Canadian Idol review, ExTASHAganza, and more WYD stuff

Alrighty, time for my weekly Canadian Idol review!

I didn't review the past two weeks because I was in Germany for one of them, and for the other one, I had just returned from Germany that morning and after a few days of erratic sleep patterns (an hour or two in Marienfield, and no more than a few hours each for the next two nights), I ended up crashing early and didn't bother watching. Anyway, when I found out who they voted out, I was glad to see Daryl go, but when I found out Josh was out, I was like "What were they thinking?!" Seriously, he was one of the best ones on the show! Honestly, I think that made the show dangerously close to jumping the shark. But when Casey got booted, I felt it was about time. She was never really impressive, except in Big Band week, but even that week she wasn't among my faves. As for this week, they did Elvis songs. Here's the lowdown:

Aaron Walpole - Fabulous, dahling, fabulous! He always impresses me and has become one of my favorite competitors. The theatrical thing worked perfectly for him again, and I could tell he was totally feeling the songs. The teddy bear song was the perfect choice for him, because he is a big cuddly teddy! I hope he ends up in the top 2.

Suzi Rawn - Not horrible, but not impressive either. In the first song, I agree with Zack when he said she looked like she hadn't had a good night's sleep. She looked like she was straining in the performance. The second one was nice, but shaky on the vocals. I think she should be the one to go this week.

Melissa O'Neil - The first one wasn't that great, I felt she didn't really get into the song and the vocals didn't impress me. The second song was much better, she's usually better at doing ballads than fast songs.

Rex Goudie - Sexy Rexy! *wink* The suit looked hot, though the blue suede shoes were a little tacky. In the first song he was playful and sexy in a naughty way, which was great. My only complaint? He can't dance. I was hoping to see "Elvis the pelvis" but he was too stiff. Perhaps he'd benefit from a few private dance lessons from me? ;) But the second song was great. Good vocals and stage presence, and he was feeling it.

Performance of the night - Aaron
Who should get voted out - Suzi

Anyway, enough of CI...

ExTASHAganza was last weekend and it was fun. Tasha's cottage is cool and everyone was there. It was great to see Faber again, I haven't seen him in a year! Since it was also a goodbye party for Maureen, we surprised her and then made her smash the piñata. I also showed my WYD pics and told some of my WYD stories. We had a campfire where people told ghost stories that actually happened to themselves or people they know, involving everything from a white rabbit to a hangman corpse... A few of us stayed the night, and played @$$hole. I agree with Tasha that it shows how the world works - the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. Though Jason made one heck of a comeback - he had been the a-hole for the past few rounds, then he jumped up to president without anyone else laying down any cards (he had a few sets of triples that no one could beat). When we stopped playing, I "retired" as a neutral (or neutch, as we call it). We went to bed and the next morning, we went to the beach. Then Tasha and I ate leftover burgers and other barbecue food for breakfast/lunch. The whole party was great and everyone had fun.

Anyway, more on WYD!

Before taking the bus to Cologne, we were waiting for it in Fulda and I talked to a few people from Uganda (Africa). We also had a mock-wedding with a real priest. Father Gerard performed a "ceremony" for Tina and Tim. Tim was quite the ladies man - he "married" Tina but still kept "dating" Sara-Sour and other girls in the group. He's funny, he always made us laugh. After we arrived in Cologne, we got settled in the hostel and since we were tired we didn't do much for the rest of the evening.

The next day, we had our Rhine cruise. The boat was crammed with people from other parts of Canada, also Scotland, England, etc. I exchanged pins and nick-nacks with lots of people there. Though it wasn't sunny out, I thought it was cool. I remember talking to a Scottish guy in a kilt, and telling him about my Scottish friend Bindert. After the cruise, we had lunch and met more people from around the world. We walked around town, got ice cream, did a bit of shopping, and I took a picture of a guy who was playing a dijeridoo (or whatever it's called - that Australian Aboriginal instrument that makes a weird buzzing sound) on the street. Then, we went to the RheinEnergie Stadium for the opening Mass.

