vol. 23: december page break
Guten Tag, books & breakfasters! When I was living in Vienna, everyone wished me a “Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr” - which translates to wishing everyone a good slide into the new year. In Switzerland, I found it equally odd when we wished a “bon réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre” on New Year’s Eve.
I’ve been feeling particularly nostalgic about my time in Switzerland and Europe lately. Last night, my dear friend Kat and I went to “Page Break” at our favourite Montreal bookstore - a weekly event where everyone shows up at 6:30 and buys a glass of wine or Perrier, has their phone confiscated, and from 7-8pm everyone reads in silence to a soft soundtrack of jazz piano. I grabbed a big pile of books (*my mum had offered to buy us all a holiday present book and I wanted to be thorough when choosing!). I ended up reading through almost the entire novella of Fleur Jaeggy’s Swiss-set Sweet Days of Discipline.
The last time I was there, I made it all the way through Louise Glück’s Marigold and Rose, a beautiful little book about two infant twins.
There’s something so nice about inhaling a whole book in one sitting. The proprietor of De Stiil also has the most thoughtful taste….
It’s my birthday season and Montreal did not disappoint with the snow. I have early memories of a birthday party having to reroute because of an epic snowstorm in Toronto, meaning we had to see Toy Story instead of It Takes Two… This year I hosted my first party in my new little apartment where we ate latkes and homemade apple sauce and hummus and my friends brought Glögg (the best mulled wine there is!!) and chocolate cake.
My performance season has mostly slowed down a bit after my busy fall of Carmina Burana and Annelies. This week I’m singing candlelit carol services at a gorgeous and glamorous church near the Musée des Beaux-Arts on Sherbrooke.
It’s not specifically seasonal, but this was my favourite part of Carmina Burana to sing (other than the epic Dulcissime, of course!!!):
Wishing everyone light & peace this holiday season and thinking of the immense suffering going on around the world.