Wednesday Listens E33

Well folks, my last Wednesday Listens post was back in January… holy! And let me say, a lot has changed since then.

If anyone knows me, music is a big part of my everyday life. With all the changes that have happened since January, music has been a big factor in guiding me through the redirection of many areas of my life; it helps validate what you’re feeling as you can find songs that relate to what you’re going through. Aight… with avoiding getting too personal with the context let’s get to the recos:

“Bubbles” – Hippo Campus

Hippo Campus have an interesting sound and I would love to see this song live. Fair warning – the bridge grabs you by surprise. Intention here being, from what I take from it, is that you have all of these things to say that they come out all jumbled out – your thoughts are bubbling over if you will. I paired this song often with “Buttercup” which is another favourite. Good for those that need a real boost to tackle their day.

“t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l” WILLOW feat. Travis Barker

Honestly, I’ve checked out a few more of WILLOW’s songs and her music has developed since “I whip my hair back and forth” days. Her latest album – lately I feel EVERYTHING brings on a more punk-rock vibe which is awesome to see how versatile WILLOW just is. Be sure to check out “Wait a Minute!” which has more of a psychedelic indie/chill vibe to it.

“Treat Me Like Fire” – LION BABE

Came across LION BABE a couple of months ago on a playlist and discovered I’m very late to the game (song came out in 2012). Regardless, happy with the discovery of this unique R&B duo.

If you like the above recos and are looking for a nearly 6hr playlist spanning back to oh 2016 and is completely all over the map: follow this playlist on Spotify here.

Wednesday Listens E32

One of the artists I came across in 2020 was BabyJake. Introducing one song I love from him: MadHappySad

To me – this song encapsulates all the emotions someone in your life provides you. It’s about that person that when they give you attention, you are on top of the world. Then the comedown follows when they start drifting away making you mad for following the pattern, and eventually sad when they are absent. The vicious cycle repeats until you finally make the difficult decision to say goodbye.

The second song I leave you with is from Sampha. I came across this song after watching Insecure (which has a killer soundtrack each season). Sampha is a song artist, writer, and producer working with a number of musicians (Drake, Kanye West, Solange). Incomplete Kisses is one of the tracks from his first LP Process (released in 2017).

Incomplete Kisses is a song about a love not fully realized, but despite the song suggesting a missed romantic connection, it can relate to other aspects of our lives. What parts of your life are you over-analyzing and opportunities are you missing out on? Sampha is telling us to be spontaneous.

Ontario Hiking

Hello my loves, it’s been a hot moment.

How was your 2020? Not as planned, stressful, and frustrating? I don’t know where the year went!

But – instead of the negative, I am going to focus on the beautiful hikes I went on in 2020. There were many, many weekends spent out in nature and exploring the trails Ontario has to offer. Quick shout out to anyone who joined me on a hike this year, it’s my happy place!

For those who would like to #DiscoverON, here are some spots you should check out in 2021! They are in no means in any particular order.

Silver Creek Conservation
Halton Hills, ON

Silver Creek has become my go-to, there are many trails to explore within the conservation and is also beside county land that has additional trails to hike on. The trails are accessible year-round and are a moderate intensity that makes it feel like a workout!

Hardy Lake Provincial Park
Torrence, ON

Great place to travel to if you want to make a day trip – roughly a 2hr drive from the city. The views do not disappoint however! The trail leads you to “an island” within the park that is accessible by boardwalk. Very picturesque!

Smokey Hollow Falls
Waterdown, ON

Smokey Hollow Falls was by far the coolest hike of 2020! Be warned, there’s limited parking; definitely a good idea to go early on a weekend or during the week. This was also the most intense hike – lots of steep cliffs and difficult terrain. I plan on going back in the summer to see it when it’s green!

Wellington County Forest
Puslinch, ON

Definitely a hidden one! I’m not even sure if I would be able to find it again. Roughly 10 minutes away from Puslinch Tract, this forested trail is owned by the county. Lots of side trails that lead through donated land from a local farmer.

Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Oakville, ON

Who knew there were so many trails in Bronte! The only downside with this lovely provincial park is the fee, costs roughly $18 to park. However, you can spend a great deal of your day here hiking the many trails available. Low to moderate difficulty.