Since the public transit system wasn't built to handle as many people as there were, there was chaos. While waiting for the train, the crowd pushed us onto the tracks and wouldn't let us back on the platform even when the train was approaching. We were crammed like sardines during the whole time, and the group had to separate. When we arrived at the right station, we had to wait for the group, and were relieved to finally sit down. Tina took out a little tripod chair thingy she had bought and when she sat on it, one of the other chaperones said "There's Miss Prissy on her chair!" The group never showed up so the chaperones figured their train probably went to the other station in the area. So we walked to that one (which was closer to the stadium) and they showed up at that station after all. The opening Mass was great and my friends and I were shown on the big screen a few times! The stadium was packed, and I loved singing along to all the songs during the Mass. People everywhere were waving their flags, and I did too. I also loved the Jesus sign - 5 people each had a big poster, each with a letter, and together they spelled J E S U S. I have a picture of that.

After Mass, we found a spot on the grass outside the stadium and while many stayed there, some of us mingled with other pilgrims. We met a group of Irish people who were wearing Leprechaun hats. I told them that I'm part Irish and that my great-grandfather was Irish, and they said I'm probably the millionth person who has told them that so far! I guess lots of people have an Irish great-grandpa! I met people from Italy, Dominican Republic, Lithuania, USA, and other places and exchanged more cool stuff with people.

Anyway, I'll add more later...

Back from Germany - Info on our Days in the Diocese of Fulda

I just arrived back from Germany yesterday morning, and what an adventure it was! We flew out of Charlottetown, stopped in Toronto to take a connecting flight, then flew to Frankfurt. In Toronto, Matt Zambonin lost his passport and since we couldn't find it, he and Terry (one of the chaperones) had to stay behind in Toronto till they could get a new one for him. We were all worried that it might take a long time to get a replacement passport because the whole passport application thing is extremely picky, but by the grace of God, they were able to get it done fast, get the next flight out, and meet up with us the next day in Germany.

Day One

We arrived in Frankfurt, met Sara-Sour and Maureen there, and took the bus to Margretenhaun, a small village in the diocese of Fulda. We ate sausage for lunch, met German youth from the area, and got settled in with our host families. I was with a family in Steinhaus (a small village in the same area). Charlotte Steele and Maria Gaudin were my roomies. Actually, they had a double room and I had my own room - a sweet suite! The parents in the family had two young children - a girl who is about 9 or so, and a 2-year-old boy who is extremely hyper. He kept throwing hacky sacks around the kitchen and while we were playing Lotti Karotti (the funnest board game ever) with the little girl, he kept grabbing at the board and playing pieces till his mother put him to bed. The parents understand English and the father can speak it a little, so language barriers weren't much of an issue. Originally, I had been hoping to get a family with youth my age, but I liked this family.

Margretenhaun and Steinhaus are both small villages in the German countryside and the area is beautiful. They were like storybook villages - tiled roofs on white houses, winding roads, lots of farmland and open spaces, etc. The little Catholic churches in each town are so pretty and old-fashioned, and the chapel on the hill close to Steinhaus is beautiful.

Fun story - On our first day in Steinhaus, we saw some stray kittens in the middle of the road one time, and when a car was approaching, one of them stayed in the road, seemingly oblivious. The car noticed and stopped, and since no one wanted to pick up the kitten (it didn't look healthy and we didn't want diseases) Neal used his foot to gently nudge it out of the road. It looked like he was kicking the kitty, but he wasn't hurting it.

Day Two

In the morning on our second day in the Diocese of Fulda, we visited a home for elderly people who are blind and/or deaf. Matt and Terry arrived that day and met up with us at that home. We met an old lady who has been deaf since she was two, and lost her sight later. The people in the home communicate through a "hand alphabet" because since they can't see, they can't use regular sign language. Joe, Troy, and a few others introduced themselves to her with that alphabet, and she was so happy to meet us and was enthusiastic about showing us her life. Since she can't see or hear, we couldn't knock on her door or ring a doorbell - the "doorbell" was actually a fan that blew air in the room whenever someone wanted to come in so that she'd know someone was entering. She showed us the sweaters she knitted - though she can't see anything she is a better knitter than I am! We all found that inspiring, especially when the director of the home told us that though she lost two of her senses, she is still thankful that she still has her senses of touch and smell. She is also luckier than some of the people in the home since she is able to communicate and even speak a little (though she can't articulate very much) - there was a man from Kazakstan in that home who can't speak German, so even the hand alphabet is useless for him. In our group, we were all glad to have visited this home, since it helped us to appreciate the simple things and think of what truly matters in life. Losing our sight or hearing would be devastating for us, but it's not the end of the world. I know that if it happened to me, I might think that life is not worth living, but this old woman is still thankful for the things she still has and can live in happiness.

