This blog isn't about one of my travels to a foreign land where I don't speak the language and the trouble that ensued - though I do have a few of those to tell, but not at this time. This time, I share with you my troubles with the English language and to some extent my hearing.
I was born in Canada, and I speak English, pretty well for the most part, near fluent I'd stretch to say. However, my parents were both immigrants to Canada, my mum was born in Wales and my dad was born in England. Nothing too crazy as far as a language barrier really - or so you'd think.
However, I have found that having British parents has caused me a few issues over the years. Part of it comes from them being the ones responsible for teaching me to speak....I mean granted, that was their job and all but still. To be honest, I never really thought either of my parents even had an accent, it's not something I was ever aware of. In fact I didn't even clue in to the fact until I was in my teens and one of my friends was doing an impersonation of my dad and it came off sounding like Michael Caine!! I laughed and said, 'my dad doesn't sound like that, he doesn't even have an accent!'. To which my friend then boldly laughed in my face with a 'whaaaat?!'...followed by a 'yes he does and so does your mum!'
Hmmm....I was shocked - really. Two of my dad's brothers also emigrated from England to Canada and I could clearly hear their accents but not my own parents - weird.
I knew they used different slang words and sayings but that's about it, and even that fact only came to light as a result of my friends pointing them out when I said them.
When you learn to speak, you mimic the sounds that you hear your parents saying, so when I say, 'bloody 'ell' or flippin' 'eck' it's not because I'm trying to sound British and use an accent, it's because that's how I heard it said as a child.
I don't mean to give you the impression that those particular words were ones that they 'taught' me as a baby, but more words that I heard throughout my childhood.
Wouldn't paint the greatest parenting picture otherwise would it -
My parents - 'say doggie'....'good, yes, that's it doggie'
and say, 'milk'....'yes, what a clever girl you are, milk'
and can you say, 'bloody 'ell, flippin' 'eck, the dog just drank my milk!!'
Yeah....so not quite like that, just more of repeating a word exactly as I heard it.
So without me really being aware of it, the way they said words (because of their accents - I now know that) has caused me to have certain things lost in translation at times. Combined with the fact that these are words and phrases that I heard - not ones that I had ever seen written down.
Take for instance, if I missed school because I was sick. I would go to my mum and say, 'I need to take a note today so they know why I missed school yesterday'. She'd reply (or at least what I heard), 'I'll tell them you were pauly'.
I'd say, 'don't put that!'...I was fully aware that my family wasn't 'full Canadian' now we're going to make it super obvious with that statement!' I'd say, 'just put I was sick'...the compromise was always a note saying I was 'unwell'. Even that made me feel daft! But 'unwell' was certainly less of a tip-off to our half Canadian status than me being bloody pauly!!!
Many years later, I was in Wales and heard someone saying that their son was 'pauly' and missed school and like a light bulb going on, I realized that the word was 'poorly'....not 'pauly'!!! Flippin' 'eck, now it made sense!!! For years I pondered why being sick was always blamed on pauly....was this Paul fellow perhaps responsible for the Great Plague of London?? Was he first one to be bitten by an infected flea?? How did they know it was him? Boggling of the mind now over - Paul didn't do it!!
Another phrase that I heard incorrectly for years was when my mother would say things like, 'headed to do some Christmas shopping on Saturday and it took ages to find a parking spot, (followed by what I heard to be) parfathecourse'...she used this statement all of the time as did I over the years. I understood it's meaning just fine - it meant 'what's to be expected'. One word, parfathecourse.
Once again, years later I was watching golf with Tony as I had many, many times and I hear the announcer use 'my families term' parfathecourse, I thought, 'how odd, I've never heard anyone else ever use the term!'
Then in that very moment, confused to why he's using it, my brain slowed things down for a moment. It's like I went into slow-mo mode....'course'...'golf'....'par'. Now though I don't play golf, I've watched more than my fair share of it, and I'm familiar with not only many of the players but most of the golf terms too, so the slowing down of the phrase continues in my brain...'par...for...the...course!!'
Not parfathecourse!!! Seriously, you have no idea how chuffed I was in that very moment - I exclaimed out loud to Tony...'I get it'....'it's 'par for the course'!!!
That's what I've been saying all of these years!!! I felt like I had made some great discovery...OK maybe not like Columbus, but for me just as exciting!! I mean I've used the expression for as long as I can remember but never gave much thought how that one odd word might be spelled.
At that point in our relationship Tony was well aware that I sort of spoke two languages - English, and something else...he was also well aware of the fact that I was slightly nuts, so he just watched as I beamed with pride from my new found knowledge.
