TaCaGo Talk

Who run the world? (Beyonce and Lady Gaga)

2011-05-19T11:17:00.001-07:00

Well at least in the music video world.

The two newest videos from two of my most favourite pop culture icons/influences both run in the same vein. They are very similar, and not just due to the amazing dance sequences and powerhouse vocals that come to define both these ladies.

At first I loved the decadence and opulence in Lady Gaga's video for "Judas". I loved the India inspired elements the Gold, the Sari, the headpiece and of course the long decorated fingernails. As well, I love the sort of deep reggae vibe voice that she brings to the song, especially when she says "I'll bring him down down, King with no crown"...very Matisyahu!

I just watched Beyonce's latest "Who run the world (Girls) " which takes on a sort of apartheid theme, very tribal and militaristic. Epic video with over 200 dancers (girls) being involved. Beyonce samples Major Lazer's "Pon de floor", and does an excellent shoulder, head and breast bird-of-Paradise-like showing of dominance dance in the beginning to the infectious "Oh eh eh eh eh eh, oh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh".

Both videos costume design can be defined as a Grundgy Opulence, with Gaga using more leather, and Beyonce using more military styled pieces. And Beyonce goes more Haute Couture where Gaga goes more Haus of Gaga, but that's to be expected.

The scene that made me laugh about the similarities in the video is when both women have large amounts of water being splashed on them from behind. Lady Gaga's in a more cleansing/purifying artistic sense, and Beyonce's in a way that screams "Don't Fuck with Me I'm a Badass BITCH!".

I really enjoy both songs, both videos and both artists and can't wait until they get together again a la Telephone!

Thanks for reading,

Kisses,

@TaCaGo

I Love Lady Gaga!

2011-03-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Many of you may know that I truly Love Lady Gaga. And watching her interview at Google yesterday made me love her even more. Check out the great video below.

From the first time I saw her up close and personal outside Fubar Nightclub in Waterloo and exclaimed to her "I follow you on Twitter", I knew that she would be a part of my life for many many many years. I'm super excited for her latest album "Born This Way" to drop May 23, and the newest single Judas sounds like it's going to get me dancing.

Me and @aomok at my first Gaga concert Dec 2010~
Me and @germnchick at my second Gaga concert this past March!

I've been to 2 Gaga concerts so far and dressed up for both of them and look forward to the next, and to new inspiration from this very talented woman. Gaga turns 25 on March 28th, so I wish her a very very Happy Birthday! And thank you for being you Gaga!!!

NY Resolution: Keep doing what we're doing!

2011-01-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

Hello readers,

HAPPY NEW YEAR to YOU! I know I say this every year, but...this year...2011...this is my year!!! lol

It's been a while, I'm just working on so many things. What with this little performance duo I have called SidePonyNation, volunteering with St. Alban's Boys and girls club, doing PR for The Nat & MArie show (natandmarie.com), being a barrista and a waitress and of course having super fun times with my BFF's... I am just a busy lady....plus I gotta find some time in there to be BoyCrazy....so doesn't leave much room for blogging...but I'll try!

Lynn and I have been working really hard on editing our music video that is coming out before January is through! We're thinking this week! We're so excited because we think you will really like it...we can't wait for you to see it! For now we would like to tease you a bit though, so we present the SugaWet Trailer!!!

SugaWet Trailer from V. Khamphilavong on Vimeo.

Let me know what you think and then stay tuned for the official video!!

Love T!

Welcome to TaCaGo Talk Transat Holidays!

2010-11-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hello New Visitor!

I am assuming you are from Transat Holidays and wanting to read my travel blog from my trip this past summer to Europe!

You have a few options. You can scroll down to the end of the Europe section and work your way backwards...definitely stop on the following SidePonyNation teaser video if you choose this route.

Alternatively, you can follow this link: http://tacagotalk.blogspot.com/2010/05/eurotrip-2010-dam-straat-im-in.html

It will take you to the beginning of my EuroTrip blog beginning in Amsterdam and you'll have to work your way forwards. Still make sure to check out the SidePonyNation teaser video!

Either option works great and you'll have a good time no matter what!

Hope you like what you see and I can't wait to travel with Transat Holidays!

Oh and if you haven't seen it yet, do make sure you check out my application video!

Talk soon!

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

SidePonyNation wants to Tease you!

2010-11-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Side Pony Nation from V. Khamphilavong on Vimeo.

We're such Teases!

Is your skin just the worst right now?

2010-09-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

When I arrived back in Ontario after 3 months in Europe my skin, I am shamed to say, was a mess. Berlin was our last stop and it was hot and dusty there, sweat mixed with hot post-soviet-ruled dust just couldn't help but get all up in and occupy my pores...get it occupy....like Russia did.

Anywho, when I arrived back in my beautiful but humid as fuck city my skin got even worse, on my face, neck, back (a.k.a backne) and chest. I started a strict regimen of exfoliation, cleansing and moisturizing, but the bacne persisted. I then turned to tea tree oil derived from the Australian native tea tree. This stuff "has beneficial medical properties when applied topically, including antiseptic,antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral action, and is also believed to have beneficial cosmetic properties" (Wikipedia) ...ya this stuff is good.

The tea tree oil helped, but it has such a distinct odour that sometimes it was too much to take on its own....I needed somthing that was tea tree oil "infused".

I headed down to 799 Queen street and met up with Ann from TVAL for a bit of a consultation. TVAL specializes in Mineral make up and also organic personal hygiene products like deodorant and delicious enough to eat soaps. www.TVALskincare.com

I have oily skin as it is, so I need something that could clear away that oil, but still not completely dry out my skin! I opted for the Cleansing Gel with Cucumber & Rhubarb and even got Ann to add some tea tree oil to the gel. They make all their own products in small batches at the store, so it was no problem adding more hand selected ingredients. It's pretty cool knowing what everything is, and the benefits of it to my skin before I rub it all over my face. The cleansing gel is 240ml and costs $18.

For lotion I opted for the Oil-free lotion with Strawberries & 2% Salicylic acid (sounds scary, but has been proven in the fight against acne and blackheads). The lotion is very light, and doesn't require a lot for full facial coverage, which is good because the tiny 60ml bottle will run you $16 a pop. It smells like delicious and sweet strawberries, almost making me think it was too scented to be used on my face, but the smell is refreshing and Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C which has smoothing and toning properties which help to reduce enlarged pores (the bottle told me that).

I've been using both products for about two weeks and my skin has never looked better. It's well balanced right now, not greasy or dry... goldilocks would have loved my face.

Get your own face fix-its and other fun stuff (mineral make up, organic soap and deodorant) at their tdot location at 799 Queen Street West (near bathurst), or online at www.TVALskincare.com.

Love and kisses and clear faces,

TaCaGo

Confessions of a 24 year old

2010-08-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

My first post in a while, so I thought I'd make it juicy....

I'm turning 25 in September, here are 10 confessions before I'm 25...

1. I'm not sure of what I want to do with my life: but I think it needs to be fun....so hopefully that works out for me... A wise woman said, " If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life!"

2. I flirt incessantly... with guys, with girls, older men, younger men, lesbians, everyone, if you've met me, we've probably flirted....but I think thats what they call Charisma..

3. I love being on that new shit...I think I'm just competitive...first

4. If we hang out a lot, it's probably cause you have something I want (creativity, motivation, intelligence... a hot bod) ...you are who your friends are after all...

5. Backpacking Europe was something I've always wanted to do...and I just did it...I'm not sure if it changed me though or if Ive settled back into my old self....Ill keep you posted.

6. I want to fall truly, madly deeply in love...sigh..

7. I'm trying to not care what people think...but I'm just so darn considerate.

8. I'm very honest...guilt eats me up from the inside out...it's the worst.

9. I dance in front of the mirror in various forms of undress all the time... I'm my own private dancer.

And number 10.....drum roll please ba da da da dumb

10. I'd rather a dude think I'm funny then hot...just kidding ha ha...

I'll start posting more regularly, I just needed to break the ice!

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

EuroTrip 2010: Supa Deutschland, Supa Deutschland...!!! (12)

2010-07-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

This is my last post from the road as I am currently on a plane 30000ft in the air returning to my beloved Canada. After 2 and a half months of travel I am ready to be back home, especially since the last two weeks were just about the wildest party weeks of the whole trip. This had much to do with World Cup Fever and the fact that I was staying with my girl Steffi from Uni, and her family in Wuppertal for the last leg!

When Melody and I arrived in Wuppertal Steffi was waiting for us, and then the party got started...it was Canada day afterall. Our other Canadian friend, also named Mel, was visiting Germany too, so we all went for some happy hour cocktails...yes we serenaded the whole bar with a lovely bilingual rendition of Oh Canada! And then we found ourselves happy like children on a playground near Steffi's childhood home for the later part of the evening. You haven't truly experienced German nightlife until you receive noise complaints from cops, so we were getting an authentic experience that first night when the cops were called to the playground to have our rowdy bunch quiet down. It was quite funny, and I think the cops were even a bit amused at the 7 24 plus individuals standing before them...I'm sure they

thought we were very sober.

The next day Melody and I headed to SummerJam!! This is a huge reggae festival in Koln that went from July 2-4th. Damian Marley and Nas were headlining and Nneka, one of my fave acts was playing, it was also a chance for Mel and I to break out the tent one last time and also a chance for us to take in some German Subculture. I had no idea there were so many rastas in Germany and I have never seen so many dreads in my whole life....The grounds were a sea of tents and it was a really cool experience as Lollapalooza was the only other comparable festival I had been to and it wasn't camping. We had a really small tent so were able to sneak in behind some larger tents and get a really great spot. The day was spent soaking up the sun and taking in the sweet rythms of reggae music, while also trying the many delicious foods present at the festival....mmmm afrikan, yes please!

That saturday we left the festival grounds as we were promised an incomparable time at the Germany vs. Argentina game with Steffi and all her friends at the Koln arena. We were told it was going to be insane....and oh my gawd it was. Not only cuz the mass amounts of people,or the fact that Germany won, but also because of the torrential downpour that soaked us revellers. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip and I'm glad I got to share it with my German Steffi!

Germany won and the crowd was erupting with joy! Melody and I left the group in Koln though because we had to go back to the festival as we wanted to catch Damian Marley and Nas. Man oh man that was an epic show. Just the thought that we were listening to Bob Marleys son live was epic, and he even performed some of his dads songs which was very awesome. Also Nas performed some of his old songs so the show was really great end to a sweet party day. Then we went to a reggae tent and danced the night away with some nice French boys!

Post festival Mel and I went back to Steffi's in Wuppertal to repack for a week as we were hitting up Prague then Berlin before we parted ways and I would finish up the last few days of the trip at Steffis.

In Prague Mel and I saw the many cool sights, Karls bridge, the castle and we did the free walking tour. Being in this part of Europe is super interesting because there is tons of war history and cities that were once rubble were completely rebuilt post war. We also took in the last few games of the World CUp at the public viewing with some new American friends we had met on the train. It was disappointing that Germany lost to Spain because it meant they wouldn't be in the final, and it would have been really sweet to be in Berlin for the deciding match, but in the end Spain deserved it, and Koln was a good taste for me of what the party would have been like!

