Canadian girl out and aboot

This week's schedule has been- work, watch movies, etc. Really that's about it. I did two days of work related writing, and then spent a day at the alpaca conference at Farm Fair. I attended some really in depth presentations about birthing alpacas and ended up looking at pictures of alpaca placenta and afterbirth. I'm not joking.

My publishers were in town to release a new book of poetry and so I got a chance to chat with them and meet author Hiromi Goto , whose work I have long admired.

In my exhausted stupor, I watched the Rolling Stone documentary "Shine a light."

This weekend I attended two films at the Global Visions international film festival. This documentary film festival is the longest running documentary film fest in Canada! I saw "Hair India" which about the hair trade in India. Pilgrims travel to temples to have their heads shaved, then the temples sell the hair to international agencies. Working class women go through the hair before it is shipped to international centres, like Rome, to be processed into hair extensions. In the film, an Indian woman in Mumbai had her hair treated and got extensions done. It's a really weird look at culture, hair and social class. Prior to this film, we watched a short film called "Namrata". This film was based on the life of the woman who was the inspiration for Deepa Mehta's "Heaven and Earth." I was very struck by this film.

Today I saw "Transit Dubai", which is about the transitory nature and social classes in Dubai. I've had many friends visit the city and one of my friends is working there now. I thought this film really showed some of the class structure and problems with the city.

I also got a chance to go for brunch with some friends. We just got a Cora's in Edmonton. Cora's is a chain started in Quebec. It has since slowly been spreading across Canada. They serve breakfast food with lots of fresh fruit. We had to wait quite a while to get in, but it was worth it.

I have not written about all the incredible music that I saw at the Folkfest. I'm going to highlight some of the great things I saw-

Ramona and I arrived on Thursday night just in time to see Kathleen Edwards. I thought she was pretty good, but Ramona and I were mainly in visiting mode. We stayed for two more acts, which were obviously okay because I don't really remember them. Oh yeah, we saw Steve Earle, who was okay, and then Boz Scaggs, who was also okay, but not really my thing.

Friday- One of the groups that I really wanted to see was called "Hanggai." They were a group of Mongolian musicians living in China. They combined throat singing with traditional instruments and some electric ones. I was quite inspired by them, and felt homesick for Mongolia. They played on a stage with Chumbawumba who were just sort of there. I found them slightly annoying, mainly because they referred to the Mongolians as "Chinese." We saw Loudon Wainwright the 3rd, who was funny and bitter, and then we saw the Wailers, minus Bob Marley. The Wailers are high energy and really tight, but I think it's sad that they are now known as the band whose charismatic lead singer died. However, they are pretty great. This was followed by Neko Case, who gave a great performance. Unfortunately, we were sitting in a really uncomfortable location between two people who kept annoying me. I had an allergy attack and was very uncomfortable, so we left early.

Saturday- I really like Danny Michel so over the weekend we saw two showcase stages featuring him and a bunch of other people, including Fred Eaglesmith and Jill Barber. Other highlights from the group stages included a set with Kasey Chambers and her husband Shane Nicholson, and Raul Malo, the lead singer from the Mavericks. We got a much better spot for the mainstage this evening so we were able to relax and enjoy Patty Griffin, who did a great set. She was followed by Iron and Wine who delivered one of the better performances of the weekend. He's absolutely amazing and I need to get his disks. This was followed by Rodney Crowell, who used to be married to Rosanne Cash. I found his music kind of dull, so I wandered around a little while he was on stage. However, he was followed by one of the best performances I've seen in a long time. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings put on an AMAZING show. I can't say enough good things about her and her band. She wowed the crowd, danced up a storm and was really interactive. She was 53 years old and had more energy than most people I know. I told Ramona that watching her was probably the closest I'd ever get to seeing Aretha or Tina when either was in her prime.