The last and maybe most embarrassing example comes from a phrase that my Welsh nan (who also immigrated to Canada) always used to say.
First in my defense let me say going to church was not part of my upbringing though I wasn't completely clueless to the whole God and religion thing. My mum always told us a few key points, 'Jesus loves everyone...followed by, he was friends with the prostitutes and the thieves'. My nan also sometimes would sing a hymn or two in Welsh and had a picture of the Last Supper in her hallway. And yes I mean a copy of the famous painting, not a photo of my grandparent's last meal - which if it was my grandfather, better known as Pampy, the last supper would surely be a plate of spuds swimming in a pool of butter and covered in pepper. I digress...religion, God and stuff, I did have some insight. One of my most vivid visuals comes from my nan's frequent saying of 'Jesus swept'. I've seemed to have painted a clear picture of a non-stop cussing family! Anyways, my nan would say 'Jesus swept' often, as kind of a term of exasperation....like, 'Jesus swept, they ate all the cake!'...it seemed to come in handy for many different things. Once again, the accents and the speed of the speech had me hearing it wrong, but every time my nan said it, I'd picture Jesus...in his robe, not his bathrobe of course but one of those 'man dresses' of his time, also sporting a pair of sandals and with broom in hand I would see him sweeping. I must say, for such an important historical figure his house was not grand. He was always sweeping a porch that was in area, about a 5x5 foot square, wasn't even a raised porch, more of just a square outside his door. I've had that same image of Jesus sweeping up since I was about 5 years old, always impressed by his modest home and good housekeeping skills. Made me feel like I knew a bit about religion, granted I didn't know all of the characters in the Bible, but I felt like I had a bit of insight to Jesus - he was tidy, modest and non-judgemental - I like having this knowledge.
In my thirties I bought a few 'easy to understand' books about religion, well not so much specific religions, but more of stories from the Bible. I figured it would be good to know another character or two, a way to string the together the ones that I was aware of. I knew tidy Jesus, Joseph with his wildly coloured coat along with some of his brothers (this knowledge came courtesy of doing a production of Joseph in elementary school), Moses and his basket, I knew that some dude named Job apparently had a lot of patience, Adam and Eve - snake/apple/garden, Noah and his mega boat - lots of rain/saving animals and a few other tidbits like that. I thought it was time to put some of these people and events in order so I bought myself these books for my own kind of enlightenment.
And indeed I did find enlightenment when reading the story about Lazarus dying I read the phrase -'Jesus wept'. And again, my brain slowed down for a minute, and I actually thought to myself (albeit for only a second or two) reminds me of my Nan's phrase - 'Jesus swept'....'Jesus wept?!'....oooh, Jesus wept!!! He didn't sweep, he cried!!!
So in that moment I discovered that Jesus was a sensitive man. Was he tidy? I could no longer be certain.
Next time.....Part Two....saying it wrong. How certain phrases just don't translate well. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
I May Be a Nut??!!
OK, so the title of this blog may not come as a surprise revelation to those of you who know me, you may wonder why the use of question marks at all, surely this is a statement of fact, not a thought for contemplation. However, I do have one revelation to share with you that will come as big news to everyone, hold on to your hats..... I think Charles Schulz is my dad!!!
Yep, you read it right kids! I'm sure this may come as a shock to, well everyone! Having made that statement, let me also say, this idea is about as far from scandal as one can get, in fact, I write this blog as an ode to the Peanuts Gang, a fine group of round headed kids that I've loved since I first set eyes on them. I also write this as a tribute to Mr. Schulz, who I discovered really was almost a father figure to me - without knowing it. I only realized this myself a few years back.
Let me set the scene for you as to when I came upon this realization.
While my family and I were on a 10 day road-trip to California, I decide that en route home we simply must stop in Santa Rosa and visit, the Charles Schulz Museum.
