Desert Island List: Top 5 Bands with Female Leads

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

Top 5 Bands with Female Leads. Again, in no particular order...putting these in order would be incredibly tough! Also I'm warping this to just Top 5 Female Indie Artists cause bands seem to disappear under the headliner's name

1) Metric: what's there not like about Metric? Emily Haines rocks it out emotionally, sexually, and physically. She's got great stage presence, and she matures as a song writer as time goes on. From hits like Monster Hospital, Succexy, Poster of a Girl, Gimme Sympathy, Stadium Love...her themes mature, but most importantly, they're relevant.

2) Florence and the Machine: New to the scene, Florence is popularizing airwaves all around the world. You can catch her song "Dog Days Are Over" on CJAD during the pre-game shows for Habs games. She's also had part of the song "Kiss with a Fist" play on NBC's Community in their inaugural episode. She's got a lot of energy in her vocals, and there is a lot of energy as a band.

3) Katie Melua: In terms of power in a voice, Katie Melua is at Level 99. She's got an incredibly empowering voice. The only thing that's weak is her lyrics. I'm not sure if she writes them herself, or that she has a writer, but it's pretty weak stuff. The instrumentals are soft, it paces the songs, it lets Melua unleash the beauty of her voice slowly and steadily. She's great to listen if you feel like you need to be motivated in a long term!

4) Ingrid Michaelson: she sings about how hard it is to wake up in the morning, but also about how great life can be if it's simple. The classic type that plays out to the hearts of 14-17 year old girls. Yes I have the heart of a 17 year old girl, now to find her and return it to her. I digress. Ingrid Michaelson is down to earth. Many female artists are dressed up, beautiful, and stylish...Ingrid does her shows wearing hats and her glasses, and a pair of jeans. She's just kickin' it back, playing some music, and entertaining people along the way.

5) Priscilla Ahn: I feel in love with her the moment I heard her stuff and saw her. She's got a sweet voice, and really easy going. Her music is what I call summer day music. With the sun shining, and a bit of a breeze blowing, Priscilla Ahn is perfect for the mood. Her music is well paced to have you elated, and to keep your buzz on. She doesn't sing about anything too endearing, but at the same time it's so platonic you feel like you know what she means.

That's it for now. I hope this helps you through menopause!!

My next topic will be the Top 5 Male Hairstyles you should wear when you're on a desert island for both picking up chicks, and just to survive! stay tuned, hopefully there won't be a 2 month delay between my next post!

Desert Island List: Top 5 Books

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

Top 5 Books. You would think I could be extremely cultured and pull out books like "The Art of War," "The Anarchist's Cookbook," "The Bible," "Mein Kampf," but lets face it, I read popular culture books. Does that mean I fail in reading cause I'm not learning when I read? I don't think so...I think I just enjoy the little things in life a little more than trying to prove to myself I'm better than I am. I'm not, I'm a nerd.

1) High Fidelty (Nick Hornby) -- I first read this in High School for class and I loved it then and I still do. Hornby's known for his popular culture references which sits well with me. He comments on great classic songs like "Walking on Sunshine" and classic bands like Nirvana. Stuff I grew up on. He meshes this all with a guy completely obsessed with music and how his love life is failing. Something I can relate to easily.

2) A Long Way Down (Nick Hornby) -- Is it a crime that I put two Hornby books in the same list? well this one is the Breakfast Club on steroids. 4 unlikely individuals form a group pact on not to commit suicide for a month, then 2 months, then how to continue their lives from there. The individuals range from a former Television star, a failing rock musician, an emo kid, a single mother with a disabled child. There's nothing that makes you realize there's more about life than knowing that you've got nothing to lose. Stranded on a desert island, wouldn't be a bad choice to have this in hand.

3) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling) -- Debatable. I believe the Triwizard tournament was pretty exciting. Harry up against the wall, someone on his back trying to get him in the sneakiest of ways. The return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That's not a spoiler cause if you've read the book, you know what happens, but if you haven't read the book, you shouldn't know who I'm talking about, right? ;).

4) Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) -- Cheese. I know. Robert Langdon, a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones, saves the world from the clutches of religion! Being a Catholic, it's interesting to read about your religion in a different light and try to cope with it. Being stranded on a desert island, where is my God?

5) Fight Club (Chuck Palaniuk) -- Anarchy, Bipolarity, Schizophrenia. This book opens lights up on how messed up society can become with just an idea of trying to feel more alive. Ironically, the main character tries to feel more alive by getting closer to dying, which I guess goes down to pain for pleasure and exhilaration. This is another book that comes down to realizing that there's more to life. Unlike the movie, the main character dies and has a conversation with God. How many books can you read that ends with a conversation with God?