Sunday- I was tired and low energy. We watched a world showcase, followed by a Canadian one. Fred Eaglesmith was the host for one, and he was quite hilarious. This was followed by a mainstage show of a group called the Idan Raichel project. I wanted to like them more than I did, but found them a bit flat. They were followed by Bela Fleck the banjo player, who played alongside an African musician. This was followed by Kasey Chambers, Bill Chambers and Shane Nicholson. I really enjoyed their set and their songs' and Kasey's humour, which was mainly at her husband's expense. I tend to get along well with Australians, as they are quite raunchy. The headliner of the evening was Steven Page, former frontman of the Bare Naked Ladies. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed his set. He's a great performer, and quite funny. He brought Danny Michel onstage and they performed an acoustic version of Billie Jean, which was hysterical. We left when he was finishing up his act, and I was exhausted and took two days to recover from the crowds, the stimulation and the weird hours.

It was my first Folkfest experience and I really loved it.

I had a great weekend. I spent Friday having lunch and visiting with a friend from Vancouver that I hadn't seen in a long time. That evening, I walked down to the movie store and ended up running into two poet friends. We went for gelato together, which was pretty awesome. I then came home and watched "She's just not that into you." I enjoyed some parts of it, while other parts made me want to tear my hair out. All women want to get married! Chasing after married men is acceptable! (Ugh)

Saturday morning I had an all day reiki training seminar. This went extremely well. I spent the whole day giving and receiving reiki and went into a very deep state of trance when it was my turn on the table. Following this, I went to a bar to meet up with my friend Anique who is an accomplished folsinger who I've known since Saskatoon and Montreal. She was playing a show with some Edmonton based musicians and so I met a bunch of people and spoke in French with them despite my tiredness and reiki buzz. Anique is a great performer and I loved that I got to see her.

On Sunday, I went to get Mari and go to a local park to see a cultural extravaganza. That's Edmonton for you was a rock opera featuring seven of the city's local musicians. The event was funded by the ICLEI, an international sustainability conference that was taking place in the city at the same time. The rock supergroup, which featured members of local bands, performed 7 original songs about the city of Edmonton. The entire show can be streamed or downloaded for free off the website. It was a great idea, and brought over 2,000 people out. Success!!

Following this, I recovered from the sun and then went to my friend Leah's to eat kebabs. A nice end to the weekend.

Thursday night, Amanda and I went to a downtown church to see a Joel Plaskett show. He was absolutely amazing, and it was a great concert. I need to get some of his albums now. It was good stuff.

Friday, I stayed home all day since Dad and Fergus were arriving. I sat on the couch reading. Once he arrived, Dad and I went to MEC, where Dad astounded me by only shopping there for half an hour, which is a record for him. Seriously, I was outside with a book while he was shopping, and was startled to see him so soon.

We checked out a Cajun restaurant that I wanted to try before taking Fergus for a walk. Fergus is doing pretty well in his new environment. In fact, it's nice to have him around, but I need to make sure that he doesn't bark or act up.

Dad and I also went to Ikea to get me a new bookcase. Unfortunately, I need someone to help me anchor it to the wall and that is proving to be a bit of a problem...

Last night I decided to go meet up with some friends at a pub. My friend has formed a group called BADASS (Bikes across Downtown and Selective South), and we go for Pintrides, which involve biking to pubs for drinks. I attended the second half of the ride, and met up for drinks.) It was good. I've really been getting out more, which is awesome.

Hard Day's Night was the first Beatles movie. It is supposed to be "a day in the life" of the Beatles, and the story follows them around on their daily activities. The Beatles actually come across as characters and are easily identifiable. The movie is a feel-good piece, but there are also bizarre bits of lines and scenes (John disappears in a bath tub), and they spout weird but innocent bits of surrealist dialogue.

The cinematography is pleasant, there is a lot of live concert footage and it's not an unpleasant film to watch. It's shot in black and white, and apparently influenced many filmmakers who were trying to make their films look like documentaries.

However, I must admit that I find the era of the Beatles to be a little too wholesome for my taste. I am much more interested in the Beatles when they get mystical and crazy. John is my favourite Beatle, but I don't really start digging on him until he gets skinny, grows his hair long and starts getting into Eastern mysticism. I'm sure that this revelation surprises no one.

I think I need to watch "Yellow Submarine."

I've been really getting back into music in a big way.

Here's what's been rotating on my stereo lately-

1. Heart's greatest hits- I can't think of "Magic Man" without picturing the scene in "The Virgin Suicides" when Josh Hartnett is walking up and down the halls of the school.

