Tag Archives: Canucks

Street beats & the exorbitant cost of having a research assistant

Posted on by under Life, Vancouver

IMG_8660Yesterday I tried to give a little love back to the world.

I recently stumbled across (literally) a mix CD on the street in Gastown. The maker left no information other than a wish for me to listen and share a mix of my own. Since I absolutely love music and surprises and random acts of kindness, I was pretty stoked with this discovery. I was a little less stoked to find that the “mix” was actually just The Tallest Man On Earth’s most recent album, There’s No Leaving Now (with a few random songs thrown on the end). But I still thought it was a pretty awesome idea and having any real complaints regarding such a sweet gesture would be totally ridiculous.  Anyway, I chose to make a mix of my own (including one track from There’s No Leaving Now) based on a year in Vancouver (i.e., I tried to capture the mood of the city in a seasonal playlist). I made only one hard copy and left it down by Canada Place last night. I felt that this location would allow for a diverse array of potential discoverers. But, because I believe music in all its forms is worth sharing, I also chose to upload a digital version called seasons by the sea to 8tracks for interested friends to link to, and for strangers to stumble across.

IMG_8735 IMG_8904 IMG_8905

Continue reading →

A (lengthy) note on the stereotypical Vancouverite. Or, “Why I’m Actually a Terrible Westcoaster”.

Posted on by under Vancouver

I think it’s safe to say that if someone started a blog that was predominantly focused on a particular city’s daily life, culture, and people, then that person should probably exemplify the typical local. And while I’m actually a pretty big anomaly in Vancouver – that is, someone who was born here – I also don’t really fit many of the social stereotypes associated with my beautiful home. So, before anyone gets too attached to this blog (other than you, Mom) or forms the impression that I am the quintessential human embodiment of the renowned ‘wet coast’, I’ll briefly cover a few of the standard impressions we Vancouverites incur, and whether or not they apply to me.

~

Stereotype #1: We’re all vegetarian hippies who only eat organic food.

Although I gave veganism a very brief go a few years ago, I’m not currently vegan, nor vegetarian, despite having several friends who are. And, after spending the majority of my undergrad not eating right, I’ve finally learned to properly enjoy good, tasty, nutritious food. Often, this does include dishes that are vegetarian or vegan. I don’t have a vegetable garden in my backyard (although I know some people who do and I think it’s fantastic), but I try to get to the Farmer’s Market on a regular basis. I typically go to Whole Foods only if a recipe calls for something peculiar like fresh gooseberries or white chia seeds, or if I feel an uncontrollable desire to get up to speed on current trends in obscure produce. (This usually strikes at about 9 on a Friday night.) But mostly, since I still fit into the social bracket of ‘starving student’, that’s pretty much the extent of my relationship with organic food.

  

Continue reading →