In an odd way, it felt like a pilgrimage to me, I know, some people make their way to Mecca, some to the Temple in Jerusalem and others perhaps to Tennessee to check out Graceland. To each his own I say, for me though, I felt it would be wrong not to, at some point stop by the stomping grounds of Mr. Schulz. The museum is an absolutely wonderful place - I felt like I had entered Heaven, but a bit of a strange feeling stayed with me as I wandered the building. The museum houses an amazing collection of all things Peanuts and of course, Schulz, including a re-creation of his working area in his studio, complete with many personal items and the drawing board that he used for most of his career as a Cartoonist. I looked upon of these treasures almost as a walk down memory lane for me. While at the museum, I signed a guest book, you know the kind, write your name, where you're from and your thoughts on the museum. It was at that moment, while sat in a chair, contemplating what to write for a comment that I realized why this cast of characters had been so important to me since I was about 6 years old....eureka!!! Mr. Schulz, through his characters, had help to parent me and guide me through a life that at times, was a lot to bear for a little girl. These characters really did help to shape me into the person that I am today. I realized in that very moment why I've always identified so strongly with many of these personalities. Even to this day, in the 'about me' section of my blog, I describe myself as 1/3 Charlie Brown, 1/3 Snoopy and 1/3 Linus....the only thing I should now add to that is, with a dash of Sally Brown. This original equation is what I wrote in my comments of that guest book and from that moment on, it all made sense.
I knew lots of people who liked the Peanuts Gang, but only few, who seemed to love them in the way that I did. I'd even been asked at times, 'why do you love them so much, they're not even that funny sometimes'. Well on that point I agree, but I didn't keep coming back to them for the non-stop laughs, though there was plenty of humour to be found. I returned again and again, for almost 40 years, because I identified with them, understood their problems, listened to their solutions, felt their heartache, laughed at their madness and mostly, learned to deal with life in many ways, without the involvement of adults.
I am the youngest of 4 kids in my family and the only girl, that dynamic alone had me often figuring out my own stuff. Add to that, I was, within the walls of my home, an extremely quiet child....almost mute in fact, I'm sure my brothers may dispute that one, but ask my mum. I could sit for hours at a time alone, colouring away or heading outside for a few hours of kicking a soccer ball against the side of our house. I was also one of those kids who thought....a lot!! Where I lacked in speech, I made up ten-fold in thinking.
Much of my childhood was marred with the constant sound of arguing, far more than what would be considered normal. Unfortunately, my father wasn't that nice to us most of the time and in combination with that, the youngest of my brothers went through a lot of personal struggles that increased the fighting and tension in the home to an unbearable amount. I'd often head to a tree in our backyard, where I'd climb up to escape the madness.
All of this contributed to how I dealt with life, and one thing I rarely did was to bring additional problems to my parents. Not saying that I didn't have them, just that I dealt with pretty much everything on my own, a fairly heavy burden at times, especially when you start doing this as a little girl. I was in many ways like a small adult....haa, and at five feet tall, I still fit that description!
Enter Charlie Brown and the gang. While many kids just watched the specials and laughed at the crazy antics of Snoopy, I think, in a way without knowing how much, I picked up life lessons with each TV special, and I watched them every time they aired, so these lessons were reinforced over and over again.
I identified with the 3 characters mentioned for the following reasons -
Most of my friends know my Snoopy side best. That would be the funny, passionate...koo-koo crazy girl. Snoopy is a free spirit, who is enjoys his passions to the fullest.
Whether it be his fantasy life as the WWI Flying Ace, (yup, I have my war fantasies too...WWII spy etc) or writing a novel atop of his doghouse (hmm, writing...starting fiddling with that at about 9 years old)or perhaps just 'being' Joe Cool with his shades on.....I apologize to those of you who may have had a beverage in your mouth while reading the cool part and as a result now have a very wet screen from spitting out your coffee or the like, in mockin' my coolness. Snoopy really is my crazy side, he has mad ideas and never second guesses them, just lets them unfold with pure conviction. I relate to this trait, a lot.
Next is my Charlie Brown-ness. Truth be known there is always a part of me that feels like I don't fit in...oooh, but please don't feel sorry for me, I kinda like it that way. I like life under the radar, gives you the perfect position for observing others from. Good ol'Chuck is the eternal optimist though and so am I.
No matter how many times he 'got a rock', or how many footballs were pulled away from him he still believed in the goodness of mankind and would always give people another chance. He has a good heart, but isn't always treated with the same kindness. Although he sometimes wishes people understood him better, he isn't afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right - remember the sweet little tree he chose for the Christmas play...I would've picked the same one! He didn't listen to the advice of others, he went with what his heart told him to do.
I listen to my heart often too...even when my heads strongly disagrees.
Chuck is definitely an underdog, but that never stops him from giving it his all.
I like underdogs, always find the fight they possess far more interesting then those who go through life seemingly easily.
And lastly my boy Linus. The sensible, analytical, intelligent if sometimes, somewhat naive grounding force. He is for me the part of my personality that brings together the Snoopy and the Charlie Brown, makes them meet in the middle and doesn't let either of those sides get too out of control, he is my common sense.
