tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72339839700644649862024-03-13T09:24:44.358-04:00Wouldn't stop picking at itadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.comBlogger446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-28470069428566516292010-06-06T11:19:00.002-04:002010-06-06T11:22:23.906-04:00New blog!If you want to read more by Adriana Palanca, visit the new blog at adrianapalanca.com.The subjects and observations are the same - just the platform that's changed.See you over there!adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-5196543915038911162010-05-09T21:49:00.006-04:002010-05-09T22:46:50.465-04:00My life in 12 photos, FiveWords. Always words.This was the most difficult aspect to capture. Words are so much a part of who I am. Always have been. They were my first friends, accompanying me from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. They whisper me to sleep at night and sing in my ears first thing in the morning. The last thing I'll see before I die is a word.There is no part of my life where the words are adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-52943686451104082662010-04-30T10:21:00.004-04:002010-04-30T11:02:36.911-04:00April is the cruelest monthNever have T.S. Eliot's words resonated more with me.April has been a long, trying month and I'm glad it's (almost) over. Hip adjustment. Nerve malfunction in my hand (four physio appointments later). Nasty head cold. Hormonal freak-outs. Creakier-than-normal joints. Wonky sleep patterns.I feel about 107 years old this morning.And because I've been beholden to the whims of my oft-uncooperative adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-73269246485790823202010-04-27T20:17:00.003-04:002010-04-27T21:21:52.337-04:00Working from home, Tip #47The greatest advantage - and the greatest pitfall - of working at home is not keeping a regular 9-5 schedule. It means that if I want to take a yoga class on Wednesday morning, I can catch up by simply working a few extra hours on Tuesday night.The pitfall is that, sometimes my brain gets so tired from a full day of working with words, that it isn't as sharp after 6pm.My solution? Doing somethingadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-33894429546546453932010-04-21T17:21:00.004-04:002010-04-21T23:53:42.963-04:00Becoming a better yoga teacherI've been teaching an Introduction to Yoga enrollment class at AYM for the last 5 weeks - we wrap up next Saturday. Big news, right? The honour of being asked to teach at the school that trained me. The immense confidence being placed in me by the people I respect most...You can understand why I didn't mention it until now. I was worried that if it didn't go well, I would have to admit adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-47876870518929463882010-04-19T11:22:00.006-04:002010-04-19T12:47:55.812-04:00My life in 12 photos, FourMy life has a soundtrack.Reading is a touchstone for your humanity, but music is the touchstone for your soul.I tend not to trust people who tell me, 'I don't care much for music'. I assume that they're afraid of facing something. Listening to music is a very physical experience for me. I feel the bass in my belly, the piano up my spice, and each lyric is a taste in my mouth.No other stimulus canadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-22969156377485346492010-04-12T00:42:00.006-04:002010-04-12T01:12:04.650-04:00My life in 12 photos, ThreeFood, delicious food.Yes, I'm Italian and yes, this may seem stereotypical, but I love food. I consider it to be one of the greatest pleasures of life. I love buying ingredients and preparing it. At a restaurant, I love the anticipation that sets in after you've ordered your food, and then the thrill of seeing the server approach the table with your dish.The first bite. The rush of flavour that adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-3415027866032783852010-04-06T11:55:00.005-04:002010-04-07T23:05:16.803-04:00Tango, progressJust because I've been neglecting the blog - that doesn't mean that I've stopped tango lessons. In fact, I have finally graduated to Intermediate 1 - and we're halfway through the session already.Now that the steps are more-or-less understood, the challenge at this stage is refinement. That is, making the movements seem fluid, adding the extra decoration that elevates the step, and learning how adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-83550400361170438962010-04-04T21:15:00.006-04:002010-04-04T21:23:09.431-04:00My life in 12 photos, TwoCables, cables, cables. iPhone cable. Earphones. Camera cable. iPod cable. Macbook power source. Without them, work - and play - would not be the same. Especially now that I'm a freelancer, I would be lost without these cables.Don't ask about the time I couldn't tell two cables apart.adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-23960692943872393972010-03-29T10:14:00.004-04:002010-03-30T18:34:58.640-04:00Fifty people, one question... and the present momentFifty People, One Question: London from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.I feel as if I should watch this video every day.When I started watching, I thought, "Oh, everyone is going to say Hawaii or the like." As the first Brit hemmed and hawed, I nearly stopped watching - "Okay guy, you need to wake up in a place with better hairstylists."But then he said the loveliest thing and my heart adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-67481900701157582652010-03-26T14:24:00.005-04:002010-04-04T21:49:15.807-04:00My life in 12 photos, OneI observe a lot. I take in everything - like someone who's afraid that she won't remember anything if she goes blind tomorrow. I can sometimes render what I see in words, but some moments - or feelings - cannot be encapsulated in a few short sentences. So I've given myself a new challenge - to describe my life in 12 photos. To better capture the visual moments that fill me with happiness, but adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-81257463287748344342010-03-24T22:34:00.004-04:002010-03-24T22:45:06.616-04:00Sign of lifeYes, yes, I am alive and well - simply busy beyond all expectation. Setting up a new business involves a lot of legwork at the beginning - plus yoga, plus tango, plus seeing friends.But I'm here now - and I have a list of topics as long as my arm to write about. Stay tuned - some delicious new content coming shortly.adxxadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-1459895275990869912010-03-11T10:00:00.008-05:002010-03-11T10:35:32.567-05:00Meeting your fictional charactersRemember that yoga workshop I told you about?Something else remarkable happened that day but I only realized it