A Requested Wishlist

(Mind you, I'm not the one who wanted to write one in the first place. It's for certain parents-in-law-to-be. And I won't guarantee that the items will be anything serious.)

• A Smart Car! (Silver and blue)


• One of these cuties... if the company isn't just bsing us.


• This book, because I adore Jon Stewart, but not as much as Jorgh. He likes him more.


• The fantastic 102 episodes of the hard-to-come-by anime series, Kodomo no Omocha. Unfortunately it was just licensed by FUNimation and now probably sits on some dusty shelf in the back of an unfrequented room full of licensed anime that the network also won't air. (At least without dubbing.) Manga volumes are already out, but it just isn't the same. :(


• While I'm talking about anime, Excel Saga, or Chobits. Maybe GTO, but I might get disillusioned with teaching afterwards...


• An Athlon 64 system, or at least something that runs a movie properly.


• A certain band , and I don't mean music either. ;) Connected to this, also my wish to kill all furry pr0n.


• A lot of desk space.


• Socks. I hate white socks. I @#$%ing hate white socks.


• A new, happy apartment with no @#$%ing landlord.


• Decent hair.


• A way to deal with a jackass :P


• A mean gene!


• An agenda


• A clue.

Don't forget - that cheesy CBS Christmas special is on Sunday at 9 pm.

Making Money

So far, I haven't taught any classes yet. Despite being in class for an entire week, I didn't have the heart to. It's not because I'm not ready (but at this rate I may not be actually ready by Monday), but namely because the teacher whom I am replacing isn't ready to go yet either. It's a sad, sad story only readily told by imaginary and wildly exaggerated dialogue.

Me: Ok, I'm all set! New teacher on her way!
K: Ah, I can't leave teaching! I've only retired twice already!
Me: You're such an excellent teacher, it's a shame you have to go on sick leave...
K: Well, you can sit tight and I'll take up this last week. Besides I have many loose ends that can't be tied by you anyway.
Me: Argh! I'm going to have huge shoes to fill when you go! How the crap will I ever do such miraculous work on these fuxx0red kids?
K: I'll be back intermittently anyway.
School board: [Ominous and booming voice] By the way, we want to shut this school down by the end of this year.
Me: AARRGGHH! OMFGWTFJHCFFF!!!

Yes, you heard right. The school board doesn't have another plan for the high school so they may end up shutting it down. I think it's a really big shame because the kids will have to be shipped off to the downtown schools (which are about 2 hours away and have triple the school population). The atmosphere in this school is much better (virtue of small schools) and the kids get along so well that a majority of lockers don't have locks on them.

There's a meeting for everyone in the community on Saturday about the future of the high school; but since I only started this week on a replacement contract, I don't have any say in the thing. (ie. I could go, but I wouldn't get to do anything there.)

This weekend I'm working on writing lesson plans until December 22. I don't ever remember doing so much stuff in Math 536... WTF indeed!

It took me three hours. :) 

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I have yet to announce the grand news to everyone, but since I'm writing stuff anyway I might as well say it. I have a replacement teaching contract at DDO for the rest of the year (I think).

Other random postings:

• My charming and remarkably charismatic ex-roomie has her own IMDB listing. It's about time!


• My mother came back from HK with a promotional VCD from this company (in chinese) which sells certain tofu products. It's one hilariously sad VCD, where a guy dressed like an anime sailor is trying to show you how to cook one of their new products in 12 different dishes. One of them involves frying smoked salmon. ('Nuf said.)

And now my favourite part of taking photos of people: I like my friends so much that I enjoy catching them on camera when they're not watching. 

I had a much better picture previously but I decided to upload this one. (... do you believe me? I wouldn't.) 

I admit, Davie doesn't look like he's sulking in this picture. ;) 

A poor attempt at camera fun. 

Vieux-Quebec is a bit deserted at this time of the year, since it's grey, dull, and quite chilly for a fall. The following pictures are of Rue St-Jean, probably the most frequented tourist street in Vieux-Quebec due to its large number of stores and approximity to the big Gate. 

Rue St Jean 

Even the paving stones were kind of dull. 

Contrary to what you see, there is no snow in Quebec. Really. 

The Mother Has Returned

... For a jet-lagged person, she sure has a lot of vile, festering pus-filled words to impart. (It only took a few hours, really.)

Anyway, I still don't have much to say yet so I'll post some pictures instead.

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EDIT: So there's more to the landlord story.... Apparently it's true that he has a legal right to kick us out. It is apparent that the basement apartment of this building where he is living right now is too large for himself. (It has 4 bedrooms.) So he got it in his mind to take this apartment because it is the best among the four other apartments in this building in location.

In the Civil Code of Quebec, in fact, it says in article 1964 that the landlord cannot reposess: (my own emphasis)

where he owns another dwelling that is vacant or offered for rent on the date fixed for repossession, and that is of the same type as that occupied of the lessee, situated in the same neighbourhood and at equivalent rent.

Unfortunately for us, he already rented out the apartment he's living in for next year. (ALREADY???) So he actually has no other place to live. Hence, everything that was said is true in his part. But there are possible choices for our predicament, if we refuse:

1. The apartment to the other side of the building is exactly the same as this one, just mirror-reflected. If it opens up by January, he'll have to take that one.


2. If he doesn't take that one, then he'll let us take that one.


3. If there's nothing open here then he'll be helping us find another apartment (out of good faith actually); if it goes through the Regie, then he'd have to pay our moving expenses and possibly 3 months rent as compensation as well.

As in The Life of Brian, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." *whistles*