Canadian girl out and aboot

So yesterday I went to check my facebook and discovered that I had a friend request. I clicked on it, expecting to find some long lost classmate, and discovered a request from "Thomas Chong." Yes, that Thomas Chong. I immediately friended him once I got over my surprise.

Mr. Chong has decided to join facebook and I got a friend request because my email address was in his address book. He had my email address because I interviewed him about 4 years ago for Ricepaper. After trying unsuccessfully to track him down via his agencies and the Internet, I managed to get his phone number and email where he came into the Chapters where I was working in Vancouver.


The whole thing is pretty funny. I've been watching as he gains friends (I was his second friend), and adds photos and plays with his facebook. Most of his children have written on his wall or commented on things and he's got a lot of people writing things to him.

Very funny.

Well, I'm not really relaxing. I'm just enjoying the fact that I don't have to drive anywhere this week. Right now I'm catching up on stories that I should have written, doing laundry, writing random things and generally enjoying being at home.

Tonight I have to give a short poetry reading at local reading series.

The Oscars were really good. Mom and I phoned each other multiple times during the show.

1. I really loved Hugh Jackman's opening song thing.
2. I also loved the five presenters theme for the best supporting and best actor and actress categories.
3. There were a number of really good dresses and a number of horrible ones. What was up with Alicia Keyes' eyebrows? And my mom called me to comment on Sarah Jessica Parker's horrible fake boobs.
4. I loved the speech given by Devon Lance Black, the guy who wrote Milk. I was also touched by Heath Ledger's tribute.
5. Did anyone else think that it was horribly tacky that the camera cut to Angelina when Jennifer Aniston was at the mike? (It's over. Give it up. Who the hell cares any more?)
6. My mom called me to yell as Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens appeared onscreen. "Give them off the stage," she cried. I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. We want to see movie stars, people. Actual movie stars, wearing pretty dresses and accepting awards.
7. I wish Kate Winslet had won for "Revolutionary Road", but I was okay with her winning even though my vote was largely for Anne Hathaway.
8. I was also okay with Sean Penn's win, even though my vote was for Mickey Rourke.

Last night I went to see author Joseph Boyden . I loved his first book, which was about First Nations soldiers fighting in the First World War. It was a very daring and poetic book. His second book, which deals with contemporary native issues, has been nominated for a Giller, which is one of the most prestigious awards in Canada. I got to the venue early, because I was worried that it would be packed. My suspicions were correct.

The room quickly filled up. I was checking the ethnic component of the room and noticed that there didn't seem to be any native people. There were a few people of colour, but no natives. Hmmm. I chatted a bit with the people around me. Finally, an attractive woman in her 40s came in with a native woman in her 70s. They were looking for a place to sit, and there was an empty seat beside me. I gave up my seat and sat a little behind a pole, because I felt it was completely rude to let this native grandma sit near the back and away from her companion.

Anyway, Joseph came onstage and did some banter. He was wonderfully funny, humble, engaging, and pretty darn good looking. He read three sections from his new book. He is a great reader, and his work definitely draws on the oral tradition, so it sounds great when read out loud. Afterward, people were allowed to ask him questions about his work. There were some good questions asked. One woman noticed that he was speaking with a native accent, and he blushed a little. He had picked up the accent from his visit to family up north. It definitely comes and goes with him, and he slips into it easily when he is reading from his books. Another man said he was from New Orleans, and Joseph was enthused and wanted to visit with him later.

The elderly native woman in the audience asked him some questions about whether or not he'd kept in touch with some of the elders from his area. She told him that she had a teacher who lived up North who had died at 104. Joseph was quite taken by this woman, and they found out that they'd lived in a similar area. After the reading, he went right to her and talked to her and they were really bonding for several minutes. Her companion thanked me again for giving up my seat, and I told her that I had felt it was the right thing to do. He signed a few books for the two native women and then asked the elder if he could give her a kiss on the cheek as he shook her hand. It was very sweet.

During this, I talked to the other native woman in the audience, who asked me if I was native. We were both surprised by the lack of natives at the event, and counted 3. After this, we all got in line for the long wait to get our books signed.


