Fresnelle

Cuba Libre January 19, 2008

Standing in the aisle in London Drugs, I’m suddenly paralyzed by the abundance of choice. In Canada we have an entire aisle dedicated to shampoo and conditioner, yet when Cubans shop, they’re lucky if shampoo is even in stock.

“Mike”, the guide on my trip to visit the cities of Ceinfuegos, Trinidad & Topes de Collantes told me that the government provides monthly rations for every person, but only the basics such as beans, rice, and oil. Cubans pay approximately two Pesos for their rations, which only provides about five to ten days worth of basic food stock; produce and meat must be purchased at the market. Although Cubans pay for their food in Cuban pesos, they must pay for clothes and entertainment (dining out, going clubbing) in Convertible Pesos. One Convertible Peso (CUC)= 24 Cuban Pesos. Most Cubans earn the Cuban Peso, unless they work at the resorts and hotels or sell their handicrafts to tourists, who bring with them an abundance of CUCs. The double economy is as confounding to the Cubans as it is to the tourists; my guide admitted that he didn’t understand why Cuban citizens were required to pay for certain items with inflated CUCs and others with Cuban Pesos. The clothing stores in Havana offered sparse selection, and the window displays were a jumble of cheap plastic toys, outfits and personal hygiene products, rather unsophisticated by North American standards, but which illustrated the lack of commercial influence.

Cuba is refreshingly free of the advertising bombardment that plagues North America. There is a distinct lack of billboards, bus shelter ads, and TV commercials enticing you to buy the latest night cream or Xbox. In Cuba commercialism has been replaced by propaganda. Rocks and walls are painted with slogans that encourage citizens to “Defend and uphold socialism” and to model themselves after Che Guevara. I noted that Cubans are immensely patriotic people; there are Cuban flags in every city and town. However, the pride they have in their country differs from American patriotism; it’s more collective than individualistic. Flags are flown between buildings and in town squares where the flags seem to embody a sense of community unlike in the United States where many people fly flags in front of their homes, emphasizing Emerson’s ideal of individual independence. It will be interesting to see what happens when Castro dies. How will the Cubans’ idea of identity change?

Got Me Some Dadeo’s December 16, 2007

About a month ago I found out that Edmonton exported yet another favourite haunt of mine to Vancouver: Dadeo’s restaurant. It’s located on the southwest corner of Cambie Street and 17th Ave and is (ironically) quite a bit bigger than its Albertan counterpart. The space is more like a square, rather than the long, narrow rectangle of the one in Edmonton. The decor is still reminiscent of the 50’s, although there is a slightly more modern feel to it. Also, the tables don’t have the individual jukeboxes with the flip through song list. Unfortunately, the decision to head over there was made after I’d already eaten breakfast, but the small bite of French toast with strawberries I sampled tasted divine. I’ll have to go back when I’m hungry!

Another File for the Toriphiles December 5, 2007

Tori Amos paid a visit to Vancouver’s glided Orpheum Theatre on Monday night by first appearing on stage as Santa, one of her alter-egos (inspired by the Pantheon of Greek gods) that make up her “American Doll Posse”. Mid-way into the show she sashed off stage to change into a glitter-gold jumpsuit and reverted back to “Tori”. For those (like me) who had eagerly awaited to see her performance, I wasn’t disappointed. With a two hour twenty minute set, Tori put on a show to be remembered. I was delighted to hear her perform my personal favourites like “Crucify”, “Doughnut Hole”, “Cornflake Girl” and “Raspberry Swirl” and I appreciated her short and sweet encore, which only featured “Precious Things.”

As for the stage, the set was simple: white scrim-like curtains hung behind the band and drastically altered the stage as the lighting changed. Behind the curtains, hundreds of small lights occasionally lit up the entire backstage wall like a mulitcoloured galaxy. My only complaint were the lights that were directed out into the crowd; they blinded those of us sitting in the balcony for upwards of a minute at a time, preventing us from seeing what was going on onstage. Despite that minor annoyance, the show was visually stunning and kept me engaged despite the lengthy set. I hope that she will indeed “come back to Vancouver soon”.

