Hotel Tantrum

I love my job, but working in a hotel can sometimes be a pain, especially when there are little kids hockey teams staying with us. They run around screaming and playing hockey in the hallways, and when I talk to their dad's about the problem they say they'll do something but they really don't seem to care.

And then there are times when the bands stay with us that play at a club down on Huron and Highbury. Usually, they're pretty decent guys, but you do get the occasional bad nights. For example, my co-worker was working one morning when they were supposed to be checking out, and a naked girl appeared out of nowhere; naked except for her bra. She apparently was a groupie with the band and was drunk out of her mind. She didn't even know where she lived. Anyways, the police had to come and get her and take her away. The funny thing was she tried walking home naked and she didn't even know where she was.

*sigh* So it goes in the life of a hotel worker. Tonight's issue: screaming hockey kids. Grrrr.

Czesc chai

They say that variety is the spice of life, but I heartily disagree. In actuality, I say Chai is the best spice of life.....and makes really good tea!!!

This may seem like a more-than-usual random comment, but I am using this to introduce my lovey's parents: Krzystof i Basia. After six months of dating their son, I finally got pictures of them on my birthday on Tuesday with the camera that Piotr bought me. So a big HAHA to the picture evaders, because I win. =) Oh, yeah, the tea thing is relevent because I'm enjoying a glass right now and Basia makes me really good cups of tea when I'm in St. Catharines. It's hard to believe in a couple months I'll be leaving London and moving down there too. Instead of "I hate London," it will be "I remember London fondly." Nostalgia can do that to you.

Party Shots

On Saturday, my Kentucky friends, Piotr, and I went out to a club in Cincinnati called Beluga. One of my best guy friends, Tom, spins there with his friend Paul, so it was a blast. All dance music! Very European! Here are some shots:

Me and Tom (part of Colardo & Grant.....Tom is the "Grant)

One of my two best friends, Natti

Me and my lovey....<3<3<3<3<3

My brother Justin & sister-in-law, Brittany

Post-It Notes

I apologize for all the posts today, but my parent's internet wasn't working in Kentucky because of their finicky modem, so I wasn't really able to post...and of course yesterday was my birthday and mock show at CHRW, so that was busy.

Yeah, so my mock show was a blast! I love putting together a radio show! I'm not so crazy about the way my voice sounds on the radio, but I suppose its something I'm going to have to get used to.

So my show (if all goes well) will be called Bass Nation and is about dance music....typically not the most popular......more like dnb, hard house, club house, trancecore, hardcore, etc. Everyone hears trance all the time, so I like mixing it up. And anyone can volunteer at CHRW!

Carpal Tunnel.....finally an answer

For the past two weeks I've had numbness and tingling in my left and right hands....primarily in the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers. I went to the Student Health and they ran some blood tests, but I've heard nothing back from them. So when I went home to Kentucky this past weekend, my dad made an appointment with his doctor for me and she diagnosed me as having Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

At least I have some sort of answer now. I have had intense joint pain for the past week even though the tingling has primarily gone away. I cook and type all the time, and those two activities are apparently factors in Carpal Tunnel. I also have an old previous repetitive stress injury, and the doctor said that didn't help either. So boo for pain, but half a yay for at least knowing what's wrong.

Here is some infor regarding Carpal Tunnel:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Topic Overview


What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain, tingling, and other problems in your hand because of pressure on the median nerve in your wrist.

The median nerve and several tendons run from your forearm to your hand through a small space in your wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve controls movement and feeling in your thumb and first three fingers (not your little finger).

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
Pressure on the median nerve causes carpal tunnel syndrome. This pressure can come from swelling or anything that makes the carpal tunnel smaller. Things that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome include:

Illnesses such as

• hypothyroidism,


• rheumatoid arthritis


• diabetes.
  


• Pregnancy.


• Obesity.
  


• Making the same hand movements over and over, especially if the wrist is bent. Computer work and gardening are examples of tasks that have repeated motions.
  


• Wrist injuries and bone spurs.
  Smoking, because it can reduce blood flow to the median nerve.
  

What are the symptoms?
Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in the fingers or hand. Some people may have pain in their arm between their hand and their elbow.

Symptoms most often occur in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. If you have problems with your other fingers but your little finger is fine, this may be a sign that you have carpal tunnel syndrome. A different nerve gives feeling to the little finger.