After Prague Mel and I found oursleves in our last stop on the trip, so surreal that we had come so far! We rented a room in an appartment from a 24 year old yoga instructor in Berlin named April, and basically were right near everything.Berlin has such an intricate metro line it was easy for us to get around. Berlin is such a sprawling city and it was so interesting learning about the Wall and how Germany and Berlin itself was divided into 4 post war. Also, it finally hit me how unjust the wall was, it was basically put up over night, meaning people woke up in the East and couldn't go to work in the West, or see their friends and families, or lovers...and this lasted for 28 years! The iron curtain to me is one of the most shocking human rights violations I've heard of and it took place in my lifetime, it became very real to me. It was also very convenient sightseeing with mine and Mel's friend Matt from highschool and his brother Peter, a history major. I learned a lot that day from both brothers about history, and they learned a lot that night about how to party in Berlin from me and Mel! (Mostly Mel and her friend-making abilities on the subway!)

Berlin is a cool city and there is graffitti and an underground youth scene like no other place I have been. Parties go all night, and the Doner is the best I've ever had. Berlin is one of the cheapest/poorest European cities. The government is trying to commercialize it for tourism, but it must be difficult with such a strong young and leftist group of young people residing there. Mel and I walked blindly into a Peaceful protest against Commerciallizing the beach bar area along the Spree river, complete with naked men climbing fountains, lots of tattoos and dreadlocks and alternative lifestyles and of course the daytime electro love fest party, also cops in riot gear, but not super necessary, more for show.

Berlin has been called "Cheap but Sexy", and I'd have to agree. It is a city full of starving artists who live cheaply, drink plenty and express their ideas through their craft (my kinda place). The people are very political with strong opinions due to the very recent history of being shut off from Western civilisation for 28 years, as well post war feelings are still resonant. This was apparent all over Germany though. The only time you will see German flags is during World Cup, and man oh man do you see a lot of them. But as soon as World Cup was done, the flags were all down. Its unfortunate that Germany is scrutinized for being too Patriotic as it brings up past indiscretions for many people, but with new generations I'm sure this will change and Germans will be able to freely express their patriotism all year round, like us Canadians...a flag on the backpack perhaps?

On our last night, Melody and I partied till the wee hours when she had a 630 train back to Zurich to catch, and I had a 4h train back to Wuppertal. In true Melody fashion, she checked the wrong time of the train and had to wait on the platform for two hours to catch the actual train she was supposed to be on. Alternatively, my last train which was supposed to have no changes, ended up having two and being very late as the air conditioning on both due to the extreme heat in Germany was shot. Its funny that Mel and I each had a hiccup with our last trains, but we had such great luck this whole trip it was nothing we couldn't let rolls off of us

It was bittersweet saying goodbye. Melody and I are both ready to go back home and get back into the swing of things, cuz you know we both need to make some cash...badly. But we were sad to be leaving eachother because we never know when we will see eachother again. We never have trouble making it happen though, and I am also in my mind planning a Vancouver trip this winter to see her as she's moving there in August...and I could use some big mountains in my life again...and some Melody of course.

These last few days at Steffi's parents have been truly wonderful, as her parents are like the most generous and hospitable people Ive met. Im going home well rested, clean, and with a full bag of clean laundry! And of course the fondest of memories of my time with my German family!

I should be touching down in 4 hours and my dad will be waiting for me at the airport which makes me super happy!. I cant wait to see my friends and family and reminisce and give gifts and let the trip sink in, because right now its all a blur to me really...but i guess its good that ive written all these blogs then haha! See you all soon!

Love and kisses as always!!!

Tanya

Eurotrip 2010: Switzerland...cheese, chocolate and neutrality! (10)

2010-07-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

This past week has been tough as Melody and I have been on Vacation from our Vacation!

After leaving Budapest we headed to the wholesome, clean, and beautiful country of Switzerland. We walked around Zurich when we first arrived and picked up a fondue pot at the Broken Haus (Wicked second hand store in Switzerland, good quality stuff for cheap). Switzerland is a very rich country, minimum wage is 18 swiss franc an hour, and the Swiss Franc is basically on par with the Canadian Dollar, but cost of living, except at places like Broken Haus, can be insane. But you can definitely live cheaply here if you try, so maybe an option for yall that want to make some quick cash fast?

After collecting the fondue pot and picking up my Switzerland pin at Broken Haus it was off to Zug, where we would stay a few days at Melody's boyfriends apartment. A chance for us to recharge our batteries for our last two weeks of this amzing 11 week adventure!

(View of Zug from Stoffel's balcony)

Stoffel showed us a lovely time while we were there. Our first night we went to a neighbouring town (all small towns are connected easily by train) and went to the Jodlerfest. We saw pipers (a la Ricola commercial) and Jodlers and lots of traditional outfits, and ate traditional Swiss food....not the healthiest, but definitely very yummy...I'll take potatoes and cheese..and of course beer, anyday. Then The three of us watched as Switzerland got kicked out of the World cup, but alas I was going for Portugal anyways...rats.

The next day Stoffel took us on a hike to a limestone grotto near his home. The limestone is a mineral which has created underground stalagtites and stalagmites in the rock crevices...it looks gross and liquidy, but really its rock...pretty friggin cool.

That night Stoffel took us on a bus, a train then a tram to the outskirts of Zurich. We then walked 15 minutes out of civilization and came to an underpass...but I heard music, and saw lights, and a bar and graffitti, and a DJ! Sick, secret, Swiss underpass rave! The music was electro and went all night, we left at about 6am, but didn't get home until 8am the next morning. The next day was spent sleeping and lazing around in our own stench...it was quite fantastic.

A vacation is not complete without a few chances to head to the lake, which being great Ontario girls, Mel and I did without protest. We also made sure to fit in some excercise with a 3 hour bike ride to Luzern...we took the train back though. What was amazing was that we were literally able to go to a bike depo, give a passport, receive two bikes, bike all the way to Luzern from Cham, lock the bikes up, see Luzern, grab the bikes, get on the train with said bikes, head back all the way to Cham and return the bikes that night, and it cost us nothing!! It helped that we had eurorail for the train, but the bike rental was free and there was no fee for taking the bike on the train. Did I mention there was a bike path from Cham to Luzern which is 30km away? Man I love bike friendly Europe!

(Me and my Swiss army knife at the Swiss army knife store in Luzern)

Our last days in Zug were spent doing intense laundry. Somewhere in between Greece and Italy Melody and I had a bout with bed bugs. Apparently, someone didn't tell us to not let the bed bugs bite. In Venice Mel woke up with bites, and then a few days later in Hvar I found some on myself, not as bad as hers and very differently shaped. We summed it up to getting them on the ferry ride back over the Adriatic, and Melody did a lot of research so we could insure we would not be carrying them with us. We inspected our bodies (bites can take up to 9 days to show up depending on the person, which exlains why mine showed up after hers, as well they can take many different forms, which is why ours looked so different). At Stoffel's we made sure to leave our bags qurantined until we could wash everything in very hot water, bags and all. We are now content and certain we are deloused and the endearment "goodnight don't let the bed bugs bite" holds a much more literal meaning to me now.

Having scrumptious home made dinners, a comfy bed, beautiful scenery, television and (my favourite) constant reliable internet access, was a delight and perfect Vacation at Stoffels. But Mel and I are now back on the road heading on a train from Zurich to Dusseldorf, more precisely Wuppertal to see and stay with Ze German,...My dear friend Steffi, who has also brought our friend Mel from Canada. It is Canada Day after all so will be great to spend it with other Canadians and of course "almost Canadians" like Steffi!

I have really liked Switzerland and it reminds me a lot of Canada by it's countryside and friendliness. It's a little wholesome though, even the creeps that hang out at the train station, weren't really that creepy. And fun fact, they don't speak Swiss here! They speak Swiss german, swiss french, or swiss italian, depending what region you live in...who would've thunkdt?

I have two weeks left and will be spending the weekend at a reggae fest in Koln, then I am very excited to be heading to Berlin!

Have a very Happy Canada Day Friends, and I will see you in two weeks!

Love and Kisses,

Tanya!

Eurotrip 2010: In Europe, NOT spending Euro’s...Kuna and Forint instead (9)

2010-06-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

This evening I write to you from a very nice train. It’s an Austrian one, and it’s headed from Budapest to Vienna as Mel and I are making our way to Zurich Via Vienna. When in Switzerland we will get a bit of a break because we will be staying with her bf Stoffel in Zug for a week before finishing up our last two weeks in Germany.

This past week began on a bit of a low note due to weather, but ended on a high note due to a pleasant and unexpected surprise in Budapest. After leaving Greece, Mel and I headed back over the Adriatic to make our way to Croatia via Italy. There is no easy way to go direct from Greece to Croatia with Eurorail, and we still hadn’t been to Venice, so we were alright with backtracking. As soon as we left Greece we wanted to go back though. The weather changed completely.

We have been so lucky with weather this whole trip because we’ve had so much sunshine, so we can’t complain, but we had to dig into the bottom of our backpacks for our warm gear so we could comfortably travel again. We stayed in Venice for a night and it poured rain. The good thing was that the campsite we were staying in bumped us from a tent into a sweet bungalow so we didn’t get soaked! Because we were desperate to find the sunshine in Croatia we only had one day in Venice and took an overnight train to Zagreb. I enjoyed Venice though, and it was cool to see all the canals and water. Melody and I shopped a lot to find the perfect Murano glass jewellery. There were so many beautiful things to see, from the masks to the jewelery, to the glassware, that we kind of lost track of time and didn’t see as much of the city as we could have. What can we say we love to shop, also it was pouring rain so we didn’t feel too badly about it. The sky did open a bit after our canal-side lunch and we were able to wander and get lost in the labyrinth that is Venice.

From Venice we headed overnight to Zagreb, arriving at 4:18am, and we waited around to catch an 8am train to Split. Our plan was to head to Dubrovnik where we had booked an apartment, but after arriving in Split after an overnight train and another 6 hour ride, we were not interested in taking the 4 hour bus all the way to Dubrovnik to only stay a day or two. I cancelled the Dubrovnik apartment and the man didn’t charge me at all, which was very nice so please do stay at the Petra House if ever in Dubrovnik. I don’t know if it’s any good, but if you need to cancel they are nice about it!

In Split we found a hostel (after turning down the many nice old people looking to rent us their apartments for the night). We stayed at the Snooze and Booze and were content to Snooze and Booze and beach while we were in Croatia. We were there for the beach’s and the party, so sightseeing wasn’t on our list of top things to do. Imagine our displeasure when we checked the weather for the next few days and realized that rain was on forecast EVERYDAY! Even in Hvar, our next stop; which prides itself on receiving 2750 average sunshine hours a year!!!! Our first day in Split was overcast, but we went to the beach anyways, didn’t swim or anything, but spent a few hours at a café drinking cappuccinos and having girl talk; always a good time if you ask me, and although Mel and I have spent the last 9 weeks completely together we never seem to run out of stuff to talk about.

That night we were going to take it easy even though it was Friday because we knew the next day in Hvar we were going to have a big night at the famous club Carpe Diem. We ended up going out though because many locals we talked to told us WE HAD TO go out on Friday in Split. Mel and I both got dressed cute but casual, wearing flats for a low key night….we were not prepared for what we encountered on the way to the bar.

We hit up the same spot as the night previously, but knew we were in for a treat because there were swarms of people walking the same way we were, and we got excited…too bad we had only brought 50 Kuna (about 7 Euro) which would buy two beers and hadn’t pre-drank at all. I knew what one of my tasks for the night was “get free drinks”. I wasn’t prepared for the other task which was, don’t get stepped on by the beautiful giant Croatians.

