Ice Fest on Whyte

Even the most die-hard Canadian can be forgiven for wondering: Why in God’s name would anyone in their right mind live in a frozen hellhole like this? ~Rick Mercer on CBC

About 6 months before I moved to Canada in 2004, my good friend Anne sent me this quote in a Christmas card. I scoffed, laughed, giggled, tittered even. Comedians always embellish, especially Rick Mercer! Canada can't be that bad, I remember thinking.

It is.

It is a big, old, frozen hellhole.

Vancouver was livable. Oh, I moaned about the cloudy skies and dreary days. A commuter for 4 years, I saw it all; sleet, frazel snow, soft rain, hard rain, sun, mountains, black ice, white ice...

Alas, I wasn't really living in "CANADA". Living in Vancouver is like living in Costa Rica and calling yourself a part of "Central America". Costa Rica is the Disneyland of Central America as Vancouver is in Canada.

Moving to Edmonton has been as shocking as a prostitute dressed up like a Japanese school girl (seen it!). It's cold. And then it is freezing cold. Then bitterly cold. And finally, it becomes unbearable.

Driving a vehicle is dangerous. The roads develop 'ice grooves' that make you feel like you are driving on a scalextric track. Add into the mix a frozen pedestrian who can't see very well because their eyes have been iced-shut, and it becomes a deadly game of "Frogger". 80's toy references aside, there is nothing you can do if your wheels don't grip the snow or ice. Really, it is just a matter of holding onto the wheel and hoping for the best!

-35 would be bearable if your eyelids didn't freeze together and the wind didn't feel like stalactite needles stabbing into your thighs as you shuffle on the sidewalk. Getting dressed in this weather is a process.  Layers are the best way combat the sub-zero temperatures, but layers are frustratingly claustrophobic. I used to think "Sub-Zero" was a alco-pop that was quite popular in the 90's. If only by stepping outside your house in -35 could get you drunk real quick, it would make the trek to the train a much more enjoyable walk!  It takes an extra 7 - 10 minutes to get dressed a "second time" before leaving the house: Merrell down coat, Sorel boots, cardigan, scarf (sometimes 2) Russian hat, two pairs of gloves later and I am ready to brave the cold. I don't have to do this routine every morning though; I am quickly learning that the weather app on my iPhone is my best friend. -35 to -5 is cold enough to wear the heavy duty weather gear. -4 to +6 means that I can get away with Hunter boots, and a lighter jacket combination. I have to be careful of frost/ice in my Hunters - I've fallen twice already. It was a flurry of pink boots and a lime green umbrella. Again, Anne commented, "What's more embarrassing? Falling over or falling in pink hunter boots?" Touche, Anne. Double Touche.

I'm worried though...I am worried that I am becoming a recluse. If I had cats, I would also fear becoming the crazy cat lady that never leaves her house and finds comfort in a cup of hot chocolate while sitting in front of a heater. I've come to realize that the only way to enjoy winter in Edmonton is to get outside and make the most of it. But stepping outside is like crossing a road in Vietnam...you can't think too much about crossing the road, you just have to brace yourself and do it. Slowly.

Our first journey out was to the Winter Light festival.  Ice on Whyte was an ice-carving festival. Chad and I have been to Sapporo's Winter festival, so we were excited to see ice carvings again.

The festival was small, but it was great to see so many people braving the -25 temperatures. Thankfully, the weather stayed warm so the ice carvings were in top form. Scott and Nao went last year and apparently the were melting and soppy looking. I was so impressed by the detail and variety of the sculptures. The slide was incredibly fast. It doesn't look high in the photos, but the speed! So exhilarating! The picture of Chad and I riding down the slide is the perfect metaphor for our time in Edmonton: me, screaming and crying. Chad, calm and in control. After, we warmed up with an Alley Kat Porter at the Next Act Pub.

