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The Power of the Dog

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Film

Published: 10 January 2022

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Apparently one of the top movies of 2021.

Good, but - 

Well, not precisely my thing. More like a "Movies made for Oscars" than "Movies made for People", if you get my drift.

There are more challenging films out there.

Kuku-Racha

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: People

Published: 10 January 2022

Hits: 634

Since being back at the hostel I've had it pretty sweet. 7 days, my shared dorm room only once shared with a Ukrainian traveler, and he only here from 12:00 Noon until midnight when he left. 

So I'm being spoiled. 

But the common area's come under siege. An older Mexican man, perhaps 45 (?? I'm no judge of age) has taken to partying there every night. He travels with his Bluetooth speaker around his neck, playing "Vogue" by Madonna and "Like a Virgin", and a ton of other camp favorites from the late 90's and turn of the century. He's drunk on Mojitos and Daiquiris, It's loud and I'm unable to pay attention to anything but this, the worst of all possible 90's club "muzak". 

We take turns picking songs, and I pick "Gay Bar" by Electric Six. It's a great song. He listens a moment - then looks at me, his face all lit up: "Are you Gay?"

I nip this in the bud. "NO". It's a hard no, I used to feel that I was offending people by being straight and so I'd be all coy, wishy-washy, but I know better now  - fuck that - I'm fine with you being gay - you be fine with me being straight.  I'm only gay if it's an older woman asking. 

He doesn't like this, finds other company, a poor young Greek man with his girlfriend, and - I have to say - in this shared dorm-style housing - well - things could get awfully uncomfortable. And I'm grateful for the long spell of no shared roomies...

The Week of Jan 3-9

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Blog

Published: 10 January 2022

Hits: 856

This week, Tuesday, set out for a big hike into the west end. I've never been too much west of Granville (barring the bus to Horsehoe Bay).

In the span of 15-20 blocks the neighborhoods greatly improve. But the weather's bitter, cold, and when I hit the Lost Lagoon I turn back for warmth. 

Wednesday - Snow. A 6 Inch accumulation. I don't go far.

Thursday, rain, the snow is melting, disappearing, feet cold and wet in the slush, it's unwalkable, anywhere, and all the tents and sleeping bags and garbage of the streets is eroding out of snowbanks piled on the curb, unsalvageable, to the shelter for more....I attempt to go up East Hastings to do some thrifting, but there's a tearing gale, the weather itself not cold, but these 60 KM hour gusts are freezing me. And all of the thrift shops, other than Value Village, are closed.

Friday, again, this time the thrift shops are open, but I might as well not have bothered. There are no treasures.

Saturday, off now to Port Coquitlam - the train, past the worst of neighborhoods, and again, while it was nice when I set out it's blizzarding up there hard. A couple of thrift shops, then abandon it. Lose my day pass. Am thoroughly pissed. I'm beginning to believe I shouldn't be allowed to leave the house. Travel - of any sort - for me is becoming a big no-no. If it can go wrong, it will. To the Vancouver Flea - get some cheesecake stickers for Stormy, then home. 

I'm freezing, hypothermic, the temperature - again not so bad, but the wind, always the wind and the wet and blowing snow.

And this is how it goes. The winters, more extreme, the summers, more extreme, the pendulum swinging farther and further in each direction and nobody knows where it will end...

Well, people know, they're just not saying. Until then it's business as usual.