When it was my turn, I asked Joseph if he missed seeing natives when he was living in New Orleans. He told me that it was very weird, but that he went up north 4 or 5 times a year to be around his native family. Then we talked about mixed race identity stuff and First Nations issues for a few minutes. I had been standing in front of the man from New Orleans, and we had been talking about Katrina, New Orleans, poetry, chess and life while waiting in line. It turned out that the New Orleans man is a slam poet who knows my friend Mike. Small world.

I didn't want to take too much of Joseph's time, so I left quickly and turned him over to New Orleans guy. When I got home, I checked to see what he had written in my book. He wrote, "Alexis, Fantastic to meet you." Joseph Boyden.

I thought that was pretty funny, since I only talked to him for about three minutes. Still, nice man, humble, sweet, and a great reader and writer.

I have this theory, that some people get hotter as they age, and others are on the slippery slope. I started becoming a lot more conscious of age when I hit 30, and I started really wanting to know how old certain celebrities are.

I can't believe the difference between the way some people look. Mary-Louise Parker= totally hot at 42. Helen Mirren= totally hot at 60. Nigella Lawson= totally hot at 48.

Celine Dion, who was never really an attractive woman, is already on the slippery slope and she's only 39.

Some people have already passed their pinnacle, and are sliding down. See Keanu Reeves, who is aging badly. Patrick Swayze peaked his hotness pinnacle in Dirty Dancing, and has now slid firmly to the other side.

Yet some people hit their hotness pinnacle later in life, like Kim Cattrall, or Patrick Dempsey, who are much sexier in their 40s and 50s than they were in their 30s.

Now this begs the question, which celebrities do you think hit the pinnacle at a later age? Who has passed their pinnacle?

(Personally, I'm hoping that I still haven't hit my pinnacle, and will be completely hot at age 48)

On Friday, I was fortunate enough to interview Jeni Legon, a dance pioneer, tap legend and educator who was the first black woman to get signed with MGM. Jeni's 90 and has lived in Vancouver since 1969. I got to go to her house, which is like a museum to old Hollywood. She has pictures of her dancing in various movies, including "Easter Parade" with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland.

Jeni's had a pretty incredible life. She started off dancing at age 13 with Count Basie and his orchestra. She starred in black movies, appeared on Amos and Andy's and taught dance to all kinds of people. She had to conquer a lot of race barriers and was occasionally barred from performing. She was the first tapper to dance in pants and performed moves that were normally only done by men.

At 90, she's still a quick wit and has a great zest for life. She lives with her second husband, Frankie, who is 74. He's a drummer and helps her out with her career and her many public relations duties. Her tap shoes were inducted into the Smithsonian, she was given a doctorate in American Dance from Oklahoma University and she's had numerous books and articles written about her. I found talking to her completely inspirational as she endured a lot of discrimination, but rose above it.

My favourite story from the interview- Once Jeni was dancing at a club and Marlene Dietrich came in. After her number, Marlene came up to Jeni and said, "My darling, you wear the pants better than I do."

At the end of the interview, Jeni gave me a great big hug and thanked me. I left feeling very lucky and very blessed.

Watch Jeni dance with Fats Waller and sing "Living in a great big way"

All in all, it was a pretty decent weekend. On Saturday, I got a much needed haircut and attended the Stone Soup festival on the Drive. The Stone Soup festival is a local harvest festival and people are encouraged to bring vegetables down to put in the soup. There are all of kind of fruit and veggie things for sale, and I bought some bedding plants for the garden, which the roommate is going to plant tomorrow.

After this, I went and hung out with [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and then B* joined us later on. The following day, I headed over to the CBC for the CBC radio book club with David Suzuki. (For those abroad- David Suzuki is an environmentalist and public broadcaster.) The book clubs are fairly closed and you have to enter a contest to attend them. I got to attend because Ricepaper was tabling at this one.

I've heard a lot of things about David Suzuki, including many reports that he's sort of an ass. Personal character aside, I must admit that he is a wonderful reader and speaker. He has the ability to convey his thoughts and ideas in a profound and moving way. He read some parts from his new autobiography, and then took some questions from the floor. I started crying when he talked about his father and his father's lasting impact on his life. David also talked about his wishes for after his death, that perhaps someone would read one of his books, or watch one of his shows. David Suzuki caressess the divine details and notices the little things in life. He answered questions about the environment and what citizens can do.