Mel and I are Dancing Queens so took over the dance floor right away…we worked up quite a sweat and made it known that Canadian girls know how to work it. The bar played a lot of top 40 American music at first, and it was funny to watch people sing along to the songs that they had no clue what the words were saying. Later in the night they played actual Croatian music and I had the opportunity to dance with a very attractive Croatian football trainer/player named Marin…sigh. He told me that the Croatian music they were playing was emotional for him and his friends because the musician had recently passed. We danced for a while and then I told him that "I'm sweaty”. To this he looked very uncomfortable and said "No No, your not." And I was like ya “I’m sweaty” and he said, "No, You’re just my girl tonight”. At first I was a tad confused, but then I realized though his English was good, their was still a language barrier that caused him to think I was saying, “I’m Slutty”. I cleared that up pretty quickly, and we both laughed about it after, but kudos to him for his response....What if he took it as an open invitation to invite me to spend the night?...that would have been awkward.

Melody and I hung out with Marin and all his really nice friends the rest of the night and the drinks were free flowing. Our low key evening ended when the music stopped and the sun came up. Those are the best nights though, when you go out with no expectations or anything and you are blindsided with fun. The next night however was one of those nights with high expectations, no motivation and lots and lots of Rain.

Melody and I stayed at a lovely apartment hostel on Hvar island, with a room all to ourselves and very beautiful veranda. The first night in Hvar was low key, but we did get to meet up with two Aussie girls Olivia and Jane who we had partied with in Split two nights before. The first full day in Hvar was supposed to be rainy, but to our complete delight the sun was out and it was warm. We walked to Hula beach club and rented two chairs for 50 Kuna each and basked in the sun on our last beach day and last swim of Ocean water for a while. It turned out great and we made use of Mels water proof camera and the fact that Europe is A-ok with toplessness! The next day it was back on the Katamaran to head to Zagreb for the night via Split.

The Katamaran was scheduled to leave Hvar at 1:45pm arrive in Split at 2:45pm and then we would catch a train at 3pm to go to Zagreb. 15 minutes was cutting it close, but the train station and port were super close so it was doable. When boarding the Katamaran it was real shaky and inside was worse so Mel and I waited off the boat until departure...foreshadowing? On the boat they were playing the Korea vs. Portugal game so I was happy to find a seat close to watch…only problem was all those pesky people who kept getting up and standing in front of me while they asked the bartender for a barf bag… It was crazy! I mean due to the choppy water from all the bad weather this boat was skipping on the water and was sooooo wobbly and everyone on the boat just looked nauseous. I don’t get sick really but I was feeling nauseous and hating my life, but it was the worst when the woman in front of me started making use of her bag. Like if I don’t see or smell puke then Im good, but as soon as I see or smell it that’s it! I didn’t Guelph though, I’m a lady…and I had a wicked game of football to occupy and take my mind off the fact that everyone around me was spewing their guts out. Forza Portugal!!!!

The domino effect: Rainy in Hvar, Mel and I leave Hvar, Water is choppy we both become nauseous, Katamaran is 15min late due to weather, Mel and I run for train, Mel and I miss train, Mel and I take bus to Zagreb, Mel and I Nauseous whole night in Zagreb. Upside: I still had fun, the hostel was wicked and showed us a nice chill time, we had Szechuan! I highly reccomend the Funk Hostel in Zagreb.

The train from Zagreb to Budapest was great as Mel and I were able to sleep most of the way until a large group of Hungarian school children boarded on their way home from an overnight class trip. 4 girls came and sat in our 6 person car with us. We smiled and Mel and I laughed to ourselves because the sweetest girl was wearing a sweater that said BITCH! down the side, and we just knew that her, nor her parents had any idea what that meant. The girls ranged in age from 12-14, and when they started playing music on their phone a familiar voice tickled my eardrum! JUSTIN BIEBER is truly and international success! Tweens everywhere love him! We bonded over Justin and I told them he was Canadian and that we were too. The girls didn’t speak English really, but they knew and loved many of the tween musicians and of course my girl GAAAAGAAAA!

Before we knew it Mel and I were celebrities on the train, I felt like Selena Gomez. The kids were taking our pictures and taking pictures of us. The whole group of children had matching bandanas and they were going from car to car signing each others as their class trip was coming to an end. We signed the bandanas of the 4 girls in our cart (I got real good at drawing an 11pt maple leaf) and before we knew it our car was packed with all these Hungarian kids wanting us to sign their bandanas. It was super cute and made us pumped to be heading to Budapest.

Mel and I didn’t originally plan to go to Budapest but it got added into our itinerary somewhere along the way, and boy am I glad it did. Another one of those things that you have no expectations for and then get blindsided by an amazing time. Our first day was spent taking in the sites on the free walking tour. Our guides Agnes and Balag were locals and full of spunk and really interesting information. I don’t know much about history but felt like they truly gave me a lesson. It was very cool learning about Hungary's communist past as well as religious past, and quite surreal being in a country that sided with Germany during both World Wars. Hungary used to be a huge country, but due to wars lost much of its land and people, many of which can be found elsewhere in the world. Hungary was controlled politically communist until the late 80's and the people are very happy to be a free and independent country.

When they became free the people had almost nothing so the UK sent over large amounts of clothes and charity shops were set up all over the city. Budapest is a bargain shopper/vintage lovers Dream!! Mel and I spent the rest of the afternoon tracking down the best shops in the city, most of which can be found by looking for the Union Jack on store signs! Yes, we shopped and at one point I spent 7000 forint!!! (but thats only 25euro, so it was great because I got 3 shirts and a pair of pants and shorts). I have no idea how I'm going to get on the plane, I'll probably have to wear everything I own so my suitcase isn't overweight.

Our last day was spent at the Spas and Baths and it was lovely and cheap! I got a full body massage by a man with amazing hands named Baros. I was a little nervous at first because he was young and kind of cute and he touched me in places that,...well you know what I mean. It was my first massage ever and it was amazing, definitely a must do in Budapest!

After feeling relaxed and nicely pampered at the Spas, it was back to breaking our backs with our backpacks cuz we had a train to catch! We are now on an overnighter to Zurich where we will be staying with Stoffel.

Croatia and BudaPest are both places I must go back to. Mel and I felt a bit shortchanged in these places; Croatia due to the less than average weather and Budapest because we felt like we didn’t have enough time there. Both are places I must go again! (to dance with Marin and get felt up by Baros).

Now I will try to sleep as we arrive at 7:20am. I have bumped my flight back a week so will be arriving back in Canada on July 14th, so let's play together then!

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

EuroTrip 2010: Let's ride!... (8)

2010-06-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends!

I am on a Ferry watching the Italy vs. Paraguay World cup match and I’m heading to Italy, so hopefully they win so the country will be in good spirits when I arrive!. We left Santorini last night after 4 of the best days of my trip. I loved Santorini and am honestly really sad to be leaving Greece. Of course I am happy because we are heading to Venice and then Croatia, so my beach days aren’t over, but they certainly are numbered.

We arrived in Athens on the 8^th and stayed for two nights near Omonia station. Great location, 10 minute walk to the Acropolis and right in the middle of other sites such as Prostitutes and junkies shooting up, and as Melody so unfortunately encountered, grown men jacking off in the early evening on public street corners (Ya this happened, ask her about it, she loves when the scene replays over and over in her head lol). The location worked well for us though. Because it wasn’t safe for us to be out of our hostel after 10pm we were home both nights pretty early so could have early mornings for sightseeing.

Our first night in Athens was really very fun. Melody met Elsa and Stathus on her travels to Hawaii. They are a happy and fun Greek couple who love to travel. In Hawaii they raved to Melody about the beaches she would encounter in Greece in comparison to Hawaii, so Mel was super stoked to be here finally. We contacted them and to our delight they planned a night time tour of Athens for us on their Motorcycles!!!

(Authentic Crete food and drink after motorcycle tour with Elsa and Stathus)

Melody and I were pumped and were able to take in the sites with two locals showing us the way. We ended up in their neighbourhood Exarchia, which is a really cool neighbourhood that reminds me of Kensington Market but on a larger scale. They told us that they liked living there because it was a very informed area full of people with ideas and people who were able to discuss and take action on issues; I was inspired by the revolutionary feel of the place. Before going to Athens Melody and I, like many misinformed westerners were worried about the protests and violence happening in Athens due to the Greek economy. Fortunately before deciding to nix Athens we had talked to Elsa who told us that the only issue is there can be remnants of tear gas in the air, but because she is active in the protests she would have extra masks for us to use if necessary!….but no protests were scheduled while we were to be in town, and anyways I had packed my own masks…you know for all that microscopic razor sharp volcanic ash that was going to be in the air…. Hahaha (I am a worrier and the daughter of a worrier…. thanks mom!)

Elsa and Stathus took us to a park in the area called “Your parking, Our Park”. Literally, it used to be a junk yard which the government had promised the community would be transformed into a beautiful park, as the area and Athens in general is lacking in park space. Well the government never put their words into action, so the community got together and basically cleaned the area and made their own park…revolutionary no? There is a playground for children, public gardens, a lot of sitting space and mosaic work.

It was very lovely at night, and really cool during the day when Melody and I went and checked it out later. We felt like we were seeing a part of Athens that not many tourists get to see, and of course that was due to Elsa and Stathus our exceptional hosts!. I really appreciated the neighbourhood and the park as it made me even more confident that my schooling in Recreation and Business studies was the right choice. Parks and public spaces are key in building community and safe neighbourhoods. Public space is used inappropriately in so many places. In Canada we have so many parks and public spaces, but many are underused and people are afraid to get out there and get to know their neighbor. But in Athens the people were starved for a public space to get together, so they took it upon themselves to make it happen. I just felt very inspired and I think I may need to go back to school and continue my education!

They next day Mel and I headed to see some more ruins, Greek Style! The Acropolis really is a site to see, but like many old European buildings it’s in a constant state of restoration; kinda ruins a picture for you. We wandered the streets and made sure to eat a Gyro (with French fries of course), and I also purchased my third pair of shoes….which I love. We made it an early night though because we had a big day of going to the most wonderful place in the world ahead of us.

We arrived in Santorini after a long day of ferry travel and were greeted by a smiling Greek old man who was delighted to take us to International Youth Hostel Anna in Perissa, the south east town of Santorini. This is where we saw our first white houses, but they would not be our last.

(the black beach)

We signed up for the Traditional ship boat tour for our first full day in Santorini. We got on the boat around 11am and started our journey with about 60 other tourists to the Santorini Volcano, the hot springs, the fishing island of Thirassia and we would end our tour watching the sunset in Oia (the place you see on postcards or when you google Santorini). At the first stop of the tour we learned that Santorini had really only been a tourist destination for the last 20 years. It was purely a fishing village until the volcano erupted its last time in 1958. After the island was decimated the Greek government went to Santorini to help rebuild and they brought with them infrastructure; Santorini now had electricity! It was completely rebuilt with tourism in mind and now 75% of the inhabitants make a living off tourism, the other 25ish% are in construction.