We saw an organic farm in the area, with cows, chickens, and a little calf that sucked on the thumb of a girl in the group. We also rode on a tractor (one of which was driven by a very cute farmhand with dimples to die for!).

We were supposed to do a walking pilgrimage to the different parishes in the area, it rained so we stayed in the village we were in. Later, we went to another village by bus where there was a "meeting place" with locals and WYD pilgrims from around the world who also stayed in the Diocese of Fulda. We met a few people, and exchanged pins and nick-nacks. Someone from Michigan gave me an item that eventually became a hot commodity at WYD - a bracelet similar to those Livestrong bands, but it was yellow and white, and had a different inscription on it. "John Paul II" was on one side, along with his motto "Be not afraid". When you flip the band inside out, on that side there are 3 crosses and the name "Benedict XVI".

I also met people from Poland and Italy. During Mass, it started to rain again, and the Italian guy standing next to me shared his umbrella with me. Then it really started to pour, so we ran to the food tent for shelter. The rain stopped just in time for communion, and people outside the food tent were looking and pointing at something in the sky. At first I had no idea what was happening, but then I saw the most beautiful rainbow! It arcked all the way and it made me think of the old "If you want to see a rainbow you have to put up with the rain". Suddenly, the rain didn't seem so bad after all (as long as it didn't come back!). After Mass, there were a few presentations and acts involving music and dance. The Italians were so enthusiastic about the event and got everyone dancing. I met two Italian guys named Stefano and chatted with one of them for a long while. He introduced me to his friends, and they started teasing us - pointing to him and saying "he's a good guy!" and trying to get us to kiss for a picture. I also introduced him to my friends. One time, one of the guys in his group was holding what I recognized to be Chris' hat, and said that he found it on the ground and is trying to find the guy who owns it. He described Chris and I said "I know who that is, he's in my group" so he gave me the hat to give back to him. Later, when I finally found Chris I saw him panicking over the lost hat and I gave it back right away. Later, the other Italian guys told me that the last name of the guy who found the hat was Ferinelli - just like the 18th Century castrato! They had also told my roommates that his grandfather was a famous singer. Uh, if Ferinelli was castrated before puberty, I highly doubt that he'd be capable of having children (let alone grandkids). Hehehe... During the rest of the evening there was more music, dancing, socializing, merry-making, and we all had fun.

Leanne was lost during that time and we all started to worry because no one had seen her since the morning or afternoon, and we heard no word from her. In the end, she was found late at night at the train station in Fulda, and the reason we didn't hear from her is because when she tried to call Joe's cell phone, the call would never go through. We were incredibly relieved when she was found, because we had started to think that she might have been kidnapped!

Day Three

The next morning, those of us who lived in Steinhaus went to the park. The Germans taught us a fun dance to a catchy Spanish pop song, and we all played a variation of ultimate frisbee. I wasn't keen on playing simply because I don't like sports and suck at them, but in the end I left the game early because the frisbee hit me in the face, right under my nose. I put ice on it so it wouldn't bruise, and just watched the game after that. That day we also saw the farm where we drank fresh milk. Also, the fire department brought in a fire truck with equipment, and people in the group had fun trying to put out a fire with a fire extinguisher, but since the fire was kept lit with a highly flammable substance, it would suddenly light up again if the person didn't use the extinguisher enough. Some also tried a hose that would give a sudden blow of water, and was so strong that it could have easily knocked them off their feet if they weren't careful.

