I’ve been doing a lot of nothing lately, and I’m loving it. I spent the better part of a couple days wandering around downtown and going places I haven’t really gone before. I went to an IMAX at the Royal BC Museum on Thursday (was that only yesterday?!?). It was on “Mystic India” and it made me want to go to India even more. The IMAX was mainly about a young Yogi and his spiritual journey. Not that I am thinking of converting or anything, but there are some aspects of other religions that I really do admire. But that is a whole other story line.
After the IMAX, I walked home to Oak Bay. It took about a half an hour, or at least that’s how long I estimate it would have taken if I had walked direct. But I didn’t walk direct; instead I walked up Fort Street and stopped at just about every single antique/collectible store and gallery on the street (if you’ve ever been down Antique Row on Fort Street, you’ll have an appreciation for how long I must have spent there…). I love looking at old jewelry, especially the rings, broaches, and earrings. They are so much fun! Possibly the best I saw was a hat pin from the 40s with a huge deep blue swastika on the end. Crazy stuff! Possibly the worst I saw (not because of what it was but of how it made me feel) was my favourite mug that I always drink my apple juice from when I am at Dad’s. Yes, my mug, that I got when I was a pipsqueak was in an Antique store. I am getting old: one more nail in the coffin.
Anyway, the real reason for my title today of “catching up” is because I am now catching up on all the reading I have been wanting to do over the last year. Unfortunately, I packed my list of books I wanted to read, so I’m having to do with whatever looks good at the library. I have just been reading “A Complicated Kindness” by Miriam Toews. Its won a bunch of awards over the last couple of years. Its about a girl growing up in an fundamentalist Mennonite community in Manitoba. It was good, interesting, compelling, haunting, thought-provoking (…). Go read it sometime. Next on my list are a couple of other Canadian books (by that I mean by Canadian authors although I think they are all set in Canada as well). I just started one which was a little odd – took place in a small town north of Kingston (yay Kingston) and seems to be about a few disfunctional families in a disfunctional town. I’m sensing a trend in my books. It has failed to grasp my attention – I don’t know that I feel like being engulfed by disfunction at the moment. I’d rather be uplifted. I’ve packed one that my sister really liked, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, to take with me to China because it is long and I have a stinking long flight and train ride (x2) to take care of. I’d rather just take one book and have it last the whole time than take a bunch. I usually take a book in French with me on a trip like that because I read much slower in French, but I decided that for China I’ll have enough crazy culture and language stuff to deal with that I will likely rather just relax when I read then have to think in French. I love to read.
Tag Archives: victoria
Oak Bay Tea Party
Yesterday was the Oak Bay Tea Party (well, it is today too, but its gross and wet outside today, to I’m not really counting today). Amanda and some of her friends and I did the 3 km “Mad Hatter’s Fun Run” to start it off, then watched the Parade afterwards. The Parade Highlight would have to be the group of Star Wars characters (mostly storm troopers and jedi knights) who walked by in full uniform as members of the 501st Chapter of Star Wars Club (I didn’t know they had such a club). Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera so I didn’t get pictures of them.
It was a gorgeous day yesterday, so after the run, I went out to the beach and fell asleep for an hour or two while reading my book. I was close enough to the fair that I could hear the music, but far enough away that it didn’t drive me crazy. Willows Beach has to be the best place in the world for a midway. Ahhh… the sand, the sun, the sound of waves on the ocean. Anyway, here’s some pictures before I get waxing too poetic.
CNTM
Live blogging CNTM
: OMG. There is a Canadian Jade!
: Hello Mr. Jay… and Hello Brentwood Bay! I have so been where they are going!
: Heather is the early front runner… and her prize is the same as it was for the first prize of ANTM.
: So they just had an ad for the website and I go to check it out and they already have who will be eliminated posted. Grrr.
: Hello BC legislature and the Empress! Trisha seems to be as hands on as Tyra was in the first couple seasons.
: Wow, they’ve just told Heather she has the most potential to be a top model. That’s a good way to set her up for bitchyness…
: I hope this isn’t going be another lame Canadian version of a good American show…
: And the one with the best photo goes home.
I know I had a birthday, but…
I’m not that old! But today, I was playing (hymns of course) at the 55+ group at our church. I’m not sure why they wanted me to come, but I went anyway. After a potluck (with the requisite church potluck items of chili, deviled eggs and cucumber sandwiches) we pulled out the hymn books. I felt like I was back in the Anglican church: “Our opening hymn this morning comes from the red hynm book, number 44…”
I love parades!
Victoria has a sweet parade every Victoria Day… I had no idea until today. It was like 3 hours long and there are a zillion marching bands that come up from Washington and Oregon for it (as well as local stuff, like giant Thrifty’s shopping carts). Anyway, Amanda and I went down this morning to check it out. It was raining and so about half an hour in we decided to run across the street to the Starbucks in Chapters and grab a hot chocolate. While we were there, we noticed some empty seats along the 2nd floor window… so we sat down and watched the parade from inside with our drinks. The marching band sound was a little muted, but we could still hear it. I would have to say the best band was the Bob Marley one. I don’t know if that is what they were called, but they all wore hats with long dark dreads coming out of them and tie-dyed shirts – the Bob Marley Band. I couldn’t get a picture becuase my batteries died, but here are some of the hilights…
Ok, cannot upload pics right now for some reason. Check my flickr site for some pics. Will put some new ones on here when I can.
You know what I love about Victoria? I ride my bike down Shelbourne every day and all I see off in the distance is the snow capped mountains down in Washington. What a view! It provides a scenic backdrop to the entire city (depending on where you are and which way you are looking).
What I don’t love about Victoria? The fact that every hill in the city happens to be on Quadra, which I didn’t know until I rode up them all this afternoon in the blazing sun, 24+ degrees out, while wearing a dark coloured shirt and nearly expiring of heat.
In other news…
- Pride of Victoria wins another MVP.
- The ever eloquent George W.
- I just figured out I can listen to CBC radio online. Oh happy day!
- Thats all I can think of for now.
Victoria Legislature
The BC Legislature in Victoria at night. I was down there the other evening, took in a movie, and took a bunch of pictures of the legislature. As you can see, I was playing around with settings on the camera 🙂
ahh Victoria
I would have to say that I saw the epitome of a description of a Victoria-ite on TV today. It was a pasta commercial with a kid and grandpa talking. The kid was telling grandpa about a kid at school who’s parents make him eat tofu hot dogs and fennel soup. They lamented the over-the-top healthiness of that. And then grandpa delivers the punchline – eating tofu is one step removed from hippie craziness which is one step away from wearing socks and sandals… ahh Victoria.
gillian's island 