The next stop was awesome because we got to jump from the boat into the water and we had to swim about 5 minutes to get to the hot springs which were a copper red (white bathing suit top was a bad choice). We made friends with some American kids on a grad trip from Northeastern (for credit, so jell) and we got some fun pics of us with the-I’m gonna say “nutrient full”-mud all over our bodies. Not sure if we were supposed to rub it on us, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was! The swim back to the boat was cool, literally! When we swam from the hot spring back to the Aegean sea there is a change in water temperature and colour ...and that temp change makes my nipples hard just thinking about it.

For lunch we stopped for 2 hours at the fishing island of Thirassia, but rather then eating fish, Mel and I took the much more budget friendly route of souvlaki platter for 2 and a coca-cola for 5 euro each….much more economical, and sooo filling!

Then it was off too Oia (pronounced EEyah) for the sunset. Now this wasn’t just any sunset, this was the most incredible sunset I have seen in my life. On this trip alone I have seen some fabulous sunsets, like sunsets I’ve literally written home about. But usually there is something on the horizon that blocks the sun, but nope not from Oia. The sun was a bright fiery orb and the world seemed flat as the orb sank below the surface of the horizon, never to be seen again….(until the next day). It really was amazing, see for yourself.

Also, we rode donkeys to get to Oia, and it was sooo funny. But truthfully I was a little put off by it because my donkey was real little and he was last and the guy kept whipping him and I didn’t like that he was doing it and it was also a tad scary because we were so close to the edge and there were like 50 donkeys, and its really hard to take pictures with one hand and hold on to the reins with all your might with the other…but I survived.

(My donkey, I called him Donkey)

Instead of island hopping as was originally planned Mel and I realized that we’d rather stay on Santorini for our whole time and really get a good feel for it, rather than spending hours on ferries and not feeling like we saw any islands. So the next day we spent the morning laying on the black beach (black due to volcanic rock), and in the afternoon Mel and I rented an ATV and did some intense island touring with our new American friends from Northeastern, George and Jonathan. At some points we were rolling with a sick ATV biker gang of 12 deep. We rode to the highest point on the island, and then headed to Kamari beach for the last of the sunshine and to do a little cliff jumping (I jumped twice and I was so scared, but you should have seen the little kids that were jumping, and the heights they were going from, like how do you have no fear?)

(Mel and both must learn how to jump without plugging our noses)

We ended our ATV adventures with a wine tasting at Santo winery and yes we saw another amazing sunset. This wasn’t the end of the night for Mel and I though, I mean it was Saturday after all. We had some drinking and dancing to do….and what better place to do it then at Beach Bar….the name says it all and it was really fun. Not as wild or crazy as something you might find on the party islands of Mykonos or Ios, but good enough for Mel and I because where we go a party is inevitable!

The next morning was our last day on the island because we were taking an overnight ferry back to the mainland that night. We kept our ATV for a few more hours and headed to the Red Beach which was probably the hottest beach I have ever been on and it looked and felt like what I imagine mars would look and feel like…RED HOT! Then we drove on some wicked fun windy roads to the middle of the island to the town of Thira. We said a farewell to our American friends with a promise to have a Boston-Toronto reunion soon and then headed into town to do what else but take pictures and check out the shops. Oh we also ate some more Gyros….!

I am sad to leave Greece because the people were just sooo friendly. I was at first worried about the language barrier and had practice sessions with fellow Canadians on the ferry here on how to pronounce “Meh Late Anglikah?” properly. Because Greece is a tourist hotspot their signage is for the most part both in Greek and English….ya the saying it’s all Greek to me is very accurate. I loved seeing the revolutionary side in Athens and being around people who cared about their government and who were excited about being involved in the issues. In Canada we don’t have that excitement about issues, at least where I hang, and the youth aren’t taking issues into their own hands. Maybe this is good and it means that we’re on the right track and all is gravy, or maybe we just don’t care? But it would be nice to actually feel enthusiasm and interest towards how my country is being run, like the Greeks do. Maybe I need to expand my own knowledge, or maybe Steven Harper needs to shake it up a bit. He should start by legalizing public drinking!….not public drunkenness, but being able to drink in public is something you can do all over Europe, and you’re bound to find people getting together in one of the many public squares chatting, and having a good time with each other. We have our pre-drinks, but if you want to go out you need to have money, and that’s something I’m just not going to be rolling in when I get home. Public drinking is something I am down for! Who’s with me?

Ok, rally when I get back! I’m working on pushing my flight back a few days so I can finish all the days on my Eurorail pass…Ill keep ya’ll posted though and let you know when I’ll be back. As always feel free to msg me and comment or send some love my way….I miss ya!

Love and Kisses,

EuroTrip 2010: Italy. Let's get ruined! (7)

2010-06-09T13:36:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,

I am now in Greece sitting on the balcony outside my hostel room listening to the night time sounds of Athens. In the sketchy area that I am in (near Omonia station) the sounds include yelling, bottles smashing, the faint call of a prostitute and the soft whir of sirens in the distance. I have had a great time in Athens so far, and am off to the Volcanic Island of Santorini tomorrow morning, so I should get started telling you about Italy!

(I need to work on my tan in Santorini!)

Where to begin? Well as you have all devotedly read my last blog I guess I can start in Cinque Terre. This was the day hike we did with no sleep after our 36 hour journey from Barcelona. The Cinque Terre is made up of 5 villages along the magnificent Italian Riviera that are all connected by train or foot path. We went to 4 out of the 5 villages, and enjoyed the cliff side views.

(Cinque Terre town)

(coastin)

After the hike I high tailed it back to Genoa because I had a train to catch to Milan so I could meet up with my cousin Steven. I made the train and was able to find my hostel, after a short freak out and watery eyed plead for a restaurant to call my hostel and tell them i was going to be there after midnight and to not lock me out. On the way I also managed to pick up two Aussies that had been aimlessly wandering the streets of Milan for 3 hours looking for Accommodation. They would have been lost without me...literally...Good deed for the day:check.

That night I slept like a baby and woke up well rested. Steven and I met near the train station that day and he took me around to some spots he liked in Milan and we got the most expensive espresso I had ever had. Most of the day was spent walking and talking and when we realized we were lost, we found a map and saw that we were basically where we needed to be. Such great sense of direction us Gouveia's have, thats's why I'm such a great traveler.

(Me and Steven...Italy has the most McDonalds out of any European country)

After saying goodbye to Steven and making him promise he would try his hardest to come to Canada soon, I met back up with Mel, and the two of us headed to Florence. Honestly, I was glad my travelling alone was done because it was quite stressful and a little scary at times. I was proud of myself for doing it though, and am sure I will do it again, but the first one was tough...but the lack of sleep may have also attributed to that.

In Florence we camped at this sweet site owned by Plus Camping. These campsites are located all over Italy. They give you a tent with beds in it and electricity and the whole thing basically cost 1 euro more then camping with your own tent, so we opted for their facilities. Oh and we also finally got to do some real laundry!!! Yes, to clean underwear!

Florence was beautious and while we were there there was a Gelato festival going on. I had about 8 cups in the span of 2.5 hours so was quite satisfied and engorged. My fave part of Florence was the church in the pic below and of course Michelangelo's David. Truly a masterpiece that I wasn't prepared for. The shear size of the statue is insane and then the detail and precision just mind boggling.....truly a must see!

(yummy, not sick of it at all)

(Loved)
From Florence we headed to Rome and stayed for 4 nights. Saw the old city and lots of ruins!!!! We went to Palatine hill and of course to the Colosseum which was really cool. Only problem with Rome and Italy is that there are sooo many tourists! Probably why we found Italy to be a bit rude and felt like they didn't want us there...prob because they actually didn't want us there. The country must be sooo sick of tourists. Melody was put off because as she pointed out, the people want our money and that's it. We didn't feel like customer service was a strong point or that people who were performing for money were there to entertain, because they basically play a song and then put out their cup and don't smile or anything, it was quite off putting. Lot's of great accordion players though! I'm thinking of getting one for SidePonyNation!

(Colossal!)

(I went to the Vatican and LOVED THE SISTINE CHAPEL....this is the roof...shhhh don't tell anyone!)

Thank god we didn't leave after Rome because as we made our way more south Italy got less expensive and friendlier! Our last stop was in Sorrento, a town on the Amalfi coast, beautiful views and hot weather. On the train there from Naples we met a young couple from Milton. They were backpacking too, and with an 11 month old son! They weren't new to the back packing scene, but they were taking on the new challenge of backpacking with their bundle of joy Levi. It was awesome talking to them as they were both super down to earth, seemed like good parents, and they gave us hope that having kids and settling down doesn't have to suck as much as I think it's going to. (Sorry to anyone who has settled down and had kids lol, but if it sucks it doesn't have to! ;)

The Canadian couple talked to us on the train because they saw that Mel and I both had Canadian flags on our bags. Now I got my Canadian flag luggage tag (thanks Tarah) because I thought that's what people did when they went backpacking; they repped their countries flag. I quickly found out that this was not the case, and that Canadians are THE ONLY ONES rocking their flag on their backpacks. I've even gotten some slack for it from an Aussie guy because I think people think were really trying to distinguish ourselves from Americans. Maybe it used to be about differentiation, but it's not about that anymore. Now I think it's more about pride and I really dig that it's a Canadian thing. Especially since were a country made up of immigrants, it's nice to know that so many different people and cultures can all come together and be welcomed and proud to represent themselves to the foreign world with the maple leaf! Man I love Canada, I love to travel, but I LOVE CANADA!

(Your Welcome)

I may love Canada, but the Italians love to sell trinkets! From Sorrento we went to Pompeii to see the ruins. It was really cool, because the city is soooo well preserved and is sooooo old. My fave part of the city was the brothel because there were intact frescoes of the "menu", so customers could just point at what they wanted and it would be provided...and doggy style was around in 79 AD...and yes of course I took pics. Pompeii was full of tourists and therefore full of people trying to sell you some type of jewelery, or statue or postcard or wooden penis with wings. North America get's a lot of slack for being such a consumerist society with ads everywhere and media coming at you from all angles trying to get you to watch a certain program, or buy a certain product. But over here you're hounded too, but by people constantly and annoyingly trying to get you to buy what they got. It's exhausting really, I mean I can't wait till I can look at a product in a store and not be hounded to buy it as soon as my gaze falls on the outer seam.

(sunset in Florence)
Anywho, I really did enjoy Italy and am excited to hit up Venice on the way back from Greece. In Italy I didn't really feel as connected to my culture as I did in Portugal, but it was probably due to the touristicness (sp?) of the places I went. I will have to make it to Calabria on my next trip, and of course to Sicily as we had to forego a visit to the Sicilians we had met in Amsterdam due to time constraints.

That's all for now my loves, miss you all and I'll see you in less then a month!

Love an Kisses,

TaCaGo

My EuroTrip Song

2010-06-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

Tanya's EuroTrip 2010 Song

Stereo Love
Edward Maya Feat. Vika Jigulina

Great tune, it's the best when the accordion kicks in!

Give her a Gander...or don't because you'll prob hear the remix over and over and over and over again in a few weeks!

Love!

By the way, I loved SPAIN!!! (6)

2010-06-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Instead of telling you about Spain, I thought I'd show you!

We went to:

Sevilla-Saw some Flamenco and this crazy bull fight accident on the news!

Also, had a cultural experience with locals at a rollerblade competition and nabbed some amazing Graffiti shots.

(she was rather mannish)

(ya it was hot, and not just cause the three of us were there...It went up to 39 that day)

Madrid-Stashed our stuff at Madrid Train Station, and partied all night until the 8am train to Valencia.

