Category: Bloganuary

  • January 31, 2024

    What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?

    Right now, the thing that I’m most scared to do that I also want to do is take a leave from work and focus on building up SANA Stationery & Gifts. I want to make a real go of it and see if I can’t get it to go somewhere. Alas, I’m not much of a risk-taker so the prospect of doing something like this is absolutely terrifying to me.

    To do this, I’d need a good financial safety net. Basically, I need to save a fair bit of money if I’m going to be able to afford such an attempt. For more than the last little while, I’ve been thinking about how I can put enough money away. I’d need to start soon if I want to make this happen sooner rather than later.

    In some ways, I think that my fear is an indication of how much I care about doing it. I wouldn’t have anything to be afraid of if I were able to turn away from the idea. Instead, I think about it, slowly building up a plan. Eventually, I’ll have to courage to set forth on that plan.

  • January 30, 2024

    What do you complain about the most?

    I complain a lot. In fact, one of my goals for 2024 is to complain less, to look on the bright side of life. It’s not going well, but I’m not going to complain about it.

    Without a doubt, I complain most about people. Usually other people. I do complain about myself, as well, but less often. I complain because I don’t understand. I complain because I won’t say anything if a confrontation is possible. I complain because it’s easier than sorting it out with the other person.

    I wouldn’t complain so much if people shared my worldview and made rational decisions like I do. I wouldn’t complain so much if people did things the right way, like I do. It’s the way other people do things that forces me to complain. It’s incredibly annoying.

    It does feel like I’m living the life of Brian.

  • January 29, 2024

    What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

    I used to play volleyball. Correction. I was on the volleyball team in high school. For a time, I thought it was my favourite sport. In the end, it really wasn’t the sport for me.

    Car racing has always interested me, but I never explored that interest until a few years ago when I got a subscription to F1 TV. I know a bit about cars, not so much that I could talk for hours about them, but enough to start a conversation and ask some questions to keep it going. When I was in Finland, rally car was popular so I learned a little about it.

    As for F1, I’ve come to really enjoy it. I even follow all of the current drivers on Instagram. I try my best to stay up or wake up to watch the races in far-off time zones. I can watch all of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race in a weekend without getting bored. That’s a lot of time spent watching 20 cars go ‘round a track repeatedly. The more I watch it, the more interesting it becomes.

    Still, I need the commentary to help me understand what is happening, the tech talk shows are informative, and YouTube is a great source for helping me learn more. That’s okay, though, because part of the fun is the learning. Each new piece of information helps make what I’m watching more meaningful.

    I don’t play any sports.

  • January 28, 2024

    What would you do if you won the lottery?

    I’d disappear.

    Well, it depends on much the jackpot was. Anything over $20-million and I’d be gone real quick. Between $10 and $20 million, I’m definitely quitting my job. $1-$10 million and I’d probably stay put for the time being.

    From whatever I won, I’d pay off my debt and my family’s. Everyone would get a cut, and then put the rest away into an investment. I’d buy a house, too.

    I want to live very comfortably but not to excess. The right amount of money will bring freedom with it. Part of that would be throwing away my phone, hopping on a plane, landing in a place I’ve never been before, and calling it home. The people most important to me would get a free ticket to join me.

    I wonder if I would keep this blog. Would I still work on building my woodworking business? How much would I actually miss my job? I’m sure – 100% positive – that I’d be able to keep myself busy. The question would then become about how many people I’d want to keep in my life, the answer a burden unto its own. A select few have already been chosen.

  • January 27, 2024

    What books do you want to read?

    What I would really like to do is read all of the unread books on my bookshelf. There are many. Too many. I should be a better reader, especially considering that I’m the school librarian.