One of my favourite parts of the show/strip was always when Charlie Brown and Linus would have their heart to heart chats on the bridge. They would together try to sort out the meaning of life, or at least the latest thing thrown their way.
Linus would always give Charlie his honest and sincere thoughts on whatever problems Charlie had.
My dash of Sally Brown comes courtesy of my age, I no longer hide my child-like kooky ways, the older you get, the less you give a rats arse about what people think of you. So yes, it's true I have been known to (almost) squeal with delight when I find something I like...say like the Incredible Hulk doll that I recently bought. I spotted him and squealed (yup!)'oh, look he's so cute, look at his crazy smile and messy hair - I must have him!!' Yes, people looked....and no, I didn't care. And yes, he now lives with me. Thank you Sally Brown for your unbridled enthusiasm for the things you enjoy - like all those times you've publicly declared your love for your 'sweet babboo'. I understand that sometimes you just can't hold those feelings in, you must shout it from the rooftops (or squeal it in a store)!
When you think about this group of kids, there is really very little that is kid-like about them. Starting with the fact that there is virtually no adult interference in their lives to sort through the problems that they face, the most we get from the adults is the occasional waa, waa, waa...which leaves us to interpret that advice however we see fit. Charles Schulz, through this group of kids manages to touch on war, religion, loss, coping, self esteem, doubts, fears, joy, bliss, commerce, friendship, teamwork, love and of course, unrequited love and a myriad of other issues. He manages to do this without sugar-coating things to the extent that you'd expect a kids show to do, he explains life's issues in an honest way, that shows you that though things don't always go the way you want them to, there are ways to solve and overcome life's struggles and that joy may be just around the next corner. A very important lesson at any age.
Mr. Schulz, you've been with me for most of my life, guiding me with your lessons and helping me to become a better person, and I'm proud to say, I am a nut!
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
Yep, you read it right kids! I'm sure this may come as a shock to, well everyone! Having made that statement, let me also say, this idea is about as far from scandal as one can get, in fact, I write this blog as an ode to the Peanuts Gang, a fine group of round headed kids that I've loved since I first set eyes on them. I also write this as a tribute to Mr. Schulz, who I discovered really was almost a father figure to me - without knowing it. I only realized this myself a few years back.
Let me set the scene for you as to when I came upon this realization.
While my family and I were on a 10 day road-trip to California, I decide that en route home we simply must stop in Santa Rosa and visit, the Charles Schulz Museum.
In an odd way, it felt like a pilgrimage to me, I know, some people make their way to Mecca, some to the Temple in Jerusalem and others perhaps to Tennessee to check out Graceland. To each his own I say, for me though, I felt it would be wrong not to, at some point stop by the stomping grounds of Mr. Schulz. The museum is an absolutely wonderful place - I felt like I had entered Heaven, but a bit of a strange feeling stayed with me as I wandered the building. The museum houses an amazing collection of all things Peanuts and of course, Schulz, including a re-creation of his working area in his studio, complete with many personal items and the drawing board that he used for most of his career as a Cartoonist. I looked upon of these treasures almost as a walk down memory lane for me. While at the museum, I signed a guest book, you know the kind, write your name, where you're from and your thoughts on the museum. It was at that moment, while sat in a chair, contemplating what to write for a comment that I realized why this cast of characters had been so important to me since I was about 6 years old....eureka!!! Mr. Schulz, through his characters, had help to parent me and guide me through a life that at times, was a lot to bear for a little girl. These characters really did help to shape me into the person that I am today. I realized in that very moment why I've always identified so strongly with many of these personalities. Even to this day, in the 'about me' section of my blog, I describe myself as 1/3 Charlie Brown, 1/3 Snoopy and 1/3 Linus....the only thing I should now add to that is, with a dash of Sally Brown. This original equation is what I wrote in my comments of that guest book and from that moment on, it all made sense.
I knew lots of people who liked the Peanuts Gang, but only few, who seemed to love them in the way that I did. I'd even been asked at times, 'why do you love them so much, they're not even that funny sometimes'. Well on that point I agree, but I didn't keep coming back to them for the non-stop laughs, though there was plenty of humour to be found. I returned again and again, for almost 40 years, because I identified with them, understood their problems, listened to their solutions, felt their heartache, laughed at their madness and mostly, learned to deal with life in many ways, without the involvement of adults.