Thankfully, since I started writing this post, the weather has warmed up considerably. There are what I call "Surprise Puddles" that pool at the corners of the intersections. They are a surprise, because one can never be too sure as to how deep they may be and what consistency they are. Some are hard and easy to step on. Others are half way up your leg deep. Surprise! These are the days that the Hunter boots and I stride confidently. I almost look Canadian on these days. Almost.

The Year of the Rabbit's Ass

"I Retreat!" says the Rabbit. 

No, Chad. This is YOUR year!

"I Reign!" says the dragon.

"I feel!" says the Snake.
I look a little frightened...and cold.

Most of the pictures that I took below are SOOC: straight out of the camera! Love my Nikon D90.

Scavenger Hunt

November 7th Entry

These photos were taken recently on my D90 and s600. Still waiting for my D90 to be returned to me...sorry for breaking the rules a little!

1. BOO
This week, I had to send my camera away to be fixed, so my "boo" equals "boo hoo": I cried the day it was sent away!

2. BLACK

'Black' was difficult, but I found this photo and thought my shadow would suffice. This was taken on Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver. I like the contrasting textures of the image. This shot is also very Canadian to me: only in Canada are there logs on the beach.

3. Texture

This was also taken in Vancouver while sitting on the patio of Elysian coffee shop with Jenn and Tamir drinking Intelligentsia coffee after a morning of Dim Sum at Kirin restaurant. It was a super warm day, and the roof over looking the patio was striking against the bright blue sky. The sky was this colour: a rare sight in October in Vancouver.

3. Wet

There is nothing better than a lovely glass of Barossa Valley Shiraz with a nice cut of AAA Alberta steak. We wet our whistle on this bottle of red last weekend to celebrate our 9th anniversary. Bethany is one of our favourite wineries in Adelaide. The best part is it is a mere 20 minutes away from where my family lives. We bought this bottle back with us to Canada in 2004. We are looking forward to returning to Bethany at Christmas time.

 

5. Language

Japan is an amazing country, and is a country that has good tasting cigarettes. I guess that is what this advertisement is trying to convey. We tried to re-create the picture with Mark as the buff male model. He does a good job! 

You Capture: Wednesday, First Entry

It was a sad day, yesterday. I had to send my Nikon to the Nikon hospital in Richmond, BC. It got packed up in a neat little Fedex carton, sealed and taken from my warm arms. $168.00 and a small part of my soul later, it was off on a big adventure. An adventure that it will not capture. I feel like I have sent it away to war. I don't know what state it will be returned in or if I will ever see it again. Perhaps, it will be replaced with a new one. Since January, my D90 has slowly been malfunctioning, and it is getting to the point that I cant turn it on without it freaking out at me. When I turn it on, the aperture sets itself at f/90 and then the shutter speed moves to 240. I try to take a photo and it blinks ERROR and then the only way I can clear it is to remove the battery. Perhaps it is angry that I am now using the M mode much more often than I used to...Maybe it too, is sad about leaving Vancouver and feels like this dusty city will infect its lens and particles will enter its fragile cavity thus rendering it useless. I would never let that happen, but dust is small and invasive. At any moment it could attack. I can't protect it from everything this world will throw at it. But now, I am without my baby. All I have is my small Nikon Coolpix s600. As I have just begun to enter Scavenger Hunts and the online photo blogging world, I feel like I have to keep up my involvement, or I will become apathetic about the whole process. So, I am going to use my little Nikon and draw from my archive of the pics that I have taken recently in the last month only. Apologies for slightly breaking the rules, but I really don't want to loose momentum! Besides, it is too much fun!

First Attempt At You Capture Entry: SILENCE

My 'You Capture' photo was taken in Vancouver 2 weeks ago. It is a photo of the Millenium condo complex that is now being deemed a government embarrassment. Built quickly to house the Olympians during Olympics, it hasn't been as popular with Vancouverites as expected. Besides that, the apartments are small and expensive. $700, 000 for 800 sq. ft? No thanks!! 

I call this  photo "Inception" because it looks like a scene from the film. Most of Vancouver is vibrant and happening...this area looks like a ghost town and is very SILENT. What a shame, because the location is amazing.