(no subject)
A woman came into our store yesterday, wearing a t-shirt that read "My Vancouver Includes The Downtown East Side", which brought a smile to my face. She told me that she works at an office in the DTES that provides assistance to First Nations people living with HIV/AIDS, and that they've noticed that a lot more of their clients are being picked up and arrested by the Vancouver Police than usual. Sounds like it's already begun, the social equivalent of sweeping our "problems" under the rug before company arrives - after all, if you can't see a problem, then it must not exist, right? Of course I'm not surprised, only disappointed. Here's hoping PIVOT and/or the local media can raise awareness to what's happening.
Played a gig with Orkestar Slivovica at Raw Canvas in Yaletown last night. In case you've never heard of it, R.C. is a bistro/bar with one particularly wonderful feature: if the mood strikes you, you can buy a blank canvas there, grab a smock and head down to the painting pit at the back, where you can release your inner Pollock, Miró or Michelangelo. The band plays there on the first Friday of every month, and once again, the place was packed with eager, enthusiastic people, dancing and singing along to what we had to offer. There were a lot of cameras at last night's show, too, flashes popping regularly throughout the night.
On my way to the show, I was walking up Granville Street, which is currently blocked off due to construction/Olympics. The street was a spectacle to behold, full of art of one sort or another, awash in colour and light; musicians filling the space with songs and drums; jugglers and street performers entertaining large crowds of people. It was almost overwhelming: for once, this city felt like it was alive, making an effort to stand up and demand attention. So refreshing! So delightful! So ... un-Canadian! I admit it: I succumbed to all the pomp of our current circumstance. (Note to self: never discredit the power of spectacle!)
Yes, it's all a show, nothing more than the guilding of our Terminal City, brought to you by the Olympics, but to be in the middle of it all while it was happening filled me with such waves of excitement that I felt as though I might burst. Our city wants for enthusiasm, and to see such a blatant display was almost startling. We may never see such vibrancy here again, and while I'm not a supporter of the Olympics being here - the cost is too much, too deep and with too many people having to suffer the consequences - I feel the need to head down there tonight and experience that feeling once again. You know, while we still can, before the massive hangover sets in.