Week's End

Last weekend, I was bored. I've spent the last month siting on my butt, being unemployed. It's not a fun position to be in. So, last weekend, I did my research on the Greater Vancouver Area Transit System, tuned up my bike, and downloaded a whole bunch of new music and uploaded it onto my broken and worn out old iPod. Tuesday morning came and I hoped on my bike and pedaled my way to Aldergrove, caught a bus which took me to a train which took me to a bus which took me to another bus which took me to a ferry which eventually took me to family and friends in the beautiful city of Victoria. Run-on sentences aside, the following are a few random thoughts from my little adventure. 

1. I am new to public transit so I've picked up on a few trends of this public marvel. Most of these rules are common sense; Have your fare ready before you get on the bus, make sure to give seating priority to senior citizens and mothers with strollers; that sort of commonality. There are a few that stuck out however. 

The first one I noticed was the siting/standing rule. Buses get to a point when there are no more seats left and people have to stand at that point. There is also a point when people get off the bus, leaving their seat empty. When this happens, the person closest to the empty seat will announce that there is an empty seat for someone to sit in. Under no circumstances however, should anyone take this seat (with the exception, of course, of senior citizens and the handicapped). Taking this seat would announce to the rest of the bus that - out of all the people standing - you are the most important and deserving of that seat, introducing a sort of hierarchal system into the scene. This, as we all know, is completely inappropriate in Canadian Society focused on ensuring that everyone is equal. The flaw of this rule is that it leaves the seat unused and implies the fact that the seat maker has a useless profession. That is just my thought anyways.

The second rule of public transit is that no one should talk under any circumstances. There are, however, two groups of people who are exempt from this rule. The first group are those annoying and loud cellphone talkers who believe everyone in the bus should hear their one sided conversation about the latest office gossip. The second group are the crazies who have the amazing ability to carry on a conversation with their imaginary friends. 

2. Bikes are large and suck to have on the sky train.

3. Come to think about it, I probably didn't need my bike at all on this trip.

4. I was thinking... is it acceptable, or even possible for one to backpack across Canada - or anywhere in Canada for that matter - when they are indeed Canadian themselves?

5. I've decided that Victoria is my favorite city, even if it lives under the constant threat of level 9 earthquake. I love the atmosphere, the architecture, the cool shops, eccentric cafés, the ocean, all the green space, and the fact that I have family there. Victoria is the most beautiful city I know, it is always sunny there, and I believe it has the largest population of hippies, long boarders, and hippy long boarders of any city in Canada. Note to self; If I ever have the balls to date again, I'm going to bring her on an epic date to Victoria. Maybe I shouldn't share that with the world...

7. I love the sun! I love summer! 

6. Thanks to baby Dorian (or the bird as the affectionately call him in the Culp home) and 2 straight hours of holding him and pacing back and forth the living room just to keep him from screaming, I found myself, for a brief moment, never wanting children. Ethier that or I will adopt when they are past the "hold my 20 pound little body for two hours and walk in 300 circles around this limited space or else I'll scream in your face" phase. 

This statement is might not be exactly true, but let it be known all women ages 16 - 35, children aren't always cute, especially when they throw up all over you.

7. I really do love kids though.

8. When you have 5 beers and a glass of scotch in your system and you start talking about class nine earth quakes and how Victoria is expecting one within the next 987 years, you swear that you start seeing the lamp next to you shake and start hearing the ground rumble. It's all in your head though... or maybe in the 5 beers you just drank. 

9. I hope that earthquake doesn't happen on my epic date.

10. Albums enjoyed on this trip:

Bob Marley - One Love (Greatest Hits)

The Subways - Young for Eternity

Ratatat - LP3 (I mean... I don't have that yet... how could I? It hasn't been released.)

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Battles - Mirrored

Iron and Wine - Woman King

MSTRKRFT - The Looks

Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards

Led Zeppelin - Mothership (also a greatest hits compilation)

11. You can find my sorry attempt at photography here.

12. This was bloody long, I wonder if anyone will even read this. Feel free to comment. It feeds my ego.