Oxfordshire's (highly stylized) White Horse

On a cold and foggy Sunday afternoon, three kids set out to see one of Oxfordshire's oldest unsolved mysteries - the White Horse.

For fans of crop circles and other pastoral quirks: the White Horse is said to be roughly 3000 years old. No one knows why it's there, or if it's even a horse, but at least since 1072 it's been referred to as one.

Dean, Tenelle and I donned our wellies to go check out the phenomenon. The fog rolled into the Vale of the White Horse at the same moment that we did. And fog aside, we discovered that it is nearly impossible to see the full white horse from land. (Scroll down to see the full creature in an aerial shot.) An airplane not at our disposal, here's the best we did (that's a tail, hind leg and back you see):


Tenelle, expecting a truer depiction of a horse, was a bit mystified. Later, when we stopped for lunch we discovered that she wasn't the only one who envisaged something that looked a bit more horse-like:


To be honest though, horse or no horse, this was one of the most beautiful British landscapes I've seen outside the Lake District. We made a short walk of it, but on a sunnier day and in better shoes, I might have taken up the Guardian on this suggested 16km route.

Given the conditions we did have, the highlight of the day was a stop at an Uffington pub for Sunday dinner - fish and chips for Dean, pork roast for me, and for Tenelle, that British pub favourite: ham, eggs and chips!



The White Horse from above:

one month list

It's November 11.

Know what that means?

One month exactly until I leave the UK as a resident. Next time I set foot on this island I'll be nothing more than a tourist. An educated tourist, but a tourist all the same.

The last month has disappeared and I know that if I'm not intentional I will leave these shores with too much regret. Today I sat down and wrote a list - a list of all the (non-work-related) things I must do before I leave England.

Here goes:

1. see a West End show
2. tromp through a muddy field in a Cotswold village
3. go to the sea
4. cook lamb rogan josh for Dean
5. go to evensong at New College or Christchurch
6. purchase something in Cath Kidston's London print (see above!)
7. shoot 3 rolls of film
8. read 4 books
9. visit the newly remodeled Ashmolean museum
10. explore one London neighbourhood that I've yet to visit
bonus: book a bargain spa day in London :)

I better get moving. Stay tuned for progress reports!

Mumford & sons

Potential to be a 2009 favourite, and I'm not sure why I never got around to listening to them until now—Mumford and Sons just made my morning.

This is pure, good folk with a Fleet Foxes-esque sound, but also little hits of Damien Rice. Major bonus is the refreshing banjo that lends it a maritime vibe.

Do have a listen.

rwanda: hope rises

The other night we were showing some friends the trailer for a film that one of our most super-est talented-est friends has spent the last three years creating. It's like, the fifth time I've viewed this clip , but somehow it still always gets a reaction out of me.

Trevor made multiple trips to Rwanda with the help of his other super talented friends, to capture the story of a Rwandan couple who inadvertently found themselves on opposite sides of a tribal war - he is a Hutu and she is a Tutsi. They do an amazing job of capturing both the horror of those days, and also the hope and healing that Rwanda is experiencing now.

After years of watching latest edits and hearing about the evolution of this film, I'm happy to say it's finally available on DVD. I've already reserved my copy and highly recommend you do the same! Watch the trailer below or, better, watch it here so you can see the full screen.

Click here to learn more about the film and the production of it.

cruel

Walking down Cornmarket this morning, in the rain, after my soggy paper bag dropped, and broke, a fresh jug of milk all over the ground, a pair of buskers were playing Summertime on the trumpet. With no hint of irony.

two cities

I admit it, I'm a stalker.

I monitor with embarrassing frequency the goings on of one 'Vancouver, BC'

But ever since we got confirmation of our Toronto move, my attention has shifted (somewhat) to some preliminary TO research.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not only confessing, but also sharing my window into the lives of each lovely Canadian city.

Latest Vancouver reading:

Urban Outfitters' Vancouver blog - for art openings, fashion and general hipster fun

The Block magazine blog - I loved the Block, even when it attempted to be a hip suburban magazine, and I like it now, though it's maybe a bit too glitzy to truly reflect Vancouver style.

Latest Toronto reading:

From the guys who bring Beyond Robson to Vancouver, the slightly better BlogTO is keeping me apprised of relevant goings on in my future city.

Daily Dose of Imagery - the original photo blog, still going strong after all these years

And of course, I've been spending way too much time on CraigsList checking out flats for rent and mid-cen-mod furniture for sale.