Fleabag: A quick write-up

Fleabag, ah Fleabag. Have you watched it yet?

I am trying to devour anything Phoebe Waller-Bridge is allowing me to consume. I wasn’t aware that her content was missing in my life. So naturally, with something that has left a profound mark on me, I thought it was best to get back into writing and express my (not to scare you off) feelings. Yes, I thoroughly agree feelings are the worst.

Fleabag is comprised of two series. Series One follows Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) – a twenty something woman navigating life in London after the traumatic loss of her friend. She uses sex as a way to cope with the suffering.

Series Two is a love story. No seriously, a love story that rips your heart out. No, sorry, I should rephrase that: a love story that takes your heart and says, screw this – proceeds to throw it to the ground and figures you will wake up the next day thinking all is right with the world.

It’s not.

Fleabag falls in love with the Hot Priest. Ah yes, a Priest! Here lies her predicament. Have you ever found yourself falling for someone whom you cannot be with? Don’t.

If you have not watched this show yet (available via Amazon Prime), I encourage you to! With the amount of content available to us these days, it’s great to see a show so carefully crafted. The sheer detail of how each character interacts with each other, and even how Fleabag interacts with the camera is outstanding.

Genius. Now let me just try to forget that last episode and all will be right.

Spain Bound (Toledo, Madrid, & Barcelona)

My friend has been living in Spain for the last seven months teaching English. This provided me with the opportunity to visit her when her school was on vacation for Easter! I am so glad I made the decision to go and visit her, as I finally got to tick of “go to Europe” from my bucket list!

Here’s a few highlights from my visit, not everything is listed but it provides you an idea of my trip:

Toledo – Day One to Three

Taledo is the City of Three Cultures with major architecture influences from Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It was lovely to be able to go and see the Old City and be able to visit Cathedrals, Mosques and Synagogues. If you ever find yourself in Toledo, I recommend purchasing a cultural pass that allows you to visit 7 of these religious spots (available at purchase directly from the attraction).

Museo Del Ejército – This is the Army Museum of Toledo which is free on Sundays! Lovely views from this museum that is built from the city’s historic castle.

Museo Del Greco – El Greco Museum is a small museum which celebrates the work of the painter El Greco. It was a pleasant surprise we came across that was organized as if you were walking through his home.

We also went on a hike around Toledo. The landscape of Toledo seemed to include everything; so picturesque. Valleys, Mountains, and many historical ruins that just existed along the trail. You are also able to see a gorgeous view of the fortress and the many bridges that connect the city.

Madrid – Day Four and Seven

We went to Museo Nacional del Prado which is an art museum. The museum has many sections covering mostly Renaissance paintings from Spain, but also includes Renaissance paintings from Italy, Germany, Britain and France. The highlight of this museum for me was seeing the Goya collection – amazing collection.

The other highlight for me in Madrid was the Real Jardin Botanico. The Royal Garden was spectacular! Loved going into the greenhouse and seeing the variety of plants they had from all continents. Fantastic collection.

Barcelona – Day Five and Six

Visiting Barcelona was much different than Madrid and Toledo. English seemed more prevalent within the city and much more liberal.

There were two highlights from Barcelona worth noting. We went to the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. The building is a pre-existing hospital that was functioning up until 2009. It appeared not many visited the site, however it is definitely a place worth checking. The hospital consists of several different buildings that were connected by underground tunnels (haunted af). Architecture is unconventional and the murals within were astonishing.

The other highlight was visiting Park Guell which was a residential complex planning project between Guell and Gaudi. They wished to revolutionize the way the elite lived and change their connection to nature.

We were unable to visit the unfinished Temple de La Sagrada familia as it is obviously a main attraction for tourists visiting Barcelona. If you plan on seeing this Temple, be sure to purchase tickets online!

Barcelona also has a Picasso museum that hosts many of his originally works that were donated in 1970. The collection is extensive and includes many pieces from his earlier works to his later pieces. I did not know he painted more realistic pieces during his earlier years, and it was amazing to see the talent he had at such a young age.

There is also a small Egyptian museum we just had to visit given that Cady loves everything Egyptian related. We had perfect timing when visiting the museum as it was not too busy and they current had a King Tut exhibition on.

Overall a great trip!

