Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I've been in my sublet for almost one month now and started my job at the museum almost two weeks ago.

I've sublet a room in a three bedroom flat from a girl named Venessa. It reminds me of two summers ago. The other day my roommate was noticing the similarities between me and Venessa. Besides our names and both being brunette francophones, we both have similar blankets. She apparently used to have a tiger print blanket and I -- because it's been a rather chilly spring -- have an unfortunate fleece blanket with lion cubs on it over top of my white duvet. The similarities, so far, seem to end there.

Flowers on the kitchen table my first week there I really like my place. It's big. Much better than the closet I looked at in the West End. It has a big turquoise kitchen with a blue formica table. The living room is also big. My room is big too and has hardwood floor.

My roommate(s) are great too. I had three, however, the two Australians moved out about ten days after I'd moved in. He's a geologist and she's a photographer. They went on an exploration trip for his company, after which they are going to travel for a number of months and then return to Australia. That room is currently vacant and I'm not sure who will fill it come June 1st. My other roommate is a francophone so we often speak french together.

Humans aren't the only sentient beings around the house though. There are also a few whimsical animals. One of the neighbours' cat, Sameson, frequently gets into the house. There is also Phyllis the pigeon, who built her nest in the rafters above our back steps. Her baby hatched a few days before I moved in, so when I arrived there were two halves of a hatched egg on the bottom step. The whimsy of having a pigeon roosting above our back steps causing sporadic hazards has worn off though. Until last week there was just Phyllis and her baby. Now there seems to be a daddy pigeon and another baby. I've been waiting patiently for them to move downtown, but they've overstayed their welcome. When the pigeons are out during the day, my roommate's boyfriend, Jeff, is going to nail a board over the ledge they're nesting on.

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posted by Vanessa at 12:24 AM


Monday, May 12, 2008

Matronly Queen VictoriaI've just returned from a weekend away with my boyfriend. We had originally planned to go to Seattle as a belated 21st birthday and our one-year anniversary trip, but we couldn't afford it. Instead we decided to go to Victoria.

I was a little apprehensive about going after being stranded on the (deserted) island last summer after a bomb threat caused all ferries to be cancelled. This time, however, was flawless, fantastic and relaxing. I was able to take a sympathetic view toward the city and enjoy it.

Victoria is sometimes called the land of the "newly wed and nearly dead." The lampost banners of matronly Queen Victoria's aren't really contributing the creation of a youthful atmosphere. I haven't yet seen this summer's Tourism Victoria campaign but last summer I saw some of these ads in the SkyTrain stations.

Stung by misconceptions of the provincial capital as a place where a fun time consists of counting blossoms and feeding the cat, Tourism Victoria launched a campaign to change the city's image.
We went on "off days" and avoided tourist areas thus our visit was fairly tranquil. Victoria is great for used CD, clothing, and vintage shopping. Although I was sad to see that the vintage store where I'd bought my Manchurian silk shirt a few years ago has turned toward selling new and American Apparel-like clothes.

This trip was all about relaxing, eating and drinking. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner where a jazz trio was playing and had one of the most intensely captivating conversations we've ever had. The next morning we met my friend David for breakfast at Mo:Lé and I had one of the most delicious omelettes I've ever had. Before we left, we went to my boyfriend's aunt and uncle's for lunch. They live in home in the countryside which overlooks a winery. We ate on their balcony and I was able to see lambs resting in a pasture.

What I realised on this trip to Victoria is that its small-city atmosphere would be lost if a bridge was built linking it to the mainland.

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posted by Vanessa at 10:37 PM


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