We also played a fun game where each person puts a nail in the top of a log, and each player has to hammer the nail in, and the first person to finish wins. Sounds easy, but it's not. Each person only gets one hit per round, and if you miss, you have to wait for the next round. It's kinda like caps (the game where you use a beer cap to knock the cap off a beer bottle) - using a small surface to hit a small surface. One time, when it was Ryan's turn, whenever he was about to bring down the hammer, one of the German kids would distract him by yelling "scheiser!" (which means "shit" in German). When Matt lost the game (he was last to hammer his nail in), we made him stand on the log and dance. Later, he won and Ryan lost, so Ryan had to give him a back massage.

We visited another dairy farm that afternoon. We also saw some cute fluffy bunnies there, drank fresh unprocessed cow's milk, and rode around town in the back of a tractor. Since there were a lot of trees, we had to be careful about getting hit by low branches. The tractor ride was fun, it reminded me of riding in Miguel's pickup truck in the Dominican Republic. Later, there was a little ceremony in town with the mayor and other important people planting a tree to commemorate World Youth Day, and then we walked up the the chapel on the hill for Mass.

Then, my host mother picked us up (me, Charlotte, and Maria) and took us back to the house to change our clothes since it would be cold that evening, then everyone went to a sports field for more fun stuff. We had bonfires, a man there taught a few of us how to do diabolo spinning (Chinese yo-yo, I remember attempting it at Chinese camp when I was 12), and some people played a Canada vs Germany soccer game. I still don't know how Ryan managed to play barefoot... Then during the game, Norman got a concussion and had to be taken to the hospital after he blacked out. Thankfully, he was able to join us again later the next day. While eating supper, my friends started teasing me about chattin' it up with the Italian boys the previous night, because they saw me talking to Stefano "for hours" (slight exageration...). Father Jim heard us, and said "the only guy you should be picking up here is Jesus!" At the end of the evening, we had evening prayer and went back to our host families' houses.

Day Four

The next day, we went to the city of Fulda for the day. It was raining but it didn't dampen my spirits in the morning. Even if it was raining, I still felt happy because the area was filling up with other WYD pilgrims and it was great to see so many people from so many places, there to celebrate the same thing. We had a big outdoor Mass at the cathedral of St. Boniface and that was the first time I took communion on the tounge instead of in the hand. I was holding a lot of things at the time so it was more practical that way. But later in World Youth Day, I kept taking it on the tounge at most of the Masses. That way I didn't have to worry about dropping the host, the wind blowing it away, or getting crumbs on my hands. There were a few concerts and events in town during the day, and the sun came out in the afternoon. We ate ice cream, walked around town, and each got a freebie that was given out to every WYD pilgrim - a pack with a guidebook, scarf, and cross. I traded my PEI hat for something that, like the pope bracelet, became a hot commodity at WYD - a blue hat that pretty much every Italian pilgrim had. I loved that hat, it looked cute and kept my head dry in the rain. Later, the rain started again and people started getting cranky so we decided to go back to our host families. I ran into Stefano again while in the lunch tent. Later, my host mother arrived to bring me, Charlotte, and Maria back to the house for supper.

While eating our last supper with the family, they offered us wine but since the chaperones had all expected us to make a commitment not to drink any, we had to refuse. Later, we found out that the two-year-old boy in the family had a crush on Maria. He sat on her lap during our last game of Lotti Karotti, but this time we kept the board far enough so that he couldn't reach and disrupt the game. Then when it was time to go to sleep, Maria gave him a kiss on the cheek and he went crazy! He started screaming in happiness and running all over the place! His mother put her hand on his forehad and said said "hot, hot!" It was hilarious! We also gave the family the gifts we had brought from home - PEI picture books, and one of the teddy bears that some people in our group had sold as a fundraiser. The family gave us each a cd of pictures they had taken of us during the week. There were also chocolates on the table in my suite, and we divided them up. We also ended up eating an entire box in one sitting. Mmmm... chocolate...

Day Five

The next day, we said goodbye to our family, and the group went back to Fulda for the morning before going to Cologne. We went shopping, and I bought a cute pair of pink dress shoes for 12-13 Euros. What a bargain! Then we took the bus to Cologne, which took a few hours, and at a pit stop, we met other WYD pilgrims. A few hours later, we arrived at Youth Hostel Riehl, which was our accomodations for the rest of our WYD journey.