Well this was actually a really tough list to make cause I clearly don't have a lot of variety in what I read! Next list will be a battle with the Top 5 Indie Bands with Female Leads (excluding male/female duets).

Desert Island List: Top 5 DVDs (movies)

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

This edition is the Top 5 DVDs (Blu-Rays) I would bring with me to a desert island. It's only movies, and not including TV shows. There will be another list for TV shows. This also raises a weird question, why would I be carrying 5 DVDs at the time of getting stranded on a desert island? I guess that's one for the ages. Here we go:

1. Top Gun -- What's there not to like? Man of all men Maverick flying fighter jets and getting the woman all while riding into the danger zone. The movie's known for classic lines like "You're dangerous, but I like you... You can be my wingman any time!"

2. Shaun of the Dead -- Simon Pegg at his best as an average guy who saves his friends from the zombies. Hilarious British humour with subtle punch lines and delivery.

3. The Bourne Ultimatum -- The first two were good movies, but the third one was in a class of its own. Matt Damon, a terrifically underrated actor plays the part well of a man with a chip on his shoulder that you shouldn't mess with, no matter what the circumstances. Espionage and action at its best, not to mention a good storyline.

4. 40-Year Old Virgin -- best comedy movie ever. Nothing tops this. Steve Carrell's breakthrough role and awkwardness all-round. "Feels like sandbags." Also if I'm stranded on an island, I might end up channeling my sexual energy into knowing that guy went 40 years (fictionally).

5. Juno -- Quick quips and sarcastic deadpan humour at its best. Good jokes, a feel good story. Also contains some of my favourite actors (okay really 2 actors from my favourite show "Arrested Development"). Damn them and their teaser of never being in the same scene together! What a disappointment.

Honourable mentions: Superbad, Fight Back to School 1 (Canto movie), Dark Knight

Next list: Top 5 Books (it'll just be 5 out of 7 Harry Potter books...now which ones to eliminate! jk)

Desert Island List: Top 5 Essentials

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

Today will be the essentials, the things you need to survive. Things you can't live without , things you need to stay sane!

1. Toothbrush -- I can't live with nasty teeth

2. Toothpaste -- They really go hand in hand...

3. Machete -- You never know what you're going to run into, could be a wild animal, or just foliage that may get in the way of your daily life.

4. Bug Spray -- Let's be honest, there is nothing worse than bugs. Bugs when you're walking. Bugs when you're sleeping. Bugs when you're eating. Bugs.

5. Soccer Ball -- now I know this sounds cliché but I need something to keep entertained, and a soccer ball would go a long way. Plus I can use it to smack bugs, throw it at animals and even use it as a chair or a pillow.

The next Desert Island List will be Top 5 DVDs.

Predictions

Just before the Habs kicked off their playoff series against the Washington Capitals, many pundits predicted that the Habs would be swept in 4 games, and would definitely not last past 5.

I fearlessly predicted that it would snow before the end of February. With the Habs forcing game 7 to be played tomorrow, I will make another prediction: the Habs will face the Bruins in the playoffs.

Vancouver Day 21/22: QE Park and Stanley Park

I visited 2 parks in 2 days and they were beautiful parks. Queen Elizabeth Park was more of a big hill, and it had the Bloedel Conservatory at the peak, which is like an amazon zoo, but really small. It had a lot of fancy birds and plants but I didn't get to tour it cause I arrived too late. It had beautiful gardens and it was quite the walk. Not all the flowers were in bloom yet but many were and it was nice to see.

Stanley Park was just off the coast of Vancouver. I walked/jogged the whole coast in about 2 hours. Turns out I'm not very good at jogging. I thought since everyone else was doing it, I'd do it too...but I think I jog too fast and expend all my energy too quickly. I don't know how to go slow! But the sights were nice and there were many mythical legends left behind by the Natives. They had this one giant rock where they claimed a man had been so unselfish he was transformed into a rock. It was a nice sunny day so it captured a lot of the effect. The insides of the park was beautiful too and a nice nature hike. It's more flat than most of Vancouver surprisingly. There was an "Aquarium" which is an aquatic museum. I didn't enter cause it was $22 but I did get to see some beluga whales and captured them on film! I finally found the Inukshuk and got a picture of it. Vancouver's a beautiful city, much more than Montreal! It's definitely worth a visit if you're looking for something inside Canada that's not Toronto!

