be anything but honest with you. Looking back at the lame lies that you were told, you wonder how you ever believed them; of course at the time there was something awkward/fishy about the whole situation but you shrugged it off because the source was your dad. It's always such a shock the first time you realize your mom lied to you, the first time you find out your dad doesn't know everything.

Imagine how different you would be if your parents had more children, less children. If you were the oldest, youngest, middle child... As the eldest, I was painfully aware of the impact I had on my little brother especially when we were younger. He thought I knew everything, all his questions were directed to me. The first time I told him "I don't know." He asked me the question over and over, at the time I thought he was just being an annoying brat. But it turns out it was because he thought I was lying, the possibility that I didn't know was nil in his mind.

I can't imagine my life as an only child. I'm sure I would hate it. But when I was growing up I wondered what it would be like to have an older brother to look out for me, an older brother to idealize.

I'm sure we've all asked ourselves hypothetical questions like what would I do if I could turn back time? What advice would I try to give to my eg. 10 yr old self?

Sometimes we look back and dwell on the mistakes we've made in life, the little things that we wish we'd done differently. There's no one particular day in my life that I wish I could change; if I could turn back time, I'd just live my entire life over starting from like grade 7. But if I had done everything according to plan, would I be the same person?

I remember when I was a kid, everyone always said somethin to the gist of "cherish your childhood." But every other sentence I uttered started with "When I grow up....." it felt like I was waiting for my life to begin. That's why I think if you did go back to tell your 10 yr old self something, they wouldn't listen.

I thought by the time I turned 20, I'd have everything figured out. 20 seemed so old then... there were daily protests when grandma tried to get us to settle down for a nap, some days I'd just stare at the clock for the mandatory half hour and rush back out to play. These days, I love naps and I miss childhood.

Being the eldest, I was always in such a hurry to grow up; but the things in life that have the most enjoyment are the little things that remind me of childhood. Saturday morning cartoons and playing with gummy bears before eating them. The biggest debate in your life was arguing with your friends over what to watch during lunch: looney tunes vs the flinstones. Jumping off swings to see who can land the farthest in the pee-soaked sand. Running so fast down the hill you think for a split second that you might actually fly this one time.

I really think that more is learned from a failure than a success, that the hardships in life build character. But then again, maybe that's just what I tell myself so I can sleep at night.

I realize that I haven't been blogging nearly as much as in the past, but that's just because there's not much to vent/complain about anymore. My life is basically on track now that I've been accepted into optometry... I'm just trying to have fun this summer with my friends who I'll miss deeply once I move to Boston (aka bean town).

So my job in the psych department at U of A has been over for about a week now, I am gonna start working a retail job after the long weekend. Just part time so I'll have plenty of time to savour the summer.

Main focus will be kung fu and just generally being healthy and active this summer, but I'm not gonna spend all my time talking about my new lifestyle... for one, it's not that drastic of a change and two, it's just goddamn annoying, not to mention boring, to listen to someone preach about how they only eat turkey breast. (Like my god, do you want a goddamn nobel prize for not being a fat lard?)

Now let's talk about the truly important things in life, material posessions. I'm getting a laptop pretty soon... it's gonna be my computer when I move so it's gotta be super nice. I just found out that Stephen didn't pay for his laptop (my mom hasn't asked him to pay her since he put it on her credit card). Naturally, I now want a laptop just as good as his... before it was all fine and dandy that he had a better one since he was paying for it. I'm pretty much sure that I'll be gettin an apple, but not sure which one. Stay tuned for exciting developments.

Still on the subject of materialism, I want new flip flops.... I saw a really nice pair of lacoste ones on the website but when I actually saw them in a store I was sorely disappointed... they weren't even half as nice as on the website. And they were like $100 which even for a brandwhore like myself is ridiculous, I mean they're just flip flops!
Also, due to the scorching weather we've been having lately, I'm gonna need to stock up on summer clothes fast. I can't help it that the greater powers above want me to go shopping..... clearly, the weather is a sign...

To this day, I have not had a friend who stays just as close even after they get into a relationship. There's always that complaint that ppl just ignore their friends when they find a bf/gf and of course, there will be less time for them to allot to their friends but still.. it's a bit disappointing.

In music news, I think I really like Snow Patrol... I don't have their cd but I have a few of their songs, I should get around to listening to more of their songs...
I want to see Da Vinci Code, but more so I want to go to a goddamn Oiler game! Too bad ticketmaster hates me.

OILERS IN 6!!!!

Praise the hockey gods!

Can't wait till tuesday 12pm.... I'm pretty much empty on motivation. Wasted quite a bit of time today watchin the game, I had originally planned to just watch the last period but I of course wanted an excuse to take an even longer break from studyin so I thought "I'll watch the second period too... that's only an hour." Cut to overtime period 1... overtime period 2... and suddenly I wished I hadn't spent all that time for nothing.

Blah. Didn't help that it was all gloomy out either... luckily, knowing I'm gonna be in optometry in september keeps me from bein too depressed.

**Spoiler: Inside Man**

Again for those of you who frequent Bo's blog, although I agree that Inside Man was a letdown it wasn't THAT bad. Clive Owen steals from the Nazi guy because that way no one comes after him for the DIAMONDS (Nazi guy doesn't want people to know he's a Nazi therefore will not try to capture Clive Owen).

It really does suck that Clive Owen spends most of the movie masked... major flaws to this movie in no particular order:
1. too much Denzel, not enough Clive
2. Jodie Foster sucks, no blonde woman should be that cocky
3. falls apart at the end

Wow, what a relaxing saturday I had... probably the first whole day in a long time that I did not study at all. And it's not like I did anything exciting, it was just a nice break. Went for lunch, to kung fu, then to see V for Vendetta later that night.

For those of you who frequent Bo's blog, it wasn't all that she's cracked it up to be. A few cheesy moments are the least of this movie's problems. It was decent and I don't regret going to see it at all, just don't go into it expecting to get a new found vision on the world's political problems. It's not as revolutionary as some people would think. Boys: Natalie Portman was pretty good in it but they shaved her head halfway through then try to make up for it with big explosions and some blood. Girls: the guy's mask stays on throughout the whole movie so if you were hoping for some ridiculously hot guy unveiling, you are out of luck.

This friday night, I will be at school until 9pm because of my stupid statistics lab final. Bummer much? What I'm lookin forward to: cranium tournament either sat or sun. Loser-ish? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely.

So apparently some douche bags released bear mace in the mall yesterday. Then my brother saw a baby coughing followed by vomiting. Punks need to find something better to do.

These kinds of things are a testament to how messed up society is. We call this a 'civilization'....

If I haven't already called you to brag, I got into New England College of Optometry (Boston, MA)!!!

Life = AWESOME

In the great words of Jay-Z "I'm goin somewhere nice where no mosquitos at nigga"

Ok, so there probably will be mosquitos and I have no idea where I'm goin but I am already thinkin bout summer vacay.

April 25, ~12 noon

Just a quick post before I go back to cramming for stat midterm tomorrow. I'm back in snowy Edmonton, interview went well I think... cross your fingers for me to get accepted! Later days.

Here I am with my "little" brother Stephen at the Ging Wu Chinese New Yr Banquet. All growed up isn't he?

Me and Jay, what a goof. Stole my gun dance.

And here I am with Dennis.

Lastly, me and Gavin. Only boy to venture away from wearing all black, kudos.