I think I mentioned previously, that while I was on the Greyhound I wrote a bunch of crap in a notebook to make up for not being able to have internet. Here are the musings from my trip.
******************
July 18, 2010
8:30-ish p.m.
- Man, it takes forever to get out of GVRD. It had to at least be an hour or two. If that was Winnipeg, you'd be halfway through the province already. :P
9:30-ish p.m.
- Though flying is faster, I actually quite like the bus ride. It's relaxing and cozy, aside from the back cramps. :P Plus, you get to see all the great scenery. Even though I always get the trip that goes through the mountains at night.
- There is a stupid annoying couple sitting in front of me that won't shut up. You have no idea how many times I wanted to get up and yell "Shut the fuck up, already!" Seriously, it's after dark, and there is not another single noise on the bus. Can't they take a hint?
- Also--of course--I have to get the one bus seat on the entire bus that has a floor light in front of it...well, of two lights. Between that and the blabbermouths, I have no chance of sleeping. FML!
11:15 p.m.
- We stopped in Kamloops and there was naught but a shittay bus station café with ucky sandwiches, so I didn't get to eat, and all I had at work was a salad. I was going to get out to grab food when we stopped at Chilliwack a couple hours earlier, but was like, oh well, we'll be stopping again. I now regret not going. The blabbermouths got Tim Horton's there and immediately made me crave chili. :(
July 19th, 2010
2:15 p.m.
- I managed to rest uncomfortably last night, but not sleep. I didn't feel like getting up to grab my melatonin, besides, I felt tired enough to not need it anyway.
- The girl that sat beside me since Kamloops started chatting to me this morning around 6:00 a.m.-ish. We talked for most of the rest of the bus ride to Edmonton. We laughed at the blabbermouth couple a few times. Good to see I wasn't the only one that that thought they were annoying! We kinda hung around each other until we had to part ways. We ended up walking around downtown Edmonton looking for a place for her to buy a phone card. The people at the station gave stupid directions and we only successfully found a mall after walking a block or so and asking strangers. :P It was funny, we went the entire time chatting--about 7 hours--and never once introduced ourselves.
- Didn't get on the bus to Winnipeg until 2:00 p.m.-ish instead of 1:30 p.m. Also, the security guy confiscated my water bottle and hairspray. The bottle I can replace, but that hairspray was fairly new. Boooo.
- Alberta has been rainy since this morning. I hope it's nicer in Winnipeg.
- Got on the bus and I could have sworn this guy a couple seats back from me was listening to Lady Gaga. Ewwww. I could be wrong, but the song sounded freakishly like Just Dance or something. :P
3:00 p.m.
- Gotta love all the random things in the middle of nowhere. We passed by what appeared to be someone's property, but one of the things that was built there looked like a massive, almost Mexican-style resort. Lol. Who goes to a resort in the middle of nowhere in Alberta? You can't even make a good analogy to compare that to. I mean, that *would* be the analogy to use when talking about something lame. :P
- All of the rolling hills around here really make me want to visit Ireland.
- Thought for ponderment: Wondering whether it would be cool or not to do an in-country study: Live in each of the main provinces for a while and experience Canada. Lame, or interesting? I guess it all depends on where you go!
- I keep wanting to get a damn picture of a mustard field, and I keep missing them. Bah, there's tons...I'll get one soon enough!
- We're stopping in Tofield. Isn't that where Richard is from?
3:15 p.m.
- I *still* want that fucking Tim Horton's chili. :( Still haven't had a proper meal.
- I freaking love mustard fields. Soooo yellow. It makes me wonder what it would be like if nature were different main colours. Bright yellow grass and a purple sky would be so cool! :P
3:55 p.m.
- People in the town of Viking sure seem to love displaying their full names on signs in their front yards. :P
9:20 p.m.
- Managed to go from Edmonton with my own seat, and get out of Saskatoon with no new passengers sitting next to me. Lol, is it my hair? :P With any luck, I can get to Winnipeg with two seats!
- I feel better after getting some soup @ Robin's Donuts (They don't have those in BC! At least I haven't seen any.) at the Saskatoon station. It's no chili, but it'll do. :P
July 20th, 2010
8:30 a.m.
- Woke up at first pink light and stayed up to try to take pics of the sunrise. Got a couple but not sure if they worked. And of course as soon as the sun actually started to crack, we pulled into Brandon and missed it. Then I decided to sleep for a bit, somewhat successfully. We are pulling into Winnipeg right now!! :)
*********************
That was the trip out. On the trip back, I was a little more lazy with my writing, so there's a lot less. :P
*********************
July 29, 2010
2:22 p.m.
