Neighbours

I hate my neighbours in Campbell River. I know, "hate" is a strong word. But believe me, it is more than suitable for that statement.

The neighbours to the left are nosy, intrusive, creepy and indecent. He constantly ogles us from his kitchen window, she gardens in her bra, he makes redundant conversation, she notices every coming and going from our house...enough said.

The neighbours to the right are just intolerable. There is no other way to describe them. My biggest problem with these people is the fence and retaining wall which separates our yards. It is about a foot onto their property, so it is their responsibility. It is ugly bare wood. However, aesthetic offense is not its worst attribute. It is leaning over onto our yard. Not enough to be actually on our property, but enough to make one nervous. It is also leaning enough to prevent the planting of trees to hide the hideousness look of it. My biggest worry about it is that one storm it will finally come lose and pour dirt all over the garden my parents have worked so hard to make.

Earth movement is not covered by most homeowners insurance policies, unless purchased in a separate clause. Therefore the damage caused by this probably won't be covered. There is apparently a city law that states that you retain your own dirt, which makes this my neighbours problem and expense. But either way, it's something we shouldn't have to worry about. the guy is aware that the retaining wall is leaning, yet he does nothing!

Today he started rebuilding the fence, which is what inspired this entry. He isn't doing anything about the retaining wall, even though the lean on it grows worse yearly. He is putting money, time and effort into a new fence which will only escalate the problem. What an idiot! It's like building a house on bad foundations.

I suggested to my dad that he mention this to him. However, he said that approaching our neighbour and challenging him won't do anything but piss him off. My dad won't pay for a surveyor to come to the house because that costs money...ever the penny pincher. So, if we aren't going to talk to the guy and we aren't going to take legal action, I guess we're just going to sit and wait for the evitable destruction of our patio. If this were my house I'd have done something about it by now. But as my mom said, it's my dad's job to deal with it. If I went out there he wouldn't even consider what I had to say because I'm a 21 year old female...yet he's the moron building a new fence on shoddy supports...!!!

Food

I don't like to think I'm a picky eater...but I know I am. I have weird preferences...or at least some people think so.

I like peppers only when they're raw. I like mushrooms only when they're cooked. I only eat Japanese oranges. I like peanut butter off a spoon. I like too much vinegar on my fries. I love every kind of cheese, except the kind with fruit in it (what the hell is that?). I like mayonnaise in my grilled cheese sandwiches (try it!). I like extra pickles on my #5 meal at the arches (or what used to be the 5 meal). I only like my mom's recipe for chicken wings, cheese cake and chocolate pie.

The big food dislike I have is seafood. I used to hate it because of the smell. I had never eaten it, I just knew I didn't like it. I think it stemmed from a traumatic experience I had when I was 2. My mom brought me into a seafood store and the smell offended me so much I started feeling really nauseated. She's told me that ever since then I have hated the sight, smell and idea of seafood. So for years I wouldn't go near it. People thought I was nuts: "You live on the coast and hate seafood?!" However, in recent years I've braved seafood territory. I've tried scallops, mussels, clams and oysters with great success and now like them if cooked and prepared well. Calamari, prawns and shrimp...that's a different story. It's the texture. I can't get over it. Calarmari feels like a balloon in my mouth, the crunch of prawns just nauseates me and shrimp are too salty. I don't like most fish, unless it's disguised. I'm trying to get over that though. I'm starting to like fish. I want to like fish, I really do. It's so good for you. I just don't like ugly food I guess. Nothing is more discouraging when you're trying a new food and its glazed eye is looking back at you. I have yet to brave crab and lobster...we'll see, apparantly it tastes like chicken.

Pork is another food I don't like. It's dry, tough, greasy and flavourless. Ribs bother me as well. Biology 12 ruined them for me. Intercostal muscle? No thanks. It looks too much like a body part...I can't think of anything else when I see them. Vital organs are an obvious dislike...I don't really need to explain that. Duck, bear, elk, cougar (or the like)...I don't care if you shot it and are proud of your bread-winning capabilities, please don't make me eat your carcass.