(Just made it in time to get a locker before they closed, or else this night would have been very different)

(Drinking like the locals....but not what they drink, just where and how...we opted for Don Simon, a nice option for the homeless)

(So sweaty)

Valencia-Met back up with our good buddy Saar in Valencia! Lovely city, wicked beach, rented bikes, went to the future, awesome hostel and met and partied with some sweet ass New jersey Boys….Homemade Sangria anyone?

(Yes this exists in real life)

Barcelona-A city I could live in, very historic, hip, fun, and Casio lives there….sigh Casio. Parc Guell was my top 3 fave things I’ve seen so far, and the style in Barcelona just can’t be beat…got some new Pantaloons and Catalonian shoes….yes, another pair of shoes….

(Boqueria market)

(Friends Forever!!!)

(Saar's last night....tear)

(Our drink of choice in Spain...can run from .55 to 1.50 euro...this one was taken from the free cupboard at the hostel!!!!)

(Me and Picasso)

(Me and Sagrada Familia...literally not even close to being finished...nice tho! Gaudi is wicked)

(Tapas bar)

(HIgh jump, new outfit, and LAS strikes again!)

(I have a funny story about this cactus...remind me to tell you about it)

(Magice fountian light show...a great way to end our time in Barcelona)

Spain was beautiful, and friendly and pretty easy to get along in. Sadly, it is also where we said farewell to our great Irish friend Saar. We will definitely meet again though…Croatia?

I am no in Roma, and will have many Italian storiesw for you all. For now it is off to bed.

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

Eurotrip 2010: Bad case of the hiccups! (5)

2010-05-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

Bon journo from Italia!

Let me tell you about my last 48 hours…

Last time I left you I was just beginning my Spanish travels. I’ll get back to that later because it was amazing, but for now I would like to tell you about the last two days. I am in Italy on my way to Milan and am finally having some time to create this entry. Melody and I wanted to leave Barcelona on the 27^th in order to arrive in Genoa by the 28^th to meet up with her hunky and fun boyfriend Stoffel, so we could all hike Cinque Terre together. We were going to leave quite early so we would still have a chance to take a day trip to Marseille or Nice in the French Riviera. But, as is quite common, plans change, because as is quite common France Rail goes on strike! (1^st hiccup)

After cursing the French, we weighed our options and Mel and I opted for the overnight Ferry from Barcelona to Livorno Italy. The Ferry would depart at Midnight and arrive at 7:30 pm in the Port of Livorno the next day. Quite a long Ferry, but only 27 euro, and it still gave us plenty of time to catch a train into Genoa to meet Melody’s BF on the 28^th.The very last thing Melody and I did before catching our train was head down with a bunch of new friends to Placa d’Espanya to view the magic fountain light show. Around 10:45 we knew we were cutting it close to arriving at the Ferry terminal for our 11 ‘o clock check in time, so we ran all the way WITH OUR BAGS to the metro, then all the way from the Metro to the Terminal. At the terminal we were told we could board at 11:30pm. We ran for nothing but were stoked because we were on track, so we blotted the sweat and had some snacks. Turns out we didn’t end up boarding the Ferry until about 12:30, and didn’t end up departing Barcelona until 2pm (so literally ran for nothing). (2^nd hiccup)

The up side of all this was that because we didn’t book a cabin, we were expected to sleep in the ferry bar because there were no assigned seats for passengers without cabins. I know what you’re thinking, “Tanya is such a bar star, she just loves partying all night”. But to our delight the bar was empty and had long couches with very comfy cushions. I also was able to meet two Catalonians, Joel and Albert, and the three of us finished a bottle of wine, while Melody slept. Later, I crawled into my sleeping bag on the comfy couch at about 4 am, and had one of the most enjoyable overnight transportation sleeps I have had yet.

I strongly suggest taking Ferries long distances over trains, because the next day was spent out on the deck sunning ourselves on the provided deck chairs in the middle of the Mediterranean and enjoying the company of our new friends, as well as the musical expertise of the Spanish Seniors choir that was also aboard. It wasn’t until around 6 pm that Melody and I started thinking about what the heck we were going to do when we arrived in Livorno. We had learned that the Ferry was going to be 4 hours late, which insured we would miss all trains going to Genoa. (3^rd hiccup)

After again weighing our options, we came up with a plan B. Pisa it was! It was a larger station, and it was also where our new friends were camping before continuing their Italian Motorcycle journey. This is where we became frustrated though because after speaking with the manager of the Grimaldi-lines Ferry we were on, I’ll call him Big Fat Bastard, we learned that Customer Service is not a strong point in Italy….but hopefully not a trending topic. Basically, Melody and I were stranded due to the 4 hour delay and Grimaldi-lines was not providing any compensation, or help in terms of continuing our journey. They will be receiving a strongly worded letter from me. Our only option was to take a cab from Livorno to Pisa, and that cab cost 60 euro! (4^th hiccup)

In the end, we shared a 60 euro cab with an American family. I even tried talking to the cabbie about the price and seeing if we could cut a deal, but he was not having it. This was the first time I felt like I was taken advantage of for being a “tourist”, and it sucked not having any other options, especially since it was a pretty short cab ride. I mean I have taken longer cab rides home from the bar that only cost me 10 euro. When we arrived in Pisa, we needed internet, or some way to contact her BF to let him know we would not be arriving in Genoa that night, but that we would take the 3:30 am train to arrive in Genoa by 6:14 am. Melody has had her own case of the hiccups on her trip, losing her water bottle, sunglasses, breaking a purse, losing her scarf, and most recently losing/getting stolen her cell phone. We were very much reliant on both the kindness of a hostel worker, and Melody’s knack for making her eyes well up with tears on command. We got Stoffel the message and decided to check out the leaning tower! It was pretty close so we made the hike, and we met some Toronto Canadians on the way. The tower at night was pretty cool, leaning and tower-like of course, and it worked out pretty well that we were able to see it at this point in the journey rather than making a special trip at a later time.

We headed back to the train station and waited for our train to arrive. It was a sleeper car, and it was full! (5^th hiccup) We ended posting up in the hallway of the sleeper car, which was very dark, dingy, run down and most of all stinky. After no sleep, we arrived to Genova, and after an excruciatingly painful and exhaustingly long and lost walk, we made it to a very nice hotel in Genova called NovoTel. Now after being up all night you would think that we would hop right into those comfy beds and get some shut eye, but you’d be wrong! We had things to do and a full days hike with Stoffel in Cinque Terre, I mean that’s the whole reason Stoffel was meeting us in Genova… well that and to finally meet yours truly of course ;) Rather than sleeping we decided to plan our next steps using the free wi-fi that all European McDonalds have, and then we would start our all day hike through the lush old world coastal paths of the Cinque Terre. But as has been customary in the last 48 hours, one can’t expect Italy to be like everywhere else in Europe, and the “free” wifi was only available for use by people with Italian SIM cards. (6^th hiccup)

So it was back to the hotel for us, in order to pay 5 euro an hour for hotel internet (which is ridiculous by the way). One thing we have learned on this trip is DO NOT TAKE ONE PERSONS ANSWER FOR TRUTH! Always get a second opinion because after asking a different hotel employee we found that the hotel offers a free internet connection, so no thanks to the first woman I asked before we even went to McDonalds for no reason! We quickly did our internet business and booked accommodation in Florence for Sunday and Monday and then decided to head to the station to make the 12pm train to Cinque Terre. The three of us had a lovely day together, and I will post picks of the park soon.

Melody and Stoffel want some alone time in Genova, and I want to meet up with my cousin Steven, so I am off by myself to Milan for the night! Currently, I am the most ragamuffin and stinky person on the train (and that’s saying a lot) because I have only slept 3 hours in the last 36, I haven’t really showered since Barcelona, I’ve stayed up all night, hiked all day, and broken into mad sweat twice running long distance to and from my train all in the same outfit. On a side note, I am wearing my Modrobes lounge pants and Modarchy jacket, and I highly recommend these items to travellers, as they are lightweight, quite versatile and fashionable, and they don’t absorb my stankiness like other clothing would. Now I am scheduled to arrive in Milan at 11:30pm and my hostel reception closes at midnight, so please do wish me luck friends, and hopefully my hiccups have subsided.

This was not meant to be a venting or complaining entry, but more or less an example of how my problem solving and stress management skills are getting tested. It is also to let you know that I am alive and well and loving being a full time traveler! It is tiring, and definitely doesn’t always feel like a vacation, but reflecting back on the blur that is my life right now makes me happy to share it with all of you and makes me want to urge you all to do something that completely takes you out of your comfort zone, that scares and excites you and that requires you to look at something that you may think is “weird” or “wrong” and instead calling it “different”. With each hiccup we found new options and Melody and I are good at sussing things out. Even when things don’t work out as planned, they still work out, and I wouldn’t really change anything about the last 48 hours…well except maybe my underwear.

Anywho, dear friends, I miss you and will be back in a Monthish!

Love and Kisses as always!

Eurotrip 2010: Two feet and a heartbeat? Ok, we’re walking! (4)

2010-05-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hola friends,

I am sitting on a bus just leaving Faro in the Portuguese Algarve and heading to Seville, Spain. Melody and I had no idea we would be in Portugal as long as we’ve been, but we couldn’t find a reason to leave, and had so many reasons to stay…so we did.

(Me, Saar and Mel, enjoying Sagres a tasty Portuguese beer)

Our first two nights were spent in Lisboa at the Old Town Hostel. This hostel was the best yet, very nice and so hospitable and friendly, you must stay there if you come to Lisboa and do tell Jaoa I say hello…sigh. Our first day was spent drinking Sangria, wandering the narrow stoned streets and ascending great heights to see some amazing views of the city. I didn’t really know much about Lisboa before coming here, but it is a city very much like San Francisco with a huge red bridge, very steep streets and lots of stairs….not very biker friendly. The first night we went to the party district of Bairro Alto. We tried some authentic Portugese drinks called Caipirinha, then later Ginjinha and Amendoa Amarga (almond flavour with LOTS of lemon). The next day the hostel chef, Tiago, offered to show Melody, David (the kiwi) and Saar (the Irish) and I around and take us to the Thieves Market, he also cooked us an authentic Portugese dinner of Bacalao that night, which was super tasty. The flea market was huge and it was full of people selling old, new and used stuff/junk, we spent hours there and I was able to add to my button collection!

After talking to Jaoa and learning that a trip to Lisboa wasn’t complete without a trip north to Sintra, Melody and I decided to part from the boys and do some hiking and see some castles, before heading down to the Algarve. Hiking is all well and good, but we both had all of our bags and the train station in Sintra had no lockers. Not only are we super attractive, but we are also super buff so we decided to tough out the 50lbs of baggage and do the hike with all our gear. We considered it conditioning, and plus we liked it when we passed a group of people on the trail huffing and puffing and we were strolling merrily along with the equivalent of a small child strapped to our backs. We felt very accomplished after our hike and treated ourselves to a Sagres and Pasteis de Nata before catching our bus to Guincho, where we would camp for the night.

