Two minutes passed and only then did I realize how incredibly relieved and happy I was.  Yes, having results pending is painful, but at least I won’t have to go to bed depressed.  There’s still hope after all.

(Source)

I found out at work today that one of the girls from my training class (we were 20 in total) left.  She was the first to leave from our group.  In one sense, I presume that is what the 3-month probationary period is for — to ensure that the position is a match for both the organization as well as for the employee — but it is nonetheless surprising when a sudden leave does happen.  Although I am a wee bit sad, I am really ultimately and truly happy for my friend because near the end of her time with us, she had shared with me how she felt and I could understand her completely.  I am certain that she will be embarking on a career pathway that will bring her much more personal fulfillment, and I absolutely admire her for doing what she had to do to follow her dreams.

On my end, I still dream too.  I dream a lot about this: “To thine own self be true” — and wonder if I’ll ever have an opportunity to live up to that mantra within my current working environment.  A lot of the corporate world seems rubbish to me (or in the words or Holden Caulfield, “phony”), but maybe I’m supposed learn to accept that as a fact of life.  I just don’t know if I can.  And if I can’t… then what?

That’s me in Israel, circa May 2011.

I think that’s where I left all my words.

So I never realized the importance of having good, solid computer desks for home until I began spending most of my time this term at my university’s ‘express computer stations’: mini desk-like things with no space to accommodate my books; my organized piles of paper chaos; and most importantly, no drawers in which to stash my chocolate-covered snacks.

Spending most of my time away from home also translates into blogging, like, never.  I will admit recently to having days where, after three grueling hours of Biochemistry lecture and another three of evening Virology labs, all I feel like doing is pouring out my (non-Biochemical and non-Viral) soul in words and pixels.  It’s almost a reaction, I think.  But alas, 9 out of 10 of those days, blogging never gets done.  The reason is simple enough, of course: I’ve just been busy.

For the past two months, I’ve been on a wild goose chase for scientists, researchers, grad students, local community members, and good science stories in general.  It’s all part of my new gig at Rogers TV as a community producer for a new science TV show to be aired in March 2011.  As a result, I’ve been spending more time on cow farms and in Space-related symphonies than I have been at school.  And when I am at school, I spend 99% of my “spare” time between classes vegetating at school computers — checking, filtering, deleting and firing away emails like it’s an extreme sport.  (Finding the right people to contact is quite an undertaking — and following through with them is serious work!)

But I’m not complaining.  When I’m standing there, in front of that big, black camera, with that red-socked mic in my hand, and the camera lights are on us, and I’m fighting all factors of psychological intimidation to focus my eyes straight and fierce into that lens like its the camera’s own pupil; when I become conscious of the fact that I’m only two negligible inches away from a body that’s been 4.7 million miles around the Earth’s orbit — it’s then that I know.  I know that I’m right where I want to be.

I had a good day.  I had a really good day.  I had one of those days where you become cognoscente of this mini-cosmos of sunlight inside your soul, where you can’t help but say to yourself, “Ahhh, right. This is why I love life.  Life is so0o0o0o good to me.”

Of course, it’s a lot easier to love life when you also love where you live.  This afternoon, I was reminded of how much I love the Kitchener-Waterloo community after attending the Symphony in Space (Family Edition) show, put on by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, with my good friend Melissa (A.K.A. Moo Moo Melz).

There were three things that impressed me about the concert experience.

Firstly, the Family Edition show started off by integrating the KW youth orchestra into the beginning pieces of their performance, and soon after showcased some very little people playing the violin for Variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  500 cuteness points for local youth orchestra and little violinists.  Of course, the concert itself was incredible : indeed, we were enchanted by tunes from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Planets, the Jupiter Symphony, Thus Spake Zarathustra (opening segment from 2001: a Space Odyssey) — all whist marveling at fantastic projections of the solar system throughout.

And with the lively, effervescent, and charismatic John Morris Russell as conductor/host, Symphony in Space truly made me feel like I was on a journey: in time and in space, riding on nothing more than stringed staccatos lacing a trajectory between Earth and Mars.

Secondly, at the public relations level, I have nothing but good things to say about the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony.  At this point in my media correspondence experience, I have realized that it is no small thing to encounter people who are as genuinely friendly, as diligent, and as prompt as the lovely Miss Esther Wheaton, media liaison of the KWS.  Not only were we provided with the opportunity to interview the astronaut and guest host Bjarni Trygvasson after the symphony show, but upon my request, Miss Wheaton also arranged to have my professors and their children come so that they too could participate in the interview segment.  5000 points for an organization that encourages community involvement, and most importantly, that has a sincerely people-friendly media liaison.

Finally, the third thing.  To be accurate, I guess the third thing isn’t really a ‘thing’, but an agglomeration of multiple feelings coalescing into one paramount revelation: community.  Community involvement (University of Waterloo professors and their children) coupled with community orchestra (when will I finally bump into the concert master at Zehrs?) — all for community television (I genuinely love RogersTV).  Somewhere in there, an astronaut thrown in.  Seriously, in terms of loving where you live, it really doesn’t get any better than this — except, of course, if you can somehow involve food in the mix.

See, if ever you become as fortunate as me to have that “aha!” moment of loving where you live, you’ll realize curiously that everything converges in one way or another .  People, places, events, and circumstances – we’re all connected.  Like a tree.  Like a broccoli tree.

I proudly present to you now: Brocco-Choco-mmunity Muffins.

Its principal ingredients are as follows: avocado, quinoa, amaranth, goji berries, Ruddy red cocoa powder, and last but not least, Community.