    The other day, I went to the bookstore to pick out a new book. Before going, I searched on their website to see what I might enjoy reading. I decided that I’d like to try some CanLit. When I read the descriptions of the books, nothing stood out to me. I then decided to try something on the “New & Hot Books” list. Again, I found nothing that piqued my interest. So, I tried Japanese writers because I’m a big fan of Haruki Murakami. I saw one or two that looked good but they weren’t available at the bookstore nearest me.

    Finally, I decided to pick up a copy of In The Skin of a Lion a Lion by Michael Ondaatje. It’s CanLit. It was new in the late-80s. He’s an immigrant to Canada. It checked only one of the boxes I had set out. So, I went to the bookstore.

    When I walked in, I picked up a few books that had been laid out on the tables as you enter. I put them all back and headed for the Fiction section, letter “O.” I found a copy of the book on the bottom shelf, tucked into the rightmost corner. I picked it up, read the jacket, and then picked up another of Ondaatje’s books and read its jacket. I took what I came for.

    At the cash register, I found out that I had a $20 coupon on my account. Brilliant. The book was $21. “Great! I’ll use it.”

    “Sorry, the total cost is $19.85 so we can only redeem $10 of the coupon.”

    “Oh? I thought the book was $21,” I said while shaking my head confusedly.

    “You get a 10% discount for being a rewards member.”

    “Ah! So, I need to find something for 15-cents?”

    “You could get a card, or anything else.”

    I walked back to the Fiction section, aimless this time. I wandered through the stacks, picking up books and putting them back. Then, I saw one, like a beacon, it called to me: The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt. He’s British, I think, but the book was published just last year. “I’m a librarian, too!” I thought.

    I went back to the cash register, with only five minutes to spare, two books in hand.

    “After your coupon and discounts, that’ll be $31.02.”

  • January 26, 2024

    Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

    One tradition that I adore is how we all end our text messages with, “Loves.” Every time we send a text message to each other, no matter how long or short, or whether it’s a text thread or quick one-liner, we end the message the same way. In fact, we do this with emails, too.

    I’m pretty sure my sister started it. I would love to have kept that first text message, but I would never have known that this is what it would become. Why did she write, “Loves,” and not, “Love you.”

    Maybe it was back when text messages were limited to 140 characters. She could’ve been trying to write “Love S,” but had to contract it to save the character. Why did we all copy her after that? We had to have been making fun of her, but which one of us? My mom wouldn’t have.

    However it began, it stuck. If say, we forget to write, “Loves,” at the end of a message, we’ll follow with a text message that reads only, “Loves.” It’s a compulsion.

    To me, it’s become a minute affirmation of the love we have for each other.

  • January 25, 2024

    What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?

    I prefer to do as little as possible when I’m taking it easy. I find that I’m either on or off. There’s no dimmer switch. Most of the time, I can’t sit still.

    I tend to do the same things repeatedly. It would be good if I were to try different things, branch out and the like. Leisure time isn’t the time for exploration. It’s the time to do what’s easiest. Why would you want to climb a different mountain?

    Doing nothing, unplugging, checking out, and chilling is not an easy thing to do these days. Being bored means scrolling through your phone or binge-watching a show you’ve already seen. We do so much while we’re bored. Maybe because of this, just sitting in a chair, looking out isn’t an easy thing to do. In fact, it feels like a luxury.

    Despite everything that we have at our immediate disposal, sometimes the nicest thing to do is absolutely and completely nothing.

  • January 24, 2024

    Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

    I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never been to New York City. For most of my adult life, I’ve lived close enough to take a train or short-haul flight. Once, I took a road trip to upstate New York, but still didn’t make it to NYC. I don’t know what’s stopping me from going.

    I’ve been told that I’d like the city, that it’d suit me. I don’t know what that means exactly, though, because I would think that a city as big as New York would be quite diverse. There must be pockets for every type of person and a podium for every interest. Toronto manages to that pretty well and New York has about three times as many people.

     The only way to know if I like it is to go and visit. I want to walk around New York, take the subway, eat a slice of pizza, and go to a jazz club. I also want to hear the real, true New York accent. There seem to be a lot of convenience stores in the city, too. Maybe I’ll need milk late at night.