Vancouver Days 19/20: New Westminster/Richmond

Just checked out New Westminster, where the trading used to take place way back when. It rained but not too bad. It was pretty much just some site seeing. There was this weird district where it was all wedding stuff, pretty weird!

Richmond was pretty boring, there wasn't anything that special there even though it's supposed to be Asian-central. I didn't find the super Asian mall but i did walk around Richmond Center and then went to Minora Park.

Just take a look at the pics :).

Vancouver Day 18: Party/Olympic Village

There was a sweet volunteer party today where I got a free tote bag and a bottle of wine along with a $25 gift card to HBC. There was free beer too and a lot of random situations and partying. It was a good way to end the volunteering experience. I got a picture with an RCMP!

I ended up hitting up the Olympic Village to check out what that's like. Prior to that I walked around Granville Island, where it's like a mini carnival. Lots of lights and shops, like a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, everything was closed except restaurants. We took the Olympic line to get there and it's a train made by bombardier and it's pretty slow, and only 1 stop, took like 5 minutes...it was a disappointment for a tourist attraction.

The Olympic Village was pretty sweet with a lot of places for the Athletes to hang out. It had a lot of open space, and a pretty sweet bar/lounge with pool tables and lounge space. Apparently it's being sold off as low-income housing, but it has a great view of the city!

Canada Celebrating Round Robin Win

Vancouver Day 17: Name Dropping

Today has been the best day yet! I met Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, and we shook hands and he asked me "what's your name?" as he looked deep into my proudly Canadian eyes. I responded "Julian, Sir." The thoughts running through my mind as I shook his hand were "I will never wash my hand again!" Rick Hansen arrived shortly after the Prime Minister did and they shook hands (someone walked in front of my camera as I had a good shot of them shaking hands!) and they had small talk about their sons and what they're doing. Hansen's sons are playing volleyball and rugby.

Shortly before that, the Prince of England Edward attended the Czech Republic v.s. Korea game and he came out back to his bodyguard filled car. We waived at him but he didn't waive back. Douche bag. He's a balding chap. We waited 30 minutes outside his car for him to show up. The Princess of Norway was in the house for the Canada v.s. Norway game.

The Premier of BC was there too, but I have no idea who he is so I didn't bother hunting him down. John Furlong (President of VANOC) did tap me on the back (as I was trying to get a photo of the game) as he walked by, congratulating us for our hard (okay I'm lying) work.

The game sucked as Canada completed a mastery in choking. Up 1-0 in the third period, they took 3 penalties in a row (and a 5 on 3 or over 1:30) and then a penalty shot (that tied the game). The penalty shot was awarded due to a Canadian player putting his glove on the puck in the crease, which Rosen was furious about as he claims to have had the puck and he almost attacked the referee. Canada let the Norwegians win it with 3.6 seconds left, as Bridges deflected a puck with his gloves over his head and over the goaltender Rosen. Disappointing and heartbreaking, but the crowd was nervous for most of the third period and it was felt, despite my best efforts to make some noise!

I also tried out the Biathlon rifle today (trying to decide which sport I will compete in in the future :P), and the rifle's quite heavy! They give you headphones to simulate the blind shooters. They beep rapidly as you near the target. The target is incredibly small and the scope is narrow so it's tough to see, and then taking the shot is tough because as you pull the trigger, your arm tenses up so you lose your shot! I will never be able to kill anyone as I went oh for five.

After my shift, me and my supervisor Carson went downtown to check out the IBC building (much like the Palais de Congres except nice) and we got up close to the Olympic flame at night and took some pics. Little did we know, we locked ourselves out of the complex!! Lucky enough there was another volunteer, much like us, wandering around the venue and she let us back in, as we took some photos with her. I also stole poster after my shift :D (which can be seen in the pictures).

Finally, I've got a bunch of gifts to give away so if you want to take a look at what's available and put a claim on it, just check this link here.

Pictures of all the names I just dropped are here

Vancouver Day 16: Fun and Games

Hola,
today was slack for the first couple of hours. We caught wind that they were giving out trial runs on the sleds so we decided to head over there to check it out. On our way there we saw volunteers driving the zamboni so we decided to try to get in on that fun. We didn't get a chance to drive it, but we did get some individual pictures, along with a group picture on it!

we ended up lining up for the sled hockey trials and it took about 25 minutes of waiting, but we finally got on the ice. it was sick! you need a lot of upper body strength to propel yourself on the ice. it's pretty easy to navigate (depending on the distance of separation of your blades). It's pretty tiring and confusing on which end of the stick you want to be using to stickhandle and move. The hardest thing was to stickhandle and move at the same time. Shooting was quite difficult too to find the right body angle and shooting technique. It's incredible how most players can shoot and stickhandle with both hands!