You may first notice symptoms at night. You may be able to get relief by shaking your hand.

How is carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosed?
Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your health and activities. You also may have some tests.

Your doctor will ask if you have any health problems-such as arthritis, hypothyroidism, or diabetes-or if you are pregnant. He or she will ask if you recently hurt your wrist, arm, or neck. Your doctor will want to know about your daily routine and any recent activities that could have hurt your wrist.

During the exam, your doctor will check the feeling, strength, and appearance of your neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands.

Your doctor may suggest tests, such as:

Blood tests to see if any health problems might be causing your symptoms.
Nerve testing to find out if the median nerve is working as it should.

How is it treated?
Mild symptoms usually can be treated with home care. The sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of stopping symptoms and preventing long-term damage to the nerve.

You can do a few things at home to help your hand and wrist feel better:

Stop activities that cause numbness and pain. Rest your wrist longer between activities.
Ice your wrist for 10 to 15 minutes 1 or 2 times an hour. Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
Wear a wrist splint at night to keep your wrist in a neutral position. This takes pressure off your median nerve. Your wrist is in a neutral position when it is straight or only slightly bent. Holding a glass of water is an example of your wrist in a neutral position.
Do exercises to keep your fingers and wrist from getting stiff. Stop if you have pain or numbness.

24

I'm not talking about the show either. I turned 24-years-old yesterday and I have to say, I had a pretty darn good day!

I was really surprised by how many people actually wished me a "Happy Birthday" and it was really nice to feel cared about so much. The only really weird birthday wish was randomly from my ex, whom I haven't talked to for six months. Some good ones were from my family in New Jersey, friends in Poland I haven't talked to for a while, and my boyfriend.

It just really felt like an actual happy birthday, and I'm glad feeling older didn't actually feel bad at all!

The Polish Birthday Song:

Michigan drivers: my rant

Every region of every country has crazy drivers, but I've come to believe that they tend to congregate in certain areas more than others. Namely, Michigan, northern Ohio, Ontario, pretty much anywhere north of Toledo. I should edit this title to include Ontario drivers too, because they're just as bad, but Michigan drivers take the cake!
Map of worst drivers in the US by ordinary citizens.....avoid the blacked out areas at all cost!!! And notice how the most of the dark spots are in the northern portion of the states.


So why do I make this judgment? Being from Cincinnati area and living in London, Ontario, I drive back and forth to visit my parents all the time. I also drive back and forth to St. Catharines to visit Piotr (*love*) all the time, so I have a lot of experience on the highway (and clocked probably about 3 months of my life driving....no joke).

My observations primarily concern excessive speeding and erratic driving. Every time I get cut off driving south on Interstate 75 or get passed by a person doing 85mph or more, 9 times out of 10 the car has a Michigan plate. The other 1 time out of 10, it's an Ontario plate. This has got so predictable I don't even say "It's a Michigan jerk" anymore. *sigh* Please enforce some stricter license regulations Michigan!!

Inauguration Day & Shut the Heck Up Already

January 20, 2009: President Obama's Inauguration Day!

And what a day it has been: parades, speeches, and balls, oh my! Every news station is playing peoples' reactions and frankly, I'm sick of hearing about it.



Yes, I understand this is a very historic day, and yes, I do understand that change is around the corner. I have had my moments of sheer jubilation, but I can't extend it for 24 hours a day, a week straight. So congratulations Obama! I hope you can do all the things your promise to do for America! I'm just glad Bush is gone for good! Now that is something I can raise a beer to!

Accountable for myself

It's already the 19th of January and I haven't started my resolution, which is (surprise, surprise) to lose weight. Like this isn't the most cliched resolution ever, but who doesn't want to makeover themselves? Who doesn't want to feel va-va-voom when they look at themselves in full-length dressing room mirror? Well I think I should begin my way to my goal. I've set it as realistic as possible: 25-30lb this year. It's just really hard for me to lose weight and keep it off. I'm starting to think I have a thyroid problem as a doctor or two have suggested in the past, but I haven't had it tested. Well, at least that will be done tomorrow! =)

Anyways, my procrastination has come to an end. After my dry dry dry technical writing class tonight, it's off to the campus rec center for a half hour of running on the trendmill. The diet portion of this resolution is going to have to wait until after my birthday celebrations have come to an end on February first, so I don't have any temptations.

