Melody Mondays: Metronomy

........Hi guys....it's been a while......

Here's a groovy new tune for your Monday.  I found it on Spotify and added it to my playlist called "groovy tunes" ha-ha.  It's called Love Letters by Metronomy, an English electronic music group.  I don't really know how to explain it but this song has some funky ABBA meets Hairspray meets David Bowie meets Scooby Doo feels to it.  Take a listen and maybe you'll know what I mean.  I dig it.  Hope you do too.

Do you see what I mean?? Am I crazy??

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Choosing Happiness

A woman who played a crucial role in my not-so-distant past once told me about an interesting ending to a conversation she once had.  The person with whom she was speaking to, ended their discussion with the words we hear at least three times a day: "Have a nice day."

To which my mentor responded, "It's a choice, isn't it?"

Each morning, we wake up with the option of having a good or bad day and though we may not realize it at the time, it's a personal decision made at that very moment.  I'm not intending to say people should wake up with the sun shining out of their ass, because who really is a morning person anyways?  It's more of...a general outlook.  You can wake up and feel sorry for yourself.  You can count all of your problems on your fingers and toes.  You can bump elbows with a person and choose indecency and forget about any sort of apology.  You can whine and complain and participate in petty gossip.  These are all factors that aid in making up your mind as to the kind of day it will be.

When I start the day with the choice of it being a bad one, if I have the strength to turn it around, I will ask myself questions.

How can my life be worse?  Who can I think of that is having a harder time than I am right now?

But since misery can sometimes feel like the Burj Khalifa weighing over my shoulders, I need to go further:

Can I make a change?  If I am unhappy and have been for a long time, what can I do about it?

Making a change within one's life is something that requires a lot of courage.  We're creatures of habit.  And if suddenly we break the routine of our daily lives, it can be stressful too.  But stress is an inevitable part of life.  And so is unhappiness.  But while unhappiness often pokes it's head into the picture, it really shouldn't outweigh the presence of your happiness.  Cliché as it is, the best metaphor I can illustrate for life is comparing it to a roller coaster.  So yeah, maybe changing your life (changing your job, your home, your relationships, etc.) may disrupt the ultimate harmony that is your "schedule", and yeah it may take a few weeks of discomfort, but in the long run, that little step outside of your comfort zone, that little leap in a new direction, may be what you need to find your happiness.

In all honesty, I think the reason why I'm writing this is because I'm kind of going through this floating transition period.  I have just moved to Copenhagen and have started a new job.  I left behind people that were very important to me back home, but I also left behind a workspace that was making me unhappy.  I didn't even realize just how unhappy I was until I actually left.  I'm living in this new place now and surrounded by new people and it almost doesn't seem real.  It feels like I'm living inside a dream in my REM cycle.  I'm still adjusting.  And for a period of time, it was stressful (packed it all up in one suitcase, thank you very much.) But it's a fresh start and sometimes that can be bliss.

I was talking with my friends last weekend and I told them how happy I was, but that it frightened me.  Too often it has happened to me that in what has seemed to be a happy part of my life, something bad happens all too soon.  And perhaps that's why I'm constantly comparing life to this roller coaster.  Because just when you're up high, at the peak, you fall down faster than you can even breathe.  So yeah, I'm terrified that everything right now is too good to be true and that any second now, something awful and horrific will happen.

Thankfully, I have good friends.  They told me that I need to let myself be happy.  I need to accept and acknowledge this feeling that comes so softly and often is disguised by the bitterness in the world.  Human beings hardly ever let themselves be happy.  Either they are going through a tough time and are thinking "Man, I can't wait for this all to be over so that I can get a break" or they are in a tough time and remembering how easy they used to have it.  So often I look back on my previous years and think "If I had only known how hard my life was going to get."  I think that I used to have it so good.  But was I thinking that at the time? Hell no! At the time, I told myself "Your life is hard right now, but get through it and it will be fine."

So in summary, we believe happiness to be something either in the past or in the future and that makes it so far away and intangible.  The goal that I've given myself as of now, is to accept happiness in, not the past, nor the future, but in my present.  Right now.

I am happy.

The night I arrived, a rainbow came out.  I'm hoping it's a good omen :)

Pleasantly yours,
Bart

Copenhagen, Denmark

I love autumn. It's my favourite season for so many reasons.  But this past year I had a different fall experience than what I'm usually used to.  I spent a few weeks in October visiting Copenhagen, Denmark and while my heart belongs to the orange leaves and crisp air in Canada, I'm happy I got to witness a Danish autumn this year.