yesterday. There was someone in the room whose face and way of speaking kept drawing my attention. I can't even say that it was sexual - there was just something very familiar about this man's face.I was riding the metro yesterday when I realized.This man is close to what I imagine adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-84537968393966739952010-03-06T19:10:00.007-05:002010-03-10T16:02:44.961-05:00Why do you practice yogaI went to a yoga-meditation-study workshop at naada today with Michael Stone. It was refreshing to hear words that reflected my own perspective on yoga, and even more encouraging to meet other people who share my opinions.Whenever I attend any kind of class or workshop, I like to come away with one stand-out moment or one new idea that inspired me.Today's idea arrived rather late in the afternoonadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-87670204003190433162010-02-28T16:12:00.003-05:002010-03-02T20:59:28.090-05:00Tango - changing partnersAt Tango Fabrika, the instructors always encourage us to change partners every few songs so that we can develop better dancing skills. Not only does it hone my ability to recognize cues, but it's also a real pleasure to feel how each partner has been improving over the last six weeks.The students are pretty game - except for one couple that stoutly refused to be separated every time it was time adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-72741480742986184012010-02-22T21:33:00.005-05:002010-02-25T22:20:17.038-05:00The Double NodHave you ever noticed that when two men spot each other on the sidewalk, say, they do this double nod of the head as a non-verbal 'hey'?I have only ever seen men do this little gesture of recognition.Do you know what I'm taking about? And more importantly, does anyone know of a documented case of a female successfully pulling off the Double Nod?I've tried, but it feels clunky and weird. Is there adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-13555000686857391722010-02-19T15:06:00.003-05:002010-02-19T15:12:21.820-05:00That feeling...you know the one? When you feel like you're not good at anything and that everyone is just being nice?That's the feeling I have today.Except I'm wary about saying it out loud - if it's true, I don't necessarily want everyone to stop.adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-32337704644332621412010-02-18T13:09:00.005-05:002010-02-18T15:16:09.253-05:00Yoga adjustments... yes, please!I love being adjusted in a yoga class.Whether it's a refinement of the pose or help in going deeper, I get excited when I hear the teacher padding closer. I'm addicted to the feeling that an adjustment gives. With a refinement, there's the rush of finally achieving a more perfect alignment. With an assist, there's the release of muscular tension that washes over me like a warm wave.For example, adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-13315514799014582982010-02-14T19:39:00.005-05:002010-02-16T12:38:34.577-05:00The small pleasures of winter*the smell of a cigarette being lit in the deep cold*taking a short cut to the metro and hearing piano music from inside the Les Grands Ballets*sliding my feet into already warm slippers*watching the squirrels nibble on nuts I left in the backyard*fur-lined hoodsWhat else?adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-55091661012742657152010-02-12T10:12:00.006-05:002010-02-12T10:38:36.207-05:00The 27-28 theoryI have a theory about women between the ages of 27-28. This theory was born of my own experiences at that age, and it was further confirmed with the experiences of almost every woman I know. Not exaggerating here.So here it is:Women ages 27-28 undergo a massive shift from the angst-ridden and messy uncertainty of their 20s in preparation for the more focussed and confident 30s. On the inside, it adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-14888628736853655872010-02-09T15:11:00.003-05:002010-02-09T20:56:29.945-05:00Feeling tangoWhen I first started practicing yoga, I mechanically dragged myself through the postures. I was just trying to keep up. Then one day, the practice moved from "surface, automatic" to "interior, organic".When "the practice" became "my practice", I truly fell in love with yoga.It's the same thing with tango, yes?When I first started dancing, there was a lot of intellectualization happening. Since adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-15195722383544223582010-02-08T11:25:00.008-05:002010-02-08T16:06:24.291-05:00Ballet, oh ballet!I visited the offices of Les Grands Ballet Canadiens this morning to see an old friend. My mouth was absolutely dry with excitement - many of you know my love of bodies and dance.As I mounted the stairs towards his office, on the second floor, I saw a flurry of little girls in blue satin body suits and white tights scurrying into their practice hall.On the third floor, we walked by mirrored roomsadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-91488709297813768422010-02-02T19:11:00.006-05:002010-02-02T19:28:23.346-05:00Book list for 2010For 2010, I've decided to keep a list of the books I read. Ed did it, and so did Steve. I like the thought of recording what I've read - to remember which titles I liked, to share favourites with friends and to spark new discussions. I have to remember to add an asterisk to those I really like.So far, I've read:*Vincent Lam, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures*Joseph Boyden, Through Black Spruce*adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-77890948048741320292010-02-01T21:09:00.006-05:002010-02-02T15:21:25.102-05:00Praise!Good class tonight. The women had it easy - we practiced the cross system, so the men were doing most of the work.And I got praise!In tango, I do not as yet have a way to know if I am dancing correctly because I can't see myself as I move. I can usually tell if a yoga posture is correct because of my inner alignment, but I haven't learned those cues yet for tango.Due to a lack of male partners, Iadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7233983970064464986.post-49048669604862635012010-01-26T22:41:00.003-05:002010-01-26T23:18:00.751-05:00Tango, propulsion and confidenceOne of the aspects that I'm enjoying this time around is learning about propulsion - or more precisely, the way that the energy emanating from my partner propels me into the dance.We did an exercise this week in which my partner kept his arms open and I held on to his arms just below the biceps ("squeeze it like you were checking the ripeness of a tomato"). He then had to move forward as if he adhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486703627452277170noreply@blogger.com5