- So tired on Wednesday night. Nice guy was beside me on the bus and chatted a little bit about Canadian cities and where we were/what we did type thing. Didn't last too long because I was so sleepy. Had to try to avoid being fallen on several times. Though I think at least once or twice his head ended up on my shoulder. This was annoying and I wasn't sure how to get him away without just whapping him in the face. I'd usually just start to move or wait for the bus to rattle. Thankfully he left at Regina.
- I got sunrise pics this time, albeit in Saskatchewan.
- The way back is the trip I'm used to. Stopped in a familiar restaurant (in Swift Current) and ordered a poutine against my better judgment. They made it with cheddar and it was kinda ucky. I still haven't finished it.
- Stopped in Medicine Hat, and the restaurant that was here before is now a restaurant/variety store. They had some semi-cute black/hot pink bikinis. I got a drink, and when I got back on the bus it was super humid and musty. Ewwww.
- Finally beat that stupid part of the Temple of the Ocean King in Zelda (Phantom Hourglass) after 2-3 more tries. :P Almost don't feel like doing more.
- Beethoven seems to be surviving the trip, as is the rose that is nestled in a J-Cloth in my purse. I re-moisten it every time we stop. One petal fell off, and I think the tips are drying, but I think it should survive one more day until I can give it proper water.
6:25 p.m.
- Calgary Station. The washrooms are no longer cool, but they weren't last time either. No more white doors. Also, I kind of really hate cowboy hats.
**********
And after that I just got tired and lazy and didn't write anymore.
Oh, and I didn't really explain it in my writing, but I was stuck on a part of Zelda for HOURS. I don't even remember how long, or if I'd worked on it before that day. In any case, it was draining afterward. :P Oh, the things I'll suffer through for you, Link. <3
One other explanation. At the Calgary Greyhound station, the washroom doors used to be white and completely covered with writing from people from around the country. Some of it was regular washroom trash-talk (I'm sure we've all seen "____ is a ___ing slut" on a bathroom wall at some point in our lives...at least the girls' rooms. :P), and some of it was funny comments that people would add to other people's dumb writing, making for a funny string conversation...and of course there was also a lot of "____ was here" and such.
But it was epic...it was almost like a landmark of a sort for me...a little piece of history from all over the country on a bathroom wall. I can't remember, but I think I even wrote on it once, during one of the times we passed through when I was travelling with Mom. But yeah...If you've ever seen one of my "leave no white space behind" birthday/holiday cards, it was like that, only on a bathroom cubicle wall and a lot more disorganized and incoherent. :P When I first discovered that they'd painted over all of it, I almost felt like a part of Canadian heritage was lost...all those hundreds of people's experiences forgotten.
But how weird am I....getting all sentimental over a public can. XD
The funny thing is, I kind of do have a weird personal sentimental value for the Calgary Greyhound Station loo, probably because I remember always stopping there with my Mom on our many trips back and forth to Winnipeg in my teens.
My first experience and discovery automatic self-flushing toilets was also in that bathroom many years ago. I think it both amazed and terrified me at the same time. I remember it kept flushing a bunch of times, and I wasn't even using it (I went in the stall to change my clothes. :P). It weirded me out immensely. It still does. I'm exceptionally baffled by how automatic toilets will flush zillions of times when you're in there, except when you're actually intending to flush them. But anyway.
In case you were wondering, the Beethoven I mentioned refers to a sculpted bust of Beethoven that I brought home from Winnipeg. I grew up with him on my piano. Recently I thought of him and missed him. But when I was there, my cousin Liana told me they still had him, which I didn't realize. So I carted him home. I wrapped him in loads of tissue paper, stuffed him in a bag, and hoped for the best. It was heavy and awkward.
And the rose I think I explained last time, yes? It was from Nikolaus. I've been listening to his stuff a lot too. :P So much emotion in that music. Why does it seem that's always what I'm the most drawn to?
Anyway, that's about enough typing for one night. My fingers are starting to get stiff and confused.
Until next time my pretties.
Love,
Sheeyan =(^. .^)=
xoxoxoxo <3
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
New discoveries of old loves.
Okay, it has officially been too long since I posted something on here. A couple of weeks were busy, or uneventful...I can't remember which. Then came my trip on the 18th, and that was a couple of weeks. Then I got back a few days ago to discover my internet wasn't working at home. I escaped to Nanaimo on Sunday night, and so I've finally caught a chance to post something.