This was my first time in Denmark (lots of firsts for me this year, travel-wise) and thankfully I had two good friends who had just recently moved there to join the Royal Danish Ballet.  I stayed with one of those friends in the most charming apartment.  This was the moment I was introduced the the perfection that is Danish design.  I eventually learned that lots of Danish apartments look similar to this.  Very simplistic.  Minimalist.  Geometric.  Matte, light, wood finish.  Very light and white.  I adored it.

Every morning, to get into the city's centre, we had to walk along this gorgeous canal.  Boats parked all along the sides, cobblestone pathways beneath my feet and the sun's definitive glow - it was picturesque to say the least.

beauty, ain't it?

My first morning there, Wilma and I stopped at the cutest cafe by her place.  Little did I know, I was about to taste the most drool-worthy croissant of my life...

I still dream of this croissant. 

As we walked further into the heart of Copenhagen, there was lots to see....

bike traffic. It's a thing there.

Strøget -  one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world

Strøget by night.  Lit stars in the ground :)

Torvehallen - a food/super market.  Think Chelsea Market in New York or St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

Here we began to cross the bridge to get into the neighbourhood known as Nørrebro.  It's the northern district of Copenhagen and currently regarded as the trendy destination.  It's likely the most multicultural part of the city and filled with lots of amazing restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.  

One lonely chair overlooking the water. How lovely.

And by the chair is a mysterious book...

The view from the bridge.

Here's another canal.  You really can't walk for more than ten minutes without seeing a canal in Copenhagen.  

t'was a gloomy day

This is the infamous Nyhavn.  It is a 17th century waterfront but to the plain jane eye, it is yet another canal.  It's loaded with restaurants and cafes.  Very lively and entertaining.  Personally, my favourite part about Nyhavn would be the bright colours of the buildings.  Visually, it's a lovely portrait.

When I had some alone time to wander and get lost, naturally I happened to stumble upon what I believe to be the world's best cookie (so far).  The place was called Foodshop No. 26 and because wifi is like an endangered species when you're travelling, I was initially inclined to enter because of that.  Or maybe it was the fresh pastries and danishes sitting at the window, beckoning me, completely aware of my vulnerability to sweets.  Blasted Danes...why must your food be so good??

Heaven in cookie form.

The grandest tourist adventure I went on was to see the Little Mermaid statue.  Hans Christian Anderson, known to us as the author of many fairy tales, modernly presented as Disney movies, lived and died in Copenhagen.  The statue is found by the waterside of the Langelinie promenade, which in itself is a nice walk.

Me and Wilma being all touristy.

And there she is!

Lucky for us, this very same night was also KulturNight in Copenhagen.  On this night, for a fixed rate of maybe about $25, every museum, gallery, church, political building, castle, etc. was opened to the public.  First we visited the Museum of Danish Design but I didn't get any pictures. Sorry.

We moved onto the building of trade.  We got a really thorough tour, thankfully in English.

Outside, we ran into a series of tents that had different activities within them.  This is me sawing of a piece of wood, which I later turned into a candle.

this was hard for me...

Here, on a bright, sunny and warm day, I ventured off to see the Royal Danish Library.  

amazing

Just outside the library, I discovered my new favourite reading spot...

leave me here forever?

Then of course came Saturday night.  Universally known as a late night.  We visited Christiania, which is a self-proclaimed neighbourhood in the city that seems to have no rules except for NO PICTURES.  So yeah..didn't get any pictures.  But imagine a charming hippie-village.  

As bikes are the best way to get by in Copenhagen, I couldn't leave without riding one.  Only problem was, I didn't have one.  So I hopped on the back seat of Liam's.  I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life.

these smiles are fake.

Next day, Liam and I came across a very, very random set of swings.  We couldn't not...

I don't think I've ever seen fashion so impeccable as the fashion I've seen in Denmark.  The stores are out of this world.  Such quality.  Expensive, but...worth every penny.  I treated myself to some black jeans from Cheap Monday and two basic t shirts (softer than a baby's bottom) from Samsoe Samsoe.  

But I must admit, the best thing I bought in Copenhagen was my new haircut.  Funny story with that - after months of debate, whether or not I should cut my hair, Liam convinced me it was the right thing to do.  My long hair, despite my efforts to grow it longer, was damaged beyond repair.  It was a Sunday that I came to this decision, and I tell you, everything is shut down on Sunday.  Except one magical hair salon that told me this was my fate.  Short hair is blissful.  It's light, it's easy.  I feel that I look older (thankfully because I'm a cursed babyface).  I had no regrets.  And yes, occasionally I'll look back and miss the way my long hair looked, but I think I'm gonna hang onto this bob, just for a little longer.

To summarize the trip, it was memorable.  The city itself was perfect in all the right ways.  The people were friendly, the air clean.  I was so grateful to have had my friends there and to have made new friends as well.  