I am the youngest of 4 kids in my family and the only girl, that dynamic alone had me often figuring out my own stuff. Add to that, I was, within the walls of my home, an extremely quiet child....almost mute in fact, I'm sure my brothers may dispute that one, but ask my mum. I could sit for hours at a time alone, colouring away or heading outside for a few hours of kicking a soccer ball against the side of our house. I was also one of those kids who thought....a lot!! Where I lacked in speech, I made up ten-fold in thinking.
Much of my childhood was marred with the constant sound of arguing, far more than what would be considered normal. Unfortunately, my father wasn't that nice to us most of the time and in combination with that, the youngest of my brothers went through a lot of personal struggles that increased the fighting and tension in the home to an unbearable amount. I'd often head to a tree in our backyard, where I'd climb up to escape the madness.
All of this contributed to how I dealt with life, and one thing I rarely did was to bring additional problems to my parents. Not saying that I didn't have them, just that I dealt with pretty much everything on my own, a fairly heavy burden at times, especially when you start doing this as a little girl. I was in many ways like a small adult....haa, and at five feet tall, I still fit that description!
Enter Charlie Brown and the gang. While many kids just watched the specials and laughed at the crazy antics of Snoopy, I think, in a way without knowing how much, I picked up life lessons with each TV special, and I watched them every time they aired, so these lessons were reinforced over and over again.
I identified with the 3 characters mentioned for the following reasons -
Most of my friends know my Snoopy side best. That would be the funny, passionate...koo-koo crazy girl. Snoopy is a free spirit, who is enjoys his passions to the fullest.
Whether it be his fantasy life as the WWI Flying Ace, (yup, I have my war fantasies too...WWII spy etc) or writing a novel atop of his doghouse (hmm, writing...starting fiddling with that at about 9 years old)or perhaps just 'being' Joe Cool with his shades on.....I apologize to those of you who may have had a beverage in your mouth while reading the cool part and as a result now have a very wet screen from spitting out your coffee or the like, in mockin' my coolness. Snoopy really is my crazy side, he has mad ideas and never second guesses them, just lets them unfold with pure conviction. I relate to this trait, a lot.
Next is my Charlie Brown-ness. Truth be known there is always a part of me that feels like I don't fit in...oooh, but please don't feel sorry for me, I kinda like it that way. I like life under the radar, gives you the perfect position for observing others from. Good ol'Chuck is the eternal optimist though and so am I.
No matter how many times he 'got a rock', or how many footballs were pulled away from him he still believed in the goodness of mankind and would always give people another chance. He has a good heart, but isn't always treated with the same kindness. Although he sometimes wishes people understood him better, he isn't afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right - remember the sweet little tree he chose for the Christmas play...I would've picked the same one! He didn't listen to the advice of others, he went with what his heart told him to do.
I listen to my heart often too...even when my heads strongly disagrees.
Chuck is definitely an underdog, but that never stops him from giving it his all.
I like underdogs, always find the fight they possess far more interesting then those who go through life seemingly easily.
And lastly my boy Linus. The sensible, analytical, intelligent if sometimes, somewhat naive grounding force. He is for me the part of my personality that brings together the Snoopy and the Charlie Brown, makes them meet in the middle and doesn't let either of those sides get too out of control, he is my common sense.
One of my favourite parts of the show/strip was always when Charlie Brown and Linus would have their heart to heart chats on the bridge. They would together try to sort out the meaning of life, or at least the latest thing thrown their way.
Linus would always give Charlie his honest and sincere thoughts on whatever problems Charlie had.
My dash of Sally Brown comes courtesy of my age, I no longer hide my child-like kooky ways, the older you get, the less you give a rats arse about what people think of you. So yes, it's true I have been known to (almost) squeal with delight when I find something I like...say like the Incredible Hulk doll that I recently bought. I spotted him and squealed (yup!)'oh, look he's so cute, look at his crazy smile and messy hair - I must have him!!' Yes, people looked....and no, I didn't care. And yes, he now lives with me. Thank you Sally Brown for your unbridled enthusiasm for the things you enjoy - like all those times you've publicly declared your love for your 'sweet babboo'. I understand that sometimes you just can't hold those feelings in, you must shout it from the rooftops (or squeal it in a store)!
When you think about this group of kids, there is really very little that is kid-like about them. Starting with the fact that there is virtually no adult interference in their lives to sort through the problems that they face, the most we get from the adults is the occasional waa, waa, waa...which leaves us to interpret that advice however we see fit. Charles Schulz, through this group of kids manages to touch on war, religion, loss, coping, self esteem, doubts, fears, joy, bliss, commerce, friendship, teamwork, love and of course, unrequited love and a myriad of other issues. He manages to do this without sugar-coating things to the extent that you'd expect a kids show to do, he explains life's issues in an honest way, that shows you that though things don't always go the way you want them to, there are ways to solve and overcome life's struggles and that joy may be just around the next corner. A very important lesson at any age.
