Ode To The Lovers

they took a ride to la-la land with no sign of coming back
left us all behind
left us in the dust
sure they never would come back
they seemed to like it there
i had been there once
but my lease ran out and i left
but they seem to like it
i don't think they're ever coming back

Preview

alright here we go with my first ever review of a preview. hahaha. i am going to discuss the new spiderman movie. everyone seems pretty geared up for it, but i have to say, so far i havent been overly impressed with the new strain at all. this new one looks like it should be called "spiderman versus the dark forces inside himself versus giant sand monster man" and im pretty sure thats going to be the whole movie. anyway, of course im going to see it, but im just not as blown away by the preview as everyone else is. c'est la vie.

No One Said It Would Be Easy

well, i feel totally out of control right now. my grades are slip, slip, slipping, and the worse it gets, the less i want to do. i dont know how im going to get through the month of april with nonstop exams, papers, moving, and needing to take on more special needs clients. fourth year is supposed to be the final send off, but all its shaping up to be for me is one big flunk fest. i dont know how much more of this i can take. theres so much pressure to succeed... everyone seems to have their shit together, while i just sit at home watching six feet under and waiting for my next swim to start. i feel like everything i do these days is a form of escapism. television, books, movies, swimming, drinking, eating, napping....even right now, im blogging because i felt i needed a "study break"... i only gave my studying a solid hour. there was a time when i could study for a six hour stretch. fuck, what is WRONG with me?

The Day My Grandfather Died

my grandfather died today. this was a man that i never saw very much, and i didnt know him very well. but my dad is feeling a tremendous sense of loss right now, and it all got me thinking. i think the thing that makes me saddest about death, and this one in particular, is how life just goes on. today, i had a cigarette in the bright warm sun, and my grandfather will never feel the sun on his skin again. and i walked through torrential downpour rains today, and he will never get to hear the raindrops drumming away on the pavement, kindly coaxing the flowers back to life. and he will never get to see the sunset, or smell the wet grass in the spring, or experience any of the other beautiful things there are on this most miraculous planet. and i know that heaven is supposed to be so much more marvellous than anything here, so great that in our mortal lives, we cannot even comprehend it, but at the same time i am sad, because there is so much beauty here [see "why i study biology" in the archives] that i dont know what to do with it. and even though the afterlife is so much better, i have a lot of appreciation for the things here, and i love every inch of it, as it surrounds me, all the time.
my thoughts and prayers are with you dad, and rest in peace, grandpa.

My New Self Portrait

Our Endless Numbered Days

man, i am in such a grouch today. first of all, the chick who gave me my orthotics gave me grief about my shoes being too small, which was upsetting because i just bought them and i know theyre snug and i just didnt want to hear it. then, my arm is KILLING me, i think i messed it up doing rhomboid lifts. i cant believe how much it hurts. THEN my appointment to see my new apartment took way too long and here i am missing swimming, partly because i didnt go late, and partly because i feel i should rest my arm. what a lot of frustration. :( hopefully tomorrow will be better.

YES

YES, i am wearing my pyjamas to school, and YES, i know that the top clashes with the bottoms, and YES, i am waiting to use the toilet, i dont think that the washroom in BSB is a really cool place to hang out, and YES, my piercings did hurt, and YES, i smoke, and YES, i really am a vegetarian, and YES, i wear my glasses to see and not for fashion, and YES, i really do hate coldplay, and YES, i really do hate Rush, and YES, i have two cats, and YES, i am graduating this year, and YES, i really didnt ever need braces, and YES, that was a stupid question.

My Deepest Desires?

last night i had the strangest dream. i dreamt that i was at this dinner party. i cant remember who all was there, but it was mostly people i know. i think jordan might have been there, but im not sure. anyway, the main course had shrimp in it, and i was like, i dont eat shrimp. but then i started eating it anyway, i think i figured what the hell. and then i was crunching them and munching them and eating them all, even the tails. and then, we were all drinking really large tequila shots. like, large as in that kind of shot doesnt really exist. like three or four ounces. and i was stressed because we didnt rim the glasses with salt, but then i remembered that the usual way is to put the salt on your hand. anyway, so then my dream suddenly changed, and my histology teacher was actually my dentist, but she was dressed like a surgeon. and she gave me a needle in the part of my hand on the top side in the fleshy part between the thumb and finger. and i was like, ow, what was that for. and she was like, you have herpes. and i was like thats not even possible. and she didnt believe me, and i was really aggravated. so then i figured out that i got herpes because owen had herpes and i had used his towel after he had used it without washing it, so i got the herpes on myself that way. also, i had no symptoms of herpes. WEIRD

