Artsy Fartsy

Last night, Lisa and I treated ourselves to a real, live date.  We deviated from what has become our normal “date night” (making dinner at home and watching whatever is on TiVo), and actually decided to go out on the town.  

Let’s be honest…Vancouver is one expensive city.  Sometimes, when I leaf through the grocery store discount fliers that come through the mail every few days, it feels more like I’m reading the price list for some swanky gourmet food store.  I mean, I can understand paying $8.99 for cheese that’s been imported from France…but for a plain old 8 oz. block of Tillamook cheddar?  Needless to say, we’ve been pinching our pennies since we moved here…but we decided, nonetheless, to go on a date.  We needed a date.  A real one.  So we grabbed the two-for-one coupon we’ve been saving for the Dockside Restaurant on Granville Island, and headed out!  (I mean, we can’t just throw our budgeting out the window completely, right?)  We indulged in some delicious seafood on a picturesque, sun-drenched patio and enjoyed the view of the city skyline over False Creek.  It was perfect.

After dinner, we strolled over to the Emily Carr University of Art and Design to see our friend Kara, who was exhibiting her Master’s Thesis during their Graduation Exhibition.  Kara’s project was phenomenal.  After a trip to Rwanda, she was inspired to examine how a North American designer like herself could best serve a community whose customs, language, and cultural paradigm are entirely different than her own.  She developed a fascinating, interactive “toolkit” that was sent to a small Rwandan village to capture their day-to-day wants, needs, hopes, and desires, suggesting that the information she collected would provide a democratic design process where the locals could participate in deciding how their needs could be met.  You can read more about her project here.  We can honestly say that, of all the projects we saw, Kara’s was (a) the most impressive in terms of content, and (b) the most visually clean, clear, and interesting.  Good work, Kara!

That’s Kara, on the right.  Grey dress.  She’s all, “hey, hot guy, check out my thesis, and be amazed at how hecka-smart and creative I am…”

After ooohing and aaahing at Kara’s work, Lisa and I decided to have a look at the rest of the exhibit.  Here is a sampling of our dialogue as we took it all in:

———-

Lisa:  So, this lady did her whole project about the color pink?  And that’s it?

JJ:  I don’t get it.

———-

JJ:  Hm.  That’s pretty.

Lisa:  Yeah.  Pretty.

JJ:  Hm.

———-

At one point, we turned a corner and saw this…”piece.”

Lisa walked over to look at the title tag hanging on the wall, hoping for some semblance of a clue that might help us make sense of the art.  It read, “Untitled.”

Thank you.  That’s helpful.

———-

JJ:  (Pondering a series of paintings that featured various people looking at dart boards) What do you suppose this is?

Lisa:  It’s art.

———-

I did enjoy this one:

 

I mean, that’s a LOT of Converse shoes.  Thankfully, this exhibit wasn’t scratch-and-sniff!

GET IT!?  Because they’re SHOES?  SCRATCH AND SNIFF!!!

I kill me.

———-

At one point, Lisa was a little bit ahead of me.  She walked into the next room, and quickly came back towards me with a big grin on her face.  ”You’re in for a real treat with this next one…”

I walked into the room, which was dark, and saw a large projection on the wall of a VERY pregnant woman who was BUCK NAKED, reading from some kind of book, which covered her upper bits.  Not only was I visually assaualted, but all I could hear her say was “fetishism, fetishism, fetishism…”

Wow.  Thanks for the warning, sweetie.

———-

All in all, I think our evening at the exhibition reminded us that, no matter how well Lisa and I might play the role of young, urban sophisticates, we really are just a couple of mid-western home bodies that would just as soon watch “Extreme Home Makeover” in our sweats on the couch.  We will not soon become world-renowned art critics.  I would also say, placing all of our jokes and art-ignorance aside, the exhibit was very impressive…a great way to spend the evening.

Our evening drew to a close the same way any good date should come to a close.  We watched a beautiful sunset on the beach.

This, I can appreciate.

Thanks for coming!

