No better place for a bachelor party than in the market, where people see you in a giant banana costume and assume you’re either getting married or lost a bet.
Before going out drinking, they went paintballing, though this still didn’t preclude the groom-to-be from having to wear the bright yellow costume in the field.
One of several bachelorette parties we ran into that night.
I’ve only shared about two conversations in my life with Chris — the last of which was about seven years ago — owing to the fact that we live on opposite coasts of the country. But Darren and I recognized him as one of us: someone who thinks for himself and doesn’t buy into the whole Chinese culture unquestioningly. This is in contrast to many of our other cousins, who seem to love their parents simply because they were birthed by them, not necessarily because their parents are good people.
Chris happened to be passing by for a wedding, so I hosted him for two days. It was interesting to meet him at this point in our lives. I wonder if I’m actually more similar to Chris than I am to Darren, mainly because of how our creativity defines us. It was so easy for me to relate and talk to him. And as with Darren, I actually felt like Chris was family, closer to a brother than a cousin, which is all too rare among my blood.
As an industrial designer he does amazing drawings, full of vibrant colours that pop-off the page. I asked him to draw something on my dry erase board because drawing is a creative ability not in my possession, and I find the process fascinating. It was a logistical challenge because he would smear his existing work every time he rested his hand on the board for stability.
He’s my exact opposite when it comes to health. He’s a vegan, while I’d find it impossible to give up meat, let alone butter and ice cream. He just literally biked 100km a day across Canada, while my lifestyle could be considered sedentary at best, with only Tai Chi and some mild calisthenics in my exercise routine. And yet we’re the same weight and shape. It’s sort of eerie to see him drawing in this video; aside from a shorter haircut, it’s almost like I’m watching myself.
The time he spent here passed quickly, as I introduced him to the ukulele. Aside from catching up and learning about each other, most of the two days were spent experimenting and playing together. Eventually, we went to a music store and bought him his own Mahalo ukulele, which filled my heart with glee. Darren and Jeff are coming up for a visit next week, and hopefully Chris will be able to hitch a ride with them for our ukulele band before we all head back to Toronto for Crystal’s wedding.
I got the chance to work with Team Emily to document their latest artist vision, titled Transplant. The brilliant concept:
This summer, Emily Comeau (a fibre artist from Quebec) and Emily Cook (a book and paper artist from Ontario) will be collaborating to create an immense and interactive tunnel book made from local plant materials to install in a barren patch of city.
Transplant is an outdoor living book installation. Constructed from found natural materials both living and dead, this installation is subject to the whims of nature and the designs of man. Each page of this book resembles an arch inviting the audience to enter the immense tunnel book. Within the pages are paper pockets where seeds will begin to sprout as the structure is gradually beaten down by the weather. Additional arches/pages will be added throughout the exhibition as the evolution of decay and growth take over. This evolution speaks to the ebb and flow of construction and decay as the manmade world interacts with the natural one. The story of this project is one of transformation and reclamation of the urban landscape by nature. It is the story of a cycle of decay and rebirth and of a balance that can be achieved when nature’s collaboration is desired rather than fought
The sunlight coming through the seeded paper is such a wonderfully striking image. This is just the first archway, constructed on the lawn at the Ottawa Arts Court, which is a very high-profile place (you can see the Rideau Centre right across the street). More details and ornaments are planned as the project continues over the next year.
My desire to record things comes from the fact that most things in this world are so ephemeral. This being a structure that can dissolve in the rain, as well as being an area frequented by drunks1 and homeless people, meant I was pretty adamant about documenting the whole process.
I was supposed to hang out with Jesse last weekend. We were going to jam and talk and throw around ideas, and I was really looking forward to it because we always seem to be doing something when we’re together instead of just chillin.
See, it’s right here on his schedule, between Floors and Dinner.
Unfortunately, I developed my annual case of strep throat that day and had to stay away from everyone.
Then, on Friday as I was going back through our e-mail correspondence, I realized that Jesse inviting me to play ukulele meant playing a house party on Saturday. We met up about two hours before we were on and had a very quick rehearsal to work out some parts without Nic being able to back us up, as well as extra bits and pieces of songs I figured out over the week. Being so rushed was probably a good thing; it kept my mind off the nervousness.
Turns out it was an outdoor gig playing to a group of hipsters at a barbecue, and we were opening. It didn’t go terribly well. At one point in the middle of Write Protected I screwed up the strumming so badly that we had to stop the song and restart, but we quickly picked up on a count of four and went on without another hitch. Jesse remarked that it was good practice for next time, because problems come up that you never think of when you’re in a new environment.
This time it was a tuning peg that somehow got knocked in the middle of the set. I only discovered this once the song had started — and I was the only one playing so I couldn’t stop. It must have been off by an entire semi-tone cause it totally messed up my senses and I had a hard time telling if I was even playing the right chords. It was also night by the time our set ended, and I had a hard time seeing the frets, which only added to the confusion.
