Catching Up

How to cover so much that has happened since my last post? As is often the case, I hold off on new entries when I’m about to upgrade Wordpress, and then put off doing the upgrade, which makes the gap wider, which makes me put off the upgrade, making this a vicious cycle. Well, cycle broken. Now, on to what went on during the gap:
A Wedding
Our friends Matt and Oana got married. We feel particularly privileged to have known both of them through all of the stages of courtship, engagement, and now getting hitched (they are on their honeymoon as I write this). The Romanian Orthodox ceremony was unlike anything either of us had ever seen, complete with chanting, incense, tin crowns, and all sorts of other ethnic touches that one doesn’t encounter in most marriage ceremonies. We were both a little thrown off by the absence of any music for the processional or recessional, the talking, passing out of candy, and other eccentricities during the ceremony by many of the relatives, and a chorus of women women singing a repeated refrain to the priest (which I later found out was roughly the equivalent of the Latin ‘Kyrie Eleison’ ). As I also found out later, we could have also been treated to magic tricks, stories, and bear training, so in retrospect, it was a pretty restrained event. But get those Romanians dancing at the reception! That was another thing entirely. The reception was a blast. Matt and Oana had chartered a boat that circled in and around the Vancouver area, including points as far north and west as Lighthouse Point, as far east as the Ironworker’s Bridge, into False Creek and all the way down to the Science Centre and out again. Despite a little drizzle, it was quite smooth and comfortable, and we all enjoyed an absolutely spectacular dinner including salmon (of course), chicken, vegetables and a piece of an enormous wedding cake provided by one of Oana’s relatives. We all had a great time and were glad we could be with them for the event, which I’m sure will be remembered fondly by all who attended for a long time.

The Blogger Meetup
This monthly event been covered by many others, including Jan and John, so I’ll keep this brief. We congregated at Cuppa Joe on Broadway and Main, who provided coffee, pastries and free wifi. At one point it almost seemed as if we would outgrow the room but we moved chairs around and some of us adapted. It’s nice to be a part of a group of so many clever people and we often find the conversations moving from one topic to the next at furious speed: the state of James Doohan’s (Scotty from Star Trek) ashes to videoconferencing to ‘The Secret’. A few new attendees also livened things up, and cameras caught a lot of us in mid-sentence (or laugh!) I regret that I’ll have to miss next month’s meeting, as I’ll be back East visiting friends and family then.

Eat! Vancouver
We made it for the second time to the food show that takes over BC Place (the air-supported dome that had a bit of a deflation problem this last winter). Once again we tasted, sipped and nibbled on all sorts of free samples and got tons of recipes and coupons. I noticed a big growth in the number and type of beverages, including not only teas and soft drinks, but vitamin-waters, juices, concentrates, smoothies, and coffees. I wonder if the fast pace of people’s lives is favoring liquids as they are easier to take with you in a bottle or can, and hence, a growing market in that sector.
We managed to make the demo by Rob Feenie, Vancouver’s most famous chef, who is actually quite a local celebrity. He demoed a recipe for miniature hamburgers made from shredded short rib meat, which I have to say was not a very unusual dish, at least in terms of ingredients and cooking method; Pam was shocked as I consistently knew what he was going to say or do next (‘now he’s going to add some mirepoix – chopped onions, celery and carrots…now he’s going to deglaze the pan with some wine or broth’…etc.)

My New Strategist
After my troubles with my Career Management company didn’t improve (and in fact, they seemed to me to get worse), I told them that things weren’t working, and that I needed a different strategist. They agreed, and tomorrow I meet with the new strategist. Here’s hoping they can help me and can work with me a bit better. So far I’ve been hitting a series of brick walls, and I’m trying really hard not to get discouraged during this period.

Coming Up
Besides my meeting with my new strategist tomorrow, that evening I’m planning on attending the big multimedia concert and Contemporary Shadow Play, ‘Semar’s Journey’ by the Gamelan I used to play in, Madu Sari. Since I’m still on their mailing list, I’ve been seeing the amount of rehearsals they’ve been scheduling and frankly I don’t know how I could have done it. I hope it goes well; they certainly have worked hard to prepare for it.

The weather continues to be gorgeous, and the sunshine stays until just after 9:00 at night. Vancouver summer is just about upon us, and it’s always worth the wait.

Colya

I just learned from Facebook, of all places, that on Tuesday morning, Colya Kaminiarz, a fellow that I had met through ApplesBC, the local Apple User Group, was found dead in his apartment. He died in his sleep but the exact cause of death is not known yet. He was a Respiratory Therapist, and I would frequently read of his travels, sometimes via helicopter, saving someone’s life here or in Toronto. He was a charming and easygoing guy, and one of the first friends I made after moving here. Recently we traded IMs and emails, meaning to get together for coffee. I regret we didn’t get to spend much more time together, and will miss his face and name on my Buddy lists. Facebook will have some information about a service to celebrate his life, and I’ll try and post here as well.

Some Words to Remember him by

Jerry Falwell delivered these words a few days after September 11, 2001:

“I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians, who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way — all of them who try to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’”

The fundamentalist Christian Televangelist, and spokesman of the ironically named ‘Moral Majority’ died today at the age of 73.

I imagine that the world may be just a few ounces lighter in hate today.

Back in Town & Tips to US Visitors

Yesterday I returned from my visit to my brother and his family in the Seattle area. It was great to spend some time with them, and they have plenty of room (especially when it’s just me and not a whole slew of family members descending upon them, as sometimes happens). I also picked up a new Macbook Pro (woo-hoo!), and hopefully will be posting entries from that computer from one of the many, friendly coffeehouses that seem to be designed for just such an activity sometime soon.