Over the past few weeks, Lisa and I have been lucky hosts to some great friends who have journeyed North for a visit to the ‘couve.  At the beginning of April, our friends Jess and Tik (some call her “Tara”) Williams came for a weekend getaway and enjoyed one of our first non-freezing weekends of the spring.  Of course, our requisite visit to Granville Island was a must-do:

We crammed the rest of the weekend full of adventure…and even though Tik is currently “great with child,” she somehow managed to keep up with the group ALL WEEKEND LONG.  Go, preggo, go!  We enjoyed great meals, we chatted about life, and we took a quick trip to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge.  Why?  Because it’s FREE!  

AND it’s exciting.  Well…sort of exciting.  Let’s just say, it’ not the longest or highest suspension bridge in the universe…but it IS more exciting than walking on the sidewalk.  Plus, our stroll through the surrounding wilderness gave me a chance to practice a few model poses for my Male Modeling portfolio.

Tik and Jess are great people…they have such refreshing perspectives on community and living simply, and they are LOTS of fun.  Thanks for coming to Vancouver, friends!

Two weekends later, four of my greatest friends from the SPU days journeyed from far and wide (San Diego, Boise, Federal Way, and Wallingford) to enjoy a weekend in Vancouver for our second annual get together.  And, now that I’ve typed that last sentence, I am wondering if our “get together” needs a better name?  Any suggestions?

Anyway…Lisa spent the weekend with her parents in Anacortes while the five of us guys relaxed, caught up on life, and toured around town.  Once again, we started with the classic Tour-de-Granville Island:

Always good.

Next, we had lunch at a great little spot that has become a new favorite for us.  It’s this little trailer called “Go Fish”…some call it the BEST fish and chips EVER.  To that claim, I would say, “yes…I agree, indeed.”  They basically catch fresh salmon, cod, and halibut, walk it up the dock from the marina, and throw it in hot oil…SO GOOD.  And did I mention the cole slaw?  Or the fish tacos!?  Or the BBQ Salmon Sandwich!!??  I mean…wow.  SO good. 

Yes, it was indeed the perfect lunch.  Good food…good chats…good sun…good view…ahhhhh…

Next, we took a quick tour of Regent, then headed over to Jericho Beach.  The sun had faded a bit, but the view was still pretty amazing.

Apparently, the old self-timed photo brings out the best in all of us.

This weekend was a HUGE breath of fresh air.  I feel so incredibly lucky that I not only met and befriended such incredible guys during college, but that our friendships have continued over the years.  These are people who truly know me, and I am a better person because of them.  Thanks for the good times, guys!

Whew…

The Bad News:  I’ve been ignoring my little bloggie-poo for WEEKS, leaving my tens of fans wondering about my whereabouts.  I can only imagine your agony.

The Good News:  As of about 6 minutes ago, I turned in my FINAL ASSIGNMENT OF THE TERM!  With about 14 minutes to spare until it’s exact due date of 4:30pm, thank you very much.  And even though I’ve spent the last two BEAUTIFUL sunny Vancouver days in the Regent Library (which, by the way, is in the BASEMENT), I am nonetheless feeling quite energized and obviously relieved to be finished.  

So…in the days and weeks to come, you can expect more updates.  But not tonight…because if I sit in front of this ______ ______ computer screen for one more _____ing minute, my eyes might permanently cross.

Distracted…

Well, folks…this is the first day of the second-to-last week of my school term…which means I have a great big pile of things I need to get done.  So, true to form, I find myself avoiding my lengthy to-do list with a little e-browsing.  So I figured, before I dive into my Biblical Exegesis assignment, I might as well share one great website for those who might enjoy a little distraction…

A friend of mine recently introduced me to www.uncrate.com, which calls itself “a web magazine for guys who love stuff.”  I’m a guy.  I love stuff.  Thus, I can easily spend HOURS on this site, browsing all the interesting gear, clothing, and home stuff they catalog.  

So…if you are a guy who loves stuff, or if you love a guy who loves stuff, may this website spare you from gift-anxiety headaches for dozens of birthdays and Christmases to come!

The Best. Period.

Lisa and I…we love our TV.  And we know that might not be the “cool” thing to say.  Especially as graduates/soon-to-be-graduates of Masters-level Theology Schools.  Apparently, we’re supposed to enjoy reading?  And talking about philosophy?  Or something?  

