hyphenated - Filed under 'Vancouver'

August 2, 2009 9:15 PM

somewhere over the rainbow

To cap off a perfect weekend of sunshine and good food and fireworks and hanging out, we wandered down the street this afternoon to watch the 2009 Vancouver Pride Parade (we're about ten blocks from the heart of the Village and the parade route runs along a street a block from our place).

While the tone of the parade was cheeky (figuratively and literally) and vibrant and fun, there were undercurrents of the ongoing fight that is at the heart of it all. One float was dedicated to drawing attention to the 40 years that have passed since the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The riots could be described as the insemination of the gay rights movement that was born one year later when the first Gay Pride march took place. Forty years is a long time to be fighting for equal rights.

And the fight continues, on many fronts and for many important humanitarian causes. Amongst the lighthearted floats for Davie Street nightclubs, local GLBT clubs and associations, GLBT-friendly businesses and politicians were the following cause-oriented parade participants:

Amnesty International
Greater Vancouver Native Cultural Society
BC Persons with AIDS Society
AIDS Vancouver
Healing Our Spirit BC HIV/AIDS Society
Street Youth Job Action
BC Compassion Club Society
BC Civil Liberties Association

In essence, the basis for the parade is nicely summed up by this element from one of today's floats:

Photo owned by agaumont (cc)

Love is the way. Once we're all at the intersection of Respect Road and Equal Rights Road, we can be proud.

Filed under // Vancouver

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August 1, 2009 7:35 PM

in lieu of a balcony

Our apartment lacks a balcony. Given the climate here, a balcony would only be useful for a third of the year - part of May, June, July, August, and part of September. Needless to say, a balcony would be nice right about now. Especially since, with the poor ventilation in our apartment, our place feels like a sauna even though the heat wave has ended.

I proved earlier today that a window ledge is a poor substitute for a balcony. Sure, I was able to make contact with the fresh outdoor air, but I was also uncomfortably perched and the thought of dropping to the ground below, seeing as there is nothing to prevent me from falling out the window, was not a pleasant one.

(I shared the ledge with my very scrawny yet fruit-yielding tomato plants)

Filed under // Vancouver

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July 30, 2009 5:48 PM

dog days of summer

Anyone following anyone living in, visiting, or from Vancouver on Twitter is probably very much aware that it is abnormally HOT here. I for one, am not complaining too much, for the following reasons:

It's summer. I'm from Montreal. Summers are supposed to be hot.
The heat provides the perfect excuse for doing nothing but sitting and eating ice cream. (I enjoy sitting and I love ice cream).
There is AC at work.

Unlike some people, I don't find the heat so bad. Maybe it's my Montreal roots, but I've been able to sleep like a baby despite the heat wave. Also, I'm not an incredibly active person so the heat isn't disrupting any kind of running or biking schedule. Sure, it's unpleasant to get to work all sweaty after a 20 minute walk at 7:30 in the morning, but it's not worth complaining about.

In some ways, my being not too fazed by the current climatic conditions is ironic. I tend to burn like slivered almonds under the broiler if I spend any significant time in the sun. I've suffered from heat stroke (and can attest that a heat-induced fever of 103° when it is 95° outside is horrible). The sun may be the source of all life on earth, but it is not my friend. Hats and sunscreen and shade are my best pals from May to September.

My issues with the sun are likely rooted in my complexion: pale, very pale (not unlike slivered almonds, untoasted of course). And many birthmarks/moles. Not a good combination for risks related to skin cancer. The recommendation of the dermatologist to monitor my birthmarks and moles for changes is quite an onerous task. Keeping track of them all is stressful. Some have changed and I've had a few removed (not pleasant - I have the scars to prove it). All were found to be benign... I think. Either that or I didn't get the message from the hospital. Is it just me, or is the "we'll call you if we find anything of concern" approach a bit too prone to error for communicating important health-related results?

Unfortunately, I don't live in a place where being pale is desirable. Chinese immigrants in Vancouver can be spotted with their sun parasols and not-so-attractive face-shields while most people born and raised here seek out the sun and "work" on their tans in an "effort" to transition from creamy to bronze. And when the sun isn't readily available, the tanning salons are the next best alternative. Until yesterday. Time to invest in the spray tan industry? Actually, given the population of China, perhaps face-shield manufacturers are a better investment...

Filed under // Quebec & Montreal Vancouver

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July 22, 2009 11:03 PM

chemistry + physics = beauty

I presume that the environmental impacts of fireworks is probably high. The impacts of the noise and the smoke and the chemicals on the surrounding environment is the one thing about fireworks that I don't appreciate.