Back at the office, we had another contest to complete, and this time it was colouring a picture of Sumi. We all had our own interpretations of what the picture will look like, and some were quite funny. All I could think of was "Happy Tree Friends" but I dare not draw a picture of blood squirting out of Sumi's neck :P. Everything else was same old, same old.

OH YA, Canada got upset in the semi-finals by the Japanese 3-1. It was 1-1 with 1:10 to go in the third and the Japanese scored on a 2 on 1, then Canada with the net empty passed back to the point, and the pass was stray and slid all the way back into our own goal sealing the Japanese victory. The Americans beat the Norwegians 3-0 so the finals will be USA v.s. Japan (whom they've already beaten 5-0), and the bronze medal game will be Canada v.s. Norway (whom we've already beaten 5-0).

Vancouver Day 15: Lazy Day at Work

Today wasn't much and the venue was more or less empty cause there were only two games. the bottom 4 teams of both divisions battled it out to see who will play for the 8th and 7th spots, as well as the 6th and 5th spots. The placement match ups were the Czech against the Italians, then the Koreans against the Swedes, with the Italians and Swedesboth losing and will meet for the cellar dweller's match up on Friday, and the Koreans will face the Czech for 5th and 6th. I think that's how it goes :P. Canada plays the Japanese tomorrow for the early game, and the US play Norway, the winners will face each other in the Gold Medal game.

We spent a lot of the shift just chilling and playing cards, nothing out of the ordinary occurred and we got a group photo. It was a beautiful day so making runs was fun, but it got quite chilly at the end. People have begun showing up late or not at all cause there's absolutely nothing to do! Bastards! Getting around the system. FYI, a volunteer jacket is going on eBay for $300-400 , someone put up a full uniform set for $1000 on Craig's List.

Vancouver Day 14: OH CANADA!

Today was great. The day passed quickly because the Habs game was on from 430 to 7 and the Habs won 3-1! got to watch it on RDS on the venue TV (which are on sale). Then we chilled and played card games. I learned a few new card games. "Pig" which is like spoons, but you touch your nose instead. "Bikbo (sp?)" is an Indian card game which deals with losing all your cards. "Oh Hell" which is a game to predict how many wins you'll get. We got plenty of rounds in of each game until the Canada v.s. Norway game got underway. Before the game we went out to grab a bite, and the food was okay. I got there a little late so the potatoes were all gone, but the turkey and rice was okay, but not spectacular (with a side of peas and corn).

The Canadian game was sick! they scored in the first minute of the game, and in the first 10 seconds of the second period. They won 5-0 in the end. The Norwegians were supposed to be a tough match up, being in the finals of the 2006 Turin Olympics. They have this guy "Pedersen" who never leaves the ice and is their best player, and one of the best in the world. Canada dominated throughout the game. I left my post to watch the 2nd and 3rd periods. It was an incredible atmosphere. People were dancing, the wave was going, the crowd was loud, and "Sweet Caroline" was playing. I got a few pictures, but I lack the skillz of a photographer. Some of the guys are huge, and I see them training outside our office and their arms are mad built. They get into high impact collisions on the ice and some of them look harder than NHL hits.

There's this guy I'm working with, he got there late at 6, and left at 845 to go home early so he can get to class tomorrow. I mean I know we don't do anything (as per the pictures), but we made a commitment so that kind of upsets me.

There are sales for all sorts of Paralympic clothing, and plush toys of all the mascots. If anyone wants anything, refer to this. I get some discounts on certain things, and there are deals occurring everyday. Most Olympic clothing has been sold out, but there are plenty of Paralympic gear still available! let me know asap!

Vancouver Day 13: Museum/Cauldron

I went over to the Vancouver Art Gallery and they had a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit and it was pretty cool to see how talented Da Vinci was in drawing, and in biology, and in physics and engineering. He was centuries ahead of the next in terms of sciences. I actually think he was probably socially unaccepted cause he dissected a lot of human corpses and did some pretty crazy things to advance science. His work was never published, although it was in his intent, until the 1900's, where a lot of the things he discovered were already becoming common knowledge.

There was a second exhibit that was the insides of body parts being mutilated and spilling out. It was pretty weird and nasty. I couldn't get pictures cause the first 3 floors prohibited pictures to be taken. What sucked was that the museum closed at 5pm, and I didn't know so I didn't get a chance to visit the other floors, although I do plan on it!

I passed by the Olympic/Paralympic cauldron again and this time the flames were lit! I'm sure it looks more beautiful at night, but I did get a few pictures! I also saw some of the Japanese Sledge Hockey Team on their day off relaxing and enjoying the city.

