Imminent departure

I actually wrote this last week, but then got distracted, so the whole part about leaving for Paris is no longer correct. The post about Paris will come later. I apologize for the inconvenience, and all those formalities (giggles).

Only a few hours before I leave for Paris! I am very exited! I did not have time to write this yesterday, but now I have a minute.

We may not have much snow here in T.O but just enough to build a snowman, which is exactly what R.C and I did yesterday. But our snowman was special: it was on our roof! It did not last long as we are not great builders, and the different parts were quite wonky, but it stood long enough to take some pictures.

sweater

Some of you may already know this, but I have been knitting myself a sweater, and I have now completed it. With the help of Grandma Bider who was visiting at the time, it is now in wearable condition. My anxieties over the fact that it would be too small were relieved because my wonderful sweater in in fact a little big...but no matter because it will last longer this way!

Oh, and a picture of Dad on the pond.

Picture

A picture of R.C and I on the pond that I absolutely wanted to share with you.

Wintercity

Yesterday we went to the week-long celebration of Wintercity , in Nathan Phillips Square. That night's shows were a vertical dance number by the company les passagers based on Chinese culture, and a performance by the «flaming lotus girls» which did not actually include any lotus girls, but big metal structures that burst fire in time to music. There also where amazing firworks by Circus Orange. The town hall realy looked like an erupting volcano with flames spurting in all directions. I am still frozen as I type this, but luckely I have my christmas tea set waiting!

Redpath sugar

A few days ago, my class, 7c, and another class, 7b, went to visit the Redpath sugar factory museum. As our guide was so kind as to point out, we were not allowed into the actual factory because we were dirty. Inside the museum, we watched a video of sugar being made and learned that sugar came from two plants : cane and beet. Of course, the beets are not the same ones that grandma Lili pickles, as our very visual guide put it, they are white and the size of my head. Although there were no free samples, we got to admire all the Hary Potter characters made out of sugar and learn a few facts about John Redpath (he had seventeen children, for examlpe) and his factory (the Redpath logo is John's signature).
A little off topic, today was pyjama day at school, and I never realised how walking around in PJ's all day could make you feel so sleepy.

Follow-up

You probably remember, if you have been reading this blog, that Renée, Sauvanne, Ariane, and I had a fund-raiser to help protect the leather-back sea turtles. Yesterday, we received a package from the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, to whom we had sent the money raised. In it, they explain that our funds will help continue their latest project of studying where and when sea turtle are most likely to get entangled in fishing nets. This will then provide them with the knowlege they need to convert fisherman to turtle-freindly fishing nets. In the envelope, there were also some pictures of turtles, stickers, and non-permanent tatoos. We put these on, but they came off overnight.
To find out more on this project, visit www.hww.ca

Skating

First, I must apologize for my long absence on the blog plan. I have been so wrapped up with other things, I just haven't found the time! Now, without further excuses, I will begin.

We are so lucky in Toronto, in terms of winter sports. Just recently, I have experienced two very different skating types. The first, on Grenadier pond in High Park, the second, in Nathan-Phillips square. On the pond, we did not have to move a skate to go south: the wind did all the work. We found ourselves pushed at great speeds, effortlessly. On the way back, different story! At the square, we went around in circles, under the lights of the city, the town hall towering above us, but whether out in the open, or in the middle of the city, skating is always enjoyable.