Tag Archives: rebecca bollwitt

We Love Stanley – #BCinvasion, part 3

More outings to Stanley Park for picnics with pals and explorations including Earth Day excursions, aquarium visit, and horse carriage circumnavigation – after a few topsy turvy days – plus eats back at HQ with Ryoko, Ichiro, and free radical visitors before seaplane escape to Vancouver Island.

We <3 Stanley – #BCinvasion, part 3

Exceptional humans who followed our cryptic geo-coordinate dispatches to various willow tree hobbit camps included:

* Rebecca B, on Stanley Park Eco committee

* Mikala F, of Backstage Rider fame, etc.

* Jess and Stewart M, ”the Antlers” #KBO

* Simon, Barb and Roland – creatives all, coming by bicycle with cake in Tupperware carrier

* Jon, Michy with son A – we’ll see these brilliant folks again

* Marcus with wife K and son O – yet another kid from the same era as our Ichiro… I’m hoping they all start an international club/band

* John and Elena– with commemorative meta-mug 

* Vanessa T – with Weblos medicine

* Kei B – with New Town Bakery boxes

* Jess W & daughter L. – joining us on a horse carriage commentary circumnavigation

* Jason S. and Višnja M. – adorable brilliant newlyweds (among other qualities)

* Finlay – young poet, emerging hockey-ist and possible future pilot (son of Monique and James, met previously)

* David D. – modern classical composer

* Betty-Ann and daughter P. – from back in the olden Surrey days

* Jerry Kroll – super entrepreneur with a new book https://www.jerrykroll.ca/

BC Invasion, part 3, We <3 Stanley (and Harbour Air Seaplanes)
BC Invasion, part 3, We <3 Stanley (and Harbour Air Seaplanes)

Unsurprisingly, impossible to provide adequate commentary on each of the wonderful folks who took the time to commune with us, and my apologies to anyone who wasn’t able to find us or otherwise missed a snapshot in this dispatch. I’m doing my best, we did our best.

Topics & places, amongst others, include:

  • Food – so much gifted (thanks!), ordered, prepared etc & all savoured at 1234 Hornby HQ with flowers and sometimes hockey
  • Commemorative postcards preview
  • Earth Day excursions
  • Horse-drawn carriage ride with “plenty of commentary” about smallpox and horses
  • Reminisces of childhood birthday, teenage hi-jinks and adult sojourns
  • Sulphur pile (giant and unwavering in size) and floating gas stations
  • Glimpses of Rose Garden, Robbie Burns statue, Lumberman’s Arch, and other scenes before… 
  • Glorious Totem Poles, a homecoming of sorts
  • Japanese WW1 cenotaph, an important place of remembrance 
  • Zoo grottoes (abandoned & i wanna make a music video or concert here)
  • Vancouver Aquarium sidequests
  • Olympic torch assortment dealio
  • Postboxes and shoelaces, as usual 

And a riff about places we didn’t go: Gastown, Railtown, Chinatown, Seabus, as well as Vancouver’s bewildering lack of public restrooms & note to myself about “its about the future!” and reminder of theme “Family, Friends, Parks and Gardens” plus a special dedication to the memory of Darren Barefoot.

Finally cappuccinos and a flight via the wonderful Harbour Air from Downtown Vancouver to Downtown Victoria with the glorious Gulf islands and Cascadia scenes flashing below the pontoons – with water taxis, Legislature building and Seattle Clipper in the inner harbour awaiting us on the sunny docks. 

BC Invasion, part 3, with cappuccinos
Continue reading We Love Stanley – #BCinvasion, part 3

October, we’re home (again)

Preamble from Oct. 31: My sweet goodness, what a topsy-turvy buncha days out in the world. So much sadness, so much hope, so much everything happening all at once. Peace to the memories of the lost ones. Not quite sure how to react except to go wash dishes and fold laundry.

Meanwhile, Nov. 6: Usually, usually usually usually: i like to put a little monthly recap for the previous month – with a picture of a calendar – for some sort of a mental reset routine amidst the anomalies of chronology which, frankly doesn’t make sense (the concept of a calendars and the reasons i recap).

Though, i changed all the calendars (Japan is a great place to live if you love free calendars), i didn’t take a snapshot (my handy pocket robot camera has stopped working) but the photo with me in various hats feels kind of like a calendar and well, the last day of October is a day for dressing up in various disguises so voila!

Note: I don’t care for scary stuff or spooky stuff or horror stuff but you know I’m a fan of hats, costumes and disguises.

So, while we’re well into November, the darling wife and adorable son are off at tea ceremony after a day out a Kurashiki jazz street yesterday in the gorgeous historical Bikan district, and I’ve folded the laundry, still have a few dishes to do and a pot of rice to put on and, for consistency, here are a few notes about October.

my great pal Banghi made this amusing meme with me and hero Tintin, i love it!

Books: Currently reading Tanizaki Junichiro’s “The Makioka Sisters” – story of a once-prominent family in Osaka/Kobe in the (dreamy) Taisho era and enjoying so much. Kind of Tolstoy-esque it’s pleasant pacing & details of family life. Previously read his “Naomi”. Did you read either?