Here are some pics.

Vancouver Day 12: Workforce Day 2

As expected, it wasn't much work. The food was exponentially better as it was mashed potatoes, beef stew, and corn along with a chicken noodle soup and it was better, but not amazing. Edible, and it satisfied the hunger.

What was exciting was that I caught the last 5 minutes of the Canada V.S. Sweden Sledge Hockey game and it was an amazing atmosphere in the arena. The Canadian fans were really into it, shaking their cowbells, cheering, doing the wave, and my favorite part: singing "Sweet Carolina." Canada demolished the Swedes 10-1. I also caught the Japan V.S. Korea game's second period. The atmosphere there was just as great, with the Koreans bringing drums and cymbals and making lots of noise for their team. The Japanese had children make flags out of crayons and paper and tape them on chopsticks so people can wave them around. The game was completely one sided, with Japan winning 5-0.

Lucky enough, my next shift happens to have the Canada V.S. Czech game and we're all planning to go watch it in between our duties...I will definitely equip myself with my camera and get as many pictures as I can!

Vancouver Day 11: First Day on the Job

So it was my first day, and like any other, I was nervous. I entered the work room to see familiar faces and I decided to stay inside (there's an outside print room and an inside one) cause it's quieter, I was a little tired, and I didn't want to mess up with the bigger jobs.

I expected on your toes work, constantly delivering print outs and running around everywhere, but it was dead. We would have a report every 30 minutes or more, and it would take 5 minutes to complete. We got to watch the sledge hockey games on TV, with dedicated Paralympic channels, along with the syndicated CTV, RDS, TSN, Sportsnet. It was amazing to watch the shootout between Sweden and Norway, with Norway winning. Their moves were sick, one player doing a fake shot, then shooting from underneath his sled.

The food was atrocious. There was a choice of curry or chicken gumbo soup, I took the gumbo soup and it wasn't quite good. Main dish was either the chili or pork with either rice or noodles and a side of veggies. The pork had a beige sauce, and I've never eaten a beige sauce so I had to pass and went with the Chili and Noodles. It was pretty dry. Let's hope for better food tomorrow! at the very least we got a fruit, free cookies, and a soft drink of our choice.

We made frequent visits to the other print room during our downtime, as well as watching live the sledge hockey games. It was a lot of fun meeting the people and talking to them and getting to know them. I will try to update with pictures the next time as I was afraid to bring my camera today, but it seems like I can for tomorrow.

A lovely co-volunteer drove me to a sky train stop after our shift was cut early (1030 instead of 1130). Bed time beckons.

Vancouver Day 10: Bummed out

I bummed out and watched 4 movies in a row
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno
- Year One
- Pineapple Express
- Kung Fu Panda

then I chilled with my 15-year old cousin Victoria.

Vancouver Day 9: Cousin's Party

My 18 year-old cousin had a party so I graced everyone with my attendance (or I had nowhere to go so I was there by default).
- They played some poker (and they were terrible players...I've never been so bored of winning).
- We played Mao, and people didn't like me for scolding them on not playing properly.
- We then played poker again, which I won.
- Then we played Taboo, and it was fun but I suck direly!
- we also rocked out playing rock band!
- I was apparently cultured and professional as I knew the rules to poker, and mao, and weird facts for taboo. Also I shake people's hands. Man do I feel old now...
- No alcohol cause the drinking age is 19 in Vancouver
- New drivers have an N license, where they can't drive more than 1 non-family member at a time, pretty BS if you ask me. It's similar to our probationary license, but stricter, and they have to pass a 3rd test to get their full license.
- Peace out J-town.

Vancouver Day 8: Burnaby Mountain

Today was a visit to Burnaby Mountain. It had a pretty nice view of North Vancouver and Downtown Vancouver, I'm sure it's beautiful during summer nights. It was chilly up there. We also visited Coquitlam Mall, which is about the size of Fairview, or a bit smaller. It was really dark inside cause of a wooden design. We finished it off with a visit to to K-town and bought some Korean goodies.