Other obscure dislikes are: onions (I don't mind them in things, because they add flavour, I just don't like to know I'm eating them...I can't explain it), cooked peppers, croutons (and yet a caesar salad looks empty and unfinished without them) and raw broccoli. I'm not a huge fruit person either...mangoes, papaya, pears etc. With all of these dislikes, you'd think I'd have a disorder!

Because of all these "strange" dislikes, it makes it very stressful when I go to other people's houses for dinner...especially for the first time. I always worry about whether I'm going to have to choke down something I can hardly tolerate. It's happened so many times. I'll never forget going to the Houston's for dinner once and having the duck they had shot on their most recent hunting trip. I knew I was going to have a problem eating it because duck can be really greasy...sure enough I was sick that night. The camping trip with the Griffin's was worse though. Red Snapper had been bought for dinner one night. I declined having a piece, but it was insisted that I should have some because it was "so fresh." As if that made any fucking difference. So, being a polite guest, I choked it down...I sat there and prayed the whole night that it would stay down.

I don't really know why I've gone on about this for so long. I started because it was something that I have to explain to everyone eventually, so why not write it out and save myself the time and embarrassment. Also I guess, subconsciously, I wanted something for all of you to refer to if you ever invite me to dinner and wish me to have a pleasant evening!

Recent Events

Last night I think was the most pathetic Saturday night of my life...I have been irritated with everything lately, and I mean everything. I haven't felt like myself for at least a month because of a myriad of demands pulling me in every possible direction. Understandably, it's really bothering me. However, now that my papers are all handed in, my exams are nearly finished (last one tomorrow!) and I have my employment sorted out, I can finally just relax and stop freaking out.

Last night was sad because I spent it cleaning my apartment. It needed to be cleaned desperately because all of the above demands haven't given me the time to clean. I really didn't feel like being social and going to Sasha's recognition party for her CDA program (which was way the hell out in Mill Bay) so I decided to just stay home and watch whatever was on TV...which turned out to be nothing...and I looked around and realized the horrible state of my apartment. So I vacuumed, washed, dusted, scrubbed, de-cluttered and organized...Suffice it to say I presently have the cleanest bathroom in Victoria. The saddest part of the evening was that my ex-boyfriend started talking to me on msn when I was doing all this. I don't mind talking to him, we're on relatively good terms, except last night he was drunk. Yes, drunk off beer and alone. I found it amusing, but couldn't help thinking how pathetic it was that I was spending my Saturday night with Mr. Clean and a drunken ex-boyfriend...Go me.

Today was much better though. Sasha called me this morning wanting to go outside because the weather is finally warm and sunny. She's amazing...she's hung over and she still wants to be active. I'd be dead to the world if I were her. Anyway, at 1:30 we head down to Cook Street Village for some brunch. It was so nice to be able to sit outside, enjoy the sun, people watch and eat the best Spanikopita I've ever had. Everything is so green now. I love it! We continued walking down Cook St. to Dallas Road to the water. We then got the brilliant idea to go for soft ice cream at the Beacon Hill Drive In...of course everyone in Victoria had that idea too...so we decided to just head to the downtown area and get a frappuccino from Starbucks. It was so refreshing to walk outside without feeling a chill, to feel the sun on my cheeks and shoulders, to feel warmed by the sun! I am glad Sash dragged me outside today, I would have missed out! I just hope the weather remains this good for a while...and maybe follows me up to CR.

Photography Experiment

For my History of photography class our final assignment was to go out into Victoria and take photographs in a famous photographers style or our own. Being sick of researching and analyzing the work of others I opted to just take random pictures of what inspired me. I decided to show you guys the result...for better or for worse.