(Much needed break and photo op)

(One of the Mountain Castles)

(Sintra)

The bus was the wildest I have ever been on, not only were we driving on narrow roads in a huge city bus, but we were also on the side of mountains going about 80 km….but the ocean view was beautiful, and I trusted that the bus driver would get us to where we were going safely. When we got to Malveira, he pointed us in the right direction of Guincho beach camping and left us to continue the 5km journey on foot. We were ready, because the last leg of the journey always gives us a bit of an adrenaline rush because we know the end is in sight. Turns out we didn’t even have to walk because a nice couple drove by, stopped and then stuck their thumb out the window, a kind of reverse hitch hiking. Mel and I looked at each other looked at the truck and then ran towards it. Turns out they were an America and Welsh couple living in Portugal; travelers just like us. They didn’t kidnap and murder us, or sell us into the sex trade, so my faith in humanity is still strong!

(Guincho beach at night)

Guincho is a mostly untouched area, with a beautiful sandy beach and lovely green fauna. After camping that night near the beach, we headed to the beach for our first day in our swim suits! It was hot, with a nice breeze and a good amount of surfers to watch. But we of course couldn’t stay because as travelers you can’t stay in one place for too long, and we wanted to head into the Algarve. With travelling you mustn’t stay in one place too long, but you also must be flexible in your plans, and as it were, we weren’t able to make it to Lagos that day so much to my delight we had to spend one more night in Lisboa at the Old Town Hostel. And even better we met back up with the Savage and Deadly (Irish slang) Saar, who was travelling back through Lisboa as well. Now the three of us have been travelling together ever since.

After saying farewell to Joao and all the other friendly and awesome staff at the hostel we left to go south to the town of Sagres (the most south west point in Europe, but not where the beer is made). We got a hot tip about a beach we could camp on near there and so made our way to Sagres, and had a nice 2km walk to the beach we’d be camping on. We spent an epic night alone on a beach in the middle of nowhere, under the stars, listening to the waves, only a tad worried that the tide was going to come up ( but it didn’t…note to self, learn more about tides). At night when the tide was out we could walk into crevices that are usually water covered. Of course as we respect the environment and take only pictures and leave only footprints, we packed up real well and didn’t leave a trace and were able to spend the whole day on the beach with the other day beachers.

(On the way to our private beach)

(Sunset in Sagres)

(Waking up on our own private beach!)

A surf school called Sagres Natura (http://www.sagresnatura.com/) was giving a group of students lessons because the waves here were the perfect size for beginners. The group they had were all male, so the instructor Luis (who reminded me of a Portugese Captain Ron) asked Melody and I to pose in a picture with the group because they wanted more ladies because the picture was for a newspaper article that was going to be written about them. Of course it took a lot of convincing for me to say yes to pose for a picture with them, but we did it, and then Luis offered us a free lesson and time with the surf board when the students took a break! We jumped at the chance, and Mel, Saar and I each had a go with the surfboards for free…so Luis made our epic day even epicer!

(Most South Western pt of Continental Europe)

After the epic day, we continued our whirlwind tour of the Algarve hitting up Lagos, camping in Alvor and hostelling in Faro. Now we are on our way to Seville for one night. Being a whirlwind traveler and hitting up new cities and towns every day is exciting but also can take a toll on you. So After Seville we are taking a much deserved break in Barcelona, then it is off to the French Riviera and then another Heritage moment for me in Italy!

(Promo for Madeira in Faro. Due to the floods that happened in Madeira earlier this year there are many promotional exhibits for Madeira on the mainland)

(Portugal, especially Lisboa is covered in graffiti.Much of it is ugly tags, but there are many wonderful and creative pieces aswell...I liked him)

All in all I have loved Portugal and will be coming back hopefully with my family as well because I still need to go to my roots of Madeira Island in the Azores. Hope all is well where you are.

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

EuroTrip 2010: Back to my roots!... (3)

2010-05-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

(Lynn, Mel found this sweet shell with a hole in it on the beach so I added it to the necklace, sweet eh?)

Ola from Portugal!

We just arrived on an overnight train to Lisbon, from San Sebastian, Spain this morning. I have yet to explore...(showers after an overnight train are a necessary priority), but I already am feeling very at home. I have always wanted to visit the two countries of my heritage...and as of today I can say that while I do not speak the language, YES! I have been to Portugal. It makes me very happy to be able to say that and I am excited to see what the city of Lisbon has to offer.

Yesterday, we spent the day in San Sebastian, after arriving the previous day from Paris. KTO was the best host and it was sad to say goodbye, but exciting to get out and "on to the next one" again. San Sebastian is so beautiful and I could have stayed there more then one night easily if the weather was nicer. We decided to chase the sun south, and should be on a beach at the latest on Sunday! I highly reccommend San Sebastian and will definitely be going back there.

(View from the top of the highest point of San Sebastian)

(Two of the 9 Pinxtos we tried...Octopus and Scallops...we also had pig ear...not my fave)

It's a beautiful city right on the ocean. It is famous for Tapas, or as they say in Basque country Pinxtos (Pinchos). The hostel we stayed at ran a pub crawl and we had the funnest party night on the trip yet. The other partiers were awesome and I was able to salsa, do the macarena and have a hip hop dance battle all in the same night. We had a little help from Sidra (cider) and of course Sangria. Unlike the UK pub crawl we did, we actually felt like we got our monies worth on this one, the Spanish do not skimp on their liquor or their cute boys...especially ones named Ricardo....Oh Ricardo (sigh).

(San Sebastian before we left, never seen a more beautiful sky)

Mel and I are now travelling with a New Zealander named Dave and an Irish dude named Saar that we met at the San Sebastian hostel. Both are really cool and down to camp with us when we head to the Algarve in a day or two. It will be our first time breaking out the tent so are glad we can have other peeps there to join.

Anywho, its my turn to shower and then I will explore...haven't had a beach day yet, but we are so close to being able to have one I can taste the salty water!

Ciao!

TaCaGo

EuroTrip 2010: Paris or Bus(t) (2)

2010-05-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am writing this to you from my dear friend KTO's cute and quaint apartment in Paris. We finally made it, although we were held up on our bus at the UK/France border because they took one guy off the bus to talk to him, and never let him back on...sucks to be that guy.

After recovering from Queen's day Melody and I finished off Amsterdam with an amazing 8 hour and 72km bike ride through the Dutch country side. It was very beautiful and enjoyable and we found the Dutch to be very patient and friendly because as Melody said "The Dutch are really patient because we haven't gotten any honks and we have done many honkable things" (such as riding on the hiway, and stopping and checking the map in not the best spots...) The amazing thing about the Netherlands is that bikes are the most used form of transportation, and they have separate infrastructure specifically for cyclists, it's really amazing and we could definitely take a point or two from the Dutch when designing our public transportation infrastructure. We made our journey from town to town completely using bike paths...it was awesome, and tiring.

(Tulip Field)

(A lone tulip on the side of the hiway)

We were sad to say "Arrivederci" to our new Sicilian friends in Amsterdam, but we may now be visiting them in Siciliy if it all works out! Before leaving the Sicilians we made a point to learn some key phrases for when we head to Italy, such as "Sai parlare Inglese?", but that had to be reworked to "Sai conversare Inglese" as Melody and I, though talented with our tongues had lots of trouble getting the rolling of the tongue that saying "Parlare" requires....we're working on it though.

The bus ride from Amsterdam to London went by pretty quickly and I had my first experience of the Chunnel (Channel Tunnel). For those of you who don’t know, the Chunnel is basically an underwater subway tunnel. It was surreal because I was in a coach bus, inside a giant subway car, being taken through an underwater tunnel from one country to another. I was pretty cool...although the novelty wears off and it was less cool the second time coming back to Paris.

(Me at the back of the bus in the Chunnel)

We arrived in London at 8am on the 5^th and dropped our stuff at the hostel and took the NewEurope Free walking tour! We did the one in Amsterdam and did the on in Paris too! These tours give you an entertaining and affordable experience because the guides work for tips, as well they operate throughout Europe, so Mel and I will def be taking advantage of them throughout the next 2 months. Also in London, Museums are FREE…and since that's my favourite word we were able to see some mummies and the Rosetta stone for Free at the British Museum.

(Rosetta Stone)

We went to Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guards, which was probably the most underwhelming thing so far. But mostly we walked around a lot in London and got oriented with the city. It was nice being in a country where everyone spoke English, but I am excited to have to try a little harder to communicate with people. Oh I also got attacked by a hungry/friendly squirrel!

(He wasn't selling drugs he he)

(Squirrel!!! Christmas Vacation anyone?)

Mel and I are doing pretty good with keeping track of our budget, and hitting up grocery stores for food and carrying it with us. For example today we crossed one thing off my to do list because we bought a baguette, some Camembert and some 2.95 wine and sat in front of the magnificence of the Eiffel Tower, we felt very Parisien...and I'm sure so did the hundreds of other tourists doing the same thing!

The next three days are supposed to be rainy in Paris so we will do Museums and also head to the D-day beaches which should be very humbling.

I'm really enjoying seeing things I have only ever since on T.V. or in books and love that each day is new and different. Miss yall!

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

EuroTrip 2010: Dam Straat I’m in Amsterdam (1)

2010-05-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

(Just one of Amsterdams many unique buildings)

Hoi! dear friends from the vice filled city of Amsterdam!

After a 7 hour flight, 5 hour layover in London and an hour plane ride to Holland, I have arrived and partied like it’s the Queen’s Birfday!

Since I have been in Amsterdam I have almost been run over by a Dutch cyclist, I have found myself as a main attraction in a random drum parade dance party, I have done my best to reassure some no-English-Italian guys on shrooms that their friend having a bad trip was going to be fine…while they were tripping, I have wandered the stone streets stoned and with a group of Aussies and Italians, I have eaten herring from a vendor (not a fan) and I have danced to euro Hardcore music in a sea of Orange ….let’s just say I am experiencing Amsterdam!….well except for the 50 euro per 15 minute prostitutes.

(Riding the ferris wheel on the first night, the National Monument can be seen on the ground below, very phallic)

If you know anything about Amsterdam it’s probably about the red light district. Our hostel, the Bulldog hotel (www.bulldoghotel.com) is smack in the middle of the red light district, so I have seen many beautiful (and not so beautiful) women scantily clad standing provocatively behind their red lit glass window. It’s shocking to see at first and it kind of weirds me out, but in a sad and curious way…it makes me think about what their life is really like, and what their reasons for doing what they do are.

Enough about that though. The main reason I began in Amsterdam was because I wanted to start my trip with a bang! No, no, not a 15 dollar hooker…a big party! This party is Queen’s day which was on April 30^th. These European people really know how to celebrate the Monarchy! Every street was closed to traffic, public transit and bicyclists (who usually have the right of way). Pedestrians and the many revelers boating on the canals had taken over. But this wasn’t like in Toronto where one street may be closed, or Dundas square, and it’s not like LollaPalooza (the next biggest party I’ve ever been to) in which a giant party is enclosed in a massive park…no no, this was a CITY-WIDE Party! Tourists of all types flocked to Amsterdam, and I was exposed to many different cultures in one day! Everywhere you went in the city was full of people drinking, dancing, smoking, chilling, climbing things, boating and unfortunately, littering and peeing in the streets. Now Amsterdam has had a long history of Men peeing in the canal and all over the streets it’s really gross because every once in a while you can catch a wiff. They even have public urinals set up everywhere for the dudes and many still piss in the canal. Sadly the female outdoor urinals had to be shut down back in the day after they were protested for by a group of feminists who said it was discrimination to make women have to pay per public toilet use rather then allow them to pee in the streets like men. Unfortunately, these female public toilets were shutdown due to junkies using the enclosed space as a place to shoot up. During Queens Day I paid a total of 1.50 euro to use the bathroom two different times….but let me tell you…it was an Emergency and well worth the buck fitty.