Vancouver Day 6: Downtown

So I went downtown on Day 6 to check out some Olympic sites. It was a chilly day at 6 degrees with an overcast, while Montreal was enjoying 8-10 degrees! I'm practicing for my future profession as a weatherman, obvi. Pictures are here.

the usual:
- Chinatown smells like Chinatown (you all know what I'm talking about). It's a bit ratty and old, lots of red, and there's a Dr. Sun Yat-Sen botanical garden, but it was closed off for the day.
- downtown is about a 10 block radius..everything is less than 15 minutes walking distance from each other.
- the shopping district isn't all that impressive, everything is smaller in size than Montreal.
- we saw a silver Elvis...pretty creepy!
- There is a Starbucks on every corner...and more Starbucks than Tim Hortons (BLASPHEMY! but Starbucks originated in Seattle, which is a 3-4 hour drive from Vancouver).
- I saw the zip-line thing everyone was riding over Robson Square...it doesn't look that fun...but it was closed off.
- I wanted to visit the Vancouver Art Museum but we didn't have time. Maybe another time.
- I saw the Olympic Cauldrons...although unlit, and not as epic as I expected.
- Shot some pool at night...although not very well :P.
- had HK style food for dinner, I'm really not a fan of HK style food...yet I keep trying different things.

That's it for now...stay tuned.

Vancouver Day 4/5: "That's What She Said"

I went out for Karaoke the night before, and there was no alcohol, and there were a lack of tunes at the establishment. Montreal did it better than that place, which is hard to believe! they didn't even have any dice available to play any games.

Day 4, it was a beautiful day that I had to spend mostly indoors cause I had training at the UBC Thunderbird Arena for my function as a print distribution associate. Thus I make hundreds of copies, and deliver them to their destination, i.e. The Press and Broadcasters covering the Paralympic Games. The team is mixed between young and old folks, all with the common goal of not getting yelled at...oh ya and to support the Paralympics! My supervisors are quite young...either my age or around there. The UBC Thunderbird Arena has 3 rinks, and embarrasses Concordia's Ed Meagher Arena in size and in terms of facilities.

Day 5, spent it mostly in...went to a mall to just spend some time, I ended up buying a T-shirt that says "that's what she said!"After using the line at least 10,000 times in my life, they should be paying me to wear the T-shirt. The city had nice Cherry Blossoms, a rare-site for Montrealers
.

Vancouver Day 3: Shopping + Pho

so turns out I've actually nailed in 3 blog posts in 3 days, this may never happen again!!

went shopping at Metrotown mall...pretty sweet mall, probably the size of Laval's mall, or a touch smaller.

Things I've noticed:
- I can't tell if Asians are 15...or 25...now I know what people see when they see me.
- I ate some pho...they don't have XL, and it's not as good, the broth is too salty and not as much "pho flavor"
- food seems to be more expensive...Mama Burger trio at A&Ws' was $6.50 + tax...didn't get it for obvious reasons.
- random people doing tricks such as flips, and twirls and whatnots on trampolines (like freestyle snowboarding/skiing training.
- I bought a trench coat...now I can flash people, OR stalk people...or both...undecided.

No pictures for today, cause I'm too lazy to post 3 or 4 pics of people flipping.

Vancouver Day 2: UBC

So I commuted via a Sky Train and a Bus to get to UBC...took about an hour, so Burnaby to UBC is like Pointe-Claire to downtown.

Things I noticed:
- Everyone dresses either generically American, or Indie (Urban Outfitters-esque) or Fobby. No one dresses like we do in Montreal with designer clothes.
- The campus is BEAUTIFUL. It's built in the middle of nowhere so they have a lot of space to expand it. (Unlike Concordia and McGill being built downtown with limited space but up).
- a lot of interior eateries, which is not needed in downtown Montreal :P.
- the radius of the campus is pretty much walking from Concordia to McGill
- I saw an eatery on Broadway St called "Montreal Smoked Meat." I must try it out, and they said they have poutine!
- A&Ws has poutine and I saw people eating it...I don't know if I want to risk it!
update:
- the Broadway St is eerily similar to Sherbrook street before downtown.

Click the link to see some pictures from today!

Vancouver Day 1: Exploration

Okay so today I went out to the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) to pick up my uniform and accreditation. I decided to go take the bus all by myself and it's not very intuitive...it took me two tries and 30 minutes to find the bus stop. it was just a slither on a pole that said "bus stop" sideways with the code number, and not which bus passes. They also don't have a parallel stop on the other side going in the other direction so that's kind of misleading.

Point form of what I noticed in Burnaby (just outside Vancouver like Pointe-Claire to Downtown)
- Buses have a ticker display of the name of the next stop, drivers also announce the stop coming up ahead.
- the class of development is sporadic with no pattern. Goes from huge house, to tiny house, to modern house, to shaggy house.
- the shops and strip malls remind me of Pointe-Claire village
- people are EXTREMELY polite, they say Thanks to the bus-driver even if they're getting off in the rear- exits, they yell it out!
- there is no snow, and it was nice and sunny with a high of 14 degrees.