A New Kind Of Review

well, im sitting here procrastinating when i should be studying, so ive decided to do an altogether new kind of review: a review of my supper. during this supper i tried three new products from the health food store, so i guess its kind of like a consumer review.






















first, i tried the new simply asia sesame teriyaki noodle bowl. this product is brought to us by the makers of the thai kitchen products, which, for instant meals, are among the best. the simply asia stuff is all natural "premium" versions of the same thing. these noodle bowls are kind of expensive, but they contain an impressive amount of food and you can clean out the bowl and reuse it. this is handy, since it comes with a snap on lid, and dont we all need more reusable containers? anyway, the noodles are already cooked which makes for speedy delivery to your empty, hurried guts. the sauce was fine, no complaints, ill give this instant meal an A on the instant meal grading system.
next i had shady maple farms certified organic maple waffles. these are a different version of those dutch waffle cookies that have syrup in between. i have been eyeing them at the health food store for a while. since i finally caved and decided to fork out the 5.50 for them, i was delighted to learn that they are expired and the chick gave them to me for free. woo hoo! free cookies! anyway, these are good, just as good as the regular ones, but without all the refined sugar. possibly even better because maple is one of the greatest flavours ever. the only thing is the cookies themselves tasted a little over done, like they had been in the oven too long, but let me reiterate: FREE COOKIES.
finally, i bought a bag of dried pineapple caleld "frutos de los andes" by level ground trading ltd. as the name would suggest, this company is all about organic foods and fair trade, no exploiting the south americans for these guys. right on. anyway, so the pineapple is delicious, it hasnt been sweetened, its just ripe, so i like it a lot. not too sugary, a nice little snack.
so there you go, three new products for you to try to put yummies in your tummies and feel good about it too.

The Times They Are A Changin'

well, as you can all see, i have made some changes to the appearance of my blog. im not sure how im feeling about the colours i picked, so i would really appreciate some feedback. its just that the green and blue werent really working for me, and i think we all know why, im a red and black and white girl at heart and i feel these colours are a little more me. im just not sure if i should change the post title colour to red and the link colour on the side to yellow or maybe something else. so let me know what you guys think :)
also, i have added some new links to the sidebar. i have added cat and girl, my favourite online comic, also a great supplier of hilarious tshirts, a link to daniel wheaton's blog (there you go buddy, i did you a favour) and live from montréal details the infrequent ramblings of kyle effin bailey. so enjoy.

Sweet Elixer Of Life!

