Perspectives

It’s amazing how a mode of transport can change your perspective. We all create mental maps of environment. Change the way you move, and suddenly the map has to change too.

I’ve always been a walker to a certain extent. I don’t have a car, so for years I’ve been limited to going where I can walk or maybe, just occasionally, get a bus or the tube. A few times as a youngster I did walks across London, probably up to 10 miles, maybe more. But in time my footsteps began to carve regular, shorter, tracks.

Starting running was the first thing to open up my world. For the first time I discovered the local parks and canals which at most I’d walked through or over before. It got even better when I started doing long distance. Travelling 15 miles on foot is an amazing experience. Places that were once isolated dots, connected only by a string of tube line, suddenly become parts of a whole. And you find yourself seeing places you’d never venture otherwise.

Of course, even a long distance runner can ignore these possibilities. I’ve always been, perhaps, a little naughty with my tendency to stop off at a museum or two on a long run, rather than keeping going straight on. I don’t reckon it spoils the impact of that training distance really though.

A whole new perspective has come with the addition of a bike. In many cases I’m going to the same places, but with a whole new way of looking. Looking for green traffic lights instead of red, and the difficulties of turning right. Or the places where a road goes through a dip with the pavement high above. Places that were far away, whether by foot or public transport, brought closer. And looking for railings to lock my bike to… I still get to feel superior to car drivers as I wiz down bike lanes and between bollards set to keep them out. Suddenly even rush hour has a positive. Gridlocked cars are easy to ride past, and actually make turning right easier. I’ve never moved so fast at 5.30 pm in London.

I read some years ago that some massive percentage of people never goes more than 100 feet from their car. When driving up mountains they’ll park, maybe walk a little up a path, take a few pictures and head back. They never go somewhere unless there’s a car park. I’m even more gobsmacked by some runners, who, having done a run, then go out and measure it with their cars. It is possible to measure a run online or get a gps system… Besides rather undoing any ‘good’ from running by going round belching out car fumes, it must make their runs a lot less pleasant than mine. Confining themselves to roads where their car can go? Maybe breathing in the exhaust fumes of some other runner measuring their run? Why, when they have the option of so many more possibilities with the car’s needs left behind?

Whatever form of transport you use, and personal rules you impose, the world takes on a different shape, and even looks different.

Not Left Behind By The Cat

Since I became an alternative cat burglar (I let myself into people’s houses when they are away, and play with their cats), kitties have featured large in my life. I have a feeling in coming months I may be posting on different breeds, different types of litter… but this tale only really features cats as an aside. The punch line has little to do with them. Honest.

Some years ago when they were emptying the then infamous Holly Street estate, with the intention of knocking it down and building it better, I found an abandoned cat, crying outside a row of boarded-up houses. I took him in, thankfully keeping him separate from my own cats, as it turned out he was infected with the rather nasty cat virus FLV (which can be vaccinated against…). He was also elderly and had a failing liver (which in cats can be caused by a few days without food…). After a few weeks I had to take the hard decision to have him put to sleep. On my way home from the vets I found a wooden box, just right for a planter for outside my flat. I carried it home, the red stain on it covering my hands. In my head it will always be Amos’s box.

It did get planted with flowers a few times. But money seems to have got shorter and shorter. So like many people I ended up with a box of empty soil sitting outside. It was not to stay empty… a neighbour’s cat starting using it as a toilet. Cleaning it out was not a nice job, and including throwing out a lot of the soil. After which I covered it with a board and forgot about it once more. A few times I noticed the ‘lid’ knocked half off and cursed other neighbours coming by as I pushed it back on.

Then those neighbours complained about the smell... Actually I suspect their toddler took the top off (she’s into everything…) and they were horrified. Because it’s somehow acquired another load of poo. Maybe the cat got in those times the lid was half off… but I’m not totally sure. Anyway, another round of cleaning up, another layer of soil chucked. And here’s where it gets strange. Because along with those distinctive red rubber bands from the post man (maybe he was the one left it open… don’t you just love it when the postmen leave litter?) there was, buried quite deep, an unopened 3 pack of condoms, expiry date 2006.

I did wonder if it was some subtle insult to myself. But then it would have made more sense to put them through the door. Or did some teenage lad plan a tryst outside my door, hiding the goodies for his girl. Or maybe there’s a pervert around with a thing for leaving condoms in plant pots. We’ll never know. But I think I’m going to throw out all the soil and start with fresh…

Qype: Vancouver in Welt

Welt

I rather wanted to have the first review of places in Vancouver on Qype. I was waiting for it to be added to the database of places… and got beaten by the Germans, who didn’t wait. Sniff. Never mind, here’s the first ENGLISH review for Vancouver. I think I’ll stick to the German convention of placing Vancouver, Canada in Welt, Germany. It’s sort of amusing… Welt is both a real place in Germany and the German word for ‘World’.