Then he started talking about how he doesn't like to see himself on t.v. because he grew up with the images of buck-toothed Japs and was placed in an internment camp and when he watches himself, he becomes uncomfortable. I think I teared up during this point and I know that I teared up when he was talking about his father, his father's dying moments, and his love for his family.

Today I wish I could post on the "Celebrities in your dream" forum because I dreamed that I was hanging out with Kristen Bell, and she was telling me how hairy her back was and how she wished that she had more blonde hair on her back and arms.

Yeah...

(Part of this is from perusing the Maxim with her on the cover.)

The best celebrity dream that I ever had was one after I'd broken up with my first serious boyfriend. In my dream, Madonna called me up. We were best friends and she was taking me shopping. The ex called me up in the dream and I dissed him, telling him I was off to shop with Madonna. It was like an 80s movie in my head!

Short version- Remember how I've been wanting to interview Tommy Chong and have been trying to get some contact information for him? Well, I met him and now I have his cell phone number.


Long version- As I normally do, I spotted a man who looked like Mr. Chong. The man was accompanied by another man. I followed them up the stairs and over to the gardening section. I waited patiently for a few minutes, until Tommy's companion stopped talking.

Me- I'm sorry to interrupt. Are you Tommy Chong?
Tommy- Yes, I am.

Me, shaking his hand- Hi, my name is Alexis K. I work for Ricepaper, an Asian Canadian magazine and I've been trying to get a hold of you for a while. You have that new biography coming out and I would really like to do an interview with you. I have been trying to get through to you, but you're a very hard person to find.

Tommy- Well, the feds found me. (Laughs)

Me- Well, yeah. (laughs)

Tommy- "Would you like some contact info?"

Me- I would love it.

Tommy walks over to the counter and grabs a pen and a post-it. He writes his name on the post it and hands it to me. I see that he has written a phone number.

Tommy- That's my cell phone number. You can call me on that.

Me- Thank you. Where are you living now? (I asked because I didn't recognize the area code he wrote.)

Tommy- I have a house in West Van and one in the Pacific Palisades.

Me- Thank you so much. I really appreciate this. Have a good day.


He has a white beard and his hair is completely white now. He also has a wonderfully rich voice, a great laugh and really warm brown eyes.I hope to heck that he gave me his real phone number. He seemed genuine, and I don't see why someone would give out a fake phone number. Now I have to do some research and figure out some questions to ask!

*When I told my roommate the story, she said that having Tommy Chong's phone number almost gives me cult status.

Last night [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and I went to see Neil Gaiman read at Magee Secondary School. Since I was pressed for time, I ended up taking a cab ride there with a lovely cabbie who called me, "my friend" and played some nice tabla music as we drove through the rainy Vancouver streets.

The three of us were about an hour early for the event, which appeared to have sold out. Neil's fanbase seems to attract an equal gender balance. At one point, we looked around to see how many people were wearing black, and were surprised to note that only about half the audience was.

Neil appeared on stage wearing black jeans, a black leather jacket and a black t-shirt. I've always thought he was sort of goodlooking, but in person, he's got that kind of sexyish that Alan Rickman has. He's also a great reader. Douglas Coupland should take lessons from him.

He proceeded to read us a section of "Anansi boys" which refers to Vancouver. He then read us a section of the book and then did a Q and A. I still haven't read "Anansi Boys", but I'm waiting for my copy from the library.

Neil came across as rather charming, and was very witty and funny. He told us about playing with dead muppets at Jim Henson's old house, and about how he wanted to be a writer and would daydream that he wrote "The Fellowship of the Ring."

After this, we waited and then lined up for a LONG time to get Neil to sign our books. The wise [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] had brought some Nanaimo bars for Neil. He was pleased and proclaimed, "At this time of the night, everyone needs chocolate." So [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] cut up the Nanaimo bars with a Swiss Army knife while [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] asked Neil about the state of his cats, and he described how they were all doing in great detail, which was quite nice.

So with our books are signed by Neil, we caught the bus back home.