i realised a while ago that my blog is titled "science tea and cats" and that i have talked often about science, occasionally about cats, and very rarely, if at all, about tea. so, i feel it is due time that i devote a post to that most divine beverage: tea. as im sure most of my readers are aware, i drink an unusual amount of tea. i also collect teas, my end goal being to be able to say "you have the sickness, i have the cure, please follow me to the tea room" and then provide the illness with a befitting tea. so what is the deal with tea? i am going to outline this post in a somewhat organized fashion, because i have a lot to say. so be warned: long post ahead.
THE HISTORY OF TEA
most people are aware that tea has been around for thousands of years. legend has it that tea was first created when some ancient chinese people (probably monks, the ancient chinese in stories are always monks) were boiling water in a big pot one day near a bush and apparently some leaves fell into the pot. the monks noticed this and decided to try drinking the beverage anyway (this seems like an unwise and rather un-monklike decision, since the leaves could have been poison, but maybe they were just THAT enlightened) and they decided they liked it. thus tea was born. the chinese have a long history of growing and making tea, and tea is a huge part of chinese culture. much of the health benefits associated with drinking tea come from the evidence shown in the obvious longevity of chinese tea drinkers
but the chinese are not the only people who have been drinking tea for a long time. tea has been prevalent in indian culture for centuries or even millenia as well. also, there is huge cultural significance surrounding tea in japan. also, we dont hear much about it, but certain kinds of tea are just as relevant to south americans as coffee.
now lets fast forward to more recent history. tea managed to find its way over to europe during the time of the explorers, and everyone fell in love with it (and why not?), particularly the british. so, during the height of the british empire, tea was a huge import to britain and the british colonies. also, due to the heavy influence the british empire had on the countries it had occupied, many british customs leaked into those countries and stayed there for good. this includes india (which, as i mentioned, already had tea going for it), canada, the united states, and parts of africa. to this day, even after the long over fall of the british empire, tea is the number one most consumed beverage in the whole world, and that is in part due to the huge influence of the british. also, as im sure most of you may know, the british and the australians still have a prevalent and unique culture surrounding tea, with "afternoon tea" or "high tea" enjoyed by everyone at 4pm (what we in canada lovingly refer to as after school snack).
KINDS OF TEA
types of tea are differentiated by their processing and by what part of the tea leaf is used. in some cases, the plant is not the usual tea leaf.
1) Black Tea: black tea is made from tea leaves that have been fully oxidized during processing. it has a higher caffeine level than other teas, and is the tea of choice of most north americans.
2) Green Tea: green tea is not oxidized. it is withered after harvesting to prevent oxidation. it is the traditional tea of many asian countries including china and japan. many people consider green tea to be the "healthiest" tea. (i think that every tea has health benefits, it just depends on what benefits you are looking for). green tea generally has lower caffeine and higher levels of antioxidants than black tea, and is an excellent detoxification tea. it is also associated with longevity and lower rates of colon cancer in women.
3) white tea: white tea is made from only the top (young) leaves and buds of the plant, which have a delicate white layer on them, hence the name white tea. because of this, white tea is the most rare, and is often the most expensive. it has the highest antioxidants and detoxifying agents of all the teas, and is therefore helpful for good liver function. (an excellent hangover tea). the caffeine level in white tea is also minimal, comparable to that of green tea.
4) oolong tea: the word oolong means "black dragon" so you know its a sexy tea. the leaves are partly oxidized after withering, steaming and rolling so it is kind of a combination of black and green tea. a great tea for someone who wants the best of both worlds.
5) flavoured tea: flavoured tea is any of the above tea that have been combined with something to have a flavour in them. there might just be spices or petals of certain flowers mixed in with the tea, or the tea might have been cooked briefly with essential oils from a certain fruit. in other cases, the combination of two different flavours fools you into tasting something completely different. (example: aloe vera and white tea leaves an aroma of white grapefruit)
6) herbal teas: these can be anything. herbal teas are just dried plant leaves that you prepare like tea. usually caffeine free, and in some cases, you can take drugs this way.
7) yerba meté: this tea is made from a different plant. it has great cultural significance in south america, and grows in the rainforest. it is associated with longevity and high caffeine levels leading to increased memory and mental awareness. interestingly, for such a potent upper, it has a very mild taste
8) matcha: this is the special powdered green tea from japan, used in particular during the famous japanese tea ceremony (which takes like, five hours!). this tea is considered to be more beneficial to your health than regular green tea because you are actually eating the ground up leaves while you drink it
9) rooibos: rooibos means "red bush" and this tea has only recently been introduced in north america. rooibos is native to south africa. of all the teas, it is the most acquired taste. it is caffeine free, high in antioxidants, aids in digestion, and may help prevent heart disease. there are many flavoured rooibos teas out there, but plain rooibos has an almost berry-like taste.
MY FAVOURITE TEAS
since i have such a keen interest in tea, i am always looking out for new ones to try. so, from here on out, i am going to start publishing tea reviews of all the new teas i try here on my blog. that said, i will just briefly mention my favourites here. its a hard decision to make, because different teas have different purposes and i drink each one at different times for different reasons. because of this, i like all teas for one reason for another. that said, here are my top three overall.
3) "heaven's key" custom mix by teaopia. heaven's key is a white tea mixed with aloe vera bits (mentioned above) to leave a white grapefruit aroma. my mum gave me a bag of this tea for christmas, and it was phenomenal. i couldnt get enough of it, it was so good, especially after a night of drinking. i have less that one cup's worth left now, and ive been saving that last little bit for when i really really want it.
2) earl grey. any earl grey will do, but i think my favourite so far is the organic one i picked up at the health store. earl grey in general is a straight up classic black tea with a slightly citrus aroma. i take mine with milk, by far my stand by and usual first cup of the day.
1) golden heaven yunnan: this tea is available at zencha tea bar in collingwood. it is a very rare african black tea and it is SOOOOO expensive. its 35 dollars for 100g of the stuff, but man oh man, that stuff is like CRACK. the aroma is beautiful, the taste is wonderful, it doesnt need milk (but you could put milk in if you want) and after a cup of it, you get this amazing body buzz. its actually pretty unreal, ive never had anything like it.

runners up: white monkey paw, peppermint black gunpowder, throat comfort tea, and bija double ginger