(Beautiful day for dancing)

It is really interesting experiencing completely foreign cultures and people in their natural habitat, it makes me think differently about my pre conceived notions of judging a book by its cover (we all do it) because then when you hear their voice it throws your whole schema of things off because you have a new sense of who they are by their culture. I don’t know, that might just be the lemon haze talking. One thing I did find ironic was that even though pot is so accessible in Amsterdam there are still illegal hard drug dealers prowling the streets and funnily enough if you want hard drugs you just go to the black guy on the street standing and whispering "Crack, Mushrooms, Charlie" at you as you walk merrily by. Some things are just universal I guess lol. Believe me when I say, hard drugs are just about the only thing you can get in trouble for by the Politie (police) in Amsterdam.

Currently, Melody and I are blogging and journal writing in the lobby of our hotel, sweet music is playing (did you know the best Dj’s in the world are in Amsterdam? Well, now you do), and we are enjoying the sesspool of European culture parading by, it’s quite lovely and wonderful. Tomorrow we will go to the Van Gogh museum or possibly bike tour through tulip fields, I’ll let you know.

(Yes I have already bought a pair of shoes...practical and stylish, only 20 euro...and they match my fanny pack!)

I wish you all luck and happiness,

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

Mmmm Cake: It's a sign!

2010-04-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I will be embarking on a great adventure this Wednesday, heading to the foreign and wonderful land of Europe. My girls @aomok and @lymoffatt love cake and love me, so they decided to create a beautiful cake, with monogrammed icing; a celebration of my upcoming adventure!

EJon is replacing me for the two months I'm gone. The four of us ate the cake together and once full, stopped eating and decided we should save some until tomorrow. When me and the girls looked down we noticed the leftover cake looked rather phallic. Ada and ly and I gave the cake a quick trim, and changed it from a Bon Voyage Tanya cake into a Welcome Ian cake....The cake being symbolic of Ian joining the household.

This was not planned, it happened organically, which is a sure sign that this was meant to be!

Love and Kisses,

@TaCaGo

MODROBES RE-Launch Party: Sustainable garments have never looked better!

2010-04-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

Remember that wicked brand from the 90's called Modrobes? You know the colourful pants that were a big part of the Hospital Pants craze? You may have even owned a pumpkin orange pair? Personally, I had navy blue and black.

Well Modrobes is back, and sustainable! The new product is made with recycled and environmentally friendly materials. I went to the launch party this past Saturday at it's 620 Queen West location, and here are some pics!

DJ Greg Gouw keeping the crowd boppin while they were shoppin! (30% discount at the party, niiice)

@lymoffatt working it...literally!

@Ionus_ being a poser with Steve Sal Debus (the brains behind @modrobes). Ian is wearing a Modrobes Williamsburg jacket in coffee.

My loves RJ and Josh wearing matching Alternative Earth (also sold at Modrobes).

@Lee_Van, @K_O_ and friends drinking some free wine and looking hawt!

My goodness this party had so many attractive people at it!

Model wearing Modrobes Riding Jacket...oops I mean RJ te he, I thought he was a model.

The girls of @SidePonyNation working as SidePromoNation. @TaCaGO is wearing Modrobes Harem pants and @lymoffatt is wearing Modrobes Eucalyptus Lyocell longsleeve.

Party was a blast and went strong until the keg from Beau's Organic brew ran dry! It was a good night!

Check out more @Modrobes here: http://www.modrobes.com/

Love and Kisses,

SuperTest @ El Mocambo April 9th

2010-04-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

I hit up the El Mocambo (464 Spadina) this past Friday April 9th, to see one of my favourite up and coming bands, SuperTest, play as part of the Supernova "Band On The Run" competition. The Competition brings together diverse indie bands to cool venues and leaves the winner to be picked by the votes of fans!

I had never been to the El Mocambo before, rather the "Elmo", as those "in the know" call it. It was built in the 1800's, so is basically a historical landmark, especially since rock legends the Rolling Stones played here back in the 70's. It was dark, grimy, and had quite a plethora of explicit poetry written on the walls by past patrons....the perfect place for a rock show!

SuperTest went on stage around 7pm, and that's also when a crowd began surrounding the stage....coincidence? I think not! This band is young, and has only been together since May 2009, but they have a following. As I write this, I have just been informed that they were the 1st prize winners of last Fridays "Band on the Run"competition because they garnered the most votes, so they will move on to the city finals in June at the Sound Academy. Pretty good for a rock band whose members are all under the age of 18!

The band is composed of co-lead singers/co-lead guitarists Luigi Casole and Michael Licandro, with Michael Menecola on bass, and Patrick Casole manning the drums. When the boys got on stage they were happy to have a crowd and we're pumped that people had shown up just for them. Luigi wore a Guns and Roses T-shirt, (probably older than he is) and he thanked the crowd for coming as Michael M. began playing a funky and recognizable bass beat...then came the eerie drum. Michael L. came in with perfect time with the distinctive electric guitar and the crowd knew they were listening to a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train", we were just waiting for the first "Aye Aye Aye". And we got it! Luigi's voice is deep and strong, and very mature sounding. It was perfectly matched to a song like "Crazy Train". The boys started strong, and finished strong with a solo by Michael L.

For their second song SuperTest switched up lead singers and Luigi picked up his guitar, so they could perform an Untitled original. Michael L. is a really good vocalist, and he's definitely a hand talker because when he wasn't joining Lui on guitar he was bouncing and having fun singing with his hands, which shows he was really feeling the music and was into his performance. Michael M. looked to be enjoying himself onstage and was bouncing with his bass, but is definitely the more strong silent type of the group. Patrick was hidden in the back behind his drum set, looking cool and confident...I foresee some panties being thrown his way a la Tommy Lee in the near future. Not too near of course, I mean this is my cousin we're talking about.

Before the third song, another original called "Gotta Move On", the boys gave a shout out to their "taxi drivers"; moms and dads who were in the audience. It was sweet and made you realize if you didn't know, that they were probably a lot younger than you thought. They play so strongly, and sound like a band who have played dozens of shows and been together for more than a year. Check out "Gotta Move On" below.

The fourth song "Too Late" was written for a television show SuperTest was recently featured in called "Can your school Rock?" (CYSR). The song wasn't loved by the judges on the show so it lead to SuperTest's time on the show being cut short, but the crowd at the elmo dug it and were more than happy to "headbang" along. One brave soul even crowd surfed... (well he was small and was lifted by his friends so I don't think he had much choice in the matter). CYSR should be on TV sometime in June!

The last song was called "No Way To Win", and it was the song "to remember SuperTest by". Lui got the crowd cheering before he wailed out the lyrics in his screaming deep style. Michael x 2 sang back up, and the whole crew headbanged along, some members have a lilttle more hair-flair than others. These boys are showmen though, and seem to love performing in front of crowds. Methinks, they are destined to perform in front of large numbers of screaming fans. They are young and fresh, but reminiscent of classic rock bands, and will only get better with age.

After the set I had a chance to chat with the boys and it was SuperDuper to be able to bring you SuperTest's FIRST EVER INTERVIEW! (So awesome when you're a music blogger and you have rockstars in the family!)

(Paraphrased)

TaCaGo-How long have u guys been playing together?
SuperTest-We've all been playing together as SuperTest since May 2009. Michael L, is cousins with Luigi and Patrick, who are brothers. Patrick knew Michael M. from school, and he played guitar, but switched to the bass "for the band".

The boys are all multi talented, hence why Michael and Lui are co's in both vocals and guitar. Having two lead singers was an issue with the judges in CYSR and may have been a factor in their farewell from the show, but personally I dig it. They work vocally and musically well with each other and as a band they play as a unit.

TaCaGo-SuperTest? What's that all about?
SuperTest- In our house we have an antique SuperTest Gas station pump....it was right there when we were thinking of a name.

Ehhh, good story bro's...maybe make something up next time....lol

TaCaGo-Where do u see yourselves in 5 years?
SuperTest-Platinum recording artists (Said without hesitation)

TaCaGo- What about the cars, the money, the houses and the babes?

SuperTest-We're in it for the music! Well, except for Michael M., he's in it for the babes.

TaCaGo-Who would you love to open for?

SuperTest- Slash of course, and Ozzie for sure. (Before that they said some bands that they begged me not to print *clears throat* Nickelback *ahem*...so I won't. :)

TaCaGo-Three words to describe SuperTest: go!
SuperTest-Real Fucking Awesome!

Ya that about sums it up!

(From left: Luigi, Patrick, TaCaGo, Michael L., Michael M.)

That was all the time I had with SuperTest, as they were wisked off to another show. I know it won't be the last we hear of these boys, because winning First Prize at "Band on the Run" got them 8 hours of studio time...definitely something to be pumped about! You can see more SuperTest here: http://www.youtube.com/user/somthineLCe and I'll definitely let you know about their next show!

Love and Kisses,

Washed Out @ Wrong Bar: April 7th

2010-04-08T13:58:00.001-07:00

Never one to turn down the opportunity to see a live show for under 20 bones, I ventured to Queen West Wednesday night to see Georgia State musician, Washed Out, play a show at Wrong Bar (1279 Queen West). My good friend @CamTheJuice turned me on to the up and comer and made sure I check out the song and fresh/fun video for "Feel it all Around". You can see it here:

FEEL IT ALL AROUND from Northern Lights on Vimeo.

@CamTheJuice, and my new friend @iskanderbenamor, and I walked into Wrong Bar and instantly felt like we were far to pumped up and excited to be there. Why was everyone so standoffish and bored looking?.... Oh, we then realized we hadn't just entered a bar, we had entered a whole new Hipster Realm. I had never seen so many people wearing non-prescription glasses, leather jackets, fisherman hats, cool tights and moustaches!!! OOOh the moustaches!!!....We fit right in though...I mean, I wore a scarf!

After grabbing a "50" (No longer just for old men), we settled into catching the last song of the first band "Trust", from Brooklyn. Girl with keyboard, boy with mic, synth harmonies and ambiance... pretty boring, but I blame myself for only catching the ending.

Second opener was Small Black, again from Brooklyn. The band consisted of a lead singer, who was straight from the 90's in his plaid shirt and throwback Tupac neckerchief around his forehead. Lead singer also played keyboard alongside bassisst, guitarist and drummer.The first two songs were slower, but the third song got me to notice them because it was uptempo and laden with a heavy beat. The drummer was givin'er, and the whole band really played their shit hard at the end. Their sound is melodic and harmonius and allowed me to dance in my 3 by 3 space without having to move my feet.

After that, Washed Out came onstage, real name Ernest Greene. My first thought was that he was really excited, cute and happy to be on that stage in front of fans, it clearly brought him joy, which was nice to see. He makes laid back and joyful music, so the story was checking out so far. This was his third time in Toronto. His style was one of recording loops and meshing them all together during his set; synthpop, but more ambient then poppy. The first song was slow and chill, but the second song came out of nowhere. The beat dropped and it got the crowd moving. Unfortunately, there were some sound difficulties and the show was stopped to fix them.