So this is the one of the first ones I took. I wanted to take photos of people around Victoria...of course I strayed from that idea...but it's where I started. This image is of a soapstone carver sanding one of his sculptures as his selling his figures on the Inner Harbour Promenade. I felt that I had to ask his permission to take his picture, yet I didn't really want to because I feared he would pose. As you can tell, he just acknowledged me with a nod and a brief smile and kept on sanding, as if I wasn't there. I wanted the photograph to be the view of an unseen observer...not a posed image. (I was also afraid it would look like a tourists shot, but I think I avoided that.) I wanted to capture his concentration and effort he made to make and sell only a few pieces of art. I think I managed to do that...I think...

Okay, this next one I'm including just because it amuses me. (And I know you Star Wars fans will appreciate it.) I took this while on my "People of Victoria" idea. It's of a violinist who dresses up as Darth Vadar (he even has a lightsaber). I didn't include this in my project because I didn't like how the light turned out. But otherwise, this photo turned out better than I expected, because of the movement and angles of his figure.

These next two are images of when I decided to take pictures of still life, particularly texture. They were taken in China Town. I always loved the displays of food and merchandise on the sidewalks in China Town. They are so colourful and fun to look through. The first photograph is just of an arrangement of baskets. I liked the colours and the variety of textures. The second one is of green vegetables on display. I was not sure this photo would turn out because the sun was setting and the light was fading. However, the fading light is exactly what made this photograph work. It created shadow, texture and depth to the image, all of which wouldn't have existed if I'd had full light.

This is the last one I'm going to post. I took this one when I was walking in China Town, past Fan Tan Alley. I took it on a whim because of the interesting reflection I saw in the window. I wish I had framed it more carefully, but all things considered I think it turned out rather well for such a spontaneous picture. It's my favourite out of all the images I took, because there are so many levels to the image. I can count four different levels within the picture: the inside of the store, the store front, the tree and the sun and the store fronts across the street. My eyes feel assaulted by the combination of them...but I like it. It creates an interesting effect.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my photographic experiments and wasn't too bored by them. Let me know what you think if you're feeling generous!

Have I just committed career suicide?

Okay, so my Livejournal has my "happy-go-lucky" post about my job for all my bitchy friends who are just waiting for me to fail, get fat, and join them in suburban hell...now this is what is really going through my head. Have I just made a huge, irrevocable mistake? Yes, I'm happy that the job search is over and that I landed a job with a decent wage and all that...However, I still feel like I've let myself down. I have a fucking degree and I'm working in insurance...good god what has become of me?...

I feel like I could have done better. Is that so bad? But what could I expect with barely any experience in the field I want to join. If I think of this as a transition period, a job I'm using to pay the bills while I work toward other things it's not so bad. I just can't stand the thought of becoming trapped at BCAA. Just staying there and stagnating. Not really doing poorly, but not really progressing or doing what I love either.

I know I'm a snob. I admit it willingly. I have higher expectations for myself than most other people I know have for themselves. They are content to work in insurance for their entire existence. I'm not putting that down, I'm just saying it's not for me. I want more. I went to school so I could have more. Their careers is my greatest fear realized. This is my honest opinion, which I can't express to most people without them thinking I'm purposely offending them and their way of life. I'm not! I can't help that I have high hopes for my career. I also realize that not everyone has the luxury of working at a job they love because they have had to settle to support families etc...but I'm not one of those people. I'm not going to pretend that I'm happy to just let fate push me in a particular direction. I want more than that...I might not achieve what I want, but at least I'll have tried instead of lacking all initiative to better myself.

Is it racist to be race conscious?

In my Canadian literature class a few weeks ago we were discussing racism and race conscious, and whether or not these terms are synonymous. It was getting to be a heated to debate, but an interesting one. I was of the opinion that they were not synonymous because to be racist implies judgement, whereas to be conscious is merely aware. Since humans are so visually dependant (unless blind) one cannot help but be aware. However one person in my class argued that one cannot observe without evaluating and judging. I'm not sure how I feel about this argument. Can one observe without judging?