Mr. Schulz, you've been with me for most of my life, guiding me with your lessons and helping me to become a better person, and I'm proud to say, I am a nut!
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Strange Ways
Here's the next collection of photos that I've taken of strangers. Ordinary folks doing, somewhat ordinary things, but for different reasons, they've all captured my attention. A couple sharing a quiet moment together, though I have to admit, as much as I liked them, I also liked the repetition of the logs that led up to them! Then on busy Granville Street, I look up and spot the 'reading man', I loved how he looked up there, somehow he was going to do a little quiet reading on one of the busiest streets in Vancouver. Add to that, all the colours just seemed right....I even wondered if maybe he chose the yellow shirt on purpose to make for an even better vista. Not long after, still on Granville I spot the 'magician' making his way across the street - bit hot for a cape that day, but hey, to each his own. All I could think of when I looked at him was, 'No capes!'....my favourite line from The Incredibles movie. Taxi man wasn't a targeted hit, he was captured, purely by chance. I pulled my camera out of the bag, brought it to eye level and click - I was just testing my settings to see if I needed to adjust anything before wandering around the city taking photos - Mr. Taxi appeared right at that second, I liked the way the photo looked, hence he makes the cut. The man in the wheelchair was such a wonderful pop of colour that I just had to capture him! Onto the boy running past the fountain, for some reason it put me in the mind of the Sesame Street intro from way back in the day, kids playing in a city park...I don't even remember if that was in the intro, but in my mind it just fit! Next we have 2 females sort of playing opposite roles, we have a little girl wielding a sword - no princess lark for her, she's playing a much more grown up role of perhaps a dragon slayer - just my guess, and then we have a Harajuku girl, whose styles are often fairly child-like for their age - as we see with the stuffed animal tucked under her arm. Harajuku girls have been around for a long time, no Gwen Stefani didn't invent them, just made them more known to the general public. I think I first heard of them about thirty years ago while watching a travel show about Tokyo. The last two shots were both taken at Garry Point Park in Steveston. Once again, my favourite outdoor sculpture makes the cut. Wind Waves by Yvonne Domenge is such a stunning piece of artwork, it thrills me on so many levels and I love how inviting it is, making it the perfect resting spot for this group of people. I've just read that it was only to be a temporarily installed at the park until summer 2011!!! I was there on Canada Day, and it was still there - if it goes, I shall miss it terribly! The other photo of two people taking photos was just a reminder how different people see things different ways. I was sitting on a bench while they passed by, I heard one say to the other, 'let's stop a minute, I want to take a photo', 'me too' the other replied....and then they both turned in opposite directions. Both obviously shooting something completely different from the other, I guess it's true, opposites do attract!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Dr. Strangelove
Here we go with the latest installment of stranger photos....as I started to compile the photos that would make the cut for this post, I soon realized that I owed it to the man in the bonnet to give him his own feature. I mean I was lucky enough to be there to capture his entire hamming it up session, and he was good enough to provide me with more than one good photo, so fair dues, this one is for him. Taken a few days ago on a visit to Harrison Hotsprings. We were chillin' on the elevated 'viewing platform', OK it's actually the roof of the washrooms where they've added a few benches and a railing, but saying, 'I'm hanging out on the roof of the washrooms looking for strangers to photograph, makes it sound like I should be wearing a trench coat if you know what I'm sayin'!! Having said that, my fashion heart does feel a little saddened for the trench coats of the world, originally made as a garment for the military, and later associated with cool movie idols and as a standard piece of clothing that every businessman had to have in his wardrobe, it's now become a garment that you almost dread seeing a man start to remove in front of you - chances are, he's either going to flash you or try to sell you a 'Rolex' for 15 bucks!! Or perhaps that's just my experience! I digress, anyways, as I was saying....man in bonnet walks into my sight line, I'm thrilled and left with no choice but to photograph him. Newsflash here - I've always been a little quirky...shocking revelation I know! But really, how can you not love a man who is not only willing to sport a bonnet and carry a parasol, but who is also willing to amuse his wife with a little show at the same time....God knows what they get up to behind closed doors - just sayin'!! I thank you Dr. Strangelove for giving me a good dose of happy medicine that day. Now you can enjoy him too, by reliving his antics through my photographs, and remember, a little silly is always a good thing.