However:

Tonight, I am writing to proclaim my love for one TV show in particular.  This could be the best TV show I have ever watched.  And, if you’ve been paying attention, you will know what a weighty claim that is.  But I went ahead and said it.

THE.  

BEST.  

If you are not watching this show, I would urge you…beseech you…BEG you to run (not walk) to your nearest video rental location and treat yourself to the goodness that is Friday Night Lights.

The character development.  The writing.  The cinematography.  The music.  FNL has everything a person could want in a TV show.  We laugh out loud during every episode, and it’s not unusual that we both shed a tear, as well.

Seriously.

I mean it…seriously.  Prepare for a life change.  You can thank me later.

10 Things That Suck About Being Sick…

1.  It’s hard to look manly while retrieving kleenex from mini-kleenex packet while riding the bus.

2.  I feel guilty and awful every time I cough, as if the whole world is looking at me like, “why are you even out here in the world of the healthy, spreading your nastiness around?!”

3.  Mouth breathing.

4.  Dull headache.

5.  My aversion to medication, which leads me to believing I can “flush out” my illness by drinking enough water, which means I spend half the day in the bathroom…and also, the subsequent realization that the “flushing” doesn’t really work.

6.  I sound like the love child of James Earl Jones and Steve Urkel.

7.  I feel like dying.

8.  Sickness always seems to strike when you have 5 zillion other things going on.  (Advanced apologies to Krista for being sick at your birthday dinner, Tik and Jess for being sick when you visit us in Vancouver for the weekend, and my Piles and Piles of Homework for being sick and neglecting you (and consequently loathing you).)

9.  Did I mention mouth breathing?  Yeah…it’s real nasty.  Not good at all.

10.  I’m here.  At work.  Because, while I seem to have flexible ethics when it comes to “calling in sick” on a Friday just so I can go to Seattle for a long weekend, I somehow can’t bring myself to call in sick FOR REAL when I honest-to-God feel like DYING!  

 

Hopefully, I’m on the up-and-up…

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Sometimes, in my new life as a grad student, I have to confess…I don’t feel SUPER smart.  Know what I mean?

I know I’m not a total moron…but sometimes, when I compare myself to my super-smarty classmates who sit around talking about their favorite philosopher, or use all kinds of ten-dollar words just to describe what they had for lunch…it’s just hard to keep up.

HOWEVER…this morning, I was inspired.

A freind sent me a link to this video, and I was reminded of an important truth:  Even if you might not be the best at something, you still gotta go for it.  And let me tell you…this girl goes for it.  

Trying your best…it hurts so good.

Enjoy!

Opa!!

You know when people say “it’s Greek to me!”?  Usually, they are referring to something that makes no coherent sense…the phrase is usually delivered with shrugged shoulders and hands in the air, mimicking surrender and defeat.  I’ve found myself using that expression a lot lately.

Except for me, I’m really talking about Greek.

Yes, its true.  I get to experience the REAL sense of surrender and defeat that helped originate this popular turn of phrase.  Lucky?  Indeed.  And I’ll tell you why…

I feel lucky to study Greek because it gives me a chance to make up all kids of great mnemonic devices.  Thanks to these little verbal tricks, I’ve become quite the vocabulary whiz.  My favorite example, of late, is the Greek word for “wages,” which sounds like mees-thos.  My mnemonic device for this one is quite easy, because it’s pulled from real life:  Because I am in school, I only have a part-time job…and because I live in one of the most expensive cities in North America…I really do “miss those” wages!

Get it!!?  I “MISS THOSE” WAGES!?  

I’d share more, but I’m afraid if I allow the inter-web to participate in my Greek inner monologue, I might be left friendless and humiliated.  Seriously…some of them are so stupid/dirty/embarrassing, you’ll have to wait for my autobiography.

Forecast: SUN (it’s about the heck time…)

I am pleased to report that we enjoyed two back-to-back days of SUNSHINE here in Vancouver over the weekend.  There’s just something so glorious about the sun…the way it warms your face and makes you squint your eyes…and for those of us in the Pacific Northwest (which I suppose would be the Pacific Southwest, here in Canada?), a sunny day means you drop whatever you’re doing, run outside, and drink in the Vitamin D while the getting is good.