Well, that's it for Fulda. It was a great experience and we all really enjoyed it. Next time, I will talk about the actual World Youth Day events and stuff we did in Cologne. As I'm typing this, I'm eating some of the sweets I bought at the chocolate factory. Again I say - mmmm... chocolate...

Last post before heading off to Germany

Alrighty, I don't know if I'll have internet access during World Youth Day, so don't count on seeing anything new till I get back on the 23rd. I have to be at the airport in 8 hours so I'll just write a CI commentary and a few other random tidbits, then go to sleep.

This week, on Canadian Idol, they sang big band. I LOVE that music and it's totally my genre. I still remember the happiness I felt while singing at Acadia Jazz camp in 1999 and 2000. The jazz choir, the jazz combo (the first time I sang in Spanish, and I couldn't even speak the language at the time!) as well as the huge-ass standing ovation I got when I sang "But not for me" acapella in the camp variety show (so put that in your pipe and smoke it, "anonymous"). This week, all the contestants were fabulous, and I must say, Rex and Josh looked hot in those suits! Anyway, here's what I have to say this week:

Suzi Rawn - This is the best I've heard from her so far. It's nice that she stepped out of the rock genre and did something completely different. The only thing I didn't like is when she sang the "heidi-ho" part really fast, it sounded like she was yodelling. But maybe it's supposed to be like that... Either way, good job.

Aaron Walpole - The theatrical thing the judges always complained about worked perfectly for him in this performance. This type of music is perfect for him, and as I've said before, I hope he goes far in this competition.

Melissa O'Neil - Good job. When I sing jazz, my voice sounds similar to hers. It wasn't as "risky" as last week, but I liked it.

Josh Palmer - This week, his look reminded me of Rufus Wainwright, especially since he got rid of the beard (good move, he looks better without it!) and pushed his hair back. He didn't sing as loud as I expected, but I enjoyed the performance. I LOVE that song and he sang it with his Josh-quirkiness, but still "classic" enough to pull off big band.

Rex Goudie - Lookin' good! *wink* I'm actually surprised that Sass didn't say "sexy Rexy" this week! He looked slick, and though he's a rocker, he totally pulled off this style and music. The rocker voice added some uniqueness to his performance. He always impresses me and so far he and Josh are by far, my favorites.

Casey Leblanc - This is the best I've seen from her so far. I think the judges were wrong in saying it's not "her genre" because she actually did well this time. She wasn't super-impressive, but much better than the past few weeks.

Daryl Brunt - Also the best I've seen from him. Though it was bizarre to see a young kid sing Louis Armstrong... He reminds me of a star search or talent show kid, and always looks scared before and after his performances, but his singing was good. If I were 8-10 years younger, he might have been one of my favorites.

The SURGE retreat rocked! It was great to have that weekend right before going off to WYD. The talks were awesome, especially Steph's talk for the girls. I love girl talk, we gotta have more girls' nights! Adoration was amazing. While they were playing that song about Jesus and Mary on the stereo, I kept thinking of our Way of the Cross and I actually cried. Though I didn't play Mary in our play, during the part of the song where Jesus falls down, I suddenly saw myself as Mary going to Jesus and comforting him like in the movie "The Passion" right after the flashback showing little Jesus falling down, and the tears started to stream down my face. And when Steph and Mindy started singing The Wonderful Cross, that reminded me of our play too. I sang along, as I always do at retreats. Right before going to confession, the sun was setting so I went outside and danced in the grass. It wasn't my best since I haven't been in dance class since April, but the colours of the sky were beautiful. As for the fun retreat memories, Malcolm's judo demonstration was awesome! It was hilarious when he was using Jody as a guinea pig for his judo moves. We also had a few rounds of Mafia like in every retreat, and the "What If?" game.

That's all for now, see you in Germany! Or when I return...

Canadian Idol commentary, jazz singing, World Youth Day, and remembering an old friend...

Alrighty, time for my weekly Canadian Idol commentary! This week, they were singing 80s songs. Here are my opinions of each contestant and performance:

Amber Fleury - I didn't see that one because the VCR didn't start taping till right after she was done, so I can't comment much. But from what I could see in the re-cap clip at the end of the show, I have to say - Is it just me, or is she getting more boring as the weeks go by? Her top 32 performance was the best she's given and none of her top 10 performances have been able to match up.