One thing to note....at first I thought it was cute that he wore his wife's hat to amuse her, it was only later when I got home and looked at the photos that I clued in, ummm, his wife already had a hat on, so perhaps this really is his hat!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Strange Delights
Well it's that time again, time to share another collection of photographs that I've taken of strangers. Yup, my perhaps strange to some, hobby. For me, it's the story outside of the photo that I like to ponder. It's kind of like picking out a book based solely on it's cover then wondering what kind of story the pages might hold.
The beauty of this kind of photography is, we can all make up our own story based on what we see and how we see it. The first batch of photos come courtesy of my jaunt over to Victoria. My first victim/subject was 'the writer' guy on the ferry. This man appealed to me on many levels, first off, he appeared to be lost in his thoughts, something that I can relate to. I'm assuming he's sorting out plot lines for a screen play, or rethinking the last line of poetry he just jotted down or perhaps working out the melody to his next song. OK maybe he's just making sure the seagull on the railing doesn't use him for target practice, or he's trying to come up with the answer for 5 across....7 letter word for 'stalker', so far he has m-e-l-a-n.....hmmm, that's a tough one! I'm going to go with one of my scenarios though. Add to that story the great hat, jacket, bag and a fab beard to boot, what more could you ask for?!
The next three shots come from day two in Victoria, when we were just wandering around town. I had to capture the dude putting up posters as it was a nice flashback for me. I remember way back in the day, going around with musician friends of mine and doing the same thing....aaah, the beauty of free advertising. And for those of you wondering, 'where's Waldo?' (or Wally to my UK readers), wonder no longer my friends. I spotted him in Victoria riding his skateboard. How can you not love a man in a striped sweater?? Impossible I say!!
The next grouping of photos were taken this past Saturday. I had a few hours to kill so I decided to take the boys to Garry Point Park for a wander. Of course, I was packing heat, aka my camera, as this has become a favourite spot of mine for photography. One of my favourite pieces of public art is here, 'Wind Waves', by Mexican sculptor, Yvonne Domenge, so it was in it's direction that we first headed. We were lucky enough to find a bride and groom having their photos taken when we arrived, and I'm sure the photos will be spectacular, great contrast with the white dress, black suit and red sculpture. I'm thinking they had better be spectacular, considering they had 3 photographers!! The whole scene was a little comical at times though as I watched from afar, one of the photographer's very animated moves to show the bride how he'd like her to pose. All very amusing to see a man pretending to be donning a gown and doing several twirls and faux swooshes with his gown's voluminous skirt. They were there at least an hour trying to create the perfect shot, sometimes on the ground, all positioned at different angles and distances, it was all very paparazzi! One thing did strike me odd though, you have three obviously, professional photographers all doing their best to get the perfect shot, and yet not one of them thinks to move the sweater that the bride rested on the inside of the sculpture. Sheesh my fashion stylist eye spotted it from a hundred yards away!! It eventually got moved but still, I'm sure that beige cardy is going to show up in more than a few shots - hopefully editing is included in their fee!! As you can see from the shots, the poor groom wasn't always needed, no wonder the guy looked bored.
This park is known for it's kite flying and why wouldn't it be, tons of wide open space and the wind coming off the water makes for perfect conditions. In this group of photos you can see how the wind power is used differently by three men. The first man goes for the traditional kite and a pretty cool design too. Next we have the man with his set of wheels, you can tell how strong the winds get, as this man was clocking a pretty good speed, I'm thinking you'd get some pretty big biceps with this as your pastime. Lastly we have the man who is...well, I'm not sure what he was trying to do. It actually seemed like he didn't know either. Ok, so he kept get ready for take-off, but I'm not sure where he thought the wind would take him. It's not like he had wheels attached, or was hooked up to a boat. Was he planning on just trying to take flight? Would flying from the stump to the ground be that exhilarating of a rush?? I did make me wonder...'is this how Da Vinci looked to others when he was working on some of his inventions?' Maybe this guy had bigger plans and I just wasn't able to see it yet. One thing I did notice though....'note to self' - when attempting to take flight from a stump, wear pants that are 6" too long for you. This way, when that harness hikes up your pants, you can avoid looking like you're wearing floods when you do become successful in your attempts and the paparazzi from the wedding party rush over to capture it!
Last grouping is 1,2,3. One lone girl enjoying the beach - I just loved the happy face bucket! Two friends enjoying their fish n' chips on the rock. And lastly three beautiful 'Red Hat Society' ladies sharing good times. This organization was founded in 1998, a year after the founder Sue Ellen Cooper gave her friend a red fedora for her 55th birthday along with a copy of a poem, 'The Warning', by Jenny Joseph. I conclude this blog posting with a copy of that poem.