It's been an interesting few weeks, and I thought of many different things to write about, alas I don't remember a single one of them at the moment. Other than a few trip adventures of course. Actually, I was determined to document my trip as best I could, and I have a bunch of pictures and videos I will post when my internet at home is back up. I would be doing it now, but I seemed to have forgotten my purse, including my camera that was in it, at Tanya's house yesterday. :P
Winnipeg was a very enjoyable trip, I got to see everyone I wanted to see at least once, and had time to relax and do whatever I wanted, and have a proper holiday. I ended up spending pretty much most of it at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. I'd never gone before, but when I discovered what it was about, I wish I had the chance to before.
It filled a lot of empty time. When I was in Winnipeg I was determined to not do nothing, since that is pretty much what I do all of the time at home, what with the having no money to go out and all. I wasn't sure what I'd find at the festival, but I ended up having fun and hung out there for a bit every day until it ended.
One afternoon, me, Laurah and Rob decided to go wandering and checked out the two streets of vendors they had out there. It was there that I discovered they had street performers out and about there. When we were passing through this particular time, there was a cello player there, and he immediately caught my attention. Rob told me he saw him the other day and he did some wicked things with that instrument. I stood there enthralled. He ended a song and began another: the Pachelbel Canon in D, which he had changed up and did his own funky thing with. Having a personal family attachment to that piece, I felt a flutter in my chest. That song always does that to me.
I didn't pay attention to how long we watched him, I just remember standing there and not being able to take my eyes or ears away from the music. We went on doing our thing. Sometime, I think, the next day or later that day, I (We? I don't remember.) passed him again at the end of a set. I found him one more time, I think with Laurah, and at some point I bought a CD. We learned that he was going to be playing a show on Friday night, and got excited about it. I wanted to figure out what other times he was playing, but at that point hadn't figured out the street performers' schedule.
This story might not seem that interesting. It's kind of one of those things you have to be there to experience. As you may know, I've delved deeper into my love of music lately, and random things have been enthralling and inspiring me to study it. When I started listening to this guy play, it was unreal. Sounds come out of that cello that I've never heard come out of a cello before. The cellist is a funny German guy from Berlin named Nikolaus. His cello is named Umbra, whom he always jokingly introduces as his "Polish girlfriend." Together, they are "Cellolitis."
But I have to say...I have never seen something so amazing to watch/listen to. He is so intimate with his instrument; he knows it so well, it's like it has become a part of his soul. He will just improvise with any random thing and create something beautiful out of it. I can only dream of one day being able to do that. It really was an awesome experience for me to watch him play.
One day, I think it was a Thursday...I had found him playing again, and went to give him what random change I had after his set. He had already sold out of CDs. I was disappointed, because I'd bought one and figured I'd come back and buy the other one he had there. I commented on that and on how I keep finding him when it's at the end of his set. He said I should join him for coffee sometime. He's a friendly guy and seemed to like chatting with people and making friends. I was excited. I said sure, I don't really have anything specific to do these days, that I normally just hang around the Fringe and kill time. He said something along the lines of, "Yeah me too...between playing I have nothing much to do."
That evening, I discovered his facebook page, which listed all the times he was playing. Finally I figured it out. So I knew when to stop by the next day. He had two back to back shows at like, 1 and 2pm I think. I went from one to the other. After everything was done, I lingered just because. I wondered if he remembered my face. He did, and as he was packing up, reinvited me for coffee. So we went to a coffeeshop on the corner of the street and I enthusiastically asked him some questions. I tried not to overdo it, as I didn't want to ask the same things that probably hundreds of other people ask on his travels.
It was cool though being able to catch him away from playing. You can see a little bit of the actual person behind everything. Apparently a bunch of people were partying the night before, and he was tired, and seemed just a bit worn out in general from long days playing in the sun, and traveling. But he was a really interesting person and I enjoyed being able to spend a brief visit with him. He asked me a couple times if I wanted to try some of his cheesecake, because apparently it was delicious. Just seems like one of those people who really want to share experiences with the world. It was quite inspiring to me.
We went to his concert Friday night, which was probably the best live music performance I've ever seen. Apparently one of the people he met here arranged it...when they heard how awesome he was, they set up a personal concert for him in one of the show venues. The acoustics in there were excellent. I'd been in there previously the day before to see a musical show. It was a mini opera about some rich lady obsessed with coffee. The plot left a little to be desired, but I enjoyed the singing. Anyway, the venue was perfect for this.