I do enjoy the bright colours and the grandeur and the magic of fireworks though. Kevin can attest that I get pretty excited about fireworks. I am drawn to the combination of an explosive substance with chemicals to create huge, awe-inspiring, fleeting art installations. Being rooted in scientific principles (and reminiscent of a high school chemistry experiment), fireworks are an art form that appeals to me. Chemistry + physics = beauty.

Every summer, Vancouver hosts a fireworks competition between four countries. The venue is English Bay and the best seats are on the beach five minutes from our place. As a result, our neighborhood is flooded with fireworks spectators each of the four nights. The main streets are closed to traffic and vehicles are replaced by crowds flowing towards the bay, not unlike water flowing in rivers towards the ocean.

The restaurants are packed, the line ups at the grocery store are huge, and every patch of sand and grass with a view of the barge (from which the pyrotechnics are launched) become completely covered by blankets and chairs (to the extent that the city has to erect giant blue fences around gardens in the vicinity of the beach to prevent people from trampling the flowers). To stifle any spontaneous post-fireworks festivities (or stabbings, as have been know to occur), the police presence in the West End during the event is huge. Cops on horses, cops in helicopters, cops on foot. It's surreal.

Every spring, the fireworks competition is cancelled for the lack of sponsors and I am simultaneously relieved (our neighborhood won't be invaded) and disappointed (there won't be any fireworks). Every year, a new sponsor steps up and I re-live the emotions. It's a love-hate relationship, really.

Tonight was the first of the four nights of the aptly-named Celebration of Light. I found a patch of grass with a good view despite only going out a half hour in advance of the show (living in the area provides good insider knowledge of less obvious vantage points). I waited in eager anticipation with thousands of other spectators for the show to start. An I marveled at the spectacularly exhilarating combination of light and sound. The theme of tonight's show was The Wizard of Oz (which made me think of one of Tommy's recent posts).

And now I'm home, listening to the sound of noisy crowds making their way home as the police helicopter (complete with spotlight) circles overhead. The drown will persist for another few hours, long after the joy I've derived has faded somewhere over the rainbow.

Click here to download:

chemistry_physics_beauty.zip (4164 KB)

Filed under // books & art science & technology sustainability Vancouver

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July 11, 2009 6:03 PM

laughing out loud

Upon arriving to Vancouver, I was told that there was a Quebecois bar on the corner of 7th and Fir that I should check out because they had an awesome poutine and a good selection of beer from La Belle Province. So I made plans with some classmates to go there one Thursday evening. Little did we know that Thursday was amateur comedy night.

My friend unknowingly placed his bag on the "stage" (the empty corner that was elevated by about an inch) when we arrived and then not-so-subtlety tried to retrieve items from it during the show, which the comedian hosting the night seized on immediately. As a result, we got to be well acquainted with the host, Phil Hanley, who referred to us as "the environmentalists". We had a good time and enjoyed the good beer and so "the environmentalists" became regulars at Zazanie on Thursday nights.

That is how I discovered some of the funniest comics in Vancouver, Graham Clark being one of them. So, when I saw that Graham was headlining at Yuk Yuk's last Thursday, I bought tickets. He did not disappoint, despite having to follow some pretty tough acts.

I really enjoy Graham Clark's sense of humour. Here's a taste from a comedy special that aired on CTV a few years ago:

On Thursday night, he had some pretty hilarious material regarding local news stories, including the "major decision" about whether or not women would be allowed to ski jump in the 2010 Games (the final decision was made on Friday - they're not) and the efforts to save the hollow tree in Stanley Park. In both instances, he brilliantly made fun of the situation.

In the first instance, he questioned the amount of energy being spent making such a trivial decision - you have the jumps and they don't need to be painted pink or otherwise altered for the women athletes and the women are physically able to jump, let them jump and move on. Seeing that the matter was being treated much more seriously than he deemed necessary, Graham mimicked the officials and hypothesized on what some of their illogical considerations might be. The illogical consideration were, of course, hilarious.

In the second, he drew attention to the amount of money being spent by rich people to prop up a dead tree with other dead trees (aka lumber) and how the rich people probably never considered spending the money on more philanthropic endeavors like, say, assisting the homeless. Graham suggested that it was probably a debate between saving the tree and something equally ridiculous. The equally ridiculous investments were, obviously, hilarious.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not going to spoil his material for those who haven't seen him yet. If you live in Vancouver, check him out. If you don't, keep an eye out for him when he goes on tour.

