Support Beams

Although nobody has been clamouring for a new post, I thought I would give this blog thing a go, again.

Today, I spent some time at my mother's place. We were clearing all of the furniture out my baba's room: she is now permanently in an old folks home. As I was disassembling the frame of the bed, I had a moment of realization. The metal beams and plywood that I was taking apart had been supporting my grandmother for as long as I can remember. Not only physically, but also mentally: my baba has a habit of lying in bed when she was feeling depressed, and has throughout her life. A coping mechanism, if you will.

My mother has a tremendous amount of pent up guilt about leaving my baba in the hands of the people in the retirement home. After spending seven years providing home care for my grandmother (living with her in the house where she grew up) my mother wasn’t able to care for my grandmother anymore, and had neglected to care for herself. My mother had been supporting my baba for a long, long time. I, on the other hand, was there to support my mother: physically, by getting these things out of the house; and mentally, by reminding her that she has been as supportive as anybody could possibly be, and that it was time to put herself at the forefront of her life.

Recently, in various media, I have heard a couple of variations of the saying that, “the only person that you can depend on is yourself.” I think that's a crock of shit. Yes, ultimately we are responsible for our own actions and ourselves. However, without being able to be weak, admit defeat, and ultimately depend on a loved one for support to get us through a rough time, we are not human.

We all need support, and today, I was there to support my mom, just like so many people support me.

On a lighter note, here’s an old picture that my mother dug up. It’s a Polaroid taken circa 1979 near my grandparents' cottage north of Montreal. We were on our way blueberry picking. I like this shot because I think that we look like a real Eastern European family.

Clockwise from the far left: my great-aunt Katerina, my mother, my baba, my dido, my sister, and myself.

It's a Helluva Town

The long weekend brought us to NYC and surrounding area. Here are a few snaps of cityscape and others, from our stay in the Big Apple.


I couldn't resist taking a picture of the Apple Store. This cube had a circular glass elevator that brought you down into the store. I felt like I was in the future!


Here are some metal trees we saw in Madison Square park. Vaguely reminiscent of the metal flower that we saw in Buenos Aires. Mr. T thought that it looked like the metal trees were fighting! "Take that you impostor!" "NOOOO, take that you impostor!"

We stumbled upon the Ukrainian festival, and so, Mr. T, insisted on snapping one of me in front of the Trezoob (the Uke trident that you see hanging above my head). It's funny, these festivals are universal. All of the stalls were selling the same things that they sell at the one that happens in Montreal -- painted eggs, embroidered shirts, pirogies, cabbage rolls etc... Haven't we evolved as a people? I mean, how about a Вєрка Сердючка CD or t-shirt or sumfin'? Huh?

In the garden at the MoMA. These were some amazing metal sculptures that you could just walk through and around. One of them was shaped like a slanted ellipse. Depending on your position, your voice would be muted or amplified.

Inside the MoMA looking down a few levels at a super-cool helicopter. Do you feel dizzy?

The mandatory picture of sculpted-labouring-men-statues. My favourite was Mr. Coal. Hey, this gives me an idea for a pageant...


After a couple of nights in the big city we took the train out to visit our friends Mayla and Ron, and their daughter Lirit in Stamford Connecticut (or Stepford, as Mayla likes to call it). Lirit wanted to try out Mr. T's hat.

And then, my glasses...

Call me greedy, but four days (three sleeps) is just not enough... We've made a pact to go back every Victoria Day weekend. Long live the Queen!

Вєрка Сердючка Sings Her Little Heart Out

Look out Agnetha and Frida, Eurovision’s got a new diva. Say hello to Ukraine’s hottest drag queen: Вєрка Сердючка (Verka Serdyuchka).

I came across this in today’s BBC article summarizing a list of expected performances at the upcoming Eurovision competition.

It’s disturbingly reminiscent of my days of Ukrainian dancing classes: with a distinctly Eastern European pop/techno twist of course. The costumes on the other hand (although outlandish) weren’t quite so avant garde.



I hope this crazy bitch wins the contest!

Quasiment Comme Batman!

Monsieur anti-mégots: mon héro!

This is the kind of vigilante environmentalism that we need in our neighbourhood:



Maybe I can make Mr. T and I some superhero costumes when we go out to do our work.

L'André-Boisclairisateur

En mangeant mon sandwich de jambon durant mon heure de dîner, j’ai fait une recherche pour « André Boisclair » sur youtube : Question de voir un extrait du débat de chefs que j’ai manqué hier soir.

En regardant les résultats de mon enquête, j’ai trouvé ce drôle de vidéo qui m’a fait rigoler :



En plein milieu de la campagne électorale, c’est important de rire un peut, non?

Les Joyeux Lurons en font un nouveau a chaque semaine.