new website

So I've just spent the past 3 hours uploading my re-designed webpage via wireless internet at the Forest Cafe. Check it out. If there are broken links, I would be grateful to hear about them... The only unfinished part is the ">>learn more" under the some of the logos. I should have it all done for my interview on Friday. I hope everyone is doing well, miss you all big time.
xoxox
kyla


www.kylajohnson.com

Photographique

So here's some photos that illustrate what I've been up to in the past month, starting with:
Chris and I in Barcelona with Estrella Damm. When the bars and stores are closed you can buy these for a euro on the street.

Harbour view of Christopher Columbus pointing to... Africa.

Stencil University

Oh Sagrada!

oh Girona!

Proper creepy-kid photo of graveyard in Montmarche, Paris:

And some photos of Shakespear and Co.


Erin, Hortense, and Olya

Now onto Scotland, with it's 300 year old pub and the taxidermist's dream:

View of the Glasgow School of Art from the teachers cafeteria, that I snuck into on a few different occasions:

And last, but far from least, the view out the kitchen window from the flat in Edinburgh:

Crow's Landing

So things have changed a lot since my last entry. I'm now staying in Linlithgow with Mom's friend Eileen, and I am going to be living in Edinburgh for at least the next month. I've got a job interview (thanks to Anne!) at Scotland's biggest agency, Leith, next Friday. I'm catching the bus down to London tonight to pick up some more of my belongings, which will allow me to post some photos as well, so check back soon.



One more thing: yesterday Eileen and I cycled to the Falkirk Wheel:

The Old Firm

Went to the football game on Sunday with Craig. We drove down to the stadium, it's in a really sketchy part of town where you have to pay a guy a few pounds to watch your vehicle while you're at the game. We got there about an hour early and watched the stadium fill up... sat in really great seats, not too far high up and just off the middle. The noise was incredible when everyone started singing for the players to enter the field.

The entire game was thrilling... I hardly know how to describe it. The crowd was amazing - everyone holds up their scarves in unison (first picture) and sings. And curses when the players dissapoint... Which was unfortunatly the theme of the game. Celtic's played really well in the first period, but didn't score. About 4 minutes into the second half the Rangers got lucky and scored, and we couldn't recover. So the Ranger's won the game, which was extra terrible because it was in the Celtic's stadium. It was pretty sad to see, but I had an amazing time regardless.

I've been having a great time in Scotland. We went for vegetarian Haggis, neeps and tats (?) on my first night here at an amazing restraunt in Glasgow. Drank too many beer in the afternoon at the Wee Howff in Paisley, while watching rugby on Saturday. Old Firm game on Sunday. Toured the Highlands with Anne yesterday and we stopped at a pub that's 300 years old. Amazing. All of it.

I'm staying a few more nights in Glasgow at a hostel so that I can see the city a little more. I'm enthralled with this place - the music and art scene in Glasgow is really impressive, and the Scottish people are loads of fun. If only the weather was a little nicer...

!!!

Staying at my cousin's Anne and Craig's house right now outside of Glasgow. Just got the amazing news that I will be attending the Old Firm game on Sunday, Celtic vrs. Rangers. Wow. I'm So Excited.

So for those of you not familiar: We're going to watch the opposing Glasgow teams... (like an Oilers vrs Flames play-off game, with some religious history mixed in) in a 60 thousand capacity
stadium sold out... One of the oldest and biggest football rivalries in world football. We're cheering for Celtic, who's stadium is hosting the game.

I'm being taught the Irish National Anthem and we're discussing clothing options at the moment.

Like I said, I'm So Excited.

One Month, One Day

So yesterday marked my 1 month departure from Edmonton, and on reflection I've got to say that it's been a remarkable time so far.

Spending the past few days at Erin and Hortense's house has been really wonderful - Yesterday I got to chill out and read for most of the day, which felt great after having every day packed with visiting galleries and walking around.

A few highlights of the past few days include:

- Watching the total lunar eclipse on Saturday night walking home from the Fleche D'or

- Visiting the centre Pompidou... and seeing work by Dubufffet, Soto, Matisse, Wols, Giacometti, Rothko, and most importantly perhaps: Paul Klee. My journal/sketchbook is being filled up with notes and drawings at an incredible pace these days.

- Cafe Creme, 86% dark chocolate, goat cheese, wine, oh my! life is luxurious in this country.

Tomorrow I catch a plane to Scotland to hang out there for a little while. Photos... soon...

much love
kyla

#16 Rue Plissant

So I'm siting at the above address enjoying one of the two cheap things found in Paris... wine (the other one is cheese... which I've taken advantage of equally). I arrived in Paris on Friday and spent the afternoon hanging out in a fabulous cemetary, taking pictures like a proper creepy-kid, then went to the Lourve in the vening. I speant one night at a hostel in Montmarte and am now staying with Erin, who is studying french in Paris and who kindly leant me her couch for a few nights.

Olya came over last night and we has some wine and went to a great live music venue, where the band was... not so great. Today was speant at the market and then again to the Lourve, where I could go everyday for the next 3 months and still not see half of the artifacts inside. Tomorrow I'm off to Centre Pompidou.

My favorite place in Paris is a lovely bookstore that Erin took me to yesterday. It's called Shakespear and Co, and has a wonderful selection of new and used english books. The best part is the interior - 2by4's sagging in the middle from the weight of all the books - from the floor to the ceiling. the store allows writers to sleep upstairs and has a fabulous history of hosting famous writers as well as publishing works. Inspiring, to say the least. And they have cats.

I'm enjoying reading and listening to all the french, but am a little hesitant when speaking it. Hortense, Erin's roomate, laughed at me and said that I was cute the first time I spoke in french around her. but listening is great.

i've got to pay attention now, we're having a mini french lesson.