Rex Goudie - Fabulous, as usual! Good song choice, and I love the outfit - the Bruce Springsteen look really suits him well (I especially love the red bandana). He can not only sing, but also perform, which is very important to me as I prefer singers with good stage presence.

Casey Leblanc - Definitely not one of the best. I agreed when the judges said she has a "deer in headlights" look. She doesn't have that good a voice, or enough stage presence, and never really impresses me.

Daryl Brunt - This is the best performance I've seen from him so far, though it was rather bizarre to see a 16-year-old runt sing a song meant for a grown man. This performance showed he's versatile, but he's going to need to grow up before he can impress people over 20 years of age.

Suzi Rawn - She's usually good, but I wasn't that impressed this week. She always sings rock and really needs to be more versatile. Plus, her performance seemed more restrained this week, she usually gives it her all but she seemed to be holding back for some reason.

Josh Palmer - Amazing, as usual! Our Lady Peace voice coupled with Remy Shand style, plus loads of passion and talent makes for one amazing performance, even though I don't even like Our Lady Peace that much. He's quirky as a performer, but in a good way. It shows his creativity, which sets him apart from the others on the show.

Aaron Walpole - He looks and acts like a big cuddly teddy bear, but when singing he knows how to give-er. Great stage presence and I like how he involved the audience in his performances.

Melissa O'Neil - This is the best I've seen from her so far. It was a good song choice and she sang it well, with good stage presence. If she wants to impress people, she is going to have to continue performing like this.


Next week, they're singing jazz standards. I won't be able to watch it because I'm going to be in Germany, so I'll have to get my mom to tape the shows for me. If I were in the Canadian Idol top 10, I'd be jumping at the chance to do a jazz standard, though I'd probably he thinking "Do I have to do just one?" There are so many that I think I could perform well. I could do "It don't been a thing... if it ain't got that swing" and throw in a scat solo in the middle of it. Or I could do "Bei mir bist du schon", and really get into the performance part - sultry looks, diva walks, and smooth moves. Kinda like Dianelys Hernandez in her performances. The last time I sang that song in front of people, was when I sang it at Lenore's house about 2 years ago before going to Sweden, and she was like "I know why she likes karaoke - she can sing!" I could totally do the diva act with "Not exactly Paris" too. Or I might end up doing a Spanish or Portuguese jazz standard like "Contigo Aprendi" or "Manha de Carnaval" just to bring some international flair into this show. Heh, Canadian Idol is missing out big-time without me...

Germany is coming up so soon! I actually wasn't that excited about it during the past month, until a few days ago when I was looking through some old stuff I kept from Rome and Toronto WYD. Before that, I felt it was "been there done that" since packing and preparation for travelling is nothing new to me. Now I'm super-excited for Germany and can't wait for another WYD experience. I can't really expect it to be like Rome and Toronto, since those two ended up being so different from each other. But I know I'll have a great time. Except I hope the group rules won't annoy me too much. The dress code the chaperones gave is ridiculous, and I'm still going to bring tank tops and flip-flops because in my previous WYD experiences, nobody cared about the way we dressed after the first few days. Really, if people are going to be that paranoid about offending people because of our clothes, maybe they should just stay home. They think tank tops are going to single us out as tourists? Wrong! In reality, the baggy t-shirts they approved are what will make people stick out as goofy tourists. I really hope my host family won't give me a curfew. In Spain, my families treated me as an adult and I could come and go as I wanted. The 10pm curfew at the hostel is bad enough already... And I really hope I won't end up having to baby-sit the younger people in our group. Steve Larkin warned me about that, and I hope it won't happen to my friends and I.

Sara-Sour and Mo didn't end up spending much time in Spain. Tsk tsk, you should have stayed! Oh well, Rome is an amazing place too anyway. I love Rome... I gotta return someday, hopefully Carlo can get back in touch with me and we could meet up when I return. I met Carlo at Castelfusano (our lodging place in Rome for WYD) and I was amazed that we had so much in common. He inspired me to go for the performing arts again, and I do hope we'll end up meeting again sometime...

Anyway, that's all for now!