Also reading Murakami Ryu (not Haruki)’s “69” / I usually have three or four books on the go at once in different locations. Right now keeping stacks handy for glances of poetry for inspiration while I work on my book project.

Ichiro has learned the wonders of Tintin books so we’re reading Tintin in Tibet over and over again and we both love it. Also “old farm, new farm” as well as “toot and puddle” – all most excellent.

Also posted a review of Amy Chavez’s book, trying to do this for more books (and have a plan to write something about the new record from The Matinée)

Anyhow, October featured two big “buckets of things”

1) Loads of creative projects wound up, especially:

  • the Kerouac in Kobe video and related coverage in Rock and Beat Generation and Allen Ginsberg project and loads of dossiers send out into the world / note: followed along with coverage of “Lowell Celebrates Kerouac” event but made sure to not feel blue about missing out
  • poetry anthology “Muriel’s Journey” and the online reading – which sort of help me reconnect with my former home of Vancouver as well as meet some interesting poets, some of which also have a connection with Japan
    • interview / convo with Jason Emde for his “Writers Read their Early Sht” pod, coming soon-ish / provided opportunity to surface all sorts of archeology

2) Loads of “life admin” stuff wrapped up, including:

  • various passports, citizenship and tax matters in several countries
    • into new medical programs, detailed elsewhere
  • paperwork for schools & pensions
  • tickets purchased for a big trip next year (more later)

Next up for November:

  • the big one is trying to focus on this poetry book that I keep yapping about (its kinda project which is hard to start and stop and start… momentum and pacing is key)

but also:

  • one more round of absurd disability paperwork for Canada, completely intimidating
  • getting ahead of the New Year’s card production routine, (I love this but scaling back a bit this year, trimming the list)
  • doing a big picture hanging funtime (gonna be really fantastic)
  • a few more things around the yard and garden (did a few already)
  • plans for festive get together and possible Santa Claus appearances

Finally, King Tut:

My pal, super blogger Rebecca Bollwitt, AKA Miss604 has a campaign about the groovy interactive exhibit about King Tutankhamun in Vancouver / the King Tut exhibit in Seattle when i was a kiddo (1978?) was a HUGE deal for me and this year, this month is the centenary of the (re)discovery of the tomb by the squad of Egyptian workers, archeologist Howard Carter and patron “Lord” Carnarvon.

So i added 2 notes:

  1. Podcast: Behold, a very enjoyable, approximately 7 hour, “brief overview“ of the archaeological excavation of KV 62: Anniversary: The Tomb of Tutankhamun – The History of Egypt Podcast
  2. Bonus: me in fifth grade Prince Charles elementary school in Surrey science fair, and full costume with a (sorta) scale model of Tutankhamun’s tomb complete with gold painted treasures inside, a back light, and a sign saying “see what Howard Carter saw” / also a mimeographed and-out with an essay explaining “the daily life of the young king”
why yes, i did win first prize :)
Continue reading October, we’re home (again)

Notebooks: musings, poetry and whatnot, to transcribe

(fuzzy photos of) notebooks of poetry, notes, musings etc – set to transcribe, eventually…

this batch includes a Yukon-made silk screened book – a gift from Bollwitts – plus an assortment of remixed The Royal Tenenbaums books, a handmade Japanese washi book and re-purposed passport.

sometimes i feel like because i am not one of those “writer every day” writers, i don’t get *enough done*, then i tidy up desk adn realized i have a stack of notebooks filled with scribbles, lists, notes, observations, full grown poems, lyrics, letters and so on, waiting for a transcription into another more shareable form. so i stack em up to do so and realize i still havent done the typity-type-type with a stack of others, yet somehow its all ok – art makes the future and all that and all that.

Ichiro: card #44 “3 months”(2 variations) / 9.23

Ichiro card #44 “3 Months”, variation 1, by dave

Note: has yet to *actually * “Explore BC” PS Thanks Rebecca and John for cute outfit

Ichiro card #44 “3 Months”, variation 2, by Ryoko

こんにちは。 イチローです。 今日で生まれてから3ヶ月が経ちました。 半月前までは、お腹が空いてすぐ泣いていたけど、最近は笑ったり、よく眠れるようになったよ。そして、その分泣かなくなったよ。お喋りの練習もしてるよ。日本語と英語はまだまだだけど、パパとママの言ってることはわかるよ。ママが作ってくれたこの帽子、ようやくフィットしたよ。 どんどん成長するよ。これからも宜しくね。

Hello. I’m Ichiro. It’s been three months since I was born today. Until half a month ago, I was often hungry and crying, but lately I’ve been laughing a lot and sleeping a lot. I don’t cry that much. I am also practicing talking and soon will speak in English in Japanese, but for now, I just understand mom and dad. This hat was made by mom and it finally fits just right. Best regards to me as I grow steadily.

