formerly the bus blog: September 2006

Friday, September 29, 2006

this is why friends rule

One of my bestests sent me a rad link the other day. Do you ever think that your friends have friendtelepathy? Like they know the make up of your DNA or something? She usually can read my feelings like a script across mountain ranges, continents and crackly cell phone lines.

For the last hour I've been watching a live webcam from a watering hole at a game reserve in South Africa. It rocks. Even thought its all fuzzy and night visiony right now, one of my favourite trees, the acacia, is in the middle of most shots. So far I've watched two bush buck go drink from the hole or try to.

What's probably the best thing about this site is the soundtrack. If you've ever been or if you ever go to the bush in Southern Africa (or other parts of Africa for that matter) the crickets are like an orchestra and there's usually some sort of bird that calls through the night. The Nkhoro bird is the hornbill making the distinct calls throughout the live cast I think (or at least that's what the site says). If I drone out the traffic sounds of my little West End street and close my eyes, I can almost feel as though I'm sleeping in some thatched hut or canvas tent on safari....

Thanks friend. This is exactly what I needed this week to scratch my itchy feet.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

warning may not be suitable for travelphobes and Harper fans

Tonight I was watching a Pilot Guide travel show. Ian Wright was travelling in Chile. It was cool - I watched him get pissed on pisco, drink cocoa leaf tea and do the usually funny I'm-a-self-effacing-amiable-brit traveller routine. At the end of each commercial break OLN played a small disclaimer saying something like, "Warning this show may not be suitable for all viewers."

What?

As in traveling can be offensive and beware of the sometimes revealed, wee white Brit-man chest? I can't think of a less offensive t.v. program. I don't understand. Maybe the network doesn't understand its demographic? I can see Fox running that warning because of their audience: acrophobic, right wing, neo-cons. But the OLN?

Speaking of offensive. The Harper government just cut a bunch of Department of Foreign Affairs and International trade programs. About $64m worth. So what you say? Less fancy consular cars in places like Zambia and Malaysia? Not quite. One program in particular was less free parking and more employment experience while repping Canada overseas.

For the under-30 set out there the cuts mean bye bye Young Professionals International, a post-university program that send new grads overseas to work and ply their new skills while learning how to work in another country, adapt to other cultures and give Canada the good name it mostly deserves. I know more than a handful of really inspring people who've benefited from this program. The rallying cries are rippling through our community. Listen for my yelp, I'm pissed.

The photo accompanying today's blog is of me and Mandla Mentoor. During my YPI internship I visited his project, SOMOHO. It was a initiative that turned an old dump site into organic gardens and a community greenspace complete with community programs like bike recycling and imbizo (or discussion circles).

Monday, September 25, 2006

Free stuff

If I could transport myself backwards and forwards and sideways in time and space for art I would go here, then here and then finally here. I've met Ruth Motau before when I worked in Johannesburg. She sold my employers some amazing photos for their communications materials. I also try to see this guy's work on a regular basis.

I heart the West End even more. A lady gave me this hanging attachment for a lamp I bought - for free. Who ever gives anything to your anymore for free? I'm really stoked finally hang my lamp up since I purchased it, oh, about 2 months ago and its been tripping me in my hall way for two months now.

Lastly why I love Greenpeace - cause their web cartoons are so bloody clever. Check out "gas guzzler". Not like I'm the one to talk.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

the nature

My friend was once riding the bus to UVic and she overheard this girl extolling about how much she loved 'the nature'. The girl went on an on about how she just loves the smell of the lumber and the nature. It's now our inside joke whenever we smell fresh cut lumber. We take big whiffs and say, "Don't you just love the nature." Eegad.

My trip to the Shuswap was all olfactory. The boy and I swung through Merritt on Friday night to hang with my family. It was fantastic. My grama cooked up a huge batch of her small, animal shaped pancakes for us Saturday morning before we hit the road. The mix of bacon, coffee and pancake smells are one of the closest things to nirvana. We picked up Miss E from her conference in Sorrento on the way to Lindsay's cabin. The Shuswap smells really earthy compared to Merritt. Maybe its the lake and the forests and rotting salmon carcasses of Adams River. Merrritt has more of 'the nature' (read: lumber mills) compared to Celista and Anglemont. Our (me, Mel, James, E, Linds and the boy) weekend was a mix of ridicularity, beer, food, bannock, games and meanders along the lakeshore. James fought the fall cold with a roaring fire of beetle wood - I do love the smell of woodsmoke in the fall.