First a little questionnaire for you:

1) What environment will you find around Vancouver?
a. Tundra
b. Rainforest
c. Desert
2) What two main languages will you find spoken in Vancouver?
a. English
b. German
c. French
d. Chinese
3) Which of these was filmed in and around Vancouver?
a. Stargate SG1
b. X-Men movies
c. X-Files
d. Smallville

Answers to be found in the following text… Vancouver is the unofficial capitol of British Columbia (the official one being Victoria, which is, quite ironically, on Vancouver Island). It’s built on a river delta, with nearby Richmond (officially a separate town now, but locals aren’t precious about it) and the airport actually being on low-lying flat islands. The climate is not the ice and snow associated with Canada. In fact it rarely snows in Vancouver itself, though rain is frequent. However it’s surrounded by high mountains where the rain gives way to snow, making for good ski-ing very close to town. These mountains are also covered in temperate rainforest. Huge red cedar trees, dripping with moss and ferns.

Vancouver has a large Chinese population. In many areas street signs are in both English and Chinese (Cantonese is the most common dialect apparently). If you like Chinese food you’ll find plenty! The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden is also reputed to be the only authentic classical Chinese garden outside China. Diverging a little, food is generally excellent, often superb quality, including local seafoods, and reasonably priced.

Not forgetting the First Nations: this being the largely preferred term to refer to the local native/indigenous peoples. Totem poles greet you at the airport, and their stylised representations of eagles, ravens, orca, salmon etc are common motifs on T-shirts and more.

Another population that’s influenced Vancouver is the influx of American draft-dodgers during the Vietnam war. There’s now quite a few aging hippies live in Vancouver! On the positive side Vancouver is very lively in terms of culture and arts, and has a thriving gay scene. On the negative side there are areas with major drug problems. Avoid the Downtown area if you don’t want to be pestered by beggars supporting drug habits (and possibly worse if you get unlucky or stupid). This area is centred around the junction of Main and Hastings (and is easy to wander into if walking between the tourist areas of Gastown and Chinatown). Some advise avoiding Hastings east of Cambie Street. Pender Street is generally considered a safer route.

These days Vancouver is also popular as a film location for Americans looking for somewhere a bit cheaper to film than LA… Everything listed in (3) was filmed here! (Smallville is nearby Cloverdale) If you wander around downtown you’ll usually find at least one film crew somewhere!

For the tourist Vancouver is a great place to visit. Locals are very friendly and service standards are high. It’s not somewhere for those that want sun, sand and boozing. But if you’d like stunning natural scenery, water sports and winter sports, wildlife (whale watching is a must), good food and culture, (including First Nation culture of course…), then it’s amazing. UK visitors will find exchange levels to their advantage. But look out for tax… prices in shops etc do not include this, and it will be added at the till! You should keep receipts for large purchases and accommodation (not other services unfortunately) and claim back this tax (forms at the airport, allow time to get them and get your receipts stamped when you leave, services that offer to do it for you aren’t really worth it: it’s easy).

Public transport is excellent: I’d recommend you don’t hire a car unless you are driving well out of town.

More reviews of places in Vancouver and the area coming up…

Check out my review of Vancouver - I am moonrising - on Qype

Qype: Organic and Natural in London

London

Clapton is not always the nicest area. Though it has some very nice houses around, it also has a main street with many run down and in some cases derelict buildings, and some of the local pubs have a very bad reputation. Recently there’s been moves made to bring it up to scratch: the overhaul of Clapton Pond being one.

Organic and Natural is either desperately out of place, or a foretaste of what’s to come. It’s the sort of shop you might expect to find in posh Islington. A very fine wholefoods store, selling not just the basics, but stuff you might also find in an upmarket delicatessen. As well as the dried beans and meat-free stuff they also sell organic meats (including a sausage that’s apparently been voted second best in the world), an incredible range of seasonings, fresh breads and premium chocolate truffles.

They also have a snack bar in the back, selling coffee and baguettes (e.g. one with thick slices of proper brie and grapes. I always think brie looks like what you get on the top of a cup of a milky drink forgotten in a teenager’s bedroom, but those who do like it may want to take note).

Prices are not cheap, but favourably compare to what you’d pay in Islington. I think I may be heading up to this shop for a few presents this Christmas…

Check out my review of Organic and Natural - I am moonrising - on Qype