2. Joy Division Greatest Hits- This is pretty much a constant right now ever since I watched "Control." I think I've listened to this cd every day.

3. Eliza Gilkyson- Beautiful World- Just listened to it today and fell in love. I've been taking cds out of the library, but I'm going to buy this.

4. Lucinda Williams Little Honey- Not her best album, but still pretty good. I love the song "Honey bee" (can't remember name) It's kinda raunchy.

4. Serena Ryder- Is it okay? A pretty good album, fairly rock oriented. I love "Weak in the Knees" and "Little Bit of Red."

5. Moby- Go. Frick, I love Moby.

6. Lily Allen

7. THe Lost in Translation Soundtrack- also taken from the library- Mostly for the Jesus and Mary Chain song- "Just like Honey"

(Okay, so there's a honey related theme here. Sue me.)

ETA- Okay, and Guns and Roses Greatest Hits. [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] called me on it.

1. I had to spend a lot of time getting caught up on various things that I did not do while I was away. Today I worked on two stories about giant pumpkins.

2. In the past week, I've watched "Barbarella" and "Funny Girl." I love young Omar Sharif.

3. I went to a poetry reading last night and met a lot of neat people.

4. I went to yoga today.

5. I have to fill out all kinds of forms to get myself accredited for Farm Fair, the big rodeo/farm event in town. I even have to have photo id. Whoa.

6. My food security class requires me to do a term project. For this project, I'm supposed to examine a community kitchen, food bank etc and see how it contributes to food security. Fortunately, I just read about a community kitchen in my local newspaper. I called them up today and will be embarking on this project soon.

7. I borrowed the new Weezer album from the library. It's kind of boring and there are only two good songs on it.

1. I got my tax return and a freelance cheque yesterday. Plans include paying down some debt and a new bike!

2. Ian and I got Corb Lund tickets through work. Since we had four, we were able to offer two to my friend James so that he can attend. Apparently he loves Corb, so this is all good.

3. I went to a practice for Power of the Land last niht. We are taking the show on tour and will be presenting it in Dawson Creek this weekend. I am very excited and happy that we are able to take this show on the road.

4. My mom is awesome. My second guitar will soon be joining me up here. It's been living in Saskatoon with the parentals for the past few years. Mom looked at the case and noticed that it was severely cracked and broken. Since she is the best mother in the world, she went out and bought a new case. She also bought me some new Chinese bowls and dried tamarind, since I have become obsessed with it ever since I came back from the Philippines and haven't really seen any here.


Bad-
I slept like absolute crap. I woke up numerous times and just want to go back to bed.

1. I watched "Grapes of Wrath", the Henry Fonda version. It was really good. I've never read the book, and found the story quite interesting.

2. Got a haircut and did some errands/writing and watched "9 to 5". I have no idea why this movie is not a feminist classic! The three characters, played by Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, enact a revenge on their sexist, bigotted hypocritical boss. It's quite clever and Dolly Parton is absolutely adorable.


3. I won tickets to Stuart MacLean through our staff raffle, so I took Ian with me to see the show. (Stuart MacLean is the Canadian version of Garrison Keillor, but he's not as corny and his stories are much funnier)
His stage show was quite good and the auditorium was packed. His musical guests were Danny Michel and Dala, and they put on an old time variety show, which was entertaining.


****
Today I am voting, even though the whole Alberta election depresses me. The conservative party has ruled Alberta for 37 years, and there is very little chance that anyone else will have a hope in hell of winning. Most of the candidates in my riding are quite weak. Being a socialist in a conservative province is not a lot of fun. :(

1. Yesterday, I unexpectedly got my first royalty check for the book. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount and the number I'd sold, then realized that it only covered between April-June and I have sold many more books since then. Yay, royalty check!


2. I managed to secure the location for my Vancouver reading. My reading will be held at the Radha House on Main on Jan 23 from 7-9. I wanted this location, and I'm so happy I got it.

3. Work is good. I learned about homeopathic doctors and art today.

4. With some of the money from my royalty check, I bought my first mp3 player/digital recorder. I think it will be a welcome addition to my work life and my travelling life.

Anyway, I'm still sick, so I'm going to be horizontal now.