Here are some pics of what I'll look like in my uniform, and some of the free stuff I got

"Ohno you didn't"

Charles Hamelin captures Gold as Canada double medals in the 500m Short Track Speedskating. He beats out the American Nemesis Apollo Ohno.

Charles Hamelin has a stunning resemblance to Bret McKenzie of the Flight of the Conchords, and the win over Ohno reminds me of this little clip from the Flight of the Conchords TV series.

"If you say 'Ohno' one more time, I'm going to throw a sandwich in your face."

Mike Robertson Snags a Silver

He had a lead heading into the final stretch of the snowboard cross competition but got overtaken by the American Seth Wescott. Canadian medal count up to 4, with Jeremy Wotherspoon preparing for his second run, sitting in 5th in the 500m speed skating (stay tuned)

Women's Hockey

Montreal Canadiens' prospect Yannick Weber's girlfriend is Florence Schelling of the Swiss hockey team and she's a hottie (Center).

FIRST GOLD FOR CANADA AS A HOST NATION!

We've waited from Montreal, to Calgary, and now to Vancouver to finally see our first gold. Alex Bilodeau wins the moguls event.

Update: Canadian Performances

Canada consistently has a competitor in the finals of every event but fail to provide medals. I find that Canada's pretty good at every sport but we lack a niche-sport where we are guaranteed medals every time we compete...we randomly pick up medals in every sport.

After a day and a half of events, Canada sits in a tie for 3rd with 2 medals (silver and bronze). The States are currently leading with with 5 medals (1-2-2).

