You may have heard that much of BC, including Victoria, has been blanketed in snow this week. While not so much for the rest of BC, this is a fairly rare event for Victorialand. I have to say: the snow has been a mixed blessing. On one hand, it looks completely gorgeous. I managed to snap a few photos on Monday, which I haven't developed yet but have high hopes for.
On the other hand, different fingers. Victoria as a city is completely unprepared and unable to cope with this kind of weather. It hasn't snowed since Monday and things are still nowhere near normal. You may recall that the city sold its only snow plow back in 1995: the year before the blizzard of '96. Fortunately, Pati and I were back in Ontario celebrating the Christmas holidays when that one struck, so we only had to deal with the aftermath a week later when we flew home, which was bad enough. But apparently things were completely insane in the days before we returned, as opposed to moderately insane days after our homecoming.
This time is no different. I couldn't get to work on Monday because the buses stopped running. Shortly after I woke up I heard on the local branch of CBC radio that the conditions were so bad that the bus drivers had been ordered to stop at their next scheduled bus stop and just sit there waiting for things to improve. Taking a cab would cost a mint and they were backed up with calls anyway. The only option was to walk, which would have taken me an hour and a half minimum. So I did the only sane thing: I emailed work and let them know that I was staying home.
Snow day!
I hung out at home, playing video games, taking pictures and enjoying Pati's company. I had the rare opportunity to use my snowshovel, and happily cleared my walkway. I was of a small minority. Victorians, by and large, do not shovel their walks even though they are legally obligated to do so (They are generally not even aware of this. Myself, I would shovel regardless).
I'm thinking of renaming this blog "Griping about Victoria".
Here's another one: few people in Victoria are capable of driving in the snow and virtually no one has all-weather tires. There were numerous accidents, lots of people stuck in snowdrifts and sliding on ice.
Anyway, enough rambling on my part. Here's to future Victorian Snow Days!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Erratic, not erotic
Well, my erratic posting has continued full steam. But I will take another kick at the can. I've heard that would be writers should keep a journal to keep the creative juices flowing, so consequently I've decided to contribute more random thoughts to this crazy blog thing. I figure that as long as it doesn't take away time from my regular writing projects, then what is the harm? Anyway...
I've been pleasantly surprised by the recent opportunities that I have had to witness some mind-blowing performances. One of the most annoying things about living in Victoria is the lack of shows - nobody seems to want to make the ferry ride over to the island. And getting to Vancouver for a show is expensive and inconvenient: including the ferry ride, it's a 3 1/2 hour trip one way. It makes me miss the relatively short trip into Toronto from Hamilton. This situation has contributed to my general malaise in regards to Victoria nightlife.
You might imagine my surprise when I heard about the coming of political hip-hop stalwarts the Coup. In case you can't imagine it, I did a lot of jumping around and going whoot! And the show did not disappoint, even though it was lacking the talents of turntablist extraordinaire Pam the Funktress, Boots Riley provided a thouroughly enjoyable time for all with the cooperation of an able backup band and guest vocalist Silk E. A funktabulous time had by all, or at least me.
I also had the great fortune to hear some thought-provoking speakers hold court in Victoria. The first was Dr. Gerald Durley who came to speak at my employer's annual business forum and the second was Jello Biafra, who appeared to make it to Victoria at the last minute almost by accident.
Dr. Durley was a genuine treat to hear. I knew very little about him coming to the business forum and was not expecting to be so completely entertained and inspired by the man. He is, among other things, a southern baptist minister and is no stranger to public speaking, with a style which is at times personal, humourous, uplifting, and thought-provoking or any combination thereof. It was a pleasure to be a part of that audience.
Seeing Jello Biafra speak was an interesting experience. Coming from a punk background, I was already familiar with his work in the Dead Kennedys as well as with Lard and in spoken word. It was a bit surreal to actually see him in person, and in a small venue to boot. The event was held in what I would refer to as a community hall, with no stage and just a semi-circle of folding chairs. Jello performed some of his classic spoken word pieces such as "Die for Oil, Sucker", but the majority of the time was just one long rant - nearly 4 hours worth. The subjects ranged from many different subjects, all highly political, all highly entertaining. My brain felt pretty full by the end of it, I can assure you.
So, I'm hoping that this is the beginning of a trend, and I will have more opportunities arising in the future to see such intriguing people. But knowing Victoria, I'll not bet the farm on it quite yet.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the recent opportunities that I have had to witness some mind-blowing performances. One of the most annoying things about living in Victoria is the lack of shows - nobody seems to want to make the ferry ride over to the island. And getting to Vancouver for a show is expensive and inconvenient: including the ferry ride, it's a 3 1/2 hour trip one way. It makes me miss the relatively short trip into Toronto from Hamilton. This situation has contributed to my general malaise in regards to Victoria nightlife.
You might imagine my surprise when I heard about the coming of political hip-hop stalwarts the Coup. In case you can't imagine it, I did a lot of jumping around and going whoot! And the show did not disappoint, even though it was lacking the talents of turntablist extraordinaire Pam the Funktress, Boots Riley provided a thouroughly enjoyable time for all with the cooperation of an able backup band and guest vocalist Silk E. A funktabulous time had by all, or at least me.
I also had the great fortune to hear some thought-provoking speakers hold court in Victoria. The first was Dr. Gerald Durley who came to speak at my employer's annual business forum and the second was Jello Biafra, who appeared to make it to Victoria at the last minute almost by accident.
Dr. Durley was a genuine treat to hear. I knew very little about him coming to the business forum and was not expecting to be so completely entertained and inspired by the man. He is, among other things, a southern baptist minister and is no stranger to public speaking, with a style which is at times personal, humourous, uplifting, and thought-provoking or any combination thereof. It was a pleasure to be a part of that audience.
Seeing Jello Biafra speak was an interesting experience. Coming from a punk background, I was already familiar with his work in the Dead Kennedys as well as with Lard and in spoken word. It was a bit surreal to actually see him in person, and in a small venue to boot. The event was held in what I would refer to as a community hall, with no stage and just a semi-circle of folding chairs. Jello performed some of his classic spoken word pieces such as "Die for Oil, Sucker", but the majority of the time was just one long rant - nearly 4 hours worth. The subjects ranged from many different subjects, all highly political, all highly entertaining. My brain felt pretty full by the end of it, I can assure you.
So, I'm hoping that this is the beginning of a trend, and I will have more opportunities arising in the future to see such intriguing people. But knowing Victoria, I'll not bet the farm on it quite yet.
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