 

Ruth Ware’s “In a Dark, Dark Wood” & “The Lying Game”

I don’t know what to say about Ruth Ware’s books. After reading The Woman in Cabin 10, I was excited to read her other books: In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Lying Game.

I have to say, I was disappointed in finishing these books. The Lying Game read like Pretty Little Liars. There were lots of trivial side story lines and it  was anti-climatic. The last 20 pages were probably the most interesting part of the novel, while the rest was rather boring.

The Lying Game

The Lying Game follows four friends with a secret they swore they would never talk about. They met at an all girls boarding school where they would play “The Lying Game.” Points were awarded based on how well they told a  lie depending on the circumstance they were in. The most important rule of the The Lying Game was that they would never lie to each other – until several years later when the secret that binds them is on the brink of being discovered.

In a Dark, Dark Wood

In a Dark, Dark Wood follows Nora who is invited to a hen party, for someone she has not seen in ten years. Nora abruptly leaves school losing touch with her past life. This premise offers more mystery because there are less characters offering the author more room for character development.

Overall, if you are having to choose your next read In a Dark, Dark Wood reads better than The Lying Game.

Ruth Ware “The Woman in Cabin 10”

Wow. What a fantastic read this is! I haven’t had a book this good in a long time, where you just can’t seem to put the book down.

I am in love with Ruth Ware’s writing style, so I will def be checking out her first novel.

Laura Blacklock has the opportunity to board the Aurora to write for her travel magazine, Velocity. After dealing with the trauma of her flat being broken into, she has trouble sleeping while on board. This leads her to hear a scream in the middle of the night, and witness a body thrown overboard, plunging into the black waters below.

Horrified, Lo tries to raise alarm to the others on board, except no one seems to believe her. How could they when they think she’s mentally unstable? She’s been taking antidepressants, was drinking the night before, and is getting over a recent trauma.

Unbelievable read.

Follow my reading adventures over on Goodreads, why don’t ya?

Ashley Graham “A New Model”

The full title of this book is called “A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like”

I have struggled with body confidence since grade five when I hit depression in school. From there it didn’t help in grade 6-8 when the boy you liked called you “a piece of blubber.” Since then, I have been learning to care for my body and realize that: yes. I am beautiful.

Ashley Graham presents a wonderful, insightful read on her confidence growing up and let’s the reader know that beauty is beyond size.

Well done.

Arianna Huffington “On Becoming Fearless”

You know those reviews that are like “praise so-and-so for that awesome title?” And you think to yourself “wow okay calm down big-shot reviewer.” *clears throat* Well. I now understand that statement.

This will be an honest review, with personal confessions *gasps.*.

I have had existential crises in the past, but it’s been clear that my past few months have been a fog. And it’s something that you just can’t put into words. I don’t know why I’m short-tempered, on-edge and unhappy. I’m trying to get better, just give me time. I recognize it, just let me sift through it.

Which may be one of the reasons why I decided it was time to read Arianna Huffington’s book On Becoming Fearless… In Love, Work, and Life. Because gaining confidence is one area I need to work on.

Her book does help the reader reach a certain calmness. Am I perfect? No. But am I trying? Yes. Can I be fearless? Heck yeah.

The Book.

So thank you Arianna Huffington for reminding me that I am human. I may not know what’s in store

for me, but as long as I keep putting myself out there, good things will come my way. I have to seize these opportunities, make the best of the situation, and tell myself: I can do this.

“Have you noticed that worrying doesn’t stop it from happening? And indeed, that we worry about many things that never happen?” (Huffington, 43).

 

Please follow me over on Goodreads for my life of reading.

Sady Doyle “Trainwreck”

The full title of this book is “”Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear… and Why””

http://www.instagram.com/p/BSXfb6xlWbs/

 

This was an excellent read! Insightful, witty, and easy to read, Sady Doyle does an amazing job illustrating how women do so little to be critiqued immensely.

I was having these thoughts before picking up a copy. I thought to myself, as one would, why do I hate Miley Cyrus? Has she truly done anything to upset me so much? And then I came to the conclusion, no. In fact. I envy her. How can she live life so true to herself? Sure there are parts of Miley Cyrus’ character that I cannot relate to, but she is living her life how she wants to live her life. Why should I mock her for her own life choices?
10/10 would recommend this book. It’s important to build ourselves up, and this book sparks the conversation.