I'm very excited because I get to go back there next month.  The scary part is I'll be living there for half a year... Working at the one place I very remorsefully didn't get to visit: Tivoli Gardens.  I have dozens of thoughts and feelings about this right now, but I think I'm at a place in my life where I need to start a new adventure.  I've aged a lot this year from experience and I feel ready to do this, despite the uncertainty one always feels when starting something new.  

So starting late April, this blog will be coming to you from Copenhagen, Denmark!

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Oslo, Norway

At the end of January I was lucky enough to travel to the magnificent city of Oslo, Norway to attend an audition.  It was a short trip - maybe about three days long - but I really tried to make the most of my stay there and absorb what I could in this short amount of time.  

I got off my plane and like any explorer in a new place, made my way on the train which took me straight into the heart of the city.  I fell in love with the Norwegian scenery instantly.  

here are some fields...

here are some trees...

here are some homes...

As you can see, lots and lots of snow in Norway.  The temperature wasn't much different from Toronto's - frosty, but no more than what I'm used to.  But I left a green Toronto, so I was quite appreciative of this Nordic snowy winter view.

I stayed in what was by far the coolest hotel my student budget could ever afford. The Comfort Hotel Xpress Youngstorget.  The hotel had the vibe of an ultra hip youth hostel.  It was decorated with pop-art and graffiti on the walls and even had arcade machines upon entry.  The staff were incredibly friendly.  I can only say good things about this place.

cutest twin beds I've ever seen

how about this super Nordic bathroom

Isabelle was meeting me in Oslo but since my plane arrived a few hours before hers, I had some time to go off and explore...

mountains of mystery

the Oslo Opera House (also where my audition was)

cute cafe I found (one of the few places open on a Sunday aka I was starving)

When Isabelle arrived, we went out to explore some more and out for dinner.  Staying outside in the fresh air and tiring ourselves out was the best way to fight off the jet lag, especially considering we had to be perky, bright-eyed ballerinas the next day.  Isabelle thought it would be neat to document Norway in panoramas, so she took these cool photos:

1. A restaurant not too far from our hotel.  We think it was Italian because I ordered a pizza but they did also serve fish so...we never found out for sure.  Our waitress was telling us about this one white fish that's similar to cod, that they hang up to dry out for some time before serving it.  Apparently, it's a big thing in Norway.
2. This was the neighbourhood where our hotel was.  Youngstorget, it was called.  Very hip and trendy. Lots of cool restaurants and bars and only minutes away from the shopping street and other known parts of Oslo.  The only difficulty was that we had to walk up and down these hills to get out of the hotel, which in any other season would be fine except that in winter, all of Oslo turns into an ice rink.  Not even kidding.  We were slipping and sliding all over the place.  So yeah...these hills were basically a death sentence.
3. Here is a view of the opera house and city at night.  Very beautiful and lit up.  Could you imagine going to see an opera or a ballet in such a striking structure?
4. Ah Joe & the Juice.  Joe and I first met upon my travels to Copenhagen in October.  It's this incredible juice place where they're known to hire really hot guys...sort of sexist, I know.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it somehow makes the juice taste even better.

The audition went well.  I mean, I didn't get a job so obviously it could have been better, but I had a good class and a lot of fun.  Optimism is the only thing I can hold onto for now.  And if I know that I did my personal best, then I know they just didn't want me.  Yeah, that sucks, but at least it's not my talent that's in question.  It's going to be a long road of rejections, so if I let myself break this early on in the game, I'll never make it.  Anyways, the view outside the studio was something else.  I made sure to get a barre spot right at the window, which could be distracting/inspiring, all at the same time.  Windows are very important to me.  

Isabelle and I after our audition

My friend Ida who lives in Norway was kind enough to take us around the city and give us a tour.  It was so lovely seeing her again since it's been a handful of years since I last saw her.  We walked for hours in the cold but I felt that after her personal tour, I properly got a taste of Oslo.  

Over all, Oslo is a visually remarkable city.  The architecture is puzzling, yet memorizing.  Many of the buildings, including the Opera House, resemble Arctic glaciers or icebergs, fitting the winter reputation this country has.  I'm happy I got to experience Norway in this season.  Hopefully I can come back and see it in the summer.  The one thing about Oslo that I would change is that it seemed to die down by the nighttime.  I mean nobody wants to be out in a temperature below zero, but it seemed that were hardly any people on the street.  And stores closed quite early.  I think if I lived there, I would get a little bit bored, but at the same time, with the nature and beauty of the city, I think I would find other ways to stay in awe.  

farvel Oslo!

Pleasantly yours in Oslo,
Bart

Coconut Milk Oatmeal

I had big plans for oatmeal last weekend.  So big that I made it my dinner.  Now don't act like you've never had breakfast for dinner before and admit it, wasn't it the greatest thing ever?  This idea spurred from some leftover coconut milk I had from a samoa bar recipe I tried.  I had never tried coconut milk before and naturally I was overwhelmed by the delicious-ness.  So my next thought was "hey...this would taste amazing in oatmeal!"  