Pam is still out of town, now staying with her brother and his family in Western Mass. I’ve checked the fish and can’t find the one that was sick; I fear that a crow may have come and gotten him, but I can’t be sure. In the meantime, I’m cooking, doing laundry and trying to keep the place reasonably clean. With a beautiful day like today, it is hard to resist the urge to simply go and sit in the park. Fortunately, it’s just a bit too chilly to just sit.

As the comments on my post: A Beautiful Day and Career Counseling from the Pointy-Haired Boss have suggested, my work with the strategist at Career Management company have had hit a rocky patch. I’m sure this will all work out in the end, but I’m not used to being the ‘problem customer’ in any business relationship. If they are run as well as they should be, it should still work out in my favor.

Advice to US Visitors
Its been a long time since I explored the whole US to Canada experience. Part of it is that I’m settling down, I suppose. In just 2 months, we’ll have been here 2 years(!)

Nevertheless, with an upcoming flood of US relatives due to visit my friend Matt for his wedding, he is compiling some ‘Advice to Americans’, with some tips and FAQs for those who may not have been to Canada before. Some are as simple as ‘Do I need a voltage convertor?’ or ‘Will my Cell Phone still work?’ (No, you won’t need one, and Yes, but it’ll cost you some hefty roaming charges), so I thought a little bit about things that I’d add, and couldn’t come up with much. Is this because I’m starting to forget the way things used to be and am taking differences for granted? Here are my additions, for the record:

• Watch out for some vocabulary differences, like ‘Parkade’ instead of ‘Parking Garage’, and ‘Homo’ instead of ‘Whole Milk’.
• The temperature in Centigrade can really take some getting used to. (is 10 degrees hot? Is it cold?)
• Be careful about using credit cards. They often employ a terrible exchange rate (which is slowly but surely moving toward 1 US dollar = 1 Canadian dollar these days) and also can charge a ’service charge’ for each purchase. Better to convert as much money as you can to cash, if you feel comfortable doing that.
• Most pedestrians obey crosswalk signs to a surprising degree of strictness. It’s just the way it’s done here. (I’ll bet I get some disagreement on that point…)
• Expect surveys. You’ll get surveyed on everything. Not just hotel rooms, but tourist attractions, and even some stores and restaurants. Unlike the somewhat cynical view they are viewed within the US, Canadians take surveys very seriously, and are surprised that others don’t. I can’t explain why this is the case, but it was true years ago when we went on our honeymoon in Nova Scotia, and it’s still true today.
• Sometimes restaurants and clubs look worse on the outside than they actually are on the inside. I have no idea why, but this is frequently the case. Don’t let it stop you from exploring some shops and eateries that look a little dicey. Chances are they just have a little worn facade, but the tables and kitchen are fine.
• Unlike the US, in Canada, buses are not just for the poor and marginal members of society. Here, everyone uses them, so don’t be afraid to.
• Don’t be surprised if you see an Adult Bookstore in a relatively nice area. Unlike the US, where they only occupy the worst areas of town that one should never be caught in after dark, they are better integrated into society here. That’s doesn’t mean that you’ll see them in really nice areas of town, but don’t assume just because you see a Porn purveyor in the neighborhood that the whole block is a slum.
• Iced Tea here is always sweetened. Forget about trying to get some without sugar added. I hope this will change some day.
• In the US, which was supposed to be ‘the melting pot’, people still seem to define others by where they came from. A coworker is not just a coworker, they are a Chinese or Indian coworker, and people from the US inevitably ask someone from Asia where they are from, and are surprised when someone who is clearly from Asia doesn’t speak with an accent. That’s not the case here. If you work or interact with someone who is of Chinese, East Indian or some other decent, they are frequently Canadian, born here and with no trace of an accent. Remarking on someone’s lack of an accent may brand you as ignorant, an American, a bigot, or all of the above.

That’s all I could think of for the moment. Most of the other differences I remembered that I had to adjust to (aspects of banking, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments) were the sort of thing that applies to living here, rather than visiting.

Hanging on by their Thumbs

As I write this, the Canucks are in the last-ditch effort to stay in the series in Anaheim. The game is in overtime with the score tied 1 to 1, and Roberto Luongo, the extraordinary goalie (with a face by Modigliani) has made save after save as the Ducks keep shooting (nearly 3 times as frequently as Vancouver). It’s a nail-biter, to be sure. I can’t stand the tension!

All right. (*pant, pant*) Here’s a time out:

While staying (loosely) on the hockey theme, I noticed (from some of the TV commercials he appears in) that Sidney Crosby, the rookie player for the Pittsburgh Penguins (and the first pick of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and one of the leading scorers during last year’s NHL season) bears a striking resemblance to Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live. Don’t believe me? Take a look:

Sidney Crosby	Andy Samberg

Separated at birth? I guess if they ever do a Hockey sketch on SNL, they’ll know who can play Crosby.

First time out is over. Still no score.

A Visit to the South
Tomorrow I’ll take a quick visit to my brother and his family in the Seattle. It’s the first time I’ve been down there since a day-trip in January.

And It’s Over
That’s it. The Series is ended with a bizarre shot by a guy named (of all things) Niedermayer, which was the name — different spelling, though — of one of the bad guys in the movie Animal House…the one who would be “killed in Vietnam by his own troops”.

*sigh* Well, it was nice while it lasted.