Media: Mattocks + Jamaican Flag #Whitecaps, July 2012

“Caps Achieve Lift-off” The Province Sports, July 23, 2012 with Darren Mattocks, Barry Robson, Gershon Koffie, me and brother Dan

At a July 2012  Whitecaps match vs San Jose Earthquakes, Jamaican speedster Darren Mattocks scored a big goal and, in celebration, hopped the barrier and grabbed the Jamaican flag I was waving, then paraded with it onto the field, received a yellow card for his troubles and brought the flag back – (now it is at Dan’s house?). The Province newspaper ran a photo as the cover story the next day. 

There are more artifacts of evidence of the incident (and what appears to be another match with similar outcomes) as various media outlets picked up the goodness (thanks to folks who captured and sent along for archival amusement), ergo:

Cheering from the Southside section with Jamaican flag (source unknown)
With noted Vancouver media personality :) and my pal Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604 with the flag of note after a match
Celebrating with Mattocks, Robson and Koffie from the Southside (source unknown)
Celebrating with Mattocks, Robson and Koffie from the Southside (source unknown)
1) Mattocks grabs the flag on Sportsnet Pacific TV (note: was this a different game?)
2) Mattocks grabs the flag on Sportsnet Pacific TV (likely) (note: was this a different game?)
TSN / Team 1040 Radio shows me and Brother Dan (to my actual right) and other Southsiders celebrating with Barry Robson, Darren Mattocks and Gershon Koffie

Miss 604’s > Vancouverites in Isolation Elsewhere: Dave in Japan

A “situation report” on life in Okayama and Japan at large from Rebecca Bollwitt’s well-read Miss604.com blog in my erstwhile hometown of Vancouver.

Of course, includes fun photos, various asides, musings and anecdotes.  Certainly *everything* is changing on the daily here so if you have an update/opinion (because of course you do)/resources etc to add to the riff, please do.

Fire away, spark the conversation, spread the goodness.

Yours fondly in solidarity, positivity and safety, daveo

Vancouverites in Isolation Elsewhere: Dave in Japan

Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions) / collage art boards

Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 1 - Everything is ephemera
Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 1 – Everything is ephemera (maps, tickets, pins, pennants) #daveostory

Artifact dossier: Collage art boards from “Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions)” spiel presented in various formats at Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver, All-star edition, and Northern Voice 2013 closing keynote. Video and roundup of both prezos exists elsewhere in this archive.

Each collage “slide” was handmade (obviously) with ephemera from my personal collection (exceptions credited on final “slide”) then, arranged on hemp cloth “storyboards”, photographed by Rachel Ashe, then disassembled. An analog to digital remix of sorts. Presented here in rather large size for your printing/screensaver/ amusement and posterity.

Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 2 - Young time stories
Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 2 – Young time stories

Continue reading Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions) / collage art boards

Revolutions, Punks & Poets: Vancouver’s Forgotten Stories

Storymaker Dave uncleweed Olson shares an eclectic variety of stories from Vancouver’s counter-culture history on a stage adorned with a record player, campfire & cub scout blanket, art easel, flowers and an Expo 86 mug – plus pulls artifacts from an old-timey suitcase to illustrate forgotten past of a city which is/was much cooler than most realize.

Presented at Northern Voice, June 2013 in Vancouver, Canada, his 11th presentation to this noted personal expression conference (and his last talk before a medical “retirement”).

Filmed by Bruce Sharpe and Andrew Lavigne
Edited, Directed, Produced by Andrew Lavigne (also: With Glowing Hearts and Generation Social).

Music: Derek K Miller (RIP) “(You’re the) Big Sky”

Dave uncleweed Olson shares Forgotten Vancouver Stories
Dave uncleweed Olson shares Forgotten Vancouver Stories

 Topics:

  • Frederick Varley – Group of 7 painter who lived in Vancouver for 10 years
  • Grateful Dead – (tried to) play free shows at Second Beach and Kits Beach in 1966
  • Bob Masse psychedelic poster artist
  • Gastown Riots, March on Blaine, Rock Against Racism
  • bev. davies – rock n roll photographer, community chronicler, punk rock mom
  • Blues in Vancouver – Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee at the Bunkhouse
  • Vancouver punk rock glory days DIY spirit and fanzines (+ final days of The Clash and importance of ephemera)
  • Clayoquot Sound logging blockades
  • Jake Milford and the Canucks recruiting Swedish players in the 1970s
  • United Empire Loyalists + Burner Boys bringing jam band culture
  • Venues of note: Afterthought, Retinal Circus, York Theatre, the Cave, the Bunkhouse
  • Cubscout campfire blankets
  • Howard Hughes, Errol Flynn
  • ++ bits of Kris Krug, Bob Kronbauer, Rebecca Bollwitt, Dan Mangan, Jason Vanderhill and campfire helpers: Mark Blevis, Kemp Edmonds, John Biehler, James Lester, Ariane Colenbrander, Nicholas Demers

Continue reading Revolutions, Punks & Poets: Vancouver’s Forgotten Stories