Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Although we spent less than 24 hours there, I would consider moving there. The city is set up really nice and there are these amazing mountains in the background. There is also water everywhere and the beach is so close it's incredible. Vancouver has a very "urban" feel to it. It seems like the population is really dense, and there are millions of people walking around the street all the time.

Our screening in Vancouver was at BLIM, this awesome DIY arts space run by two sisters, Yuriko and Keiko and Yuriko's husband.

We got there around 7pm to start setting up. The inside of BLIM was amazing and I really regret not taking photos to post here. It was really bright looking but everything was painted white. There was an amazing screenprint art show up on the walls and you could just really tell that a lot of thought had been put into the way that the space was presented aesthetically. They do screenprinting workshops and hold art shows and other events there sometimes.

There was this really cool art wheatpasted to the dumpster outside of BLIM:

Courtney and I went to this great vegetarian Chinese restaurant that is apprently famous in Vancouver (and Zagat rated!). It was packed full of all kinds of people while we were there, waiting for our food (we got it to go). We got spring rolls and this seaseme chili tofu with a kind of peanut sauce. It was really good.

The screening itself was also nice. Only seven people came, but those who did seemed really interested in the topic and there was a nice discussion afterwards. Two people came who had been part of a collectively operated artist space called the Butcher Shop that recently closed. One of them, Chad Oakenfold, does this cool website called you might want to check out: oakenfold.ca

I also met an ex-pat who lived in Oregon for a long time but now lives in Vancouver. He is involved in this really cool project called Space Agency. It is a group of artists creating a project whereby they are encouraging the reclamation of seldom used public spaces, like corporate parks where business people eat lunch during the day but that aren't used much otherwise. Another project they did was beautifcation of public alleys in Vancouver. What a great project. There website wasn't working earlier, but maybe try this link: Space Agency.

I also just found this amazing website for the group called Spacing, a Toronto-based group that focuses on all issues related to pulic space and urban life in Toronto (and around the world). They mainly do a magazine called Spacing, but they also do things like hold workshops to help people figure out way to beautify abandoned bicycles in the city! They also have some interesting photoblogs, including a photonarrative about why postering is important to cities! Here's a picture from that essay:

Anyway, after the screening at BLIM, we ended up hanging out with Janette's friend Mark. He showed up around the city a little bit, we went to a park with a beach, to a show at the Astoria hotel and discovered vancouer punk rock and bad canadian beer, and then slept for a few hours before leaving for the long drive to Coeur D'Alene, where we are now. Getting back across the boder we had to wait for about 30 minutes in a line of cars, but the border patrol guy didn't give us any trouble. We stopped for a mediocre breakfast in Bellingham, and then were on our way down to Seattle and then east on I-90 to Idaho.

Being in constant motion and having constant interaction with strangers can begin to get exhausting so we are enjoying being in a city where we don't know anyone and aren't obligated to be friendly and engage in stimulating conversations. We are staying at the Budget Saver Inn. It's alright except for the obligatory cigarette burn holes in the blankets. Well, I'd better wrap this up because Courtney is probably tired of sitting in this cafe while I BLOG MY HEART OUT. Here are some photos from the drive through the Cascades yesterday as a parting gift for all of my loyal readers!

Courtney looking whimsical during the drive through the Cascades

Me looking very serious in the Cascades

I tried to take some pictures of the Cascades themselves, but their majestic beauty was impossible to capture and I don't want to do them a disservice of misrepresentation....