By the way I cut my hair and no longer look like that.

By the way I want a kitten that looks like this.

Although I will settle for something like this, if it dresses up in lobster costumes all the time:

In any case, here’s how the story unfolded.  I went in to work today to pick up some digestive enzymes (such things are necessary for my survival during exam season).

Troy: What’s the matter?

Susan: Stomach problems?

Me: Yeah, some problems.

*Silence in anticipation for elaboration*

Me: Oh, uh, yeah, we’ve got some problems…just a little–

Troy: OH, MY LIFE IS CONSTIPATED.

And that, my friends, is why we pay Troy the big bucks.

*******************************************************

Somewhat unrelated, today it occurred to me that I am fascinated by people.  I mean, sure I think science is neat and mind-blowing and all that stuff, but there’s nothing like sitting on a park bench or in an airport terminal or hopping on the bus to nowhere and back, just people-watching.

Yes, I’m a creeper, guys.  There is no doubt about it.  Although, I could probably also watch dog behaviour for a significant amount of time too though, if that makes it any better.  It probably doesn’t.

–Aletheia

P.S. Regarding the contest, the worst of the worst happened.  But I will not be deterred.  I’ve decided to mail each and every person who wrote to me in my last post (It’s Almost December!) a little something.   It may be as simple as a handwritten card, but darnit, don’t you want to see what my handwriting looks like?!  I promise a personalized message to each one of you lovely people.  Yes, that’s you LeQuan, you Carol, you Sophia, you Jessie, and you Maria. Please email me your mailing addresses because that will make me incredibly happy.

P.P.S. My life is actually not constipated.

http://www.caniuseapurchasedemaillist.com/im-watching-you-focker.jpg

Once I get over that, however, the second thing I can’t understand is why flat screen TV stands are made to look just like a shorter version of your typical dresser.

Case in point:

(Okay, so the drawers have windows.)

Probably the third thing I don’t understand at this point is why I’m writing this blog post when I have a lab exam in one hour.

Finally and unrelated, it slipped my mind to mention that our beloved Chocolate Contest will end on Sunday December 5th.  Now, I have to confess that I haven’t been able to get a hold of these companies recently, and it has occurred to me that if the contest falls through, you will all be incredibly malevolent towards me and I will have nothing to hold in my defense except the emails they sent me promising me product.  In that case I’ll probably be really upset and really sad for you and really want to send all of you a consolation prize of chocolate chocolate chocolate but instead, let’s just hope that these companies get back to me soon, hmm?

Please don’t hurt me. I like cats.

Well, it was my birthday two days ago.  (I still think it is strange that one day can make you one year older.)

But never mind about that.  I have chocolate for you.

Here are some companies that I’ve directly contacted  — after reviewing and approving their products (and by “approving” I mean that their products have met the standards of my tastebuds) to ask them if they might share their good stuff with you.  They kindly obliged.  So here it is, the 21-Year-Old’s Chocolate Themed Giveaway:

Amazing Grass

I’m a huge fan of Amazing Grass.  They make these chocolate greens powder drinks that taste like cold hot chocolate, and for that I think they are the BEST greens drinks people EVER. Period.

1. 8.5oz bottle of Chocolate Green SuperFood
2. 15 serving bottle of Chocolate Amazing Meal

Genuine Health

Firstly, their chocolate chews are sincerely delicious.  Secondly, they guarantee results from greens+ products in 21 days.  What’s not to love?

3. Healthy Skin Chocolate Chews
4. Healthy skin with greens+ (Chocolate/raspberry flavour)
5. proteins+ chocolate bars

Organic Fair

The best gourmet dark chocolates (70%) I’ve ever eaten. From the company itself:

“All the products we sell are manufactured in our certified organic food facility in Cobble Hill, British Columbia.  We are a small family farm based business, local to BC, organic and fair trade.  Our farm is open to the public year round and is a part of the agri-tourism scene developing here in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.”

Their 4 major initiatives? Organic, Fair Trade, the Environment, and Success through Flavour.  Again, what’s not to love?

6. Win a 6-pack of Organic Fair‘s best-selling chocolate bars:

• Canadiana (Maple, Alder smoked Salt, and Apple)
• Westcoaster (Toasted Hazelnuts and Wild Blueberries)
• Chiapas (Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Chipotle)
• Sakura (Candied Ginger and Cherry)
• Capetown (Clementine, Fig, and Rooibos)
• Silk Road (Peppermint and Mandarin)

 

That’s it guys.  6 winners, 6 prizes.   To enter, the rules are simple. One entry for each of the following:

1. Comment with the chocolatey prize you’d most like to win of the 6 (although there are no guarantees you’ll get what you wish for, sorry!)
2. Tweet about this contest with this message: I love chocolate. @fillenaturelle loves chocolate. @fillenaturelle wants to give you chocolate: (insert hotlink here to blog post)
3. Blog about this contest.

If I come up with any more creative ideas for entry points, (like making you tell me what animal I should get as a pet when I graduate university), I’ll post about it next time I write.

Meanwhile, I’m going to class. Please help me help you help us all — please win some chocolate.

Love,

Aletheia

I think it was a pretty good line.

As you know, I am a girl of few words.

I shall refrain from explaining the reasons for my hiatus.  Some things cannot be explained — only lived.

I do miss writing.  I miss writing nonsense and I hope to continue to do so on this blog.  I can’t make a commitment to food blogging anymore though.  I think the only solution is to write about who I am.

Yours in sincerity,

Aletheia