Stop motion animation with Windows Movie Maker

I spent the day working on (okay, playing with) stop motion animation with Windows Movie Maker. Just set each frame at the very minimum of seconds allowed (Under “Options”) and you’re good to go. I was inspired by PES on Youtube (also check 'Prank Call', 'Western Spaghetti' and the X-rated 'Roof Sex', with some chair action,) so I spent a good hour looking at apples, oranges, kiwi and dry fruits, but I was very aware of my technical limitations. At one point my 6 year old grabbed the raisin at which I was staring and swallowed it. Here you go, an actor, gone. I reached for another raisin, but it just didn’t have the right personality. Eventually I settled on dry kidney beans. It took me 5 minutes to make the movie (the technical part), from start to finish. Hooray for conceptual simplicity. However, the ending just wasn’t right, and I’m re-shooting tomorrow. Tentative title? “Awakening and Death of a Red Kidney Bean.” The death wasn’t a part of today’s production. I envision moderate technical difficulties tomorrow. Stay tuned.


My 6 year old made the cutest “Baby Snail” stop motion, but she won’t agree to make it public, at least not yet.

Unicorns and the magic of learning

My six year old is writing a novel. About unicorns. Unlike her mom (who doesn't "do plot"), she already grasped the concept of a cliff-hanger. Every night for the last week or so, she stays up with me after her brother falls asleep, and we write. Sometimes she allows me to read her chapters. Let me tell you, they are action packed. There are captures, and escapes, and drunken pirates, and gigantic cannibals. I should learn a thing or two from her, I swear. She has it all figured out--I'm her editor; daddy is her illustrator; age group six and older (as there're scary parts), she will sell it in a form of a chapbook to Russian speaking children in Halifax (translation into English to follow), and the money she earns she wants to share with her parents, as she already noticed her mother doesn't really earn any money despite of all that "writing thing" she does every night.

Proud learning moment for me--I almost asked her whether she wanted me to rewrite it "nicely, so you could read it better" but I resisted the temptation. It wasn't easy. I had to stuff my mouth with a handfull of raisins and force myself to chew instead of talking. She's very independent about her endeavours and she needs to "own" her projects. There'll be plenty of time for editing when (if) she's ready. Right now the most important thing is that she's writing, creating, joyfully, and this is the best "learning" one can imagine.

Bunnies and Eggs

My children, despite of me keeping them in the closet (joking, joking, joking) found out about Easter Bunny, one of the "Canadian" traditions we haven't fully adopted. Until this year. Last week they came running into the house with the news the neighbourhood kids had told them--bunnies laid eggs. I mocked them a bit, and we all had a good laugh, but the damage was done. I told them, without the gory details, what Easter and Pesah really means, but the idea of an egg hunt was already planted in their curly little heads. As normally I am only vaguely aware of dates and holidays, I accidently told them that the hunt would be on Friday. Oops. So we did a mini trial sort of thing. It started badly--I had to tell them in the morning that the night before I didn't find the little chocolate eggs that *I* hid (on one of the upper-upper shelves).

Today , in a pouring drizzle (a very Halifax phenomenon) we went to a pharmacy to get more chocolate eggs. I think I was allowed through the crowd of other disorganised parents only because I had three wet kids with me and we looked pathetic. They all sighed with relief when I bought the most expensive brand name chocolates--I'm still worried about melamine in milk powder in more generic brands. The supplies on the shelves were very limited and the tensions were running high.

So maybe we are Canadians now. Happy Easter!

Row around the world

Today on the bus I met Sergei Morozov, a Russian navigator who currently lives in Halifax, who wants to row around the world. Now, that's inspirational!

He sat across from me. Sometimes we, "Russians" (i.e. former Soviet citizens), sense each other. There's something unidentifiable, ephemeral--in the eyes, or in the posture. I sensed he was one of "us," but wasn't certain until I heard him speak on his cellphone. I said hello, we talked for a few minutes. Just before I got off he gave me his card with a link to his web site.

A young man next to us asked if we were speaking German or Russian. Russian, I replied. He was close. I'm surprised how many people here think I speak French after hearing me speak Russian.

In conversation I got disoriented and almost missed my stop.

I'm humbled and inspired by this project. A writer can't afford much, but half of my Descant honorarium is going towards Sergei's project.

A sure sign of spring

An empty spot on the kitchen counter

The betta fish we've been fish-sitting for the last 2 months is safely home with his owners. I'm glad and relieved he made it, and a little sad not to be able see his inquisitive little face.

Here he is

In the midst of despair

J. from the city waste management told me today I was the only person whose organic waste bin froze to the ground. Her tone of voice said it all--I was stupid. Then she spelled it out for me too--and irresponsible. I should take an ice pick and hack it out, she said.

Instead I'm watching Russian game show Chto Gde Kogda on etvnet.ca., and waiting for spring.