I also wonder if anyone else feels just a little inadequet when they work out in front of a bunch of skinny 'western girls' and their male equivalents? Not to mention when I work out I turn red like a damn tomato. *sigh* Heads up, time to run.



Still pround to have curves! =)

Economic Supersonic

I've been wondering as of late what kind of job I'm going to get after I graduate. It's the question on every soon-to-be graduate's mind and it's a tough thing to think about. Some of us will go back home to living with our parents and work in our home towns, some will move to other countries and pursue jobs with an adventurous attitude, while others will zoom off to grad school and earn their master's degree. Whatever the decision, it's never an easy one to make. Lately, this is all I have been thinking about.





I am going to move to St. Catharines in either May or July, but what about my job. People from St. Catharines have been telling me it's 'slim pickins' right now. So what is a girl to do? It's not like the US offers me a better solution either. I do have an advantage with having the ability to legally work in both countries, but I refuse to give up my boyfriend for a good job. I suppose relationships are about compromise and sacrifice, and if that's what it takes, so be it. I have two years left for Piotr to be done with his own schooling. I just hope that I can find a media-related job around the area. Although I will wait for my dream job if I have to, I'm never going to give up looking for it.

My Future in Canada

Last night I had a wonderful discussion with my boyfriend, Piotr, and my future here in Canada. Since this is my third and final year of my MIT degree, I have to start planning about what is next in my life.

Well, Piotr is undoubtedly the love of my life. From the first moment I met him, it felt like an arrow had pierced my lungs, because I was breathless (cheesy I know.. hehe). Anyways, so after gauging what he and I both wanted in a heart-to-heart last night, I finally feel totally on the same page with him. Without spilling a lot of personal info, we both feels we're the ones for each other! <3<3

I will stay in Canada after my classes are over, get my post-graduate work visa, and move in with him in St. Catharines while he finishes school at Niagara College for an environmental technician. I love him so much, and I'm just glad Canada is in the cards for both of us right now! I haven't been this happy in a long time!

Cambell's Ain't Got Nothin' on Me

What does a cold cold day in London call for? Homemade soup of course! Although I normally stick to the cream of______ soups, I made a veggie & noodle meadley today!mmmm mmmmm goood! haha.

Ingredients:

Base veggie broth:
onion (finely minced)
minced garlic
celery (some finely chopped & some chunks)
carrots (ditto)
water
vegeta seasoning (essential to every European cooking fanatic)


After I let it cook for a about an hour, I added:
2 chicken gravy cubes....
more water
some french-style leftover green beans from the other day
a little left over pork gravy (added a nice flavor....very little...had to get rid of it)
szczypiorek (dried green onions from the Polish store)
oregano
A couple splashes of Maggi seasoning....mmmmm salty!
Wacky-Mac noodles made from veggies....very healthy!!

The soup definitely satisfies my salty taste buds! As far as sugar goes, I get the occasional cravings for it (which any female will understand once a month), but other than that, not really a fan of sugary treats.

This may not seem appetizing to some, but I like to throw in lots of ingredients to make something wonderful!

Speaking of wonderful, check out this video to make loaded potato soup! I've made it twice now and it's absolutely wonderful! I've made it with both 1% and skim milk, and the 1% works the best......just a tip! =)

Infuriating Furnace!!!

I'm going to clarify that although I often say I love the cold, I think I've had enough!
As much as I would like to compare myself to an Eskimo/Inuit woman.........



I would love to see the warm state of Florida appear out of thin ice...quite literally:




Kentucky has such hot, humid, and miserable summers that I was always glad when the coolness and snowy-joy of winter rolled around, but I don't think I quite prepared myself for Canada's blast of arctic air!


Now, to make matters worse than the -19C air flow currently outside my basement apartment at 10am in the morning, the furnace in this old house can't really keep up. I literally woke up last night from being too cold! Upstairs in the housemate's dwellings, it's like walking through Greenland (improperly named!!!!) Jordan, the landlord's son, does not have a clue how to fix it either. So if I happen not to show up in class on Wednesday (here's looking at you Bianca), please let everyone know I'm frozen in an ice cube in the basement!


Hopefully my half American Eskimo Dog, Nanook, who is properly named, will still be around with her half-fluffiness!

Oh Cold Snap!

