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On the Train from Saskatchewan to Vancouver

I’ve always wanted to travel by train, so I decided to take advantage of my lack of a pressing schedule in between my globetrotting to take a leisurely train ride with VIA Rail from Saskatoon to Vancouver.

coyote tracks running through the Craik eco-village

After a couple weeks of prairie living in the Craik Eco-Village, which involved meeting the neighbours and their farm animals, drinking copious amounts of tea, chopping wood and continuously feeding the fire, I headed back to Vancouver after finding a killer deal on the VIA Rail Express Deals page.

My only previous train experience was a trip from Vancouver to Edmonton when I was about thirteen, with my mom. We stopped off in Jasper for a bit of a walk around, didn’t realize the time difference, and missed the train! Luckily, due mainly to my green-dyed hair and fake little skater outfit, the train attendant in our car realized we hadn’t made it back on and had them stop the train. When we ran into the station, they had a truck waiting to drive us up the tracks to where the train was waiting for us. Needless to say, I was excited to hop on the train as an adult and, hopefully, not miss boarding ever again.

visitor on the tracks in jasper, AB

It was an amazing experience. I met many wonderful people, the train attendants were so lovely and knew all the passengers by their first name. Scenery, staff, meeting new people from around the world, delicious meals, comfy bed – check, check, check.

In all of my efforts to train anywhere before, plans were derailed due to the high cost of traveling this way. However, if you are flexible on dates then I highly recommend going the Express Deals route – of course there are no cancellations, changes, or leeway of any kind with this type of fare, so beware on that end.

I almost went economy but opted for a lower berth sleeper instead. VIA Rail wasn’t too specific about the various classes on their website, so I was glad I had a “lower” berth as opposed to an upper. With the lower berth you have a window and easier access into your sleeper – which is two couches facing one another in the daytime and converted down to a bed at night, complete with mattress and comforter and two pillows. Upper berth folds out from the wall so you must climb little stairs to get up, and no window. There is of course a price difference in these two options. Additional bonus to going sleeper or cabin fares is your meals are included.

The little cabins looked alright from the outside, but honestly I spent just about no time at all in the privacy of my sleeper so I would not pay extra for a cabin in the future – there are lots of communal/public cars to spend your time in, rather than shutting yourself away in a cabin. If you are traveling with company I’d still recommend the sleeper route, unless you are a couple and really need that extra privacy..

Next goal is to get a few girlfriends together and train East for a few days, then return back to Vancouver. It’s a great excuse to meet new people, catch up on reading and writing and other contemplative activities – I just had such a wonderful time that I had to share this experience.

Toot, toot.

Published by Terri on March 15, 2012 in Lifestyle. 0 Comments

Winter Skin Savers

My journey across BC has taken me from Prince George to Kitimat, up to Prince Rupert for a quick visit with an old friend, across to Port Hardy via BC Ferries (potential rant about BC Ferries possibly coming soon). Then the long, snowy drive from Port Hardy to Comox, where I took yet another ferry to Powell River, which is where I’m holed up now. One of my biggest priorities throughout all of this travel has been downsizing. This has not been an easy task. My 4 pieces of luggage has been degraded to 2, and I only carry essential beauty and makeup products.

AHAVA moisturizers

AHAVA is the brand of moisturizers I have absolutely fallen for; they just recently launched in Canada from Israel (check out The Bay to buy) and the line uses minerals from the Dead Sea. I was already familiar with the brand as an old roommate of mine during university married an Israeli and would bring back AHAVA products whenever she visited there. I was especially familiar with the magical properties of the Dead Sea because she also brought back mud collected from its shores, which we would slather on ourselves before baking in the sun during the summer. I use the eye cream before bed along with the night cream, and after just one day of use my skin felt plump and full of…well, moisture. While I don’t believe in fad creams or “age-defying” baloney, I do think that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so I started using eye cream on a consistent basis this year. AHAVA’s version gets a big thumbs up from me.