Regular oatmeal cooking rules apply -

Instead of water, pour 1 cup coconut milk into a saucepan (add a pinch of salt while you're at it) and bring it to a boil.  Stir in the oats (heaping 1/2 cup, maybe a little more) and let cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like the consistency of your oatmeal.  Voila! Done!

As for the toppings, that's left to your creativity.  In my bowl of oatmeal, I put in:

• pomegranate seeds (major YES)
• homemade almond butter I made in my food processor earlier that week
• medjool dates 
• macadamia nuts
• pieces of dark chocolate
• scoop of hemp hearts

Maybe I added a little too many different flavours of tasty foods.  I just got excited.  It was amazing though

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Saturday night sillies and lemon coconut meltaways

Fact: I have four new gray hairs I've accumulated from the stress of my past week.

Auditions are tough.  If you're a dancer, singer, actor or performer, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's one thing to pursue a career in the arts but it's another thing to actually be successful in it.  You learn a lot from it, nevertheless.  The audition process can either go in your favour (very rare) or you can be left with a big fat NO (99% of the time).  You really build a thick skin and you have to tell yourself that it's not that you're bad at what you do (though it really seems like that at the time), it's just the personal preference of who you're auditioning for.  You could be too tall or too short, too thick or too thin.  You could have blonde hair and blue eyes and they'll be looking for someone with darker features.  These are all things you can't change about yourself so the only thing you can say to maintain optimism is that this wasn't the place you were meant to be.  Wouldn't you want to be somewhere where you can be appreciated for who you are anyways?

I have two auditions coming up this week, one of which I am lucky enough to travel to Oslo, Norway for!  I'm very excited because in what seems like less than a year, I've gone from having not been on a plane since I was thirteen, to having been on and off a plane four times.  I love travelling to new places and I love getting a feel for culture that is unlike what I am used to.  I also love Europe and am particularly fond of the Scandinavian countries, having been to Denmark earlier this year.  Oslo is neck and neck with Tokyo to be the world's most expensive cities (danger!!!!) but thankfully I'm only there for two days.

Joining me on my adventure is this one:

DAWGGG

Isabelle will be coming from Amsterdam and meeting me on Oslo.  We'll be going back to Toronto the same day but because I booked my flight after her, I wasn't able to get the same ticket as her without passing up on an extraordinary deal.  But fate is a funny thing.  My flight home leaves at 6:35 am (kill me now) and I have a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam (hey, at least it was cheap).  Isabelle leaves Oslo at 9:35 am and she has a layover in Amsterdam as well. It didn't even occur to me until yesterday as I was in line waiting to buy a lemon at Superfresh that there was a reason why I had to wait in the Amsterdam airport for 5 hours.  Lo and behold, we're flying on the same flight back to Toronto from Amsterdam and I could not be happier!  

So last night as we were booking a hostel in Oslo, we got distracted and made a delicious recipe I found on Pinterest for LEMON COCONUT MELTAWAYS from Addicted to Veggies. 

Here is some documentation of our baking:

This looked like we were cooking crystal meth.  Don't be alarmed. It's just sea salt.

The fact that there is an alligator sticker on this lemon makes me 99% suspicious.

Fun, fun and even more fun

Voila!

I must say, this was probably the most satisfying dessert I've had in a while.  Baking at the lowest temperature with the oven open a crack really does give it the crispy outer layer but instantaneous, melt-in-your-mouth bite.  We virtually ate the whole bowl that night.  Definitely will be repeating this recipe!  

And finally, a little film of the process and of us, just being goofballs.

Naturally, I put the alligator lemon sticker on my forehead. 

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Melody Mondays: Bedouin Soundclash

This is a song that when I started listening to it recently I couldn't help but think that I've heard it before.  Truthfully, I may have heard it long ago but I'll really never be able to say for sure.  This is a Canadian band from Toronto and it's quite possible I'm the last to hear about them and this song because they've been active since around 2001 (You might know the songs "Elongo", "Walls Fall Down" and "When the Night Feels my Song").  Their music is the sort you'd find yourself listening to while bike riding on a sunny morning, across the pier.  The air is fresh, especially because it's early enough that there is little noise polluting your surroundings.  It's pretty fantastic.

This particular song is one I'd describe with a different vibe.  I close my eyes and like to imagine myself at a bar or at a friend's party where I don't know anybody and I make an instant connection from across the room with someone.  Some call it a 'spark'.  

Brutal Hearts, the song is called.  And I can't stop listening to it.  

Pleasantly yours,

Bart