Opening Ceremonies

I missed the start of it but starting at 9:15

9:15 - first nations of each province entering the scene doing dances (that aren't synchronized!)
9:21 - Countries starting to come in, starting with Greece, the founders of the Games, and then countries following in alphabetical order
9:23 - algeria comes in with 4 athletes
9:25 - the First Nation dancers are still dancing...are they going to dance through the whole opening ceremony
9:26 - Aizerbaijan comes in with 2 athletes! both in slalom skiing.
9:27 - is Carey Price's mom representing the First Nations from BC? (first commercial break)
9:29 - Bermuda has 1 athlete...and he showed up wearing shorts! and that's why they don't belong in the olympics.
9:31 - China comes in with 90 athletes!! Look out for the pairs figure skating, they're very good at coordination...The Chinese were also waving mini Canada flags.
9:33 - are the Czechs here for a military mission? Jaromir Jagr carries the flag-- side note...the sign bearers are hotties.
9:38 - France checks in with 108 athletes...one athlete painted a French flag mustache...classy! -- First Nations update...still dancing.
9:39 - Georgia comes in, looking serious, wearing black armbands to commemorate their lost teammate.
9:42 - Brits check in...not a very pretty nation. (commercial break)
9:45 - Hong Kong gets 1 athlete in Cross-Country Skiing...maybe some Canadian fobs should step up and form a team
9:48 - Jamaica checks in with 1 athlete...no bobsled team! Feel the rhythm, Feel the rhyme! Get on up, it's bobsled TIME!
9:51 - South Koreans are dominant in short-track speed skating...29 of 31 Olympic medals won in that category.
9:55 - Mexico comes in with 1 athlete...who is 51 years old. He begun his career 25 years ago.
9:59 - Norway leads all countries in medals with 280 and they are a good looking nation. IMO nation to follow for more than one reason ;)
10:02 - Russians have 178 athletes! Former Pittsburgh Penguin first rounder Aleksey Morozov carries the flag...imagine if he was still with the Penguins today? -- the tireless First Nations dancers continue to strut their stuff.
10:09 - First Nation dancers slowing down.
10:12 - States appear with 218 athletes!
10:14 - Canada finally arrives with 206 athletes, ranked 7th all-time in medals. Red Jackets black pants? not very warming.
10:19 - Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado Singing a tribute song called "Bang your Drum"...would be funnier if Bryan Adams sang a song called "Winter of 2010"
10:26 - Cultural part of the ceremonies...could be boring. "Hymn to the North"
10:30 - nice energy wave effect with the staff.
10:32 - one massive Coca-Cola bear appearing out of nothing and floating onto the stage.
1034 - whales "swimming" along the stage, nice effect on the spraying of water as they pass by.
10:37 - Part 2 of the culture "the Sacred Groove" - Sarah McLachlan
10:42 - Alberta ballet performing underneath the trunks of the trees...feels like they're tiny little hobbits.
10:44 - Segment 3 "Rhythms of the Fall" -- a flying canoe!
10:45 - some sort of Scottish devil with a cape playing some folk music on the Violin...a nice touch with a dancing shadow on the moon...while playing on the canoe
10:47 - some crazy punks with tattoos fiddling...6 main fiddlers with 180 other fiddlers...that's a lot of fiddlers!
10:50 - crazy tap dancer! a lost art.
10:52 - Fiddle sticks on fire!! tap dancing shoes on fire! fiddlers putting on a good show.
10:56 - Part 4 "who Has Seen the Wind" -- from the view of a young girl...but the girl looks like a boy...
10:58 - in Canada...we believe we can fly..so we do!
11:00 - that flying kid probably gets all the chicks.
11:03 - from dancing prairie pansy to an electric storm...me no gets it, but crowd gets into it with flashlights
11:05 - George Vancouver reference...discovered Vancouver in 1792.
11:07 - one of the people in the stands is already passed out...8:07 Vancouver time is an early bedtime
11:08 - Olympic footage on the makeshift mountain backdrop with spinning skiiers/snowboarders...once again flying!
11:09 - rollerbladers simulating skatinig arrive on set in red jump suits to complement the snowboarders/skiiers
11:10 - rollerbladers lit up with light bulbs coloured red or white, trippy.
11:11 - a poet of some sort on to tell a tale on a raised stage.
11:13 - now this GUY probably gets all the chicks.
11:16 - Olympic speeches from Jacques Rogue (sp?) and John Furlong from the IOC and the head of the Vancouver movement. This is going to be boring! a Tribute to the unfortunately athlete that passed this morning.
11:31 - Michaelle Jean, the Governor General of Canada declares the opening of the winter games after a lengthy speech from the aforementioned duo.
11:32 - another song, not sure who, and not sure what.
11:38 - a Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" covered by KD Lang who looks like a man.
11:40 - Olympic flag being carried in...one of the carriers is Jacques Villeneuve! Hockey Legend Bobby Orr also carrying.
11:42 - No sight of other famous Canadians Bill Shatner or Pamela Anderson. Olympic Hymn being sung.
11:47 - 1 minute of silence for Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvil
11: 49 - Hayley Wickenheiser takes an oath on behalf of all the athletes to not dope, and Michel Verrault does the same for all the judges to not fix any results.
11:50 - Garou singing a piece in French.
11:54 - FLAME ON! Olympic flame brought in, Paralympian Gold medalist Rick Hansen passing off to 2-time Gold Medalist Catriona LeMay Doan, passed off to Steve Nash...rumour is he's going to dunk it.
11:55 - the rumours are not true, Nancy Greene receives it next, Canadian Ski Champion of the Century, who passes off to the Great One.
11:59 - System is on delay, they can't open the cauldron that's supposed to come out of the floor
12:00 - 3 columns up, and 1 can't seem to get up...need Viagra?
12:01 - They light it up via the columns...very smooth.
12:02 - first Olympic flame in a domed stadium, with a minor malfunction
12:03 - Outdoor fireworks for finishing touches.
12:04 - the external cauldron will be lit by Wayne Gretzky...HE SHOOTS....
12:05 - air-lock in the doors, take some seconds to open so the inflated dome doesn't deflate
12:05 - Gretzky riding on the back of a truck...and it's raining...but the flame lives on!
12:06 - a kid is following beside Gretzky's car at a good pace...I wonder if he'll ever stop running
12:11 - this is a long ride, Gretzky had to switch flames, double fisting for a couple of seconds
12:13 - 15 minute lifespan of the torch, fueled by butane.
12:14 - 15 minutes after the scheduled programming, it's taking a while. We see the Cauldron and the way it's supposed to look indoors and.
12:15 - ...HE SCORES!!!!
12:20 - Montreal's own Nikki Yanovsky singing "I Believe" to wrap up the Olympics. She's gone a long way from doing Montreal Canadiens pre-game Anthems to doing the Anthems at the Olympics.
12:24 - and it concludes...and it also concludes my blog, and I'm going to bed. Good Bye and Good Night.

Tough Start to the Olympics

Hours before the opening ceremony, 21 year old Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control going 144.3 km/h at the "Thunderbird" turn of the course. He flipped off the course and crashed into a pole. He was rushed to a hospital but has been declared dead.

With only a couple of hours before the events begin, it's a surprise that athletes are still pushing themselves to their limits during trial runs.

She's so Hot...She's making me sexist

If anyone's watching the Scotties Tournament of Hearts to warm up for the Olympics...2-time Olympian Jennifer Jones is hot...but she won't be representing Canada this time around so who's really going to watch curling now?

111%

cause all the other punks give 110.