Today on my morning trek through Stanley Park it was really reminiscent of Joburg's Zoo Lake park. I had my 25 birthday there with my Welsh room mate, my neighbor Jacques plus a couple thermoses of brandy&hot chocolate. We just lazed about the grass, picnicing, drinking and watching some half-assed cricket. I'm glad I have that option here in Vancouver. I've been wallowing a bit this week. I need to identify the glimpses of good in my life/surrounds, like Rob Brezny says this week.

Friday, September 15, 2006

how quickly....

one forgets the sights, sounds and experiences of the bus. It's been a good couple months since I rode a distance longer than a kilometre in a bus. I dropped the fox off at the mechanic's this morning so she could get some new shocks and cv boots. On the way back home I took the Fraser #8.

Things I forgot about the bus:

Toothless and giggling men talk to themselves for the duration of the ride.
It smells like a cross between cabbage rolls, coffee, perfume and morning breath;
Bus seats are the best for reading.

Fall is setting in and I'm digging out my warm clothes (closed toed shoes, sweaters, hoodies, leg warmers). The cold has made me sad the last couple of days. I think I'm going to have to start visiting the vitamin D oven. I love the colours and smells and 'freshness' of autumn but man I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold. Hopefully the legwarmers and extra layer of flesh I'm cultivating will help.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

morning person

Allegedly there are only two more nice days left before Vancouver settles into a rainy fall. This morning I capitalized wanted to get a last dose of sunshine, so I trekked out to third beach. It's a post card day in Stanley Park. Just above third beach I discovered (not like a pioneer or Vasco de Gama or anything) a little fountain. Did you know it was there? The pool is about 2 feet deep and someone has filled it with hydrangeas. It's dedicated to an aristocratic looking lady, whose name I can't remember, that lived from 1883-1917. It reminded me of the little flowery bog I used to play in when I was about 12 and obsessed with Anne of Green Gables.

It's also a random Vancouver art day. As I was walking back along the seawall the tide was up but shallow. The visibility to the barnicled rocks and silky sand was awesome. Some small child has lost his bright blue shorts because they were just sort of rippling under water, not floating, not sinking. Like the cover of a Coupland book or a 'new Canadian artist' show at the VAG.

Being a morning person is fun.

Did anyone watch the Passionate Eye last night - the 9/11 documentary - "The Falling Man". So sad - the whole story of the twin tower jumpers was filled with so much pride and shame for New Yorkers and Christians. I don't really understand. But then again I'm not from New York nor am I a Christian.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

my summer of sprints

I'm a sprinter. Big energy at the beginning, medium pace in the thick of things, and then a not-so-effective burst of energy at the end. I've never won an actual real running race, but I usually get an "A" for effort. My sprinting habits pretty much sum up my summer.

(My) life has changed a shiteload since the end of June. My days are the opposite of everyone else's - I work from home about 4 hours a day and then waitress about 4 hours a night. I rely on others to recognize or utilise my uni-honed talents to make a living. I set my own schedule (pretty much) and have no more health benefits. But I'm not complaining. I'm more just sitting back and reflecting. Luckily the little person inside my head that is in charge of regret gave himself the summer off.

As a sprinter I set all sorts of goals at the beginning of summer. I was going to be a great pen pal and write letters every day (lasted about a week). I was going to have at least three articles published by the end of August. Hmmmm. Nada. I was going to start in on my fiction piece and complete a novella, rising with the sun each day to scribe inspired romance-turned-wrong BS. I made it to the second chapter - which I have rewrite now that I think about it. You see, my life and the sun kept getting in the way.

Instead I printed some tshirts and attended some weddings in fantastic settings. I hung out with my bff and fought with her too. I swam with ecoli and friends in Indian Arm. I boated with techies to Gambier Island. I hiked the Juan de Fuca trail with a lovely PE teacher and an easygoing Kootenay hippie, later that day lunched with grey whales and seals. I drank ridiculous amounts of rum with high school girlfriends - connecting with everyone after 10 years of post-high school life. Mom and I went to the beach, thrift shop, the Devil wears Prada (mini-ephiphany!). I explored Coombs and Little Qualicum falls with the boy. My skin tanned during our itsy bitsy hot snap. I ate steak with my dad, stepmom and brothers. I my families' gardens. I learned the power of early morning coffee dates from one of my fungirls from Seattle.

My summer was fab. Oh yeah, read my first article published in a long time here.

formerly the bus blog