    It wouldn’t take much for me to get there. I’m sure Hannah would love to visit again. In fact, she could probably show me a few things. It’s just a matter of getting it done.

  • January 23, 2024

    List five things you do for fun.

    1. Woodworking.
    2. Sex.
    3. Racing car games.
    4. Watching F1.
    5. Going for drives.
  • January 22, 2024

    If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

    I would love for our cats to understand how we display love and affection. We, of course, being people. The hugging, kissing, petting, and snuggling. It’s all love.

    In their own way, our cats tell us they appreciate us. They are most affectionate around feeding times. A coincidence, no doubt. The bunting is cute. That little nudge to let us know they want our attention is endearing.

    One thing I love most about cats is that they remain true to their nature. We’ve put them in an artificial environment but they retain their primal instincts. They learn how to manage but they don’t reason. This leads to them feeling threatened when we’re trying to help them.

    Baths are tricky. Well, Ouli loves playing in the water so he’s fine but the girls are difficult. Genevieve has a poopy bottom that would be easiest to clean in the tub. She fights us when we try to clip her nails. Putting her in water to wash her is a guarantee of scratches. Deep ones, too. I’m sure they’ve found a pencil sharpener.

    At night, Eloise curls up at Hannah’s feet. It’s heartwarming to see. Hannah is locked in for the night, however. Any movement will disrupt Eloise who will then bite. When I go to bed, I try to lift Eloise up and place her in an empty spot. She goes right back. She has a bed on the floor next to the bed. All three of them do.

    I just want to explain to them that we have all of these wonderful things for them, that we’re trying to keep them clean and healthy, that we’d all sleep better if we stayed in our own beds. In our own way we do by buying new toys, suffering deep scratches, and contorting ourselves when sleeping.

  • January 21, 2024

    Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

    My first name is Aly. It means “the exalted one.” It’s a good name. Most often, you’ll see it spelt with an “i” but I spell my name with a “y.”

    The name comes from Hazrat Ali, the cousin of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). In the Shia sect of Islam, it is believed that Hazrat Ali is the first Imam. In the Ismaili religion, it is believed that there have been 49 Imams, each guiding contemporary murids. Shah Karim al-Husayni, Aga Khan IV, is the present-day living Imam. You may have met someone named Karim.

    My name is often mispronounced. I, myself, mispronounce it more often than not. It depends on who I’m speaking to, really. I correct myself when saying my own name. That’s been a difficult thing for me to wrestle with. The pronunciation has become Westernised, giving it a crisper inflection.

    I’m working at presenting myself correctly…from on high.

  • January 20, 2024

    What’s your dream job?

    Today? Today it’s woodworking. I would love to wake up every morning, pack a lunch for myself, and head over to my workshop. I’d love the freedom to be creative and to try things in a space that is full of all the tools I need. It’d be wonderful to answer only to my whim.

    Here’s the rub: I felt the same way about teaching when I first started. I felt free to be creative, to try new things, to innovate through my programming. The curriculum was the raw material, my program the method, and the students the result. I’d stay up late planning lessons, trying to be fresh with my delivery of tired and dated content. In class, I want to be cool, liked by my students, and involved in extra-curriculars. My goal was to do whatever I could to make learning accessible and school inviting.

    That passion has faded. My perspective on my teaching practice feels more practical now, more mature, and slightly jaded. I want to want to love teaching again. Sometimes, in small moments, there’s a glimmer from an ember under the ashes. The fire hasn’t been extinguished yet.

    Woodworking is my escape, my time to play. Going to the workshop is often a cathartic experience. It’s a place that allows me to process my thoughts while thinking about ways to build, cut, and assemble pieces of wood. It’s where my daydreams can rest.

    If I could get up every day and go to a place that felt liberating, I’d be living my dream.