Couchsurfing

Traveling is expensive. We all know that. And if you are on your own, it can be hard to meet people. We all know that as well.

These are only 2 of the many reasons why couchsurfing is a great concept. Basically, its a social networking site which has as its main goal bringing people together through good old fashioned hospitality. Need a place to stay in Rome? Nice? Moscow? Mind sleeping on a couch or an air mattress? One quick search on couchsurfing.com and boom! (ari gold accent) You've found something. Not only do you get a roof above your head for free, you have a local who can recommend everything you need to know.

Now, to be fair, I haven't actually "couchsurfed" yet but this weekend, I am going to Aix en Provence for my first couch surfing experience. I will keep you all posted on how it goes. If you don't see anything, perhaps I'll have been murdered in my sleep. In this case, I take back everything I wrote here. From the afterlife of course.

TJ Ford: the little engine that could

T.J Ford wasn't so crazy about holding Raptors training camp in the likes of Rome and Madrid. He is a down-south Texas boy who I believe said something to the tune of "I don't ever have to leave Texas. I got everything I need right here". That is not a direct quote but a paraphrase. OK. Fair enough. Everybody is allowed their own opinion. Personally, I don't care if T.J wants to visit every country in the world or if he is happy going to the same greasy spoon down the road for the rest of his life. I care about TJ Ford on the basketball court.

He is not in the same "all about stats, chucking up uncalled for jumpers" category as say, Steve Francis. But there were many moments on the court last year where he made a poor decision. And poor decisions lead to turnovers. And if you have enough turnovers, you are likely to lose the contest. Sometimes, TJ used his speed as a detriment rather than a asset. You could often see him going TOO fast and losing control of the ball or himself.

But this year, I believe TJ will have his finest season yet. Word around Raptors preseason camp is that he has been all ears to many of the assistant coaches as well as the wise sage that is Darrick Martin (also a PG). TJ has been actively trying to improve himself not just skill wise, but mentally as well. He wants to become a better team leader, a better decision-maker, and overall, a better person. These are all good signs. Because anyone who watches this team knows that TJ's potential is without limit. Many believe that he is THE fastest player in the league. While this may be true, he has to learn when to turn it on and when to keep it in a lower gear. If he can do this (and with Calderon backing him up), Toronto has a great shot at not only making the playoffs but winning a round or two.

getting a haircut in Nice (thank god for pictures)

Today I got a haircut. Normally, a haircut is just one of those necessary activities which doesn't cause one a lot of stress. However, all of my haircuts up until today were done in an english speaking barbershop. The barber shop is perhaps the place where being able to communicate is priority number one. But thank god for pictures.

Now, my french isnt horrible. I know how to say things like "I want my hair short" or "I want my hair all the same length". But phrases such as these don't hold enough detail for something as important as the follicles on our head. My french is definitely not advanced enough for me to say something like "take a little off the top, keep the sideburns, will i need to use gel?" etc...

So I walk into the shop (which ironically is blaring techno music with english lyrics). The barbers rock their heads to the music as they go about their business cutting, styling, washing, and colouring hair. First thing I ask is "Combien ca coute?" 22 Euros. Wooh! Pretty steep for a haircut for a frugal guy. But I agree.

It was not until the end that I believed that it was worth to 30 or so Canadian dollars. The barber I had was much more detailed, meticulate, and caring than any other barber I've had. Normally, my haircuts last about 10-20 minutes. I think this one lasted almost 45! It wasn't that he cut my hair slowly and took smoke breaks. It was just that there were so many phases to the job. First, a close shaving of the back and sides. Then, a trimming of the top. Then a shampoo followed by some really neat instrument that is basically a dustbuster for one's head. Then some more cutting, some final touches. And finally, a little bit of gel.

I got the feeling that this guy was really INTO what he was doing. That this was his masterpiece. That if he didn't give me all that he had, his boss was going to sever one of his limbs.

Now, this is the reason why I didn't complain. I don't especially like the haircut and will likely hide it under a hat or toque in the coming days but I didn't want to insult the guy. He told me before he started, "Faites moi confiance." Trust me. So I did.

But his look of pride and vindication throughout the whole process made it impossible for me to say, "you know what, just shave it all. Could you please throw away the last 45 minutes of your life?"

So there you have it. Now I look like all the french youth do. With some combination of shaved, hair on the top, faux-hawk, strange twists and turns. But I did not have the heart to tell this guy to change it. I was his canvas and he had just made it his own. I couldn't take that away from him.