Kerstin Florian Clarifying Serum

Next is the Clarifying Serum by Kerstin Florian, which was recommended to me after visiting the Willow Stream Spa in Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel. [Sidebar: best spa in the city. And I've been to a lot.] I’m almost 30 but still get blemishes here and there, and this is one product that really seems to eliminate that problem for me. I use it day and/or night depending on how finicky my skin is being. And it’s small enough to throw in my little travel make-up case so I carry it with me basically everywhere. I’m also a fan of the Cleansing Milk by Kerstin Florian, it’s great as long as you don’t have a ton of makeup to remove, which I very rarely do.

Finally, and this you can’t buy this in stores, but my dear friend Vanessa has refined a line of natural, home-made body products over the last year. She just recently made me a balm made with beeswax, shea butter, almond oil and grand fir gum that she collected herself (how? by climbing a big fir tree). The result is a balm that smells like a forest, and you can apply to your lips or to cuts and abrasions. Always a handy little container to have with you. If anyone in the Vancouver area is interested in buying Vanessa’s products, you can email me (info@theconveyorbelt.com) and I can help you out.

Happy Winter skin!

Published by Terri on November 22, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

Vancouver Biennale: So, No Ado About Spelling?

Either in spite of or due to my wholehearted pursuit and support of artistic initiatives, I found this installation by Toni Latour at the Brighouse Skytrain Station in Richmond personally insulting to my integrity as an artist and a writer, as well as a member of the community taking it in on an introspective level:

Did you spot it?

You reap what you sew.

Maybe she means, you rip what you sew, as in, you did a bad job lining up the pattern markers and had to start over. Drat, take better care next time. Quite literally, you can’t argue with this sentence in that if you are skilled in making clothes, you enjoy the benefits of your deft hand with fashionable new clothes every weekend.

But I’m pretty sure the idiom here should be “You reap what you sow,” as in, you will harvest the benefits of the seeds which you plant.

I thought of potential justifications: perhaps this was an angle, artist subbing homophonous words within the cliches, thereby putting a new spin on these age-old adages. But this was the sole error in the piece, so that theory was out. I consider how many stages and eyes this work must have passed through, and yet no one caught the mistake. How is this possible?

Toni Latour is a long-time artist who developed this piece, Homage to Parenthood, which reflects 100 popular cultural sayings parents often use to teach their children, as part of the Vancouver Biennale, whose mandate is to install and celebrate public art of many forms within community spaces and encourage discussion and education around those works.

…the artist edited and ordered the sayings in a poetic fashion, considering literary flow and sometimes considering narrative connection between each line. Once her list was complete, Latour entered the 100 lines of text into Photoshop and hand selected each colour to replicate the colour spectrum of a rainbow.

-Vancouver Biennale

I once worked as a production and development assistant in film; part of my job was to read script submissions, write coverage (basically ‘grade’ them in a one page summary), and pass them on to my superiors. Nothing less than an impeccable review from me would reach their eyes. And any time I received a script with grammar, spelling, or other lazy errors it went immediately in my trash can. This is your livelihood, your dream, your passion. Take the time for a g-damn edit, people. Anything less than that is an absolute insult to the people who do.

The 2009-2011 Biennale comes to a close this week, after which wealthy art enthusiasts and investors can bid on any of the pieces within the catalogue. Monies collected from this auction will go towards funding the next Biennale – which is unarguably an integral part of our culture and community. I just hope more attentive eyes examine the work they are showcasing next time around.

Published by Terri on April 27, 2011 in Arts & Culture. 0 Comments

Tame Impala: 14 Going on 40

horrible mobile photo by: me

It’s really hard to diss a band that’s got the psychedelic vibe of Pink Floyd, the riff skills of Led Zep, and the respectful reference to more modern bands that have flourished from the same seeds of reference over the decades. Yet Tame Impala, much adored psych rockers from Australia who received a lot of hype for their first album, Innerspeaker, left me with a case of the yawns tonight at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.

Don’t get me wrong, they did everything right. Too right. Sounded great, close enough to the album but with an edge of in-the-moment, garage-inspired jamming. Didn’t detract too far from the record, but enough live improv to earn respect from the headbangers. Songs perfectly streamlined and without boundary effectively prevented them from speaking outside of lyric for the first hour of the show. Looking so much like 14 year old garage band stoners that had been around the block enough times to pass for their 30′s or so that I had to blink my eyes a number of times to assure myself that I was seeing them correctly. Time warped teenagers. Either they’re young enough to be shy, or old enough to not give a fuck about audience rapport; that I still couldn’t answer you.