When he came back he played another song and then invited the opener, Small Black, back on stage. This was a good thing. Washed Out has said in past interviews that he wouldn't tour because it's basically him and a laptop, and he wasn't much into the DJ thing. So now he is touring and that just might be due to teaming up with Small Black, which provides more musical depth, as well as something entertaining to look at while listening. The first song they played was "Belong" a medium tempo song, perfect for hanging out on the beach, much like all of Washed Out's repertoire.

The second last song of the set was "New Theory". I liked this song because you could make out the lyrics moreso then most of the other songs being played. It also had a catchy "Da da da da, da da da da da" part that the boys got the crowd singing and clapping along with. Again, perfect music for hanging out on the beach and watching the waves come in! The last song of the set was "Feel it All Around" which was definitely the best song, and was basically "Jump Around" to all the hipsters in the room, because that's what we did!...oh did I say we....oops lol.

For the encore Washed Out, admittedly, didn't have much else to play, so he and Small Black delighted the crowd with a bit of a jam session. But they were holding out, because for the second encore they did Despicable Dog's (Washed Out Remix) which was a crowd pleaser... I mean it got a hot to trot chick in tight tank and suspenders up on the stage dancing her heart out, looking like she was from Flash Dance. The 45 minute long set, just wasn't enough for this girl, she was ready to dance the night away! (Girl with hands up in pic below)

All in all I had a good time at the show and really was into the interesting and hip shake inspiring beats I heard. It's 80's synthpop, but it really reminded me of 70's disco but without the lyrics. Sometimes the lyrics and melody of the songs are far to soft and ambient for me, cause we all know how much I like to make that booty pop. But I would catch another show in the future, and maybe next time I'll even rock a Moustache!

Check out Washed Out on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thebabeinthewoods

Love and Kisses!

Dan Black @ SuperMarket April 2nd: TaCaGo's first Interview!

2010-04-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

As I write this entry I'm sitting on my rooftop on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, working on my tan, telling you about my night, and pumping some hot new tunes care of @CamTheJuice. The tunes are from the mixtape for HBO's "How to make it in America"; an all around eclectic mix of songs, including Symphonies (Remix) by Dan Black featuring Kid Cudi.

Dan Black first appeared on my radar back in August when Justin Timberlake tweeted the song "Symphonies", as well as the wicked video for the song.

Recently, the song has been remixed by Kid Cudi, who called up Dan Black in Paris from NY and got the instrumental and put his own twist on it!

Lastnight @lymoffatt and myself had the opportunity to see Dan Black live @ The Supermarket in Kensington market (268 Augusta). We had never been there before, but were greeted with a nice venue, an alright looking crowd and $5 Amsterdam's! The place was not crammed, but still poppin...which is just the way I like it! We got all warmed up by a Funk filled set by Supermarket's house DJ.

Around 12:30 Dan Black went on stage looking focused and ready accompanied by a guitarist and bassist, as well as a 70's dance floor looking device we later learned was an Ableton Novation Launchpad. SidePonyNation wants one!

Dan Black came on stage with PRESENCE. Looking cooly hip in white hightop AirWalks, track-like cargo pants, graphic T and edgy Black Mesh vest by Oak. Oh and I can't forget his signature warrior face paint that proved he was ready to kill it!

The energetic and sometimes reggae like beats got the crowd moving, and the venue seemed to fill up. The first song called "Pump my Pumps" did exactly what it promised and PUMPED the crowd up! Yes, I saw fist pumping....Ok I was fist pumping and singing along to the lyrics "That's OK, That's OK", and it wasn't just ok, It was Fucking Awesome!

Another song I was a big fan of was "Life Slash Dreams" With it's whimisical chorus "Life is life, dreams are dreams, and I'm floating somewhere in between", I think we can all relate to that feeling...and not just when we're high lol.

"Symphonies" was up soon after and was a crowed pleaser. As Dan Black's most well known song it got a loud cheer, and people were singing along and really feeling the music. Dan Black's music doesn't just make you want to dance, it makes you want to fly. It's about feeling good and loving life and living it! "Pass that dutch", was another crowd pleaser, for obvious reasons, and because it was really easy to sing along to: "Pass that dutch, pass that dutch, Pass that Dutch..." and it kind of made you want to MOSH along with it.

After the set was done, it didn't take long before the boys were back to perform an encore due to the pleas of the impressed crowd. The final song was one that Dan had never performed live before called, "I Love Life". Glad I was there for it's de-virginization! It's a vice infused song with a simple message: "You're a popsicle bubble, but I love life"! ....Clearly open to interpretation lol. But TaCaGo's interpretation is "Life is Wicked Awesome, let's live it". Kind of sums up the Dan Black vibe for me. Real fun, musically, lyrically, on stage and in person!

After the set, me and my partner in crime had a chance to chat with Dan backstage. The war paint had been washed off...rather sweated off during the high energy performance and he greeted us warmly as we entered the room.

Originally from Leads, but residing in France, Dan Black could make any girl swoon with his quiet confident demeanor, unique and fresh style, and of course that sexy British accent. He was happy to chat with us, and was really nice and down to earth...he even gave me some hot tips for my upcoming Eurotrip (Brasserie). Also, he taught Ly a little more about what new-fangled gadgets we need to get to bring SidePonyNation to the next level! (Launchpad)

Here's the interview: (Paraphrased)

TaCaGo: What do u like most about performing?
D.B.: The sense of freedom. That you can do whatever u want. You can't be as free on an everyday basis. I enjoy connecting with lots of people in a unique weird dialogue. And when it works it's like "wow"!

The show was very much like a dialogue with crowd participation being a big part of what Dan does!

TaCaGo: How did the collabo with Kid Cudi happen?
D.B.: Cudi rang me up and asked if he could get the instrumental for Symphonies. I was in Paris and he was in NY. I didn't know him at the time, but I sent it to him and he came back with something really good. Then I met him for the video rework.

TaCaGo: Who are your influences?
D.B.: I'm influenced by Missy Elliott, Prince, The smiths, The liars...a broad mix of influences.

This broad range of influences, cross generational and cross genre is definitely heard in Dan's music, which is layered with many interesting and beautifully awkward, rhythms and beats. Music thats makes you happy and really wanna move to...or fly to!

Dan Black was a delight to talk to and inspires me as a musician. I guarantee he will be someone you'll be hearing more from in 2010, and urge you to see him live if you get the chance. Def check him out on youtube and at http://www.danblacksound.com/.

Before I left we made a promise to link up on twitter (@Dan__Black) and I'm def going to try and see him again when I'm in Paris or Italy in May and June!

That's all for now folks, let me know what you think of my very first interview/concert review!

Love and Kisses,

@TaCaGo

Gotta Love an HD Computer Screen

2010-03-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the eye candy Kanye! Lovely works of art...Grace Jones portrayed, care of Jean Paul Goude!

Feast for the eyes!

T

The Wild Hunt: Lil bit of everything

2010-03-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

Tonight a group of friends and I went and checked out The Wild Hunt at the AMC at Yonge and Dundas. I had won tickets using my sick ass Twittering Skills (get at me @TaCaGo) from @BlogTO (best blog eva). So I brought along my friends @lymoffatt @aomok @Ionus_ and we found the TVA Film directed by Alexandre Franchi to be a slasher film....meaning it was comedy-slash-drama-slash-romance-slash-slasher movie.

It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and must've gotten limited release...very limited because it is only showing at the AMC in Toronto and also the one in Montreal.

The trailer is a really great representation about what its about, and it's good. I suggest not watching the Trailer before you go in, because in retrospect it would be way funnier not seeing the trailer before I saw the movie...and it was a pretty good movie, so you won't be disappointed. But...Your prob just going to watch the trailer anyways....so here is where you can find it hahah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WENre45f13c

The thing I liked most about this film is that it's Canadian...and a Good Canadian Film! Like one that doesn't make me cringe with the poor awkward dialogue, and didn't confuse me by any unnecessary nudity or overt sexual relations!

So ya go check it out and lemme know what you think!!

T

TaCaGo: Where I'm at right now...

2010-03-16T20:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the 4th installment of TaCaGo talk. Thought this was as good a time as any to give you an informative overview of where I'm at right now. And since I'm in a wicked Performance group called SidePonyNation...I thought I'd rap it to you...Cuz I am a Rapper.

I'm a City Girl now,
I live in the City
Got my girls Ada and Ly,
My aren't they pretty.

We live in a fine place,
But lots of zooming cars,
We like to go out,
To clubs, parks, restaurants and bars

My friends are my buddies, my homies and fam,
Got my girls, my sibs and my boys, EJon and Cam
Can't forget my Dawgs, Sheebs, Ram and Wu
I really like to walk em, and even clean up their poo.

Currently, Working promo when I can
Cuz CV couldn't keep me,
I ain't got a man,
Because I find them too needy

Living the dream, the dream I am living
Boarding a plane soon for Euro2010. Gonna miss me? I'm leaving.

One lil thing I forgot to mention,
Actually a Wicked Awesome thing called SidePonyNation
Ya I'm in a band, does that makes me badder?
Maybe I'm ganster cuz I call myself a rapper.
I shake that egg shaker, and my booty too
Oh ya I like to dance....Oh Really you knew?

So let me know if you can rep in the SidePonyNation
Come and chill with us cuz we better than PlayStation.

So there you go, that was a little bit of an update. Comment or message me (If you wanna relate)....Can't stop rhyming.........

Love and Kisses

TaCaGo (she ain't no Hoe)

Booty Pop: Once you pop you just can't stop!

2010-03-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's about time girls who were born with big ba dunk a dunks got the satisfaction of knowing that there are girls out there who are wearing prosthetic bums just so they can look like their curvier counterparts.

This Booty Pop idea is just ridiculous, as well as somewhat intriguing, imagine the possibilities of a Bootylicious woman wearing a Booty pop....Extreme Booty!

This product, like many, is used in order to make the opposite sex wanna get all up on it! But how do you explain what your wearing when the addition of the bun bum leads you to the boudoir???? "Excuse me I have to go remove my cheeks" or "Pardon me I have to remove my junk in da trunk! " "I gotta pop my booty off" and so on.

I mean fine I'm not super surprised, in a world where people have fake noses, breasts, nails, hair, eyes, skin colour, teeth, abs, foreskin etc., it seems only likely that a fake booty would be inevitable. But take it from one naturally blessed Booty Pop girl... when any booty lovin songs come on at the bar....(Thong song, I like big buttts, Bootylicious) Ill be lookin for those girls Who's Jelly is just some nude underwear with plastic balloons....and Ill be challenging you to a booty shaking contest! S0 if you gonna rock the Booty Pop, you best be able to POP that Booty Bitch!

Get yours here: http://www.bootypoppanties.com/

ANTM: Breaking Story:Who is the 13th?

2010-03-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

The 13th girl Tyra is adding to the cycle is Tyra's illegitimate daughter that she had from her previous relations with Will Smith on the set of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air....well either hin or Usher!

Thats the story anyways!

Eurotrip 2010: Mel and T become aliens

2010-03-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

I'm planning a trip to Europe and man am I stressing myself out about it. I don't know the first thing about Euro-trip planning, and I think thats ok, but how much to bring, booking my flight sooner or later, where will I sleep at night, what if I get robbed...these are all things that give me that feeling in my chest that makes me nervous. Eustress I think is what it is, which I know is a good thing, because if your not stressed, your not living. But still it exhausts me. I think I'll nap.