Even today, I wore a short-sleeve shirt…and I didn’t even feel that cold!  I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal…but the sun just puts me in a good mood.  I mean, what an amazing phenomenon that we get to experience every single year.  Just when you think you can’t stand the cold darkness of winter for one more day without falling into a deep, inescapable depression, Daylight Savings arrives.  The sun remains in the sky a bit longer each day.  Green buds start growing on the tips of otherwise dead, brown branches.  It’s like everything is infused with a sense of hope for something new and bright and good.

Still…I suppose you have to take the good with the bad.  While I enjoyed a nice long run through our neighborhood in the Saturday Sunshine, I was also reminded that spring, for me, means allergies.  Snot.  Sneezing.  Stinging eyes.  Every time I walk outside, I need a new box of kleenex.

And even though the sun seems to put the whole city in a better, more friendly mood, if I hear one more person make that lame joke about, “oh…what’s that big orange ball in the sky?  Is that the SUN?  Wow…it’s been so long, I almost didn’t recognize it…heh heh heh…” I might kick them in the teeth.

Seriously.

Nonetheless, these annoyances are not enough to bring me down from my Sunshine High.  What can I say?  It just puts a skip in my step.  In fact, Lisa and I went grocery shopping on Saturday night at 6:30pm, and the sun was STILL SHINING!  After a winter of 4:45pm sunsets, we were thrilled.  So thrilled, in fact, that I wasn’t even bothered by the way the Safeway checker was tossing our groceries into the bag, all reckless and willy nilly.  I mean, when I pack a grocery bag, or suitcase, or the trunk of my car, I am neither willy, nor nilly.  I take care, evaluating the best placement for each item, maximizing the limited space I might be working with as if working on a puzzle.  Typically, my frustration mounts if others fail to take the same care.  But the Saturday Sun seemed to wash my frustration away!  Almost completely!!

Almost…

So, wherever you might be, I hope you’re experiencing this same sense of happiness and anticipation of something new.  And if you’re not enjoying it, and worrying about something else that might be wrong…well, you should get on board.  Even if it’s only 45 degrees outside, it’s time to pull out the shorts and flip-flops and look forward to something better…because here it comes!

Some new slang…

As I’ve mentioned in the past, one of our favorite things about Regent is the opportunity to become friends with people from all over the world.  We’ve learned some fantastic bits of slang that have emerged from conversations with our new friends from the UK.  

One night, whilst driving to a downtown bar for drinks (our Scottish friends are big into using “whilst”), the girls started talking about haircuts.  One of us Americans mentioned someone who had bangs, and our friend Suzanne (from Scotland) started giggling.  She then explained that, in the UK, they use the word “fringe” to describe what Americans know as “bangs.”  So…what’s so funny about that?  

Well…they also use the word “bangs” to describe “boobs.”

So now I’ve learned that it’s NOT a good idea for Lisa and I to discuss how she used to have pretty bangs, or how much we like or dislike the way someone’s bangs look.  At least not in front of the Scots.

The other bit of slang is a phrase I just learned last night from our British friend, Debs:

“Bob’s your Uncle.”

She threw it out there while she was telling a story to a group who happened to be entirely American.  In these situations, it’s hard to know whether I should ignore these nuanced, idiosyncratic language differences, or if I should stop the person who is speaking and ask for clarification when they use a word or phrase that’s new to me.  What usually keeps me from asking is this fear I have that everyone else…including other Americans…would be like, “you haven’t heard that before?  Seriously?” And then I’d run out of the room, crying.

But this time, it seemed too good to ignore.  I mean, “Bob’s your Uncle”?  What could that possibly mean?  As it turns out, the Brits use this phrase just as we might say “there you have it,” or “there it is,” or “no problem-o!”  She wasn’t sure of the exact history of the phrase…something to do with an old Prime Minister…but she did tell me that the phrase used to be longer, including “…and Fanny’s your Aunt.”  Apparently, that last part has dropped off over the years.

If you’re familiar with the British use of “fanny,” it makes a whole lot of sense.

So…try working these new terms into your American conversations.  Your friends will be SO impressed…or at least confused, but awed by your international flair.

You’re welcome.