A girl I'd been hanging out with, Angela, is pretty much the main burlesque performer in Winnipeg. Really fun gal. Went to see her show (which was also awesome and hilarious), and hung around and chatted a few times. That night, I was supposed to meet up with her to see another burlesque-themed fringe show. Afterwards, I ran off to go see Cellolitis, and told her about it. Apparently we were invited to some party of a friend of hers, and some other gals were going too. I told her the cello show was free, and so the girls decided to stop by and listen. They ended up staying for the whole show. Laurah and Rob also came and brought a couple of people. It was great getting so many people to come out.
I spent all of my Saturday watching cello, and some of Sunday as well. After his last performance on Sunday, I thanked him for the inspiring experience over the last few days. I got him to sign my CD, and he said perhaps we'd meet again some time. On a couple of occasions that I'd talked to him I told him he has to stop by Vancouver sometime. He said he'd heard good things about it there and said perhaps one day he will.
Someone had given him a few roses, one of which had broken off from the stem. He asked if I'd like it. I said sure. I took it home with me, and even tried to take care of it on the bus ride by wrapping it in a moistened J-Cloth. It did well until then, but then started to dry out a little because it was hard to give it enough water. But it survived, and even lasted on my counter at home a couple days, before I decided to just let it dry out before all of the leaves started to fall off.
*********************
I decided to write about this experience here first because it had such a powerful effect on me. When I listen to the music, I feel in love all over again. I realized that one day...that it was the very same feeling. It's what music has been doing to me lately, which is why I keep thinking more and more seriously about pursuing that in school.
I will post more and write more about everything that's happened lately eventually, though it will probably be sporadic because I don't know when my internet will be up and going at home again.
There's been a lot going on. Another thing of significance is this building sense of urgency I've been having. When I got back from my travels, I was disappointed, because it was back to same old, same old. I've been wanting to just get out and do, and unfortunately a lack of spare cash prevents that. I don't mind, it will come in due time, I'm just getting a little impatient.
I want something big to happen. I moved, and that was big, but I'm after more. I keep daydreaming about traveling. Anywhere. Around Canada, around the world. I'd like to just disappear off to some random country for a while. I'd like to live all around. Like in each province. And discover what's unique to each one. Then maybe a few different countries. Experience them. Learn new things. Find something I love. Meet amazing people. I have this growing ambition that I can't yet do anything with.
Something is building. I just don't know what yet, or when it will happen, or how I will do it. But I know that it's coming. I can feel it.
It's been an interesting few weeks, and I thought of many different things to write about, alas I don't remember a single one of them at the moment. Other than a few trip adventures of course. Actually, I was determined to document my trip as best I could, and I have a bunch of pictures and videos I will post when my internet at home is back up. I would be doing it now, but I seemed to have forgotten my purse, including my camera that was in it, at Tanya's house yesterday. :P
Winnipeg was a very enjoyable trip, I got to see everyone I wanted to see at least once, and had time to relax and do whatever I wanted, and have a proper holiday. I ended up spending pretty much most of it at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. I'd never gone before, but when I discovered what it was about, I wish I had the chance to before.
It filled a lot of empty time. When I was in Winnipeg I was determined to not do nothing, since that is pretty much what I do all of the time at home, what with the having no money to go out and all. I wasn't sure what I'd find at the festival, but I ended up having fun and hung out there for a bit every day until it ended.
One afternoon, me, Laurah and Rob decided to go wandering and checked out the two streets of vendors they had out there. It was there that I discovered they had street performers out and about there. When we were passing through this particular time, there was a cello player there, and he immediately caught my attention. Rob told me he saw him the other day and he did some wicked things with that instrument. I stood there enthralled. He ended a song and began another: the Pachelbel Canon in D, which he had changed up and did his own funky thing with. Having a personal family attachment to that piece, I felt a flutter in my chest. That song always does that to me.
I didn't pay attention to how long we watched him, I just remember standing there and not being able to take my eyes or ears away from the music. We went on doing our thing. Sometime, I think, the next day or later that day, I (We? I don't remember.) passed him again at the end of a set. I found him one more time, I think with Laurah, and at some point I bought a CD. We learned that he was going to be playing a show on Friday night, and got excited about it. I wanted to figure out what other times he was playing, but at that point hadn't figured out the street performers' schedule.
This story might not seem that interesting. It's kind of one of those things you have to be there to experience. As you may know, I've delved deeper into my love of music lately, and random things have been enthralling and inspiring me to study it. When I started listening to this guy play, it was unreal. Sounds come out of that cello that I've never heard come out of a cello before. The cellist is a funny German guy from Berlin named Nikolaus. His cello is named Umbra, whom he always jokingly introduces as his "Polish girlfriend." Together, they are "Cellolitis."