I'm really getting sick of the cold weather, er, FRIGID COLD weather!! I start looking like an eskimo when I go outside!

So today I'm going to introduce a gadget that I find fun or interesting. Let's call this a stint called: Gadget Fridays

Today's gadget is from ThinkGeek.com and it's a fabulous way to annoy co-workers and anyone in general. I personally think this will work well on my dad! (*insert mischevious grin here*)

So anyways, the gadget is called the ANNOY-A-TRON and can be found at:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8c52/

Basically, this little gadget can be stuck on about anything with a magnet and omits an annoying beeping sound intermittently every 2-8 minutes. The goal is to annoy a co-worker so bad they start going crazy while looking for the device! The instructions from ThinkGeek are pretty simple too:

3 simple steps.

• Turn on.*
• Hide it.
• Muahahaha...

Let the muhahhahaha'ing begin!

Video Response to "Outfoxed" Documentary

Last night in class we watched the documentary "Outfoxed" regarding Rupert Murdoch and this destruction of journalism ethics with his Fox News Network.

Who in their right mind watches this station after finding out the truth about Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News Network? Their views are skewed and biased and therefore cannot offer the 'fair and balanced' view of news that they claim to make. The menagerie of evidence that "Outfoxed" presents is appalling!

Journalistic ethics are blatantly ignored with many of Fox's practices and with their reporters/show hosts. Fox's reporter, Carl Cameron sat down with President Bush during the 2000 elections even though this wife was campaigning for him. Does this not create a conflict of interest? I think it definitely qualifies. Or what about the great and mighty 'Papa Bear," Bill O'Reily, and his right-wing show, The O'Reily Factor? He lies outright and distorts guest's words to fit his own agenda. Case and point: Jeremy Glick, a man whose father was killed in the WTC terrorist attacks on 9/11 disagrees with the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. O'Reily twisted Glick's words around to say that he thinks that President Bush knew about 9/11, etc. And O'Reily can't be held accountable for defamation like other journalists and sued because he's lied so much that you don't really have a case; he believes it.

I really think that Fox News should either be fined for every violation that they make or have the network shut down. The world would be a better place without their biased propaganda.


On a related side note: Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine please!

Link to "Outfoxed:" http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737097743434902428

And then there was one......

So I guess I should introduce myself properly based on the terms of my blog title.

My name is Magda, short for Magdalena. This is not my legal name. It is however, my Polish name and more times out of not I prefer it to Meghan.

I do not hold a Canadan passport, driver's lisence, or birth certificiate. Some would call me an expatriate or expat, and that is entirely true. I am, in fact, one of those dreaded "American creatures!" I know, eh, the horror!! I hail from Newark, New Jersey originally, but moved when I was four to a small town in Northern Kentucky called Burlington. If you want to picture it on a map, look for Cincinnati, Ohio and go about fifteen miles south to Florence, Kentucky, then hang a left, go west on Route 18 for about 4.5 miles, and you'll hit Burlington (a town of roughly 12,000 souls).

I started this blog because I have a different experience of Canada than the average Canadian. I wasn't born here, so I'm not personally connected to Canada unless you count my relationship. I don't have relatives here, but I am starting to put down my own roots. The fact of the matter is, although I'm an outsider, I've felt more at home here than I have in my entire life, even while living in Kentucky. I just never felt I belonged. Basically, I never allowed myself to feel like I belong in Kentucky because the values that I have are not compatible with the majority of people from the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area. I'm a hardcore liberal, non-compliant, agnostic, diversity-loving, half-Pollock, cold loving, weirdo. Somehow I don't think that fits well into a place that has more churches in a town of 12,000 that I can count on two hands. Canada seems to fit perfectly. For one, I started connecting to fellow Polish people in Canada. Finding a Polish person in Cincinnati is next to impossible. And if a person is Polish, they've been so far removed form their culture that it almost doesn't count. I love connecting with my roots because I've never felt "American." I feel that I have a more European attitude. So I connect more with being Polish than American. That may seem werid to people, but I think I can partially blame that on Canada. =)

So this is my blog: A Polish/American/Wannabe Canuk's view of Canada while living as an expat. I'll offer my view of American politics from an American living in Canada, diversity, human rights, news events, and anything that I find interesting.



Hope people enjoy my point of view as Magda living in the Great White North.





P.S. It's sooooooooo cold!!!!!!