Ultimately, I'm a of fan relevant humour. I like Graham Clark for the same reasons I like John Stewart. Their jokes are mainly witty and smart and pertinent and really funny. In my view, those are the characteristics that make for really good comedy.

Filed under // Quebec & Montreal Vancouver

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June 30, 2009 7:08 PM

picnic lunch break

(download)

If you were ever wondering how Vancouverites can tolerate all the rain in the winter, this is the answer.

Filed under // Vancouver

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June 26, 2009 8:21 AM

fish fix

Kevin is on his way home. As a result:

I'm very happy
I'll be eating a lot of sushi over the next few days (which also makes me happy)

Before moving to Vancouver, I liked sushi but my definition of sushi was largely restricted to maki (rolls). Since moving to Vancouver, I've become a fan of real sushi. Sure, I still go to the cheap sushi joints that abound in this city to satisfy my maki cravings, but I also have a few favorite Japanese restaurants (one of which is conveniently located just a few blocks from here) where I get my fish fix. Sashimi, nigiri sushi... I'm salivating just thinking about it.

But, with a background in environmental resource management and a goal to live sustainably, reading a menu at a sushi restaurant becomes a challenge to select fish that is likely to be wild caught, not endangered, not overfished, not fished in some terrible way that destroys the ecosystem...

When a NY Times forum titled "Room for Debate" recently asked participants to weigh in on their thoughts regarding eating seafood, there was not much debate. All contributors essentially had the same message: many of our fisheries are unsustainable, many species of fish are en route to extirpation due to over fishing, but a savvy consumer can still enjoy fish.

Although I have grown accustomed to navigating menus to avoid farmed salmon and bluefin tuna and focus on squid and smaller fish species (which led to the discovery that I love mackerel nigiri), a conversation with friends of mine made me realize that I'm probably in the minority. As they described the delicious Chilean sea bass that they bought at the market, I couldn't help myself but to cringe. My grimace did not go unnoticed and I found myself in the position of having to explain that they probably shouldn't buy Chilean sea bass in the future due to sustainability issues, as described here. Then my friends stated that they also bought organic farmed salmon periodically - was that okay? Oh dear. No, probably not okay, but I was sure to tell them that before all of the issues regarding farmed salmon were brought to my attention when I move out west, I also purchased organic farmed salmon from that same fish monger (and I'm still not sure what he means by 'organic', but that's a topic for another post altogether).

I now have a card in my wallet that lists commonly consumed fish and indicates how they fare from a sustainability perspective. I looked at it when I first got it, but find it awkward to open it in restaurants and inspect the menu so obviously. Especially in Japanese restaurants where the fish on the menu constitutes a part of their centuries-old culture.

That a culture is in danger of being lost due to the over-exploitation of natural resources in 2009 is such a shame. We know better but, due to greed and all the challenges associated with managing a resource that is largely open access and a classic example of the tragedy of the commons for many offshore fisheries, the situation is not surprising. Relying on savvy consumers is a start but, as highlighted by the conversation with my friends, it is not enough.

I give kuddos to my favorite Japanese restaurant in Vancouver (which is probably my favorite restaurant, period) for starting to indicate where the fish is from on the menu. When fish mongers and restaurant owners start providing information to consumers to help them make more sustainable choices, it's a sign that we're moving in the right direction.

Filed under // sustainability Vancouver

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June 15, 2009 8:17 AM

ici et là

I've been back in Montreal for a week now and have had a chance to reflect on the city that was my home for some of the most formative years of my life.

I walked through the streets of Vieux Montreal where they were ripping up the cobblestone streets to, finally, replace infrastructure that would be better suited in a museum than to the delivery water to city residents in 2009.

I took note of the multitude of churches that populate the city. The domination of the skyline by cross-topped steeples in some neighborhoods is physical evidence of the city's religious past. I contrast these to the skyscrapers and elevated expressways that emerged as a result of the quiet revolution.

I overheard conversations in French and English, such as "On est à Montréal... traversser sur le vert serrais plus dangereux" stated by someone in a group of j-walkers. I laughed - it's funny because it's true.

I observed elderly women with orange (not ginger - really orange) and bluish-purple hair on the bus and the Metro. I wonder what drives them to sport hues that would otherwise only be donned by teenagers.

I bought bagels and was reminded of the extent of the Jewish population in Montreal which spawned a train of thought on culture and diversity. There are many cultural and ethnic groups represented on the streets on Montreal that are rarely, if ever, seen in Vancouver. Hassidic jews and Haitian immigrants are among them.