But I have to say...I have never seen something so amazing to watch/listen to. He is so intimate with his instrument; he knows it so well, it's like it has become a part of his soul. He will just improvise with any random thing and create something beautiful out of it. I can only dream of one day being able to do that. It really was an awesome experience for me to watch him play.
One day, I think it was a Thursday...I had found him playing again, and went to give him what random change I had after his set. He had already sold out of CDs. I was disappointed, because I'd bought one and figured I'd come back and buy the other one he had there. I commented on that and on how I keep finding him when it's at the end of his set. He said I should join him for coffee sometime. He's a friendly guy and seemed to like chatting with people and making friends. I was excited. I said sure, I don't really have anything specific to do these days, that I normally just hang around the Fringe and kill time. He said something along the lines of, "Yeah me too...between playing I have nothing much to do."
That evening, I discovered his facebook page, which listed all the times he was playing. Finally I figured it out. So I knew when to stop by the next day. He had two back to back shows at like, 1 and 2pm I think. I went from one to the other. After everything was done, I lingered just because. I wondered if he remembered my face. He did, and as he was packing up, reinvited me for coffee. So we went to a coffeeshop on the corner of the street and I enthusiastically asked him some questions. I tried not to overdo it, as I didn't want to ask the same things that probably hundreds of other people ask on his travels.
It was cool though being able to catch him away from playing. You can see a little bit of the actual person behind everything. Apparently a bunch of people were partying the night before, and he was tired, and seemed just a bit worn out in general from long days playing in the sun, and traveling. But he was a really interesting person and I enjoyed being able to spend a brief visit with him. He asked me a couple times if I wanted to try some of his cheesecake, because apparently it was delicious. Just seems like one of those people who really want to share experiences with the world. It was quite inspiring to me.
We went to his concert Friday night, which was probably the best live music performance I've ever seen. Apparently one of the people he met here arranged it...when they heard how awesome he was, they set up a personal concert for him in one of the show venues. The acoustics in there were excellent. I'd been in there previously the day before to see a musical show. It was a mini opera about some rich lady obsessed with coffee. The plot left a little to be desired, but I enjoyed the singing. Anyway, the venue was perfect for this.
A girl I'd been hanging out with, Angela, is pretty much the main burlesque performer in Winnipeg. Really fun gal. Went to see her show (which was also awesome and hilarious), and hung around and chatted a few times. That night, I was supposed to meet up with her to see another burlesque-themed fringe show. Afterwards, I ran off to go see Cellolitis, and told her about it. Apparently we were invited to some party of a friend of hers, and some other gals were going too. I told her the cello show was free, and so the girls decided to stop by and listen. They ended up staying for the whole show. Laurah and Rob also came and brought a couple of people. It was great getting so many people to come out.
I spent all of my Saturday watching cello, and some of Sunday as well. After his last performance on Sunday, I thanked him for the inspiring experience over the last few days. I got him to sign my CD, and he said perhaps we'd meet again some time. On a couple of occasions that I'd talked to him I told him he has to stop by Vancouver sometime. He said he'd heard good things about it there and said perhaps one day he will.
Someone had given him a few roses, one of which had broken off from the stem. He asked if I'd like it. I said sure. I took it home with me, and even tried to take care of it on the bus ride by wrapping it in a moistened J-Cloth. It did well until then, but then started to dry out a little because it was hard to give it enough water. But it survived, and even lasted on my counter at home a couple days, before I decided to just let it dry out before all of the leaves started to fall off.
*********************
I decided to write about this experience here first because it had such a powerful effect on me. When I listen to the music, I feel in love all over again. I realized that one day...that it was the very same feeling. It's what music has been doing to me lately, which is why I keep thinking more and more seriously about pursuing that in school.
I will post more and write more about everything that's happened lately eventually, though it will probably be sporadic because I don't know when my internet will be up and going at home again.
There's been a lot going on. Another thing of significance is this building sense of urgency I've been having. When I got back from my travels, I was disappointed, because it was back to same old, same old. I've been wanting to just get out and do, and unfortunately a lack of spare cash prevents that. I don't mind, it will come in due time, I'm just getting a little impatient.
I want something big to happen. I moved, and that was big, but I'm after more. I keep daydreaming about traveling. Anywhere. Around Canada, around the world. I'd like to just disappear off to some random country for a while. I'd like to live all around. Like in each province. And discover what's unique to each one. Then maybe a few different countries. Experience them. Learn new things. Find something I love. Meet amazing people. I have this growing ambition that I can't yet do anything with.
Something is building. I just don't know what yet, or when it will happen, or how I will do it. But I know that it's coming. I can feel it.
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