Note to self: strum once to before each song to make sure the instrument is in tune.
I did, however, learn from the last show to bring a side-table to use as a stepping stool. Usually, I sit when practicing, but at the 160 Workshops show I had to stand; not being used to the posture meant I was constantly adjusting the uke in the arm between verses and coming in late in the bar as a result. I brought a little Ikea side-table this time, and it worked really well.
Even with all the glitches, as rushed and under-rehearsed as we were, it was a fantastic time and a great experience.
The next set was in the basement, with a girl and guy looking like they were kids dressed up and pretending to be Ziggy Stardust, singing to generic electronica. And people were loving it in their slow-nodding, hipster kind of way, although the weed and booze may have helped (Audra would later remark to me that it was hard to tell how into it people were cause of how cool everyone was trying to act).
I also missed seeing a very drunk Tina corner Jesse. I could totally see this being her scene.
Check out Audra sporting her stylish Hurley cap.
Jesse was being interviewed later that night and also wanted to stay to see Matt play, so the girls and I headed to grab a bite to eat. Audra bought us all pizza and drinks at a nearby pizzeria, which had the BEST CRUST I’ve ever tasted.
Before the end of the night, in a good mood and feeling safe, I admitted to Em my crush on her boyfriend. She took it well.
Frédéric and Misun were briefly in Canada. They went on a short cruise with Misun’s parents and made a quick stop in Ottawa so naturally I took the chance to see them. It was a lovely evening for a barbecue and eating out in the sun.
It’s so interesting to hear about everything they’re doing with their little art gallery studio, adding to my excitement of visiting them in a few months.
Seeing the new baby. Mommy barely looks like she was pregnant, and Frédéric looks like he’s been eating well in France.
Miric tests out the paper airplane launcher I bought the boys. It was one of the few non-violent toys I could find in Toys R Us.
I have all this stuff I mean to write but when it comes to typing it out, it seems pointless. I don’t mind feeling this way anymore. I’d much rather come off as witty or interesting, but I can settle for honest.
My policy nowadays is to act the way I feel. Instead of trying to cater to other people or fit into social norms, I do what I want. It takes some trust in myself to believe that I’m generally a good person, but everything seems to be working in my favour.
With another wedding booked next year, I was able to justify a new lens. The final one in my lens path: Canon’s 70–200mm f/2.8 IS II USM. It lets me take pictures like this.
I have something major going on each month until December, at which point I’ll probably hermatize for three weeks until another round of holiday craziness.
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The summer has been warm and fuzzy, and it’s filled me with contentment. I don’t care about the future anymore. I’m living in this moment, and thankful it’s a nice one.
I could explain how awesome this night was, but I think this beard speaks for itself.
It’s a custom-made piece by Emily Comeau — named the Smirkin’ Merkin — and a prototype for Jesse’s merch. As a person who’s never even come close to having a beard, I wanted to keep it SO BADLY even though it was brown and didn’t match the curtains (or the carpet, for that matter). I wore it for the first song I played, but it got way too warm to keep on in a house full of people.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
I barely stayed for two hours. It wasn’t the game (though it did prove to be as frustratingly random as I remember it) or the people (who were quite nice and refreshingly intelligent). When I told Jess, she said, “But it’s so early.” I just shrugged my shoulders. As an introvert, she understood.
Sometimes I wonder if I come off as an extremely anti-social person. I tend to be the first one to leave parties, and sometimes so early that the host will ask me if everything is alright. When it comes to being around people, I’m definitely a high-maintenance person. I’m much happier in one-on-one situations, and even more often I prefer being alone.
As much as I’ve grown and changed, I’ve always needed the world in small doses.
I’m feeling overstimulated. This is the only night I’ve had alone for the last week, and I haven’t caught up with John in even longer.
Fridays nights always make me feel restless. I never want to do anything after a full day of work, and at the same time I want to be out. I feel so alone, yet I don’t feel lonely. Maybe I’m just too busy to feel anything. Or maybe I’m just getting used to the solitude.
It’s a self-imposed exile, so I can’t complain. There are so many things I could do, opportunities I could take, people I could see, but I never end up following through. Everything is so stable and comfortable when I’m by myself.
This is pretty much the most awesome situation I can think of. A jam session with Nic on beats and bass, Jesse rapping and on organ + glockenspiel, Audra on clarinet, and me on ukulele. Figuring out what sounds best, modifying arrangements, practicing until it feels right.
The night was actually a rehearsal for Jesse’s upcoming Canadian living room tour, the last stop of which is in Ottawa, at the same place I first met Jesse and Audra and Jacob.
Because Jesse’s sister is only available on the eastern tour dates, that left a spot for one instrument on the final tour date, which I’ll excitedly be filling with my ukulele. It’s only for three songs (and singing one part of a three part harmony) but it’s going to be so much fun.