It Always Rains on a Picnic October 22, 2007

…or at least every weekend in Vancouver. Despite the downpour, Matt and I weren’t deterred from exploring Pacific Spirit Park and spending three hours wandering around getting soaked to the bone. Gore-Tex may claim to be waterproof, but their claim is as valid as someone telling you a cardboard box will fly you to the moon. My sleeves were soaked and my torso had huge wet spots where the water leaked through. Maybe Gore-Tex should consider testing their products in an all-day Vancouver downpour before they claim their jackets are waterproof!

Hedonistic Pleasures October 6, 2007

Drinking red wine and biting into the glossy chocolate top of Pim’s cookies on a rainy Saturday afternoon makes me shiver with indulgence. The pleasure of eating and drinking ignites my tongue; I feel warm inside.

My taste buds are alive and I’m caught up in savouring flavours. Earlier this afternoon I ate hummus infused with garlic so pungent it caught in the back of my throat; I imagined that after eating it, my presence would be detected even if I stood 100 meters downwind. Perhaps not the best thing to eat before going to a party…

Fast Forward September 12, 2007

So. I’ve been a bit neglectful of the ol’ blog. Nothing like summer to draw you out of the house and into the sun’s warm embrace, although this summer has been less than cooperative in terms of weather. Despite the mediocre skies, August disappeared in the wake of a weekend getaway to Keats Island and visits with various friends who came from the Albertan prairie lands. It’s difficult to believe it’s almost mid-September and that 2007 is slowly getting ready to pack up and move out to make way for a brighter, shinier 2008. Or so I hope.

23 Minutes in Brussles July 24, 2007

Time slips between the cracks in the sidewalk; suddenly I realize that the whole month has disappeared & I’m left standing on the weatherbeaten cement trying to catch my breath. What has happened since Canada celebrated its 140th Birthday? Let’s see if I can sum it up in 23 words: Five days in Edmonton; an impromptu Tragically Hip concert; a weekend trip to Salt Spring Island; Vancouver Island Folk Fest in the rain. So much can happen in 23 minutes, and so much has happened over the last 23 days since I last posted. Where do I start?

The Sound of Speed July 23, 2007

Last Wed: Nothing like hauling down Homer Street on my way to work at approximately 35 km/hr on my bike & looking a guy wearing inline skates straight in the eye as he decides to cross the street in the middle of the road. Seeing that he’s not going to make it across before me, he swerves to try and get in front of me in the bike lane. Instead, he crashes directly into me, knocking me over while his entire weight slams my bike frame into my flesh. We skitter across the asphalt & come to a rest just short of the curb. I lie stunned at the absurdity; if anything, I thought I would have been hit by one of Vancouver’s notoriously insane drivers before being hit by a J-blading idiot! Me & my bike took quite the hit; I have bruises and scrapes all down my right side (yeah–it’s not a tan I’m sporting, just one enormous bruise) & the front wheel of my bike was knocked out of alignment. Thank goodness I’ve made friends with the guys who run a local bike store!

Don’t Try and Save the Blue Jays… July 1, 2007

and I’m not talking about the baseball team. Seriously though, don’t try and save a baby blue jay that’s fallen out of its nest unless you’re willing to bear the scars for it. On Friday when I arrived at my parents’ place I saw a scruffy looking baby jay hopping around on the ground. I went over to locate the nest & place him back, but when I went to scoop the little guy up, the parents swooped down, screeching & clawing at my face. I got a good whack on the forehead along my hairline–a serious warning that I heeded. Stunned, I retreated & left the baby to the care of its parents; they seemed perfectly able to protect their defensless offspring, so who am I to interfere with nature?

However, when I told my dad about the baby, he was determined to rescue it despite my advice to just let it be. As soon as he stooped down to pick the chick up, the parents let into him, screaming and clawing at his head. Despite the two furious adults drive bombing him & raking at his skull with their claws, my father persisted. It wasn’t until one of them managed to tear at his hand that he finally relented. My dad was concerned that the cat would get him, but nature is cruel & I figure if the dedicated parents can chase off humans, the cat doesn’t stand a chance.    

7th Ave Randomness June 23, 2007

It’s been a while. In fact it’s been quite while since I even took these pictures—way back in January, when Vancouver was experiencing sun instead of endless weeks of greyness. Summer solstice has come & gone, but summer forgot to arrive.

(more…)