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
~Jenny Joseph, 1961
The beauty of this kind of photography is, we can all make up our own story based on what we see and how we see it. The first batch of photos come courtesy of my jaunt over to Victoria. My first victim/subject was 'the writer' guy on the ferry. This man appealed to me on many levels, first off, he appeared to be lost in his thoughts, something that I can relate to. I'm assuming he's sorting out plot lines for a screen play, or rethinking the last line of poetry he just jotted down or perhaps working out the melody to his next song. OK maybe he's just making sure the seagull on the railing doesn't use him for target practice, or he's trying to come up with the answer for 5 across....7 letter word for 'stalker', so far he has m-e-l-a-n.....hmmm, that's a tough one! I'm going to go with one of my scenarios though. Add to that story the great hat, jacket, bag and a fab beard to boot, what more could you ask for?!
The next three shots come from day two in Victoria, when we were just wandering around town. I had to capture the dude putting up posters as it was a nice flashback for me. I remember way back in the day, going around with musician friends of mine and doing the same thing....aaah, the beauty of free advertising. And for those of you wondering, 'where's Waldo?' (or Wally to my UK readers), wonder no longer my friends. I spotted him in Victoria riding his skateboard. How can you not love a man in a striped sweater?? Impossible I say!!
The next grouping of photos were taken this past Saturday. I had a few hours to kill so I decided to take the boys to Garry Point Park for a wander. Of course, I was packing heat, aka my camera, as this has become a favourite spot of mine for photography. One of my favourite pieces of public art is here, 'Wind Waves', by Mexican sculptor, Yvonne Domenge, so it was in it's direction that we first headed. We were lucky enough to find a bride and groom having their photos taken when we arrived, and I'm sure the photos will be spectacular, great contrast with the white dress, black suit and red sculpture. I'm thinking they had better be spectacular, considering they had 3 photographers!! The whole scene was a little comical at times though as I watched from afar, one of the photographer's very animated moves to show the bride how he'd like her to pose. All very amusing to see a man pretending to be donning a gown and doing several twirls and faux swooshes with his gown's voluminous skirt. They were there at least an hour trying to create the perfect shot, sometimes on the ground, all positioned at different angles and distances, it was all very paparazzi! One thing did strike me odd though, you have three obviously, professional photographers all doing their best to get the perfect shot, and yet not one of them thinks to move the sweater that the bride rested on the inside of the sculpture. Sheesh my fashion stylist eye spotted it from a hundred yards away!! It eventually got moved but still, I'm sure that beige cardy is going to show up in more than a few shots - hopefully editing is included in their fee!! As you can see from the shots, the poor groom wasn't always needed, no wonder the guy looked bored.
This park is known for it's kite flying and why wouldn't it be, tons of wide open space and the wind coming off the water makes for perfect conditions. In this group of photos you can see how the wind power is used differently by three men. The first man goes for the traditional kite and a pretty cool design too. Next we have the man with his set of wheels, you can tell how strong the winds get, as this man was clocking a pretty good speed, I'm thinking you'd get some pretty big biceps with this as your pastime. Lastly we have the man who is...well, I'm not sure what he was trying to do. It actually seemed like he didn't know either. Ok, so he kept get ready for take-off, but I'm not sure where he thought the wind would take him. It's not like he had wheels attached, or was hooked up to a boat. Was he planning on just trying to take flight? Would flying from the stump to the ground be that exhilarating of a rush?? I did make me wonder...'is this how Da Vinci looked to others when he was working on some of his inventions?' Maybe this guy had bigger plans and I just wasn't able to see it yet. One thing I did notice though....'note to self' - when attempting to take flight from a stump, wear pants that are 6" too long for you. This way, when that harness hikes up your pants, you can avoid looking like you're wearing floods when you do become successful in your attempts and the paparazzi from the wedding party rush over to capture it! 
Last grouping is 1,2,3. One lone girl enjoying the beach - I just loved the happy face bucket! Two friends enjoying their fish n' chips on the rock. And lastly three beautiful 'Red Hat Society' ladies sharing good times. This organization was founded in 1998, a year after the founder Sue Ellen Cooper gave her friend a red fedora for her 55th birthday along with a copy of a poem, 'The Warning', by Jenny Joseph. I conclude this blog posting with a copy of that poem.
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
~Jenny Joseph, 1961
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