All gestures great and small · Sunday February 17, 2008 by colin newell
I witnessed two simple yet complex and complementary events today that I thought I would share.
While walking towards Clover Point on Victoria B.C.‘s scenic Dallas road, my wife and I heard the cacophony of dozens and dozens of cars.
A wedding I thought. Wrong.
As we were approaching the spectacular vista, we were quickly surrounded by a joyous throng of Kosovar-Canadians celebrating their independence… as of today.
Young and old waved the flag of their homeland, their joy infectious and emotional. Although it took a few minutes for me to lock in on the sheer magnitude of what I was witnessing – I eventually did and felt my eyes well up with tears. I can only grasp at what these new Canadians were feeling – but on a basal level I got it.
Ironically, I had last seen the Kosovar flag some eight years ago while witnessing a significantly more sombre march down Shelbourne Street – by an impromptu collection of fighting age men brought together by tragedy and genocide some 7000 miles away.
As we walked back to our car we reflected on how the World has just changed… perhaps for the better.
Lunch today was an order of foot-long hot-dogs at the Willow Galley in Oak Bay’s Estevan village – an old favorite. While walking up to the entrance, I noticed a familiar face – Stanley Cup champion Geoff Courtnall, formerly of the Edmonton Oilers. And like any other 40-something semi-middle aged dude, I act like a teenager meeting up with one of his idols… just like three or four other guys my age did as they approached this well established fish and chip shop.
Except there is a twist to this story.
While we were all there waiting for our orders to come up, a 4-door sedan pulled up to the intersection and Geoff was the first to spot the fact that the elderly couple in the car had a flat tire. So – who is the first to volunteer to change the tire? That is right – Geoff Courtnall. While a handful of giddy dudes stood by waiting to talk story with a hockey idol from a bygone era, our Stanley Cup idol make quick work of a tire-change… seemingly in minutes.
These two events, although completely unrelated, give us moments of hope in a deeply troubled World – where we can share tears of joy with complete strangers as they wave their new flag…
and tears of laughter when 2 elderly folks are quickly sent on their way by the spontaneous gesture of a sports hero.
Morons on 4 wheels rant #1 · Saturday February 2, 2008 by colin newell
Darwin spoke about Natural Selection – here is a great example:
Entering Rod Serling rant mode, cigarette clasped between gritted teeth: Picture if you would, a quiet evening on the Trans-Canada highway. You are out for a romantic cruise in your 1956 Pontiac Bel-Air when the peace is shattered by a 2006 Aston Martin and a Ford GT racing down the highway. You and your date Trixie Belden are spooked as the drivers weaved in and out of traffic at high speed.
But this was not an amalgam of bad fifties and sixties B-Grade stereotypes… — it was the Trans Canada Highway Friday about 8:30 p.m. And now two expensive high performance cars are resting their rubber in an impound lot.
The Times-Colonist reports: “The drivers, who were pulled over by Saanich police outside the Red Lion Inn, are prohibited from driving for 15 days. They have also been issued violation tickets for driving without due care and attention, which carries a $368 fine.”
“A driver who called 911 was passed by the speeding cars as he came onto the Trans Canada Highway at Millstream Road. He watched them fly down the highway, until they were forced to slow down near the merge lane of the Old Island Highway. The sports cars twisted and turned through traffic lanes until they were free again to race down the highway into town. Stopped by a red light at Tillicum, both cars shot forward when the light turned green.”
How is it that if I walked into a bank and joked about wanting a zero-interest anonymous loan, I could be tossed into the slammer for 10 years… and 2 knuckleheads high on testosterone and Starbucks coffee can put dozens of lives at risk for the cost of $368? Hell, I cannot buy 3 Canucks tickets for $368.
What gives with society anyway? Two 39 year olds driving about 100,000 dollars worth of Detroit steel could have killed someone… or maimed someone… or killed a whole family. And we slap them on the wrist. How about banning them from getting behind the wheel for a year.
These 2 belong behind the wheel of a 5 year olds tricycle because that is where their actual intelligence is at.
Shame.
I have seen this Aston-Martin parked at London Drugs on Yates St. I think it is the same owner. He flew out of the parking lot one evening a few months ago after picking up his prescription… traveling down Quadra avenue at speeds in excess of 60km/h within seconds of entering the road-way.
What an idiot. Watch for him.
B.C. Ferries Rant #4 · Monday January 28, 2008 by colin newell
Little known fact:
Show your BCAA, CAA, or AAA membership card and get a discount on travel between the Mainland and Vancouver Island…
with conditions.
To quote the B.C. Ferries website:
Pay the regular vehicle and driver fares, and your 2nd, 3rd and 4th passengers travel free (except for fuel surcharge and Nanaimo Port Authority fees—details below).
Offer applies to BC Ferries’ 9:00 pm sailings between Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and Victoria (Swartz Bay) and between West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) and Nanaimo (Departure Bay).
Looking inward adlib number one · Thursday January 24, 2008 by colin newell
Ok. Stream of consciousness blog entry based on what passed through my brain first.
CBC Website reveals “After interviewing hundreds of witnesses, Vancouver police have no clear suspect descriptions following what they describe as the latest targeted shooting death to occur outside a restaurant in the city.”
The restaurant is Gotham Steakhouse in Vancouver.
From my perspective, the most gauche joint in town and the most likely (for regular folks like me) to find suspiciously rich people inside. You know, like going to a Canucks game – which is something that I have done in the last 6 months (and will again in one month…)
Canucks Games: Where people go to be seen – they are rich folks right? You have to be rich to see the games regularly – or have several hundred dollars to toss IF and ONLY IF you are in town and your other expenses have been covered… because if they are not you are looking at a 400$ evening for a game of ice and puck.
Anyway. Shooting at (I am sorry, Outside of…) Gotham Restaurant.
“Would you like a Potato with your 21 ounce Kobe, Sir?”
Actually, I see a surgeon over in the corner… Maybe I can get my quad bypass now and save the time eating.
Shooting. 2 dead guys. 1 horrified fiancé wearing a tiara. A lot of shocked and confused bystanders not entirely sure who or what shot whom.
I still love Vancouver. Vancouver has always had gangsters and want-to-be gangsters, hoodlums, hooligans, thugs and otherwise arrogant and self-important wankers. Every city has them. Maybe Vancouver has more per capita.
Will I stop going there? Hell no. I respect the ability of professional killers to safely hit their targets and leave us innocent and law abiding citizens the heck alone.
Case dismissed.