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Here’s Jesse singing and rhyming and conducting us and playing the glockenspiel at the same time. It’s a new track off his upcoming album with an obvious theme about video, except in this version he made an arrangement of Video Tape by Radiohead and VCR by The XX to bookend the verses. I’d never heard VCR, so Jesse had to teach me the chords on the fly.
I recorded this on my iPhone so I could practice on my own; I won’t have a chance to see them for another rehearsal before they go on tour. I’d never heard the song before, and it was our first time playing it through together but everyone knew when to stop. It felt completely natural. We were communicating without words, our instincts culminating in that wonderfully solid unison.
Even though I’m still rusty, it felt amazing to be playing an instrument with other people again. And this time with material that’s fucking genius, not the same old conservatory pieces some teacher chooses for you. At one point I was playing around on the ukulele when Jesse had to get the phone, and Nic started putting beats to what I was doing and it made me want to steal Nic for all my practicing.
See Jesse Dangerously in your town:
Friday, July 23rd — The Bird House in Halifax, NS — 6156 Duncan Street, 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 24th — The Galley in Fredericton, NB — 1–178 Westmorland Street, 7:00 p.m (with feminist/anti-capitalist gumboot troupe Rebelles).
Sunday, July 25th — Gallerie Rye in Montreal, PQ — 1331a Rue Ste Catherine Est, 8:00 p.m (with the vegan ukulele of Nicola IV).
Monday, July 26th — 160 Workshops in Ottawa, ON — 160 Primrose Avenue, 8:00 p.m. (with electronic/acoustic singer-songwriter Jacob Earl).
Pita is soon moving to the west coast of Canada, so I went to visit him in Montreal on the weekend. We lived together in residence in university and for two years in an apartment downtown, but hadn’t seen each other in years. I’m probably the only person to still think of him as Pita, the nickname given to him from the first week of residence. There were two pairs of roommates named Jeff and Peter, so everyone decided that one pair should have nicknames to make the distinction, and that ended up being us.
He’s moving out in two days, so his house is a jumble of packed boxes and miscellaneous items.
On nights like this, I wonder how I’m going to kill the time before it’s late enough to fall asleep, worried that I’ll be bored on a Friday and consequently faced with the fact that I’m so very alone. I was craving some kind of human contact tonight, but spending time with people takes too much energy nowadays so I decided, instead, to play Team Fortress 2.
I purchased it on an impulse, but this was still three years after TF2 first came out. There’s a very good reason I avoided buying it for so long: it’s the sequel to Team Fortress Classic, one of the games I was most addicted to in my life, and a huge time sink1. An entire day could go by without realizing it when I was playing TFC, and I purposely didn’t buy TF2 when Aaron was getting into it too; I knew I wouldn’t stop if I had friends encouraging the habit.
I decided to work on Canada Day and take Monday off instead. It was strange to be productive when it seemed like everyone in this city was out celebrating in the strangling heat. At this time of year, I can’t help but think of eucalyptus oil first kisses blue blankets shy embraces, constantly unsure of whether the memories made me happy or sad. Canada Day will never be the same.
I was left feeling completely disconnected from the world. In my room, I wondered what Aaron was doing at his place this year. The fireworks popping outside my window were so loud it was as if they were going off in my back yard. I didn’t bother to look. It was still just another day.
Dolly can never resist sleeping on unfamiliar objects, such as John’s duffel bag.
The second plot was John passing through Ottawa for a bachelor party. It ended much earlier than expected after two days of debauchery that got too much for even him.
So we had a lot of extra time together over the long weekend though we didn’t do anything special. It was mostly games, sunshine, driving, three seasons of the IT crowd, popcorn, and duets. Also, three movies were watched: The Hangover (which I agreed not to watch until we saw each other again), The Prince of Tides (to switch gears a bit, and my third time seeing it this year), and The A-Team (which is what we decided on for a movie in the theatres, and the likes of which is generally only palpable during the summer in the company of other male friends).
I sort of…unplugged. Drifted off in the haze and lost my mind for a little while.
Ginger rose tea. Delish.
I also invited Heather and Sergey to pho with us because they had yet to meet John, and everyone got along swimmingly. I shouldn’t be surprised; Heather and Sergey are type to find something interesting about anything, and John’s the type to say interesting things.
John with his sherbert and holiday scruff, saying the kinds of things that make him popular to everyone.
Now I’m catching up on work and sleep and alone time.
I’ve been itching to play around with some new footage lately cause I love editing and it’s been a while since I had a good story to tell, so when Tiana invited me to Bobby’s second birthday party, I couldn’t resist. I also recently purchased some new gear in preparation of a wedding I’ve been hired to film in the Fall (with a second one potentially lined up), and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to field-test a new bag, shoulder strap, and monopod.
I tend to get really shy at Tiana’s parties cause I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t know anyone else there, but she does a good job of making sure I’m never left alone for too long and included in most conversations. She’s also the only other person I know to actually design custom invitations. This time, however, she was sporting a perky new haircut, and no longer a vegetarian (for now). Such is the power of St. Hubert.