In fact, the urge to compare Montreal and Vancouver was the common thread to most of my reflections on the city. Montreal has history. Montreal has culture. Montreal has seniors with orange hair. Montreal has j-walkers. Vancouver has these things too (well, maybe not the seniors with orange hair), but they're less notable.

Describing Vancouver as a historic and cultured city would be misleading. Montreal embodies cool and trendy without trying - it is largely organic, unforced, and unpretentious. I can't say the same for Vancouver.

My time in Montreal reminds me of a conversation I had with a classmate from London (UK, not Ontario) who had recently arrived in Vancouver and had not visited any other parts of Canada. He stated his opinions, mainly critical, about Canada based on his limited experience in the country. I was new to Vancouver at the time and was offended. Quick to correct him, I drew largely on examples drawn from Montreal to debunk his first impressions.

Both cities are in the same country but, on many levels, they couldn't be more different.

Filed under // Canada Quebec & Montreal Vancouver

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June 8, 2009 8:55 AM

english bay sunset

Montreal is an awesome city and I do miss it when in Vancouver. I had a great day with Karen yesterday in the Plateau and on Mount-Royal. That said, Vancouver is hard to beat in the summer. The photos I took last Thursday night (experimenting with camera settings) help support my claim.

The best part: English Bay is a three minute walk from our place.

Click here to download:

english_bay_sunset.zip (2503 KB)

Filed under // books & art Vancouver

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May 30, 2009 11:24 PM

hairless feral cats

I was in Victoria for the last few days and left my computer at home (hence no blog posts of late). I brought my book (two thirds of the way through the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy) and a copy of last week's Economist and left email, twitter, and blogging behind. Being unplugged was kind of refreshing but, now back at home, I'm quite enjoying being connected again. My time in Victoria was memorable, and it seems fitting to share a few stories from the short trip now that I am home.

I

The weather has been wonderful - sunny and warm and breezy. The flight to Victoria was breathtaking: powering across Coal Harbour, lifting off over the Lions' Gate Bridge and Stanley Park, taking in views of downtown, the snow-capped North Shore mountains, English Bay and Spanish Banks, peering down on the pastures and teal blue bays of the Gulf Islands, and landing in Victoria's harbour. All in 35 minutes.

While I was busy looking out one side of the plane and then the other in an effort not to miss anything, many of the other people on the plane had their noses buried in newspapers and magazines, seemingly oblivious to, or not interested in, the beauty right outside the window. I suppose it's possible to take the scenery for granted if the flight from Vancouver to Victoria is routine, but it's a shame to see people failing to appreciate that they live and work in such a beautiful place.

II

I met up with some good friends yesterday afternoon. We sat on a patio near the water in the sun. It was a great opportunity to wear the sun hat I bought at a hat store in Victoria earlier in the day (which had to be stretched to fit on my huge head).

The number of people sitting at the table ebbed and flowed as friends and friends of friends came and went. The conversation was lively and disjointed at times - but highly entertaining. Talk of my becoming a crazy cat lady (which I believe is inevitable) led to a discussion of hairless cats (due to my mild cat allergy) which led to a discussion of feral cats (Matthew misheard and thought we were talking about feral cats, which are abundant outside his and Carmen's house) which led to talk of bears (which Matthew and Carmen saw on their driveway last week). Matthew showed us a photo of said bear taken using his cellphone. It was a black blob, but we trusted that it was indeed a bear. When asked if it was a black bear, Carmen responded, "yes, it was colored black".

It was an evening of good company, good beer, and lots of laughs.

III

On the way to the beach on the way to drop me off at the ferry, Matthew and I drove past a guy walking his bike alongside the highway. We exited the highway shortly thereafter to buy some beverages to bring to the beach and to pick up the Canadian Tire flyer (Matthew's request).

When merging back onto the highway, I noted that the same guy with the bike was just up ahead and, as we passed him for the second time, it was clear that his bike had a flat tire. Matthew slowed down and pulled over and jumped out of his van to offer the guy a lift. The guy happily accepted, loaded up his bike, and jumped in the back of the van. Some small talk ensued and we dropped him off a few kilometers later. He was very thankful and Matthew was happy that he had offered a random act of kindness.

We got to the beach, which was accessed by driving through some scenic farmland, and noticed that the guy had left his cellphone in the van. We brought the cellphone to the beach with us and, while taking views of Mount Baker and Mount Rainier and watching kayakers paddle by, the phone rang. It was the guy, trying to track down his phone. Matthew made arrangements to drop the guy's phone off on his way back from dropping me off at the ferry. Another act of kindness. Matthew's karma rating is now high.

Filed under // Vancouver

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