Right as I realized an actual word hadn’t been spoken this entire time and steam was about to come pouring out of my ears, Kevin Parker uttered a “thank you.” I almost keeled over in shock. Words, conveyed – what a concept. Went further to say that they don’t do encores, so when they play their last song, that’ll be it. That I can’t argue with…I would certainly do the same if I ever got a gig as, say, a percussionist or something in a band (not that I’m capable, or interested in that at all or anything), and had the austere authority of a lead vocalist slash guitarist to make such calls.

But at the end of a day, this is live music. It’s a performance. Played out by members of a band who are entitled, nay, obligated, to play out their part of the melodrama, drive the point of their lyrics home through action and raw emotion played out night after night without hesitation. Flail about, be drunk and disorderly if that’s what it takes. Remember, you’re artists.

Anything less is an utter bore, barely worth comparison to my speakers at home when they’re turned up to 11. At least here I can supply the emotion.

Published by Terri on April 21, 2011 in Arts & Culture. 0 Comments

Best Coffee in Vancouver East

Adam Bogner photo

The Dunlevy Snack Bar opened a few months ago and not only has delicious coffee, but home-cooked lunch specials and pastries baked fresh daily – plus a fantastic selection of books for you to peruse and borrow for the duration of your stay. The decor is bright, minimalist, with furniture that reminds me of being in school, but cool school where you actually want to read and learn and take notes.

The Sunday brunches are something to write home about – cheap at only $9 (a steal compared to other bruncheries in the area), open to singles who want to eat and meet new people, and on weekly from 11-3pm.

433 Dunlevy at Hastings, and don’t forget your notebook.

Ayrcan photo

The Wilder Snail is in the heart of Strathcona nestled on the corner of Keefer and Hawks alongside heritage houses, McLean park, and freshly turned gardens. Their patio tables get the most glorious morning sunshine, and the scenery is all green grass and flowers in bloom – it’s a bit surreal when coming from the grime of Oppenheimer Park, not 10 minutes away. I’ll be back to rifle through their shelves of local, organic & seasonal groceries, and soak up some more of those morning rays.

Thanks to Vancouver is Awesome for tipping me off to this shop, where I picked up what looked to be their last copy of The Man Game by Lee Henderson for the VIA Book Club. Apparently Lee wrote this book in one of the apartments upstairs. Neat.

799 Keefer

These finds by no means exclude other coffee shops in the area, but they are two of my favourite new joints within the 15 minute walking radius around my apartment. Leave me a comment if you’ve got more recommendations in the DTES/Strathcona areas!

Published by Terri on April 20, 2011 in Lifestyle. 0 Comments

Times Profile Shop x Alternative Apparel

Alternative Apparel is the latest installation in the Times Profile Shop, a retail space in Gastown which features a rotating cast of brands for fixed, short-term periods. The TPS first launched with Naked & Famous Denim (a small selection of this line is still available at the shop), and recently ushered in Atlanta-based Alternative Apparel, a casual lifestyle brand specializing in perfect-fit basics. The private launch took place on February 24 with Yellow Tail wine, hors d’oeuvres by Cibo Trattoria, and a personal walk-through of the store and some of their signature pieces.

I was surprised to learn that the Burnout style was pioneered by Alternative Apparel, and you wouldn’t believe how soft some of their distressed / ‘worn in’ styles are. Any brand that can successfully produce pieces that look and feel vintage without sacrificing quality and durability earns my immediate respect. Plus we all know I’m a sucker for country comforts:

Take a peek at the must-haves on my AA wish list – the Crawford Maxi Dress, Molly Heather Burnout Crop Tee, this drape-front Half Sleeve Hoodie, and the Scout Adler Shoulder Bag.

Shop in person at the Times until April 2011, or anytime online. Spring is coming!

Published by Terri on March 8, 2011 in Fashion. 0 Comments